*** BLACK TEETH exclusive premiere ***

BLACK TEETH

'Black Teeth'
exclusive album premiere

For fans of: Versus The Mirror, Seasons Worn, We Were Skeletons, Constrain and The Fall Of Troy

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     I got sent this a month or so ago and immediately asked if I could get the EP premiere for it. Voila! Today is the day!!! Tapes in December from Oliver Glenn Records! Instead of me giving the intro, you should hear it directly from the source:

"My name is Tyler Keir based out of Ann Arbor Michigan and BLACK TEETH is my solo project. I have played drums in Welman and Joyous and also mixed Morning Dew’s album pulp and their songs for their most recent split. However i have focused most of my attention towards this project for the past year and a half. My influences for this EP are mainly bands like We were skeletons, la dispute and a lot of early 2000’s post hardcore bands like Silverstein, Atreyu, Hawthorne Heights etc. All music was written, recorded, mixed and mastered by me at Dark farm studio in Michigan. There are no upcoming shows for BLACK TEETH but hopefully someday I will have a full band line up. Next release for BLACK TEETH is a split with Morning Dew."

(2023) BLACK TEETH 'Black Teeth' full EP stream

https://youtu.be/ISDEx6l69X8

     So this thing houses five tracks which I'll fire through:

1) "Watching airplanes crash" - this sounds as in line with traditional screamo and metallic hardcore as it does with post-hardcore, giving me vibes from: Circle Takes The Square, Pianos Become The Teeth, The Jonbenet, Linger, Fall Of Troy, Seasons Worn, goddamn the list goes on, but at the same time this project really doesn't sound like a copy of any band

2) "DOG" - probably my favourite of the bunch, this one is the shortest and gives me mad metallic hardcore/Versus The Mirror vibes in the best ways possible
3) "Dying in the mouth of cancer" - this rides some punchy-ass riffs Fall Of Troy style with an excellent epic build that chills out after the one-minute mark before swinging back around again, making it just as good as the preceding track
4) "Stay out" - latches on to a catchy post-hardcore progression early, switching gears just before the halfway point to a much screamier and cathartic second half

5) "I found your limbs in the wreckage" - this closer is pretty playful and includes the most experimentation on the EP, and is probably where the most We Were Skeletons influence presents itself

*** PODCAST #136 Othiel ***

     Zegema Beach has been sitting on this OTHIEL 12"LP for a few months now and we're itchin' to let you fall in love. Those familiar with the stylings of Crowning, Old Soul, and Eyelet should eat this     very heavy yet very melodic screamo/post-hardcore from the Western US up. As I've been jamming this 24/7 and it releases this Friday, now seemed like a good time for a podcast with drummer Parker and guitarists Jacob/Isiah (and we were joined at the very end by bassist Josh). Some things discusssed: from Mai to Othiel & shoegaze to screamo, Foo Fighters = good & Led Zeppelin = bad, playing to thousands of people, the Deafheaven approach to screamo, girlsoverflowers and a crap ending, revisiting Coldplay, vinyl over tapes, "inspo" is a word, a buncha sick rock songs, bread burps, Josh's arrival (literally), Canadian sandwich definition, etc. Bands played in this podcast: Halfgrass, Kumo 99, Mansions, Mew, Old Soul, and Pinkshinyultrablast. Listen to podcast #136 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

OTHIEL

Bandcamp

LP opening track "Upright" official music video

https://youtu.be/wRO6V9PgdCg

1 The Few You Click With

HALFGRASS "Buried in Bed" (Parker)

MANSIONS "Honeymoon" (Dave)

2 Sci-Fi Choose Your Character

PINKSHINYULTRABLAST "Metamorphosis" (Isaiah)

KUMO 99 "Adjacent Casualty" (Dave)

3 Passing the Test of Goodness

MEW "Am I Wry? No." (Jacob)

OLD SOUL "Lens" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #136 linked here

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HORSEBOY

Band: HORSEBOY
Genres: Punk / Noise Rock / Post-Punk / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Metal

Related artists: Leg Yield, Untold Want and Big Water.
Country: Kansas City, Missouri U.S.A.
Years Active: 2023-present
For fans of: The Jonbenét, Llewelyn, Leg Yield, The Blood Brothers, Akimbo, Terrifying Girls' High School, Lucertulus, Meth., Short Hair, Teenage Swoon, Blue Youth and Nikad.

Label(s): Self Released

     There's no better way to follow up Horsewhip then with HORSEBOY. But Dave, are they related? Not really, just by name and the fact that both kick major ass. This debut EP was released in 2023 and is a frantic, chaotic, and blissful blast through a screamo/post-punk hybrid which might end up being my EP of the year. It's that fucking good. It is my 2023 goal to get this on a physical medium in some way, shape, or form.

      The four-piece features members of Leg Yield, Untold Want and Big Water knocking out 6 tracks in just 12 minutes. Opener "Tell Me I'm Sorry" is a decent introduction to the EP and on the heavier end of the spectrum, but I'd probably argue it's the weakest of the 6. Following is the one-minute "Painless" which is heavy as fuck and totally in your face. No noodles or pretty interludes, this is staggering screamo/metal in the vein of Akimbo on speed. "Vicious Mockery" goes just as as hard as its predecessor but gets there from the opposite direction, implementing super dancey grooves, interesting guitarwork, and next-level dynamics, reminding me of The Blood Brothers and Desperado. "Honk if You're Under Suspicious Circumstances" is perhaps the most out-there track but it's a righteous number that begins with more rock and yellin' than usual (reminding me a bit of Venus Twins), but eventually unravels into a rabid jaunt of unhinged rock and screamo. You want some fucking sass? Then look no further than "Sinner Supremist" which is drowned in cathartic confidence not unlike Terrifying Girls' High School and early Lucertulus material. Closer "Deep Hunger" continues with the latter half of the EP, focusing on rock first and the heavier stuff second, using a lot of shouted vocals and unnerving guitar progressions.

     Yep, EP of the year.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2023 - Horseboy EP (stream/buy here)

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(2023) HORSEBOY - "Vicious Mockery" (from 'Horseboy')

https://youtu.be/wyNbREeUktA

(2023) HORSEBOY - "Painless" (from 'Horseboy')

https://youtu.be/uZda5WGm8Xc

(2023) HORSEBOY - "Sinner Supremist" (from 'Horseboy')

https://youtu.be/M1Rw99OysK0

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HORSEBOY additional links

Bandcamp

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HORSEWHIP

Band: HORSEWHIP
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Crust / Post-Hardcore / Metallic Hardcore / Dark Hardcore

Related artists: Reversal Of Man, Guiltmaker, Sutek Conspiracy, The Dream Is Dead, Brazil, Combatwoundedveteran, Fathers, Heaven's Gate, Shroud Of Turin, Order Of Importance, Crucible, and Early Grace.
Country: Saint Petersburg, Florida U.S.A.
Years Active: 2018-present
For fans of: Glassing, His Hero Is Gone, Rotting In Dirt, Anna Sage, Perth Express, Ghostlimb, Yurodivy, Telos, and Trainwreck.

Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Iodine Recordings / Roman Numeral Records / Financial Ruin Records / Tor Johnson Records

     I first became aware of HORSEWHIP early on due to my online friend Alex Bond being the drummer (check out interview here). After falling pretty hard for their 2020 LP the band happened to inquire if they could play ZBR Fest 2022 to which we quickly obliged. They are awesome people and were one of my favourite sets from the fest. Soon afterward we were asked to release their 'Yashira split' 7", and then they were picked up by friends over at Iodine Records, releasing the incredible 'Consume and Burn' just a month or so back. Their related bands run deep and include Reversal Of Man, Sutek Conspiracy, The Dream Is Dead, Combadwoundedveteran, as well as one of my personal faves Guiltmaker.

     The bridge connecting the first two releases, 2018's 'Horsewhip' and 2020's 'Laid to Waste' full lengths, is an excellent example of the band's growth from debut to sophomore effort. The former is dark, driving, and relatively confined in terms of experimentation and driving home the differences between tracks, while the latter retains the band's initial sound but branches out into much more memorable territory with songs like "Inertia Waits", "Closure", and "Holy Lies". The noticeable increase in production quality makes the second LP much thicker, heavier, and engaging.

     Voalist Mike Grantham left the band after 'Laid to Waste'. Instead of replacing him guitarist Shaun and bassist Jeff jointly took on the task (although Jeff was arguably all over the previous material too), and then added a second guitarist by name of Dave (tis a good name). I should point out at here that I think Shaun's vocals are amazingly thick and extremely powerful, plus with the additional guitar the band's output went from great to fucking incredible. Our first offering with the new lineup was my very own label's split 7" with Yashira. I immediately noticed the resemblance to their ZBR Fest 2022 performance with the same members, "Circadian Rhythm" is devastatingly full, even harsher in the vocal department, and in general just kinda fuckin' heavier. It also ended up being the closer for the band's new LP.

      This leads us very obviously to 2023's release and third full length 'Consume and Burn', without a doubt the band's crowning achievement to date and one helluva smack to the earholes. The presence on these 8 songs are unmistakable - like a imposing behemoth of a monster toying with you like you're nothing. The crushing emanations are counterbalanced with eerie, spacey guitar riffs that bring to mind some of the stuff that These Arms Are Snakes were riffin' hard during their earlier years. The heavier bits bring to mind Trainwreck, Anna Sage, and Glassing feel, but are blatantly HORSEWHIP's own concoction. I bet we'll find this on a bunch of best of 2023 lists, and rightly so!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2018 - Horsewhip 12"LP (listen/buy here)

2020 - Laid to Waste 12"LP (listen/buy here)

2022 - Yashira split 7" (listen/download/buy here)
2022 - Hundreds Of AU split 7" (contains "Buried")

2023 - Consume and Burn 12"LP (listen/buy here)

2023 - Buried flexi 7" (contains "Buried")

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(2023) HORSEWHIP - "Plague Machine" (from 'Consume and Burn') [official music video]

https://youtu.be/48GQASMpxnM

(2023) HORSEWHIP - "Dissolve" (from 'Consume and Burn')

https://youtu.be/j5qABa4dchQ

(2022) HORSEWHIP - "Circadian Rhythm" (from 'Yashira' split)

https://youtu.be/9MAGzSg6DTA

(2022) HORSEWHIP - "Inertia Waits" (live @ZBR Fest)

https://youtu.be/GNrRZLa_lUc

(2020) HORSEWHIP - "Closure" (from 'Laid to Waste')

https://youtu.be/6xadqDtChmM

(2020) HORSEWHIP - "Holy Lies" (from 'Laid to Waste')

https://youtu.be/7LHALOjXCt0

(2018) HORSEWHIP - "Funeral Circus" (from 'Horsewhip')

https://youtu.be/wxjIei9l2gM

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HORSEWHIP additional links

Bandcamp

"Inertia Waits" official music video

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*** PODCAST #135 Chris Djuric (Obroa-skai, Kodama, Sun Up Sun Down) ***

     Going all the way back to the first or second show I ever reviewed on this blog...it was Mahria. Soon afterward I became obsessed with their new band Rayleigh. After they disbanded OBROA-SKAI was born and I've been following them since. Originally a three-piece, the band absorbed Chris Djuric during the pandemic. Chris was instrumental in helping craft the upcoming 12"LP 'Science Progresses One Funeral at a Time'. I caught up with him and discussed a myriad of things including but not limited to: defined by music (sick riffs), the height of practicing, dialing back the music ego, Peter Brötzmann in general, the second coming of Nirvana, the cover band, joining Kodama and Sun Up Sun Down, the Raein-esque band that never happened and how it led to Obroa-skai, terrible rhythms and sounds, the Don Caballero stutter, fantastically collaborative, "Next Door" deconstruction, the upcoming experimental EP, 'Science Progresses One Funeral at a Time' themes, late-night deployment blues, etc. Bands played in this podcast: Ahleuchatistas, Great Falls, Flooding, Last Exit, Nhomme, and Yowie. Listen to podcast #135 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

OBROA-SKAI

Bandcamp

https://youtu.be/nITbDG7vdFI

SUN UP SUN DOWN

Bandcamp

KODAMA

Bandcamp

1 Expression Over Technicality

LAST EXIT "Crackin" (Chris)

AHLEUCHATISTAS "Rpg2" (Dave)

2 The Bassist Who Didn't Have Any Gear

YOWIE "Tera" (Chris)

NHOMME "iii" (Dave)

3 The Reconciling of Academia and Punk

GREAT FALLS "The Starveling" (Chris)

FLOODING "Monolith Girl" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #135 linked here

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FAINTING IN COILS

Band: FAINTING IN COILS
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metalcore / Metallic Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence

Related artists: ?.
Country: New York, New York U.S.A.
Years Active: 2023-present
For fans of: Onewaymirror, Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Letters To Catalonia, Dispensing Of False Halos, .gif from god, A Paramount A Love Supreme, Binary, (early) SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Textbook Traitors, Long.Way.Down., Mouthing, Deers!, Me And Him Call It Us, and Ihuntmonsters.

Label(s): Self Released

     I recently caught wind of the first release by the New York two-piece FAINTING IN COILS, and straight up it's the demo of the year. Mixing chunky and nearly lo-fi screamo/metallic hardcore calls to mind Onewaymirror and Letters To Catalonia.

     This '2023 Demo' EP seriously rocked my world, and interestingly pulls together so many things that I love from a few genres. The demos are listed as one track but I broke them up for the sake of this review. Those five songs rely on chugs, panic chords, and dual screaming aka tons of Dave. Opener "Ambition" lulls you in with dreamy instrumentals, and even moves into more emo/screamo territory next, but by the 50-second mark the metallic roots really bare themselves as the chugs and nifty guitar squeals take over. Next up is the short and dark interlude "Reeling and Writhing", followed by the bangin' "Derision" that is probably about 75% breakdowns. "Uglification" takes no time going for the jugular with fury that will turn any Love Lost But Not Forgotten & Me And Him Call It Us fan into a FAINTING IN COILS believer. Closer "Distraction" is the shortest track (47 seconds) and the most progressive in terms of throwing together more melody, structure, and nods to metal.

     So yeah, demo of the year. I think there's a 4-way split coming with FAINTING IN COILS on it, but don't quote me.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2023 - 2023 Demo digital EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2023) FAINTING IN COILS - "Derision" (from 'Demo 2023')

https://youtu.be/DzDuQlkIcY4

(2023) FAINTING IN COILS - "Ambition" (from 'Demo 2023')

https://youtu.be/JPDbKMsRLvY

(2023) FAINTING IN COILS - "Uglification" (from 'Demo 2023')

https://youtu.be/h3JRbcfhPdk

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FAINTING IN COILS additional links

Bandcamp

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