*** PODCAST #110 Hayden Peeling (Thank You Driver) ***

     A year-to-the-day after THANK YOU DRIVER's release of 'They Taught Us How To Read In Nam' (and just over four months since 'Nothing You Do Can Stop This'), I present to you a podcast with bassist/back-up vocalist Hayden Peeling. He took the ferry over from Surrey to do this podcast, see the Mares Of Thrace show (linked here) after we hit it off at their 2022 release show (linked here). We discussed many things including their next show (March 4th linked here) as well as: being born in the wrong generation, loving La Dispute, cover bands and the beginning of THANK YOU DRIVER, member ultimatums and drummer switches, the stupidest thing Hayden did as a teenager (starring Michael J. Fox), shifting from emotional hardcore to chaotic hardcore/mathcore, moving into math class, fry screaming and vocal change-ups, Thank You Driver's name origin story, newer vs. throwback metalcore, love for Mathcore Index, Hey Allen give me more Miriam, doing covers are fun, favourite/upcoming shows, local shout-outs, pingy snares, favourite 2023 releases thus far, etc. Bands played in this podcast: A Mourning Star, A Needle Under The Nail, Kokeshi, Long.Way.Down., Poison The Well, and Stasis. Listen to podcast #110 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

THANK YOU DRIVER
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Music Video for "Dyer Blueprint"

https://youtu.be/JFzYRG0r6GU

Music Video for "Rich In Bootstraps"

https://youtu.be/kiEcH3Bw4lg

1 First Shows are Supposed to be Abysmal

POISON THE WELL "Nerdy" (Hayden)

***LONG.WAY.DOWN. "you'vegotagoodheadonyourshoulders" (Dave)*** <<< exclusive premiere

2 Hayden Caught A Contact High

STASIS "Far From You" (Hayden)

A NEEDLE UNDER THE NAIL "The Third Impact" (Dave)

3 Calling Jeremy Out (for being a genius)

A MOURNING STAR "A World Beyond" (Hayden)

KOKESHI "憧憬" (click for music video) (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #110 linked here

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***LETTERBOMBS exclusive song premiere***

LETTERBOMBS

"Elämän jokainen hetki (Every Last Moment)"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Barabbas, Du Förtappade, Pepi Rössler, and Life

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'Väkivaltaisesti Sinun' releases February 28th, 2023 on Tomb Tree (26x swirl cassettes) and Mangoe Records (30x clear 10" lathes).

     What?!?! LETTERBOMBS has more material?!?! You bet yer ass they do. On February 28th Tomb Tree and Mangoe Records will release two very limited runs of the new EP by Finland's LETTERBOMBS titled 'Väkivaltaisesti Sinun'. This follows their most recent split with In Wolves' Clothing and precedes a 4-way split cassette (releasing in April). Today I am premiering the sole single "Elämän jokainen hetki". Some info about the release:

"I met Laura for the first time at a premiere for a poetry zine in 2020. After that encounter, we stayed in touch, and she sent me the poems that can be heard on the release, and I just knew we had to get a wider audience to hear these. We recorded the spoken word parts first and had the accompanying music done soon after. I wrote the lyrics as a sort of response to the poems for a totally different perspective. We felt that we’d like to do our part for the victims of abuse and domestic violence, so we’ve decided to donate all profits to Ensi- ja Turvakotien liitto (The Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters)." – Eetu

"Roope took the lead on writing the music for the poems to fit the mood and emote certain feelings, which he managed to capture brilliantly. I co-wrote most of the actual Letterbombs tracks with Jussi. We wrote a total of five tracks, three can be heard on the release. In addition to having gone into new musical territories, we decided to take it even further by having an acoustic track and an experimental ambient/noise outro. Damián Antón Ojeda from Sadness did guest vocals, and they took the release to a whole new level. Despite having separate tracks on digital platforms, Väkivaltaisesti sinun “Violently Yours” is in fact a single track that is meant to be listened to in its entirety." – Chris

     And they also had this to say about the track being premiered:

Elämän jokainen hetki (Every Last Moment) is portraying the poems from an antagonistic viewpoint, in which someone believes to have ownership and “permitted” you to experience your life. Till death do us part, which is the unfortunate reality for some victims of domestic violence. 

We as a band, stand by the victims, and hope to raise awareness of this topic that affects so many globally. There is no room for theses heinous acts of barbaric brutality and toxic behaviour. 

EMOVIOLENCE AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

     To the track we go!!!

(2023) LETTERBOMBS "Elämän jokainen hetki" (from 'Väkivaltaisesti Sinun')

https://youtu.be/mL7gLRJ1dlo

ADDITIONAL LINKS & WHATNOT

In Wolves' Clothing split premiere

***MARES OF THRACE w/Liminal Shroud + Tribunal live show review***

MARES OF THRACE / LIMINAL SHROUD / TRIBUNAL

@WICKET HALL in VICTORIA on February 18th, 2023
Live Show Review

     After getting very into MARES OF THRACE when this blog first started back in 2013, it was a goddamned no brainer to go see them in live - especially considering I didn't need to take a dang ferry (2.5 hours each way) like the Vancouver shows I tend to frequent. The band and I also did a podcast together late last year (linked here). So my friend Hayden from Thank You Driver and I hopped in my dying van and made the 1.5 hour drive south.

     The show was much bigger than I had anticipated, with a line-up around the corner and a very interesting/unique venue that I would probably conclude at this point was pretty peculiar but definitely allowed a great view of the stage regardless of your position in the multi-leveled baseball-diamond-esque floor.

MARES OF THRACE

     Taking the stage with commanding authority second was the two-piece Calgary doom metal/hardcore that was the reason for my trip. They slayed and their new material sounds even better live, although they definitely dipped into some old favourites from 'The Pilgrimage' which got the crowd moving from headbanging to moshing. You'll notice that in the videos Casey seems non-existent as I found out early in "Dark Harbours" during an extreme zoom in) but I assure you that he was kicking ass on drums behind the lights and haze.

(2023) MARES OF THRACE "The Perpetrator" (from 'The Pilgrimage')

https://youtu.be/3HGODIF24VE

For fans of: Kokeshi and Oathbreaker

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extra videos: "Onward, Ever Onward" / "In All Her Glory" / "Dark Harbours"

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LIMINAL SHROUD

     I recently saw this Victoria-based atmospheric black-metal trio in Nanaimo with Hexis on the first date of their prodigious 40+ day Canadian tour last year (linked here). Their set was the driving, pummeling, and explosive onslaught that I had remembered as they ripped through six-ish minute speed marathons with pukey vocals.

(2023) LIMINAL SHROUD

https://youtu.be/Qacey9uf_CU
For fans of: Spectral Wound and Hope Drone

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TRIBUNAL

     This Vancouver five-piece played their new record in it's entirety. The band played (from what I gathered, as I'm not really well-versed in this style) goth-driven doom metal utilizing two of their instrumentalists as vocalists, one delivering death growls and the other haunting singing.

(2023) TRIBUNAL

https://youtu.be/ovZmF2YHh2g

For fans of: goth / doom / black metal

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DREAM, INERTIA

Band: DREAM, ENERTIA
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Black Metal

Related artists: ?.
Country: Meanjin, Brisbane AUSTRALIA
Years Active: 2022-present
For fans of: Brahm, Gil Cerrone, Infant Island, Massa Nera, Funeral Diner, Scenario and Armywives.

Label(s): Team Glasses Records

     File DREAM, INERTIA under ridiculous awesome new Australian screamo, as that country is pumping out insanely good bands on the regular. This new album was released by Team Glasses in Australia, a label both very active in releasing said sick-ass bands, but also putting on shows and fests and generally being a very positive beacon for the scene down there. The label reached out to me to share this a few weeks back and I was instantly hooked. The cover is a bit deceptive, as this is 2000s throwback screamo with little-to-no black metal leanings (as the art kinda suggests), mixing a Funeral Diner foundation with nods to other current Australian screamo bands like Gil Cerrone and Salt Money.

     The band's debut release is titled 'Ephemeral' and consists of six songs that are great at building a solid foundation before laying into the listener, and opener "How to forget the sun" is a prime example. Atmospherics quickly give way to a writhing, shifting behemoth of a wave that definitely brings bands like Brahm, Infant Island, and Armywives to mind with a great combo of speed and melody. the follow-up "Reclaim" turns that formula backwards and instead goes all out to start and injects the slower builds post lightning. So if you've made it to the third track "Somewhere serene" and aren't sold you might as well just quit, but if you're digging (and if you follow this blog you most likely are) then the ride has only begun because the album keeps this brand of screamo throughout the next four tracks (with the exception of the "..." interlude) and has immediately become one of my most listened to releases of 2023.

     If you are in North America and would like a tape without the Australian shipping, ZBR/Tomb Tree and Team Glasses will start trading this year so expect some copies in our stores closer to spring/summer and vice versa. Also, for some reason the band's bandcamp isn't active but the album is on the Team Glasses page linked below.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2023 - Ephemeral cassetteLP (stream/buy here)

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(2023) DREAM, INERTIA - "The moon is so beautiful, I am no longer afraid to die" (from 'Ephemeral')

https://youtu.be/Nc38eRDAUtE

(2023) DREAM, INERTIA - "How to forget the sun" (from 'Ephemeral')

https://youtu.be/wlEtayeCbr4

(2023) DREAM, INERTIA - "Reclaim" (from 'Ephemeral')

https://youtu.be/j3KAwH7504Q

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DREAM, INERTIA additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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