Photo by Amber Reskey
Pittsburgh, PA industrial/goth/post-punk artist SHADOWMOUTH has released the new full-length “Modern Alchemy” on October 14th viaDeath of The Party Records. The work, featuring eight new tracks, is available on the major digital services, while CD and vinyl can be purchased on ElasticStage.
Rick Polo – the mastermind of SHADOWMOUTH – has stated about “Modern Alchemy”:
“The album was directly inspired by the daily anxieties and frustration directly related to a world that is consistently online. Our very Alchemy has drifted away from the physical world to a false sense of identity in which we project ourselves into the world via social media. But there is a longing to return to form. This record challenges those ideas; of one’s life on display and valued solely by views, likes and direct engagement, as well as the catharsis of tearing down such structures.”
ShadowMouth is:
Rick Polo – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keys, Bass VI, Programming
Brooks Farris: Live and Programmed Drums, Studio Wizardry
ShadowMouth is the solo project of Rick Polo (of Baroque Monody and Heck Vektor). Based out of Western Pennsylvania.
The debut single, “Poison Nostalgia/Twenty Four Hours” landed on Bandcamp on Oct. 4, 2024 for Bandcamp Friday, and on streaming platforms Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. The single features and A-side of the debut original track, “Poison Nostalgia,” and for the B-side a cover of Joy Division’s “Twenty Four Hours.”
The project’s sound encompasses the sweet spot that intersects Goth, Post-Punk, Industrial Rock and Heavy Alternative.
The first two tracks appeared on the debut EP, “Purification By Fire,” released in late 2024.
Poison Nostalgia was written and performed by Rick Polo with drums and production by Brooks Farris and vocals by Dombrowski. The same line-up performs on the “Twenty Four Hours” cover.
The new single, “Your Words, Not Mine,” was released on May 21, 2025. This was the first single from the forthcoming debut LP, “Modern Alchemy.”
“Your Words, Not Mine,’ touches on our relation to social media. It’s fascinatingly ironic how there are platforms larger than ever in history to share our voices, yet we are seemingly more disconnected than ever before. Social media, and these platforms which are run by billionaire megalomaniacs, has stolen and distorted our voice, our personality, and completely altered how we interact with one another on a personal level.”
Bandcamp Download: https://shadowmouth.bandcamp.com/album/modern-alchemy
CD/Vinyl (ElasticStage): https://elasticstage.com/shadowmouth/releases/modern-alchemy-album
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