Attempt Survivors “Educated Hips”

7"EP - $7.00
7"EP UPC: 047338063253
STREET DATE: 6/10/22
CAT #: IOD28
LABEL: Iodine

“All art is a kind of confession, more or less oblique,” James Baldwin argued when it came to the latter. “All artists, if they are to survive, are forced, at last, to tell the whole story; to vomit the anguish up.”

And this, more than anything, is the feeling that the music of Attempt Survivors evokes: A fuller story and sound, actualized through decades of separate preparation in a series of groundbreaking bands. (Go ahead and check that curriculum vitae: Helmet, Errortype: 11, Instruction, Saetia, Six Going on Seven, Big Collapse, Fires.)

These diverse, nuanced post-post-hardcore songs are, essentially, a conversation between four individuals who have put in the Gladwellian ten thousand hours—and then some, if one counts overnight tour van journeys!—to develop the vocabulary necessary to have it. There are shades of recognizable precursors—80s goth, burly AmRep groove, expansive 70s rock, 90s emo—but the dialect is its own. And within this unique dialect there is a fluency which allows for flow; that prevents the second-guessing, analytical left brain from fucking up the intuitive rhythm of the desperate-to-transcend right brain. (A good thing, too, considering the piecemeal, long-distance approach to collaborating mature living and a world-halting pandemic necessitated!)

Attempt Survivors is the sum of the many, many survivals of vocalist J. English, guitarists Adam Marino and Matthew Kane, and drummer Kyle Stevenson—surprising, in the best possible way, for those familiar with the aforementioned current/former bands, but not out of character.

“We’re only going to be on this star for a few minutes,” English says. “Let’s contribute something —make cool stuff. I want to leverage everyone’s lifetime of musical experience, hopefully wind up with something we’re collectively jazzed on, maybe not repeat the same mistakes? We can write a cool riff or steal a cooler one. Let’s see what happens. Just because we’re alive. That is the intention—to create something new out of love. Keep each other honest and pushing. If we’re on borrowed time — let’s make up some killer stuff & send it into the ether”

It is futile to try to make life or bands last forever, but these ripples from the still-beating heart of Attempt Survivors ably demonstrate the beauty of imbuing moments with meaning and keeping on keeping on straight until an end that need not be bitter if you live right along the way.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Educated Hips
  2. Follow Me Chaos

MARKETING POINTS:

  • New supergroup featuring members of HELMET, SAETIA, and SIX GOING ON SEVEN
  • Debut release
  • Tours and Festival appearances planned for 2022

FOR FANS OF:
Quicksand, Fugazi, Hum, Jawbox, Helmet, At The Drive In

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ZOUS "No Ground To Give"

LP - $17.25 / CD - $7.50
LP UPC: 196006382926
CD UPC: 196925039345
STREET DATE: 6/10/22
CAT#: CCA089
LABEL: Closed Casket Activities

Plunging the depths of death metal with hardcore intensity, Zous resembles a cataclysmic event—all by the design of one man. Vocalist, producer, mixer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Young pours intense focus into an unshakable sonic architecture rooted in technical proficiency and pit-splitting brutality. After a successful demo release earning acclaim from Decibel, Metal Injection, and more, he delivers a deadly and dynamic vision on the band’s 2021 Mini-LP, No Ground To Give [Closed Casket Activities/Maggot Stomp].

“I love classic death metal that almost sounds like hardcore,” he explains. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I had a long time to think about how I hoped it would sound, and now the project has an aesthetic of its own.”

In the middle of the Global Pandemic, he finally carved out the time to pursue his initial ambition. Taylor first introduced Zous via the Pandemicon EP, which he wrote, recorded, and finished in less than a week. Physical copies and merch quickly sold out as the music piqued tastemaker interest. Decibel promised, “ZOUS will hold instant appeal to old-school devotees.” Throughout 2021, he crafted what would become No Ground To Give.

This time around, he increased the energy all-around.

“I wanted to make it a little more technical—up the tempos, more blast beats, and faster riffs,” he goes on. “There are some newer and meaner elements.”

The first single “Stepped On” charges forward on steamrolling double bass and gnashing guitars. Taylor’s growls deliver a gut punch offset by a shrill scream courtesy of Brad Boatright (who also mastered the record) and noise from Full of Hell’s Dylan Walker. “It’s a direct response to the George Floyd tragedy,” he admits. “I hated the idea someone would get upset over rioting in response to such a fucked-up thing. If you’re stepped on long enough, you’re going to fight back.”

Elsewhere, Takafumi Matsubara [Gridlink] tears through a head-ripping solo on the opener “Coup de Main,” while Leon del Muerte, guitarist of too many bands to count, makes an explosive appearance on the hammering “Authoriticon.” It all culminates on the death metal supernova of “Event Horizon.” After covering Autopsy’s “Torn From The Womb” on Pandemicon, Taylor joins forces with Autopsy singer/ drummer and death/doom pioneer Chris Reifert who provides guest vocals on a cathartic and caustic finale cast in flames of distortion. “Having Chris on ‘Event Horizon’ is one of the biggest milestones I’ve had musically,” he goes on. “I’ve been listening to him for half of my life. We traded records and became friends. The track just kind of happened afterwards. The dynamic was really relaxed and fun.”

Vinyl comes package in a tip-on lp jacket, complete with the No Ground To Give EP on Side A and the Pandemicon EP on Side B

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Coup De Main
  2. Pray A Lie
  3. Stepped On
  4. Authoriticon
  5. Event Horizon
  6. Intro
  7. Pandemicon
  8. Hench
  9. Wasteland
  10. Torn From The Womb

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Packaged in a Tip-on lp jacket
  • Written, performed, engineered, produced and mixed by Taylor Young of The Pit Recording Studio (Twitching Tongues, Criminal Instinct)
  • Guest appearances from Takafumi Matsubara (Gridlink),Dylan Walker (Full of Hell, Sore Dream, Collapsed Skull), Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise), Leon Del Muerte (Nausea, Impaled, Exhumed, Murder Construct), Chris Reifert (Autopsy, Abscess, Static Abyss)

FOR FANS OF:
Strictly Death Metal

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Collapsed Skull “Eternity Maze”

7"EP - $7.00
STREET DATE: 6/10/22
CAT#: CCA093
LABEL: Closed Casket Activities

Collapsed Skull is a dizzying bass and drum hardcore attack from the east coast (feat current and former members of Full of Hell, Jarhead Fertilizer). With revenant nods to their west coast forebears, thundering bass wars against other-worldly shrieks, blasting drums, chopped hip hop samples and broken machine stutters. Their debut EP, Eternity Maze, is a hard look at the classist power structure in American society and the ritualistic abuse of those in power. It's an endless cycle, a dead end maze. The illusion is that there is a way out.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Collapsed Skull
  2. A Hundred Spears
  3. Endless Warring Streets
  4. Pigs one the Hunt
  5. Eternity Maze
  6. Bone Fragments
  7. Forest Siege
  8. Lamb with Knife
  9. Scaling Genocide
  10. Anomalous Ruin
  11. Illusory Infrastructure

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Features members of Full of Hell and Jarhead Fertilizer

FOR FANS OF:
Man is the Bastard, Gasp, Hatred Surge, Despise You, Hatred Surge

Lowlife "Endless Punishment"

LP - $17.25
STREET DATE: 5/27/22
CAT#: TG057
LABEL: Twelve Gauge

Lowlife, Northern California hardcore mainstays of the 90s and 2000s, are ready to unleash Endless Punishment! After years in the Oakland Brand Hardcore vault, this long awaited LP is available now on vinyl from Twelve Gauge Records for the first time since it was recorded in 2003 at the legendary Plant Studios in Sausalito, CA. Remastered in 2021 by Dan Randall of Mammoth Sound Mastering in Portland, Maine, Endless Punishment is an auditory assault of hardcore fury, full of the signature grizzly vocals, crushing riffs, and pounding double bass Lowlife is known for, and has everything any fan of brutal, metallic hardcore could ask for.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Left With Nothing
  2. Forgotten Pride
  3. My Will
  4. Entrenched
  5. Endless Punishment
  6. Ruckus
  7. World On Fire
  8. Wrath of a Nation
  9. Our Way (Bulldoze)

MARKETING POINTS:

  • First time pressing and release of an almost 20 year old record
  • Limited to just 200 records

FOR FANS OF:
Bulldoze, 100 Demons, Earth Crisis

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Smoke Or Fire "Beauty Fades"

LP - $14.65
LP UPC: 603111749518
STREET DATE: 5/27/22
CAT #: IOD019
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Smoke Or Fire were formed in Boston, MA during the late 90s alongside countless bands in the Boston underground scene. They delivered their unique brand of heartfelt emotional punk that included complex layered guitars, dirty vocals, and lyrics that ranged from deeply personal topics to social criticisms of war and politics. The songs often drew comparisons to bands like Avail, Hot Water Music, and Against Me! Although, Smoke Or Fire brought their own unique take on the genre with catchy melodies, and sing along choruses.

The band released their debut EP “Worker’s Union” on Iodine Recordings in 2002, and after several US tours, Smoke Or Fire relocated to Richmond, VA where they caught the attention of the iconic NOFX record label Fat Wreck Chords. They signed to Fat and remained through their career, releasing three full lengths: Above the City (produced by Fat Mike/NOFX), This Sinking Ship, and The Speakeasy. Smoke Or Fire was praised by music critics, and revered by fans for capturing a raw energy and a genuine approach to punk music.

Smoke Or Fire toured relentlessly over their twenty-plus year history, with numerous US and European tours, sharing the stage regularly with bands such as: Avail, Against Me!, Dillinger Four, Hot Water Music, Descendents, Anti-Flag, NOFX, Silverstein, Rise Against, Bad Religion, and The Ataris (just to name a few…).

“Beauty Fades” is a collection of out of print and unreleased tracks from Smoke Or Fire. Side A includes their debut Iodine EP “Worker’s Union” which was completely remixed and remastered at New Alliance Studios in Boston, MA. Side B includes seven rare or unreleased tracks that span the history of the band, including the EP “Rises in the East” which was never released, but included a number of songs that were in the band’s live set throughout their tenure. The entire collection is being pressed on vinyl for the first time ever. Complete with all new artwork and packaging.

“Beauty Fades” documents some of the best moments of the band’s legacy with fist-pumping anthems and emotional breakdowns. Singer Joe McMahon remains adamant that these are the best songs he ever wrote, which capture a youthful energy and idealism that is fleeting for us all.

"Distinctive hooks, infectious melodies and fist-pumping choruses: It’s all here, and it sounds damn near perfect." – ALTERNATIVE PRESS

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Sunday Pints
  2. Beauty Fades
  3. 50 Cent Hearts
  4. Second Wind
  5. Running in Circles
  6. They All Go to California
  7. Modesty
  8. Nowhere to Go But Up
  9. Hand Me Downs
  10. Written to be Read
  11. Live On
  12. Someone Said We Flew
  13. Oxygen

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Available for the first time on vinyl
  • Fully remixed and remastered at New Alliance Studios
  • Indie Exclusive colored vinyl
  • All new artwork by Jeff Caudill (Gameface)
  • Features all rare or unreleased tracks

FOR FANS OF:
Against Me!, Avail, Hot Water Music, Lifetime, Dillinger Four, The Lawerence Arms

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bigLOVE "Crusaders of Joy"

LP - $16.60 / CD - $8.00
STREET DATE: 5/27/22
CAT #: CRR110
LABEL: Church Road

Shrouded in mystery, abstracted by endearment and drenched in tone, bigLOVE are set to make their presence known to the wider world on May 27 with their debut album, titled Crusaders of Joy, via Church Road Records.

Across the anonymous project’s four song inaugural release, bigLOVE marries atmospheric sludge and themes of eternally unconditional devotion in the name of all that is to be cherished in this waking world of ours. bigLOVE establishes their vision of the genre on highlight tracks Harnessing the Nectar from the Queen Bee and At One With - with both songs wielding Thou-esque lead guitar lines and all the sonic weight of Alice In Chains’ doomier cuts. Vocally, bigLOVE counterbalances the saccharine nature of their melodies with corrosive and hymnal omnipotence.

In an effort to eliminate unnecessary self-scrutiny and create instinctively, bigLOVE recorded Crusaders of Joy as it was being written - with the release's final takes being recorded moments after each part was finalised in the writing. Recorded between 2019 and 2020 before being mastered by UK audio savant Lewis Johns at The Ranch, Crusaders of Joy possesses a preternatural warmth in it’s production that beguiles as well as engulfs. The debut full length is adroitly tied together thematically by Maria Nemm’s (Holy Fawn, Slow Crush, Anthetic) album cover photography, adding another dimension to bigLOVE’s enigma of obscurity and ubiquity.

In the context of the modern age paradox of instantaneous connection and spiritual disconnect, Crusaders of Joy triumphs in it’s harnessing of love as philosophy, as it spiritualizes sludge and doom metal’s sonic weight to transcendental heights. Across the vast ocean of time, love remains at the core of all it is to be human.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Harnessing the Nectar from the Queen Bee
  2. A Grand Declaration of the Gods
  3. At One With
  4. Forever Intimate

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Featuring Justine Jones and Sammy Urwin of Employed to Serve

FOR FANS OF:
Thou, Cathedral, Godflesh

Hey Thanks! "Start/Living"

LP - 14.65 / CD - $7.00 / Cassette - $7.00
LP UPC: 047338063291
CD UPC: 783495979685
CASSETTE UPC: 783495979678
STREET DATE: 5/27/22
CAT #: IOD036
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Hey Thanks! formed in 2016 when 5 friends from outside of New Orleans, LA came together to share their love of music. They wrote songs that drew from their wide range of influences to include emo, punk, electronica, and indie-pop. They quickly developed a unique sound that set them apart from the majority of new bands emerging at the moment. They perfectly capture the essence of indie-pop music with earnest lyrics and hooks that you won’t forget. After several early lineup changes, the band found vocalist Travis Opal, who helped refine and define their exceptional sound.

The band gained a lot of attention soon after their formation around the New Orleans scene, being added to Warped Tour dates, and opening for shows with notable bands such as Metro Station, Issues, Save Face, I Set My Friends on Fire, and We The Kings. They quickly developed a dedicated following and have established themselves as one of the most well-known bands in the region.

Hey Thanks! spent the better part of two years writing and recording their debut full length “Start/Living,” working with an all-star team and some of the best production talent around today. The album was engineered and produced by Gary Cioni at Sound Acres Studio (Hot Mulligan, Crime In Stereo, Sorority Noise) and mixed by Brett Romnes (The Movielife, Heart Attack Man, The Front Bottoms, Oso Oso) and mastered by Mike Kalajian (The Devil Wears Prada, New Found Glory, Silverstein).

The band toured relentlessly, prior to the pandemic, and shared the stage with many up and coming bands such as: Greet Death, Keep Flying, Dozer Tx, Nominee, Bad Luck, Sundressed, Fernway, and Super American.

In 2021, Hey Thanks! caught the attention of the recently relaunched Iodine Recordings, who quickly signed them for several records, to include the official release of “Start/Living” on vinyl and CD. Start/Living breaks down the boundaries of pop-music and expertly incorporates elements of 90s alternative, electronic rock, and emo. Twelve infectious songs that captures the complexity of youth, longing, and love. Featuring the singles “From Me 2 U” and “The Part I Call Myself.” They are planning on hitting the road in 2022 to tour and support the release.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Conversations Make A Way
  2. From Me 2 U
  3. This Small Space
  4. The Part I Call Myself
  5. On Top Of Me
  6. I’m Sure It’s On The Way
  7. Fun Charade
  8. How It’s Supposed To Be
  9. Would You Believe It
  10. Promise It’ll Be Over
  11. If It Takes Me Forever
  12. In Seconds I’ll Be Gone

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Debut Release by Hey Thanks!
  • Produced by Gary Cioni (Hot Mulligan, Crime In Stereo, Sorority Noise)
  • Full PR Campaign by Atom Splitter PR
  • Shows and Tours planned for 2022 (US / Europe)

FOR FANS OF:
The Maine, Taking Back Sunday, Motion City Soundtrack, The 1975, The Summer Set, The Academy Is

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Primitive Man "Insurmountable"

LP - $17.50
LP UPC: 196626731098
STREET DATE: 5/13/22
CAT#: CCA095
LABEL: Closed Casket Activities

Listening to Primitive Man is a devastating experience of Doom as performed by just three members. Their discography of agonizing personal and universal hell is spread across three albums, two EPs and a raft of splits released over more than 10 years. 2020 saw the release of the groups most recent full length album ‘Immersion’ (Relapse Records), a terrifying and confrontational record that expressed resentment and the unbearable during uncertain times. The tension through out the record is palpable. McCarthy’s foul roar feels wrenched from a cavern so deep that it defied language itself. The riffs are vast slabs – edifices dragged and erected to stand tall against the outrages of ‘humanity rotten on the vine’ (‘Consumption’). With 2013’s Scorn and 2017’s Caustic, Primitive Man raged against religious dogma, elitism, capitalism and the creature within, desperate to burst out. They keep the animal inside at bay with a rancorous and cerebral blend of the heaviest sounds. Splits with Hell and Unearthly Trance, and a host of others, have seen the band branch out into experimental noise. Other projects from members of the band – Black Curse, Vermin Womb and Many Blessings – show how they are bursting at the seams to express their outrage at the state of
things, in different mutations.

2022 brings the release of the groups latest album, Insurmountable. Four new suffocating tracks totaling over 38 minutes of Primitive Man in their strongest and most crushing artistic display to date. Mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk and featuring the artwork of Ethan McCarthy (Hell Simulation). Vinyl comes packaged in a tip-on gatefold lp jacket, complimented with an obi-strip, gatefold insert and deluxe colored vinyl.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. This Life
  2. Boiled
  3. Cage Intimacy
  4. Quiet (Smashing Pumpkins Cover)

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk
  • Artwork by Ethan McCarthy (Hell Simulation)
  • Vinyl features a tip-on gatefold jacket, obi-strip and gatefold insert

Redemption Denied "Where Dead Ends Meet"

LP - $15.30 / CD - $9.60
LP UPC: 305390598237
CD UPC: 305390598275
STREET DATE: 5/13/22
CAT #: ISO036
LABEL: Isolation Rec.

Bjorn Dossche of Rise & Fall and Chain Reaction on Redemption Denied and their new album "Where Dead Ends Meet":

Somehow, longevity is a rare thing in hardcore. Consider yourself lucky if your favourite band made it past the 3 year mark. What's even rarer is a band that pushes on - despite line-up changes, personal careers and the pressure of "adult" life - to deliver their first ever full length album almost a decade after their debut EP.

But, that's exactly what Redemption Denied did. And the damn thing hits like a sledgehammer. Granted, the subtle approach was never theirs, but on this album the vigor, determination and sheer power can be felt in every single song, every single riff and every single word singer Kasper spits. It's clear that while "Where Dead Ends Meet" was being written, Redemption Denied sharpened their skills and made sure their all out assault didn't lose the dynamics needed to keep everyone's attention, all of the time.

Their 90s CTHC (Hatebreed, Death Threat) meets Upstate NY (All Out War, Stigmata) sound has never hit harder, not in the least by the increased death metal influence that tips "Where Dead Ends Meet" over the edge of what's socially acceptable in terms of heaviness. The destructive aggression their music possesses, is more than matched by the apocalyptic, socio-political lyrics that strike a precarious balance between embittered and empowering. It's their testament, written in blood.

"Where Dead Ends meet" was recorded at Jupiter Studios in their native Belgium, mixed to perfection by Taylor Young (Nails, Twitching Tongues, Xibalba, God's Hate) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Ringworm, Never Ending Game, Integrity), and boasts incredible cover art by Ridge Rhine (Terror, Knocked Loose, Judiciary). To top things off, it also features guest vocals by Tyler Mullen (Year Of The Knife) and Bjorn Dossche (Chain Reaction, Rise And Fall).

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Prelude (To The Apocalypse)
  2. Testament (feat. Bjorn Dossche)
  3. Verdict
  4. The Last Hour
  5. Beyond Salvation
  6. Dying Breed (feat. Tyler Mullen)
  7. Where Dead Ends Meet
  8. Buried Alive
  9. Final Witness
  10. Before The Fall
  11. Another Victim

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Mixed by Taylor Young (Rotting Out, Twitching Tongues) at The Pit
  • Mastered by Brad Boatright (Dropdead, Blacklisted, Ringworm)
  • On tour with No Turning Back, Risk It and Lifesick in Europe in May 2022
  • Featuring gust vocals by Bjorn Dossche (Rise And Fall, Chain Reaction) and Tyler Mullen (Year Of The Knife)

FOR FANS OF:
Terror, Hatebreed, Bitter End

Instagram | Facebook

FAIM "FAIM"

12"EP - $12.70
STREET DATE: 5/13/22
CAT#: SIR029
LABEL: Safe Inside

For Denver’s FAIM, hardcore is the spark that lights the way to bigger things in this life - personal catharsis, critique and political engagement. To that end, FAIM seeks to bring those ideas to the forefront of their music with lyrical content focusing on political apathy, abusers within the hardcore scene, class anxiety, and the ever-present daily injustices. Their brand of fast, aggressive hardcore is a vessel for hope and change set against the background of youthful angst.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Wolf
  2. It Follows
  3. All Talk
  4. Bought and Sold
  5. Midlife Crisis
  6. Beatty
  7. Time Is Now

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Reissue includes an unreleased bonus track

FOR FANS OF:
Modern Life Is War, Go It Alone, Suicide File

Instagram

Feverchild "Witching Hour / You Know I Can't"

CASSETTE - $7.00
STREET DATE: 5/13/22
CAT#: SDR075
LABEL: Sunday Drive

Following their 2021 self-titled EP, Feverchild continued to write and have had the opportunity to play songs in front of a live audience for the first time—mostly amongst the Belgian hardcore scene. "Witching Hour" and "You Know I Can't" pick up where their previous EP left off—incorporating much of the '90s emo influences heard prior, but with more post-hardcore leanings. Heavier guitar riffs and palm muting recall the sound from heavier '90s emo bands like Memorial Day, early-Falling Forward, and Kill Holiday. Lyrically, Feverchild still delivers strongly and thoughtfully with a memorable bridge like, "So cure me—secure me". Feverchild continues to progress in the genre, with the help of producer, Gilles Demolder, to write their strongest songs yet. It's a preview of what's to come, as the band begins to write their follow-up album later in 2022.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Witching Hour
  2. You Know I Can't

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Produced by Gilles Demolder (Oathbreaker)

FOR FANS OF:
Texas is the Reason, Sunny Day Real Estate, Falling Forward

Instagram

G-Anx / Filthy Christians "Split"

7"EP - $7.00
STREET DATE: 5/13/22
CAT#: ARMAG035
LABEL: Armageddon Label

G-anx was from Jönköping, Sweden. Started already in 1982 but in 1984/1985 they developed into the first Swedish (proto-) grindcore band. In 1985 a demo was made and a tour to Yugoslavia. This split is their first release and contains 4 awesome songs in ultra-speed with slower parts. The line up was Patrik (Vox), Steve (guitar), Hedda (Bass) and Hoccy (drums). The band released 4 EP’s and an album was planned as well, but of some reason the master tape got erased. They stopped playing in 1992. There is a discography called "Flashbacks" which contains all their EP’s. G-ANX deliver five tracks of their powerful and aggressive hardcore, very fast, fierce, angry and raw..

Filthy Christians from Falun, Sweden, started out as a hardcore band but wanted to play faster. The vocalist Per Thunell was also behind the microphone of Protest Bengt together with Åke from Mob 47. They released the unbelievable 32 song EP with Protes Bengt. Filthy Christians were influenced by bands like Heresy and Napalm Death which you clearly can hear on this split EP. Filthy Christians tracks come from their second demo tape: imagine the crust brutality of Bombanfall enriched with some grindcore hints that pop up here and there. There are brutal vocals, rough guitars, beat changes with slower parts followed by fast outbreaks, there is a grindcore feeling but this is not the grindcore as we know it nowadays, six tracks are delivered and some of them last less than a minute.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. True Story - G-Anx
  2. Chicken Fuck - G-Anx
  3. Mitt Liv - G-Anx
  4. Enkelbiljetten - G-Anx
  5. No Religion Can Save Us From Hell - G-Anx
  6. Satanist - Filthy Christians
  7. Lev Som Du Lär - Filthy Christians
  8. Vaktmästar Jazz (Olle P) - Filthy Christians
  9. Meningslöst Våld - Filthy Christians
  10. Another Metal Band - Filthy Christians
  11. Skate And Die - Filthy Christians

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Remastered by Carl Saff

FOR FANS OF:
Totalitar, Napalm Death, Heresy, Siege, Anti-Cimex, Mob 47

Ufomammut "Fenice"

LP - $15.95 / CD - $9.60
LP UPC: 733102724511
CD UPC: 733102724528
STREET DATE: 5/6/22
CAT #: NR122
LABEL: Neurot

This May, Italian alchemists and power trio Ufomammut return with their ninth studio album, Fenice via Neurot Recordings. But not as we’ve heard them before, now “more intimate, more free.”

For over 20 years, the band has combined the heaviness and majesty of dynamic riff worship with a nuanced understanding of psychedelic tradition and history in music, creating a cosmic, futuristic, and technicolor sound destined for absolute immersion.

Fenice (meaning Phoenix in Italian) symbolically represents endless rebirth and the ability to start again after everything seems doomed. The album is the first recording with new drummer Levre, and truly marks a new chapter in Ufomammut history.

“I think we lost our spontaneity, album after album,” says Urlo. “We tried to make more complicated songs and albums, but I think at some point we just ended up repeating ourselves. With Fenice, we were ready to start from zero, we had no past anymore - so we just wanted to be reborn and rise from the ashes..”

While the band are well-known for their psychedelic travels into the far reaches of the cosmos, Fenice is a much more introspective listening experience. Fenice was conceived as a single concept track, divided in six facets of this inward-facing focus. Sonic experimentations abound in the exploration of this central theme; synths and experimental vocal effects are featured more prominently than ever before as the band push themselves ever further into the uncharted territory of their very identity.

The towering synths on the opening track ‘Duat’ evoke an almighty machine rising from the depths of primordial ooze. There’s a shift to a frenetic garage-psych pace before mellowing out into a more familiar doomy stomp. ‘Kepherer’ is a respite, albeit a slight one, returning to the pulsing rhythms of the album’s intro before plunging the listener into the menacing build and release of ‘Psychostasia’ next. Each oscillation of this extraordinary album feels inevitable - Ufomammut are after all, masters of their craft, and when it comes to creating enveloping sonic journeys into the unknown, it’s their uninhibited sense of exploration that breaches new sonic ground.

Fenice is the sound of a band whose very essence has been rejuvenated, and are welcoming the chance to create music in the way they know best; by unfolding carefully and attentively, by melding those extreme dynamics which render Fenice as a living and breathing creature - and by writing gargantuan riffs that herald their very rebirth.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. DUAT
  2. KHEPERER
  3. PSYCHOSTASIA
  4. METAMORPHOENIX
  5. PYRAMIND
  6. EMPYROS

MARKETING POINTS:

  • European Tour May 26th - May 31st
  • Festival appearances in June including Hellfest, Years Sound of Liberation & Desert Fox Festival

FOR FANS OF:
Neurosis, Sleep, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath

Instagram | Twitter

Deaf Club “Bad Songs Forever”

7"EP - $6.00
7"EP UPC: 795044139389
STREET DATE: 5/6/22
CAT #: 31G123
LABEL:Three One G

Having just released their debut LP, “Productive Disruption,” in January of 2022, Deaf Club wasted no time in the relentless pursuit of perfecting sci fi crust punk from the future; the result is their newest EP, “BAD SONGS FOREVER.“ Made up of 3 original tracks as well as a Pixies cover of “Broken Face,” the band claws and spews its way into a heightened state of controlled chaos, taking time to more deliberately build, layer and pace each track in ways they previously hadn’t. As their shared style comes increasingly into laser-focus with each new song, Deaf Club continues to meld d-beat and thrash sensibilities with unhinged battery acid buzzes, disgruntled rhythms, and tongue in cheek lyrics spit cynical and sharp.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. If You Eat a Rat, It Might Taste Good
  2. But Does It Fart?
  3. Broken Face
  4. Ride With Cops, Shoot With Robbers

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Features Justin Pearson’s (The Locust, Dead Cross, Satanic Planet), Tommy Meehan (The Manx, Sweatband Records co-founder), Brian Amalfitano (ACxDC), Scott Osment (Weak Flesh, Planet B), Jason Klein (Run With the Hunted)

FOR FANS OF:
The Locust, Retox, Dead Cross

Instagram | Facebook

No/Más “Consume/Deny/Repent”

LP - $17.50
LP UPC: 196292069877
STREET DATE: 4/29/22
CAT#: CCA098
LABEL: Closed Casket Activities

No/Más dispenses a face-ripping combination of grindcore, metal, death, and thrash that would cut deep a decade ago or a decade from now. The Washington, D.C. group — Roger Rivadeneira [vocals], John Letzkus [guitar], Patrick Merson [bass], and Henry Everitt [drums, vocals] — engage an uncompromising sensory assault, barreling forward like a runaway freight train only bolted to the rails by deft riffing, explosive drumming, and vocal brutality.

Under the influence of everything from Slayer and Napalm Death to Wormrot, NO/MAS materialized in Washington, D.C. They made waves with their 2018 full-length debut, Raíz Del Mal, which Metal Injection christened “one of the most intense releases of the year.” Meanwhile, Decibel added, "Every song on their latest album, Raíz Del Mal, is a nice little rollercoaster that tends to make its twists and turns around grind, black metal, D-beat and hardcore." In between dropping the Last Laugh EP in 2019, they graced bills with the likes of Exodus, Pig Destroyer, and many more.

Produced and Engineered by Taylor Young at The Pit Recording Studio and featuring the Artwork of Ethan McCarthy (Hell Simulation).

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Manipulate/Consume
  2. Sin Vergüenza
  3. Exile
  4. Interrogation
  5. Sudor Frío
  6. Mal De Ojo
  7. Arson/Repent
  8. Ciego
  9. Ausencia De Luz
  10. Refugio
  11. Deny/Disgrace
  12. Against My Will
  13. Rabia
  14. Police Brutality
  15. Hypothermia

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Produced by Taylor Young of The Pit Recording Studio
  • Artwork by Ethan McCarthy (Hell Simulation)

FOR FANS OF:
Napalm Death, Nails, Full of Hell

Squint "Feel It"

CASSETTE - $7.00
STREET DATE: 4/29/22
CAT#: SDR078
LABEL: Sunday Drive

"Feel It" is the debut EP from St.Louis, MO melodic-hardcore band, Squint. Featuring various members from Missouri bands Time and Pressure, New Lives, Soul Craft and Choir Vandals, Squint has a nice palette of sounds ranging from hardcore to alternative/indie rock. Largely influenced by a shared liking of Rites of Spring and Turning Point, "Feel It" take the sound of melodic-leaning hardcore, but Squint is able to put their own spin on it with fuzzed-out guitars and big riffs—recalling tones heard from bands like Seaweed and Sugar. Most importantly, as the title suggests, "Feel It" loudly communicates a huge array of emotions. Themes of anger, presence, loving, depression, and more are delivered by vocalist and songwriter, Brennen Wilkinson. Each word is passionately shouted by Wilkinson, and with the backing of huge guitars and hard-hitting drums, all you want to do is shout-along, bang your head, and of course—feel it.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Squintro
  2. Ghost
  3. Dealer Wins
  4. Homesick
  5. Mantra

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Featuring members of Time and Pressure, Still, New Lives, Choir Vandals

FOR FANS OF:
Seaweed, Sugar, Drug Church

Instagram

Heriot "Profound Morality"

LP - $15.95 / CD - $8.00
STREET DATE: 4/29/22
CAT #: CRR120
LABEL: Church Road

Following their 2021 addition to the Church Road Records roster and a string of single releases throughout the year, UK metal upstarts HERIOT have announced the release of their first EP proper - titled Profound Morality. Due for release on April 29, Profound Morality is eight tracks of uncompromisingly polymorphic extreme metal, hardcore and industrial music.

Heralded as one of Kerrang! Magazine’s sounds of ‘22 and labeled as ones to watch by the likes of Metal Hammer and Revolver - not to mention praise from none other than Machine Head’s Robb Flynn - to say that HERIOT’s debut record is highly anticipated would be an understatement in the wake of a recent UK tour support slot alongside labelmates Svalbard.

HERIOT live up to their well-earned hype in spades across Profound Morality’s runtime. Early EP highlight Coalesence and the previously released Enter the Flesh belabour grind, industrial and hardcore’s sonic template into the ground with feverish intensity, as Jake Packer and Debbie Gough trade mercurial vocal barbs over tonally acerbic instrumentation. Elsewhere the band expand upon their artistic vision with cuts such as Abattoir and opener Abaddon, bringing together sonic textures not dissimilar to Justin K Broadrick’s Godflesh and Jesu projects.

Marrying disparate sounds from all ends of the broader metal spectrum is no easy task, which makes Profound Morality all the more powerful when taken in as a collective whole. Since their 2020 inception HERIOT have offered glimpses of their capabilities on bite-size releases, however, their latest work stands as a watershed moment for both the band and those who wish to draw outside of genre lines within abrasive music. With UK festival appearances at the likes of Bloodstock, 2000 Trees and Upsurge on the horizon, things are only just getting started for HERIOT.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Abaddon
  2. Coalescence
  3. Carmine (Fills the Hollow)
  4. Near Vision
  5. Mutagen
  6. Enter the Flesh
  7. Abattoir
  8. Profound Morality

FOR FANS OF:
Fuming Mouth, NAILS, Portrayal of Guilt

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

The Locust "Safety Second, Body Last"

12"EP - $14.00
12"EP UPC: 795044139402
STREET DATE: 4/29/22
CAT #: 31G125
LABEL: Three One G

2005 saw the Ipecac Recordings/Radio Surgery release of The Locust’s “Safety Second, Body Last,” the follow-up EP to their acclaimed album, “Plague Soundscapes.” The concept for SSBL has been explained as one 10-minute song split into two tracks, each of which is further dissected into separate movements. The result is a timeless sci-fi onslaught described in reviews as an “elegant mind-fuck of organized noise” and “a fascinating contrast full of viciously dadaist musical fragments and surreal, perceptive lyrics.”

The now well-recognized cover art is a piece titled “Treatment” by Neil Burke, a member of likeminded experimental band Men’s Recovery Project.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Armless and Overactive
    Who's Handling the Population Paste?
    Invented Organs
    New Tongue Sweepstakes
    Consenting Abscess (Part 1)
    Consenting Abscess (Part 2)

  2. One Decent Leg
    Movement Across the Membrane
    Oscillating Eyes
    Immune System Overtime
    Hairy Mouth

MARKETING POINTS:

FOR FANS OF:
Swing Kids, Some Girls, Head Wound City, Holy Molar, Retox, Le Butcherettes

Instagram | Facebook

Violent Apathy "11/29/81"

7"EP - $4.75
STREET DATE: 4/29/22
CAT#: RADIO031
LABEL: Radio Raheem

Along with The Fix, Necros, Negative Approach, and The Meatmen, Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Violent Apathy was one of the pioneering bands for the Michigan Hardcore Punk scene of the early 1980s. A few months after recording their contribution to the highly sought-after Midwest Hardcore compilation Process of Elimination, Violent Apathy went into the studio with Necros bass player and head honcho at Touch & Go Records Corey Rusk in the production seat and 11/29/81 contains six songs from that session. With a head full of frantic earnesty, the crazed caterwauling of Violent Apathy contained on 11/29/81 is more akin to Land Speed Record-era Husker Du than the menacing, boot-stomping sounds any of their peers from the mitten state were kicking out at the time. After lingering in the dark recesses of the internet and crusty tape collections for years, No Idols and Radio Raheem are proud as punch to team up and present this obscure and unheralded piece of Michigan Hardcore history to the underground.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Live In
  2. Vice Grip
  3. On Trial
  4. Reason
  5. Ignorance Is Bliss
  6. Theme Song

FOR FANS OF:
Negative Approach, Necros, Midwest Hardcore

Nathan Gray “Rebel Psalms”

12"EP - $15.95
STREET DATE: 4/29/22
CAT#: EH077
LABEL: End Hits

After releasing his third solo album Rebel Songs in late 2021, Nathan Gray presents the new EP "Rebel Psalms" with four new songs taken from the Rebel Songs recording session exclusively out on End Hits Records. The four songs display a calmer counterpart to the more upbeat and politically fueled protest songs on Rebel Songs eventually showing Nathan Gray’s (singer of Boysetsfire) musical versatility. Rebel Psalms was produced by Brian McTernan (Be Well, Battery & producer for Turnstile, Converge, Thrice, Texas is the Reason) at Salad Days Studio with the renowned rock drummer Charlie Walker (Chamberlain, Samiam, New End Original).

"Rebel Psalms" is available on vinyl with a screenprinted B-side and is limited to 550 copies with no repress.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Ghosts
  2. Unhinged
  3. Stay
  4. My Ascent

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Additional tracks from "Rebel Songs" recording session
  • Screen printed B-Side

FOR FANS OF:
Boysetsfire, Chamberlain, The Gaslight Anthem