The forthcoming LP ‘Fire’ arrives next month
Nu metal juggernauts Kittie are back with their first new studio album in over a decade. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains, Korn), the forthcoming Fire arrives on June 21 through Sumerian Records. On Wednesday, the band revealed “Vultures,” the record’s blistering second single. Stream the official video below, which features live footage from the group’s dominant performance at Sick New Word in Las Vegas last month.
“Ten years ago, if someone would have told us that we would be releasing new Kittie music in 2024, we’d have dismissed them right away,” vocalist and guitarist Morgan Lander states. “It feels like something deeper than fate that’s brought us together again, allowing us to create something fearless and magical for you. We’ve worked incredibly hard over the past year, and surrounded ourselves with the ultimate dream team to make this album a reality. We cannot wait for you to lose yourselves in the passion and strength of Fire.”
On the new single, Lander says, “‘Vultures’ is a bold musical declaration, signaling our new beginnings as a band. Vultures is a warning to those with hidden agendas, who thrive on deception. It’s a proclamation of breaking free of the chains of exploitation and a reckoning for those who pick at the bones of those who suffer in silence.”
The all-new album will be available digitally, as well as on CD, colored vinyl, and cassette. The band has curated a variety of merchandise bundles including t-shirts, a sticker pack, guitar pick pack, laminate, and two metal lunch box designs:
- Fire CD Pack – T-Shirt & CD
- Fire Vinyl Pack – T-Shirt & Vinyl
- Fire Collector’s Pack – T-Shirt, Lunchbox, CD, Cassette, Sticker Pack, Laminate
- Fire Ultimate Pack – T-Shirt, Lunchbox, Cassette, Guitar Pick Pack, Laminate, Sticker Pack, Vinyl
Check out the physical versions and bundles below, as well as the cover art and tracklisting.
On the band’s signing with Sumerian, Lander said, “Sometimes, incredible opportunities present themselves in surprising ways. Just a few years ago we could have never imagined we would be getting ready to release new music as Kittie. We’ve been given what feels like a second life and are grateful to Ash and the Sumerian family for believing in us.”
Sumerian Records Founder and CEO Ash Avildsen adds, “Kittie are true female pioneers in heavy music that helped bring it into pop culture. They have been both influential in the studio and on the road, as I’ve had the privilege of working with them on touring years ago when they brought out Bring Me The Horizon, In This Moment and many other present day heavyweights as brand new opening acts. The ladies have now returned with what I believe is their greatest album since their debut that set the world ablaze. The attitude, grit and songwriting is all there and I am honored to once again be helping them unleash their talent to the masses.”
Speaking on the inspiration behind the previously released lead single, “Eyes Wide Open,“ Lander shares, “Our first new material in 13 years, ‘Eyes Wide Open’ is a vision quest for truth. It is a torch lit in the darkness of ignorance to reveal one’s true motives. ‘Eyes Wide Open’ is a lesson in trust, betrayal, and ultimately the ability to see behind the curtain to reveal all. It was one of the first songs we wrote, coming together again after a long time away from creating, and I think you can really hear the fires reigniting in this track.”
When you discovered Canadian bashers, Kittie, has a direct influence on how you see them. For those that were on board from the beginning with the Spit album, released in 1999, Kittie was considered part of the nu-metal movement. Going into their later albums, In The Black (2009) and I’ve Failed You (2011), the band had evolved into something far more sinister, and were viewed as a serious full-on metal outfit. Just as they seemed to be hitting their stride six albums into their career, however, Kittieslowly disappeared from the scene in the wake of touring for I’ve Failed You. The silence was eventually dubbed an “indefinite hiatus” by the band, broken only by a one-off hometown show in London, Ontario in 2017, and the release of the documentary, Kittie: Origins/Evolutions, in 2018.
Thirteen years later, that silence has been broken in earnest. Vocalist and guitarist, Morgan Lander, drummer Mercedes Lander, guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivy Vujic maintain that Kittie did not break up because it is an ingrained part of their identity. The documentary and the one-off show in London were intended as a cap on everything, leaving a big question mark at what might happen down the road. Offers from promoters to do some shows in 2022 and 2023, including the sell-out, inaugural Sick New World Festival in Las Vegas, were enough to convince Kittie to dust off their instruments, resulting in a renewed interest in the band and a label deal with Sumerian Records.
When they finally did gather as a unit, it was like putting on a pair of comfortable boots, with no need to break things in before getting down to business.It turns out that thirteen years away has seen the band develop growth in songwriting, arranging, lyrical content and vocal melodies, creating something monstrous and volatile. With renewed fury and unfathomable sonic brutality, the new era of Kittie has begun.
Pre-orders for the album are available now HERE
Kittie – Fire [Sumerian Records, 2024]
- Fire
- I Still Wear This Crown
- Falter
- Vultures
- We Are Shadows
- Wound
- One Foot In The Grave
- Are You Entertained
- Grime
- Eyes Wide Open