Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS present the ultra-heavy track ‘Venomous‘ as the second single lifted from the forthcoming new full-length “Inexorable Opposites“. The fourth album by the Australian Psychedelic Western Rockers is scheduled for release on February 6, 2026, via Magnetic Eye Records. 

Pre-order the album here: https://spkr.store/collections/jack-harlon-the-dead-crows  

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS comment on ‘Venomous’: “This song aims to highlight that each of us has a dark and poisonous side“, vocalist and guitarist Tim Coutts-Smith writes. “If you think you don’t, you’re probably one of the worst offenders. The lyrics are written from gazing at my own ‘venomous’ self, and I hope they outline how childish yet dangerous that part of the psyche can be.“

Tracklist

1. Moss
2. Venomous
3. Mt. Macedon
4. Dave Is Done
5. Junior Fiction
6. Seer
7. On the Overwhelm
8. To Die

With their fourth album “Inexorable Opposites”, JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS deliver a doozy of a record. The Psychedelic Western Rockers from Down Under have taken a big leap that was made possible by breaking new ground. 

It pays off that the Australians have dared to take numerous creative risks, of which several stand out:

First off, “Inexorable Opposites” introduces new drum powerhouse Brayden Becher, who has literally given the band an extra kick. This was amplified by employing Lewis Noke-Edwards as a third party engineer for the tracking of the drums, a first for JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS, having done their recording in DIY fashion on past albums.  While the creative process was generally more collaborative than for previous releases, the album also comes with an extended range as it includes both the ‘heaviest’ and ‘gentlest’ songs the band have ever recorded. 

Probably as important as the musical tweaks is the new direction that the lyrics take on “Inexorable Opposites”. While there are still new tales playing out in the universe of the eponymous science fiction Western character Jack Harlon, the themes of the new songs rather revolve around the real world. Vocalist Tim Coutts-Smith was inspired by experiences both personal and from recent years as well as being influenced by his work in mental health.

This is summed up by the album’s title “Inexorable Opposites” that summarises the frequently contrasting emotional and lyrical content by drawing attention to a most inspirational quote from “Man and His Symbols” (1964), the final work of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung: “The sad truth is that man’s real life consists of a complex of inexorable opposites – day and night, birth and death, happiness and misery, good and evil. We are not even sure that one will prevail against the other, that good will overcome evil, or joy will defeat pain. Life is a battleground. It always has been and always will be; and if it were not so, existence would come to an end.”

Although the Outback is too far away to constitute a direct influence on JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS, their atmospheric dark Western sound draws a connecting line from Australia to Arizona. It is part of a uniquely eclectic style that explores a wide range of genres and incorporates elements of blues, stoner rock, lo-fi fuzz, spaghetti western scores, and doom metal among others.

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS first incarnated as a side project of singer Tim Coutts-Smith around the year 2015. Over time, his steadily growing band developed into a full-fledged performing act.

From day one, Coutts-Smith centered his lyrics and themes around a fictional Western outlaw named Jack Harlon. He would often begin writing about real people and events, before turning them into characters and stories in a science fiction themed Western landscape.

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS are also known for their DIY approach, producing most of their albums and visual art internally. As a live act, the band has mostly toured and performed in Australia including sharing stages with international acts such as GREENLEAF, SASQUATCH, WO FAT, and WHORES.

So far, JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS have released a self-titled debut EP in 2016, followed by three critically acclaimed albums and continuously growing recognition within the heavy underground: “Hymns” (2018), “The Magnetic Ridge” (2021), and “Hail to the Underground: Interpretations” (2023). The band also appeared on Magnetic Eye Records’ “Superunknown Redux” tribute to Soundgarden with their fuzzed-out, hallucinatory rendition of deep cut ‘Kickstand’.

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS deliver a beautifully matured and musically experienced version of their characteristic sound on the fourth album “Inexorable Opposites”. With adult lyrics that take their listeners seriously in a contemplation about the duality of life and the frequent contradictions of the self with the external world, the Australians show their growth as songwriters and musicians without losing the connection to the titanic fuzz and heavy riffs that helped put them on the map.

Drum recording by Lewis Noke-Edwards at Black Lodge Studios, Brunswick, Melbourne (AU)
All other instruments engineered by Tim Coutts-Smith & Jordan Richardson at their home studios, Melbourne (AU)
Mixed by Tim Coutts-Smith at his home studio, Melbourne (AU)
Mastered by Tim Coutts-Smith at his home studio, Melbourne (AU)

Artwork by Baroquegothik
Layout by Karl Stehn (KDS Designs) & Łukasz Jaszak

Line-up
Tim Coutts-Smith – vocals, guitar
Jordan Richardson – guitar
Brayden Becher – drums
Liam Barry – bass

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