MC5: annunciano il nuovo album “Heavy Lifting” in 53 anni, nuovo singolo online

Nati tra le strade di Detroit a metà degli anni Sessanta, gli MC5 hanno rivoluzionato il rock’n’roll con la loro vorticosa fusione di garage rock, blues, soul, free jazz e proto-punk. Famosi per le incendiarie esibizioni dal vivo e per la loro posizione di sinistra radicale, il loro status di pionieri del punk e del rock di protesta ha ispirato molti musicisti come Ramones, The Clash, Rage Against The Machine, The White Stripes, Slash e innumerevoli altri e continua a plasmare il suono del punk e del rock alternativo per le nuove generazioni.

earMUSIC will release the first new music from MC5 in 50+ years (following 1971’s ‘High Time’) with the album HEAVY LIFTING due October 18 – one day prior to the band’s induction into 2024’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when they will receive the “Musical Excellence Award.”

HEAVY LIFTING features guitar and vocals by founding MC5 member Wayne Kramer, who also co-wrote 12 of the album’s 13 songs together with Oakland singer/songwriter Brad Brooks. Prolific for five decades, Kramer was the last remaining active member of MC5. He passed away suddenly in February, followed by the death of drummer Dennis ‘Machine Gun’ Thompson in May. It is Thompson’s final studio recording.
The album’s debut track “Boys Who Play with Matches” is out digitally today, June 6. Stream/download it HERE.

In an interview with UNCUT in November 2023, Kramer discussed the album and said: “Live long and stay creative. This is my attitude. And this album continues from where ‘High Time’ left off. In that, I think it’s an artist’s responsibility to reflect the times they’re going through. And I think that we made an album that is in sync with where we’re at today and the challenges that we’re facing, and that carries a positive message.”

HEAVY LIFTING was recorded with iconic producer Bob Ezrin (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, KISS) and features an all-star lineup of Kramer’s friends and musical colleagues including Slash, Tom Morello, William DuVall (Alice in Chains), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Don Was, and Tim McIlrath (Rise Against), allowing for a collaborative effort that bridges the gap between generations of musicians inspired by MC5’s fearless approach to music and activism. The breadth of MC5’s impact can be heard by all the album’s players, including Vicki Randle (Aretha Franklin), Stevie Salas (Parliament Funkadelic, Rod Stewart), Abe Laboriel Jr. (Paul McCartney), Winston Watson Jr. (Bob Dylan), and Joe Berry (M83). Far more than a trip down memory lane, HEAVY LIFTING is a resounding affirmation that the spirit of punk endures.

Wayne Kramer and Bob Ezrin. Photo: Margaret Saadi Kramer

“It’s very heavy,” Ezrin reports on HEAVY LIFTING. “It has a revolutionary message but also a good sense of humor. There’s a little bit of heavy metal. There’s quite a bit of funk. But it is a heavy record, and it’s a guitar record left, right and center. Just a wall of guitars most of the time, and mostly driven by Wayne and his ethos. It’s a snapshot of a guitar man at the height of his powers. We all feel a responsibility to make sure that his work is heard, and he is celebrated. We poured our hearts into the project.”

In addition to the 13-track album, a 2CD / 2LP bonus disc will be released including previously unreleased live recordings from the MC50 tour in 2018 celebrating the 50^th anniversary of MC5’s revered 1969 debut album, Kick Out the Jams, which features classic anthems like “Kick Out the Jams” and “Ramblin’ Rose.”  Alongside Kramer, the MC50 live band features Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, Faith No More’s bassist Billy Gould, and frontman Marcus Durant (Zen Guerrilla) with a special guest appearance by Mark Arm (Mudhoney). See the full track listing below.

Pre-order HEAVY LIFTING on CD, Vinyl and digital download in addition to bonus 2CD and bonus 2LP HERE.