Wrekmeister Harmonies’ J.R. Robinson has long been pre-occupied with society’s unwanted, observing the horror of their acts while trying to identify with their conflict. The new track “Run Priest Run” from the upcoming album “Night of Your Ascension” (out 13th November), traces the death of Father John Geoghan, a priest convicted of molesting some 150 children who was violently executed by a fellow inmate while held in solitary confinement. As rumbling bass and brooding drums usher the killer into the frame via the hair-raising shrieks of The Body’s Chip King, the track takes us into the depths of horror of Geoghan’s prison cell and the minds of those within it.
The players on Night of Your Ascension represent a wide spectrum of the musical community, from Einstürzende Neubauten’s Alexander Hacke to singer Marissa Nadler. The album was arranged by Robinson, Cooper Crain (Cave, Bitchin Bajas), Eric Chaleff (Bloodiest), and Sanford Parker. Other players include members of Indian, Anatomy of Habit, and Twilight, along with Chris Brokaw (Come, Pullman), harpist Mary Lattimore, composer Olivia Block, and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. Night of Your Ascension is a commentary on our own fascination with bloodlust and our seemingly insatiable appetite for lurid depictions of depravity. ✪
