Fleshwork is the latest release from PUPIL SLICER, and it sees the mathcore trio emerging refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to step things up several gears. The album will be released on November 7th through Prosthetic Records.
During the pandemic, PUPIL SLICER offered up their debut album, Mirrors – a gnashing, feral affair that thrust them into the spotlight thanks to their discordant, angular DIY efforts. Sophomore album, Blossom, put more emphasis on songwriting and slicker production values as the PUPIL SLICER show truly hit the road. Fleshwork deftly combines the best bits of their previous releases, retaining the hook-laden song structures yet refusing to compromise on the acerbic energy that lured eager fans in from the very beginning.
This iteration of PUPIL SLICER ushers in new talent in the form of bass player, Luke Booth, whose contributions rounded out the writing process neatly. This rejuvenated lineup sought to retain the melodic elements of Blossom whilst simultaneously pushing their sonic boundaries to the extreme. The result is a more organic sound, energized by incandescent fury that embraces imperfections as a sign of life. Recording and mixing took place in early 2025 at Nø Studio in Manchester with producer Joe Clayton at the helm. Grant Berry handled mastering.
Describing Fleshwork as “conceptual” but specifically not a concept album, PUPIL SLICER lean into creating an all-encompassing industrial hellscape; a perfect setting to explore the societal machinations that dehumanize and devalue the poor, disabled, queer, and people of color for political and financial gain. Drawing on personal experience, vocalist and guitarist Kate Davies details the disconnect and discomfort of navigating this life, and the substantial human, day-to-day cost of doing so.
Over the course of the nine songs unfolding, the imagery of the oppressive machinery falls away to leave behind only the personal, human elements. What starts as the smallest of sparks roars into a chthonic inferno, demonstrating the impact of and on one solitary human as the weight of subjection turns to ash. Fleshwork serves as a cathartic conduit for those who are “othered” by a society distinctly lacking in empathy, as PUPIL SLICER champion their own brand of “trans inclusive radical hatred.