After years on Geffen Records, Sonic Youth return to an indie label with their sixteenth studio album. "The Eternal" is a supercharged rocker, recalling aspects of the Evol-Sister-Daydream Nation holy trinity, but with cleaner, louder production and more straightforward momentum. With Pavement's Mark Ibold joining on bass, and producer John Agnello back at the controls, "The Eternal" takes the melodic songwriting of 2006's "Rather Ripped" and slams down the accelerator pedal.Twelve tunes that are a fireworks display of Sonic Youth touchstones. From the primal nowave attack of its earliest days, to the radical chording and song structures of its 90s period, to the more focused and contemporary explorations of the last five years.The writing took place in the Ecstatic Peace Folk + Cinema Basement in Northampton, MA and in the bands own Echo Canyon West in Hoboken, NJ. All recordings were done at Echo Canyon West with John Agnello at the board and Aaron Mullan in full assist. Agnello and band mixed the monster at Water Music in Hoboken. Greg Calbi mastered it beautifully at Sterling Sound in NYC.The cover art for The Eternal is a painting by the late, great American folk artist John Fahey.