***HUNDREDS OF AU exclusive song premiere***

HUNDREDS OF AU

"Deflection Arts"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Leveless, What Of Us and Crowning

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HUNDREDS OF AU haven't done much yet, but considering members have spent time in bands such as You & I, NY In 64, Hell Mary, The Assistant, What Of Us and Capacities (and that's just the tip of the iceberg) you've probably already got a good idea of what they sound like. From Albany, New York, they released their 'Demo' tape EP in 2017, changed some members, and now have a new cd/cassette LP coming out in early May on Middle Man Records. The new album is titled 'Communications Link Re-Established' and if this single/premiere of "Deflection Arts" is any indication, it's going to be a rager and likely making my list of best LPs of 2018. It's heavy, relentless and chock full of screamy dual vocals, with a sensational turn just before the one-minute mark that'll leave you out of breath and partially deaf.

Before jamming, please take the time to read this little bit of info that Tom Schlatter wrote for this post:

"In the wake of the #metoo movement, one of the reactions from the right wing was to post statistics on men's mental health, to create a narrative that men "have it worse", a reaction which basically took the much overdue scrutiny toward sexual assault and tried to turn it into a competition between "who has it worse".  While I think men's mental health is an important discussion, and should be given attention, I found it strange that it was being used as a rebuttal or a way to deflect from the accountability that men need to take in the #metoo moment. I would prefer a conversation on men's mental health to come from a place of vulnerability, a place that challenges hetero-masculine norms and gender binaries, rather than used as a way to deflect from confronting an epidemic of sexual assault against women. I would prefer men take this opportunity in the #metoo moment to listen, learn and make some foundational changes, exchanging deflection of our inherent sexism with a long overdue confrontation of our language, behavior and culture."

(2018) HUNDREDS OF AU - "Deflection Arts" (from 'Communications Link Re-Established')

You'd be silly not to catch the band live, as they are going on two short tours in June and August of 2018, which I've listed below. I'd also strongly recommend watching the full HUNDREDS OF AU live set from April 14th, 2018 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Saturday 6/9, Philadelphia, PA
Sunday 6/10, Brooklyn, NY
Monday 6/11 Wayne, NJ
Thursday 8/2 - Montreal, QB
Friday 8/3 - Toronto, ON
Saturday 8/4 - Detroit, MI
Sunday 8/5 - Chicago, IL
Monday 8/6 - Bloomington, IN
Tuesday 8/7 - Elyria, OH
Wednesday 8/8 - Syracuse, NY

***DÉRACINÉ exclusive interview***

Band: DÉRACINÉ

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: Carrion Spring, Said Goner, Gas Up Yr Hearse!, Coma Regalia, Never Better, The Longer We Stray From The Light, Knights Of Ganymede, Gorgon Sans Seer, Suggests A Sky Burial, John Q Public, Dance & Destroy, Kaki.O.Badi, It Kills Me, Body Of Wasps, Plaguewalker and Ache/Amelie.
Country: Portland / Indiana U.S.A.
Years Active: 2017-present
Song: "IIII"
Album: "Déraciné"
Year: 2018
For fans of: Carrion Spring, Capacities, Thisismenotthinkingofyou, Улыбайся Ветру, 60659-C, Capsule, Coma Regalia, What Of Us, Under Glass, Furnace, Marat, United Nations, Bucket Full Of Teeth, Ampere, Orchid and The Now aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Middle Man Records

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

You can download: the April 2018 Mix#4 right here or get the new May 2018 Mix#5 here.

DÉRACINÉ is an amazing new project shared between Shawn Decker (Middle Man Records, Coma Regalia, a million other bands...), Dylan Houpt (ex-Gas Up Yr Hearse!) and Adam Ciresi (Carrion Spring and Said Goner). Seemingly out of nowhere they dropped the self titled 'Déraciné' and it's one of the best releases of 2018 so far. They play short, spastic and cathartic screamy hardcore in the vein of Capacities, What Of Us, Ampere, 60659-C and Bucket Full Of Teeth.

So let's get the first thing out of the way, there are 20 fucking songs here. 20! Each song is titled "I-卌卌卌卌" How long are they? I'm glad you asked. About 10 to 30 seconds each, with a few slightly longer songs. They rip through in a flurry, like a screamo blizzard with white-out drums, playful guitars and anguished, frozen screams. Comparisons to Carrion Spring on speed are unavoidable as Adam has a very unique and amazing scream so I've got to go there first. In terms of drums, these are some of Shawn's best, blazing through each song with little-to-no downtime.

You've got your really short songs, which are generally 10-15 seconds and include "I" (four seconds!), "II", "卌", "卌IIII" and "卌卌卌I". I like these tracks but in 10 seconds I find it difficult to get the hooks unless I put the song on repeat a few times. You've got your longer-than-average tracks "卌II", "卌卌", "卌卌III" and "卌卌卌卌" which stretch the fabric of the release and are definitely a nice touch, generally surpassing 30 seconds but not 40. The rest hover somewhere in between, with "IIII", "卌I", "卌III", "卌卌", "卌卌III" and "卌卌卌IIII" being my personal favourites.

If you haven't already grabbed this digitally or via tape from Middle Man I'd get on that asap. I also received some distro copies for Zegema Beach if you happen to be ordering outta Canada (linked here).

My final verdict? Excellent release from excellent people. I asked my friend Adam who did vocals for this project to tell us about it, so here we go!

Déraciné means to be uprooted, displaced, or lost. The experience of deracination can be very literal, like those affected by natural disasters, or loss of community through oppressive, exploitative forces. There are also feelings of uprooting, uprooting of the familiar, the constant flux of obsolescence and distancing from the natural world. At the time of writing the lyrics I was heavily inspired by some writings of Rebecca Solnit and Sara Sentilles, while simultaneously pushing myself to be more present in my life, keeping abreast of the world around me. I explored ideas of loss, inter-connectivity, isolation, uprising, denouncement, reclamation. 

Shawn Decker offered me the opportunity to do vocals for Déraciné, and I couldn't have been more thrilled and obliged. Shawn is the embodied spirit of DIY punk/hardcore/screamo. The music he created with Dylan blew my mind when I first heard the tracks. The balance of chaos and beauty is just perfect. For me, the songs feel less like a series of songs and more like a singular progression or movement. Because the songs are so short, I wanted to create these little poetic reflections on things that were occurring around me. Colonial statues being torn down. Women leading the movement to dismantle patriarchy. Black lives matter. Identity politics. Capitalist corporations further taking control of our government. A bigoted gluttonous racist charlatan for a president. Exploitation of our private lives that we willingly live in public. Most of the lyrics were written while driving across the United States on a trip during the summer, so there are moments where I am focused less on hearing and reading the news, and more engaged with the landscape of my country, and ultimately myself. Swathes of big business monoculture extending beyond the horizon. The temporary absence of everyday routine. The sheer grandeur of mountains and vast desert lands. Significant time for self-contemplation and meditation. 

Shawn also gave me the opportunity to do the layout for the album, and we agreed on using an artwork of mine. The image is a detail shot of a piece I made in 2016 titled War Memorial. The work is on a single sheet of printmaking paper over 14 feet in length. I made it by making small burn marks with a lighter, over 6,500 marks and counting, each representing the loss of an American soldier in Afghanistan and Iraq since the beginning of the war following 9/11. Each mark is unique because of the unpredictability of the flame. Each mark takes roughly 20-30 seconds to make, so in a way, I spend half a minute with each person who lost their life in the longest standing American war. I also think the aesthetic of using hash marks as song titles helps relate to the artwork, as well as the linear nature of the songs.
~Adam Brock Ciresi (April 23rd, 2018)

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DISCOGRAPHY

2018 - Déraciné cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2018) DÉRACINÉ - "卌I" (from 'Déraciné')

(2018) DÉRACINÉ - "IIII" (from 'Déraciné')

(2018) DÉRACINÉ - "卌卌" (from 'Déraciné')

(2018) DÉRACINÉ - "卌卌III" (from 'Déraciné')

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DÉRACINÉ additional links

Bandcamp

Buy from Middle Man

Buy from Zegema Beach

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***IRON GAG exclusive premiere***

IRON GAG

"Ripped Off"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: The Chariot, Coarse and Cadence Fox

Bandcamp
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Hailing from New England, IRON GAG has been around for four years now and have an EP and LP under their belt, but today's song premiere is from their split 7" with Atlanta's Malevich. It's called "Ripped Off" and at 1:44 it blazes through dark, brooding hardcore with inadvertent nods to The Chariot and Perth Express for the first half. The breakdown and dual vocals that rain down upon the listener at the one-minute mark are the real deal and take the song to the next level, reminding me of bands such as WristMeetRazor, Artorias and Black Nail. Their side of the split was recorded by Will Killingsworth and mastered by Brad Boatright, two very prevalent players in the current hardcore/screamo scene. Malevich is no stranger to this blog as we reviewed their previous LP here and have been eagerly awaiting their material, as well. Speaking of which, they just premiered a new song "Trial of Metaphor" (linked here). IRON GAG will be doing dates on the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada which haven't seen posted yet, but they do have a show coming up on May 18th in Salem, Massachusetts that I've linked here. Enjoy!

(2018) IRON GAG - "Ripped Off" (from 'Malevich' split)

AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL, THE

Band: THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Screamo / Noise / Experimental
Related artists: Index For Potential Suicide, Murder Weapon, The Disease, The Slasher Film Festival Strategy and Every Kid Loves A Clown.
Country: South Carolina U.S.A.
Years Active: 2001-2003
Song: "Somewhere in the Arteries"
Album: "The Ultimate in Authenticity and Musical Usefulness"
Year: 2003
For fans of: The Locust, Snack Truck, The Disease, Index For A Potential Suicide, Genghis Tron, The Post Office Gals, An Albatross, Murder Weapon, Usurp Synapse, Racebannon, This Flood Covers The Earth, Horse The Band, (early) Curl Up And Die, Wizardzz, Enkephalin,  Arab On Radar, Meth And Goats, Ultra Dolphins, (Lone) Wolf & Cub and The Abandoned Hearts Club aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Release The Bats Records / Insolito / Electric Human Project / Alone Records

This post's artist is from the April 2018 Mix. This is track #1.

You can download: the April 2018 Mix#4 right here or get the new May 2018 Mix#5 here.

My interest in the incredibly named, utterly wackadoo, experimental and screamy hardcore band THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL was sparked initially by this review on a now very shitty punk news/review site in 2003. They first likened the band to, "The Locust, An Albatross, Fantomas, or maybe even Since by Man" so I was very intrigued. I picked up a copy of 'The Ultimate in Authenticity and Musical Usefulness' and jammed it off and on for a few years, enjoying it but never quite being blown away. I checked for more releases in stores and online but couldn't find anything, but when writing this review my good friend Maya show me a new link to a label's bandcamp site where it was for purchase, so I just nabbed 'This is the Invasion!' digitally a few weeks back. The band's final LP I also stumbled across on youtube, which is an experimental improv jam and pressed on a 12".

I think they definitely have a sound similar to the bands already mentioned, but I would also throw a few more in there. The vocals are kinda early Curl Up And Die puke screams mixed with Racebannon weirdness, while the instrumentals definitely have their own thing going on, as the metallic hardcore is mixed with perfectly placed synth and noise moments. The mixture of all of the elements definitely bring bands like Genghis Tron, Snack Truck and Horse The Band to mind but their hardcore elements are much different and, honestly, I can't think of a good, single comparison.

THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL's first full length is the 11 odyssey titled 'This is the Invasion!' and it's a goddamned mindfuck. Teetering between brain-numbing noise tracks and experimental, jazzy hardcore, the album slides in and out of traditional songs into truly weird territory, making the comparison to An Albatross, Snack Truck and The Locust all the more relevant. Tracks 1, 3, 5, 6 and 11 are the less traditional hardcore songs, while "How to Throw a Hot Dog Down a Hallway", "Let's Transform NASA Machine", "Guns 'n Roses" and "Robots Among Us" are my favourites of the six remaining songs. "Disco Bloodbath" is also pretty cool as it starts as noise and ends as grating noise/grind/screamo in the vein of Me And Him Call It Us.

'The Ultimate in Authenticity and Musical Usefulness' was released either late 2002 or early 2003 and is a step up from the previous LP, opting for only 9 songs but they condense their sound and definitely get even more trippy. I mean, c'mon, "Invisible Jacket" begins like a sinister, maniacal and evil Christmas carol. The first track is also a goody, as "Somewhere in the Arteries" has a very screamo intro until the synths come in hard at 40 seconds and the entire things pops at a minute. Most songs have a jammy section in the middle where the instruments take on a jazzy, almost Primus feel at times. "Reflex Point" and "Revelations" are wicked tracks with a foray into screamo and post-hardcore during their conclusions. "Witch Hunt" has a midsection that boasts a sick bass riff and combines it with evil Santa synth, creating an eerie and awesome concoction. The noise/instrumental tracks are still there, as "Caribbean Knife Fight","Revelations Part 2" and "The Clone Chamber" fit the bill.

Lastly is the 'Experiments' improv LP. Instead of me talking about it, I'll just quote a band member:
"Originally released by KFLR & Epistrophy Records 2003. We did the recording following the 2002 summer tour. What led us to make the record was playing live. Everynight we would include improvised pieces in the set. At that point, we had spent so much time together playing, we could almost read each others minds. We could anticipate each others next move. It definitely kept it intersting for us. Folks seemed to be digging the improv stuff as much as the written/recorded material. Especially on during that tour. So, when we got home, we set up the gear and mics, pressed record and made "Experiments". Straight up, all live, one take, no over dubs, just three close friends playing off of each other and having a blast. No worrying about making a mistake or dealines for a LP / CD pressing. Also, this one was actually recorded several months before the "Ultimate" album.  Though it was released some time afterwards." (taken from Christopher Adley's youtube video linked here)

And that is that. I haven't found their first split but am content with the three LPs. I most certainly have a rekindled spark for this band after writing this review and finding more material. I hope you enjoy it, too.

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

2002 - The Shameless Kiss of Vanity Vol. 1 split 7" (w/The Jam Session) [does anyone have this? please upload it!]
2002 - The is the Invasion! 12"LP (stream/buy here)

2002 - The Ultimate in Authenticity and Musical Usefulness cd/12"LP (stream/buy here)

2003 - Experiments digital LP (stream here)

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(2002) THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL - "Somewhere in the Arteries" (from 'The Ultimate in Authenticity and Musical Usefulness')

(2002) THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL - "Witch Hunt" (from 'The Ultimate in Authenticity and Musical Usefulness')

(2002) THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL - "Invisible Jacket" (from 'The Ultimate in Authenticity and Musical Usefulness')

(2002) THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL - "Guns 'n Roses" (from 'This is the Invasion!')

(2002) THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL - "How to Throw a Hot Dog Down a Hallway" (from 'This is the Invasion!')

(2002) THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL - "Robots Among Us" (from 'This is the Invasion!')

(2003) THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL - 'Experiments'

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THE AVENGING DISCO GODFATHERS OF SOUL out of print mp3 partial discography download

(download here)

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GILDED AGE

Band: GILDED AGE

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: Tamora, Let It Out Matt and Frontflip.
Country: Portland, Oregon U.S.A.
Years Active: 2017-present
Song: "A New Nihilism for the Selfie Generation"
Album: "Gilded Age"
Year: 2018
For fans of: Fear Before The March Of Flames, Perfect Blue, City Of Caterpillar, Prize The Doubt, Cadence Fox, The Chariot, Portrayal Of Guilt, Majority Rule, Birds In Row, Yurodivy, Remote, Carved Up, Youth Novel, Barque, Litany For The Whale and Continents aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released

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

You can download: the April 2018 Mix#4 right here or get the new May 2018 Mix#5 here.

Falling somewhere between hardcore and screamo, Portland's new beast GILDED AGE released their debut EP in early 2018 and it's still kickin' ma ass. It begins with the superb "A New Nihilism for the Selfie Generation", which lets you know right off the bat that the balanced dual vocals with high and low end screams will be prevalent throughout the driving and venomous hardcore. There are a few slowdowns that permeate the air of some tracks, but nevertheless amass and eventually bring about the storms, of which there are many. "The Vultures are Eating Themselves" keeps the thunder going and boasts huge drums, as well as a killer buildup that begins at 30 seconds and hits a prolonged climax that sweeps throughout the remainder of the song. "This Rally is a Funeral" is a much dirtier romp with a final 30 seconds that are stellar. "Oh You Bore Us (having your ass up your own head)" has a Perfect Blue vibe with driving instrumentals and wicked screams, making it a good candidate for best song on the record. "Hope Has No Place Here"  has a brooding opening that culminates at 2:08 (that's more than halfway through the song!) and is reminiscent of Litany For The Whale and Yurodivy and might be my favourite section on the album. Closer "Sisyphus Votes for God" reaches 5:16 and opens dripping in post-hardcore/post-metal with a slow, brooding and doomy first minute. The chorus of voices screaming, "Your god is dead!" from about 1:20-1:30 is powerful as fuck, as is the subsequent foray into dreamy post-hardcore.

Lastly, this post timed out nicely with GILDED AGE's record release show this Sunday, April 22 in Portland. Here's the show poster.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2018 - Gilded Age cassette/12"EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2018) GILDED AGE - "Oh You Bore Us (having your ass up your own head)" (from 'Gilded Age')

(2018) GILDED AGE - "A New Nihilism for the Selfie Generation" (from 'Gilded Age')

(2018) GILDED AGE - "The Vultures Are Eating Themselves" (from 'Gilded Age')

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GILDED AGE additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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***NIBOOWIN exclusive interview***

Band: NIBOOWIN

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Noise / Black Metal / Doom / Sludge
Related artists: Old Soul, Capacitor, Dakhma, Rejiem and Quietus.
Country: Central Michigan U.S.A.
Years Active: 2016-present
Song: "Resting Peacefully"
Album: "Breathing"
Year: 2018
For fans of: ['selvə], Lentic Waters, I Not Dance, Buried Inside, Envy, Old Soul, Deszcz, Locktender, (early) Baroness, Quietus, Respire, Nic (aka ██████), Litany For The Whale, Trainwreck, Zann, Titan, Perth Express, Amber and Shai Hulud aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / IFB Records / React With Protest Records / Friendly Otter / Suspended Soul Records and Tapes

This post's artist is from the April 2018 Mix. This is track #4.

You can download: the April 2018 Mix#4 right here or get the new May 2018 Mix#5 here.

I've been pals with Old Soul (they played the first Zegema Beach Records mini-fest, linked here) and Jimmy Stellwagen for years (we even did two podcasts together, linked here and here). I was made aware of their  new band's existence pretty much from the get-go, as NIBOOWIN is essentially the reincarnation of Old Soul. Don't expect an Old Soul clone, but there are definite similarities, most notably in the instrumental work. That being said, there are definite ties to the raging black-metal that made appearances with NIBOOWIN's predecessor, but little-to-no long, drawn-out and epic sweeps are utilized and therefore no song passes the five-minute mark. I think the best bands to use for the comparison melting pot would be early Envy, ['selvə] and Perth Express.

Their debut recording is a full length record that was released digitally a month or two ago but will be out on vinyl, likely in August of 2018. 'Breathing' begins with "Resting Peacefully", a stellar opener that gives the listener a perfect indication of what's to come with the rest of their record, complete with a ridiculously catchy guitar progression from 2:50 onward. "Raided" and "Careless Conscious are next and it blazes through wicked drums, head-bobbin bass, melodic guitar-work and throaty screams. "New Dawn" may begin softer and slower than the preceding three tracks, but holy ass does it payoff at the end, wowza! I'm not sure if it's a synth or something that kicks in at 4:06 but it gives the song an almost AmenRa and The Flying Worker feel, and damn that is some dark and foreboding goth shit, right there. "Eager Burden" bares a lot of similarity earlier Envy, as it balances the melodic with the chaotic, The second half, by stark comparison, is unrelenting and dark as shit, reminding me most of ['selvə]. "Silhouettes" hooks a mad Envy groove again after about the first minute and it's a thing of beauty, likely to be replicated again very soon 😉. "Chasing Sanctuary" begins like the musical equivalent of waking up peacefully, which floats around for the first 50 seconds before hitting epic post-hardcore/post-metal/screamo, much like the final 7" from Germany's Amber. Closer "Ashes Ignite and Awaken" boasts the most dual vocals the band has employed to date, giving it additional depth to the subterranean hardcore expedition that probably bears the most resemblance to Old Soul. It's also heavy as fuck.

So there ya go, that's the new 'Breathing' 12"LP by NIBOOWIN. It will release in late summer on Zegema Beach Records, IFB Records and React With Protest Records so you'll see pre-orders go up in June or July. Lastly, I asked Jimmy to write a piece about the evolution from Old Soul to NIBOOWIN. And so he did.

Hello this is Jimmy from Niboowin (ex Old Soul). David asked me to do a brief history of Old Soul with the transition into Niboowin. All the rest of the members of OS were in a band called Capacitor which was over-the-top flashy grind, some of which shows in the early stuff and peeks its face out from time to time. Adrian and I were in a band called Quietus, but we split up because the guitar player Casey moved to Marquette and was involved with the fracking protest. Casey also passed away in a tragic car accident in 2016. 

OS then asked me to join on guitar to fill the shoes of Joe who is an utterly incredible musician. The first 6 months were quite seriously intensive guitar training for me since I had been primarily a bass player. Before long we had written Nature’s Arms Encircle All as our first full length of a two part record based off the magic the gathering Jaddi Lifesteider card. We recorded it at our good friend Kevin Kitchel’s house in June of 2010. Shortly after recording we discovered pedals and that changed the course of our writing style. As we were recording Who Are Willing to Draw Close we delved into experimenting with sonic soundscapes. We went back to Kevin’s place July of 2011, but there was a conflict of interests in scheduling because “I just got an INFLATABLE FUCKING CANOE BRO! - Kevin”

Our writing style shifted over the years towards the “dreamo” style that we are associated with Tidal Lock being the predominant emotional acid trip. It actually took us a couple years to write, I had moved to Grand Rapids and there was a lot going on in all of our lives. We recorded at Bright Black Earth with Alex Larson in the cold month of February of 2013 and had it mastered by Alan Douches.

Not too long after the release of Tidal Lock we started talking to Lentic Waters and planning a split. Coincidentally around the same time our friend Gabe showed us Nic and we unanimously all wanted to get ahold of them and see if they would want to do a split. While we were writing and recording the splits we started planning for our first European tour with Lentic Waters, Nic and Sky:Lark. There was always the thought that we have never met any of these people and we are even planning a tour with them. Never did we imagine that they would all become some of our most beloved friends and part of our fondest memories. We may have bit off more than we could chew going for 52 days though.

In March of 2015 we headed for warm weather with our dear friends Dakhma from Grand Rapids, which unbeknownst to OS would be our last state-side tour. Also this tour was the catalyst for Dakhma to ask me to join years later.

On a seemingly causal June day in 2015 Nick came to check out a practice and ended up jamming with us as we were writing for Blue Heron. It was unanimous that we wanted him to join as the 6th member of OS. It’s also strange to think Niboowin would not exist right now if that day didn’t happen. I had watched Nick and Dillion’s old bands play but would never would have thought we would all jam later on. They were both really young and still discovering what they wanted to be.

Ok back from the tangent. We booked the entire month of November 2015 at Lakebottom Recording House with JC Griffin and in all honesty it was kind of a triumph of will in recording Blue Heron. From me having a nervous breakdown in the studio, tracks being messed up, Casey’s voice blowing out and the drunkest recording session. We were put on the pint plan to avoid anymore puke cakes. During the session we were all coming to the harsh realization that we potentially had a finite amount of time as a band.

We also started booking the second Euro tour at this time. Jojo from Lentic Waters not-so-jokingly told us we had the worst planned tour in 2014 and we had no intention of repeating that. With the help of Lentic Waters, Nic, DeerintheHeadlights, Eva, Teru and many other people the tour went better than planned. As the tour neared it was clear that this was going to be the final tour at the least. We haven’t all been together since the last day of Fluff Fest 2016. Adrian moved to Germany, Casey moved to Fort Myers, Florida, Steven moved to Midland, Michigan, Mikey moved to Weidman, Michigan and is now the proud father of an adorable little girl named Cadence.

Through OS we met countless dear friends all over the world. It’s hard to fathom how different life would be without the years spent playing music in OS. I rarely felt as though I wasn't at home. Tours with OS were something else, we were always up to something. We were always pegged as a party band... and we definitely were. I don’t know how many bar tops I’ve danced on or ended up sleeping on. On an impromptu visit to Rick James' grave where we honored his legacy in the best way we knew how. We also had many hungover hikes through gorges, caves, forests, mountains and urban jungles. There are so many times I will never forget and many times I will never remember...including the scar on my forehead from CMAR 16. Mikey getting lost in Gent, Belgium for 13 hours. Steven getting swindled out of €400. Casey finding money everywhere we went. Adrian getting a African parasite in his foot that is completely unexplainable. The absolute best send off show at Fluff with so many friends. The 7 years OS tainted this earth were truly incredible and a life changing experience.

Now to the transition that is Niboowin. Nick had been jamming with Dillon for years and some of their first shows were seeing Rejiem and Capacitor which were both precursor bands to Old Soul. In December of 2016 Nick came to me and asked if I wanted to play bass. So I showed up with a guitar and a wacky pedal board to make some fake bass and we started writing. Mikey joined and was active until he found out his partner was pregnant. He decided to step down from music and step into his fatherly role which was shortly after we went to Lakebottom Recording House in April 2017 with JC at the Engineers seat to record our full length Breathing. Finishing it in December, we also decided to send it to Brad Boatright at AudioSiege for a proper master polish.

Besides the apparent differences in our music, where we are leaning towards the black metal faster side of the spectrum. Nick is pulling double duty this time around as a guitarist and vocalist. We also wanted the underlying content of the lyrics to be personal instead of concepts. They vary from personal anxiety, personal hardships, the cultural appropriation of Native Americans, the weight of this world, and merely existing. It’s not our goal to be depressive but to acknowledge life is fucking pain and it is possible to overcome with friends and passions in life. On a lighter note carrying all the gear and merch as a 3 piece as compared to a 6 piece is a lot more labor intensive. On the flip side asking for a place to stay is a breeze, also half as difficult to get work schedules to work for touring. We absolutely have every intention of using the ease of touring to our advantage and being in a band with two young people who are ready to hit the road is something I’m ecstatic about.

We have already gone back to the studio to record more music and hope to have it out this year. We also have plans for tours coming up this year and we are excited for what is to come.

Much Love from:
Niboowin, Old Soul
Jimmy Danger

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DISCOGRAPHY

2018 - Breathing cassette/12"LP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2018) NIBOOWIN - "Resting Peacefully" (from 'Breathing')

(2018) NIBOOWIN - "Ashes Ignite and Awaken" (from 'Breathing')

(2018) NIBOOWIN - "Silhouettes" (from 'Breathing')

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NIBOOWIN additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

Buy Old Soul's 'Blue Heron' 12"LP here

Buy Old Soul's 'Natures Arms Encircle All' 12"LP here

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ONE DYING WISH

Band: ONE DYING WISH

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Emo
Related artists: ?.
Country: Turin ITALY
Years Active: 2017-present
Song: "All'alba di ogni notte"
Album: "Paura di Farcela"
Year: 2018
For fans of: Kaospilot, Kodan Armada, Textbook Traitors, Saetia, Virginia On Duty, A Company Of Heroes, Øjne, Envy, La Parade, Sans Visage, Viva Belgrado, Rutka Laskier, Majorel, Altar Of Complaints, Blue Friend, Agak, Tempano, Folgore, Funeral Diner and The Third Memory aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released / Longrail Records

This post's artist is from the April 2018 Mix. This is track #2.

You can download: the April 2018 Mix#4 right here or get the new May 2018 Mix#5 here.

I became aware of these fantastic Italians because Francesco of Longrail Records sent me his new band's first EP recordings and I was fucking floored. We had already co-released SeeYouSpaceCowboy / Secondgradeknifefight and that .gif from god / Vein together, but these songs are not of the metalcore variety, they are straight up late 90/early 2000s screamo worship with strong ties in sound to bands such as Kaospilot and The Third Memory.

ONE DYING WISH (likely named after the Saetia song by the same name) released 'Paura di Farcela' on 100 cds in January of 2018. It opens with "All'alba di ogni notte", nursing a lengthy but magnetic intro that goes supernova at 1:50. "Vertigine" has another introductory buildup, this one being a bit more engaging but less epic, which ends just after the first minute. The spastic, jarring and driving next minute is textbook late 90s, early 2000s screamo that includes some fantastic drumming. "Almeno il tuo sguardo" begins with some straight ahead screamo that branches off into a myriad of superb, chaotic, discordant, dreamy branches that weave seamlessly in and out of each other, making this the standout of the release. I gotta mention those drums again, cuz jesus christ those are mad hectic, and a staple in ONE DYING WISH. "Paura di farcela" is a fitting closer which brings to mind early screamo such as Funeral Diner mixed with Majorel and Blue Friend, making it a very tasty dessert to this dense EP.

2018 should bring some new recordings, perhaps on a split, and I couldn't be more excited about the future of screamo past.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2018 - Paura di Farcela cdEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2018) ONE DYING WISH - "Almeno il tuo sguardo" (from 'Paura di Farcela')

(2018) ONE DYING WISH - "All'alba di ogni notte" (from 'Paura di Farcela')

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ONE DYING WISH additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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***PODCAST #24 w/Gabriel Griffin (SEWAGE / SWALLOWS NEST)***

Did I interview almost everyone in the two bands I played in whilst in New Zealand? Why...yes. Yes, I pretty much did just that. Here is a thorough yet expansive look at a multitude of musical styles with the drummer of Sewage and Swallows Nest, Gabe Griffin. Gabe is an amazing drummer who has been playing in the noise/improv duo Sewage since he was 14 and joined our screamy hardcore band Swallows Nest pretty much from the onset. He spent a few hours at my place back in November of 2017 in St. Clair and we chatted it up hard. Below is the tracklisting for the streaming/downloadable podcast #24 and under that is a video I took of his band Sewage (linked here), another peak at our new song (live) that'll premiere this week and is featured on our split 7" with Crowning. Zegema Beach just got in 4 copies of the tour/test press (/40!) which I've got for sale here. The previously posted podcast with Swallows Nest bassist Jörg is linked here. You can stream and/or download each part or the entire thing for free on the OMSB Podcast bandcamp page linked right heeya.

1
JOANNA NEWSOM - "Sprout and the Bean" (Dave)

2
THIS HEAT - "Cenotaph" (Gabe)
VIA FONDO - "Fast" (Dave)

3
GUIDED BY VOICES - "Alien Lanes" (Gabe)
DANCE DISASTER MOVEMENT - "I Want Your Sass" (Dave)
AHLEUCHATISTAS - "Lacerate" (Dave)

4
THE JESUS LIZARD - "Puss" (Gabe)
BIG DICK - "Aria" (Dave)
ARAB ON RADAR - "Father, Son, and the Goalie Post" (Gabe)
PHOENIX BODIES - "Enlarge Your Penis" (Dave)

~Dave

{{{{{(((_______________________<0>_______________________)))}}}}}
PODCAST #24 linked here
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SEWAGE

Bandcamp

(2017) SEWAGE - live video from Swallows Nest Fundraiser (Dec 1, 2017)

SWALLOWS NEST

Facebook 

You can buy one of the rare copies of the tour/test press here before they're all gone. Watch the video below to see Gabe fucking kill it from 2:25 onward. We called this the "Hexis Part".

(2017) SWALLOWS NEST - "A Subtle Knife for New Doors" live video from Dave's Final Show (Dec 1, 2017)

KISS 2

Band: KISS 2

Genres: Punk / Sass / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence / Sludge
Related artists: Ashes Of The Armada, The Grammaton Cleric, Put Me to Sleep Forever, Honeyblush, Community Theatre, Keeper, Billy Corgi and The Philadelphia Experiment.
Country: Hutchinson/Lyons, Kansas U.S.A.
Years Active: 2017-present
Song: "assimilation vacation (vacation 4-eva)"
Album: "2018 Demo"
Year: 2017
For fans of: Me And You Call It Us, Letters To Catalonia, .gif from god, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Phoenix Bodies, Black Nail, 964 Pinnochio, Warsaw Was Raw, Yung Nat$, Head Wound City, Daughters, Orchid, Pg.99, WristMeetRazor and Meth aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Not Swell Art Collective

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

You can download: the April 2018 Mix#4 right here or get the new May 2018 Mix#5 here.

KISS 2 is an awesome new band from Kansas that play the style of screamo/metalcore hybrid that's popping up thanks to bands like .gif from god, SeeYouSpaceCowboy and Letters To Catalonia. It's five friends from the future, coming back in time to release their '2018 Demo' in 2017, which is pretty tame considering their inception date is listed as 2037. They sent it to me in late 2017 and it's been in heavy rotation here since. They cite influences from: The Blood Brothers, Every Time I Die, Converge, Pageninetynine, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Orchid, Head Wound City, Refused, Between the Buried and Me, Daughters, Assuck, Coalesce, At the Drive-In, .gif From God. So obviously there's a lot in the melting pot here.

Carson recently told me that the members played in a few bands together (Keeper and Billy Corgi) and "we felt dissatisfaction with some of the pretentiousness in the indie scene that pushed us over the edge and made us want to play songs about rocking and communism. We were all screamo/math/90s metalcore and 80s hardcore nerds and just wanted to do something fun for once."

Their tape EP begins with "#lust" and the thing hurls forth instantly with spastic, jarring and dancey-as-fuck sassy emo-violence/metalcore ala .gif from god and SeeYouSpaceCowboy and doesn't let up for its 1:28 tenure. Like...jesus fuck, where did this come from? The panic chords and dissonant instrumentals for the first 13 seconds or so are amazing, and their transition into super shrieky screamo takes flight another 12 seconds later with piercing vocals. Before the song hits 40 seconds more breakdowns are dumped down on an already overstimulated listener. By the time the song swings into its second minute your jaw will be on the fucking floor. Seriously, holy shit.

Next up is "assimilation vacation (vacation 4-eva)", another hard-hitting and intense piece of hardcore/metal that opens with and maintains a much slower, swaying and dirty panic riff that parties with those sassy vocals spoken/screamed by Carson, very much sounding like Connie from SeeYouSpaceCowboy. In the live video I've seen of this song (it's the first in the full set, linked here) the vocals sound way better than the demo I've embedded below. The screams are more piercing and the sass is dialed way up. That being said I still like the vox on the demo, but live and hopefully on the future recordings we'll be shredded.

Track three is titled "last call for molotovs-i'm pretty sure we are friends on facebook but i'm unsure and will probably not say anything to you" and it dives right into the screamy metalcore with a slight hardcore punk jab early on and a close that unravels itself into nothingness.

"i'm a loner dottie, an asshole" is the closer and it is the longest track, clocking in at 3:24. The opening is an eerie, sole guitar that soon walks past and drags along the remaining instruments with the vocals meeting up at 35 seconds, warbled, drunken and apathetic in delivery. This slow dance explodes into deep, heavy and jarring rhythms at 1:10 in typical KISS 2 style.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2017 - 2018 Demo cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) KISS 2 - "#lust" (from '2018 Demo')

(2017) KISS 2 - "assimilation vacation (vacation 4-eva)" (from '2018 Demo')

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KISS 2 additional links

Facebook

full set video on facebook

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***ENTZAUBERUNG exclusive premiere***

ENTZAUBERUNG

"Nimbostratus"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Get Fucked, Thisismenotthinkingofyou and Iscariote

Bandcamp

ENTZAUBERUNG is a solo project from Paris, France self described as an screamo/emo-violence project...so it obviously belongs here. The project began in 2014 and this is the third release, 'Drops', a full length focusing their song titles on massive collections of drops (aka clouds) and each song is named after a specific cloud formation. Today's premiere is track 6 of 10 and is titled "Nimbostratus". Idioteq.com will host a full stream with commentary on April 13th, 2018 so check that out!

(2018) ENTZAUBERUNG - "Nimbostratus" (from 'Drops')

At 1:01, "Nimbostratus" is on par with the rest of the album. In that time there's an audio clip coupled with with a engaging intro riff to start, followed by some ferocious, acidic and destroyed screaming (think Get Fucked or even Iscariote). About halfway through it pauses for an instant before the screamo hits hard, sounding like Daïtro with much darker, dual vocals. Damn, that's a banger. I should probably also mention that 'Drops' was mastered by Will Killingsworth. Cuz, y'know...Will Killingsworth.

***ARTORIAS exclusive song premiere***

ARTORIAS

"What Lies At The End Of My Intentions"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Meth, Into The Moat and Black Nail

Bandcamp
Facebook

After finding ARTORIAS on a facebook group via vocalist James, we set up an exclusive stream of the band's third track on their new 'Rout' EP that will be streaming on Idioteq.com on April 13th, 2018! It was recorded and mixed by Zack Farrar at Choir Room Audio and mastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden. Logo and cover by Connie Sgarbossa and promo photo by Angelo Rossi. A five-song tape will be released shortly thanks to the fine folks at Contrition Recordings, Posers Inc. and Jems. James had this to say about the song "What Lies At The End Of My Intentions", which we are premiering today:

"Lyrically, the song is about knowing what happens when you take on something you know you can't win against. Musically, the end of the song is inspired by our friends in, the now defunct, Black Nail. The guest vocals are actually Connor from that band, which wasn't originally planned but worked out really well."

Vocals - James /// Bass - Andrew /// Guitar - Evan /// Drums - Jon

(2018) ARTORIAS - "What Lies At The End Of My Intentions" (from 'Rout')

"What Lies At The End Of My Intentions" is just 54 seconds, but chances are you might die twice in that extremely short time frame. The first 20 seconds are dark, brooding and feedback laden. Then, holy fucking shit, the band chimes in together with an absolutely crushing breakdown mixed with a nice panic riff that'll send most readers of this blog into a goddamned frenzy. Truly the Black Nail song of the album. Wowza!

"What Lies At The End Of My Intentions" lyrics

Burdened by knowledge
Gifted with rage

Cracks forming
I fall apart
Light leaves me
Dark meets soul