New - Black Cross Hotel - Songs For Switches - LP

Emerging from a derelict warehouse buried in a back neighborhood of Chicago, Black Cross Hotel’s brand of industrial-strength post-punk stands firmly on sweat-soaked leather and concrete floors. The band's sound channels the percussive ferocity of industrial pioneers from the United Kingdom while building on the sonic aggression of Midwestern stalwarts. Featuring members of Stabbing Westward and The Atlas Moth, the five-piece's aesthetic effortlessly blends raw aggression with nuanced atmospheric layers, drawing influences from the golden days of neon, mighty riffs, and "trax made of wax."

“This record is not all salacious fantasy; there's a practical side to maintaining any well-run subculture,” says vocalist Dee DeEmme, regarding Black Cross Hotel’s latest offering, Songs for Switches. “The album is a collection of lessons learned, from the joy of finding someone who truly gets you to the importance of asking for what you want and preserving a part of yourself in the process.”

Initially conceived as a horror-inspired industrial-metal side project from synth alchemist Andrew Ragin (The Atlas Moth) and guitarist Marcus Eliopulos (Stabbing Westward) to channel pent-up creative energy during the pandemic shutdown, Black Cross Hotel quickly evolved into something far more substantial. As the songs took shape, the excitement grew, leading to a formidable lineup: Mike Miczek (Earthburner, Broken Hope, The Atlas Moth) on drums, seasoned producer and recording engineer Sanford Parker (Minsk, Corrections House) on bass, and roaring vocals from DeEmme (Whipped). DeEmme's arrival shifted the lyrical focus from classic horror movies to exploring the profound dynamics of human desire, transforming the project into a vehicle for unrelenting, uninhibited expression that allows for a stage performance that harnesses a balance between smut and sophistication.