Matt Pike has already conquered the worlds of stoner-metal and sludge with his bands Sleep and High on Fire, respectively, and now he has his sights set on the land of psych-metal with a new solo project called Pike vs. the Automation. In February 2022, the metal vet will release his self-titled debut under the moniker, which features guest contributions from Mastodon's Brent Hinds, High on Fire's Jeff Matz, Tragedy's Todd Burdette, his wife, Alyssa Maucere-Pike, among others. Today (December 14th), he's shared its rip-roaring lead single, "Alien Slut Mum," along with a thrilling music video that features him and his friends getting hunted by monsters in the middle of the woods.
Sonically, "Alien Slut Mum" has more in common with High on Fire's fast and ferocious tracks than the down-tempo drone of Sleep — albeit a little more playful, loose, psychedelic and freaky than the beastly churn of HoF. It definitely has Pike's unmistakable fingerprints all over it, but it's certainly a new project with its own fun-as-hell identity. Listen to the track above while you watch Pike and his buddies get loaded and then run into some ghouls at a remote cabin in the woods.
"Four friends enter the woods, for a getaway, little did they know they would never return," Pike said of the song and its video. "Dogmen, Sasquach, Reptilians, or alien slut mum? Where have they gone?"
Pike vs. the Automaton is due out February 18th via MNRK Heavy and is available for pre-order now.
Pike vs. the Automoton track listing:
"Abusive"
"Throat Cobra"
"Trapped In A Midcave"
"Epoxia"
"Land"
"Alien Slut Mum"
"Apollyon"
"Acid Test Zone"
"Latin American Geological Formation"
"Leaving The Wars Of Woe"
