Stephin Merritt's Future Bible Heroes announce a new record, their first in 11 years

Stephin Merritt’s Future Bible Heroes have announced a new record. Partygoing is the band’s third full-length and is due out June 8 on Merge. The label promises it will have both the “dancefloor-filling club anthems” and the “super-sad ballads” FBH fans have come to expect from the semi-sporadic rockers, who haven't released an album since 2002's Eternal Youth.

Merritt continues to write all the melodies and lyrics for the group, longtime collaborator Christopher Ewen pens the instrumental tracks, and Merritt’s fellow Magnetic Field member Claudia Gonson joins in on lead vocals. And while 11 years seems like a long time to wait between records, all three members have been relatively busy. Merritt and Gonson have released four Magnetic Fields records in that time, Gonson became a mother, and Merritt penned four stage musicals, one Gothic Archies record, and some songs for film soundtracks. Meanwhile, Ewen has been busy with his other band, The Hidden Variable.

Anyone who's familiar with Merritt but not extensively versed in the Future Bible Heroes’ oeuvre is in luck, because Merge is also releasing a remastered collection that includes Partygoing and the band’s two previous records, as well as an additional disc compiling the band’s three EPs. Titled Memories Of Love, Eternal Youth, And Partygoing, that collection is due June 4 and will also contain several FBH songs from other compilations, like the Welcome To The Dollhouse soundtrack and a tribute album to The Human League.