The Archer by Masters of Reality

The iconic Masters of Reality are set to release their first new album in 16 years with ‘The Archer,’ via Mascot Records. The album will be available digitally on 28 March and be available physically on CD and LP on 11 April.

Chris Goss is one of the elusive geniuses of American music. As the singer, guitarist and driving force behind Masters Of Reality, he’s spent more than 40 years charting his own musical journey, travelling from mystical blues to desert rock to psychedelia-edged beauty via all points in between.

Goss has positioned himself as one of the most important and influential producers of the last 30 years. The list of bands and artists he has worked with in that capacity is long and illustrious: Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Mark Lanegan, Foo Fighters, The Cult, UNKLE, Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, even Hollywood star Russell Crowe. He’s the connective tissue which links so much modern music.

"The Archer is whoever one perceives as their invisible ruler of fate," explains Goss. "Often, the archer is very visible to those who pay attention. Maybe some even think he is the dictatorial god. Or even a conjured entity. But all can agree that the archer has impeccable skill at hitting the target."

Masters of Reality remains in a perpetual evolution. "This album intentionally broke away from the heavier riff rock that we dominated for over three decades," he says. "The ‘stoner and desert rock’ riffing was a reason for Masters of Reality to break away on this record and present our blues in a different light for a minute. Blues isn’t a three-chord riff progression. It’s life itself. I can easily provide a thousand heavy riffs at the drop of a dime. But I dare any self-proclaimed heavy riff band to have the balls to throw the curve ball that we’ve thrown with this album."