Bible Club channel dystopian intensity on conceptually bold EP ‘Umbra’

Bristol’s genre-blending post-punk and shoegaze collective Bible Club return with ‘Umbra’, their most ambitious and immersive release to date. Following the title track’s recent debut, the five-song EP dives into the psychological shadows of late-stage capitalism—offering a fierce, hypnotic journey through delusion, indulgence, and modern isolation.

“Umbra captures the stark awareness of a world stuck in disarray,” the band explains. Conceptually, the record orbits around the idea of the umbra—the darkest part of a shadow cast by an overwhelming force. Across the EP, Bible Club dissect a culture oversaturated by consumerism, examining the chaos it breeds with a mix of brooding spoken word, angular riffs, and hypnotic krautrock-inspired rhythms.

Their ability to seamlessly fuse post-punk, shoegaze, and post-rock is on full display here, with twitchy, off-kilter drumming anchoring explosive guitar textures that shift from brittle jabs to engulfing walls of sound. Producer Dom Mitchison (known for his work with Heavy Lungs and Spectres) helped hone the band’s sprawling vision into a sonically rich and tightly wound statement.