SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: MAX RAEL – THE ENEMY IS US

MAX RAEL – THE ENEMY IS US

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE ALBUM PREMIERE

While we are only seeing the release of the debut solo album from British electronic artist Max Rael, we are aware of his lengthy history with History Of Guns, who were frontrunners of the early 2000s Wasp Factory / FuturePunk scene, as well as his involvement with Decommissioned Forests.

Finally Rael is unleashing The Enemy Is Us via London imprint Liquid Len Media, a captivating dive into a sonic landscape where minimalist synth, darkwave, and spoken-word electronic pop converge. Drawing on his extensive background in the UK industrial and post-punk scenes, Rael crafts an album that feels both familiar in its electronic textures and strikingly original in its unique sound design. His poignant spoken-word lyrics confront societal anxieties and personal introspection with a raw honesty, yet a resilient thread of hope and dark humor shines through, making this a compelling and deeply human exploration.

Remarkably, an artist steeped in the grit and edge of industrial music has ventured into the realm of synthpop, not to abandon his roots, but to transmute them. Max Rael’s “The Enemy Is Us” is a testament to how the grim realities of dystopia and societal woes can be confronted with an unexpected, almost paradoxical, sense of rhythmic joy, creating an album that invites you to both ponder the world’s complexities and surrender to the beat.

“Musically, this album was a long time coming. I was a lyricist who couldn’t sing, and that frustration meant some of these tracks began life as instrumentals. The turning point was being recruited by Decommissioned Forests to contribute vocals; that experience gave me the confidence to finally complete my solo work. I could finally voice my own words through spoken word, leaving the melody to be carried entirely by the music. This approach, combined with my usual layered and loud drum style, became a core part of the sound. I wanted to create a sound that felt both nostalgic and from a future we never had,” says Max Rael.

“Thematically, it’s my way of processing a world, and a sense of self, that feels incredibly precarious. I’m exploring loss and longing, the anger, confusion, and hatred, but also joy, love, hope, and the absurd humour that keeps so many of us going. The title comes from an old Pogo cartoon strip, but for me, it applies on multiple levels—both personal and global.”

Spoken word, electronic music and loud drums can all be expected on the impending 12-track album, produced and mixed by Max Rael with additional mixing by Caden Clarkson and mastered by Pete Maher (U2, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Pixies. Nine Inch Nails). Fusing a range of electronic music styles with other genres, Max Rael is a master journeyman of existential exploration into humanity, self, society, reality, psychology, philosophy and the future.

Earlier, Max Rael released the poignant shadow-streaked single “Slightly Less Than Human”, a nervy electronic track with a great hooky synth melody and spoken word vocals. Partly inspired by Japanese author Osamu Dazai. Lyrically, Max Rael relays his feeling of being somehow different from the rest of the human race, while the non-album B-side “When the Only Winning Move Is Not to Play” relates to the 1983 film War Games and the book The Games People Play by Eric Berne.

In April, Max Rael shared his spoken-word electronic pop song “Brighter Future”, where he questions avoidant strategies of coping with life in a seemingly increasingly chaotic and unsafe world and queries how can we reverse course from an anticipated dystopian future. The B-side “The People We Love Have Won (Persistence Is All)” is a darker beast, named after Coil’s 2000 London performance at The Royal Festival Hall, which also happens to be tattooed on the inside of Rael’s left wrist.

Before we sign off, let’s first rewind a bit. With Rael at the helm, History of Guns was formed in Hertfordshire in 1996 and their single “Your Obedient Servant” was championed by The Quietus and Mick Mercer among the “thirty best goth singles of all time”. Musician, writer, actor, engineer and producer, Max Rael has also collaborated with Fish (Marillion), Last July, Kommand + Kontrol, Freudstein and Bienheldenschafgegenstand.

The Enemy Is Us will soon be available from fine digital platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, and Bandcamp.

CREDITS

Written by Max Rael
Max Rael – vocals, keyboards & programming
Caden Clarkson – guitars on ‘My First Death’
Produced and mixed by Max Rael
Additional mixing by Caden Clarkson
Mastered by Pete Maher
Released by Liquid Len Recording Company
‘Brighter Future’ video by Abigail Clarkson
‘Slightly Less Than Human’ video by Max Rael
Cover artwork & photographs by Filiz Photography

Copyright @filizphotographyuk 2025

Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Also buckle up for the videos that Rael shared in advance of this 12-track opus:

Max Rael
The Enemy Is Us
(Liquid Len Media)
Release Date: June 20, 2025

Artist Links

Background Photo Credit: Filiz Photography