Photo by: Mehdi Benkler
Official press release:
Since being born into Switzerland’s underground in 1996, Impure Wilhelmina have followed their own singular path. The Geneva quartet have combined hardcore riffs, atmospheric sludge and gloomy melodies into alternative rock that’s as sharp and versatile as a Swiss Army Knife. Now, after three decades of evolution, the band are releasing their most radical yet organic album to date.
Today, Impure Wilhelmina are announcing their sixth full-length album, Le sanglot, which is also the band’s first that’s entirely in French. Its lead single introduces the album’s emotional and conceptual core. “Électricité noire” is both a crackling ode to rock music and an enduring meditation on its cathartic force.
Within the broader narrative of Le sanglot, “Électricité noire” occupies a crucial position. Conceived as the sonic equivalent of a sob, the album observes the world through a stark lens, confronting ugliness, mediocrity and quiet violence. Yet the opening movement carried by its lead single also hints at the possibility of grace, establishing the fragile tension between darkness and light.
Opening with a massive and haunting arpeggio, “Électricité noire” gradually unfolds into a surge of raw energy. A solitary voice emerges within the song as a reminder that rock itself is a form of dark electricity. Through performance and expression, sorrow is allowed to speak. In a world that appears fractured and unstable, the song frames music as a necessary outlet for anger, grief and disillusionment.
Accompanying “Électricité noire” is a music video directed by Steven Blatter (Prog-Pics). Filmed with Impure Wilhelmina playing in a stripped and direct setting, the music video reflects the song’s focus on the raw force of music.
Le Sanglot comes out May 22nd, via Season of Mist. Pre-order & pre-save Le sanglot here. The effort will available in the following formats:
- Digital Download
- CD Digipak
- 12” Vinyl Gatefold (Black)
- 12” Vinyl Gatefold (Transparent violent)
Le sanglot track listing:
- “Électricité noire”
- “Cent mille plaies”
- “Abîme”
- “Larmes de joie”
- “Dévoreur d’étoiles”
- “Train mort”
- “Frelon ivre”
- “Blanche réalité”
- “Demain J’abandonne”
- “À Jamais radieuse”
