Long-running alternative-metal outfit Cold are set to release their first new album in eight years, The Things We Can’t Stop, via Napalm Records on Friday, September 13th. (You can order the record here.) From their Ross Robinson–produced 1998 self-titled debut to their gold-selling albums 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage and Year of the Spider to their last LP, 2011’s Superfiction, the Florida band has made their name on raw, emotive songs that draw on a wide swath of influences: nu-metal, post-punk, goth rock and more. In support of The Things We Can’t Stop, Cold is currently out headlining the Broken Human Tour — the group’s first full-fledged tour in over eight years — which is scheduled to run through October 20th in Lexington, Kentucky. Amid all this activity, we caught up with frontman Scooter Ward to get the scoop on five albums he loves that might surprise fans.
Interpol – El Pintor
The first track “All the Rage Back Home” just sets the perfect tone for this glorious album.
Manchester Orchestra – Hope
This album is the acoustic version of their Cope album. The stripped-down versions of the songs are executed perfectly.
Placebo – MTV Unplugged
Brian Molko is maybe my favorite songwriter of all time. To me, the way the performance is delivered is so deeply moving on every song.
Bad Brains – Bad Brains
This is the album that takes me back to my teenage years. It’s my youth in song. Period. HR is God.
The Cult – Dreamtime Live at the Lyceum
This album is another from my youth. Ian Astbury was such a huge influence on early Cold. Sam [McCandless, Cold drummer] and I were in a band as teens where we played mostly Cult covers and some originals during our sets at keg parties.