Tennessee hardcore powerhouse, Thirdface, recently announced their sophomore album, Ministerial Cafeteria, due out November 1st via Exploding In Sound Records. Today the band are back with its second single, the pummeling and ambitious "Midian."

Thirdface blend mind-bending technicality with sheer ferocity into a one-of-a-kind take on hardcore that's as visceral as it is impressive. On Ministerial Cafeteria they dial their sound even further into the red, drawing on elements of punk, grindcore, and noise rock into one of the most inventive aggressive albums of the year. "Midian" follows lead single "Meander" (which garnered attention from the likes of Pitchfork, Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, Treble, and more) and flies through more wild riffs in 82 seconds than most bands do in an entire album.

Vocalist Kathryn Edwards discussed the new song saying:

"Our name references a side of yourself that you keep hidden. Sometimes that side is dark, maybe a touch nihilistic. I love Clive Barker’s Nightbreed and it’s exploration of how one’s fear of the hidden sides of themselves could physically manifest and evolve/mutate is heavily influential on the narrative imagery of this song."

Guitarist David Reichley added:

"Shibby and I wrote that at his grandma's house, where he used to live and built a studio, in the fall of 2019. It and 'Bankroll' were the first two songs of the album written and I was listening to a lot of Morrissey and early Refused at the time."

Ministerial Cafeteria follows Thirdface's acclaimed 2021 full-length, Do It With A Smile, and finds the band tighter than ever. Recorded and mixed by drummer Shibby Poole, the record packs a perfect balance of rawness and clarity that hits like a punch to the nose (in the best way). It's an album that sounds like it could only be performed by a hive mind operating on pure instinct, a blistering amalgamation of pummeling drums and intricate guitars that rarely lets up.

Throughout the album Edwards expertly weaves together personal and societal strife, connecting the dots between our inner lives and the outside forces that can impact them. Ministerial Cafeteria explores “horrors, real and imagined,” whose complexities match those of the music. Edwards explains, “The lyrics kind of represent a bit of a shift from primal anger at any and all external aggressors found in the first album, to what I think are the two central themes of this album: an introspective exploration of mental health issues and skepticism towards societal structures and authoritative powers.”

Thirdface also have a run of shows lined up in November supporting Chat Pile.