Track Premiere: Racetraitor, “The Cult Of Eschatology”

Eschatology, in case you didn’t know, is defined as “the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind.”

Perfect fodder for metal lyrics, naturally, so it’s no surprise to find Racetraitor tackling the issue on “The Cult of Eschatology,” the latest single to be released from their forthcoming album 2042 (only the second full-length they’ve released in their 20 years as a band). Bassist R. Brent Decker explains the meaning behind the track thusly:

“With ‘Cult of  Eschatology’ we wanted to address the racist way the US talks about the high levels of violence in cities like Chicago. The entire framing of the issue and the policies that are adopted serve white supremacy. Words like ‘criminal,’ ‘offender,’ and ‘victim’ are all euphemisms to get politicians elected and shovel more money to a ‘prison and policing industrial complex.

“Nothing is really about solutions, violence reduction, or real people. The criminal justice system we have is just rooted in the ideologies of punishment which destroys countless lives, decimates communities, and strengthens corporate interests. Living and working in Chicago, this is all stuff we have seen first hand and it needs to be abolished.”​

The band’s music is appropriately visceral given the weighty nature of its lyrical content, rooted in noisy grind blasts but punctuated by meaty death metal stabs, post-hardcore dissonance and throaty, tortured screams. In other words: it’s really fucking heavy in all possible senses of the word.

Have a spin below and hear for yourself. 2042 comes out on October 12th via Good Fight and can be pre-ordered here.