I’m currently writing this at the bar/restaurant at the gorgeous Hotel Monville in downtown Montreal, Quebec, drinking coffee and having an amazing breakfast. (So far, the food I’ve had has been amazing — but more on that later because I haven’t had poutine yet.)  Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past week or so, you’d recall that I’m in town for the M for Montreal Festival. I’ll be posting as much as I can — and if I’m bleary eyed and exhausted, so be it. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. 

So let’s get to the business at hand, right? 

After the release of last year’s critically applauded album ATW, the Nashville-based psych rock act All Them Witches went through a massive lineup change, which has resulted in the band’s most pared down lineup in their entire history — Charles Michael Parks, Jr (bass, vocals), Ben McLeod (guitar, vocals) and Robby Staebler (drums, vocals). And although it’s stereotypically expected for a bands with pared down lineups to release more restrained and even quieter work, All Them Witches’ latest standalone single, the self-produced “1X1” finds the band employing a muscular, prog rock-like leaning sound, complete with scorching guitars, thunderous drumming, distorted vocals and enormous arena rock friendly hooks.  Interestingly, the track may arguably be one of the heaviest of the band’s growing catalog.

Directed, filmed and edited by the band’s Robby Staebler, the recently released video for “1X1” features starring roles by the entire band and a cameo from Sons of Anarchy’s Drea de Matteo in a hallucinogenic and menacing occult world reminiscent of Soundgarden.