“Sun of Manes” by David Eugene Edwards

Few voices in American music are as immediately recognizable as David Eugene Edwards. For the last four decades, he’s conjured upon a darkly unique and gothic take on folk music that’s typified by haunting atmospherics, cryptic lyrics, and Edwards’ own desert prophet vocals.

Although he’s best known for his work with 16 Horsepower and Wovenhand, Edwards has begun releasing music under his own name in recent years. But as “Sun of Manes” proves, the upcoming Mercurial Silence continues to expand Edwards’ streak of captivating music, especially when he trots out obscure references to Christian ascetics, Greek and Armenian mythology, and something about “the black between the stars” whilst backed by shuddering electronics and booming rhythms.

Mercurial Silence will be released by Sargent House on May 22, 2026. In related news, David Eugene is reuniting with his 16 Horsepower bandmates for the first time in over 20 years for a European tour and an appearance at Montana’s Fire in the Mountains festival, where they’ll be performing alongside the likes Neurosis, Baroness, and Enslaved.