The Macks Unleash “Cypher Sore Eyes”

Building their own bizarre universe and hurling themselves through it at warp speed, Portland’s The Macks have dropped their new single, “Cypher Sore Eyes.”

The track is a droning, dissonant and disillusioned piece that asks the uncomfortable question: how are we supposed to move through life when every action seems to uphold a cause we don’t believe in? In Cypher, even existing day-to-day starts to feel like a weapon, one that can be turned against someone else without warning. Vocalist Sam Fulwiler frames it like this: “‘Cypher Sore Eyes’ offers a view from a cog in the war machine. The song explores shame and guilt when one is pitted against an enemy that they did not select themselves. It’s about fighting someone else’s battles, locally or globally, without understanding the motive of your own aggression.”

If the concept sounds heavy, the sound is even heavier. Guitarist Ben Windheim admits they leaned into chaos: “Cypher is downtrodden, relentless, and bleak. Musically, it’s dissonant and odd-timed. We did our best CAN impression with the percussion loops, which is leading us into some pretty heady jams on stage when we play this one live. We were listening to ‘Planet Caravan’ when dialing in the vocal effects. RIP Ozzy.”

The new single arrives just a week after The Macks announced their upcoming album, Bonanza, out September 25 via DevilDuck Records/Monotone’s label fullaway. Far from cautious, the band is barreling straight into the release with their trademark reckless sincerity. They describe the record as,

“a collection of miscellaneous rock that could only have been crafted by this dedicated and bull-headedly sincere troupe of desperate artists.”

Listen to Cypher Sore Eyes:

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