After the release of their brilliant comeback album ‘Dark Matter/Dark Energy’, Membranes are back with another new record!

"An extraordinary comeback" - NME

Originally formed in 1978, Membranes were a classic bass driven northern post punk, and part of the same world that occupied bands like Joy Division, The Fall and Section 25. In the eighties the band released a remarkable series of records that combined their small town frustration with a love of heavy bass and distortion, and were a prime influence on Steve Albini, Swans, Sonic Youth and much of the coming American scene.

Taking a break in 1990, frazzled by years of touring and ground breaking records, they reformed in 2010 when former support band My Bloody Valentine paid them a fortune to play ATP festival. The links with that band are strong with one of the Membranes guitar players playing for MBV in their early days. Finding themselves heralded elder statesmen and an influence on groups like the My Bloody Valentine, Mercury Rev, and held up by the likes of Godflesh and Napalm Death as the inventors of noise core, the band’s return surpassed all expectations with their first album for decades: ‘Dark Matter/Dark Energy’ combined their groundbreaking love of noise with a new epic edge. Psychedelia, dark dub, classical strings and heavy crypto funk were included, as well as their hallmark photo post-punk bass driven music. It was touted as of the albums of the year by the music press, and the great Mark Lanegan, amongst others.

The Membranes are finally ready to follow up the critically acclaimed comeback album. The new record is called 'What Nature Gives, Nature Takes Away' - a double album which will feature the band’s own 20 piece choir, adding dark drones and melancholic epic power to the songs. The band have played many festivals in the UK and Europe with the choir.

Meanwhile, frontman John Robb is due to release a book on the darker side of post punk - the so-called goth scene - named The Art Of Darkness, this Autumn, to join his best selling book on punk rock and his many TV and radio appearances. Robb also runs one of the UK’s key music and culture sites louderthanwar.com.

"Something quite special" - Drowned in Sound 9/10

"Epic, stunning and beautiful. Its strength is its diversity – ranging from angular noise to neo classical, from enveloping drones to ground breaking soundscapes to dark dub brilliance" - Classic Rock 10/10