The upcoming album is entitled "To Be Kind" and was announced along with Michael Gira's solo tour. Gira has been the driving force behind Swans throughout its history as well as its lead singer and songwriter. This announcement prompted me to go back through Swans albums and give them another listen as a way of increasing the anticipation. Swans is an interesting band to say the least; it's just as complex as its name implies. The animal from which it takes its name is both beautiful to behold and very temperamental, a description that suits the band just as well. During live performances, Swans has been known to assault audience members, play at painfully high volumes, and even shut off all the air conditioning in a venue. Their reasoning behind the whole air conditioning thing is so that they may create a sweat lodge-like atmosphere, both heightening and distorting the concert-going experience for performers and audience members alike. That should give you a pretty good idea of what Swans is all about. As for their sound, it's visceral raw, and, well, maybe you should just listen for yourself...

Know any bands with good back stories? Tell us about them in the comments!