Exclusive Premiere: Cult Leader, “Sympathetic”

When three-fourths of Gaza re-grouped as Cult Leader in 2013 following the controversy that resulted in the former’s breakup, the jury was out on how the reconstituted version of a much-loved band would fare. Fortunately for them — and you, and us — Cult Leader’s debut album Nothing For Us Here took any expectations we may’ve had and smashed right through them. Did Cult Leader one-up Gaza? The jury’s still out on that one, too, but that it’s even in the conversation should tell you how hard Cult Leader’s first album ripped.

Cult Leader are back just a year and a half later with Lightless Walk, recorded and engineered by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios, and MetalSucks is pleased to premiere the stream of “Sympathetic,” the album’s third track. Like any good three-hole hitter should, “Sympathetic” has all the tools: it can hit for power, get on base, field its position well and even steal a base here and there. That’s baseball-ese for saying it’s a great fucking track that showcases all sides of Cult Leader’s sound: the brute aggression, the dynamics, the nastiness, the elegance. It’s a franchise track worth giving a long-term deal for sure.

Check it out below. Lightless Walk comes out on Deathwish on October 16th and can be pre-ordered here. Upcoming tour dates at the bottom of this post.

10.17 – Tucson, AZ @ Southwest Terror Fest (w/ Sleep)
10.19 – Kansas City, MO @ El Torren
10.20 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean Downstairs
10.21 – Toronto, ON @ Parts and Labour
10.22 – Montreal, QC @ Turbohaus
10.23 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Acheron
10.24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
10.25 – Boston, MA @ Middle East Upstairs
10.26 – Baltimore, MD @ Charm City Art Space
10.27 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
10.28 – Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
10.29 – Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
10.30 – Tampa, FL @ Epic Problem
10.31 – Gainesville, FL @ The Fest
11.01 – Jacksonville, FL @ Birdhouse
11.02 – Atlanta, GA @ 529
11.03 – Nashville, TN @ The End
11.04 – Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone