Today, Venice Beach, CA’s purveyors of psychedelic violence, The Shrine, are releasing Rare Breed, their debut full-length for Century Media Records. To ring in the release, the group has shared their digipak-only bonus version of “Never More Than Now” featuring vocals from the legendary Keith Morris (Black Flag, Off!, Circle Jerks). The track premiered via Buzzbands LA, and is available to stream or embed HERE.
On January 22 in Los Angeles, the band will host “The Rare Breed Experience,” a special record release party flashback trip to another dimension that will feature a live performance from The Shrine with opening support from ARCTIC, a band comprised of pro skateboarders Don Nguyenand Justin Figueroa. RSVP to the free event HERE.
The “Never More Than Now” premiere marks another notch in a banner year for the Shrine that has seen brands like Converse (who commissioned Landau to create a custom shoe) and Marshall Headphones hand-pick the group to become featured artists. The band also recently finished a European tour with Kadavar and Horisont, as well as headlining tours of Japan and Australia, a stint on Motörhead’s Motörboat Cruise and an epic 16-city trek through the States with Clutchand Corrosion of Conformity.
Produced by Dave Jerden (the venerated knobsman behind such classics as Alice In Chains’ Dirt,Jane’s Addition’s Nothing’s Shocking, Social Distortion’s self-titled, The Offspring’s Ixnay On The Hombre and Eno/Byrne’s My Life In The Bush of Ghosts) and recorded through the very amp thatGreg Ginn recorded Black Flag’s Damaged on, Rare Breed exists in a space that once was was bleeding with razor sharp lines separating punks, metal heads and hippies, where a violent clash in the parking lot of the Cuckoo’s Nest was inevitable.
Over the course of their last two records, 2012’s Primitive Blast and 2014’s Bless Off, (both released on Tee Pee Records), The Shrine has captured the hearts and minds of hardcores, heshers, and skaters alike. With that in mind and with Jerden at the helm, Rare Breed is pure California Jam ’74 meets Suicidal skate rock being force-fed the brown acid by Charles Manson.
For more on The Shrine visit www.theshrineband.com, on Facebook and on Instagram @theshrine.