I was always a huge fan of Perpetual Motion Machine, so when I found out that the new incarnation Persistent Vision was doing great things I began following them closely. They've released a ton of awesome stuff since 2023 and with an upcoming...thing happening with Paul and the label I figured it was high time to have him on. A few choice things discussed: skate punk, everything after page 98, band t-shirts are the best introductions, Paul makes me upset, creating/running Perpetual Motion Machine and playing in Operation Latte Thunder, Sweat Lodge and Wilderness Medicine, the screamo dead years, a top five best word, Dark Days Bright Nights festival, etc. Bands played in this podcast: Assfactor 4, Ecorche, Heiße, Planesmistakenforstars, and Torches To Rome. Listen to podcast #199 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.
Goddamn I've known Gus for about a decade at this point, and with OSTRACA playing ZBR Fest 2026 and then releasing a new full length the next month, this podcast was a no-brainer. I had spoken with Gus, Brian, and John as a full band back in 2017 (video interview linked here) but I wanted to pick his brain, specifically. You can check out a podcast that I did with drummer John by clicking on this text. Some things we touched on: Weird Al and our favourite UHF scenes, at time when Gus could not be outskanked, Gus' Red Hot Chilli Peppers cover band, a fallow period for the screamo genre, the June Paik effect, Black Metal and Medieval Associations 101, "big" vs. "meaningful", the Zach Hill school of drumming, the lowdown on 'Thread', recording and songs that aren't meant to be played live, album release show, remember Horny Al?, etc. Bands played in this podcast: A Recorded Dawn, Gregor Samsa, I.O., Mercy Necromancy, Peter Rehberg feat. Dennis Cooper, and Sangre De Muerdago. Listen to podcast #198 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.
@Brass Monkey in Victoria on June 13th, 2026 Live Show Review
A few years back I did a podcast with Hamilton's CONSTRAIN (linked here) who took the local scene (one which I used to be a part of) by storm. Their emotionally charged live show is fucking intense, their breakdowns are nuts, and the intricacy/tightness of it all puts them in a league of their own. During said podcast I told them that I had just started a new band on Vancouver Island and that they should come play with us sometime. That time was this past weekend, June 11th (in Vancouver, but I did not attend) June 12th (in Duncan) and June 13th (in Victoria). It was a very expensive trip for them so if you want to support the homies please check them out when they play and pick up some killer merch from them (or grab stuff online here). Shoutout Matty.
Good lord these dudes came out and brought their A game! Mixing sassy metalcore with vicious hardcore, the end result is a highly potent and highly flammable that explodes during their live show. Awesome dudes too? You betcha. New EP coming this summer!!! I still can't believe Jesse is alive I thought he was going to bail hard off that table at Brass Monkey.
(2026)CONSTRAIN "The Dairy Crimes I've Committed Against My Stomach" (from 'Welcome to Club Vampire')
This Kelowna BC band was touring with Constrain and after their Vancouver show the vocalist/bassist Jade got sick and had to go home, so the band came with a fill-in bassist (the same that helped Constrain on tour!) and then Phoebe (guitar) and Matty (fill-in bass) did vocals on top. I gotta say I wouldn't have known they were missing a member as they sounded sick. Freyja from Coup D'etat also joined on vocals for a few songs on the Victoria date.
These were supposed to be the final Mourn Recif shows but it didn't work out that way, which may have turned out for the best as each night I was told by different people that our set was the best they'd seen from us. Hot damn. We recorded the six songs we played both nights back in May so they will release on a 12" sometime this fall/early winter on Zegema Beach.
This local band is still very new but boasts members from a ton of sick Victoria bands including Coup D'etat, A Recorded Dawn, Wollruss, Bathtub Autopsy, etc. Their sets are always fast with almost no talking, just extremely vivid recollections played through an audio sample of people witnessing atrocities at farms and what I will just call death centers. This was the best set I've seen from them yet.
(2026)CSILLA'S STAR IS GONE Two Songs (currently unreleased)
