Saturday 30 June 2018

***TENUE exclusive premiere***

"Anábasis"
exclusive LP premiere
For fans of: Perfect Blue, Drei AffenOstraca, We Watch Clouds, Respire, FolgoreRutka Laskier and Infant Island
From Galicia in Spain, TENUE is a three-piece post-hardcore/screamo band that has been gracious enough to offer OMSB an exclusive premiere for their new LP - and it's a goddamned banger. There are 7 tracks of driving, swelling and epic screamo with an excellent chill/soft and chaotic/screamy juxtaposition within each song, most of which hover around the five-minute mark. I think decent comparisons in sound would be Ostraca, Perfect Blue and We Watch Clouds. Here is the full album stream along with TENUE's little piece that they were kind enough to write for this premiere, so read it whilst jamming 'Anábasis' is all its glory! Further down is a track by track stream and description.

(2018) TENUE - 'Anábasis' full LP

Tenue is a band formed by 3 rural punx. We are from a small town in the Galician countryside (it's not in Spain). We play fast and violent sometimes. And sometimes slowly and melodically. We are a political band. Emotions are politics.

The word «Tenue» means weak, fragile, delicate, subtle, something that almost does not hold, that lacks intensity or strength. In the world in which we live it is difficult to keep emotionally stable and the flame that we have inside sometimes falters. This is one of our tools to keep going and keep it burning.

Our lyrics talk about how Domination crosses us emotionally. We cover all the aspects that come to mind, many that touch us closely. We talk about power relations and what they generate around us. Normality, madness and stigma; the state and how it has colonized our interior; the language, the territory...

We sing in Galician, not in Spanish. In Galiza there is a great problem of colonialism on the part of the Spanish centralist State that has been repressing our culture for centuries. We are not nationalists or leftists. We want to smash the state.

Our influence comes from our friends' bands. We love bands like Drei Affen, Marmol or Fuerzas Libres del Interior. 💓

Anábasis is a travel to our interior, our demons.
And we hope you want to travel with us.

~TENUE

(2018) TENUE - 1 - "Narrentum" (from 'Anábasis')
"Narrenturm" is a heaving opener, as it swells in dreamy, post-hardcore goodness for the first minute on the back of a deep and cavernous bass riff. This is met with twinkly guitars and syncopated drums that coincide with the vocals and lead to impending destruction by 2:25. By 3:30 shit gets extremely aggressive and the band has two members screaming back and forth, what an excellent start the LP!

(2018) TENUE - 2 - "Mythos" (from 'Anábasis')
"Mythos" is quite a bit shorter by standard TENUE length, and therefore it packs a wallop in just 3:15. Don't expect many slowdowns here, as this has a bit of a Danse Macabre kinda feel to it, just a lot bigger. That part from two minutes onward is fucking unreal.

(2018) TENUE - 3 - "Cisma" (from 'Anábasis')
The longest track on the album is "Cisma", clocking in at 6:31, and again, it's kind of what you'd expect structure-wise. It's big, epic and commanding. Fans of Vi Som Älskade Varandra Så Mycket, Respire and Infant Island will likely get a hella kick out of this tune, and the album in general, actually.

(2018) TENUE - 4 - "Vertixe" (from 'Anábasis')
"Vertixe" is the shortest on the album at almost three minutes in duration. It's a harrowing good time of thick, metallic hardcore riffs and breakneck drums. Not my favourite on the LP but it's a blazin' good time with an excellent second half.

(2018) TENUE - 5 - "Carne" (from 'Anábasis')
"Carne" opens with a riff that keeps crashing back onto itself, but eventually overcomes its own weight and spills out around 45 seconds in. By 1:35 the guitar will have a stranglehold on you and the vicious screaming takes it to the next level. The midsection takes a slight breather before the instrumentals come in like a juggernaut, complete with anguished screams and fantastic drum work. At 3:21 the song reaches its pinnacle and disperses itself like a universe exploding into existence.

(2018) TENUE - 6 - "Silencio" (from 'Anábasis')
"Silencio" might be my pick as best on the record, and that's sayin' something because this is truly a complete and consistent album. Balancing that perfect line between melody and violence, with the first two minutes definitely landing on the latter side. From two to three minutes there's a sweet soft/hard and call/response dynamic going on that gets itself built up into a frenzy. At post-three minutes it keeps hinting at shifting into relaxed, head-bobbin' mode but the song never eases up enough for it to stick around.

(2018) TENUE - 7 - "Am-Ar" (from 'Anábasis')
A fitting closer and another ace track, "Am-Ar" descends upon the listener like tornado in the night, striking after lulling you into a false sense of security. The song encapsulates everything that makes this release so interesting, intense and engrossing. By the time the fourth minute hits my jaw is generally in my lap and reminds me of We Watch Clouds and Folgore. Hot damn, what a ride.

Friday 29 June 2018

LOST BOYS

BandLOST BOYS
GenresPunk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Experimental
Related artists: Todlowski and Masada.
CountryNuremburg GERMANY
Years Active2016-present
Song: "zufall"
Album: "Fun"
Year: 2018
For fans of: We Watch Clouds, Tenue, Kid Feral, Storm{o}, Jungbluth, Cease Upon The CapitolПричал, Aporia, Old Guard, Mesa Verde, Crows-An Wra, A Flower Kollapsed and Masada aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / Icorrupt Records / À Fond d'Cale / La Soja / Dont Care Records / Lost State Records / Rakkerpak Records / Dingleberry Records / Désordre Ordonné
This post's artist is from the May 2018 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download: the June 2018 Mix#6 right here or get the new July 2018 Mix#7 here.

I didn't hear LOST BOYS until they released 'Fun' on 12"LP earlier this year and I was mighty impressed. Featuring members of Todlowski and the already reviewed Masada, the 10 songs blaze through in a under twenty minutes, containing mostly distorted, dark, screamy and slightly experimental hardcore.

In 2016 they self-released their debut, self-titled EP 'Lost Boys', and upon further inspection it sounds as one would expect after hearing only the 2018 LP...it's very good and an obvious starting point/stepping stone for the band's sound. The vocals are relatively similar but the instrumentals lack the sections where I'm bobbing my head and having my mind blown simultaneously. It's not bad by any means, it's just the predecessor to 'Fun' and that is obvious. Songs like "trocken", "kniefall" and "körpersprache 1" definitely bridge the gap between the older and newer sounds, although to be honest they aren't all that far off.

'Fun' opens with the jarring hardcore number "schälen" which doesn't even hit a minute before the sludgy, dark and screamy hardcore concludes. "tischgebet" is next and hits a killer slowdown and experimental shift from 50 seconds onward and it takes the cake as the best song, as those guitars are fucking awesome. "every now and then" opens with a purpose (as well as a catchy guitar progression) and drives home like a stake in the heart, but again incorporates some interesting stuff that kinda reminds me of Crows-An Wra but much more abrasive. "zufall" is another sick tune with an expansive instrumental opening that detonates at 40 seconds not unlike some earlier Jungbluth material. At 1:19 the song hits full stride and it's mesmerizing, good god, so good. The rest of the songs are decent as well but the previous three that I just mentioned are my top guns, with "punk singer" taking top honours among the remaining tracks, reminding me of the dirty playfulness of Old Guard. Oh, also, "vergebung (pt. 1)" opens with a beautifully distorted riff that I could listen to on repeat all day.

I've never seen LOST BOYS live, but I have seen, played with and put on shows for Gillian Carter, so missing this tour if you have the chance is just plain screamo blasphemy. Here's the poster and most of the dates.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2016 - Lost Boys cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2018 - Fun 12"LP (stream/donate/download here) [buy from ZBR distro here]

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(2018) LOST BOYS - "zufall" (from 'Fun')

(2018) LOST BOYS - "tischgebet" (from 'Fun')

(2018) LOST BOYS - "every now and then" (from 'Fun')

(2016) LOST BOYS - "kniefall" (from 'Lost Boys')

(2016) LOST BOYS - "körpersprache 1" (from 'Lost Boys')

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LOST BOYS additional links



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Wednesday 27 June 2018

***METH. exclusive interview***

BandMETH.
GenresPunk / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence / Noise / Ambient / Experimental / Electronic / Art Rock
Related artistsTweak, Black Nail, Cadence Fox, Citrus Wavelengths, Other Masquerades, Split Tongue, When Beauty Burns, Women Drivers, Dead Hummingbird and Bird Law.
CountryChicago, Illinois U.S.A.
Years Active2017-present
Song: "Opaque Release"
Album: "I Love You"
Year: 2018
For fans ofMe And Him Call It Us, Destroyer Destroyer, .gif from god, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Letters To Catalonia, Caust, The Great Redneck Hope, Hayworth, Black Nail, Cadence Fox, (early) Examination Of The..., In Loving Memory, Usurp Synapse, Discordance Axis, Letters In Binary, Enkephalin, Gas Up Yr Hearse!, Kiss The Sky Goodbye, Kiss 2, Egarra, Euglena, The Chariot, Warsaw Was Raw, Daughters, Swan Of Tuonela and Binary aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / R.I.P. In Peace Records / Mimizu Izuru
This post's artist is from the May 2018 Mix. This is track #1.
You can download: the June 2018 Mix#6 right here or get the new July 2018 Mix#7 here.

METH. is the brainchild of Seb Alvarez, a ridiculously talented individual that I started to get to know more when I reviewed their other mathy, screamy hardcore band Cadence Fox. It was around that time that I was starting to listen to METH., which is kind of similar but also very different. METH. recorded a few demos in 2016 ("I Am Numb" and "Buried in the Woods (demo)"), and EP in 2017 and then another EP in 2018. All of them are amazing and accumulate to only 13 tracks, most of which are short, so I highly recommend checking them out.

METH.'s debut EP is titled 'The Children are Watching' and begins with the absolute mindfuck that is "The Bed in the Forest" that has mad Me And Him Call It Us vibes around 25 seconds in with brain shattering noise which also bears resemblance to Destroyer Destroyer, especially in the vocal department. "Hazelona" is next and is a mere 23 seconds but there's so much in there that it'll take you a week to unpack...also, it's fucking wild. "The Mother's Garden" follows and is 20 seconds of screaming before a behemoth of a breakdown is dropped on you, and I'd expect fans of SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Black Nail and Letters To Catalonia to be all over this. Fourth is "It Wasn't an Accident" which is also 23 seconds of carnage, followed by the phenomenal "Elder Body" (yes, it truly is the sound of the world dying) to close out this initial EP. Briefly after its release, the song "Buried in the Woods" was added which includes additional help from Jordan (R.I.P. In Peace Records) and it's a freaky, uncomfortable trek through the dark subconscious mind of experimental hardcore and heavy music.

It wasn't until early 2018 that I actually delved into METH.'s material, as that is when their newest EP 'I Love You' was released. And guess what? It's fucking amazing. At this point METH. is a six-piece band so this release has a lot more depth and things to look out for and is in no way a straight-ahead record in any sense. It opens with "Opaque Release"...and holy shit. The first quarter is committed to a noise intro that pops at 45 with a silly array of noisy, extreme metalcore with emo-violence tendencies. Who cares what genre it is, it's fucking amazing. The work from 59 seconds to 1:18 is spectacular and leads to the climax at 1:36, bearing resemblance to the other members' Black Nail and their ability to rip a hole in the space-time continuum using prodigious panic riffs. "Shuttering Impulse" opens going full speed and doesn't let up. The song is crushing, driving and submerged in feedback with an ending post 1:30 that will drill a hole in your skull, The Following style. "Prayer in Shallow Water" sounds like a nightmare about drowning and is an instrumental interlude, albeit a pretty long one considering the average length of a METH. song. "Ascend and Dispose" brings things back to the hardcore with 2:34 of the band's eerie, extreme hardcore, which I might as well dub nightmarecore cuz this shit is downright freaky. "You are Home" finishes off the EP and even has a music video, with the song sounding like a lighter version of METH.'s chaotic hardcore, with more focus on crooned vocals and slower, sludgier instrumentals. If the band is going off on a tangent with future recordings my guess is that this track is the bridge that will gap this release and the next.

The band is writing a new LP and I expect it to be one of the best of the year...maybe 2019? I dunno.

Hey, look! I interviewed Seb about METH.

METH. Interview
w/Seb Alvarez

Is it meth or meth.? It started as your solo project, if I'm not mistaken?
Its "meth." Yeah it started as my solo project in 2016 and then I added Black Nail as my backing band.

Why did you start meth. and why the name?
METH. started a few years ago when I was recording with my friend Zack (also our current guitarist). I wrote a song at his studio over the span of a few hours and decided to just release it as a spurt of the moment demo. I've always wanted to name a project meth., as the name has always had an element of darkness to it that I felt captures the vibe of what I've always wanted to do in a band. There's more to it than just the dark vibe but I would rather not really dip into that aspect of it.

How would you describe meth. to someone who doesn't listen to aggressive music? And what about to someone who does?
I've never been good at describing my own music, especially to people who aren't familiar with the style all that much haha. When coworkers ask what type of music I play I usually just say "loud and noisy" and then say "yes" to whatever band they think we sound like cause it's just a lot easier to deal with people that way. I would honestly probably say the same thing to someone who listens to the style as well but maybe throw a band in for reference even though I'm never 100% on who people think we sound like haha.

And what other bands have y'all been in?
Our other bands are Tweak, Black Nail, Cadence Fox, Dead Hummingbird and Bird Law.

Plus the others in your demos comp, right? Like Women Drivers etc.?
Oh yeah, if you wanna involve all those you can but those were more or less just one off projects I was in.

What bands have most influenced meth.? Besides Me And Him Call It Us 😉
It's weird cause we hear the MAHCIU comparison all the time and I don't think I ever really thought to go intentionally in that direction haha but I suppose it lingers there. Honestly it's easy to say but Daughters and Hayworth are an obvious one but a lot of the weird noisy stuff comes from bands like Wreck And ReferenceSwans and just my natural love for obnoxious noise. Our newer material definitely strays more away from the metalcore nature of 'I Love You' but we definitely are not abandoning it. I'm very anxious to see how people receive that all.

Word! Was the first EP released on anything?
Yup! Both were released on cassette, 'The Children are Watching' was released by RIP in Peace Records in the US and Mimizu Izuru in Europe. 'I Love You' is self released. And I believe the "Buried in the Woods" demo and "I Am Numb" demo were released in 2016. They were home demos I did before the first EP as METH.

Is the 2018 "untitled demo" from the 'I Love You' session or just a self recorded session?
The 2018 demo was a scrapped idea from 'I Love You'.

What made you want to make METH. a full band?
We decided to expand into a full band back in November. I was playing in Tweak at the time and we were recording what would be my last album with them as they moved across the country to Rhode Island. Connor from Black Nail was moving with them as well and we talked about just trading members with me taking Connors spot in Black Nail and him taking my place in Tweak. The Black Nail thing didn't really pan out as those songs are very much Connor and the feeling of doing those songs without him just wouldn't be right. I released 'The Children are Watching' a few months earlier and had contemplated running that as a full band anyways and it all kind of just fell into place. We added Zack and Matt shortly after and have been adamantly writing ever since.

How have the live shows been?
The live shows have been really great. The reception has been very positive and we've been having a lot of fun with it all. We're only two shows in so far but have a lot going on the rest of this summer that I'm looking forward to.

What is next for METH.?
Right now we've been working on our LP. That's the primary focus for us at the moment. We have a few short tours coming up through the rest of the year and plans to do a lot more in 2019 once the record is closer to being completed. We have some other stuff that we can't announce yet as well that I think people will be stoked about once that comes out.

What you jammin' nowadays?
I've been in a constant cycle of listening to Have a Nice LifeGirl Band and Wreck And Reference recently. Those bands are constant go to's for me. As far as recent stuff, I have really been digging the new Life in Vacuum record a lot.

Thank you, Seb!!!
I really appreciate the interview! I have so much respect for all the work you do and the genuine love you emanate while doing so.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2016 - Demo sessions (released on 'Demos / Singles / Miscellaneous Works)

2017 - The Children are Watching digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

2018 - I Love You cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)
2018 - Demos / Singles / Miscellaneous Works digital comp (stream/donate/download here)

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(2018) METH. - "Opaque Release" (from 'I Love You')

(2018) METH. - "Shuttering Impulse" (from 'I Love You')

(2018) METH. - "You are Home" (from 'I Love You') official music video

(2018) METH. - full set live video

(2017) METH. - "The Mother's Garden" (from 'The Children are Watching')

(2017) METH. - "Elder Body" (from 'The Children are Watching')

(2016) METH. - "I Am Numb" (from 'Demos / Singles / Miscellaneous Works')

(2016) METH. - "Buried in the Woods (demo version)" (from 'Demos / Singles / Miscellaneous Works')

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METH. additional links
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Monday 25 June 2018

MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH

BandMASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH
GenresPunk / Post-Punk / Sass-Rock / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Noise / Ambient / Experimental
Related artistsDes Ark, Dance Danse El Capitan, Polyon, Pinkwash, Xanax, Hume, Antlers, Danke, The Guilt and Siblings.
CountryWashington, D.C. U.S.A.
Years Active2004-2006
Song: "One"
Album: "Finally"
Year: 2004
For fans ofDiva Plavalaguna, Snack Truck, Ultra Dolphins, Fear Before The March Of Flames, Short Hair, The Post Office Gals, The Flying Worker, Genghis Tron, An Albatross, Flashbulb Memory, The Avenging Disco Godfathers Of Soul, The Snacks, Siblings, XBXRX, The Catalyst, Meth And Goats, A/N/DRolo Tomassi and Campaign Committee aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / Exotic Fever Records / Alone Records / The Perpetual Motion Machine / Electric Human Project / Pink Noise Records / Voyager Sound Research / Discern Direction Records / Goembessa
This post's artist is from the May 2018 Mix. This is track #7.
You can download: the June 2018 Mix#6 right here or get the new July 2018 Mix#7 here.

I was reminded to write a review for MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH after hanging out with my friends Miggy and Dov at their place in Vancouver, as they both love a good synthy screamo song and I decided to show them "One" by the band. If I must delve further into the sound I'd start by saying that this is what the Groovie Ghoulies might sound like if they listened to hardcore, screamo and experimental music. I managed to grab their cd when it was first released and followed the band up until (but not including) their final release.

In 2004 the band self released 'Finally' on cd and in 2006 it was re-released with newer recordings or something on vinyl and retitled 'Finale', but I just stick to the original. "One" is my fucking MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH anthem. Opening with dark and haunting synths, the ridiculous bass riff and palm muted guitars are led by the drums until 50 seconds when those screams cut through like a knife. Don't think there aren't dancey bits amidst the chaos, because likening this to An Albatross and Snack Truck isn't even close to being far fetched. "Two" has more eerie synths at the beginning and end but the track is generally a mixture of garage rock and screamo with puked vocals. The verses sound a lot like Transistor Transistor...so that's amazing. "Three" is a typical mindfuck for the EP and a great song, while "Four" is even better as it settles into a frantic, screamy, sassy hardcore groove right away and continues for over a minute before the song dips into its midsection, but it pulls up at about 2:10 before trailing off after three. The closer "Five" doesn't even make it to two minutes but is just as good as the first track and boasts some seriously sick screamo that makes connections to Genghis Tron and The Flying Worker

In 2005 they released a 'split 7" w/ Sing! Sing! Prison!' that houses "This Potion Knows No Other" (a mind fuck that is the most An Albatross of all their work) and "Acknowledge" (a disturbing electronic/noise track with simultaneous screaming and talking). In 2006 they were a part of the 'Polar split 7"' as well as 'The Catalyst split' LP. The former includes the demo version of "Seven" (the band's first foray big step into rock over screamo) and another tune titled "Silence" (a subdued opening with an instrumental midsection and pretty heavy close). The latter has five tracks that find a sassy balance between An Albatross, Ultra Dolphins and Fear Before. My favourite from their side is "Stuck in the Segue" (as it speeds through synths, feedback and dancey hardcore) but "Hotel Fever" and "The Trickery of Tom Saywer" are also worth noting.

In late 2006 the band released their final batch of new recordings. 'Outerspace' is much more rock oriented and gone are the screams, with the vocals taking a Fear Before sound in their post-screaming tone...although this was released before Fear Before The March Of Flames ever changed their name and recorded that last record. Anyhoos, "Idle Minds Speak In Binary" and "Fang", "Crimps and Ties"and "De-Viced" are more like weird rock, but "Seven" lays on more hardcore than anything else and it bridges the gap between old and new MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH. "Ous We Are" is much of the same, with a nutty scat ending and a scream or two, making it sound like an even weirder Ultra Dolphins. The standout song is "2:13 Am" as it is the only screamo song on here. Other tracks worth checking out are "Riddle Me 666", "Translucent Insides" and "Crime".

In 2007, and posthumously, the band released a digital collection of further b-sides and rarities called 'Beyond'. This, much like the 2005 cassette 'Funally' are mostly remixes and electronic songs that some might dig, but don't do much for me.

If you like this band I would highly recommend two active bands cut from the same cloth, Vancouver's Diva Plavalaguna and Boston's Campaign Committee

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DISCOGRAPHY

2004 - Finally cdEP (stream/donate/download here)

2005 - Sing! Sing! Prison! split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)
2005 - Funally cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here)

2006 - Polar split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)
2006 - Two Thousand And 666 (split w/The Catalyst) cd/12"LP (stream/donate/download here)
2006 - Outerspace cd/12"LP (stream/donate/download here)
2006 - Finale cd/10"/12"EP (stream/donate/download here)

2007 - Beyond digital LP (stream/donate/download here)
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(2004) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "One" (from 'Finally')

(2004) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Five" (from 'Finally')

(2004) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Two" (from 'Finally')

(2005) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "This Potion Knows No Other" (from 'Sing! Sing! Prison!' split)

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Silence" (from 'Polar' split)

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Stuck in the Segue" (from 'Two Thousand And 666')

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "2:13 Am" (from 'Outerspace')

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Seven" (from 'Outerspace')

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Ous We Are" (from 'Outerspace')

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MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH additional links
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Sunday 24 June 2018

***PUNCHLINE HUNTING SEASON exclusive premiere***

"Sleepless in Shokudō"
exclusive EP premiere
For fans ofRuined Families, The Great Sabatini, Callow, Apostles Of Eris, Remote, Turing Machine and EYES
I am happy to bring a brand spankin' new premiere for your listening pleasure. Antwerp, Belgium's PUNCHLINE HUNTING SEASON has graciously let me drop their third EP titled 'Sleepless in Shokudō'. In four songs, the listener is met with a myriad of styles that will bend the mind while simultaneously puncturing your ear holes. Members have spent time in Bob SagetCharles³Ihloosuhree and Cyclus, citing Town Portal, True Champions Ride On Speed and Kidcrash.

The EP begins with the only lengthy title, "The disadvantage of eating mashed potatoes out of a rice bowl with chopsticks". It is a wonky and disturbing subterranean ride through experimental post-hardcore with an awesome transition taking place at 1:40 that takes this opener to its next level. "Rackmoth" (awesome title, by the way) focuses on some very interesting riffing during the first minute that makes this sound very different from other hardcore bands writing...it almost sounds like 8-bit music through a guitar and it's sick as fuck. "Superaidstiger" begins sounding like an entirely new band with some sweet guitar noodlin' that brings jazzy, atmospheric prog-rock to mind. The song then shifts into spacey post-hardcore territory with vocals not far from Ruined Families. While the first three track combine for a total of 10 or so minutes, the closer "Sleepless" is a whopping 11:58. It's like a behemoth of a man, ambling slowly and awkwardly down a dark street, muttering something under his breath that sounds like a scream. Woah...that's pretty vivid, but also isn't a great description. Besides, when two minutes hit the song takes a pretty mathy blast into the fastest and most aggressive material on the release, at three minutes you can recline in a chair and go to sleep, at four you may go back in time or possibly fall into your own brain, by five you might be floating in space, then there's a few minutes of silence and a final denouement that weaves acoustic guitars and 80s sci-fi music to conclude this mindfuck.

Enough vague and weird descriptions, jam it below.

(2018) PUNCHLINE HUNTING SEASON - 'Sleepless in Shokudō' full EP

Friday 22 June 2018

JENNIFER

BandJENNIFER
GenresPunk / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Noise / Sludge
Related artists?.
CountryPhiladelphia, PA U.S.A.
Years Active2017-present
Song: "A Deer in the Corner Store at Night"
Album: "Love Message for the Void"
Year: 2017
For fans of: Moxiebeat, Straight No Chaser, Barrow, Channel, Majority Rule, Rats Into RobotsOld Guard, The Catalyst, (early) Vaux and Council Of Rats aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the May 2018 Mix. This is track #12.
You can download: the June 2018 Mix#6 right here or get the new July 2018 Mix#7 here.

Review by Tom Schlatter:

I believe JENNIFER started out as a solo project by artist Nao Demand. The songs posted on the JENNIFER bandcamp feature all music and vocals done by Nao. It's a perfect balance of big guitar riffing with technical chaos. The reverb on the vocals adds a feeling of darkness, as they stick mostly to all out screams but delve slightly into eerie melodies once in a while.

With fast and frantic phrasing and songs that typically don't break a minute you have to pay attention to catch all the magic here. There's some precise musicianship here that goes above and beyond.

The band is now playing live shows with a full five person lineup. I caught them in Philadelphia a couple months ago and was happy to see that these songs translated excellent in a live setting. The musicians that Nao has recruited are top notch and definitely give these songs the treatment they deserve.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2017 - Love Message for the Void digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) JENNIFER - "Meeting in the Moonlight When You are There" (from 'Love Message for the Void')

(2017) JENNIFER - "Mirror My Skull" (from 'Love Message for the Void')

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JENNIFER additional links
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Wednesday 20 June 2018

***KOMUSŌ exclusive premiere***

BandKOMUSŌ
GenresPunk / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence
Related artists5000, Cape Light, Bug, Tree, Zov, Careless, No Omega, Time To Heal, Mystery LanguageDagdrömmarna and Det är därför vi bygger städer.
CountryTokyo JAPAN
Years Active2017-present
Song: "輪姦"
Album: "Komusō"
Year: 2018
For fans ofSans Visage, Yage, (early) Loma Prieta, Cassus, Yarmulke, Blue Friend, Cape Light, Youth Novel, Bethari, Tunes For Bears To Dance To, D'Amore, One Dying Wish, Louise Cyphre and Deers! aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Damn Fine Tapes
This post's artist is from the May 2018 Mix. This is track #2.
You can download: the June 2018 Mix#6 right here or get the new July 2018 Mix#7 here.

KOMUSŌ is a new band from Tokyo featuring members of 5000, Cape Light, Mystery Language, Careless, No Omega and Det är därför vi bygger städer, to name a few. They play an incredibly engaging style of screamo/emo-violence and this is the exclusive premiere for their new 'Komusō' cassette EP. Grab said cassette here.

First, let's start with an exclusive introduction by my friend Gabriel. Gabriel plays drums in KOMUSŌ but I've known them since the earlier days in Sweden as a member of Careless and Det är därför vi bygger städer.

"Since I’m kinda the outsider coming from Sweden I’ll give you my perspective. So our paths kinda crossed on the No Omega Japanese tour in 2015, but we didn’t really get in touch until the Careless/Sans Visage Japanese tour in 2016 where we played a few shows with 5000. Hiro, the guitar player/singer of KOMUSŌ, is in 5000 and they're seriously one of the best live bands I’ve seen. Following that, I met Makito (guitar/vocals) and Takuya (bass). The Time To Heal Japanese tour in 2017 made room for more time to hang out, and by then I knew I was moving there later that year, so we kinda loosely started planning on doing a band when I got there. I moved to Japan in September 2017 and we basically started jamming immediately.

The first stuff we wrote doesn’t at all sound like what we actually recorded, and ended up being scrapped. The next three songs we’re recording soon, won’t really sound like this cassette either. These new songs are gonna end up on a split with a Tokyo-based band we all like a lot!

We’re all super happy that the cassette is available in North America through you and in Europe through Damn Fine Tapes. We’re making a bunch here as well, so we’re really happy about the coverage."

Now it's my turn to gush about KOMUSŌ's self titled 'Komusō' EP, whilst premiering it to you in full.



"暗宿" opens with a slow, twinkly riff that sounds so much like Yage that I've been crapping my pants ever since hearing it. There's an incredible mixture of styles that encompass the sounds of a few bands, but Yage crossed with Sans Visage would be pretty goddamned apt if I may say so myself...and I believe I just did. The riff is met with a dueling guitar, drums and bass, as well as half yelled half sung vocals that build the intro into a swirling breeze that shifts violently at 45 seconds, but still retains the swaying, groovy melody. After switching back to the opening and moving into the second section again, the song slows considerably, relying on an entrancing bass loop and sporadic guitars that have a Saetia/Off Minor vibe. Jesus fucks christ what an debut track.

Next up is the first of two shorter, faster and much screamier tracks, titled "輪姦". This has strong ties to the sound Loma Prieta had on their early records as well as the stuff Youth Novel was doing back with their demo EP. It was after hearing this beaut online that I contacted Gabriel pleading for the band to let me make some tapes for them in North America. In only a minute and a half the band lays waste to the listener with thick, venomous screaming, lightning drums with a ridiculous amount of fills, booming bass and guitars that are the epitome of emo-violence. Hmmmm, so I guess this kinda sounds like Cassus, then.

KOMUSŌ move back into moodier, swelling, screamy hardcore for the third track "一斉蜂起". Not unlike the first track, this thing relies on mood and textures to create an eerie yet tranquil atmosphere. The vocals begin with the yell/sing/scream thing that bring the German legends Yage to mind every time. And those drums, good lord, Gabriel keeps a mean beat and is a pleasure to listen to. It pops at 36 seconds and drops a sick guitar lick that might be the most memorable thing on the EP...and then it jazzes out like a screamo version of Primus before returning to that chorus perfection. By two minutes the song shifts into its second phase, pumping out constant bass notes and weaving beautiful, intricate guitars in a way that fellow Japanese math-rock band Hue did a few years back.

The finale and outright scorcher "約束" ends the EP in a 44-second blast of dizzying emo-violence that contains at least five different sections and boasts unreal dual screaming. There's no point in saying more about it because it's so short and awesome that you should just go listen to it, especially if you like Louise Cyphre and Bethari.

So there are the songs on this debut cassette release. There was a European pressing of the tape on Damn Fine Tapes released a week or two ago on white with white covers which you can purchase here. Below are the cassette details for the Zegema Beach Records edition:

KOMUSŌ - Komusō cassetteEP (ZBR119)
***60 copies with four tape variants and five cover variants
      *tape variants:
                - 20 clear w/blue+gold glitter
                - 20 rubine red
                - 10 gold plated (painted)
                - 10 silver plated (painted)
      *cover variants (made to order):
                - venus violet (cardstock)
                - lunar blue (cardstock)
                - solar yellow (cardstock)
                - gamma green (cardstock)
                - re-entry red (cardstock)
***4 songs, 2 per side
***8 minutes in length
***orders come w/free Komusō sticker + ZBR sticker

ORDER from Zegema Beach Records here

ORDER European version from Damn Fine Tapes here

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DISCOGRAPHY

2018 - Komusō cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here) [order tape from ZBR here]

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(2018) KOMUSŌ - "暗宿" (from 'Komusō')

(2018) KOMUSŌ - "輪姦" (from 'Komusō')

(2018) KOMUSŌ - "一斉蜂起" (from 'Komusō')

(2018) KOMUSŌ - "約束" (from 'Komusō')

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KOMUSŌ additional links
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Tuesday 19 June 2018

ZVLETA

BandZVLETA
GenresPunk / Metallic Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Screamo / Skramz / Mathcore
Related artists?.
CountryPueblo MEXICO
Years Active2017-present
Song: "Altar"
Album: "Melancolía"
Year: 2018
For fans ofJoliette, The Bled, Lyed, Left Astray, (early) This Day Forward, Converge, Envy, Belladone, Folly and Versus The Mirror aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Emocat Records
This post's artist is from the May 2018 Mix. This is track #4.
You can download: the June 2018 Mix#6 right here or get the new July 2018 Mix#7 here.

With the release of 'Melancolía' by Mexico's two-piece ZVLETA came a submission that I checked out and was immediately impressed by, as their debut 7-song EP (released on tape from Vancouver's own Emocat Records) is pretty goddamned sweet. Their Joliette influence is worn on their sleeve, but the band opts for the heavier, sludgier and darker elements and somehow do so with only a drummer and guitarist/vocalist.

Their EP opens with "Ciudad asesina", a certified banger. This thing is larger in scale and incorporates more post-hardcore elements than most tracks on the release. "Vagaundo" follows and is less than half of the length, 1:54 in this instance. It blazes through with some ridiculous drumming and brings The Bled to mind. "Altar" is another short song which builds a subdued intro that erupts at 30 seconds and inserts a killer metal riff at 1:17. "Despertar" begins like it's gonna be chill, but instead it balances the perfect amount of melody with aggression, making it one of the highlights and reminding me of early This Day Forward. "Concreto" probably takes the cake as my favourite ZVLETA song thus far as it absolutely crushes and collapses under its own metalcore weight after just 1:27, sounding very much like a mixture of The Bled and Joliette. "Blvrd" boasts some nicely layered singing amidst the bellowing screams and closer "Silencio" sums up the album perfectly, making the 18-minute record not too long or too short.

I know the band has some songs that'll likely be recorded soon and hopefully see the light of day in late 2018 or early 2019, but I'd wager on the former.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2017 - ZVLETA & OVEJA PROJECT digital single (stream/donate/download here)

2018 - Melancolía cassetteEP (stream/donate/download/buy tape here)

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(2018) ZVLETA - "Concreto" (from 'Melancolía')

(2018) ZVLETA - "Altar" (from 'Melancolía')

(2018) ZVLETA - "Despertar" (from 'Melancolía') live video

(2018) ZVLETA & OVEJA PROJECT - "The Other Day" official music video

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ZVLETA additional links


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