Critically acclaimed British post hardcore/alt-rock duo Haggard Cat have released their third full-length album “The Pain That Orbits Life” via Church Road Records on May 8th.
The band is composed of drummer/backing vocalist Tom Marsh and vocalist/guitarist Matt Reynolds. Both members are seen as core pillars of the UK rock and metal scene, having initially made names for themselves as members of the cult band Heck (formerly Baby Godzilla) who were active from 2009-2017. Haggard Cat started as a side project for Tom and Matt, but soon became their main focus when Heck disbanded in 2017. Haggard Cat’s aim was to maintain the same lawless rock and roll energy that Heck had, but with more of a laser sharp focus on diverse song writing and infectious hooks.
Haggard Cat laid a blueprint of what was to come with their demo record ‘Charger’ in 2013, but it wasn’t until they released their 2018 album ‘Challenger’ (Earache Records) that the band made their first proper musical statement to the world. The record immediately caught the attention of the press, with Metal Hammer describing them as “a balls-out, batshit, rock ’n’ roll freight train”.
The band followed with their second LP ‘Common Sense Holiday’ (Earache Records) in March 2020, right on the cusp of the world coming to a grinding halt. Fortunately the record was still potent enough to cut through the turmoil happening at the time, as Kerrang Magazine would note that “Common Sense Holiday, cemented the duo’s reputation as one of the UK’s premier noisemakers”.
Emerging from lock down, the band didn’t waste any time and immediately set about self-releasing their 2021 EP ‘Cheer Up’, followed by an extensive touring schedule, where the duo melted the faces of audiences anywhere that they set foot on stage. How two people manage to create such a hypnotic racket is truly an impressive feat, and because of this Haggard Cat have managed to garner an incredible reputation as a live band. This reputation has awarded them an impressive gig CV, with blistering sets at prestigious festivals such as Glastonbury, Boomtown, 2000 Trees and ArcTanGent. They’ve also shared the stage with legendary names such as Dead Kennedys, Enter Shikari, The Bronx, Mutoid Man and many others.
Aside from their electrifying performances, it’s the band’s down to earth charm that has won them their audience. When you see Haggard Cat live you will see smiles radiating from both Tom and Matt on stage. This energy is mirrored by the crowd and creates a sense that everyone’s here for the same purpose, to hear some earth shattering rock music and to cut loose together.
For their highly anticipated third full-length album, ‘The Pain That Orbits Life’ , Haggard Cat have teamed up with double Grammy award-winning producer Adrian Bushby to create their most accomplished body of work to date. The album sees the band draw on more progressive influences, featuring sprawling epics and industrial synths along with huge choruses and the more adrenaline-charged moments that they have become well known for.
“We worked on this album for a very long time. It’s rare that at this stage in your career you get to spend the longest you ever have on a body of work, but this time, not in any small way due to the circumstances surrounding us both in the world and in our own lives, that’s where we found ourselves. We definietly didn’t feel it at the time, but now we’re super thankful for the time that fate gave us to create this record. It was a journey of self reflection and personal growth and what we have arrived at is an album that’s more evolved, more deeply personal and most of all more definitively Haggard Cat than anything that’s come from us before it. We’re incredibly proud of this record and we absolutely can’t wait for you to hear it” – Haggard Cat
‘The Pain That Orbits Life’ is set for release on May 8th via their new label home Church Road Records.
UK Headline Dates
09.05 Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms
14.05 Manchester @ Star & Garter
15.05 Glasgow @ Hug & Pint
16.05 Newcastle @ Head of Steam
28.05 London @ The Black Heart
29.05 Southampton @ The Joiners
30.05 Bristol @ The Louisiana