SHOCK NARCOTIC Drop New Album ‘My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not’, Debut “Oblivion Licker” Video

Detroit, MI grinders Shock Narcotic have officially returned with their sophomore full-length, My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not. The album arrived this past July 18th via Phil Anselmo’s Housecore Records, marking the band’s latest step forward in their chaotic and unrelenting brand of grind-infused aggression.

Featuring a lineup stacked with heavy music veterans — including Jeff Tuttle (ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan), Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer, Scour), Shawn Knight (Child Bite), and Don Slater (ex-Battlecross) — the record finds these seasoned musicians pushing themselves further into extreme sonic territory. A video for the album’s punishing new track, “Oblivion Licker”, has also surfaced to coincide with the release.

Tuttle offered insight into the album’s conflicting creative energy, commenting:

“Like the duality that the title suggests, My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not revels in incongruence and its creation was powered by the collision of opposing ideals. On the outside, the recording process was meticulous and driven by perfectionism, but on the inside, it was equally full of artistic doubt and performative insecurities. It represents confidence versus anxiety and depression. Pride and self-deprecation. It was a labor of love as much as it was an act of compulsion stemming from that musical voice in my head that can’t be turned off. In the end, all of that dissonance birthed a beast of a record. I truly feel like we made something special.”

Slater also reflected on the effort:

“Another masterpiece squeezed and distilled from the heads of Jeff and Shawn. Wisened from the first album, the songs on this album are unique in their own way yet retain the chaotic nature that I love about Shock Narcotic. The fact these fine gentlemen allowed me to ply my bass-ic abilities to their amalgamated insanity is nothing short of an honor. Incredibly proud of this record and the freedom it allowed.”

Jarvis added:

“When first asked to record the drums for the album, it blew my mind from the first listen. A bit different and ‘out of the box’ for me and had an absolute blast recording it. Diverse, intense, and a cohesive journey of madness is the best way to describe it.”

Discussing the track “Oblivion Licker”, Knight explained:

“The song is about feeling like everything is falling apart before your very eyes, accepting your reality and finding the strength to push through. It’s a pretty bleak, self-deprecating tune… but the takeaway is that in the end you are in control of how you react to life’s challenges. Embrace the absurdity of life, stop being your own worst enemy, laugh to keep from crying. Instead of bowing down to an early death, give it a smooch and move on.”

07/24 Detroit, MI – Sanctuary (My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not release show)

With Pantera & Amon Amarth:
07/25 Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
07/26 Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
07/28 Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
07/29 Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion

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