SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA

Band: SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA

Genres: Punk / Chaotic Hardcore / Screamo / Thrash
Related artists: Bosio, No Future, Get Rad, Herds, Kungfu Rick, Lifes, Party By The Slice and The Smocks.
Country: Milwaukee, Wisconsin U.S.A.
Years Active: 1998-2018
Song: "Can You Walk Single File"
Album: "Destroyer split"
Year: 2001
For fans of: Jough Dawn Baker, Switchblade, Reach Out, You & I, Bleeding Kansas, Perth Express, Takaru, The Abandoned Hearts Club, Joshua Fit For Battle, The Exelar, I Not Dance, Forstella Ford, Protestant, Furnace, Textbook Traitors, Converge and Botch aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Ricky Schroder Fan Club / Dead Robot Allstars / Harmless Records / Flowerviolence Records / Four Tee Gee / Lessons In Cacophony / EA Records

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #9.

You can download: the new April 2018 Mix#4 here.

Review by TOM SCHLATTER:

In an earlier post about the band Robots Don't Cry I mentioned I had gone on a tour in the winter of 1998 into 1999. That very same tour brought me to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the first time in my life. It's extremely cold climate and tundra like atmosphere reminded me of Hoth from Empire Strikes Back.

We loaded into the attic of an old house and soon the show began. The first band to play was SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA. It was their first show. Within the first couple songs the bass player/singer had already broken two strings off the bass and I believe a microphone got knocked to the ground a couple of times. I must admit that I don't remember how they sounded that night, I just remember the sheer chaos that this band put forth in their live show.

About two years later SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA toured out to New Jersey, where I was living at the time. I had totally forgotten about the band and their performance that night in Milwaukee. My first impression was made as they pulled up and the bass player/singer got out of the van wearing no shirt, but had a red and white leather vest on. He also had a huge black eye. This was an intimidating site.

They played that day and totally blew my mind again. Their outrageous energy was now more focused and hard hitting. I bought every piece of music that they had for sale and began pouring over the lyrics when I got home that night. The band seemed to take an earnest approach to the lyrics that I really liked. The CD came wrapped in a sharp metal grille which scratched/cut my hands every time I attempted to open it.

"Bury Your Head", was a song described by the bassist/vocalist Dave, as a call to be thankful for the people around you while you still have them in your life. There was a desperation to the lyrics and music that just clicked with me. It let me know this band was just putting it out there for you to see.

At this point I made it a priority to see SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA as often as I could. We were touring out to the west coast that winter and got to meet up with them in California. We pulled up to the show at the Munoz Boxing Gym in California, where we'd be playing in the middle of a boxing ring. Once again Dave intimidated the hell out of us by running full speed wearing one of those wrestling masks at our van as we drove in. When my band played our set Dave jumped off the turnbuckle of the ring, did a mid air flip and landed right on my back, totally taking me out for a good 30 seconds.

We played the rest of the week with them down to San Diego. I got to hear songs like "You Elbow Me, I Elbow You" and "New Anthem For the T-Shirt Revolution". Dave would passionately explain the meaning of each song before playing them. It was inspiring. We got home and made plans to head out to Milwaukee. There was a hotbed of creativity going on out there with bands like Forstella Ford, Since By Man, Protestant, Textbook Traitors and more. I felt extremely grateful to be touring in a band at that time.

The next summer when they came out to the east coast I made it a point to play with them again for a few days. They had released the three song "We're Already Dead" EP which, to me, was a perfect application of everything the band had done before, except this was taken even further.  The musicianship was creative, technical and well done. The lyrics covered coming to terms with the idea of selling your time to pay the bills and the complicated philosophy behind labor. Dave summed up the notion saying that no matter what you do you should "try to wake up with a smile on your face". I stole this line and used it for a song a couple months later. My love for the band was even further solidified.

Around 2003 the band slowed down, almost to a halt. Members were moving away or moving on to different things. They would play one show or so a year and stopped writing new music. I was sad to see this happen. Dave was moving forward with bands like Get Rad, High On Crime and LIFES. I made it a point to keep a close eye on all his new projects. Regardless, if I told Dave I was coming out there on tour he would do his best to get SEVEN DAYS to regroup for the show. I felt extremely honoured by this, but as the years went by it became very hard to get all the members in one place.

I was thrilled to hear about the discography. It collects a batch of songs that hold a very special place in my heart and represent a great moment in time. I only hope that a younger generation discovers it and finds as much value as I did in it.

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DISCOGRAPHY

1999 - ...A Reason to Sing... cdLP

2000 - Akarso split 7"EP
2000 - Cobra Kai split 7"EP

2001 - Since By Man split 12"LP [buy 12" here]
2001 - We Are All Already Dead 7"EP
2001 - Destroyer split 7"EP
2001 - Live on WNYU 7"EP

2002 - Never Stop Attacking cd compilation [collects 2000-2001 material]

2018 - 1998-2018 2x12"LP [discography] (buy here)

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(2018) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "The Instrumental" (from '1998-2018')

(2011) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "End of the World as I know It" (from '...A Reason to Sing...')

(2011) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "Phone is Ringing, Oh My God" (from '...A Reason to Sing...')

(2001) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "You Elbow Me, I Elbow You" (from 'Since By Man' split)

(2001) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "Jeremy Can't Hack It" (from 'Since By Man' split)

(2001) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "Forget Your Pain and Cut to the Refrain" (from 'Destroyer' split)

(2001) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "Going Once, Going Twice, Sold To The Man In The..." (from 'We Are All Already Dead')

(2001) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "Tear Down the Power Lines" (from 'Live on WNYU')

(2000) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "A New Anthem For The T-Shirt Revolution" (from 'Akarso' split)

(2000) SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA - "Bones and Blenders" (from 'Cobra Kai' split)

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SEVEN DAYS OF SAMSARA additional links

Bandcamp

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***JOSH JAKUBOWSKI exclusive podcast interview / 1,000,000 views***

An Interview with

JOSH JAKUBOWSKI

of:

Neil Perry / Joshua Fit For Battle / Hot Cross / The Now / Superstitions Of The Sky

On April 1st, 2015 I got an email from someone named JOSH JAKUBOWSKI. I saw the name in my inbox and I nearly fell into the center of the Earth. Seriously, this guy has been one of my musical heroes since I first got the Neil Perry / Joshua Fit For Battle split 12" back in 2003, followed shortly after by the 2xcd 'Lineage Situation' discography. Not only did he play in both bands, but he was a large part of the early/mid screamo era of the late 90s and early 2000s, spending time in Hot Cross, The Now and Superstitions Of The Sky. After reaching out to me we quickly scheduled part one of an interview podcast using skype and completed it in no time. After numerous attempts over the last two years we've been unable to connect at the right time so part two is not yet complete. So in part one you will notice that The Now and Superstitions Of The Sky aren't even been touched on, but I'm hoping this post will act as the catalyst for finishing up part two. In part one we discussed a bunch of stuff including (but not limited to):

- his arm injury
- screamo reunions
- Portraits Of Past
- You And I
- Neil Perry
     →song title meanings/stories
     →inside info on the tour video
- Joshua Fit For Battle
- Usurp Synapse
- Greg Drury / Level Plane Records
- Hot Cross
     →formation / first show
     →Josh's departure
     →Equal Vision
- North Of America / The Holy Shroud

Click HERE for the podcast on Bandcamp

This is also the first post since we hit 1,000,000 views on the blog. Thank you to everyone who has visited and all of the bands that have been reviewed here, as well as the ones who have submitted and we haven't been able to accommodate. We won't be stopping. 💓💕💗💘💝💞💟

***CHIVÀLA exclusive song premiere***

CHIVÀLA

"Garcia"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Amanda Woodward, Rutka Laskier and Viva Belgrado

Facebook
buy cassettes in April from Emocat Records

CHIVÀLA were first introduced to me by my band member and friend Andrea a few months back. I've known them since 2013 when I helped release the Pastel / Merridew split 12"EP in the early days of Zegema Beach. Soon after he started Upwind Productions and we've released a couple of key jams together (most recently that ridiculous Улыбайся Ветрy 12"LP...linked here). There are other notable band ties here, including Istmo, Folgore, Minus Tree and Ginkgo Dawn Shock. So, CHIVÀLA showed me an initial video that peaked my interest of the band jamming in their practice space. After hearing the final recordings of their eclectic mix of screamo, post-hardcore and post-rock, I was stoked to be asked to premiere the opener "Garcia" from their debut 5-song cassette EP titled, fittingly enough, 'EP'. My friends in Vancouver, BC at Emocat Records will be supplying the tapes, likely late April/early May on a made-to-order basis, which I think is fucking awesome and something I would love to employ at ZBR. Anyhoos, on to the premiere!!!

(2018) CHIVÀLA - "Garcia" (from 'EP')

"Garcia" is 5:07 in length and steadily increases in power until the halfway point, bringing French post-hardcore/screamo to mind such as Amanda Woodward, Aussitôt Mort, Sed Non Satiata, Les Deux Minutes De La Haine and Daïtro, to name a few. The chill midsection and subsequent build to 3:42 and beyond is easily the best part of the song, which is replicated on the five-song EP that'll be out soon!

"Garcia" lyrics
Quando il cattivo sei tu
ogni alba è un pugnale
che ti perfora dove germoglia il buio

vivere il giorno è un'utopia

cospargi il terreno di sale
a una spanna dal baratro
la distruzione a portata di mano

il vero coraggio è nutrirsi di fango
disfarsi la vita
ferirsi e ferire
continuare a graffiare il fondo
il meccanismo non si inceppa
alla fine che importa?
reciti la più triste delle parti
aspettando l'inevitabile
non ti meriti che questo

-----------------------------------------

when you are the wicked man
every dawn is a dagger
which pierces you where darkness bloom

getting through the day is pure utopy

let's strew the ground with salt
one span from the abyss
destruction is at hand

true courage is feeding yourself with mud
destroying your life
wounding yourself and the others
keeping scratching the bottom
the gear does not stop
in the end does it really matter?
you act the saddest of parts
waiting for the inevitable
you do not deserve nothing but this

CARCAJOU

Band: CARCAJOU

Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Screamo / Ambient / Experimental / Jazz
Related artists: Nous Étions, Ekadashi, Juno, Europe Blackout and The Last Felony.
Country: Montreal, Québec CANADA
Years Active: 2015-present
Song: "Se battre seul"
Album: "Quelle magnifique fin du monde"
Year: 2017
For fans of: Nous Étions, Aussitôt Mort, Aporia, Black Love, Amanda Woodward, Daïtro, Heresie, Gantz, Jarod, Young Mountain, Locktender, Teleportoise, Mono, Les Deux Minutes De La Haine, Ephemera, Russian Circles, Milanku, Rosetta, Sed Non Satiata, Envy, Captain, Your Ship Is Sinking, Cold Craving, Daïtro, I Was A Cosmonaut Hero, Marée Noire, Boneflower, Isis, Neurosis, Mr. Bungle, Trachimbrod, The Mars Volta, Rinoa and The Solexine Chapter aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #9.

You can download: the March 2018 Mix#3 right here or get the new April 2018 Mix#4 here.

I first heard CARCAJOU when vocalist Jonathan sent me their demo, as we are friends from his time in Quebec post-hardcore/post-metal/screamo band Nous Étions. I remember liking it but not being wowed. Fast forward a few months (maybe even a year) and I get to play a show with them in Montreal, Quebec (linked here) and I was taken aback. Holy shit, I didn't remember the demo being this fucking amazing. So after gushing to the band how much I loved them, they informed me that they were writing a full length and it'd be out the next year. Firstly, I went back and jammed the first EP, to which I realized I had mixed it up with another band submission cuz that's one sweet demo. Secondly, at the end of 2017 they subtly dropped their six-song LP titled 'Quelle magnifique fin du monde'. But now I'm just getting ahead of myself.

In 2015 CARCAJOU released a digital single by title of "Évasion". The song appears again on the 2016 'Ep.' digital release, which I consider their demo recording mentioned so often above. The EP contains thee tracks and opens with a much better sounding version of "Évasion", with the beautiful intro guitar progression intact. Jonathan's vocal style on this release is very similar to that on Nous Étions releases, that is to say deep, gutteral and just generally on the lower end of things. The post-hardcore continues on "Le Vers d'Oreille", a heavier and more destructive song that is a bit longer and nearly hits the four-minute mark. Closer and perhaps the best CARCAJOU song I've heard follows, as "La Peur" is truly magnificent. At 5:40, it includes an intro guitar riff that I'll cherish until the day I die, fantastically varied vocals with a lot of much higher screaming, an undeniable and constant groove, and fer science's sake it sounds kinda like Daïtro meets Nous Étions.

The followup to the demo is much more fleshed out and complete, as 'Quelle magnifique fin du monde' is truly a full album. That being said, as good as the record is there is no song that gets me sweating like "La Peur" does. Opener "Se battre seul" comes pretty close and is probably my favourite song from the LP. At nearly six minutes it builds initially with a minute of ambient instrumentals and whispered vocals. Relatively typical CARCAJOU follows with a mishmash of so many genres it's  not even worth trying. I love the chill, post-rock, instrumental parts, particularly the epic builder in its midsection that leads to cascading climax that is both groovy as fuck and pretty dang heavy. Next up is "Éphémère", also clocking in five minutes and change. It begins not unlike the first, with a slow, post-rock first minute although screams are littered throughout instead of whispers. The guitars get pretty darn playful next, dancing around the frets and eventually lead the song into deeper, darker crevices of post-hardcore/post-metal, all the while retaining a screamo feel. It's those instrumentals...they're pretty goddamn European sounding. "Retrouvez-les tous" follows and is much more aggressive than the first two, opting to bring heat right off the bat instead of building up to it. This makes the song much more jarring, and it jumps around like a malfunctioning teleportation device with a ton of parts, including a bunch of tempo shifts and really sweet injections of jazz. The transition at around 2:30 is great, and Jonathan's clean singing from 2:40 is fanfuckingtastic. Track four is "Quand le naturel revient au galop", an epic jam that follows the ebb and flow of the first two songs while track five's "L'art c'est aussi la guerre" is a mere 2:26 and cuts a gash with its sharp edge and quick attack. Closer "La sirène et l'épouvantail" is nearly five times in length as it nearly makes it to 10 minutes. The track begins its existence through the storytelling of Jonathan and his sole, utterly mesmerizing voice. Seriously, I could listen to him speak French and not understand all day and be at peace. The instruments meet up after the first minute with erratic and spacey instrumentals that explode at 1:45 and then repeatedly contract and expand over the songs tenure. Now, it's probably just me, but the end sounds like the post-hardcore/post-metal version of Conan The Barbarian. No? You're probably right.

Hopefully when they release next it won't be dropped at the end of the year and lost by many in their frantic attempt to create and post an all-too-early Best Of The Year list. CARCAJOU sat at 18 for a week or two before being unseated by Sans Visage and Frail Hands in my list for 2017. Needless to say, I'm excited to see where they go from here.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2015 - Évasion digital single (stream/donate/download here)

2016 - Ep. digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

2017 - Quelle magnifique fin du monde digitalLP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) CARCAJOU - "Se battre seul" (from 'Quelle magnifique fin du monde')

(2017) CARCAJOU - "Retrouvez-les tous" (from 'Quelle magnifique fin du monde')

(2016) CARCAJOU - "La Peur" live video

(2016) CARCAJOU - "La Peur" (from 'Ep.')

(2015) CARCAJOU - "Évasion" (from 'Évasion')

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CARCAJOU additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

2016 show review

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ARCHES

Band: ARCHES

Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: ?.
Country: U.S.A.
Years Active: 2007
Song: "Let's Ruin Tonight"
Album: "17:48"
Year: 2007
For fans of: Cease Upon The Capitol, Descubriendo A Mr. Mime, Khayembii Communiqué, The Sky Below And Earth Above, My Life With The Spaniard, Jeromes Dream, Senza, Deadseraphim, Subjects/Rulers, Caught In The Fall, Hugs, Towers and Portrëit aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Communique Records

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #5.

You can download: the March 2018 Mix#3 right here or get the new April 2018 Mix#4 here.

I don't even remember how I first heard about this band. I know I bought the '17:48' 12"LP around the time it came out, but how I came across it is still a mystery to me. So let's get this out of the way first, I like ARCHES. I think their screamy hardcore style was pretty neat. I remember waiting for the 12" and being excited. I remember hearing the first track and being pumped on the rest. Then I remember thinking it's just mediocre after blasting through it a few times. They had the elements of creating amazing stuff but were a band for too short of a time to reach that pinnacle...so says I.

Their (from what I can tell) lone LP begins with "Let's Ruin Tonight", a simultaneously raw and chaotic track that includes a brief chill section. Overall it (and the rest of the album) brings to mind Portrëit, Cease Upon The Capitol, My Life With The Spaniard, Deadseraphim and early Descubriendo A Mr. Mime. Songs "Uncle Owen is Dead" and "Don't Remember" also follow this similar mashing of late 90s/early 2000s emotional hardcore. "Carcharodon Carcharias" is very lengthy for an ARCHES song, as it clocks in over the four-minute mark (most songs barely pass range from one to three minutes) and uses the extra time to build a distant, eerie, guitar-driven intro. This builds to a swelling, unstable and spacey midsection with a seeming climax that playfully recedes, only to double-back full force at the three-minute mark. "interlude" is pretty much what you'd expect and the subsequent "It's a Trap" (yes, another Star Wars reference) is unstable and a blistering 46 seconds. "Koom Til Doom" opens with an instrumental, dark beginning before culminating in fiery glory from 30 seconds onward, not unlike "Life in Crimson" which gets scary-dark and unrelenting halfway thru.

The physical 12" was pressed on 560 vinyls with 200 and something covers made. I'm not sure if they were lost or something, but it sounds like 340 records were recovered later on. If they have covers or not, I am unsure.

So yeah, that's all I got.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2007 - 17:48 12"LP (download here)

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(2007) ARCHES - "Let's Ruin Tonight" (from '17:48')

(2007) ARCHES - "Don't Remember" (from '17:48')

(2007) ARCHES - "Koom Til Doom" (from '17:48')

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ARCHES out of print mp3 discography download

(download here)

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COMMUOVERE

Band: COMMUOVERE

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence / Black Metal / Blackened Screamo
Related artists: Lonely Animals, Dianacrawls, La Nausée and Au Bout De Mes Lèvres.
Country: Quebec City, Québec CANADA
Years Active: 2015-2017
Song: "Consommer l'absence"
Album: "Du besoin de disparaître de soi"
Year: 2017
For fans of: Makara, Daïtro, Orchid, Thisismenotthinkingofyou, Moss Rose, Frail Hands, Mahria, Lonely Animals, Truman, La Nausée, Bethari, The Ultimate Screamo Band, Louise Cyphre, The Apoplexy Twist Orchestra,  and Au Bout De Mes Lèvres aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released / Le Blast / Zegema Beach Records / Adorno Records / Confusion Specialist

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #3.

You can download: the March 2018 Mix#3 right here or get the new April 2018 Mix#4 here.

I gravitated toward COMMUOVERE after finding out early on in their formation that Gabriel and Jean-Christophe from Lonely Animals made up two-thirds of the band. I heard their 2015 EP in early 2016 and noticed strong similarities to the light and atmospheric sound of their prevous outfit. In early 2017 I saw them play live with Foxmoulder, Respire and Fraera in Toronto on April 15th and they fucking blew me away. Like, I was flabbergasted. And so was everyone else in attendance. To see why check out the review and videos from the show, linked here. I was surprised at how much more aggressive and dark it was, and immediately asked them if they wanted help releasing the LP they were writing for by speaking with all of the members, who were amazing. I found out that vocalist Marie was only 19 and this was her first band (or maybe just her first heavy band). JC was looking to move abroad and tackled vocals as well as guitar in this band, and of course the lovely Gabriel Wagner who runs Le Blast Records drums and does additional shrieking. I invited them back for Zegema Beach Records Fest along with The Ultimate Screamo Band and they fucking destroyed us yet again (linked here) before embarking on a US/Canada tour. After arriving back news came out quickly that COMMUOVERE had dissolved and I was crushed. Luckily I was able to convince the band to master a live version of an unrecorded song which ended up on the 10th installment of the Zampler compilation series on Zegema Beach Records.

Oh shit...but Dave, what do they sound like? Ahhh, good question Dave! Their debut release, the 'To love - to touch - to lose - to tears' EP has them at their slowest and most stripped down, as at this point it's just JC on guitar/vox and Gabe on drums/vox. The two songs are slow, plodding, chill, dreamy and very reminiscent of Lonely Animals, with opener "L'appel du vide" being a tad faster and chaotic than the lengthy and bedroom emo feel of "La douleur exquise". The following year they dropped a song on the 'Enjoy Life To This' tape/cd 5-way split with Te Lloraria Un Puto Rio, Fei Lung, Eva Ras and Unable To Fully Embrace This Happiness. The track, titled "Nothing burns like the cold." is the band's final somber recording, clocking in at 3:28 of repetitive instrumentals and group screaming. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure this is Marie's first appearance in the band.

I like their early stuff, but I looooove their later stuff. So in 2017 COMMUOVERE evolved from chill, emo/screamo to blackened emo-violence, and went all out and bust. They began with the sensational three-track EP 'Du besoin de disparaître de soi'. This thing was released on tape with three different versions by Le Blast, Adorno and Confusion Specialist, with an additional run of 10 cds on Le Blast (almost all of which I've scored for my personal collection). It opens with the absolutely stellar "Consommer l'absence" opens with 20 seconds of subdued feedback before the drum count in starts and then holy fuck, the whirlwind of screaming, discordant/frantic guitar and maniacal drumming comes in full tilt (and still knocks me on my ass every time). They would generally play a song titled "I Was Named After a Hurricane" right before blasting directly in "Consommer l'absence" and it was the best one-two punch I've heard in quite some time. "Dépersonnalisation - Déréalisation" is an ambient noise interlude complete with a lone, echoed guitar, rain, the sound of dishes clanging and crying, making it a fitting break in between the two other violent assaults on the senses. Closer "La tentation d'exister" is similar to opener but has more of an Orchid meets To Dream Of Autumn feel to it as it builds to the precipice at 36 seconds and goes fucking bananas at 46 seconds, making this section my favourite of anything COMMUOVERE ever did. The song breaks and separates, slowly dissipating in intensity until its 1:59 close. Dear lord, I wish we had an LP, goddammit.

On the heels of the 2017 EP came their contribution to the Jeromes Dream tribute cassette 'It's More Like an Homage to You' with "What Other Adjective Would You Have Me Use For The Word Good?". After the initial round of 40-something bands came back with only 18 bands actually recording songs for the comp, I was forced to reach out again to try and rope in a few additional good screamo bands to round out the tribute. COMMUOVERE was part of this second cohort and they were able to write their version and record it in something stupid like two to three weeks, and it's easily one of the best songs on there. Not only that, but they didn't just clone the original, they made it COMMUOVERE and they made it a rager. Around this time the band did an initial small tour by coming from Quebec to Toronto on April 15th, gaining an instant reputation in Toronto as "the band to see" because, let's face it, they fucking owned. In the summer they went on a trek throughout Canada and the US alongside friends in The Ultimate Screamo Band, with the second show (I think) being my Zegema Beach Records Fest show and, again, people were astounded by these three people. I've linked a video from each set in the embed section below.

The band was even slated for a spot at 2018's Miss The Stars Fest, but communication in the group halted and they disbanded in the fall of 2017. At the tailend of 2017 I was getting the tracklisting for the Zampler #10 compilation and asked if there was anything, ANYTHING, I could put on there that they never released. Gabriel informed me that he had the stems from a live recording for a song they never got the chance to immortalize, so I coaxed him, JC and Marie into mastering and releasing the song on the Zampler. I'm so glad that I pushed for that cuz "I Was Named After a Hurricane" blazes and was generally played directly before "Consommer l'absence", as can be seen here. It is 1:44 in length and was recorded live at ODTHQ in the early summer of 2017. It has an eerie opening that erupts after 30 seconds and goes batshit crazy around 47 with strong ties to Orchid on speed and The Ultimate Screamo Band. The close from 1:15 onward is so fucking exciting and builds to a faux-climax as they ready for an onslaught but instead abruptly end the song. You bastards! Jokes aside, watch this live video and see it coupled with another banger.

It's damn ass fucking shame that COMMUOVERE broke up, but, alas, it must be for the best. We have already been graced with EPs from Gabriel's Au Bout De Mes Lèvres and La Nausée (with Shaun of Adorno Records and Thisismenotthinkingofyou) and Marie is in Dianacrawls who should have material out very shortly. I'm stoked to be able to say that I got to see COMMUOVERE twice in my lifetime and that's pretty fucking wild.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2015 - To love, to touch, to lose, to tears. EP (stream/donate/download here)

2016 - Enjoy Life To This 5-way split cassette/cd (stream/donate/download here)

2017 - Du besoin de disparaître de soi cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)
2017 - Jeromes Dream tribute cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here)

2018 -  Zampler #10 - Goddamn Bugs Whacked Us, Johnny cdr comp (contributed "I Was Named After a Hurricane [live]") (stream/donate/download here)

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(2018) COMMUOVERE - "I Was Named After a Hurricane" (from 'Zampler #10')

(2017) COMMUOVERE - "I Was Named After a Hurricane / Consommer l'absence" live @ZBR Fest

(2017) COMMUOVERE - "La tentation d'exister" (from 'Du besoin de disparaître de soi')

(2017) COMMUOVERE - "Consommer l'absence" (from 'Du besoin de disparaître de soi')

(2017) COMMUOVERE - "What Other Adjective Would You Have Me Use For The Word Good?" (from 'It's More Like an Homage to You')

(2017) COMMUOVERE - full set #1/2 live video (#2/2 here)

(2016) COMMUOVERE - "Nothing burns like the cold." (from '5-way' split)

(2015) COMMUOVERE - "L'appel du vide" (from 'To love, to touch, to lose, to tears.')

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COMMUOVERE additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

COMMUOVERE @Zegema Beach Records Fest

COMMUOVERE full set video #1/2 /// video #2/2

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LIGHT BEARER

Band: LIGHT BEARER

Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Prog Metal / Crust / Doom / Sludge / Ambient
Related artists: Fall Of Efrafa, Anopheli, Carnist, Momentum, Farewell To Arms, Oncetastedlife, Martha, The Nepalese Temple Ball, Schönesende and Archivist.
Country: London ENGLAND
Years Active: 2010-2015
Song: "Primium Movens"
Album: "Lapsus"
Year: 2011
For fans of: Respire, Fall Of Efrafa, Sarin, Monuments Collapse, Momentum, Castle, Neurosis, Alaskan, Kraken, Titan, Isis, Buried Inside, Downfall Of Gaia, AmenRa, Rosetta, Cult Of Luna, Locktender, Nine Eleven, Old Man Gloom, Breag Naofa, Amber, (later) Back When, Lamantide, Sundowning, Milanku, Samarra, Oaken, The Solexine Chapter, Tephra,  and Archivist.

Label(s): Alerta Antifascista / Moment Of Collapse Records / Halo Of Flies Records / Eyesofsound / Glaucoma Releases

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #10.

You can download: the March 2018 Mix#3 right here or get the new April 2018 Mix#4 here.

Let's be honest, by this blog's standards LIGHT BEARER is a pretty big band, or was, I should say. Bearing that in light (ha), I will keep this short and sweet - both by Dave standards, though.

LIGHT BEARER formed in 2010 following Fall Of Efrafa's demise. Even though vocalist/lyricist/artist Alex CF was the only member to move on to this band, the Fall Of Efrafa sound stayed with him, and I believe is a signature at this point and ends up on every release Alex takes part in.

Their first two releases came in 2011, the 'Beyond the Infinite: The Assembly of God' EP/single and the 'Lapsus' LP. The former is a single track by the same name and is a beautiful, crushing, doomy-yet-uplifting post-hardcore/post-metal song with a first half that interests me but a second half that is straight up ballin'. The latter is a full-on release, containing six songs that are so massive they couldn't even fit on a single 12". It opens with the ominous instrumental/noise track "Beyond the Infinite" which leads into my personal favourite, "Primum Movens". This thing is sensational, clocking in at nearly 14 minutes with an opening as uplifting, serene and light as I've heard from an Alex CF band. At 3:29 the song dips into deep post-hardcore/post-metal/doom waters but still manages to sound uplifting with huge, sprawling guitars and drums like gunshots. The transition and subsequent bombardment at around the seven-minute mark seals the deal on this being a quintessential LIGHT BEARER song. "Armory Choir" is 14:44 while closer and title track "Lapsus" is nearly 18 minutes, with both songs being heaving, epic and punishing as fuck, with the latter being utterly sensational.

In 2012 they released a lone song on the 'Northless split' 12" split...but the song is 20:32 in length! Good lord. In a nutshell the opening of "Celestium Apocrypha; Book of Watchers" is noise, by four and a half minutes the instruments have kicked in with the vocals making an appearance at about 5:15, this builds and climaxes until 10:45. The song meanders around for a bit but drops in like a live grenade at fourteen and a half minutes with some sick dual vocals and guitar solo that leads the song into the outro transition for the final six minutes.

The band's final output came in 2013 with a beautiful final 12"LP titled 'Silver Tongue'. I should also mention this is about His Dark Materials book trilogy that is one of my favourites, but was butchered by Hollywood. Opening with the prodigious "Beautiful Is This Burden", it's like Fall Of Efrafa but even darker yet more beautiful and fuller despite it's 18:16 length! "Amalgam" is killer, as it dumps a plethora of weight at 2:30 with breakdowns and dual vocals equivalent to elemental juggernaut. "Matriarch" follows and reaches over 11 minutes of somber, deep and atmospheric sludge rock that is gorgeous, and truly brings to mind trekking through a medieval forest during dusk. "Aggressor & Usurper" is nearly 17 minutes of awesomeness, followed by the utterly epic title track "Silver Tongue" that brings a tear to my eye at 4:25 and at 19:40 is a fitting swan song for LIGHT BEARER

They broke up almost two years later, citing the importance of friendship over forcing the band. I'm quite sure Alex's next pursuit was Anopheli and is currently Archivist...so you should probably go check those out if you haven't already! Well fuck, that wasn't short at all.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2011 - Lapsus cd/cassette/2x12"LP
2011 - Beyond the Infinite: The Assembly of God 12"EP

2012 - Northless split cd/12"LP

2013 - Silver Tongue cd/cassette/2x12"LP

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(2013) LIGHT BEARER - "Amalgam" (from 'Silver Tongue')

(2013) LIGHT BEARER - "Aggressor & Usurper" (from 'Silver Tongue')

(2012) LIGHT BEARER - "Celestium Apocrypha; Book Of Watchers" (from 'Northless' split)

(2011) LIGHT BEARER - "Primum Movens" (from 'Lapsus')

(2011) LIGHT BEARER - "Lapsus" (from 'Lapsus')

(2011) LIGHT BEARER - "Beyond the Infinite: The Assembly of God" (from 'Beyond the Infinite: The Assembly of God')

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LIGHT BEARER additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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***EMMA GOLDMAN release show***

SHOW REVIEW
for

*EMMA GOLDMAN (tape release)

*TERRIFYING GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL

*ROBERTCOOPERPHILLIPS

*DUCK!

March 16th, 2018 at The Black Lab in Vancouver, BC Canada

On March 16th, after what seemed like a very, very long time (but was actually only three and a half months) I went to a show. And it was awesome. Not just with the music, but the atmosphere and vibe at this (pretty much) all locals gig was warm, inviting and wonderfully friendly. I was basically attending because my new friends here in B.C. play in TERRIFYING GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL. I was also aware that EMMA GOODMAN had two members of Dad Thighs and it was their debut tape EP release show. Plus I got to distro and meet a ton of other awesome people that I'd likely not have spoken to. To anyone who said hi and/or bought something, y'all were super nice and I can't wait to frequent more shows. Extra thanks to Jill from Dad Thighs and Carson for putting on the show, doing the door and letting me distro. So here are all four bands in the order they played. What a fantastic start to my B.C. experience!

DUCK!

First up was DUCK! from Vancouver. The quintet played a mixture of playful emo twinkles (without a ton of twinkles) and pop-punk. The vocalist really separated this band from others of the styles and brought The Cranberries to mind before anything else, perhaps because of the warbly nature of delivery. She also had to go through two mics before finding a third that didn't cut in and out. Because of that, I've embedded the second of the two songs I recorded below as the mic was working properly, although I'm struggling. In terms of sound they were kind of the odd one out but I generally like a change-up when all of the other bands are hardcore related.

Link to video: *2*
ffo: Desaparecidos, The Cranberries and Joyce Manor

Bandcamp

TERRIFYING GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL

I've spent my only social hours since arriving in BC with friends Miggy and Dov of TERRIFYING GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL (aka TGHS) so it was cool to finally see them play a show. Although, truth be told, I've seen them both play as members of Diva Plavalaguna during a few of their practices and that's all I knew them from in a live setting. In TGHS Dov moves from drums to just vocals, while the Matts take up drums and bass. Did I say bass? I should have said six-string sass bass, cuz holy shit Matt was fun to watch and even more fun to dance to. The band plays a sassy, quirky style of screamo that I would put somewhere between The Blood Brothers and Innards but they've definitely got their own thing going on. So check it!

Link to videos: *2* / *3*

ffo: Diva Plavalaguna, Innards and Senza

Bandcamp

Facebook

EMMA GOLDMAN

I've heard that EMMA GOLDMAN was a more than decent 90s-sounding screamo project featuring Félix and Victoria of Dad Thighs (linked here). I jammed their recently released EP online and picked up three copies from Félix the moment I stepped into the venue, keeping one and posting the other two for sale right here. By the end of the night the 30 copies of the first run was depleted to 9...so yeah, people here know how good this band is. The three-piece plays a melancholic and atmospheric post-rock/emo that generally builds to screaming post-hardcore/screamo. There's a bit of driving punk/shoegaze that reminds me of later Animal Faces and Solids as well as heavier and chaotic moments that are more akin to Drive Like Jehu and earlier Animal Faces. I also spoke with the drummer and bassist (Victoria also sings in Dad Thighs) who seemed like awesome people so I'm stoked to see them again. I managed to film their entire set as one 19-minute video for your viewing pleasure.

ffo: Drive Like Jehu, Indian Summer and Animal Faces

Bandcamp

Buy a tape from the band here or the ZBR distro here

ROBERTCOOPERPHILLIPS

I'd never heard of ROBERTCOOPERPHILLIPS before, but prior to their set I was able to meet every member of their band as they came over to peruse the distro and say hi (Sarah especially, she bought pretty much every SeeYouSpaceCowboy release 💖) and they were all extremely friendly. They were the only band not from Vancouver and made the trek from Vancouver Island (Victoria, to be exact) and are comprised of a noise specialist, a keyboardist, a guitarist/screamer and a member of Slow Release (linked here) on drums/vocals. They were, for a lack of a better description, fucking crazy. The insane shrieking from the two vocalists were ear-shattering with the band's awkward and disjointed style of emo-violence being well-received by the crowd (myself included) and were invited to watch a crazy movie after the show with some "food". If I wasn't driving an hour and a half home I would have hung out with them for sure. Next time, my friends. Next time.

Link to videos: *2* / *3*

ffo: Jeromes Dream, Slow Release and Flowers Taped To Pens

***Улыбайся Ветрy album premiere***

Улыбайся Ветрy

'Illusions' 12"LP premiere

For fans of: Loma Prieta, Kidcrash and Shizune.

Bandcamp

Facebook

I've been a huge fan of  Улыбайся Ветрy (I'll save you the translation, it means Smile To The Wind) since I was involved in their split 7" with Italy's Øjne in 2014. I really liked their four songs on the split and grabbed the rest of their previous material (a split with МАЯК and a digital LP titled 'Моменты') which were also excellent. But then, holy shit, then they sent me their tracks for this new 'Illusions' LP and I was flabbergasted. Like, floored...and then thrown down the stairs. 11 songs in 12 minutes. Chaos. Dueling guitars and accentuating bass. Back and forth screaming. Ridiculous drumming. It's all here and it comes packaged in the most beautiful 12" art I've seen in years. Created by Ekaterina Zalesskaya, it looks so damn good I've put one up on my living room wall above the fireplace. You can stream the album below in its entirety via Soundcloud or, if your computer is having issues, I've included my favourite song embedded right next to this here paragraph using Youtube, which should work just fine for ya.

If you'd like to pick up a copy on blue vinyl out of 300, please support one of these international labels taking part in this contender for Album Of The Year:

ships March 21st, 2018
PRE-ORDER from:

Zegema Beach Records (Canada/BC)

Zegema Beach Records (Canada/Ontario)

Dead Tank Records (U.S.A.)

Upwind Productions (Italy)

Trace In Maze (Germany)
or email them → kyhlband@gmail.com

Unlock Yourself Records (Russia)

***WHAT OF US exclusive interview***

Band: WHAT OF US

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Screamo
Related artists: Capacities, You & I, The Assistant, This Ship Will Sink, In First Person, Black Kites, NYin64, Tasharah, Hundreds Of AU, Hell Mary, Less Life, The Saddest Landscape, Au Revoir, Never Better and Weather Lore.
Country: New Jersey/New York U.S.A.
Years Active: 2015-present
Song: "Worker's Compensation"
Album: "Coma Regalia split"
Year: 2016
For fans of: Capacities, Breather Resist, Seven Days Of Samsara, Orchid, Reversal of Man, In First Person, This Ship Will Sink, Rats Into Robots, Tasharah, Foxmoulder, Hundreds Of AU, My Lai, Ampere, Vaccine, Union of Uranus, Honeywell, Zeit, Takaru, Coma Regalia and The Book Of Dead Names aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Middle Man Records / Time As A Color / Hydrogen Man Records / Forced Abandonment Records

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #7.

You can download: the March 2018 Mix#3 right here or get the new April 2018 Mix#4 here.

I've been following WHAT OF US rabidly since their inception in 2015, because I follow every Tom Schlatter band as such. This one also includes some other notable and amazing individuals, including Eric M. (guitar/vox and ex-The Saddest Landscape and played in Capacities with Tom), Eric A. (guitar/vox and plays in Au Revoir) as well as my friend Ross (drums and ex-Weather Lore) to make it one of the best bands around today. They play supercharged and furious screamy hardcore all their own, but for the sake of making this a tad easier I'd throw names out like Breather Resist, Ampere, Seven Days Of Samsara, The Book Of Dead Names and Capacities. Tom and I have done an interview for this post in regards to WHAT OF US, their upcoming tour, his other bands such as Hundreds Of AU, politics and what he's been up to the last few years. Read it in full further down in this post.

On to the music! In 2015 they released a live recording that is no longer on bandcamp but I have uploaded it and you can grab it here. It housed live versions of "Landslide" and "Recognize" and got me fucking stoked on all future material. Both songs ended up on their next release and sound much better, so I understand why they've been taken down. Nevertheless, I think it's an important and interesting look into the band right after their inception.

The following year, 2016 to be exact, WHAT OF US released a full EP worth of material on the strangely overlooked split with Shawn Decker's Coma Regalia. The 'Coma Regalia split' 12"LP houses 8 songs of raging hardcore that serve as a testament to the members' knowledge and experience as these are fucking debut recordings! I mean, holy shit. "Recognize" finds its way from the demo recording to this release, and thank science, because it's a goddamn banger and still one of my favourite WHAT OF US songs to date. It's grooving, heavy and has Tom putting on a clinic of vocals from full on screams to passionate talking/yelling. "Worker's Compensation" is faaaaantastic and is also ridiculously heavy during the second half and my head nearly caves in at the end. "Narcissus" has some fucking silly hi-hat work by drummer Ross, dear lord he is a goddamned machine and a helluva nice guy, to boot. "Bury My Shell at Wounded Knee" is a sensational WHAT OF US song and was inspired by the Dakota Access pipeline debacle back in 2016. Closer "End Times" showcases more of Ross' ridiculousness as the opening 43 seconds absolutely shred. After this the song moves into apocalypse territory and brings on some serious chugs.

Recorded in the same session but not released until the following year, "Sunny For President", "Billion to One" and "The Long Road Home" show up on the split 7" with my friends in the Phoenix Bodies worship band Hive Mind. "Sunny For President" originally showed up on the 2016 Swamp Comp cassette as a previously unreleased track, but the other two are exclusive to this release. "Billion to One" has drums that have traveled to the fourth dimension and back, with a very cool fast/slow/fast midsection led by Tom's booming bass and screams and big-time finish. "The Long Road Home" features Eric Mauro on vocals, as he, Tom and Eric A. generally pass the mic stand around during sets and brings a screamier and harsher tone to the song, which, yet again, has Ross fucking laying waste to that drum kit.

In February of 2018, just a few weeks back, WHAT OF US unveiled their five new songs via the 'Sur L'eau split' cassette being released on Middle Man Records and I gotta say I'm in love. "Sunday Afternoon" is fucking heavy and bassy as shit, with the material bringing metal and hardcore together even more than earlier work. The mini-chugs and subsequent transition from 40 seconds onward is amazing, with the song climaxing right around one minute in screamo glory. "Award Show Highlights" is another excellent track with Tom on vocals that just passes the one-minute mark with passionate vocals at the end that ring out, "...that burns you down!". "Horse and Sparrow" has Eric Mauro's screams leading us down a treacherous but precise path through chaos. "Imaginary Lines" moves the mic to Eric Annicchiarico and his throaty scream, which almost reminds me of The Book Of Dead Names. Closer "45" is 2:30 in length (quite long for a WHAT OF US song) and is pretty sweet, but that push from 1:40 to the end is downright punishing.

I first saw WHAT OF US in 2016 when I was in the U.S. doing a "tour" with мятеж and our first show was with them, Coma Regalia, Van Hagar and Massa Nera...wowza! They blistered through their 18-minute set that became the most furious and intense thing I saw all tour. Check out the review and videos here. A few days later we met up at Swamp Fest 2016 and I saw them play again, apparently with no voices (they all had colds, I think), but you can't tell in the slightest. Check out that massive post here. Lastly, I asked the band if they were interested in playing my Zegema Beach Records Fest in the summer of 2017 in Toronto, to which they agreed. They were going to tour with my friends in Eyelet but guitarist/vocalist Tony passed away in the spring and only WHAT OF US could make the trek. They played third last on the last night, right before my final set with The World That Summer, actually, and it was wild. My drummer Jesse came up to me after their set and said, "Dave. What the fuck? How are we supposed to follow that?". Oh and how right he was. Check that bigass post out here.

WHAT OF US is on tour starting this week in Europe so be sure not to miss out. I can vouch that they are one of the most intense and amazing live bands out there right now. If ya sleep on it, ya stoopid.

March 15 Liberec/CZ - Azyl Pivni Bar

March 16 Hamburg/GER - FS115

March 17 EAST GERMANY/WEST POLAND/CZECH REP. - HELP

March 18 Warsaw/POL - Studio Wieloślad w/ Barabbas Du Förtappade & We Watch Clouds

March 19 Krakow/POL - Warsztat

March 20 Prague/CZ - Eternia Smichov

March 21 Graz/AUS - SUB w/Mulham Abordan

March 22 Erlangen/GER - Zentrum Wiesengrund

March 23 Frankfurt/GER - Klapperfeld

March 24 Mülheim/GER - AZ "Fiducia Fest VI" w/ Drei Affen, Weak Ties and more

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

w/guitarist+vocalist

TOM SCHLATTER

Dave: Hello friend! It's been quite some time since we last did an interview for this blog. In fact, I think you were one of the first people I ever interviewed. We mostly covered Capacities. What have you been up to in the last few years?

Tom: Since we last talked I had some life changes. Capacities took an indefinite hiatus. Eric and I started the band WHAT OF US. I've since moved to Albany, NY and also got married. I also started a band called Hundreds Of AU which has me going back to playing guitar.  Living in Albany and doing 2.5 hour commutes to band practice is tough. I'm trying to make a life up here, but it mostly just revolves around my job in public service and spending time with my wife. My social life, which is about 99% in music, is mostly still in New Jersey.

Dave: WHAT OF US is going on tour soon in Europe, are you not? What was the catalyst for that?

Tom: I had gone to Europe in 2011 when I was playing in a band called Black Kites. We played in Mulheim, Germany and met Jos Schro. Jos and I kept in touch. Eventually he and his wife came to the US on vacation and they stayed with me for about a week. After that Jos would hint at trying to bring one of my bands over to Europe for tour. Eventually WHAT OF US was in a position where we could all do the trip. We have a lot to thank Jos for, he's worked very hard helping us get over there.

Dave: Any places and bands you're excited to see when you go over? And how long is it for?

Tom: We're going for about two weeks. I'll be playing/seeing some cities I've never been to before which is always exciting. Poland and Austria will be new experiences for me. In the past I've had a great time in Germany and the Czech Republic so I'm looking forward to returning.  As far as bands; I'm very excited to see Drei Affen, Organa and Sur L'eau.

Dave: I caught Sur L'eau in Munich with Respire and Lᴏᴠᴇ/Lᴜsᴛ at the "pepper spray incident" show and they were great! I would kill to see Drei Affen. Good lordy.

Tom: Yes, I've been waiting to see them for a couple years now. That new split with Coma Regalia is amazing.

Dave: So, you also spoke of Hundreds Of AU, how did that band start? What led you back to guitar? And how was the recording/releasing process for the Demo different for you from other bands/releases?

Tom: After living in Albany for about a year I attempted to write some songs and recruit some musicians to start a band. I wrote the songs on guitar and it just seemed better to keep playing guitar rather than show someone else the songs.

Albany doesn't really have a scene for music like Hundreds Of AU. There's not much of a middle ground here. There's a huge tougher mosh scene and then there's a big indie/art scene. There's not much in the middle area where a band like Hundreds Of AU exists musically.

We recorded the demo in about 7 hours with Will at Dead Air. I put it up online that night. After the fact, Shawn from Middleman offered to do a cassette of it, which was very nice of him. I had pretty much decided at that point to stop doing vinyl releases because none of my bands were really touring enough to warrant it. That's pretty much how I operate now, just putting music up online for people to hear digitally. The physical format should be as low cost as possible, so cassettes/cds are enough for me in that regard. 

After recording the demo and playing a few shows, the drummer and bassist departed from the band to do other projects. I had some shows still booked so some friends from New Jersey offered to fill in for them. After those shows, my New Jersey friends wanted to keep doing the band and become permanent members. So that's where we're at now. I drive down to New Jersey about 2 or three times a month for practices and shows.

Dave: Oh wow I didn't know the band had changed members. Has this influenced the sound at all? Actually this also leads to my next question, which is - We’ve talked now about WHAT OF US and Hundreds Of AU, and I’m wondering how you would describe each band in sound and style? Which can be hard, describing your own bands, I know.

Tom: When Hundreds Of AU did the lineup change the sound became more focused. I think those first 5 songs were a good example of me getting used to playing guitar and doing vocals, as well as trying to communicate the genre to the original members who weren't totally familar with it.

The new lineup consists of people who I've been in bands with before and are well-versed in the genre of screamy hardcore. As a result the song writing is more focused on that genre and streamlined. We write songs fast, everyone seems to get it quick. We're recording 11 new songs in April.

If I had to describe each band I would probably use the "S" word and say they were screamo in the sense that I came from the late 90's era when the genre was getting on it's feet. Each band has its own flavor though and this is always a reflection of the individual style of each member's playing. For instance, Ross from WHAT OF US has a super distinct drum style that is definitely a huge distinguishing factor in the band. No one plays like him. Paul from Hundreds of AU has a voice unlike anyone else, so it's one of those things where it gives the band it's own personality while obviously still be classified into a genre.

For the new WHAT OF US stuff Eric definitely brought in some heavier riffs that emulate bands like Botch or Breather Resist. It's been great to write the new songs, I think we were all really excited to show that we'd done something new.

Dave: Are you still doing the instrumental screamo in NYin64?

Tom: Yes, I'm still doing NYin64.  We have 6 new songs just about done and we'll be recording them this fall for a new LP (which will probably be released digitally only). I think they are some of our best work and I'm excited to show them to friends.

Dave: Do you have anything else in the works or are you maxed in terms of band/music time? I feel like you would almost stop sleeping instead passing on a good band opportunity!

Tom: I play drums for a band in Albany called Scavengers. We don't play much because everyone has other bands or other family life happening. I also do some home recording with Shawn Decker once in a while.

Dave: Is Hell Mary still a thing? I loved playing with you in Albany, I think for the show when you and the regular guitarist switched instruments for the whole set. (part of show linked here)

Tom: Ah, that show was down in Warwick, NY.  Hell Mary is not really an active band at all right now. A combination of me living far away, everyone doing other bands, etc...it just doesn't get off the ground. Paul from Hell Mary now plays guitar for Hundreds Of AU, so it's great to still be in a band with him.

Dave: Sweet. You mentioned before that most of your social interaction is through music. You extended and shared your story about maintaining the friendship with Jos. What is it that creates this bond for you with people through music, and perhaps punk and hardcore more specifically?

Tom: I think with playing in DIY hardcore bands and being exposed to progressive politics you find you feel less alone in your thinking. When you find people that inspire you, that care, that you can count on, etc, you want to nurture those relationships and make life-long friends.

Dave: You've been doing this for a long time. I can't think of anyone at this point that has played screamy hardcore as long as you have, as consistently and with so many different bands. I hope you know that tons of people appreciate you and all the things you have done. I think I've currently got you ranked as screamo god.

Compliments aside, you recently agreed to start writing a review most months for this blog after doing three awesome ones in January. What made you want to start sharing music using this medium again?

Tom: Thanks so much for the kind words! When I was doing a blog pretty seriously a few years ago it was a great way to find out about new music. I really enjoyed it. When I moved up to Albany and changed jobs I just didn't have the time do it anymore. It's been fun to slowly get my feet back into it. I never wanted to stop doing it, it was just that lack of time do it since moving up here that sort of killed it.

Dave: So glad you are back in it, I loved One Path For Me.

Tom: Thanks!

Dave: Quite a bit has happened since we last talked on U.S. and global issues, is there anything you'd like to touch in there?

Tom: There's nothing I can say that hasn't been said already. We wake up everyday in America to a whole new playbook and it's totally unpredictable, irrational and downright scary.

Dave: That it is. What do you do to try and counteract that craziness?

Tom: I try to keep in mind that as someone who is white and male I am the least systematically affected by what's happening in terms of social and civil rights. Issues like foreign policy and environmental de-regulation will affect all of us. My career, working at a public library, an institution that provides neutral and unbiased information as a public service is something I feel very passionate given the current political climate.

Dave: Has the general scene shifted in any ways from your perspective in the last few years?

Tom: Being least affected is something that I'd like to think keeps me accountable.
I have to be held accountable for my privilege and for the potential ways in can be abused.
I think DIY hardcore gives me exposure to people outside of my identity and I'm fortunate to have people in my life who are willing to explain their perspectives.

Dave: Thank you so much, Tom!

You can read another interview with Tom back when he was in Capacities right here.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2015 - Live at Backroom Studios digitalEP (download here)

2016 - Coma Regalia split 12"LP (stream/donate/download here)
2016 - Split Sessions cassetteLP [combines 2016 & 2017 splits]
2016 - Swamp Comp 2016 cassette compilation [contributed the then unreleased "Sunny for President"]

2017 - Hive Mind split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)

2018 - Sur L'eau split cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2018) WHAT OF US - "Sunday Afternoon" (from 'Sur L'eau' split)

(2018) WHAT OF US - "45" (from 'Sur L'eau' split)

(2017) WHAT OF US - "Recognize" live @ZBR Fest

(2017) WHAT OF US - "Billion to One" (from 'Hive Mind' split)

(2016) WHAT OF US - "Sunny for President" (from 'Swamp Comp')

(2016) WHAT OF US - "Bury My Shell at Wounded Knee" (from 'Coma Regalia' split)

(2016) WHAT OF US - "Worker's Compensation" (from 'Coma Regalia' split)

(2016) WHAT OF US - "End Times" (from 'Coma Regalia' split)

(2016) WHAT OF US - full set live in NJ

(2015) WHAT OF US - "Recognize" (from 'Live at Backroom Studios')

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WHAT OF US additional links

Live at Backroom Studios (download here)

Bandcamp

Facebook

2018 European Tour event page

Zegema Beach Records Fest

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