Immortal Bird will be releasing their first full-length album this summer, their first new matieral since 2013’s Akrasia EP (which we loved). Titled Empress/Abscess and expected sometime in late June, they’ll be a notable line-up change on the record, with drummer Rae Amitay (who also plays in Thrawsunblat) stepping away from the drum kit to focus on vocals:

Said Amitay in a press release:

“I’ve stepped away from drumming duties and enlisted our live drummer, Garry Naples (Novembers Doom). Essentially, I had to set my ego aside and determine what was going to be the best for this music. [Guitarist] Evan [Berry] and I wrote some incredibly challenging material for Empress/Abscess, and Garry had been playing it live for months, whereas I’d been focusing a lot of my drumming energy on the newest Thrawsunblat album. My chops are in a very different place than they were when we recorded Akrasia and it would take me a week in the studio to do what Garry can accomplish in two days. Having him behind the kit saved us time, the finished product is stronger, and I was able to delve into the vocal performances and lyrics with my undivided attention. Will I play drums on future Immortal Bird albums? It’s entirely likely, but for Empress/Abscess, I passed the sticks over to the best person for the job.”

Immortal Bird will be hitting the road later this month on a 16-date tour, with scheduled appearances at Shadow Woods Metal Fest and Southwest Terror Fest later this year.

Immortal Bird 2015 tour dates:

4/27 – Diamond Pub – Louisville, KY
4/28 – House Show – Nashville, TN
4/29 – Vino’s – Little Rock, AR
4/30 – Tomcats – Fort Worth, TX
5/02 – Lost Well – Austin, TX
5/03 – TBA – San Antonio, TX
5/04 – Sandbox – El Paso, TX
5/05 – The Cottage House – Flagstaff, AZ
5/06 – Yucca Tap Room – Tempe, AZ
5/07 – Katz Alley – Redlands, CA
5/08 – TBA – San Diego, CA
5/09 – TBA – Los Angeles, CA
5/10 – The Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
5/11 – Flux Capacitor – Colorado Springs, CO
5/12 – TBA – Omaha, NE
5/14 – The Wisco – Madison, WI