Chicago’s Theyrgy Premiere Richly Propulsive Debut Post-Punk Single — Listen Here!

The Chicago-based band Theyrgy are dropping their debut EP, called Exit Strategies, on August 21 via the also Chicago-based label Dead Sage, which the band members help run. On their new single “Hiding Your Face In The Wall,” which appears to be the first publicly available recording from the band, Theyrgy perform a synth-infused, immersively ominous brand of post-punk that sonically captures a feeling of sinking malaise while simultaneously providing a musically great time. Get an exclusive first listen below!

The first minute and a half or so of the song is mostly synth-driven, although those synths never fade too far from view at any point during the track’s runtime of just over seven minutes. More traditional rock band instrumentation pops up most prominently during the repeated chorus, which tells the tale of someone “hiding [their] face” and “looking for someone to take [them] away.”

The song’s sprawling length feels aptly suited to the musical experience that the band appear to be after — as those lyrics might suggest, there’s a whole lot of foreboding atmosphere packed in here, as if the track has sonically captured a spiritual smoke that slowly seeps through your pores. Even when the “traditional” instrumentation takes the spotlight — and there’s truly some great groove in here — there’s a still a sense of creeping instability. Ultimately, the interplay between the synths and more traditional instrumentation seems to perfectly capture a sense of ominous unease.

Theyrgy features Michael Fabiano on synths and programming; John E Bomher, Jr. on guitars, programming, engineering, and vocals; John Doyle on vocals, drums, and programming; and Tony Hooper on bass, guitars, and synths. The members’ other projects include Yakuza, I Klatus, and more.

As for their new song, they comment: “The song is inspired by the mysterious death of Netta Fornario who, in August of 1929, answered the call to the island of Iona, a place of pilgrimage. Netta was a member of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega, an occult movement seeking the truths of the ancient past.” They also share poetry apparently composed by G.E. Troup, who wrote, of the island of Iona: “This island set apart, this motherland of many dreams/ Still yields its secret, but it is only as men seek that they truly find./ To reach the heart of Iona is to find something eternal.”

Pre-order the album at this link. Photo via Okbritknee

Listen to the single below!