“Subtext” by Circuit Preacher

Virginia’s Circuit Preacher terms his sound “dark electronic music for end times worship.” Which, having grown up in a dispensational premillennialist church, instantly piqued my curiosity. Released this past May, Made to Burn is a concept album of sorts about a doomsday cult (“The Last Church of the Final Days”) rebelling against a totalitarian government that uses technology to suppress and subjugate the populace.

Filled with Tyler Matthews’ tortured vocals, pulsing electronics, and crushing beats, “Subtext” handily evokes classic Nine Inch Nails. Backed by aggressive synths, Matthews sings from the perspective of someone under the government’s thumb (“Feels like the biggest lie is overtaking me/I don’t know what to think/Feels like the biggest eye is watching over me/I’ve never seen it blink”) until they hit their breaking point (“Tooth and nail/Don’t feel like myself anymore/I’m done sifting through all the subtext”).

Made to Burn is currently available via darkTunes. Matthews has also released several singles and collaborations — including a remix of “Subtext” titled “Beneath You” — that expand Circuit Preacher’s industrial/EBM sound.