Instinct and Pain sign to Morella Records, ‘Mauvaises Pensées’ due in March
Sardinian gothic rock trio Instinct and Pain sign to Morella Records; album “Mauvaises Pensées” arrives March 5, 2027, with a single on December 4.
Gothic rock and darkwave trio Instinct and Pain have signed to Morella Records, the label announced on November 12, 2026. The Sardinian band’s new ten-song album, “Mauvaises Pensées,” will be released on Bandcamp and major streaming platforms on March 5, 2027. The first single and its music video, “The Death of Love,” arrive on December 4, 2026, followed by a second single in January 2027 and a third in February.
“Mauvaises Pensées” takes its title from a collection of thoughts by the French poet and writer Paul Valéry, whose ideas inspired most of the record’s songs. Its sound moves from punk to alternative metal to folk, with goth running through as the common thread. The album was recorded at Tore Cabiddu Studio and mixed and mastered at Cut Fire Mix Studio. Family members of the band guest on the title track, playing keyboards, violin and clarinet.
“Instinct and Pain is a three-year-old band that sounds like they’ve been together for decades. The music is riveting, pure gothic post-punk, the vocals are brilliant and the musicianship is top notch. I’m honored to call Instinct and Pain a Morella family member,” said Blake Carpenter, founder of Morella Records. “We would like people to hear our voice, what we feel through music, and the passion and commitment we put into making these songs,” said Alessandro Manca of Instinct and Pain.
Reviewers have previously described the band’s take on goth rock as one “that never lapses into plagiarism or, worse, affected penmanship,” according to Ver Sacrum, while Hardsounds called them “one to keep an eye on” and Mick Mercer described them as “vibrant Sardinian goth.” Instinct and Pain’s music is available on Bandcamp and Spotify.
About Instinct and Pain
Instinct and Pain are a gothic rock and darkwave trio from Ghilarza, in central Sardinia, Italy, formed in 2023 by Alessandro Manca (vocals, guitar), Luca Porcu (bass) and Nicola Loi (drums). The band builds its songs on dark atmosphere and melancholic melody, with post-punk bones and a debt to the darker side of the 1980s underground, citing Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Cure, Death In June, Christian Death and The Mission among its reference points. Instinct and Pain released their debut album, “All Is Gone,” independently in September 2024, and followed it with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Lucifer Sam” in January 2026. Morella Records, an independent label for gothic rock, post-punk, deathrock and darkwave founded by Blake Carpenter, is now the band’s home for “Mauvaises Pensées,” their second album and first release for the label.
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