Skunk Anansie have shared details of a new album ‘The Painful Truth’, following bassist Cass revealing a stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
The new record marks the seventh studio effort from the British rock group, and their first in nine years. It is set to arrive on May 23 via FLG, and will also contain the recent single ‘An Artist Is An Artist’.
In a new description of the record, the new material is described as “mesmerising, provocative, powerful and emotional”, as well as one that shows the band at the height of their powers and reflecting on their long career.
“I don’t care that we were big in the ’90s,” vocalist Skin said. “Creatively it’s irrelevant because in my rock bible the first commandment states, “If thy rest on them laurels thy shall wither up and die artistically, musically, mentally. And then financially.’”
Skin also added that the record came at a crossroads for the members – being born out of a time when they were close to claiming it a day.
“If we didn’t do something fresh and forward-thinking, we couldn’t really be a band anymore. We’d just be doing Skunk karaoke,” the singer said. “We have made some good records in our time but it’s been a long time since we have made a great album. And that is the painful truth. Understanding that, led us to making what I genuinely think is our greatest record yet.”
You can pre-order ‘The Painful Truth’ here, and check out the new single ‘Cheers’ below.
News of the upcoming album also comes as bassist Cass recently opened up about a stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
The 64-year-old revealed that he was undergoing “intensive” chemotherapy while working on the new record. He opened up about the diagnosis at a Q&A session at Dolby Atmos in London (via Daily Mail), saying: “That’s what all the songs are about, that connects everything, that connects what we’ve been through over the last few years. It’s the connection with these guys.
“What we’re going through, and everything, it’s quite emotional, it’s the painful truth. It’s what you’re here for, what’s important in your life, and what you’re going to do about it. That’s the painful truth,” he said, adding that none of the members knew about his diagnosis during the time of recording.
“I thought my cards had been marked, actually, and so I was just, I was happy with having had a good life, and I was quite content, I accepted whatever my fate was,” Cass explained. “I wouldn’t think about the work, the record, I would think about my life. I’d had some very intensive chemo sessions, and no one knew nothing.”
Fortunately, it seems as though Cass has gone on to receive some positive news since the diagnosis. According to Metro, around a year after the bassist received the news, Skin’s daughter suddenly announced: “Uncle Cass is not sick anymore”, and a doctor’s appointment afterwards confirmed that medical professionals “couldn’t find any cancer”.
In a new announcement, Skunk Anansie have celebrated the news of the new record by announcing a one-off headline show in Bristol. This will be taking place on the day of the record’s release (May 23), and tickets are available here.
The show follows an upcoming run of headline dates across the UK and Europe that kick off this spring, as well as two dates supporting The Smashing Pumpkins in August. Visit here for all available tickets.
