While doing some late spring cleaning recently which included a LONG overdue purge of those archaic physical media artifacts known as “compact discs” I came across an abundance of Mark Lanegan albums (Which are not getting purged, btw) and among the records currently in my collection, I cannot think of an artist more dynamically diverse than Lanegan with each and every release. Which is definitely the case again with his latest offering falling under the moniker of Dark Mark Vs Skeleton Joe.
Comprised of two tracks (With B-side “Skeleton Joe Manifesto” only available through the physical 12″ release), Dark Mark Vs Skeleton Joe is an impressive collaboration between Lanegan and The Icarus Line’s Joe Cardamone yielding tracks that still fit nicely within the discography of the former Screaming Tree yet still managing to surprise and add to his ongoing evolution ahead of a full-length due on October 15th. “Dark Mark Theme” is happy to haunt with humming synths to start with Lanegan switching between his signature Bluesy baritone and a ghostly croon while “Skeleton Joe Manifesto” gets its’ creep on for a throbbing thumper that’s built from Cardamone’s stirring synths that birth a lush new world for Lanegan to thrive in.
Dark Mark vs. Skeleton Joe arrives on June 11th through Rare Bird/Kitten Robot Records with the full-length arriving in the fall. Pre-order the 12″ single now by clicking here (And maybe buy a book or two? Rare Bird has GREAT stuff!). For more on this killer collaboration, follow Lanegan and Cardamone’s socials by heading here, here, here, or here.