Black Eyes Return With First Album in Two Decades, Hostile Design

After two decades away from the studio, Washington, D.C. art-punk outfit Black Eyes is officially back with a brand-new record. The band has announced Hostile Design, their first album since 2004, set to arrive on October 10 through their longtime label Dischord Records. Alongside the news comes the release of the album’s lead single, “Pestilence.”

The project began to take shape shortly after the group reunited in 2023 for their first shows in 20 years. Longtime collaborator Ian MacKaye, best known as Fugazi’s frontman and co-founder of Dischord, once again took the producer’s seat, just as he did for the band’s earlier releases Black Eyes and Cough. Engineering duties were handled by Don Godwin.

Hostile Design brings together the full lineup: Dan Caldas on drums, Daniel Martin-McCormick (also a frequent Pitchfork contributor) on guitar, vocals, and electronics, Hugh McElroy on bass and vocals, Jacob Long on saxophone, bass, and percussion, and Mike Kanin handling drums and electronics.

To celebrate the release, Black Eyes are also curating a festival titled Speaking in Tongues, which will run from October 8–11. The event includes a special hometown performance at D.C.’s Black Cat. The band has also confirmed that additional reunion dates are planned for 2026.