The Tangent announce The Slow Rust Of Forgotten Machinery

Andy Tillison
Andy Tillison

The Tangent have announced details of their ninth studio album which will be released this summer.

Titled The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery, it will launch on July 21, and focus on the plight of refugees and the way in which they are treated by the West, and in particular by the tabloid press.

The Tangent leader Andy Tillison says: “Roger Waters did prove the ability of progressive music to act as a vehicle to communicate ideas about the current world scene.

“In both Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut and his Amused To Death albums, Waters set a challenge to others in the genre. A challenge which has not been frequently accepted.”

The follow-up to 2015’s A Spark In The Aether is also said to lament “the new trend in building walls and defending borders across the world yet takes time to look at the breakup of friendships and other more personal issues – along with a song about the fate of wildlife in the modern consumer world.”

Tillison provides vocals, keyboards – and for the first time on a Tangent record, drums – and is joined by Jonas Reingold on bass, Luke Machin on guitars and vocals, Theo Travis on sax and flutes, plus new member Marie-Eve de Gaultier on keys and vocals.

There are also guest appearances from author, playwright and Chumbawamba founder Boff Whalley on vocals, and DJ/producer Matt Farrow.

The Tangent will head out on tour later this year with Karmakanic for shows across Europe and the US, including a set at this year’s Summer’s End Festival in the UK.

Find the album artwork, tracklist and tour dates below.

The Tangent The Slow Rust Of Forgotten Machinery tracklist

  1. Two Rope Swings
  2. Doctor Livingstone (I Presume)
  3. Slow Rust
  4. The Sad Story Of Lead And Astatine
  5. A Few Steps Down The Wrong Road
  6. Basildonxit

The Tangent 2017 tour dates

Aug 26: Reichenbach Bierkeller, Germany
Sep 01: Veruno 2 days of Prog + 1 Festival, Italy
Sep 09: Zoetermeer The Boerderij, Netherlands
Oct 08: Chepstow Summer’s End Festival, UK
Oct 21: Chicago Progtoberfest, IL
Oct 22: Milwaukee Shank Hall, WI
Oct 24: Westland Token Lounge, MI
Oct 26: Dunellen Roxy & Dukes, NJ
Oct 27: Arlington The Regent Theatre, MA

Tangent Tillison: Progfathers don't give us much love

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Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.