The band, who have been known in the past to take delight in the absurd, combine glam and prog rock to create a chaotic 40-minute epic. Inside the belly of the worm, England has evolved into a feudal system ruled by “the Devertebrates” – lords who have removed their spines to honour the great beast. Henry Spychalski, the lead singer of the ensemble, transforms himself into the heroic leader of the counter-resistant group called “the Grunters” who attempt to escape from the creature.

The frontman explained: “The Worm here is both a metaphor for capitalist greed, and the embodiment of a whole generation’s anxiety, dread and fear in the face of ever-looming apocalypse and world-ending natural disasters”. A manifesto further explaining the great mythical lore behind the album is also available to purchase alongside a physical copy here.

Music videos for “The End Is Now”, “Wyrmland”, and “The Worm” have brought to life the nightmarish England all directed by Spychalski.

Watch the video for “The End Is Now” below:

HMLTD started off as Happy Meal Ltd. in London in 2015. However, the band didn’t release their debut EP, Hate Music Last Time Delete, until 2018, and their debut album, West of Eden, until 2020. Having signed to the major label Sony in 2017, the band were dropped after inconsolable disagreements between the label and the band on their image and direction. Their first and second albums have been released through the London-based independent label Lucky Number.

Back in 2017, the flamboyant band, who often play with gendered dress codes, came under fire for what some perceived as queer baiting. “We’re trying to challenge toxic masculinity and we’re doing that from the perspective we can do that from, as the human beings we were born into being, which is predominantly straight cis men,” lead singer Henry Spychalski told DIY Magazine. “But I don’t think having that role should exclude or prohibit you from taking on that political perspective and from taking on what is probably the most violent, toxic, cruel force in our society. We’re learning from queer methods and we always try to express that indebtedness”.

The theatrical band is sure to put on a show during their two consecutive dates at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London this May. They will also be taking the stage at End of the Road Festival this summer. For tickets see here.

For HMTLD’s UK dates see below:

18/05/23 – Institute of Contemporary Arts – London
19/05 – Institute of Contemporary Arts – London
31/08 – End of the Road Festival – Salisbury

Water in the Well is the latest offering from the immensely anticipated Drunk Tank Pink, Shames’ next album. Shame have also shared the high energy Alphabet, another song released in the wake of  Drunk Tank Pink, and the album’s confirmed opening track. 

Water in the Well is unmistakably Shame. The riotous guitar, hard, strong percussion, and headbanging chorus reward all the key ingredients for a smash hit Shame song. One listen and you cannot deny: Water in the Well is the music of modern rockstars, a reputation that rock band Shame is getting closer to year by year. 

Shame premiered a music video in tandem with the release of Water in the Well. The Angie rockers shared Water in the Well to their official YouTube channel earlier, the video in question gathering over 4000 views in a few short hours. 

Directed by cinematographer Pedro Takahashi, the video features a series of grainy-looking home videos of the band. From Charlie Steen flicking between green fields and rainy streets, to the group pushing a broken down car, to some bizarre shots of old school computers through the ages, the music video to Water in the Well is as bizarre and compelling as the track itself. The visualizer to Water in the Well can be watched here. 

Shame also took to Instagram to announce Water in the Well to their devoted fans. Sharing a clip of Takahashi’s music video, the band confirmed in the caption that Water in the Well is “Number 1 in the charts currently.” 

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Shame start Water in the Well with a few short bars of manic percussion, and frontman Charlie Steen belts the song’s opening words with not a moment’s hesitation. Steen sings the devilish lyrics: “There’s something, in the hills/I feel it linger and I’ve seen it kill.”

Steen continues, singing: “There’s water in the well/ I see it float on, float on, float on for you/Tried to call you late last night/I heard you shiver/I gave you a fright”. Steen’s mighty roar parallels the croons of punk legends that inspired the very band we know and love today. 

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The high energy chorus paired with the raucous electric guitars and aggressive percussion knocks your socks off. Brooding and biting, Water in the Well has only increased fans’ anticipation for Drunk Tank Pink. 

Luckily, Shame have already established the release date of their new extended play. Drunk Tank Pink will arrive early next year, on January 15th, via their label Dead Oceans records.

Water in the Well is out now. Drunk in the Tank will be made up of eleven tracks, including both Water in the Well and Alphabet. The full tracklist for Drunk Tank Pink will go as follows:

1. Alphabet
2. Nigel Hitter
3. Born in Luton
4. March Day
5. Water in the Well
6. Snow Day
7. Human, for a Minute
8. Great Dog
9. 6/1
10. Harsh Degrees
11. Station Wagon