The masters of concept albums are returning with yet another one. The Mountain Goats have released the first single, “Armies of the Lord,” off their upcoming album Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan. This new project releases on November 7.Following Jenny From Thebes, released in 2023, Through This Fire is looking like yet another one of John Darnielle’s cleverly crafted narratives. “Armies of the Lord” opens with a slightly different sound than the band’s familiar acoustic composition. Instead, it relies heavily on keyboard and drum machine, with sweeping moments of strings, harp, and chimes. With Darnielle’s vocals embellished with a hint of reverb, he weaves images of a loyal crew, a burial at sunrise, reluctant redemption, and a great waiting. “Who would prepare for peace, take up the sword / Waiting for the armies of the Lord” he sings. With a sense of desperation and longing for salvation that might never come, “Armies of the Lord” is a poignant introduction to this new narrative.The Mountain goats create new stories, characters, and lessons to learn on upcoming albumFrom The Mountain Goats’ website, Through This Fire is the story of a crew of fifteen men on board a fishing boat. It’s helmed by Captain Peter Balkan. When the boat hits stormy weather, she capsizes and becomes lost to the depths. Only Captain Balkan, a crewman named Adam, and an unnamed narrator survive. They find themselves washed up on a small island, too small to sustain life. More bad news, Captain Balkan has sustained head injuries in the wreck. He “begins to suffer great visions, prophesying the end of the world and the arrival of a new kingdom.”The crewman Adam goes missing, which leaves the nameless narrator to care for Captain Balkan as he slowly deteriorates. Finally, the Captain dies, and the narrator finds himself alone on the island. From there, he can do nothing but dream of being “restored to society in the world before the wreck, vowing to remember his companions in catastrophe.”The album stands to be The Mountain Goats’ most elaborate opera yet. Coming off of Jenny From Thebes, which pulled elements from albums All Hail West Texas, Jam Eater Blues, and Transcendental Youth, this project seems fully and individually formed. It includes contributions from The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, harpist Mikaela Davis, and bassist Cameron Ralston. Meanwhile, the 20th anniversary remaster of The Sunset Tree can be pre-ordered now. John Darnielle’s book This Year: 365 Songs Annotated can also be pre-ordered now, with a December 2 publish date.Photo by C Brandon/RedfernsThe post The Mountain Goats Release First Single From Upcoming Album ‘Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan’ appeared first on VICE.