Today (20th September 2024), BODY COUNT release their powerful rendition of “Comfortably Numb” featuring newly recorded guitar parts from David Gilmour, a fresh take on the classic Pink Floyd track that explores themes of detachment and introspection.
Gilmour’s seminal guitar work adds a haunting, authentic touch, seamlessly blending with BODY COUNT’s signature intensity and Ice’s profound new lyrics, making the track a fusion of rock history and raw, modern energy.
BODY COUNT has also revealed the release date for their new album, “Merciless”, set to drop on 22nd November via Century Media.
“For me, ‘Comfortably Numb’, is an introspective song, it’s me acknowledging that I’m older now. I’m telling the younger generation, you’ve got two choices: you can keep the fire burning or you can give up. It’s me trying to make sense of what’s happening, but also pointing out that we’re all in a place where we don’t have to face reality.
“We’ve got flat-screen TVs and popcorn, and we can just sit back and watch the chaos of the world like it’s a TV show. It doesn’t feel real until it shows up at your door. I’m a little numb, too—we all are,” says Ice-T.
David Gilmour adds: “BODY COUNT’s version of ‘Comfortably Numb’ is quite radical, but the words really struck me. It astonishes me that a tune I wrote almost 50 years ago is back with this great new approach. They’ve made it relevant again.
“The initial contact from Ice-T was for permission to use the song, but I thought I might offer to play on it as well. I like the new lyrics, they’re talking about the world we’re living in now, which is quite scary. Ice-T and BODY COUNT played in London recently, sadly I couldn’t make it, but if another opportunity came up to play with them, I’d jump at it.”
BODY COUNT’s last release, “Carnivore”, in 2020 earned the band a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. The band recently finished their EU/UK “Merciless” tour, and will headline at the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, KY, and the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, CA. this autumn.
For BODY COUNT, it’s been a history of being both respected and feared – a barbed-wire thread that stretches back to the band’s origins as a project between Ice-T and Crenshaw High friend, Ernie C. Their first shot fired, the song, “Body Count”, was a mission statement on Ice-T’s 1991 “O.G. – Original Gangster.” That’s the blueprint they’ve been running on for 35+ years.
They touched a nerve with their first, self-titled 1991 album and its divisive track, “Cop Killer”, which inspired hatred, fear, and paranoia, but also inspired generations of bands to follow.
What they took from growing up with Black Sabbath and being inspired by fellow L.A. legends like Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies has only upped the ante for generations of homies and hardcore fans.
BODY COUNT’s current line-up includes surviving OG’s Ice-T, Ernie C. and Sean E Sean, joined by bassist Vincent Price, drummer Will “Ill Will” Dorsey, Juan “Juan of the Dead” Garcia and backing vocalist Little Ice.
Body Count Photo by Alessandro Solca
