*** VOLP exclusive song premiere ***

VOLP

"razor mind"
exclusive song premiere

For fans of: Engineer, The Minor Times, Telos, Horsewhip, Anna Sage, I Am A Curse, Trainwreck, and Ken Mode

Bandcamp

     A few months ago I was sent the debut album from Paris, France's VOLP. I'd never heard of them, but they released an EP back in 2021 that I totally missed, but you can bet your ass I immediately snagged it after hearing how absolutely fantastic the upcoming 'Vortex' cassette/cd LP that drops February 6th, 2024 on Tomb Tree and Out Of Thunes Records. This band features members of The Informers, Retsar Baînaim, Homeboys, Napoleon Solo, Black Shabbat, Monsieur Po, Calcine, Nordkaap, SaaR, Bain De Sang and plays seriously dark, metallic, semi-mathy hardcore that I feel like is a ridiculously amazing cross of Engineer, Horsewhip, and Ken Mode. Today I'm premiering the closing jam and absolute beast that is "razor mind", and make sure to return on the 6th when this behemoth begins its official rampage. Sounds like the band is also cooking up at least one, if not more, music videos!

(2024) VOLP "razor mind" (from 'Vortex')

https://youtu.be/aUk8FFPPec4

     Like many of the songs on this 8-song full length (approx. 30 minutes in total) the song doesn't have any soft parts, there are no interludes, zero cleans, nada noodle soup - this thing is abrasive, potent, violent, and unrelenting. It's also the longest song on the record by over a minute, clocking in at 5:14 with every single second being worth your time. After a short feedback/lulling intro the song goes full tilt around the 45-second mark, an utter barrage of symphonized noise complete with truly venomous vocals and adrenaline-soaked riffage and breakdowns. An obvious initial comparison is the new Horsewhip album but if you dug the destruction of The Minor Times and Engineer back in the day you'll fucking love this shit. By its midsection there's a slower passage that gets downright evil before hurtling itself down an infinite hill again which is where the climax of the song truly builds and eventually unravels much like Ken Mode has been doing for decades. God-fuckin'-damn that's a good time.

ADDITIONAL LINKS & WHATNOT

Comp track "Abscess" that is also on the album from 'A Homeland Denied'

MISSOURI EXECUTIVE ORDER 44

MISSOURI EXECUTIVE ORDER 44

For fans of: Celebration, Gxlliam!, Canyons, Leg Yield, Graf Orlock, Nerver, Pretty Mouth, and Big Water.
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metal / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence / Powerviolence / Grindcore

Related artists: AGENT, Any Kind Of Cleaning Supply, Big Water, Bluehealer, Bummer, Con College, Gridlock, Leg Yield, Pear'n, The Deacons, Vestibule, Horseboy, Iwakura, Joust, Product Lust, Black Pope, Byrgeau Noil, Lushing, Tall Boys, Abandoncy, and Riala.

Country: Independence/Kansas City, Missouri U.S.A.
Years Active: 2022-present

Label(s): Self Released

     Preceding my podcast with Matt Perrin is the band he told me about during said cast, MISSOURI EXECUTIVE ORDER 44. I checked them out after we concluded and instantly fell in love with this slab of Missouri-drenched goodness.

     Featuring members from a ton of sick bands, the conglomerate ends up being very reminiscent of early Nerver material when they went under the name Celebration. The six tracks that comprise 'Seventeen Dead in Caldwell County' mix noise rock and emo-violence with that dank and dirty KC-style that has dominated the scene for years through bands like Canyons, Big Water, and the aforementioned Celebration. The music is heavy, sludgy, knows when to lay down breakdowns with panic chords, short, dirty, and anxiety-inducing.

     Their debut EP opens with a track that sounds like a fuckin' demon's sermon and leads beautifully into the banger that is "Fuckin' Boggs" that hangs on to reality by a thread, and ending in just 36 seconds after a massive breakdown. My personal favourite "Bonnie Lonnie Lauralie" follows and is a dissonant romp with enough speed and ferocity to make it truly frightening. "Crooked River" is a noise track followed by "F.L.D.S." and "Root Beer", both of which slap and have music videos embedded below for you to check out, the latter of which ends with some hilarious repetitive shouts of "somebody get me a fucking root beer!".

     I don't know what's coming next for this band but I'm fucking stoked on it already!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2023 - Seventeen Dead in Caldwell County cd/cassette EP (stream/buy here)

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(2023) MISSOURI EXECUTIVE ORDER 44 - "Bonnie Lonnie Lauralie" (from 'Seventeen Dead in Caldwell County')

https://youtu.be/92Hj35xtZmM

(2023) MISSOURI EXECUTIVE ORDER 44 - "F.L.D.S." (from 'Seventeen Dead in Caldwell County') [official music video]

https://youtu.be/Cv9S3R38j_U

(2023) MISSOURI EXECUTIVE ORDER 44 - "Root Beer" (from 'Seventeen Dead in Caldwell County') [official music video]

https://youtu.be/O4we-TZzxsc

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*** PODCAST #142 For The Mathematics ***

     In early 2005 I discovered FOR THE MATHEMATICS, a five-piece sassy rock/post-hardcore band out of Ottawa. I picked up 'The New Science' and jammed it incessantly. Then my girlfriend at the time (now wife) and made the 4-hour trek to see them play, where they killed it. I rabidly picked up the next EP demo and a year later 'We Impend' was released on Year Of The Sun Records. Two years after that they broke up and Robb's next band Higher Rites released an album with some leftover/reworked FTM jams. In the 16 years that have followed I have never stopped jamming these two EPs, for they are fucking incredible. After a few years of chasing the band around I finally was able to sit down with vocalist/guitarist Robb and bassist Albert to discuss the band's history and possible future, as well as: Zaphod Beeblebrox & the Ottawa scene, an avalanche of compliments, Robb's writing framework, the Faraday to For The Mathematics bridge, factors of influence/discovery, music bombardment, restraining the unrestrainable, low budget music videos, FTM keggers & the 5-minute keyboardist, ravenous youth & the East Coast, too many drummers, Alberto leaving the band, doing their 'In Utero', being in a Horse The Band pit during "Cutsman", the 20th anniversary, etc. Bands played in this podcast: Girl Arm, Horseboy, Nation Of Language, Self, Sufjan Stevens, and Tropical Fuck Storm. Listen to podcast #142 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

      Some additional band member information! Clay was in Jetplanes of Abraham for a while before Higher Rites. Robb was in the band for about 5 minutes but was testing out a draft of 'We Impend' on them and realized it needed to go to For The Mathematics. They were pretty popular in town for a while before breaking up. Liam was in The Balconies for a good while. These guys were on Warner, and probably the biggest band that members have been affiliated with in some capacity. James (FTM drummer #2) and Robb are in The Pale Light right now. Their second album 'Leviathan' sounds closer to For The Mathematics than their first, 'Future Eaters'.

FOR THE MATHEMATICS

https://youtu.be/JQH7UD0Qhgk

1 I Don't Know If You Know How Awesome You Were and the Full Body Blush

~no music

2 Low Budget Music Videos are the Best

TROPICAL FUCK STORM "You Let My Tyres Down" (Robb) [official music video]
SELF "Cannon" (Albert) [official music video]

GIRL ARM "Jetsons" (Dave) [official music video]

3 Four Drummers and Picking Up the Pieces

NATION OF LANGUAGE "The Wall & I" (Robb) [official music video]

4 East Coast Old Man Energy

SUFJAN STEVENS "Jacksonville (live at Austin City Limits)" (Albert) [official music video]
HORSEBOY "Vicious Mockery" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #142 linked here

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Ива (aka EEVA)

Band: Ива (aka EEVA)
For fans of: VS Self, Raein, D'Amore, La Quiete, Rutka Laskier, Alas, and The Exploration.
Genres: Punk / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz

Related artists: Le Desespoir and He Called Himself Jesus.
Country: Moscow RUSSIA
Years Active: 2009-present

Label(s): Self Released

     Ива has been around for awhile with a variety of different work. The primary reason I'm posting this today is because Moscow "post-hardcore" band began with a sick screamo-esque debut which has since been taken down from the band's socials. The newer material is much more subdued and less playful, which is why I won't bother covering that here.

     I'm just here for the self-titled 'Ива'. Consisting of seven short jams generally hovering around the minute-and-a-half mark, the band weaves intricate patterns mixing gorgeous noodles with barely distorted guitars and minimal heavyness. The vocals are shouted to the point where they break into screams, but this is more like later La Quiete and Raein material where the emphasis is on the mood of the music, and the vocals are more of an afterthought (as well as less screamy). If you dig these jams you should at least look into their later material, but I'm pretty sure there were member changes that resulted in a pretty quick shift out of this style.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2010 - Ива cdEP (download here)

then a bunch more stuff you can check out yourself on the band's Bandcamp

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(2010) Ива - "3" (from 'Ива')

https://youtu.be/Xfhe-Wz0L2A

(2010) Ива - "7" (from 'Ива')

https://youtu.be/UCDpJS6Dtlk

(2010) Ива - "6" (from 'Ива')

https://youtu.be/O564SdOOYBA

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MAYTH

Band: MAYTH
For fans of: Aux.Aura, Us Haunted Bodies, Linger, Hallam Foe, Ihuntmonsters, The Great Redneck Hope, (early) Curl Up And Die, Tyranny Of Shaw, Advocate, Dear Diary This Is A Letter From My Teenage Angst To My Adult Self, (early) SeeYouSpaceCowboy, and Long.Way.Down.
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metallic Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence

Related artists: ?.
Country: MALAYSIA
Years Active: 2023-present

Label(s): Self Released

     The two quick releases in 2023 from MAYTH caught my attention before I even listened, for it said it was "emo-violence from Malaysia" so naturally if you don't check that out immediately you aren't really in the know about screamo, are you? Elitism aside, this solo project released four songs this year that blew my socks off.

     Starting with a fantastic short three-song EP 'greater transmission risk', these tracks blow by as each jam is less than a minute long. Venomous vocals (almost black metal in delivery) amidst chaotic hardcore and those wonderful emo-violence octaves, describing it any further seems silly given how short the tracks are. Just a month later 'mayth' was released that houses the single track titled "confusion". This track is almost as long as the entire EP that precedes it, and brings to mind the more metallic hardcore being kicked around in the early 2000s, namely Advocate and Tyranny Of Shaw.

     According to their Bandcamp page, there will be a full length dropping this March! Hella stoked on that.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2023 - greater transmission risk digital single (stream/donate/download here)

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

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(2023) MAYTH - "iv" (from 'greater transmission risk')

https://youtu.be/UA9YkVbeaLw

(2023) MAYTH - "ii" (from 'greater transmission risk')

https://youtu.be/Jt0TGufva1s

(2023) MAYTH - "confusion" (from 'mayth')

https://youtu.be/wplWzmS7_DA

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MAYTH additional links

Bandcamp

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*** PODCAST #141 Kyle (VS Self, Self Versed Records) ***

     VS SELF has been blowing up for a minute, and their cross between Two Knights emo and D'Amore screamo piqued my interest and then some. I had the pleasure of chatting with Kyle (guitar/vox) of the band who also runs Self Versed Records. A few things discussed: Gayt (Kyle's new band), covering up profanity in the car, drunk does not equal punk, overcoming struggles and the rebirth, a Reptilian tangent, The Badlands show turning point, accumulated factors of success, losing of a member/gaining a member, TikTok talk, living the dream and being in constant awe, VS Self's 2024, go to all the screamo shows in San Diego and L.A., etc. Bands played in this podcast: Boyfriends, Cassels, Cenobite, D'Amore, Dakota Dakota, and Icrywhenispeak. Listen to podcast #141 which is available to stream and/or download for free via this link.

VS SELF

Bandcamp

SELF VERSED RECORDS

Bandcamp

Zegema Beach Records 'halfsies' tapes (/40)

Goes live Jan 6th @9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST

1 Too Much Screamo?

CENOBITE "Chambers" (Kyle)

D'AMORE "Your Signature is Just a Poorly Written Name" (Dave)

2 Rebirth Out of the Ashes Like a Goddamned Phoenix

BOYFRIENDS "real serious shit" (Kyle)

CASSELS "Charlie Goes Skiing" (Dave) [official music video]

3 The Screamo Way to Say It Is "kuh-new-me-are-say"

ICRYWHENISPEAK "Cerulean Tears" (Kyle)

DAKOTA DAKOTA "Hamburger Help Us" (Dave)

~Dave

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PODCAST #141 linked here

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Gayt video

https://youtu.be/C-ZuFrZ9d2s?si=ahiFzE6NIcO4OIW2&t=2549

ÂME MORTE.

Band: ÂME MORTE.
For fans of: Piri Reis, Onewaymirror, Daighila, Tristan Tzara, Aster, Utarid, Orbit Cinta Benjamin, Piet Onthel, Mortar, and Amu Daria.
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Emo-violence

Related artists: Amu Daria.
Country: Klang MALAYSIA
Years Active: 2023-present

Label(s): Self Released

      ÂME MORTE...what the fuck? This is easily one of the best demos of 2023. Cathartic emo-violence littered with beauty. Four songs, all fantastic, all short, and in the vein of Piri Reis. Honestly I don't need to say anything more about this, as the EP is so short you might as well get ravaged and love every minute of it, instead of reading this bullshit.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

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(2023) ÂME MORTE. - "iii" (from 'Demo')

https://youtu.be/1WmhL76hYFc

(2023) ÂME MORTE. - "iv" (from 'Demo')

https://youtu.be/JMcDFihHFuM

(2023) ÂME MORTE. - "i" (from 'Demo')

https://youtu.be/5EfmRlVJ0jY

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