Last year, experimental noise band the Body and industrial duo Uniform linked up for a thrashing, strangely beautiful collaborative album, Mental Wounds Not Healing. The Body also put out a new record of their own last year, I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer. This year, the like-minded groups have decided to make more music together, as the Rhode Island and New York artists are announcing their sophomore collaborative full-length, Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back, out this August. The title is a reference to lyrics that appear on Bruce Springsteen’s song “Atlantic City” off of Nebraska.

Today, the quartet have shared the project’s rending lead single “Penance,” which blends rippling synths, blaring guitars, and snarling vocals from Uniform’s Michael Berdan. It’s manages to be grimy, crushing and sweet in its instrumentation all at once.

According to Berdan, “Penance” is about “ongoing attempt to hold oneself to a higher standard than you did yesterday.” He goes on:

Human beings are bound to mess up as often as not, which can lead to either teachable experiences or nihilistic resign. I grew up surrounded by religious types who could act like monsters six days out of the week as long as they were willing to say “sorry” to some priest and pray a rosary on the seventh. Continuing in malicious behavior and demanding arbitrary absolution is a garbage way to live. However, if we take account of where we’ve done harm to others and ourselves and endeavor to learn and not repeat these actions, then maybe we can grow into empathetic and loving people.

Listen to “Penance” below.

TRACKLIST
01 “Gallows In Heaven”
02 “Not Good Enough”
03 “Vacancy”
04 “Patron Saint Of Regret”
05 “Penance”
06 “All This Bleeding”
07 “Day Of Atonement”
08 “Waiting For The End Of The World”
09 “Contempt”

Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back is out 8/16 via Sacred Bones. Pre-order it here.