*** PODCAST #190 Damian (Life, letterstoyou, Sadness, etc.) ***

    I've been hooked on Life since hearing "Ametic" a few years back. Since then I've been an avid Damian fan and his related projects, so when I asked him to join me on this podcast I simultaneously asked if he was the brains behind letterstoyou, to which he answered "yes" for both. So here's the podcast where I literally lose my mind and shovel out more compliments than perhaps ever before. Some things we touched on in this podcast: playing in East Avenue + RPG'97 + Border Abomination + Evocative Atmosphere + Avelyn + ser + I Will Always Remember + Trhä + Left Alone + Sadness + Life + Youreyesinmine + letterstoyou, the screamo god, work ethic at six years old, finding Dragonforce, the self-sufficient guitar, social isolation to social integration, best Baltimore band, backyard festivals, stupid spotify regulations, Dave shits his pants over letterstoyou, rhythm changes are the best, gettin' schooled on Canadian geography, perspectives on Life, back when music was elusive, On The Might Of Princes praise, etc. Bands played in this podcast: Congratulations, Expiration Date, Flora In Silence, Kiande Amedha, Thesamedeepwaterasyou, and Yarbo. Listen to podcast #190 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

LIFE

Bandcamp

LETTERSTOYOU

Bandcamp

YOUREYESINMINE

Bandcamp

SADNESS
Bandcamp

1 The Most Active and Amazing Person in the Scene
FLORA IN SILENCE "somuch of mylife thinking" (Damian)

THESAMEDEEPWATERASYOU "marsretrograde" (Dave)

2 Letterstoyou Breaks Dave's Brain

KIANDE AMEDHA "An Impossible Weight" (Damian)

YARBO "Anthem Shit" (Dave)

3 Life After Life

EXPIRATION DATE "Faye" (Damian)

4 Screamo AI and The Future

CONGRATULATIONS "Aren't You Frightened Skinny Scary Skeleton" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #190 linked here

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*** COUP D'ÉTAT cdEP release show w/A Recorded Dawn + Mourn Recif ***

\COUP D'ÉTAT/

\A RECORDED DAWN/

\MOURN RECIF/

@Influence Board Shop in Victoria on October 24th, 2025

Live Show Review

     Back in December of 2024 I was able to play a show with Victoria's COUP D'ÉTAT for their debut album release show in the fuckin' half pipe of a skate shop. It was incredibly sick (and linked here). Fast forward almost a year later and I'm doing it again, this time with our Victoria screamo brothers A RECORDED DAWN in tow for the COUP D'ÉTAT sophomore EP release show. A buncha people dressed up 1) to have fun and 2) to save money on the door, so you'll see from the videos that it was a very animated and interesting night, with the highlight being when the The Man with the Yellow Hat accidentally amputated Curious George in a wild pit frenzy (this can be found in the first MOURN RECIF clip).

MOURN RECIF

     This was probably our favourite show thus far. Half pipes already start a band on third base, and we came to have fun so our set was pretty lively and we unveiled a new song alongside three other unrecorded jams. If you've been following us at all you'll likely notice a much heavier sound poured over our previously melodic-driven screamo, cuz we like our breakdowns and panic chords...mmmmmmmm.

(2025) MOURN RECIF "My Favourite Oxymoron is Partial Ceasefire" (currently unreleased)

https://youtu.be/szRO8gbCIf0

For fans of: Orchid, Crossed, Black Nail, and A Paramount, A Love Supreme

Instagram

Buy 'Mourn Recif' cassette here

extra video: Saint Catheter

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A RECORDED DAWN

     As Elle from Coup D'état said during their set, A RECORDED DAWN is arguably the best screamo band on Vancouver Island, I couldn't agree more. Their transformation from decent emo/slowcore to this dark, brooding screamo/post-hardcore/metallic hardcore has been one helluva fun journey to behold. This is their newest song and it fucking rules, as does that Mulholland Drive intro.

(2025) A RECORDED DAWN "Outlive the only certainty" (currently unreleased)

https://youtu.be/NKIllkZyvso

For fans of: Ostraca, Process//Sleep and Crowning

Bandcamp

Buy 'A Recorded Dawn x Mourn Recif split' cd here

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COUP D'ÉTAT

     The first Vancouver Island screamo band I heard about once starting Mourn Recif was COUP D'ÉTAT as at least two members were singing their praises before I ever heard or saw them. When I jammed their EP I was interested, but after seeing them live and hearing their masters of '?' I was like...holy fuck, they've only been a band for like six months! It's been about 18 months as of writing this, so these new songs showcase the band's progression and the new EP is awesome. In addition to catching "On Staying Put..." on video, I also snagged their new song titled "Survivorship Bias" which is a fucking banger and already one of my fave from the band.

(2025) COUP D'ÉTAT "Survivorship Bias" (currently unreleased)

https://youtu.be/izmBax1YRWA

For fans of: Alexisonfire, The Names Of Our Friends and Coma Regalia

Bandcamp

Buy 'Coup D'état' cd here

extra video: On Staying Put

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~

*** MASSA NERA exclusive song premiere ***

MASSA NERA

"Avalon Cove"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Meth., Detach The Islands and Andthecanaryfell

Bandcamp

Bandcamp pre-order

Persistent Vision Records pre-order

Deathwish pre-order

     It's kinda nuts to have been around to see the majority of New Jersey's MASSA NERA journey, as I played a show with them back on August 9th of 2016 (linked here) and was blown away at the band's talent. Zegema Beach Records then helped release 'Los Pensamientos De una Cara Palida', their four-way split 12"s, two cover songs, and 'Derramar | Querer | Borrar'. The band also played a string of five straight ZBR Fest performances, with their most recent 2024 appearance being their most visceral and soul-cleansing set I've set from them yet. This is an extremely long-winded way of saying "I know them well," lol.

     Okay so with that said, it's with extreme excitement that I get to share the band's final single from their upcoming October 31st, 2025 full length 'The Emtpiness of All Things' on Persistent Vision Records via 500 records, 250 White & Blue Galaxy + 250 Coke Bottle w/Black & White Smoke with additional help from Deathwish. You can also check their previous premiere with Get Alternative for the song "Lavender" here and their music video for "Mechanical Sunrise" here.

This song was inspired by AvalonBay Communities, White Desert Antarctica, whale deaths, the documentaries of Werner Herzog, the musical stylings of late-period Scott Walker, and Pg.99's "'Living in the Skeleton of a Happy Memory.

(2025) MASSA NERA "Avalon Cove" (from 'The Emptiness of All Things')

     After seeing Meth in 2022 and 2023, it seemed that my friends in MASSA NERA were very taken witht he band's music, and even told me after their sets, "we need to sound more like that." And here we are. This album is definitely heavier than its predecessor, but the underlying unease of it all - the darkness, the anger, the unnatural silence as well as the explosive meltdowns. The song begins with an eerie and unsettling opening that hints at an oncoming nightmare. The monster is finally unleashed just before the two-minute mark in a brief but terrifying rampage before the song then dips back into a subdued and jagged midsection that keeps it quiet (but manages to sneak in at least one faux-build). At about 3:10 the song fully detonates, ripping shards from the members in a display that when witnessed live must be one helluva spectacle. Halloween is a fitting release day indeed. Fuckin' wowza.