Beastmilk and Grave Pleasures mastermind Mat McNerney detonates this autumn with his solo debut album, with what’s been described as “apocalyptic post punk” and going out under the moniker Scorpion Milk for the Slime Of The Times album out on Peaceville Records as of the 19th September.
Out now is ‘She-Wolf Of London’, he second single to be taken from the upcoming debut album and featuring William Von Ghould from British horror punks Creeper.
“I am a fan of Will’s voice and work with Creeper,” said McNerney. “‘She Wolf Of London’ needed that gothic swagger and a touch of Albion grime that Von Ghould expertly purveys. This song is a twisted love letter to the cursed bloodlines of British horror, the haunted streets of my youth, and lycanthropic seduction.”
McNerney has created a video for the single, using footage from films such as She-Wolf Of London (1946), Werewolf Of London (1935), Dementia (1955) with poster artwork by Jack Welch (@seventhbell).
Slime Of The Times was produced by McNerney himself & recorded at Pine Hill Studio in Finland, with mixing carried out by Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse, London. Mastering was conducted at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. The album features artwork by Danu Bharatu, known for his visceral, expressionist work with Uniform, Wolfbrigade, and Portrayal of Guilt — reinforcing the project’s abrasive, end-of-days aesthetic and crossover visual appeal.
Slime Of The Times features the tracks: ‘All The Fear’, ‘The Will to Live’, ‘She Wolf Of London’, ‘Another Day Another Abyss’, ‘Wall To Wall’, ‘Slime Of The Times’, ‘Silver Pigs’, ‘All Snakes No Ladders’ and ‘Children Are Dust’ – It will be available on limited transparent red vinyl LP, classic black vinyl LP, CD and digitally here.
Slime Of The Times features a whole host of cross-scene collaborators, including Tor Sjödén (Viagra Boys) on drums, Nate Newton (Converge, Cave In) on bass guitar, as well as special guest appearances from Killing Joke’s Big Paul Ferguson and the aforementioned Will Gould.
Scorpion Milk draws heavily from the raw, confrontational energy of UK anarcho-punk and 80s post-punk: Killing Joke, Flux Of Pink Indians, Crisis, The Fall, The Sound, mixed with early The Sisters Of Mercy and Siouxsie And The Banshees to brandish corrosive and defiantly danceable songs for the end times.
Having crafted his visionary style back in 2014 with Beastmilk’s underground smash hit Climax and expanded a cult following on three later albums with Grave Pleasures, McNerney’s solo work with Scorpion Milk is the next evolution of hisapocalyptic post punk ouvre. A restless, prolific creative spirit, McNerney’s fresh poison doesn’t retread old ground but is a heavier, metallic move on from his earlier work into something more urgent, angry and unrefined for the modern world melt-down.
“I’m live-wired to release Scorpion Milk on Peaceville, the first label I ever fell in love with. Home to Darkthrone’s most impactful work but also a vanguard of the UK underground that inspired me so much such as Doom, Axegrinder and especially Hammy’s Instigators. Fans of early Beastmilk might be happy to hear that I’m diving back into the original influences of what got me started down this path in the first place,” Said McNerney.
Peaceville manager Paul Groundwell added “With a stellar & ever-expanding discography of work built up over the years across multiple projects, and a legit hive of boundless ability and creativity, it is a great pleasure to finally be able to welcome Mat to the Peaceville roster for this next chapter.”
You can check out the videos to Scorpion Milk‘s singles here at RAMzine.
