PRIEST

One of the most hyped albumreleases this Friday came from PRIEST in "Altered State Police". 

PRIEST is a Swedish electronic synthpop and darkwave band formed in Linköping in 2015. 

The group is known for its dark, futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic, with members performing in masks, leather, and studs. The band garnered significant international attention from the outset, as it was founded by former members of the Grammy-winning hard rock band Ghost. 

While Ghost focuses on occult hard rock, PRIEST operates within an entirely different sonic landscape. Their music is rooted in 1980s dark synthpop, 1990s industrial and EBM (Electronic Body Music), as well as modern synthwave. 

The band describes their concept as a prophecy intended to guide humanity toward its next evolutionary step: merging with machines. Much like their parent band, Ghost, PRIEST keeps their identities hidden behind pseudonyms and elaborate face masks: 

• Mercury (Linton Rubino): Lead singer and frontman. He previously played bass live for Ghost under the name "Water." 

• Salt (Mauro Rubino): Keyboards. He previously played keyboards for Ghost under the name "Air." 

• Sulfur: Programming and keyboards. 

• Simon Söderberg (formerly "Alpha" in Ghost): Has served as the band’s producer and studio collaborator. 

The band’s fifth and latest studio album explores a cinematic, dystopian landscape, touching on themes of surveillance, AI, and human identity—all underscored by heavy 1990s-style breakbeats. 

Pressrelease: 

The Swedish androids give you a fresh, new take on the '90s synthpop and big beat era. With far greater depth and detail than before, Priest throws you on a journey through dystopian cityscapes, where surveillance and political distrust is on the brink to ignite a new revolution. 

The intent is to listen to Altered State Police as a whole, from start to finish — to completely immerse yourself in it. Questions may arise and find their answers on a later song, and if you have feelings and thoughts about certain subjects portrayed, think of the tracks as mental litmus tests taken over a decade of time. The writer moved on long ago, but this is the emotional ballast that needed to be exorcised. 

Memories and past experiences are the ultimate fuel for creativity — so if going back to another state helps you write a killer song, what's not to like? 

Altered State Police is uncompromising and written with the intention of being a classic album.

Produced and mixed by Leo Josefsson, known from Unify Separate and a former member of legendary Statemachine. Leo have produced the album together with Mercury (Linton Rubino) 

PRIEST @ FACEBOOK 

Supported by Muzik Mag Sweden

 

DJ Thessla / Tobbe P