Emil Amos, the mastermind behind Holy Sons, returns with his second Thrill Jockey Records release, ‘Fall Of Man’.

The multi-instrumentalist (and member of Om, Grails, and Lilacs & Champagne) carves out new territory on his most diverse release to date, adding more hooks and sweet pop balladry to his songs while still retaining the intimacy and psychological depth of his earlier records. 1970s classic rock has always been a touchstone for Amos, and on ‘Fall Of Man’ he filters those influences through his modern looking-glass to create a deliberate, melancholy album of epic scope, a sonic universe tinged with a soft, slight sadness.

‘Fall Of Man’ features Amos’ most beautifully produced, endlessly listenable songs of his career. ‘Mercenary World’ walks the line between pop hit and the darker, sample-based recordings Holy Sons is known for.

‘Out Of Sight’ shows him providing his fans more inviting songs without abandoning his outsider ideology that has made Amos such a respected cult figure.

The classic rock influence seeps into ‘I Told You’ with Deep Purple-styled organs and guitar solos that bring to mind Rush playing in a stadium with the lights down.

Amos’ North Carolina roots show through in songs like the Pavement-tinged, stoner-rock track ‘Being Possessed’ or the mid-60s southern AM radio ballad ‘Boil It Down’.

Amos plays every instrument on the record himself, except on the rollicking ‘Aged Wine’, which features Dommengang’s Brian Markham on bass and Adam Bulgasem on drums, who have played live with Holy Sons at recent gigs with Sleep, The Mountain Goats and more.

A home-recording pioneer, Amos delves into a fuller, more lush sound on ‘Fall Of Man’. The album was recorded between Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn with producers Brandon Eggleston (Mountain Goats, Swans), Al Carlson (Oneohtrix Point Never) and Jeff Saltzman (Grails).

This is yet another dimension in the astonishingly diverse sonic arsenal that Amos deftly wields. ‘Fall Of Man’ brings together many of those sides of Emil Amos; the rocker, the silk-voiced singer, the pessimist, the meticulous producer and the lost child of the 1970s.

Initial vinyl copies pressed on gold vinyl. LPs packaged in a heavy stock jacket with spot UV printing and a free digital download coupon.