Unpredictable, uncompromising and unrelentingly original, Tallah have never been easy to categorise. The Pennsylvania-bred unit are back with a vengeance today as they announce brand new album Primeval: Obsession // Detachment, due out 5th September via Earache Records and drop 'What We Know', the first single and opening track.

Listen to 'What We Know' here: https://earache.lnk.to/WhatWeKnow
Watch the music video here: https://youtu.be/2yuTlgjbtV4

Pre-order Primeval: Obsession // Detachment here: earache.com/tallah

Simultaneously maximalist, raw and unfiltered, 'What We Know' sets the tone for what’s to come—an album unshackled by rules or expectations. Blending acoustic guitars, trap-metal 808s, string quartets, talkbox solos and more into one furiously cohesive piece, the track is a mission statement for the chaos ahead.

“The first song that was written for the album, and easily my #1 Tallah song to date,” says bassist Max Portnoy. “The amount of experimentation on this track paved the road for the tone of the whole record. From performing the first half of the song on acoustic guitars, to layering trap-metal 808’s over a string quartet with dissonant plucks in the chorus, to a trading guitar solo with a talkbox and a slide, you can find so many fun tools we incorporated, without it feeling disjointed. To have all that experimentation, in a driving and energetic track with a massive chorus, made for my favorite piece of work yet. It was a no-brainer to start the record with this one.”

Primeval: Obsession // Detachment is a concept album rooted in narrative and boundless in scope. Set on an alien planet, it follows Ana, a nurse, and Sheelah, an assassin—two strangers pushed to the brink of their morality by the same mysterious group of beings. Their journeys spiral through tests of belief, identity, and loyalty, building toward a finale laced with twists, dualities, and mirrored consequences.

Architect of the exceptional and intricate world-building Tallah have become known for on each of their albums, vocalist Justin Bonitz shares: “Primeval: Obsession // Detachment is a concept album taking place on an alien planet. The story follows two characters, Ana (a nurse) and Sheelah (an assassin). Both are approached by the same group of beings, who ask the main characters to each perform a task that will test their values and push their morals to the limit before ending with twist after twist. The album explores morality, duty, personal beliefs, duality, and understanding one's place in society.”

Tracked live in Michigan with longtime producer Josh Schroeder, the record captures Tallah in their purest, most unhinged form. No click. No edits. No polish. Just instinct and execution. It also sees founding member, Max Portnoy, making a major creative shift from drums to bass and Justin recording the vocals for the whole album in one, continuous take.

Providing further context, Max shares: “For me, this album is Tallah finding our voice. During the writing process, no boxes were in place. No rules were set. Whatever felt uniquely us, that was what made the cut. I'm not sure how to even label this record's sound beyond 'Tallah'. It's weird. It's experimental. It's driving, and energetic. It's raw. We recorded live, every instrument at the same time, with no click. That's how we play shows, so why would we record differently? This album also marks my first recording dedicated to bass. I translated my drum knowledge to a new instrument and it was a huge creative breath of fresh air for me.”

For vocalist Justin Bonitz, the experience was equally intense. "I practiced for months and was able to record the entire album in one huge, continuous take with no edits or redos or anything! And I was recovering from pneumonia! Nobody is gonna believe me! It was honestly the highlight of my entire vocal career. I was unsure if I could pull it off, but I went into the booth, grabbed an SM57, turned off the lights, and whatever happened happened. I think it feels more intimate and naked with all the flaws and imperfections, which is perfect for the raw, organic sound of this album."

From mirrored track titles to reversed riffs, Primeval: Obsession // Detachment is Tallah at their most deliberate and deranged. It’s a labyrinthine listen made for close listening and repeat immersion. As with everything they do, the chaos is crafted, and the madness is methodical.

'What We Know'’ is streaming now. Primeval: Obsession // Detachment arrives 5th September via Earache Records.

About Tallah:

Emerging from Pennsylvania in 2018, Tallah fuse the percussive force of second-generation drummer-turned-bassist Max Portnoy with the unpredictable dexterity of vocalist and viral phenom Justin Bonitz and the phenomenal guitarist due of Derrick Schneider and Alex Snowden to form a sound that’s part brutalist nu-metal, part theatrical meltdown, and entirely their own. What began as a raw homage to the early-2000s metal they were raised on—Slipknot, Korn, Linkin Park—has since evolved into something far stranger and far more singular.

After making waves with their 2020 debut Matriphagy, a twisted concept album soaked in trauma and noise, the band were hailed by Knotfest as delivering “one of the best metal releases of the year” and by Metal Hammer as “leading the charge on the new wave of nu-metal.” The follow-up, The Generation Of Danger (2022), saw them push their hybrid sound further into chaos—earning millions of streams, high-profile festival slots, and nominations at both the Heavy Music Awards and AIM Independent Music Awards.

But it’s on album three, Primeval: Obsession // Detachment (out 5th September 2025 via Earache Records), that Tallah truly shatter what’s left of the mould. Decamping to Michigan to record the entire project live with longtime producer Josh Schroeder, the band abandoned edits, clicks, backing tracks, and rules. What remains is pure instinct—feral, volatile, and unrelentingly human.

To date, Tallah have clocked up 29.7 million Spotify streams and 6 million YouTube views.

Tallah are:

Vocals: Justin Bonitz
Guitar: Alex Snowden
Guitar: Derrick Schneider
Bass: Max Portnoy
Drums: Joel McDonald
DJ: Ivan Little

For more:
https://www.facebook.com/TallahPA
https://www.instagram.com/tallah___
https://linktr.ee/Tallah_

Tallah announce third album Primeval: Obsession // Detachment and stream new single

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