After a brief pandemic-related delay, post-punk greats Protomartyr are back with their fifth studio album, Ultimate Success Today. Stream it in full below via Apple Music or Spotify. For a high-definition listening experience, you can sign up for a 60-day free trial of TIDAL HiFi.
The Domino-released collection follows 2017’s Relatives in Descent and was co-produced by Protomartyr themselves alongside David Tolomei (Dirty Projectors, Beach House). Sessions took place at Dreamland Recording Studios, situated in a 19th century church in upstate New York, and featured guest contributors in legendary jazz alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc and vocalist Nandi Rose, aka Half Waif. Izaak Mills (bass clarinet, sax, flute) and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm also joined the band in the studio.
In a statement, Protomartyr frontman Joe Casey says it was the revisiting of the band’s debut record, 2012’s No Passion All Technique, that helped put him in the right mindset for the recording of the new album,
“The re-release of our first album had me thinking about the passage of time and its ultimate conclusion. Listening to No Passion All Technique again, I could hear myself hoping for an introduction and a long future, but also being cognizant that it could be ‘one and done’ for us. So, when it came time to write Ultimate Success Today, I was reminded of that first urgency and how it was an inverse of my current grapple with how terribly ill I’ve been feeling lately. Was that sick feeling coloring how I felt about the state of the world or was it the other way around?”
“This panic was freeing in a way. It allowed me to see our fifth album as a possible valediction of some confusingly loud five-act play. In the same light I see it as an interesting mile marker of our first decade of being a band – a crest of the hill along a long highway. Although just to cover my bases, I made sure to get my last words in while I still had the breath to say them.”
Editors’ Picks
In the lead-up to Ultimate Success Today, the Detroit natives shared a “visual” version of the album on their website earlier this week. Early singles from the LP include “Worm in Heaven”, “Michigan Hammers”, and “Processed by the Boys”.
Ultimate Success Today Artwork:
<img data-attachment-id="1016933" data-permalink="https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-tour/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork/" data-orig-file="https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?quality=80" data-orig-size="1200,1200" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="protomartyr ultimate success today album cover artwork" data-image-description="
protomartyr ultimate success today album cover artwork
” data-medium-file=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?quality=80&w=300″ data-large-file=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?quality=80&w=806″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-1016933″ src=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?quality=80″ alt=”protomartyr ultimate success today album cover artwork” width=”806″ height=”806″ srcset=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg 1200w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=800,800 800w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=300,300 300w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=768,768 768w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=350,350 350w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=807,807 807w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=123,123 123w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=210,210 210w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=250,250 250w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=189,189 189w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=80,80 80w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=380,380 380w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=398,398 398w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=400,400 400w” sizes=”(max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px”><img data-attachment-id="1016933" data-permalink="https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-tour/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork/" data-orig-file="https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?quality=80" data-orig-size="1200,1200" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="protomartyr ultimate success today album cover artwork" data-image-description="
protomartyr ultimate success today album cover artwork
” data-medium-file=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?quality=80&w=300″ data-large-file=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?quality=80&w=806″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-1016933″ src=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?quality=80″ alt=”protomartyr ultimate success today album cover artwork” width=”806″ height=”806″ data-lazy-srcset=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg 1200w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=800,800 800w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=300,300 300w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=768,768 768w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=350,350 350w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=807,807 807w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=123,123 123w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=210,210 210w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=250,250 250w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=189,189 189w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=80,80 80w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=380,380 380w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=398,398 398w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=400,400 400w” data-lazy-sizes=”https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg 1200w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=800,800 800w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=300,300 300w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=768,768 768w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=350,350 350w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=807,807 807w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=123,123 123w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=210,210 210w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=250,250 250w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=189,189 189w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=80,80 80w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=380,380 380w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=398,398 398w, https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/protomartyr-ultimate-success-today-album-cover-artwork.jpg?resize=400,400 400w”>
Ultimate Success Today Tracklist:
01. Day Without End
02. Processed By The Boys
03. I Am You Now
04. The Aphorist
05. June 21
06. Michigan Hammers
07. Tranquilizer
08. Modern Business Hymns
09. Bridge & Crown
10. Worm In Heaven