American heavy psych rockers BLACK LUNG have signed a multi-album contract with Magnetic Eye Records. The four-piece (with rotating musicians on bass) hails from Baltimore, Maryland and comes with a strong European following. Their upcoming fifth full-length will be released via the label in 2026.
BLACK LUNG comment: „We are thrilled to join the Magnetic Eye family alongside many bands we already know and respect“, vocalist and guitarist David Cavalier writes on behalf of the band. „The label has been on our radar for awhile, as we’ve watched their importance in the heavy music scene grow over the years. But it was last year when we toured with Howling Giant, who really sang the label’s praises on a personal level, that we decided to propose a partnership. The next album is near and dear to our hearts, and has been ripped screaming from our souls. We trust in Magnetic Eye to do it justice with their release.“
Jadd Shickler adds: „Earlier this year, a trusted colleague mentioned that Black Lung might be looking for a new record label to call home“, the Magnetic Eye director recalls. „I thought for a moment, checked the downloaded tracks on my iTunes, and confirmed that I’d been carrying their song ‚Voices‘ around for six years through multiple phone upgrades. It was firmly residing on one of my melancholy heavy playlists, fitting perfectly next to songs from YOB, Mark Lanegan, Torche and ISIS, among others. So, Black Lung is ready for a new label? Well, we’re ready for them too! And I can hardly wait to reveal their amazing new record to the world in 2026.“
When two founding members of Baltimore’s well-established psych rock band THE FLYING EYES, guitarist and organ player Adam Bufano and drummer Elias Schutzman, teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Dave Cavalier in early 2014, they emerged later in the same year musically reborn as BLACK LUNG.
The trio quickly set themselves apart from the crowded field of psych doom and heavy blues by finding the backbone of their sound in the interchange of fuzzed-drenched guitars, deep driving drumbeats, and Cavalier’s raw, blues-tinged vocals. Their self-titled debut already appeared in 2014. „Black Lung“ was not just celebrated locally, finding them named „Best New Band“ by the Baltimore City Paper, but BLACK LUNG even crossed the Atlantic to embark on their first European tour. This was capped with a performance at the prestigious Rockpalast Crossroads Festival, broadcast on German national television.
Following this stunning headstart, BLACK LUNG released their sophomore album „See the Enemy“ in 2016. The band was building on the strengths of their debut while at times pushing into garage psych territory in the vein of THE BLACK KEYS and JACK WHITE. They also went on a headlining European tour, notably appearing at Freak Valley Festival and Desertfest Belgium.
In 2019, with the hard-gained experience of several more years of touring and songwriting, BLACK LUNG returned with „Ancients“. Their third full-length turned out even more adventurous and departed from obvious doom and psych rock tropes. Following another successful European road trip in the same year, guitarist Adam Bufano amiably departed from the band and was soon replaced by Dave Fullerton from the post-rock trio DEAF SCENE.
Despite the setbacks and ripples of doubt across the whole of the music industry in 2020 and 2021, BLACK LUNG pushed forward with their new lineup and quietly stayed hard at work on their fourth album „Dark Waves“. This release marked a milestone in the band’s career as they abandoned some of their pet features such as eschewing the bass guitar live in favour of guitars through bass amps and the black and white aesthetics for all artwork and photos that had been used throughout their first three full-lengths.
BLACK LUNG implemented these changes to make music that is even more authentic to who they truly are, the sounds they love, and how they see the world. Lyrically, their songs tilt toward socio-political themes rather than fantasy. They are anti-Trump and anti-fascism to the core, and make no secret of it. At the same time, they design their live performance to be both fun and a cathartic experience. In short: BLACK LUNG rage against injustice with joyful defiance!
Currently, BLACK LUNG prepare for the release of their upcoming fifth album via Magnetic Eye Records in 2026.
