Belgian sludge/post-metal trio Crouch announce debut album »Breaking The Catatonic State«; first single & music video »Lhotse« streaming now!

Belgian sludge/post-metal trio Crouch has announced their debut album, »Breaking The Catatonic State«, due out on March 20th, 2026 via Heimlich Manoeuvres.

Watch a music video for the first single and closing track »Lhotse« below!

Tracklist:
01. Godby
02. Vida
03. Yellow Eyes
04. Hatchets And Hammers
05. Twisted Colossus
06. Good Seed
07. Bad Seed
08. Geneva
09. Non-Competitive Garden Display
10. Lhotse

Courtesy of Discipline PR:

The Belgium-based trio unveils their latest album, »Breaking The Catatonic State«, set for release on March 20, 2026 via Heimlich Manoeuvres.

Crouch features Wim Coppers (Wiegedood, Oathbreaker, Rise And Fall, Living Gate) on drums, Jasper Hollevoet (Ventilateur) on bass, and Levy Seynaeve (Wiegedood, Oathbreaker, ex-Amenra, Living Gate) on guitars and vocals. Each member brings extensive experience from their previous bands, which have solidified Belgium’s presence in the global heavy music scene.

»Breaking The Catatonic State« was recorded and mixed by Gilles Demolder (Wiegedood), with mastering handled by Brad Boatright (Audiosiege). The artwork, created by Bram Vanderbeke, depicts an aluminum pillar emerging from the ground, symbolizing the band’s evolution and breakthrough.

Musically, »Breaking The Catatonic State« marks a clear departure from the band’s earlier sound, moving away from familiar sludgy rhythms to embrace a more complex and dynamic direction. “Breaking with the 4/4 heartbeat rhythm we’re all so comforted by, even before we’re born, is at the center of the musical philosophy of this record,” explains the band. “Hooks and sharp corners at every turn are what keeps us on our toes as musicians and what ultimately drives us to write and play music and has led us to drop any preconceived notion of what the follow-up to our EP should sound like, and any expectation of being well received with it.”

Photo credit: Geert Braekers

Both in lyrics and sound, the album aims to get to the core of things. “This record is the musical and lyrical embodiment of its title,” the band notes. “Crouch no longer carries the same face it had at its conception and we’ve fully embraced what we ourselves find thrilling in making music.”

The evolution brings a new level of directness. “For the first time in my life I’ve found the words to address things without feeling the need to protect the clue by a wall of metaphors and adjectives,” shares Levy Seynaeve. “To quote a famous Parisian: ‘This is for us, this is not for you’.” In stripping away the filters, Crouch delivers an album that is intimate, unflinching, and deeply resonant.

Pre-order »Breaking The Catatonic State« coming out March 20, 2026 via Heimlich Manoeuvres available directly from the label HERE. Or from Evil Greed HERE.

See Crouch on tour with Converge at selected dates:
28.06.26 Belgium – Antwerp, Zappa
29.06.26 Germany – Cologne, Essigfabrik
30.06.26 Germany – Berlin, SO36
02.07.26 Austria – Vienna, Arena
03.07.26 Italy – Milan, Circolo Magnolia

Written by Crouch.
Recorded & mixed by Gilles Demolder at Jetson Studio at Kortrijk, BE.
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.
Cover photography by Jeroen Mylle.
Sculpture made by Bram Vanderbeke.
Layout by Treha Sektori.

Crouch is:
Wim Coppers – Drums
Jasper Hollevoet – Bass
Levy Seynaeve – Guitars & Vocals

FFO: Neurosis, Cynic, Amenra

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well