Balkan”, through Cadmean Dawn Records. This marks the band’s first official release since 2023’s “Jenny from Thebes” and their 22nd studio album overall.
“Armies of the Lord” appears to maintain the Mountain Goats’ trend towards synthesized and grandiose sound rather than their lo-fi, acoustic trademark of the 90s and early 2000s. The album’s production as a whole demonstrates the Mountain Goats’ evolution towards complexity in their 33 years of activity.
“Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan” will come as the Mountain Goats’ first release since the departure of their bassist, Peter Hughes, in August 2024, after a nearly 30-year career alongside the vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and fixture of the band, John Darnielle.
However, there is no lack of instrumentation in the upcoming album: long-time multi-instrumentalist woodwind player Matt Douglas, who first appeared on 2015’s “Beat the Champ”, plays throughout, alongside harpist Mikaela Davis and bassists Cameron Ralston and Tommy Stinson.
Several other artists feature on the album, including musical theatre’s Lin-Manuel Miranda, who sings harmonies on the single and three other tracks. Although neither of these men are famous for their vocal prowess, both oft described as “whiny” or “grating,” their voices seem to blend well throughout the chorus of “Armies of the Lord.”
Thematically, Darnielle bases the album on its title, which appeared to him in a dream. The lyrics follow a pattern of elaborate storytelling, which the Mountain Goats have kept up since their origin.
The story centers around a shipwreck, narrated by the one surviving crewman who has had the misfortune of being stranded with the deteriorating captain, Peter Balkan. The album’s 12-set tracklist follows the story of this pair, marking a true return to form for the Mountain Goats, whose earliest albums were often character-centric and following an overarching “plot,” such as 2002’s “Tallahassee”.
“Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan” releases on Nov. 7, 2025, on the Mountain Goats’ new independent label, Cadmean Dawn Records. It does well to demonstrate the band’s growth and character, and its instrumentation harkens back to 2015’s “Beat the Champ” and 2017’s “Goths” while also showcasing a new level of complexity.
