LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS

Band: LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: Citycop.
Country: Akron, Ohio U.S.A.
Years Active: 2017-present
Song: "if i had been in that water, dead"
Album: "Lowmeninyellowcoats"
Year: 2019
For fans of: The Fall Of Troy, Gillian Carter, Cougar Den, D'Amore, Dawn Treader, Eyes Of Verotika, Bravo Fucking Bravo, Daniel Striped Tiger, Snag, People's Temple Project and Terry Green.

Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Tomb Tree Tapes

This post's artist is from the January 2020 Mix. This is track #1.

You can download: the January 2020 Mix#1 right here or get the new February 2020 Mix#2 here.

LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS are the second band in a row that were introduced to me by the great USofDave (aka Dave Cullen in Crowning/ZBR U.S.A.). After helping me with ZBR for a few months he asked if we could do something for a band he'd been following, and he'd take care of everything. And so he did. Low and behold the 'Lowmeninyellowcoats' LP came about on Zegema Beach Records as well as our sibling label Tomb Tree Tapes and it's a fucking banger of riff-heavy, screamy, audio-clip savvy hardcore. I think the closest comparisons I've got are Gillian Carter, Cougar Den and Terry Green with a touch of The Fall Of Troy, which is pretty goddamn sick company.

The three-piece from Akron, Ohio originally released a five-song demo in 2017 called, fittingly enough, 'summerdemo'17' that despite it's low quality production, turned some heads. Most of those songs ended up on the LP, including "do you need me out there, do you need my assistance?", "submitted for the approval of the midnight society" (over two tracks), "light up the eyes, boys. light up the eyes" and "the importance of being ernest scared stupid" so we'll just jump to said full length.

'Lowmeninyellowcoats' was released on September 11th, 2019 and opens with "do you need me out there, do you need my assistance?", sitting on a subdued clip and acoustic guitar for nearly 20 seconds before the frenzied guitar slides and gets things going LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS style. Ridiculously fast drummin', equally rapid bassin', broken screams and some seriously distinguishable guitar wizardry, all wrapped up come 2:14 with an excellent, epic, slowdown. "you're a marshmallow, glenn", "touch fuzzy, get dizzy" and "light up the eyes, boys. light up the eyes" have a more aggressive edge, and in doing so end up being slightly shorter than the other tracks. "submitted for the approval of the midnight society" has a nice jammy opening that builds up steam and goes all out by the 35-second mark. I love the crunchy palm-muting in this song, as well as the multiple stop/starts, guitar squeals and screamiest of all of their vocals, not to mention that excellent vocal placement and lyrics during the somber section at 2:43, "I'm so sorry starry eyes I was tongue-tied, and my memory is all black and white." If you enjoyed the chill stuff then you'll dig the acoustic/instrumental and very Die Emperor Die-esque "dr funke's 100% natural good time family band solution". "i have to return some videotapes" attempts to balance the chill with the chaotic and does so quite well, "the importance of being ernest scared stupid" is both excellently titled and after a minute intro it fucking rips. "if i had been in that water, dead" may have been written by Merlin himself, cuz that's some Hot Cross/Gaff shit right there. Closing track "spit spit saliva spit. you want some gum_ get your own, twit." is remarkably dark compared to the rest of the record and spends a good 1:45 on an expansive, experimental journey through some subterranean caverns before emerging above ground, delirious and rabid. Things get pretty dangerous around 2:20 with the band laying waste to their instruments before being subdued and strapped down for disturbingly proficient screamo behaviour.

I dunno what's next, but I'll be all the fuck over it.

________________________________________

DISCOGRAPHY

2017 - summerdemo'17 digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

2019 - Lowmeninyellowcoats cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here) [buy from ZBR distro U.S. / everywhere else]

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(2019) LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS - "if i had been in that water, dead" (from 'Lowmeninyellowcoats')

(2019) LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS - "do you need me out there, do you need my assistance?" (from 'Lowmeninyellowcoats')

(2019) LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS - "submitted for the approval of the midnight society" (from 'Lowmeninyellowcoats')

(2017) LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS - "III [aka light up the eyes, boys. light up the eyes demo]" (from 'summerdemos'17')

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LOWMENINYELLOWCOATS additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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SECOND GUESSING

Band: SECOND GUESSING

Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: ?.
Country: Utrecht NETHERLANDS
Years Active: 2013-present
Song: "Villa dall'Ava"
Album: "Tijd Verdringt"
Year: 2019
For fans of: Frameworks, Bright Calm Blue, Ecorche, Caravels, Boneflower, Pianos Become The Teeth, Suis La Lune, Vi Som Älskade Varandra Så Mycket, To Be Gentle, Aviator, La Dispute, Congratulations and The Reptilian.

Label(s): Smithsfoodgroup DIY / Mosh Potatoes

This post's artist is from the January 2020 Mix. This is track #3.

You can download: the January 2020 Mix#1 right here or get the new February 2020 Mix#2 here.

I first heard about SECOND GUESSING when I was on tour with Crowning and Swallows Nest. Dave Cullen and I were perusing records in a distro when he started flipping out that he found some copies and told me to check it out. We grabbed a few for the Zegema Beach distro without me even hearing it because he was so stoked. And with just reason, 'Tijd Verdringt' is fucking awesome.

But let's start with their 2014 debut 'Cycles of Disappointment', which sounds like it might be a collection of four digital songs instead of an EP, but I'm not sure. "Bark From the Trees" is a good, groovy opener that makes a snappy exit at 2:05 to make way for "Distraction/Frustration", my personal favourite that hits equal parts Frameworks and Suis La Lune with both driving and heavenly sections. "Hounds" is a trippy, uncomfortable shoegaze/post-hardcore tune and closer "The Wind Picked Up" is led by a badass bass riff, swirling guitars, multiple vocalists and a gorgeous midsection.

I don't know what happened in those 5 years, but luckily they popped back up with an even better EP effort with the silkscreened b-side 12" 'Tijd Verdringt'. It begins with the enthralling "Villa dall'Ava" which, after a brief/quiet intro, goes full-on at double the speed of any song from their previous EP. The guitars sound massive and when mixed with the throat-shredding and cathartic screams from the vocalist. There's a shift at around 1:36 that reminds me a lot of Bright Calm Blue and early Frameworks, making it a dancey, groovy transition that brings us to the climax after the two-minute mark. "De Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie" is a quick banger, "Thorn" is a lengthier jam rooted in the post-hardcore, "Leo Brouwer" is up there with the opener as their best/most versatile work (that swaying groove at 2:19 fucking rules) and finale "Arvo Pärt" is the band's longest and perhaps most epic jam.

Hopefully we don't have to wait five years to hear what's next, cuz this band is on the up and up.

________________________________________

DISCOGRAPHY

2014 - Cycles of Disappointment cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2019 - Tijd Verdringt (stream/donate/download here) [buy from ZBR distro]

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(2019) SECOND GUESSING - "Leo Brouwer" (from 'Tijd Verdringt')

(2019) SECOND GUESSING - "Villa dall'Ava" (from 'Tijd Verdringt')

(2019) SECOND GUESSING - "Thorn" (from 'Tijd Verdringt')

(2014) SECOND GUESSING - "The Wind Picked Up" (from 'Cycles of Disappointment')

(2014) SECOND GUESSING - "Distraction/Frustration" (from 'Cycles of Disappointment')

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SECOND GUESSING additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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PODCAST #38 - 2019 Review (w/Lisa Clements)

My partner Lisa and I do a podcast at least once a year, and recently have been doing them in January as a sort of year-end wrap-up. This "2019 Review" podcast blasts through 9 songs with commentary and a lot of Dave cackling like a hyena in the span of just under 60 minutes. Podcast #38 is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

1
A PARAMOUNT, A LOVE SUPREME - "catastrophising" (Dave)
GLASSING - "Lobe" (Lisa)
BOB'S BURGERS - "Bruce the Goose" (Dave)

2
CAVE IN - "Strange Reflection" (Dave)

SNAG - "Foam Cup Pt.II" (Lisa)

FRAIL BODY - "Fixed" (Dave)

3
MILLION DEAD - "Asthma" (Dave)
TRÖPICAL ICE LAND - "Teresa" (Lisa)

NERVER - "Imminent Death Syndrome" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #38 linked here
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KMKMS

Band: KMKMS

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: Slavedriver, The Anchors and Amok.
Country: Nagoya JAPAN
Years Active: 2013-2017
Song: "Dante"
Album: "Blue Friend split"
Year: 2015
For fans of: Yarmulke, Yage, Evylock, Blue Friend, Broken Fingers, Cease Upon The Capitol, HerLens, Shotmaker, Forget Me Not, D'Amore, Tunes For Bears To Dance To, Apollo 18, Hollow Jan, Edhochuli, Orbit Cinta Benjamin, Sweetheart, Istalah, Dip Leg and Zdzis Law.

Label(s): Dog Knights Productions / Like A Fool Records / Impulse Records

This post's artist is from the January 2020 Mix. This is track #2.

You can download: the January 2020 Mix#1 right here or get the new February 2020 Mix#2 here.

The Japanese five-piece KMKMS played a jazzy, sassy and playful take on screamy hardcore. Information in English on this band is sparse to say the least. After much searching I have found the 'Blue Friend split' 7" material (which is where I found out about the band), a teaser for the 'Peelingwards split', a song on the 'Confidence' 2x7", a Soundcloud link (with all of their demos) and a bunch of live videos.

Their first recordings show up the 'Peelingwards split' 7" and they drop arguably their best ever track "ドラキュラ" first. Unfortunately I haven't found the recordings of these songs and have only seen them in live videos. Check it out along with "Trash Metal" in the youtube embeds below.

The two songs on the 'Blue Friend split' 7" are great and are what inspired me to write the review and frantically search for their other material. Their side opens with "Trump", a spacey, warbly screamy hardcore jam that sounds a fuck-ton like Evylock. It's the closer "Dante" that blows me away, though. This thing was one of the best tracks I heard in 2019 (yes, I know, I'm a bit late) and I reckon readers of this blog will get a kick out of it, assuming they haven't already heard it. "Dante" begins with a crunchy, angular and disjointed intro that shifts to palm muting and ramblings before the song swings back around and plays the first two parts over again. And it's here, in the transition at 1:36, that the guitar attack becomes formidable. There's a bit of Swedish screamo going on here (Via Fondo/Suis La Lune) with a powerful, razor-sharp hook that propels the song into mind-boggling status. Hot damn that's so fucking good.

Speaking of fucking good, "Watch Tower" is their lone song on the 4-way split 2x7" 'Confidence', falling on the much darker, screamier and post-hardcore end of the spectrum. At 3:52 it's the longest track I've heard from KMKMS, and to be honest they weave a city that generally takes a good six minutes to erect, so color me impressed. The first minute is dedicated to a robotic rhythm recycled with cumulative guitars that eventually push the song into its swirling, unsettling and downright disorienting second section. The confusion eventually dissipates as at 1:40 they hit a sick groove that they ride until things pick up weight and begin to get heavy at 2:26. By 2:42 the songs breaks through the floor and explodes in the pitch black basement. This climax lasts for over a minute, with the final sliver of the song emanating a furious and cathartic breakdown.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2014 - Peelingwards split 7" (do you have this? please post the songs for everyone to enjoy!)

2015 - Blue Friend split 7" (buy from ZBR distro here)

2017 - Confidence 4-Way split (w/Forgetmenot, Redsheer & What Ever Film) cd/2x7" (download here)

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(2017) KMKMS - "Watch Tower" (from 'Confidence' 4-way split)

(2017) KMKMS - "ドラキュラ" live (from 'Peelingwards' split)

(2015) KMKMS - "Dante" (from 'Blue Friend' split)

(2014) KMKMS - "Trash Metal" live (from 'Peelingwards' split)

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KMKMS additional links

Soundcloud

Facebook

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BURNING WIND, THE

Band: THE BURNING WIND

Genres: Metalcore / Hardcore / Mathcore / Experimental Hardcore / Chaotic Hardcore / Metallic Hardcore / Hardcore Punk
Related artists: xDwellx and Chamber.
Country: Kernersville, North Carolina U.S.A.
Years Active: 2017-present
For fans of: Converge, Botch, Disembodied, Martyr A.D., Norma Jean, Advent, Cult Leader, Coarse, Thirty Nights Of Violence, END, Chamber, Serration, A Dozen Black Roses, AXIS, MouthBreather, A Needle Under The Nail and remorse.

Label(s): Bitter Melody Records

You can download: the December 2019 Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2020 Mix#1 here

Review by: TARQUIN JONES

THE BURNING WIND is a punishing metallic hardcore band from Kernersville, North Carolina. The band's sound can be described as being heavily influenced by the '90s to mid 00's spectrum of hardcore. One can hear influences taken from noisemakers akin to the likes of Converge, Botch, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Disembodied shining through. The band expertly weaves this abrasive, chaotic and technical sound with off-kilter time signatures and uniquely constructed song structures to mind-bending effect.

My first introduction to the band was back in September of 2017. This was while browsing the Bandcamp genre tags on my daily roundup of content for my now-defunct blog. I came across this grungy minimalist black and white album cover with a bound lamb on an altar and the title 'The Burning Wind' placed above it. The band's striking name and bold minimalist album artwork really struck a chord with me. I immediately clicked the Bandcamp link to see what was to come and I wasn't disappointed. From the very first moments of the blistering intro track "Occam's Razor", I was hooked. The band savagely destroyed my ears in just under 7 minutes with four solid tracks of pissed off hardcore that aimed at the jugular. THE BURNING WIND's unique and progressive take on the metallic hardcore genre definitely checked all the boxes for me. I would recommend them to all of my friends who traveled within my music circle. Avid followers of OM/SB may also remember me including this EP to my '2017 Top Ten' roundup as well. You can check out the whole article over here.

I was very surprised to see THE BURNING WIND receive very little interest from publications and music-related websites during this EP's release cycle. They seemed to fly under the radar for the most part. I just couldn't understand how some folks seemed to sleep on the band. I suppose it was partially due to the limited information surrounding the project. At the time of my introduction to the band, I knew next to nothing about them as well. The band had no linked social media platforms, except for their Bandcamp profile and some individual Youtube track streams. There was also no band promotional or live photography of any kind. It gave the band a somewhat mysterious presence and kept me checking back to their Bandcamp and searching online for any info I could find. I would eventually come across an Instagram account and later on a Facebook page. Both platforms initially offered sparse content and very little info for me to go on. Over the course of some time, I would learn that the band is composed of former members of xDwellx (Blood & Ink Records) and a current member of Chamber (Pure Noise Records).

The band returned in August of 2019 with a new five-track EP entitled, 'An Inheritance in A#'. Again the cover artwork features a mainly bold black and white composition. However, there is the inclusion of bold red accents that surround the focal point of an ominous-looking figure. This really sets the tone for things to come. This new release sees the band upping the ante and firing on all cylinders. Clocking in at 11 minutes, the band has dropped one of the heaviest hardcore releases of 2019. The vocals are delivered in a raw and visceral fashion. The rabid nature of this delivery feels like being attacked by a pack of wolves. It is utterly punishing. The drum work hits with the utmost ferocity, like a knock out punch to the face. I'm especially a fan of the punchy snare that punctuates throughout the EP's onslaught and the hard-hitting bass drum that kicks you square in the chest. The guitars on the EP have a pulverizing crunch and at times brooding tone. The dissonant passages pierce with stabbing jolts and the breakdowns carry a furious sledgehammer like weight. This is the true definition of heavy in my book! Holding all this calamity down is the thick and heavy low-end bass. It truly ties all of this fury together.

All in all, THE BURNING WIND has managed to top their S/T debut and crafted an EP that flows with such a seamless fashion. The individual sections of each track blend organically from one another and the EP flows like one continuous statement. Throughout the constant barrage of aggression and noise, the band weaves in some experimental and nuanced elements to bring a personalized character to each respective track as well. There isn't a dull moment to find here and you'll find yourself hitting the replay button over and over again. Trust me on this.

If you are a lover of crushing metallic hardcore and want to be knocked off your feet, look no further. THE BURNING WIND has you covered in that department and I can't wait to see what they'll deliver next. It'll definitely be well worth the wait.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2017 - The Burning Wind digitalEP (stream/buy here)

2019 - An Inheritance in A# cassetteEP (stream/buy here)

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(2019) THE BURNING WIND - "No Hill to Die On" (from 'An Inheritance in A#')

(2019) THE BURNING WIND - "Speaking Red" (from 'An Inheritance in A#')

(2019) THE BURNING WIND - live (full set)

(2017) THE BURNING WIND - "Occam's Razor" (from 'The Burning Wind')

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THE BURNING WIND additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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***KARLOFF / AMITIÉ split premiere***

KARLOFF / AMITIÉ

"The Dead Will Walk the Earth"
&
"A Love Letter"
exclusive 5"/tape premiere

For fans of: Honeywell, Pique and A Paramount, A Love Supreme

order from:

Zegema Beach Records

U.S.A. store (lathe)

Canada/International (lathe/tape)

No Funeral Records

Canada/International (tape)

Illuminate My Heart Records

coming soon

KARLOFF

Bandcamp
Facebook

AMITIÉ
Bandcamp
Facebook

When my friends Nate (Karloff/No Funeral) and Matt (amitié/Illuminate My Heart) asked me to #1 help release and #2 help premiere their split 5" I was down before even hearing the tunes. And now...ohhhh nelly I am fucking stoked to share this with you because not only are the songs probably the fastest, screamiest and most aggressive tracks each band has released, but also housed in some seriously gorgeous packaging and limited to a mere 30 copies! You can also find 50 copies on tape that were released by just the bands, with links to all included above.

(2019) KARLOFF "The Dead Will Walk the Earth" (from 'AMITIÉ' split)

A rabid, unsettling-yet-infectious mid-late 90s emo riot not unlike Honeywell. The first 10 seconds is all over the place, with the band settling on an opposing chill/eerie section that is as dirty as it is dreamy. The song builds on this but never quite goes off, as the opening is more or less the volume peak but the ending definitely gives closure, complete with more cacophonous screaming from Nate.

(2019) AMITIÉ "A Love Letter" (from 'KARLOFF' split)

The song begins with a very deep and intoxicating intro that transmits a mighty groove led by the bass and drums. Eventually the spacey guitars are smothered over top and the switches gears to face-melting European emo-violence at around 40 seconds and it is wonderful. Directly following is a nasty, hardcore breakdown and final metallic hardcore outro. Without a doubt my favourite song by this dense group of friends.

***SWALLOWS NEST Tour Diary part II***

SWALLOWS NEST

Tour Diary part II

By: Matthew Collins

False horizons - an optical illusion making you believe you have reached the summit, just to realise that you have arrived at another plateau. To reach your destination you must not only climb further, but pass through every peak and valley along the way to get there.

Swallows Nest went on a hike today.

Tour is going well. Our Invercargill show was very nostalgic, playing with Russian Blue and my new favourite band Slur. Jordan (from Slur) is an old bandmate and he’s pretty much running The Southland Musicians Club now which was where we both played our first shows as kids. People came. The vibe was good. We had a great time. Before playing, the sound guy came up to us and said “hey don’t panic, but the desk has fucked out and I may have lost all of our safety presets”. Ahhh welll!! It’s a bit odd when you're standing in front of a drummer and guitar amp and all you can hear is bass from the monitors.  I think we recovered well, and people were into it. Thanks to Mums for the feed.

I don’t know what happened in Dunedin but I felt like we hit a different gear or something. Maybe it was that home crowd advantage but we mutually felt that it could have been one of our best shows ever. Sugarcoated Bullets and Wet Specimen were great to watch. SCB represent everything that is pure and good about punk and I had their ‘outro’ song stuck in my head for the next couple of days. Wet Specimen are a whole different creature. If you were to ask the band what their style was they would probably shrug and say “Krautrock?” The drums and bass of Chris and Lucy is not only a formidable rhythm section but the perfect landscape for Reg to explore his sonic palate of screaming guitar feedback and open tunings. I’m a bit of a guitar nerd so seeing a single coil fender with a trem bar, running into a turbo rat, fuzz wah, and then a pushed AC15 was pretty awesome to behold. It might be the best setup I have ever seen if glorious noise is your desired outcome. E-Kare turned the punk show into a rave to end the night and it was what we all needed.

Saturday morning was a long and slightly hungover drive to Christchurch. We’re on a really good vibe after the last couple of shows and are starting to think we might sell out of most of our merch by the end of the tour. A friend told us that punk shows have been going off in Christchurch and they were not wrong. Dead Set played their first gig ever and it went off. A few of their friends walked in at 8:55 presumably to skip an ID check and were sent home immediately. Pretty unfortunate actually. Our music has no age restriction but the venue certainly does. Can we do something about this please? Tonight I fucked up and asked for “as much guitar as possible in the monitors”. Could have been the first gig I’ve heard too much of myself. Guitarists ae…

Our first leg of the tour is done and dusted. I am sitting in a backpackers in Picton which, for their sake, I will not name. Incorrect reservation, keys don’t work, and the spa is out of order. Fucking crushing it people! I am most upset about the last one. I had an image of me drinking wine in a spa over the next two days. We’re off to Wellington tomorrow to check out the city before our show on Wednesday. Tour life is great. Let’s keep this going.

SWALLOWS NEST links:

European Tour Documentary

Facebook

Bandcamp (on zbr page)

Tour Diary Part I

Remaining shows:

Jan 15th Wellington NZ

Jan 16th Palmerston North NZ

Jan 17th Hamilton NZ

Jan 18th Auckland NZ

***2020 OMSB mp3 Mix #2 (February)***

(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain)))))
February 2020 mp3 MIX #2

 => ***DOWNLOAD HERE*** <=
https://www71.zippyshare.com/v/Kl5lajta/file.html

...and updates

A little late? That's right! A new record :(

Okay a few quick things:

1) All Zegema Beach Records orders ship with Zampler #14 - Games and Theory until they are out of stock. We made 100, 90 on white, 5 on black and 5 golden ZBR Fest 2020 tickets!

2) Oh right...the Zampler! Listen/donate/download digitally on bandcamp here, including 5 previously unreleased tracks from Yurodivy, Tropical Ice Land, Potence, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow and Hawak.

3) Wax Vessel's new store worked swimmingly and Tower Of Rome went very quickly. Congrats to all those who snagged a copy! Once again here's the site info, I think we just a few Robinson's left then we're all out of current stock. Next up...A Black Rose Burial's 'An Awakening of Revenants!.

https://www.waxvessel.com

as well as

https://waxvesselrecords.bigcartel.com

***

Here's the tracklisting for OMSB mix#12 that was reviewed in November:

1) GLASSING - "Sleeper"

2) coming next month 

3) BLUEFLOWERREDTHORNS - "Gutcheck"

4) THRICE - "Hideous Strength"

5) TOMYDEEPESTEGO - "Many Days March Away"

6) SEPTEMBER 22ND - "Solemn's Harrowing"

'Avoiding Life' by: SORE EYELIDS

'Det onda. Det goda. Det vackra. Det fula.' by: VI SOM ÄLSKADE VARANDRA SÅ MYCKET album review

Much love,

Dave @ (((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain)))))

______________________________________

ZBR Store/Bandcamp

ZAMPLER #14 - 'Games and Theory' compilation
Hawak

Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow

cd-->FREE!!! (order anything from in the US / order anything from here for everywhere else)

(listen here)

DSGNS - 'Ceremony' cd/cassetteEP

tapes coming soon
(listen here)

VI SOM ÄLSKADE VARANDRA SÅ MYCKET 'Det onda. Det goda. Det vackra. Det fula.' LP

12"/cassette (order here for US / here for everywhere else)

(listen here)

NERVER 'Believer's Hit' LP

cassette (order here for US / here for everywhere else)

(listen here)

SNAG 'snag' LP

12" (order here for US / here for everywhere else)

(listen here)

________________________________________________________________________

***Interviews/live shows/premieres coming up this month for sure:
- PODCAST #38 (2019 in review w/Lisa)
-

***Interviews/live shows/premieres posted last month:
- SWALLOWS NEST tour diaries
- SNAG interview
- WAX VESSEL interview
- Tarquin's Best of 2019
- Jesper's Top 10 Albums of the Decade
- Amy's Best 5 Screamo Releases of the Last 10 Years

________________________________________________________________________

***The following page have changes:

- nada
________________________________________________________________________

As always, on or around the 1st of every month, I will be posting a ZIP file with songs for the upcoming month with ALL specifics deleted from the tags, so unless you already know the band, there is NO information regarding each track.

During the following month, I will post reviews for those bands and link the tracks to the review so you can associate the two together. This way you can listen to a new song/band and have little-to-no bias. Below, I have re-posted the January mp3 mix that is used for this month's reviews.

OLD MIX
***2020 OMSB mp3 Mix #1 (reviewed in January)***
https://www71.zippyshare.com/v/A2EexMSG/file.html

________________________________________________________________________

The new 2020 OMSB mp3 Mix #1 has 5 songs from yours truly:

*-* ex-Thumbscrew...guess who?
*-* Hope Drone + Fall Of Efrafa = this amazing Russian band
*-* most people I know's first introduction to New Zealand screamo/hardcore (including myself)
*-* myspace ridiculousness...released in 2019!
*-* blackened screamo

NEW MIX
NEW => ***2020 OMSB mp3 Mix #2 (reviewed in February)*** <= NEW
https://www71.zippyshare.com/v/Kl5lajta/file.html

________________________________________________________________________

Any bands/labels that are interested in having their stuff reviewed, please email zegemabeachrecords@gmail.com: with "Open Mind Saturated Brain" as the subject. Please keep in mind that I don't review everything, just what jives with the blog. I will, however, listen to everything you send me. I would recommend emailing with an idea for a song/album premiere 2 months prior to that song/album release date for a much stronger chance at being reviewed on this blog. Bands that have already had their discography reviewed can also submit new albums for review if they include song/album premieres.

***AMY's Yet Another Decade List...of screamo***

YET ANOTHER DECADE LIST

(That you never asked for, but I wrote it anyways)

By: Amy Christine

I didn’t get into screamo, emotive hardcore, skramz, “I really like the instrumentals but why do
they have to scream?” music until 2015. It was a perfect time because I was in the depths of
managing 20 years of untreated depression and had my core friends move to the coast. I never
would have thought this genre of music would be so influential for me in the last half of the
decade, and I’ve been able to make fulfilling near and far distance friendships because of it.
So, for my 5-year anniversary and for the end of the decade, I decided to list five albums that
came out in the last 10 years that had a huge impact on me.

2011: Beau Navire - Hours
Atmosphere for years, basslines for months. Hours is one of those records I hold dear to my
heart. It’s like listening to a novel, the transitions from track to track flow so well. A particular
highlight comes from the transition between "Reinventing the Veil, to Respire (meta)". I always
feel a strong sense of ennui listening to "Respire (meta)" after listening to the first four tracks. I
never get tired listening to this album and often put it on at early morning or dusk.
Favourite track: The Looking Glass (Bare Trees is a close second)

2013: Jungbluth – Part Ache
For all you Alpinist purists who have slid into my DMs over the years, yes, I know… but
minus​.​mensch came out in 2009. Sorry those are the rules.

That being said, if you want something to lift weights to while feeling existential dread, this is the
record for you. – I’ve tested it – This album is heavy and dark and intense. Bass and guitar tones
to die for. The vocals are raw and powerful. It sounds like the band locked up the main vocalist
in a room with rabid wolves during recording. (I hope they got out okay)
Favourite track: Looks Like Freedom

2017: Frail Hands – S/T
I remember the week this record came out. I was starting my fall semester and had to take the
number 7 bus, which is one of the worst bus routes in Edmonton. But you know what isn’t the
worst? This album. The riffs are catchy as hell which often get stuck in my head. I love the vocal
distortion and the mix is fantastic. The melodic guitar parts soar over everything seamlessly. A
perfect record to listen to when it’s -20 degrees Celsius waiting for your bus.
Favourite Track: Crematoria

2017: Øjne - Prima Che Tutto Bruci
Fun fact, did you know Italian speakers are less likely to be dyslexic because the syntax rules in
Italian are more consistent compared to other languages?

… well now you do!

I don’t really know how to describe this album either than beautiful. I often listen to this album
when driving through the mountains or walking outside in the snow and it complements my
feeling of awe being out in nature. Beautiful melodies, wonderfully arranged, and to top it all
off the vocals are so passionate and dynamic. I also tend to dance to the second half of "Tredici"
with my husband.
Favourite track: Ogni Inverno

2018: Respire – Dénouement
AKA Broken Social Scream, God Scream You Black Emperor!
Never in a million years would I have predicted a crossover of what I loved best about Canadian
indie music and screamo. This record is beautiful and painful and uplifting all at the same time.
While the vocal trade-offs, soaring violin, blackened guitars are fantastic, my favourite
segments of this record are the ambient atmospheric parts, which allows me to contemplate
life and how damn beautiful this record is. If you have a chance, see them live because it’s a
beautiful experience.
Favourite Track: Catacombs

So that’s it! It was really hard to reduce my favourites to only 5. If you’re curious about my
favourite 2019 screamo record of the year, check out my review of Elle – Ellipses.


*Amy plays in Obroa-skai and screamed in Rayleigh.

***JESPER's Top 10 albums of the decade***

A Lot of the 90’s are coming back, things like industrial samples and individuality is just flourishing. Here’s a few of my top picks to celebrate that we are entering the 20’s.

Aesthetic

The Stargazer Lilies - We Are The Dreamers
Like entering the black lodge, only that it’s filled with guitar pedals and lush reverberating vocals just cascading down on you, this tune just takes its toll and transports you to a safe space free from the troubles of everyday life. Many bands try to re-invent the shoegaze genre but few have accomplished it as well as The Stargazer Lilies.

Killers Walk Among Us - Från Ramberget Ser Jag Allt Som Någonsin Hänt Oss Här
Coming from the tragic point of lead singer Stefans passing, this song just hits me harder every time I listen to it. I rediscover it every year and it opens a door that can’t be shut. It touches the essence of change, how hurt you can get, how much hurt you can give and how hope can spread with just a moment. A magical album that only gets better with time, as you age it will just follow and never leave you like the love you deserve to sometime feel.

Lingua Nada - Habiba 
Remember racing through the tracks in Mario Kart, swooshing by palm trees and red turtle shells? Well, this is what it sounds like. Warm, lush and playful guitars blended with soft singing combined with the ever changing structure, just like a race it flows on to both sonically deafening shores alongside the sunny sands. Their album ‘’Djinn’’ is a fantastic record that combines genres like noise-rock/pop/electro and alternative rock.

TR/ST - Iris
Synth bass and crystal clear shimmering, all together with a confident development TR/ST goes through all the stages of dynamics during the album ‘’Destroyer - Pt 2’’. No mood is left behind and no mood is left unexplored. Every song gets a chance to show off it’s very own soundscapes, telling the story of how vivid and threatening everything can be.

Soft Kill - Tin Drip Foil
I’ve been following Portrayal Of Guilt for a while (a honourable mention of my AOTY’s) and when they released their split with Soft Kill i just listened to their song on repeat for two days straight. I got so starstruck. I’m not joking. My bandmates got annoyed but i just couldn’t get enough. The song repeats perfectly, creating no necessary end. It’s truly one of the few songs that I could never get enough of. A beautiful mix of repetitive drums over a soothing hook, just going, going on. I did everything to this song beside sleep.

Esoteric

Admiral Angry - Plastic Bath
Thick and nasty sounds, making me question whether or not disease can possibly spread through audio. ‘’Buster’’ is one of the most hard-hitting albums out there. My friend Kami first introduced me to this monolith of creation and I can simply say that I have not heard a contender to it’s fulfillment yet. ‘’Buster’’ stands undisputed as champion of audible filth and decay.

Celeste - À défaut de te jeter sur ta progéniture
Black vails upon black vails, red light and smoke. This is one of my favorite songs of Celeste, who also has my envy for one of the most occult and interesting live shows. Going through their discography a lot of the albums contain the same raw locomotive motion and i feel like this track contains the whole spectrum at its peak.

Lingua Ignota - May Failure Be Your Noose
I stumbled upon Kristin by accident when I went to see Author & Punisher at Musikens Hus in Gothenburg, Sweden this year. She completely took up all space, and every attendees undivided attention. She made me afraid in the most wonderful way, the lyrical and musical theme goes together like tar overflowing the entire Vatican city. Slow, steady and unable to escape.

Rinoa - Fires In The Distant North
I don’t remember how i found out about Rinoa, guess they just appeared out of thin air.
Subconsciously they influenced me to write a lot of arctic and ambient music, allowing me to discover the vastness of space that sound can make. Some songs can tell stories of countries far away, and this place that they sing of is haunted by a deep blue lonely cold. 

Zheani - Carry On
Fluctuating between rap/emo/electro and horrid screams Zheani is as heavenly as she is deadly. Self-reflective lyrics blended with depth and delivery, Carry On is one of her best tunes since the infamous release of ‘’The Line’’. The ep ‘’Satanic Prostitute’’ is definitely one of my precious finds in 2019. Distorted drums and spooky loops at it’s finest.


Written by Jesper J. Jungermark
active in Nathan Aeli & Young Mountain

THRICE

Band: THRICE

Genres: Punk / Rock / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Melodic Hardcore / Math Metal / Alternative
Related artists: Angels & Airwaves, Knapsack, Less Art and Puig Destroyer.
Country: Irvine, California U.S.A.
Years Active: 1998-present
Song: "Hideous Strength"
Album: "Hopelessly Devoted to You, Too"
Year: 2002
For fans of: Protest The Hero, Beloved, In Reverent Fear, The Killing Tree, Alexisonfire, Hopesfall, Poison The Well, Endor, In Pieces, Dead Poetic, Gob, 7-10 Split, Bigwig, Rise Against, Recover and Radiohead.

Label(s): A lot including majors...now Epitaph, I think?

This post's artist is from the December 2019 Mix. This is track #4.

You can download: the December 2019 Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2020 Mix#1 here

Had I written this review around 15 years ago it would be long-winded, annoyingly complimentary and I probably would have let the religion angle slide. But I'm almost 40 and I just watched the new THRICE video and was bored senseless.

I can still look back at the 'Identity Crisis', 'Illusion of Safety' and 'The Artist in the Ambulance' with fondness, but after that my fanatic fan level dropped off substantially and I spent my time on what I consider much more consistent and non-religious music like Cave In, Nada Surf and screamo in general. So I will be focusing most of my review on those three records, with a few song mentions afterward, as well as a some completely irrelevant stories from my past that involve THRICE.

When did I start screaming? Well, it was when I was obsessed with the first THRICE album 'Identity Crisis' and was jamming "Phoenix Ignition" on repeat, so when my parents weren't home I'd crank my cd player to max and stand right in front of the speakers, screaming back at them, trying to practice my own scream. Thankfully it paid off, as I've now contributed vocals to nearly 100 songs and have played more than a handful of shows. Thank you, THRICE.

There's also that time I went to a show and saw them live. It was awesome. I played bass at the time and had learnt "Phoenix Ignition", so at the show I nearly gathered the nerve to ask the bassist if I could try playing it live, but thankfully I came to my senses and didn't ask such a silly question of someone.

Remember when THRICE released the studio footage of "Paper Tigers" for the first time? Holy fuck I seriously watched that an obscene amount of times, and the track holds up to this day. Let's see if I can find it online. Mmmmmm fuck that, already wasted a few minutes looking. Not worth it.

I grew up in the same town as Protest The Hero and my brother was best friends with a few of the members. We listened to THRICE all the time. As Protest got bigger and bigger and started playing more metal, I found myself missing the THRICE influence, as well as those incredible Choke homages. In the off chance you didn't know, relatively early Protest material was almost primarily influenced by THRICE as Luke Hoskin was a massive fan.

Enough reminiscing. I first heard 'Identity Crisis'...wait, that's reminiscing. 'Identity Crisis' was released 20 years ago, in 2000, on Sub City Records which was later picked up by Hopeless Records. The crunchy, palm-muted, title-track opener "Identity Crisis" keeps things melodic for the first 50 seconds before showing their love for screamy metallic hardcore. Personal favourite "Phoenix Ignition" is next, tricking the listener during the opening 30 seconds with an acoustic, dare I say country intro. Now, for someone who liked punk rock and Death By Stereo, this was officially the greatest thing I had heard at that time in my life and exactly what I wanted from my music. Especially that closing, holy fuck. Come 2:45 the song gets pretty huge with a pretty sick breakdown, which may or may not be an audio nod to Unearth. "To What End" and "Ultra Blue" are strong melodic hardcore tracks but pale in comparison to the almighty "A Torch to End All Torches". This behemoth begins in Slayer fashion with war drums, metal palm-muting and an eventual breakdown with some sweet screaming over top as well as an epic final minute.

Looking for the THRICE album? Well look no further than the band's sophomore full length 'The Illusion of Safety', cuz this is the peak. Not just for the band, but for melodic/metallic hardcore with singing and screaming. It peaked here and I eventually lost interest. But Dave...peaked? Yes. Peaked. With no weak tracks and a few songs that are beyond amazing that have already stood the test of time, it's obvious why they influenced so many people back then. I'd probably say this is in my top 10 for most influential albums of my life.

The masterpiece known as 'The Illusion of Safety' opens with the stellar "Kill Me Quickly", the perfect concoction of melodic hardcore and mathy, screamy, breakdown-heavy metal. The transition at 1:30 and subsequent bass progression is outta this world, and when combined with dual guitar-tapping...hot damn. And then there's the sing-a-long outro with some serious double-bass. Not a shabby start. And what's next? Oh, just one of the heaviest, fastest songs ever recorded by the band. "A Subtle Dagger" is 1:49 of blazing riffs, screaming and the occasional sung section, making it one of the band's best tracks. The album's first single was "Betrayal is a Symptom", and whoever made that call was correct as it's a great mixture of the band's catchy, melodic side and earth-shattering, bass-heavy screaming side. Wonderfully hypnotic bass and drums lead the track in before they cut out and Teppei's lone guitar washes in, not unlike Refused. The song then bounces around with cavernous hardcore before hitting an infectious groove at chorus-time, shifting back and forth seamlessly between the two. Fan-favourite "Deadbolt" is next, and when played the speedy-yet-very-singable single live it included a crushing outro that never made it onto the record. My brother played this song incessantly, and I was fine with it, as it seemed to be the most impressionable song on one young Lucas Hoskin. "The Red Death" literally sounds like the initial descent of a plague, with the vast administering coming in the song's conclusion from 1:40 to 2:15. "Where Idols Once Stood" is a fucking banger with a lone line of "I'll draw the shades and stay inside" screamed desperately before a prodigious breakdown tears the song apart. "Trust" is the opposite, a slow serenade (by THRICE standards, so it's still relatively fast and a punk song) about Dustin proposing to his partner, if I remember correctly. And then there is "To Awake and Avenge the Dead", the should-be closer of the record. The guitars get seriously shreddy come 47 seconds and stop/start bass and drums bring the whole thing together, making the menacing vocals icing on the cake. The final 40 seconds are also immense and mathematically interesting, catapulting this song into the top three fer sure. Whoooo weee what an album...and those are just the really really good songs.

Now there's some beef I got at this juncture, as the band scrapped one of the best songs recorded in the 'The Illusion of Safety' sessions and dumped it as the last track on a Hopeless Records compilation. I think the reasoning was that it was written last or in the studio and it may have been too heavy, or something. At least they didn't repeat the mistake on the next album, as "Paper Tigers" came together in almost the same way. The track I'm referring to is called "Hideous Strength" and it's a fucking ripper. The screaming and guitars in the verses are reminiscent of "A Subtle Dagger", and it dips in and out of chuggy thrashing until the 50-second mark when the poppier side of the band presents itself and helps balance the song before it rips the listener apart again at 1:30. There's also a sick solo to close it out, complete with a massive breakdown and fantastic screaming.

In 2003 shit got a bit strange (in a good way, mind you) as both THRICE and Thursday signed to Island Records. After some concern, I heard "Paper Tigers" and decided it didn't make a lick of difference, and I was right, as both 'The Artist in the Ambulance' and Thursday's 'War All the Time' are excellent, with the latter being the best that Thursday released in my opinion. THRICE's major label debut opens with "Cold Cash and Colder Hearts". It is excellent in both lyrical content (fuck the rich) and in execution as the melodic-yet-aggressive majority leads to a very fulfilling climax for the final third of the track. Exceptional metal wizardry can be found on "Under a Killing Moon", most notably in the same spot as the previous track, as everything culminates in the final 40 seconds. "Silhouette", "Hoods on Peregrine", "The Melting Point of Wax", "The Abolition of Man" and "Don't Tell and We Won't Ask" are all good songs too, but it's "Paper Tigers" man, Paper the fuck Tigers. Track six doesn't waste much time before delving into the first verse full-force, accentuating very crunchy guitars and pitch harmonics. The chorus overlaps distant singing over the screaming as well as some seriously sick bass.

After this point I got hard into screamo, and as the band softened up more and more I found myself sadly drifting away from THRICE. 2005's 'Vheissu' hinted rather obviously at the band's intended slowdown, although they kinda hit the mark on "The Earth Will Shake", "Hold Fast Hope" and "Like Moths to Flame". I don't know if they were balancing their Radiohead intake with Nickelback, but there are some pretty questionable vocal moments in my opinion, and Lisa's too.

In 2007 and 2008 the band released back-to-back double EPs...so two full lengths? lol that's kinda confusing. The first, 'The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Fire & Water' houses "The Messenger", which is the only track worth my time out of 12 songs. A substantial drop in ratio of awesomeness to smelling slightly off. The second installment doubles the good tracks to a whopping...two. "Digging My Own Grave" is a piano and snapping-driven track that is different and decent enough to check out, but it's no banger :( "The Earth Isn't Humming" is a Frodus cover of one of my favourite tunes, and it's acoustic. And it's good. So let's quit while we're ahead.

In 2009 and 2011 they released two more albums but this review is long so and getting kinda negative so check out "The Weight" from 'Beggars' and "Promises", "Blinded" and "Anthology" from 'Major/Minor'.

2002 THRICE forever. I'm out.

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DISCOGRAPHY

1999 - First Impressions cdEP

2000 - Identity Crisis cassette/cd/12"LP

2002 - The Illusion of Safety cd/12"LP

2003 - The Artist in the Ambulance cd/2x12"LP

2005 - Vheissu cassette/cd/12"/2x12"LP

2007 - The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Fire & Water 2xcdLP

2008 - The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth 2xcdLP

2009 - Beggars cd/12"LP

2011 - Major/Minor cd/2x12"LP

then I officially stopped following them. Still wanna hear more THRICE-like material? Go check out In Reverent Fear, that band was awesome. Then...they sucked. But first they were awesome. Check the review here.

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(2000) THRICE - "Phoenix Ignition" (from 'Identity Crisis')

(2000) THRICE - "A Torch to End All Torches" (from 'Identity Crisis')

(2002) THRICE - "To Awake and Avenge The Dead" (from 'The Illusion of Safety')

(2002) THRICE - "Kill Me Quickly" (from 'The Illusion of Safety')

(2002) THRICE - "Deadbolt" (from 'The Illusion of Safety') official music video

(2002) THRICE - "Hideous Strength" (from 'Hopelessly Devoted To You, Too')

(2003) THRICE - "Paper Tigers" (from 'The Artist in the Ambulance')

(2003) THRICE - "Under a Killing Moon" (from 'The Artist in the Ambulance')

(2003) THRICE - "Stare at the Sun" (from 'The Artist in the Ambulance') official music video

(2005) THRICE - "Hold Fast Hope" (from 'Vheissu')

(2007) THRICE - "The Messenger" (from 'The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Fire & Water')

(2008) THRICE - "The Earth Isn't Humming (Frodus cover)" (from 'The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth')

(2009) THRICE - "The Weight" (from 'Beggars')

(2011) THRICE - "Promises" (from 'Major/Minor') official music video

(2011) THRICE - "Blinded" (from 'Major/Minor')

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THRICE additional links

Official Website

Facebook

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