Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to Release Deluxe 20th Anniversary Edition of ‘Howl‘
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC) today announced a deluxe 20th-anniversary reissue of their critically acclaimed 2005 album, ‘Howl.’ The expanded edition, due out November 17th via Vagrant Records, will feature previously unreleased demos, alternate takes, and live recordings from the era, offering fans a deeper dive into the making of the album that marked a significant stylistic shift for the band.
‘howl’ represented a intentional move away from BRMC’s established garage rock sound, embracing the influences of folk and Americana. This evolution, showcased in singles like ‘Shuffle Your feet,’ ‘Ain’t No Easy Way,’ and ‘Weight of the World,’ broadened their audience and solidified their reputation for sonic experimentation. The reissue arrives as BRMC continues a career spanning eight studio albums, with their most recent release being 2018’s ‘Wrong Creatures.’
Originally released in August 2005, ‘Howl’ garnered praise for its raw, stripped-down aesthetic. NME‘s original review noted the album as “a primitive cry from the heart of a distant Americana,” comparing the band’s sound to Johnny Cash and early Bob Dylan, a departure from their earlier influences like The Jesus and Mary Chain. The deluxe edition aims to contextualize this pivotal moment in the band’s discography for both longtime fans and new listeners.
BRMC have remained active in recent years,notably issuing a cease-and-desist notice to US Homeland Security in July 2023 after the agency improperly used their song ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’ in a recruitment video. Details regarding specific contents of the 20th-anniversary reissue – track listings, format options, and accompanying materials – will be released in the coming weeks. pre-orders are expected to begin shortly.
