After a grueling, months-long recording marathon, it’s no wonder Manchester’s fifth album is filled with allusions to mining and cave-ins. But despite the somber theme, A Black Mile to the Surface is packed with bright guitars and soaring harmonies. Once again, Andy Hull’s voice commands respect—it’s as imposing on a heartfelt gospel opener (“The Maze”) as a violent, distorted thrasher (“Lead, SD”). Despite its exhausting creation, the album’s imbued with an energy as rare as the gold its characters seek.

Track Listing: 
01. The Maze
02. The Gold
03. The Moth
04. Lead, SD
05. The Alien
06. The Sunshine
07. The Grocery
08. The Wolf
09. The Mistake
10. The Parts 
11. The Silence