Impressive and raw noise rockers from San Francisco, The Tunnel, have unveiled their latest album, Shudder, released on May 12th, 2023, through Learning Curve Records. Shudder marks the band's seventh full album since their inception in 2009. Standout track, Racknid, is now paired to a psychedelic noir video, a visual collage created by the band's own, Jeff Wagner.
The music of The Tunnel carries a highly cinematic quality, drawing inspiration not only from the band members' record collections and their roots in dark post punk and visceral noise rock, but also from films and visionary directors like David Lynch and David Cronenberg. The end result is comfortably placed in a dark realm, and has an enduring impact.
According to frontman Jeff Wagner's interpretation: "I see our music as a hot-wired transformer in a dead dark city. The dystopian future is now."
Racknid showcases a distinct blend of rawness and melody, exuding a simultaneous feeling of impending doom and a compelling sense of urgency. The track possesses a primal quality, characterized by its cacophonous and gritty nature. Despite its noisy and dirty character, it manages to maintain a great flow, seamlessly combining these contrasting elements.
Consisting of guitarist and vocalist Wagner, bassist Sam Black, and drummer Michael Jacobs, The Tunnel conjure a surreal state where eerie country desolation comes together with the gloominess of a dystopian urban landscape.
"San Francisco is a shithole right now and I’m not super confident that it will ever recover," Black comments.
"I think the last few years’ apocalyptic vibe only sharpened our music’s sense of struggle and pleasure in the face of grim paranoia," says Wagner.
Jacobs shares a bit of a more positive perspective: "I have lived here all my life and seen a lot of change. The musical history is undeniable. I am hopeful that the spirit still remains, but the demographics have shifted. I am inspired to see clubs that I used to go to decades ago, rising from the dead, and it seems like a new DIY underground scene is emerging."
The band has just played Caterwaul Festival in Minneapolis, alongside Flipper, Chat Pile, and many more.