ART BERGMANN’S “MIRAGE (THE APOSTATE)” PREMIERES AT EXCLAIM!

Mesmerizing and masterful, The Apostate hits home for me on many levels of feeling and being with its atheist and feminist leanings. This is a folk rock opus of stellar songwriting and dynamic performances showing Art at his most fragile and ferocious best. With seething lead vocals raining out dark lyrical content, the eclectic instrumentation and jaunty back-up vocals makes this record a joyous celebration of life and the world is a richer place for it. (weewerk) feels great pride in being able to help Art get this new release out to the masses, both from an artistic and moral standpoint.

– Phil Klygo (weewerk)

Toronto ON — The Apostate is Art Bergmann’s first full-length album in 18 years, and for that reason alone should be considered a triumph in the face of his once-debilitating health issues, and a music industry that seemingly no longer held a place for him. That aside, The Apostate is also a triumph simply because it is the best work he has ever done during his four decades as a recording artist, from the seminal Vancouver punk band the Young Canadians, to his four acclaimed solo albums in the 1980s and ‘90s, culminating with the JUNO Award-winning What Fresh Hell Is This?

Listen to “Mirage (The Apostate)” exclusively at Exclaim.ca now!

Art Bergmann’s voice has been missing from our national consciousness for far too long, but it is back with a vengeance on The Apostate. Now residing in Airdrie, Alberta, Art worked with Calgary-based producer Lorrie Matheson and a stellar group of multi-instrumentalists to craft sounds suited to the subject matter of each song—the hazy Americana of “Atheist Prayer,” the mesmerizing North African majesty of “Mirage (The Apostate),” the ragged Stones-y groove of “Live It Up,” the epic sweep of the 12-minute “Pioneers,” and the stark intimacy of “The Legend Of Bobby Bird.”

Punk rock was a sound, but above all it was an attitude. Art Bergmann’s attitude has never changed, even as his sound inevitably evolved. After so long in the wilderness, The Apostate is the album he needed to make, and all of us now need to hear.

Track List:
1. Atheist Prayer
2. Mirage (The Apostate)
3. Cassandra
4. The Greatest Story Never Told
5. Live It Up
6. A Town Called Mean
7. Pioneers
8. The Legend Of Bobby Bird