If you’re a fan of Biffy Clyro, Fever Ray or Nine Inch Nails, then allow me to introduce you to your new favourite band: North Atlas, who have released their new single, ‘Wake the Dead.’
Released last weekend on Samhain, the ancient Celtic holiday that celebrates the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, their new song is also accompanied by a terrifically terrifying folk-horror-inspired music video, featuring the band’s own ritual that they designed especially, creating a film that leans into the exhilaration and uneasiness that this festival conjures.
As the title suggests, this song could truly wake the dead. With its combination of manic riffs, deep chanting vocals with an earthy, primal energy, this is their most energetic release to date. Produced with North Atlas’s long-term collaborator, George Perks (Enter Shikari and Skindred), ‘Wake the Dead’ also celebrates the unruly. The band find that there is a joy in people coming together, experiencing something unexpected, clumsy even. To embrace this, North Atlas love collaborating with folk practitioners to bring traditional, masked rituals into modern live contexts at their shows.
‘Wake the Dead’ comes after a busy period for the band, having played slots at Download Festival and Primordian PGM, as well as supporting Enter Shikari, Atreyu, and Skindred at the Barrowland Ballroom. This new campaign will lean into 2027, where North Atlas will take to the stage on home ground, with a special one-off celebration in Scotland soon to be announced.
So, if you have a penchant for cathartic rituals, or for Celtic traditions in general, then I highly recommend you give these guys a listen, which you can do below: