Founded in Cincinnati, OH back in 1988, the Afghan Whigs have long been a sort of cult favorite band – music journalists and musicians really in the know have loved them for a sound that employed elements of savage, blistering hard rock and classic soul, with lyrics that revolved around frontman Greg Dulli’s obsessions. 

Do to the Beast which will see an April 15th release, is the band’s first full-length effort in over 15 years, and also marks the band’s return to Sub Pop Records, for whom the Cincinnati-based band where the first singing from outside the Northwest. 

Featuring the band’s current lineup of Dulli and John Curley,  guitarists Dave Rosser and Jon Skibic, multi-instrumentalist Rick Nelson, and drummer Cully Symington, the new album features contributions from members of the band’s previous lineups and a host of friends from a number of bands including Van Hunt, Mark McGuire (Emeralds), Usher’s musical director Johnny “Natural” Najera, Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys), Clay Tarver (Bullet LaVolta, Chavez), Dave Catching (QOTSA, Eagles of Death Metal), Patrick Keeler (the Raconteurs, Greenhornes), Ben Daughtrey (Squirrel Bait), Joseph Arthur, and a host of others. 

And as you’ll hear on “The Lottery,” the first single off the the new album starts off with four on the floor drums before turning into a blistering, feral track rooted around Dulli’s angst-filled, howled lyrics – lyrics that interestingly enough have a visual feel to them, as though they came from the memories of bitter and fucked up memories. You can almost feel the bile and venom on it all.