Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault. If you or someone you know are affected by the following story, you are not alone. To speak to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Less than a year after their breakup as the result of sexual assault allegations, US rock outfit The Orwells have taken to the internet to quietly release their final album.
Back in August, the world of music was shocked to learn of a number allegations that had been made against Chicago punk rockers The Orwells.
The claims made against the group – which were gathered in a Reddit post – contained multiple allegations of sexual abuse, interactions with underage girls, and unsolicited photos and videos amongst other things, specifically naming vocalist Mario Cuomo, bassist Grant Brinner, and drummer Henry Brinner.
Soon after these claims were made public, the band released a statement outlining their response to the allegations.
“We do not take these accusations lightly and consider this matter incredibly serious,” the group wrote in a since-removed statement. “We emphatically deny these baseless allegations brought as a personal attack against us.
“While callow altercations and vulgar language we’ve used in the past must be recognized and owned up to, the accusations of sexual assault are completely unfounded.
“No member of this band has ever acted without consent or maliciously taken advantage of anyone.”
However, within a matter of days, the allegations had taken their toll, with the group taking to Twitter to quite simply announce that “The Orwells have disbanded.”
The Orwells have disbanded
— The Orwells (@TheOrwells) August 29, 2018
Now, in a post made on the band’s subreddit, Mario Cuomo has announced the release of what is ostensibly the band’s final album.
“Hey everybody, I could not wait any longer for this record to be heard,” Cuomo wrote. “Sorry it has taken so long but it would have taken even longer if I didn’t make the decision to self release this album.”
Describing the record as “self recorded, self titled, self released,” Cuomo shared a link to the album on YouTube, along with the record’s cover art.
The album cover itself appears to allude to what happened to the group in the wake of the allegations, noting that, “We had an album cover we wanted to use, but after getting dropped by our label we can no longer afford to use it. So instead you can stare at this blank square.”
The other members of The Orwells have not made any public statement in regards to the release of the album, or in regards to what sort of future – if any – the band may have.
Check out ‘Who Needs You’ by The Orwells:
