Japanese post-rockers MONO will release a new LP on Friday by way of Temporary Residence. Requiem For Hell is the band’s ninth album, and Noisey debuted a stream of it today in advance of the official release. The premiere comes accompanied by an interview with guitarist Takaakira (“Taka”) Goto, in which he discusses working with Steve Albini, and confronting death time and again on MONO’s albums. Here’s a brief excerpt for context:

When I finished writing the basics for the new album, I stumbled upon [Dante’s] Divine Comedy. After reading the book, it felt like all the roads opened up suddenly. All the pieces suddenly came together like a jigsaw puzzle and created one world. I was also fascinated by the story — going through afterlife; Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven—and I felt very empathetic towards the theme of soul’s salvation.

The album’s storyline is set the same as The Divine Comedy. For the album cover, we used Gustave Doré’s illustration from Divine Comedy’s last scene. At the end of the album, I want the listeners to wonder and feel what awaits at the end of pure white vortex for the two characters.

Listen to Requiem For Hell below.

Requiem For Hell is out 10/14 on Temporary Residence.