Old Spirit share a music video for the first single »Cave« taken from the upcoming self-titled debut album

Jason Hartman’s (Vanishing Kids, Jex Thoth) old school weirdo metal project Old Spirit share a music video for the first single »Cave« taken from the upcoming self-titled debut album, which will be released this Friday, February 4th, 2022 via Bright As Night Records.

Tracklist:
01. Snow Leopard
02. Cave
03. Feel The Stars
04. Catastrophe
05. Seasons
06. Freezing Brain

All instruments, vocals, programming, engineering, producing and mixing by Jason Hartman.
Mastered by James Plotkin.
Album cover art by Nikki Drohomyreky.
Album back photography by Jason Hartman and Heidi Huntress.
Layout by Lacey Smith / Luluweird Design.

From Bright As Night Records:

Bright As Night Records announces February 4th, 2022 as the international release date for Old Spirit’s striking debut mini-album, self-titled »Old Spirit«, on CD and 12” vinyl formats.

Old Spirit is a new creation of Jason Hartman, who is renown for Svart recording artists Vanishing Kids as well as being a frequent collaborator with Jex Thoth. By and large a solo effort, Old Spirit indeed lives up to its moniker with a wild ‘n’ weird amalgamation of elder heavy metal and hard rock tropes, all done with Hartman’s characteristically lysergic sensibilities.

As such, Old Spirit is the project’s debut record, totaling six songs across 26 minutes. Immediately, one is whisked away to a world where Mercyful Fate is melded with the Melvins, Witchfinder General with the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Mind-melting solos singe that listener’s perceptions with almost alchemical logic, remaining frazzled and free-flowing in equal measure, and making the sum result all the more engaging – and memorable. And just as Hartman places a premium on (bent-askew) hooks, his vocals take a comparably crooked aspect that somehow sounds like an ancient wizard and rock god simultaneously.

And just as he’s revealing the electro-oriented alter-ego Night Eyez, Old Spirit encompasses a lyricism that’s characteristically Hartman. As he explains, “Lyrically, it seems I’m always writing about death or impermanence. Especially as I look back on the Night Eyez lyrics, it’s all about that and also making the most of your time/life. I’ve kinda always written about that, but especially as I age, it becomes more prevalent. Old Spirit also has death-related lyrics, too, but also a lot of disgust for society/humanity. I don’t usually like to write with any kind of humor, but there’s inadvertently some in there. Like »Cave«, for example, is silly and ridiculous. I don’t try to force things too much; it just comes out the way it comes out. This is cliché, but if a listener is interested in the lyrical end of things, there should always be room for their own interpretation. It’s a way to make it your own experience.”

With rich ‘n’ robust mastering courtesy of James Plotkin and psychedelic cover art, »Old Spirit« is a sulfurous first conjuring for Old Spirit.

Pre-order the album here: oldspirit.bandcamp.com/album/old-spirit

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