Hard rock group Pop Evil announce new album Skeletons

Hard rock group Pop Evil have announced their new album, Skeletons, due 17th March 2023 via MNRK Heavy, along with US, UK, and EU tour dates. The band has also unveiled a video for their single ‘Paranoid (Crash & Burn)’.

The 11-tracks feature the already released singles: ‘Eye of the Storm’ landing at the #5 Most Played Song in 2022 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, and the most recent single, ‘Paranoid (Crash & Burn).’ The album also includes guest performers such as Ryan Kirby from Fit for a King on ‘Dead Reckoning’ – a song brought to the table by bassist, Joey “Chicago” Walser – plus Blake Allison from Devour the Day providing guest vocals on ‘Wrong Direction.’

Discussing the album, frontman Leigh Kakaty said, “This is about us as a band stripping everything down to the bones. It’s more up-tempo, it’s got bigger riffs, and we’re trying to capture the energy of our live show.

“But it’s also a positive message, I know it’s a morbid visual, but behind every skeleton, there’s a story and something worth talking about. Overall, it’s about looking at something in a positive way. And I’m excited for everyone to hear that.”

The first single, ‘Eye of the Storm,’ is a pummelling, chaotic maelstrom with an uplifting message at its center (and a killer chorus). As for the song’s lyrical plea, Kakaty explains: “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, at some point we all face a situation beyond our control. At times, it feels hopeless, but it’s not. There is a path through the chaos and a way out of the confusion. You are stronger and closer than you think you are. The storm will pass. Don’t let it bury you.”

Their most recent single, ‘Paranoid (Crash & Burn),’ oscillates from something more melodic and rhythmic to pure aggression, that ‘get out of my head’ scream is certainly going to resonate. “It’s about the voices in our head — we all have ‘em, but do we act on them?” says Kakaty. “It’s a cautionary tale, about processing those voices in a positive way.” 

Skeletons see the band once again working with producer Drew Fulk (Disturbed, Papa Roach, Motionless in White), a friend and collaborator on a few previous albums that generated hits. “With  Versatile, we had a bunch of producers, but for this album, we just wanted to work with one person and get back to our roots,” says Kakaty. “There’s an energy he and I have, and he’s been great at helping us build these songs and work around some collective themes.”

The band partnered with Heart Support to spread awareness about mental health by giving away custom shows created by bassist Joey “Chicago” Walser – enter by 12th December to qualify. Pop Evil said, “We all have voices in our head that tell us lies. They say things like “I’m not good enough”, “I’m alone”, and “Things will never get better. These voices have the power to stop us in our tracks if we don’t fight them. We know that the first step in quieting these voices is sharing them with others and receiving encouragement.”

Pop Evil has announced their rescheduled UK/EU headline tour. Catch them on the following dates with Call Me Amour and Zillion in support.

May 05: UK Manchester Rebellion
May 06: UK Birmingham Institute 2
May 07: UK London The Dome
May 09: UK Paris Le Trabendo
May 10: DE Cologne Luxor
May 12: DE Munich Backstage Halle
May 13: DE Frankfurt Nachtleben
May 14: DE Hamburg @ Logo
May 15: NL Amsterdam Melkweg

Tracklisting:
1. Arrival
2. Paranoid (Crash & Burn)
3. Circles
4. Eye of The Storm
5. Sound of Glory
6. Skeletons
7. Worth It
8. Who Will We Become
9. Wrong Direction (Feat Devour the Day)
10. Dead Reckoning (Feat Fit For A King)
11. Raging Bull (Feat Zillion)