Mechanical Doom Meets Birdsongs: Author & Punisher’s ‘Nocturnal Birding’ Takes Flight

Photo Credit: Atomic Alyona

After celebrating 20 years since the inception of Author & Punisher in 2024, founding composer, vocalist and mechanical engineer Tristan Shone embraces the project’s broadest scope to date with Nocturnal Birding.

Today, Author & Punisher shares the official video for Nocturnal Birding’s lead single “Titanis.” The video was filmed this past Summer in Bali, Indonesia, live with Kuntari, who performed on the studio recording of “Titanis.” Directed by Manda Selena and Ican Harem.

Nocturnal Birding is out October 3rd, 2025, on LP/CD/Streaming via Relapse Records.

Removing himself from an artistic comfort zone proved fruitful inspiration. There is literal birdsong all over Nocturnal Birding, and transposing those melodies and rhythms to guitar became the root of the material, representing a rare coming together of the natural world and mechanized sounds.

Nocturnal Birding Track Listing:

  1. Meadowlark
  2. Titanis (ft. Kuntari)
  3. Mute Swan (ft. Megan Oztrosits of Couch Slut)
  4. Black Storm Petrel (ft. Fange)
  5. Titmouse
  6. Titmice
  7. Rook
  8. Thrush

European Tour:

Oct 18 – Lisboa, PT @ Music Station (w/ Blood Incantation)
Oct 20 – Madrid, SP @ Sala Mon (w/ Blood Incantation)
Oct 21 – Barcelona, SP @ Sala Wolf
Oct 22 – Marseille, FR @ Le Molotov
Oct 23 – Montpellier, FR @ In Tenebris Lux
Oct 24 – Nilvange, FR @ Gueulard Plus (w/ Divide & Dissolve)
Oct 25 – Maastricht, NL @ Samhain Fest
Oct 26 – Hamburg, DE @ MS Stubnitz (with Bong-Ra)
Oct 27 – Aarhus, DK @ Voxhall (with Bong-Ra)
Oct 28 – Oslo, NO @ Goldie (with Bong-Ra)
Oct 29 – Göteborg, SW @ Monument (with Bong-Ra)
Oct 30 – Copenhagen, DK @ Stengade (with Bong-Ra)
Oct 31 – Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghaim (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 01 – Gdansk, PL @ Drizzly Grizzly (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 02 – Warsaw, PL @ Voodoo (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 03 – Poznan, PL @ 2Progi (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 04 – Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 05 – Frankfurt / Darmstadt, DE (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 06 – Paris, FR @ Backstage (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 07 – Bruxelles, BE @ Magasin 4 (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 08 – Lille, FR @ La Bulle (with Bong-Ra)
Nov 09 – Manchester, UK @ Damnation Festival

West Coast Nocturnal Birding Record Release Shows:

Nov 12 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah w/ King Yosef
Nov 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo w/ King Yosef