Икар

Band: Икар
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence / Powerviolence / Grindcore

Related artists: ?.
Country: Minsk BELARUS
Years Active: 2015-2016
For fans of: Francis Brady, Deleometer, Blind Girls, Building Of A Heart Breaker Pyramid, Tristan Tzara, Louise Cyphre, Ghost Spirit, and The Short Blooming.

Label(s): Self Released / Le Blast

      I discovered Икар (I think it's pronounced Ikar) through Le Blast Tapes who continually release some of the most obscure/underground screamo/emo-violence from all over the world. After picking up the label's most recent releases I came across this Belarusian band that recorded a live set in 2015 and an EP in 2016, both short, both fucking awesome. 

     This band in particular played intense, cathartic, speedy, and shrieky emo-violence in the vein of Blind Girls (minus the intricate guitar melodies), Francis Brady, Piri Reis and Beau Navire. Honestly this shit should have blown up as the 2016 '\​\​\​\​\​\' in particular is top-fucking-notch stuff. It contains six tracks that are usually a hair under two minutes and the production is (obviously) vastly improved from the live recordings.

     Zegema Beach Records has the final copies in their store but only 15 were made and we already sold the first half!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2015 - Live/Unreleased digital EP (available on tape only)

2016 - \​\​\​\​\​\ cassette EP (stream/donate/download here)

2022 - \​\​\​\​\​\ + Live/Unreleased cassette (buy from Zegema Beach Records)

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(2016) Икар - "Последняя" (from '\​\​\​\​\​\')

https://youtu.be/Gt6y6Tg9IRY

(2016) Икар - "Ветра потерь" (from '\​\​\​\​\​\')

https://youtu.be/PJ1vkkkgmus

(2016) Икар - "Ревущие деревья ждут, когда мы вернемся" (from '\​\​\​\​\​\')

https://youtu.be/SGiHc0q6wPc

(2015) Икар - "2" (from 'Live/Unreleased')

https://youtu.be/ypl4VTkUfmQ

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Икар additional links

Bandcamp

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ATALANTA

Band: ATALANTA
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Sludge / Experimental

Related artists: Bbaatbifffs.
Country: Chicago, Illinois U.S.A.
Years Active: 2013
For fans of: A Paramount A Love Supreme, A Day In Black And White, Truman, Swan Of Tuonela, Trotsky, Infant Island, Sleep Debt, Closedown, Neev, Nouveau and Burial Etiquette.

Label(s): Self Released

     This three-piece from Chicago, Illinois were around in 2013 and then were done. In and out with a single six-song EP called 'Tainted', how very screamo indeed. The songs are very dark, emotional, raw, eerie, and generally just super moody, with jarring/shrieky vocals and the occasional spoken word (but so much more, like a controlled emotional wail). Tracks like "Cold Winter Showers" (very bassy), "Hold" (very playful), "How Many People Should Be Dissected?" (very diverse), and "Ignorant Assimilation" (very epic) are the ones to perk your ears up for when listening through, as they are fleshed out and super engaging. The closer "Ignorant Assimilation" (live video here) is my numba one here, as that dark/dancey vibe builds until the vocalist is left alone screaming before the climax - HOLY FUCK that's some good shit. They definitely hit a sweet-spot that's hard to place, but A Paramount A Love Supreme, Swan Of Tuonela, and Truman are probably the most apt comparisons here.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2013 - live WHPK (2 songs) digital (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - Tainted cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2013) ATALANTA - "Ignorant Assimilation" (from 'Tainted')

https://youtu.be/HY7e4WZxkWk

(2013) ATALANTA - "Hold" (from 'Tainted')

https://youtu.be/DtBXyYQdYmU

(2013) ATALANTA - "How Many People Should Be Dissected" live

https://youtu.be/Zu4o7BuvwTw

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ATALANTA additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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*** PODCAST #106 Dean Strike (Salt Money, Spear Of Schlonginus, etc.) ***

     Another stabby reminder not to release your year-end lists early cuz you would have completely missed SALT MONEY's 12-track LP. I spoke with vocalist Dean and had a great time. We delved heavily into the band's creation, their upcoming tour, the Australian scene, and a ton of other stuff such as: the Australian screamo explosion, why Spotify is definitely lame (edit: they thought I was using "feat" as in "featuring"), Parkway Drive ruling Australia, twinkles, more talking in screamo, the metamorphosis of Lumens, the future of Salt Money (and a music video!), selling out, some love for Racoon City/Flesh Born/Pianos Become The Teeth/The Saddest Landscape/Gil Cerrone/Keratin/Thank You Driver, etc. Bands played in this podcast: A Mourning Star, Eremo, Komusō, I Have A Heart, I Have Dreams and World Sick. Listen to podcast #106 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

SALT MONEY
Bandcamp

SPEAR OF SCHLONGINUS
Bandcamp

1 I Say Spear. You Say Schlong.

WORLD SICK "Job Ready" (Dean)
EREMO "L'Ego In Un Pagliaio" (Dave)

2 Getting Into Screamo (soon to be called Talko)

I HAVE A HURT "Hello Darkness" (Dean)
KOMUSŌ "暗宿" (Dave)

3 Unboxable

I HAVE DREAMS "Thank you so much for having the courage to help a friend change his life for the better" (Dean)

4 Small Scenes

A MOURNING STAR "Original Mind" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #106 linked here

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*** THANK YOU DRIVER exclusive music video premiere ***

Band: THANK YOU DRIVER
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Metal / Metalcore / Metallic Hardcore / Math Metal / Mathcore / Chaotic Hardcore

Related artists: ?.
Country: Langley, British Columbia CANADA
Years Active: 2020-present
For fans of: Thumbscrew, .gif from god, Hayworth, Dillinger Escape Plan, Black Matter Device, Poison The Well, Unearth, Under The Pier, Wreck Of The Minotaur, Shai Hulud, Deftones, (early) Codeseven, and Ion Dissonance.

Label(s): Self Released / Zegema Beach Records

     A few months back I was introduced to Langley BC's very young quartet THANK YOU DRIVER via their 'Nothing You Do Can Stop Us' three-song EP which cracked open my skull. It's so good. So I helped release it. Then I went to a show and shot some footage for a music video. Then Trilly edited it. Now we're here. Let's go.

     2020 'Thank You Driver' opener "An Aggressive Display of Screaming and Acceptance" begins like Deftones but quickly switches to noodley emo, which is super surprising considering the band's two 2022 EPs sounding nothing like either of those things. The song as well as the next wo songs on the album follow this formula with varying degrees of success; lots of spoken word, layers of vocals, hard/soft dynamics, noodles, emo, post-hardcore/post-metal, and the like. Closer "Heartbreaks and Openers, Pt. 2" is probably my pick for best track as it focuses on the heavy and when the chill moments pop up the guitar tone sounds fantastic, combining into and early Codeseven meets Snapcase hybrid.

     In early 2022 the band released 'They Taught Us How To Read In Nam' which is a complete pivot from their preceding material as the band obviously got hard into The Dillinger Escape Plan and early 2000s metalcore. Even with all the same members they switched to super techy metalcore without a hint of emo, and therefore these three songs fucking shred. The vocals are also very different and are rabid and on the lower end of the screaming spectrum. "Interview With B. Rice" goes apeshit immediately and brings in some extremely nifty instrumentals come 1:45 that remind me of Unearth. "Rich In Bootstraps" has a bit of a Shai Hulud feel to it with those swirling guitars and introspective vocals but hot damn that breakdown and subsequent shift halfway through the song is badass. Closer and title track "They Taught Me How to Read in Nam" is more experimental than the first two but opens with some nasty chugs and gutteral vocals and contains some serious guitary wizardry and multiple screamers. Mmmmm baby. Appetite whet.

     In late 2022 the band showcased their growth over the past few months and delivered one of my absolute favourite EPs of the year with 'Nothing You Do Can Stop This'. The math is still there but the band delves into myspace/grind and come out sounding like a mixture of Thumbscrew, .gif from god, and Poison The Well. And they fucking nail that shit. Right from the 10-second mark in opener "Dyer Blueprint" the listener is catapulted into a tornado of chugs, wild solos, stop/starts, and shrieking maniacal vocals. The song sounds like the band stepped into warp drive as the dizzying shifts and aural onslaught seems to occur at every possible moment, leaving just 15 seconds of breathing room at its close. If the opener is a team of snipers then follow-up "A Motion Picture Fantasia" is a racecar/stream-roller that flattens any human it its path. Everything is stepped up on this release, and it culminates in closer and lead single "Virgil Scump" which really pushes the Poison The Well-esque spoken word to the forefront, embraces more accessible transitions, and boasts the EP's longest length. 

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DISCOGRAPHY

2020 - Thank You Driver cdEP (stream/donate/download here) / [buy from Zegema Beach Records USA here]

2022 - They Taught Us How To Read In Nam cdEP (stream/donate/download here) / [buy from Zegema Beach Records USA here]

2022 - Nothing You Do Can Stop This cd/cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here) / [buy from Zegema Beach Records USA here]

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(2022) THANK YOU DRIVER - "Dyer Blueprint" (from 'Nothing You Do Can Stop This') official music video EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE!!!

https://youtu.be/JFzYRG0r6GU

(2022) THANK YOU DRIVER - "A Motion Picture Fantasia" (from 'Nothing You Do Can Stop This')

https://youtu.be/NTvWkbHeIaY

(2022) THANK YOU DRIVER - "Virgil Scump" (from 'Nothing You Do Can Stop This')

https://youtu.be/VsjGS3eD0tE

(2022) THANK YOU DRIVER - "They Taught Me How to Read in Nam" (from 'They Taught Us How To Read In Nam')

https://youtu.be/v-y30O2kYhE

(2022) THANK YOU DRIVER - "Rich in Bootstraps" (from 'They Taught Us How To Read In Nam') official music video

https://youtu.be/kiEcH3Bw4lg

(2020) THANK YOU DRIVER - "Heartbreaks and Openers, Pt. 2" (from 'Thank You Driver')

https://youtu.be/MAl0rDVXJCM

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THANK YOU DRIVER additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

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*** PODCAST #105 Adam Brock Ciresi (Carrion Spring, Said Goner) ***

     When I first started this blog I spoke a bunch with Adam Brock Ciresi from CARRION SPRING about the band, his upcoming solo project (now fully formed band SAID GONER), and their artistic skills...as I commissioned Adam to design the Zegema Beach Records logo, thus tying us together forever. I then released the debut Said Goner 12" and years later the self-titled Carrion Spring cassette and met them in Toronto at the final Skramden Yards show and the second New Friends Fest. I love Adam and this was a conversation just littered with juicy info, jokes, band references, and interesting tidbits. Discussed in this episode: moving from New York to Portland, Crohn's disease, Sizzle Pie and makin' pie's for Isis and Neurosis, oversized kids' band shirts, Beavis and Butthead influence, injuries at shows, screamo moves, The Sawtooth Grin, playing in: Gunslinger, The Amazing Plaid, Logs, the origins of Carrion Spring and: the band name, iterations, dealing with suicide, channeling band members through mushrooms, first show in three years w/Loma Prieta, Slow Fire Pistol, and Hybrid Forms, new material, Said Goner; band name, almost dying, new material (both albums!), etc. Bands played in this podcast: Congratulations, Death Crash, Poison The Well, Rockets And Bluelights, Shai Hulud, and Works. Listen to podcast #105 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

CARRION SPRING
Bandcamp

SAID GONER
Bandcamp

1 Faceplanting Into a Whole New Scene of Music

SHAI HULUD "This Wake I Myself Have Stirred" (Adam)
POISON THE WELL "Nerdy" (Dave)

2 The Best Fucking Emo Band That Ever Existed

ROCKETS AND BLUELIGHTS "Forest Green and Autumn" (Adam)
CONGRATULATIONS "Aren't You Frightened Skinny Scary Skeleton" (Dave)

3 The Ongoing Existence of Carrion Spring

DEATH CRASH "Dancing With Jeremy" (Adam)
WORKS "Punishment" (Dave)

4 I Sent You a Mix Just In Case I Died in the Hospital

no music

~Dave

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PODCAST #105 linked here

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Additional links:

Super old OMSB review for Carrion Spring

Carrion Spring OMSB interview

Super old OMSB review for Said Goner

BLUE SKIES FADE

Band: BLUE SKIES FADE
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metalcore / Metallic Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz

Related artists: ?.
Country: New Jersey U.S.A.
Years Active: 1997-2000
For fans of: You And I, The Story Of Floating Weeds, The Assistant, Dispensing Of False Halos, Crestfallen, Tyranny Of Shaw, and Codeseven.

Label(s): Inertia Records / Cast Down Records

     I was recently shown this album from New Jersey hardcore/metalcore/emo band BLUE SKIES FADE. They seem to have played shows for a few years around the release of their only album 'The Untimely Construction of a Bridge To Jump Off'. The album is loaded with neurotic moments and transitions (sometimes seamlessly, sometimes not) that swerves the vessel between varying track lengths and genres, generally emo with raw sung vocals, metalcore/metallic hardcore, and screamo. Songs such as "Pacify the Agony" and "Blur" hold my attention while others like the 7+ minute opener "Monday", "Numb", and closer "Conspiracy" have but a few beacons of light amidst a flurry of stuff that just doesn't jive with me. Primary, the unjiviness comes from the clean vocals that are kinda tone-deaf - which some people love, but not me. The thing is, when the band moves into the heavier stuff they really excel at it. The first half of "Angelica's Story" is badass and reminiscent of bands like Dispensing Of False Halos, The Assistant, and 'Division of Labor'-era Codeseven (those dual vox are intense), but the introspective midsection doesn't do anything for me. This holds true for the last two minutes of "On The Side Of Darkness" (another needlessly lengthy endeavor), most of "Blur" and "Pacify the Agony" as the intense, engrossing, cathartic aspects of the band shine brightly. 

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DISCOGRAPHY

1998 - The Untimely Construction of a Bridge To Jump Off cd/cassette LP (buy tape in the U.S. / buy tape everywhere else)

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(1998) BLUE SKIES FADE - "Angelica's Story" (from 'The Untimely Construction of a Bridge To Jump Off')

https://youtu.be/bTYBLHf9uwQ

(1998) BLUE SKIES FADE - "Blur" (from 'The Untimely Construction of a Bridge To Jump Off')

https://youtu.be/rqGGm86p3Ig

(1998) BLUE SKIES FADE - "Pacify The Agony" (from 'The Untimely Construction of a Bridge To Jump Off')

https://youtu.be/IrkZAlJ0Zhk

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BLUE SKIES FADE out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

Official Site

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*** PODCAST #104 Rich Lombardi (The Sawtooth Grin, Cloacal Kiss, etc.) ***

     Back in July of 2020 I had the pleasure of distroing/fulfilling orders for THE SAWTOOTH GRIN's 'Cuddlemonster' 12" via Wax Vessel. A massively important thing for vinyl/extreme music lovers as well as myself and Zegema Beach Records, that release was the initial catalyst for Wax Vessel becoming the untouchable behemoth it is today. I somehow managed to snag an interview with vocalist Rich Lombardi and it was a very enjoyable few hours. You want stories and info about SAWTOOTH GRIN and CLOACAL KISS as well as Rich's choice music cuts? Well hot damn let's do this! Discussed in this episode: smashing Fraggle Rock, theatre/musicals and Dave's standard Evil Dead plug, Tom Waits' #1 fan, being the center of attention, woodwind vs. brass, tangents on: Stone Temple Pilots, Codeseven, Cave In, Botch, The Blood Brothers, and The Minor Times, high school cliques, Slayer is basically loud Weezer, pre-Sawtooth Grin aka All Ties Severed, the "scab Deadguy lineup", opening up for Coheed And Cambria (aka Shabuti), Mullet Fest, best and worst Sawtooth Grin shows, screaming in a grain silo, opening for Dillinger Escape Plan, Wax Vessel and Nik Velleca, a reintroduction to screamo, being famous or something, the snowball reunion, etc. Bands played in this podcast: Deadguy, Grouper, Jough Dawn Baker, Naked City, Nuvolascura, Timber Timbre, and Tom Waits. Listen to podcast #104 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

THE SAWTOOTH GRIN
Bandcamp

CLOACAL KISS
Bandcamp

SNAKE BAPTIST
Bandcamp

1 Come Along With Me On the Journey, We've Earned It Together, Let's Party.

TOM WAITS "Flash Pan Hunter" (Rich)

2 A Recipe For Progressive Nostalgia

DEADGUY "Turk 182" (Rich)
JOUGH DAWN BAKER "Boise Cascade" (Dave)

3 Sawtooth Grin Stories

TIMBER TIMBRE "Creep On Creeping On" (Rich)
GROUPER "Unclean Mind" (Dave)

4 I'm In the Middle of My Fondest Sawtooth Grin Moment

NAKED CITY "Reanimator" (Rich)
NUVOLASCURA "Half Truth" (Dave)

5 You Need To Know That Your Band Is Really, Really Important To Us
- no music

~Dave

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PODCAST #104 linked here

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Additional links:

The Cast That Ends Creation interview

The Vulture House interview

*** KERATIN exclusive song premiere ***

KERATIN

"Only Eye"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Envy, Nionde Plagan, Suis La Lune, and Trachimbrod

Instagram
Facebook

releases December 5th, 2022

     When I got a message from a member of Gil Cerrone (a massively underappreciated band that released a killer EP this year) letting me know that another one of their bands had just recorded an EP, I was excited. Not super excited. Like...medium excited. So when I got hold of the 'Only Eye' EP by Australia's KERATIN my excitement level shot through the goddamned roof. This wasn't really good, it was fucking awesome. Like...Swedish awesome. So Tomb Tree whipped up 84 tapes that are ready to ship December 5th and now we're here, just under two weeks away.

(2022) KERATIN "Only Eye" (from 'Only Eye')

https://youtu.be/vamaQqh_FXI

     This screamo/post-hardcore jam begins immediately with everyone going full-tilt until the 28-second mark when that massive, gorgeous, swing begins and leads into one helluva Hot Cross-esque riff. Seriously, in the first minute the listener is dealt a flurry of influences and styles with solo salads, lower-end screams ala Nionde Plagan, dreamy riffs not unlike Suis La Lune, and the ability to get behind the weight and momentum of the song like Envy. The song has minimal lyrics (although they are repeated a ton) and coasts through the second half off the wave of the first, laying out a lush landscape and riff echoes. Hot damn, this EP is fucking fire.

ADDITIONAL LINKS & WHATNOT

"Survive snake" premiere via Miss The Stars

*** PODCAST #103 Victor Shores ***

     I've been peripherally aware of three-piece VICTOR SHORES for about a decade at this point, through their connections with The Reptilian and Tiny Moving Parts. But it wasn't until Nate from No Funeral asked if I wanted to co-release this new album with Tomb Tree doing some tapes and No Funeral doing the 12"s. I was kinda like "sweet I finally have an excuse to check them out and I've just been sent a bunch of songs to jam", but hooooooly moly did those 9 tracks lay their hooks in me...forever. I'm fucking obsessed. If you like "heavy emo punk" or "twinkle emo skate punk no twinkle" (definitely a genre, definitely) you should be all over this new, self-titled album, for it is truly something to behold.

     It was truly a friendly conversation and it felt like we'd known each other for a long time. We talked about a ton of stuff including but not limited to: patience through Covid, the No Funeral connection, brothers over bandmates, a large Reset/Simple Plan tangent, what everyone was doing before Victor Shores and how they all met up, the band's first drummer, a Hot Cross tangent, the band's decade-long progression, David can record/mix/master, Bryce can hot sauce your face, Donnie's t-shirt/print/embroidery shop, writing the new record, etc. Bands played in this podcast: Algorillathym, Keratin, The Plan, Prize The Doubt, Sincere Engineer, and Why?. Listen to podcast #103 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

VICTOR SHORES
Bandcamp

Facebook
Instagram

1 Patience and Aging Like Fine Wine

WHY? "Gemini" (Bryce)
THE PLAN "3x3" (Dave)

2 Twinkle Skate Punk No Twinkle

SINCERE ENGINEER "Overbite" (Donnie)
PRIZE THE DOUBT "People Magazine" (Dave)

3 See if that makes the fucking cut.

ALGORILLATHYM "Go Home" (Victor Shores' Dave)

*** KERATIN "Still Quill" (Dave) *** -> EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE!!!

~Dave

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PODCAST #103 linked here

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Additional links:

OMSB review

Music videos!!!

"Drowning"

"Canoe"

*** PODCAST #102 Aaron Wamack (Me And Him Call It Us, O'Brother) ***

     Back in 2013 I started this blog. That same a fellow showed me ME AND HIM CALL IT US. I kinda liked it but thought it was a bit chaotic and grindy. In 2016 I became obsessed with the band, and in 2017 wrote this review. In 2020 Wax Vessel released the ME AND HIM CALL IT US 'Epilogue' 3x12" discography and the band came into view once again, but dare I say on a bigger platform. I eventually gathered up the courage to ask drummer/vocalist Aaron Wamack if he'd be interested in a podcast, and he thankfully said yes. We discussed a ton of stuff but here a few highlights: Christian adult contemporary music, elementary school music class, breaking into secular music, jamming The Chariot with dad, his first band Forget About Stars, the Georgia move, the formation and influences of Me And Him Call It Us, Google + was important for one thing, going on a four-month tour, the Final Expression crossover, the Wax Vessel revival, the making of the 'Epilogue' booklet, ironically annoyed with "Innocent Bystander...", Aaron plugs Zegema Beach Records, Harken The Hands Askew history and...future?, joining/recording/touring with O'Brother, Manchester Orchestra connections, love for Blake, etc. Bands played in this podcast: The 1975, Black Matter Device, Brutus, Lower Automation, Mico, Nada Surf, Svalbard, and Thank You Driver. Listen to podcast #102 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

ME AND HIM CALL IT US
Bandcamp

Facebook

OBROTHER
Bandcamp

DEAD IN THE DIRT
Bandcamp

BIG JESUS
Facebook

INFERNAL COIL
Bandcamp

1 A Hidden Shoebox of Secrets

BRUTUS "Dust" (Aaron)
SVALBARD "Click Bait" (Dave)

2 The Importance of Wearing Band Shirts at School

THE 1975 "Oh Caroline" (Aaron)
NADA SURF "80 Windows" (Dave)

3 The Flow of Me And Him Call It Us / Chipping Away at the Statue

MICO "Impío Serafín" (Aaron)
THANK YOU DRIVER "Dyer Blueprint" (Dave)

4 The OBrother and Big Jesus Years
BLACK MATTER DEVICE "Jay Dino Dies" (Aaron)
*** LOWER AUTOMATION "End Scene" (Dave) *** -> EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE!!!

~Dave

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PODCAST #102 linked here

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Additional links:

OMSB review

*** LOWER AUTOMATION exclusive song premiere ***

LOWER AUTOMATION

"Guzzler"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Dillinger Escape Plan, One Day As A Lion, At The Drive In and Cave In

Bandcamp
Facebook

     Chicago's mathy noise rock veterans were kicking around for quite a few years before I caught wind of them. In early 2021 the band sent me their self-titled debut LP and I kinda lost my mind over it. 'Lower Automation' is honestly one of the sickest, most awesome records to ever jump into my earholes. I had zero expectations. I knew nothing. Now...well, now I apparently know everything and I drag around what has to be ridiculous expectations. But, in true LOWER AUTOMATION fashion, they blew me out of the water and I still haven't landed yet.

     Just over a year after their self-titled breakout 12" the three-piece is back with a whopping 12 new jams that'll leave you scratching your head while trying to bust some moves. It's a weird dance, there's no denying it. But that's the appeal of LOWER AUTOMATION. Want repeating sections? Fuck you. Looking for that simple hook or groove that you can lean into? Oops you just fell flat on the floor. The band's sophomore full length 'Strobe Light Shadow Play' simultaneously houses the most abrasive, chaotic, and weird concoctions by the band to date, but also the most melodic with a few songs that sport clean singing and dare I say "melodies".

     Vocalist/guitarist Derek Allen had this to say about "Guzzler":

This was one of my favorite songs to write lyrics for. It's kinda about how buying and consuming things is instilled in us from birth, which I think creates an emptiness in us and fuels a cycle of using these things as a distraction from how abysmal we feel.

     The full 12"LP releases in full on November 22nd via Zegema Beach Records on 200 eco-mix vinyl. These are in hand and ship the week of release.

(2022) LOWER AUTOMATION "Guzzler" (from 'Strobe Light Shadow Play')

https://youtu.be/UjoBmHbv74w

     This mid-album track is a clusterfuck of awesomeness and weirdness. It begins with a gargling intro reminiscent of being swallowed into the Matrix, followed by extremely elegant and swirling/spacey Cave In-esque guitars with Derek's classic yelp (not entirely different from Cedric's At The Drive In wail). There's even a broken synthy part reminiscent of Zack De La Rocha's One Day As A Lion. This track offers just a taste of the infinite math soup that 'Strobe Light Shadow Play' has to offer.

ADDITIONAL LINKS & WHATNOT

'Lower Automation' full live set

OMSB Podcast

ZBR Fest 2022

ERRATA

Band: ERRATA
Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Doom

Related artists: ?.
Country: Lille FRANCE
Years Active: 2012-2016
For fans of: Daitro, Sed Non Satiata, Aleska, Yarostan, Massa Nera, Rha., The Solexine Chapter, Jeanne, Aussitot Mort, We Never Learned To Live, Cult Of Luna, and Amanda Woodward.

Label(s): Self Released/ Tokyo Jupiter Records

     I only came across this band recently and definitely wish I was aware of them back when they were releasing because A) this shit rules and B) I can't find me that first EP anywhere. I'm sure many readers know/love Daitro and by extension Yarostan, Aleska, Massa Nera, and Amanda Woodward, so you'll be stoked on France's ERRATA. The band's mixture of post-rock, post-hardcore, screamo and dare I say doom was a concoction I don't think I've heard a proper replication of (although Sed Non Satiata is a very close comparison), meaning that they really hit something special with their 8-song, 2013 LP 'L'autre Hemisphere'.

     Opener "Tour D'abandon" sets the tone immediately with a torrential downpour of commanding, heavy riffs and screams reminiscent of Daitro. This track is perhaps a tad misleading as the postier elements lay in wait for the second track "Entracte" which also happens to be triple the length. "Narcisse Est Mort" and "Le Sang Des Silènes" will hit the Amanda Woodward itch in any listener with searing vocals, mammoth instrumentals, and instrospective moments. Speaking of introspective, the 9:23 "Dernière Escale Avant Naufrage" spends a lot of time in the post-rock realm before picking up speed in the latter half. "Empreintes" is vaguely reminiscent of the opener but smoothed out a bit, and closer "L’éperdu Des Astres" is the lengthiest of the more screamo-driven tracks but packs a serious whallop, tying it for the strongest song on the album with tracks one and three.

     If anyone digs up that cdrEP of 'Modus Operandi' please let me know or post it in the comments 💗

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DISCOGRAPHY

2008 - Modus Operandi cdrEP (anyone have this? I don't!)

2013 - L'autre Hemisphere cdLP (download here)

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(2013) ERRATA - "Tour D'abandon" (from 'L'autre Hemisphere')

https://youtu.be/h7hBskQLSXA

(2013) ERRATA - "Narcisse Est Mort" (from 'L'autre Hemisphere')

https://youtu.be/oVGzXtUxzyo

(2013) ERRATA - "L’éperdu Des Astres" (from 'L'autre Hemisphere')

https://youtu.be/v9uaqkTDp9Y

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ERRATA digital LP / additional links

(download here)

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*** BARABBAS, DU FÖRTAPPADE exclusive song premiere ***

BARABBAS, DU FÖRTAPPADE

"Regrets of Something Impossible"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Enoch Ardon, We Watch Clouds, Antioch Arrow, Transistor Transistor, St. Albans Kids, Sur L'eau and Letterbombs

Bandcamp
Facebook

BARABBAS, DU FÖRTAPPADE has been kicking it since 2017 or so and play cathartic screamo/hardcore from Sweden. Fresh off a line-up change, the band is releasing their debut full length in early 2023, the 12-song 'Discussions on Existentialism' on 12" via Dingleberry Records and Distribution (DE), No Heroes Records (DE), Jean Scene Creamers (US), Entes Anomicos (DE), Fresh Outbreak Records (IT), Pasidaryk Pats Records (LT), and Salto Mortale Music (SK). The record was recorded at Hermitage Studios in Stockholm, Sweden during December of 2021. It was mixed and mastered by Steve Roche at Permanent Hearing Damage studio (Off Minor, Neil Perry, Massa Nera, Capacities). Artwork and design by Alex Mages (@alexmages.artwork). Get ready for 1:32 of groovy-yet-disjointed stuff not unlike Letterbombs or We Watch Clouds.

(2022) BARABBAS, DU FÖRTAPPADE "Regrets of Something Impossible" (from Discussions on Existentialism')

https://youtu.be/w57P2NkhFtU

LYRICS:

The bottom's reached and now we can turn back. I feel the point where things could be good again. Start to remember things that made us. It is now we smile. But instead, we sorrow. The abyss is reached.  The abyss is reached. How the fuck could you die?

ADDITIONAL LINKS & WHATNOT

OMSB debut cassette review

*** ERETIA exclusive song premiere ***

ERETIA

"Part II"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Fall Of Efrafa, Aussitot Mort, Cult Of Luna, R. Josef, and Rosetta

Bandcamp
Facebook
Instagram

     ERETIA is a band consisting of a bunch of screamo vets including members of Osoluna (pre-Drei Affen) and Tempano but opts for a doomy, post-hardcore/post-metal vibe and it's awesome. The songs are very concise and generally last five minutes or less which is rare in the genre, but the songs are organic and move from section to section seamlessly whilst retaining a heavy, sludgy, grip on the listener. "Part II" is no different, coming in just under four minutes but swelling to a mammoth riff to close out the final minute. Awesome stuff!

     The cd/tape/12" comes out before 2022 concludes via 19 labels from all over the world so the chances are high that you will be able to snag a copy semi-locally and not have to pay international shipping.

(2022) ERETIA "Part II" (from 'Quietud')

https://youtu.be/rXxC8oStji8

ADDITIONAL LINKS & WHATNOT

Idioteq exclusive stream of "Part IV"

*** PODCAST #101 Venus Twins ***

     I became aware of VENUS TWINS back in 2020 when I heard their sophomore EP 'Eat Your Dogs'  and that opener "Fkn Lightning" ruined me, reminding me of Big Dick and Death From Above 1979. I helped release that on tape and then hooked up again with the Texan twins for their newest full length 'RAXIS'. The bass and drums duo are currently on the road for a month (their longest tour yet!) and are about halfway through, so peep this podcast to either A) get acquainted with the band or B) learn a lot in-depth info (especially about the lyrical content of the new album). If you'd like more info on their individual releases I've also done a discography review (linked here).

     'RAXIS' is definitely one of my favourite albums of 2022 and has taken over as my shower listen. Go check it out first (linked here) then jam this OMSB-first "on the road" podcast. We discussed many-a-things, including (but not limited to): what were you doing when covid stopped the world?, Mommy's Little Boy, learning from Rock Band, Cold Fire, joining Acid Carousel, the scene in Denton, moving to New York, gathering a plethora of influences, the best Circa Survive album, the meaning of RAXIS, the benefits of being twins in a band, tour stories, lego rave party, family members and vices, being vegan and the Animal Kill Clock, xanax + weed = demons, future EP plans, etc. Bands played in this podcast: Big Dick, Big Hand//Big Knife, Hella, Tongues Of Fire, and YHWH Nailgun. Listen to podcast #101 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

VENUS TWINS
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Linktr.ee

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"Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist Mist" official music video

https://youtu.be/MjcS-S4rsl8

1 The Slow 360 and Dillinger
(intro) VENUS TWINS "Fkn Lightning" (intro) 

TONGUES OF FIRE "Silence" (Matt and Jake)
BIG DICK "Yard Fight" (Dave)

2 The Effects of Coffee and Being Twins

YHWH NAILGUN "Look at Me, I'm a Rainer" (Matt and Jake)

HELLA "Ho's in the House" (Dave)

3 Track-By-Track Commentary aka Jazzers Go Hard

BIGHAND//BIGKNIFE "Sift" (Matt and Jake)

4 Future Plans aka An Oxymoron Unto Itself
(outro) VENUS TWINS "Return to Dust" (outro)

~Dave

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PODCAST #101 linked here

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Additional links:

OMSB review