Close to seven long years since their last full-length album, New Zealand rock royalty Shihad have made their welcome return, sharing new single “Tear Down Those Names” as the first taste of their long-awaited tenth record.
Serving as the opening track from Old Gods, it’s a blistering introduction into a powerful collection of tracks which sees Jon Toogood showcasing lyrics which encapsulate our collective anger at recent world events.
Having experienced a decade of growth and change – including becoming a parent, converting to Islam, and marrying his Sudanese wife – Toogood admits he began to see new perspectives other than those he had been raised with. This, paired with the COVID-inspired soul searching, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the disgust at the rise of conservative politics, Toogood began take on a new understanding of his place in the world as a privileged white male.
“My whole consciousness changed. I haven’t been able to see the world like I used to,” he explains. “And all of this was feeding into, oh right, we’ve written the soundtrack, and this is what I’m going to talk about. I’m going to talk about the fact that I don’t want a future where white supremacy reigns supreme, especially with my bi-racial children.
“I don’t want to see leaders like Trump hold sway over a big portion of the population on the planet. Cos it’s not gonna end well.”
The result is one of Shihad’s most direct and powerful releases to date, with the likes of conservative talk radio, the legitimisation of racism, and the radicalisation of a generation fuelled by misinformation placed squarely within the band’s crosshairs.
While Shihad are set to release Old Gods on August 27th, they’ll be pairing this new record with a long-awaited Australian tour, which kicks off in early October, with tickets on sale next week.
Shihad’s “Tear Down Those Names” is out now, while Old Gods will be released on August 27th, with pre-orders available now.
Shihad Old Gods Australian Tour
Friday, October 1st
Prince Of Wales Bunbury, WA
Saturday, October 2nd
Metropolis, Fremantle, WA
Thursday, October 7th
The Gov, Adelaide, SA
Friday, October 8th
170 Russell, Melbourne, VIA
Thursday, October 14th
The Triffid, Brisbane, QLD
Friday, October 15th
Manning Bar, Sydney, NSW
Saturday, October 16th
Entrance Leagues Club, Central Coast, NSW
Tickets on sale from Thursday, July 15th via Shihad’s website.
Pre-sales available now via 24hundred.
