The noise-vets in Oxbow have reason to celebrate. They’ve finally graduated from the Nick Cave academy with degrees in the slaying arts, and on The Narcotic Story, the San Francisco-based band takes the blues for a demented spin.

Best known for vocalist Eugene Robinson’s cathartic live performance (which includes stripping, howling, and pelvic-gyrating), Oxbow has carved a very unique place for itself in the post-rock scene. Recording albums with the legendary Steve Albini and collaborating with everyone from Lydia Lunch to Marianne Faithful, the quartet may be one of the most overlooked bands in the genre, particularly when compared to contemporaries like Faith No More and Isis.

The Narcotic Story is the culmination of the band’s nearly 20-year opus. Rather than relying solely on the power of discordant guitars and Robinson’s wailing, the band presents songs that rely as much on orchestral piano scores, accenting strings, and harmonizing vocals as they do on spasmodic brutality.

Teaming up with Japanese doom-trio Boris to support Isis on a forthcoming European tour, Oxbow is set to intoxicate the world with its new narcotic story.

The Narcotic Story is out now on Hydra Head.

Tracklisting
01. Intro
02. Geometry of Business
03. Time Gentlemen Time
04. Down A Stair Backward
05. She’s A Find
06. Frankly Frank
07. A Winner Every Time
08. Frank’s Frolic
09. It’s the Giving, Not the Taking