Out today: VINCAS - Phantasma

Phantsma, the new album by Vincas, is out today on Learning Curve Records.

From Athens, Georgia, Vincas' vampiric post-punk rocks like The Birthday Party, by way of David Lynch. The band includes members of Maserati and Plaque Marks, and the new album was mixed and mastered by Kyle Spence of Harvey Milk.

Stream the album:

https://cvltnation.com/listen-to-the-primal-post-punk-of-vincas-phantasma/

Buy the album:

https://learningcurverecords.bandcamp.com/album/phantasma

More info:

http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2020/04/vincas-phantasma.html

"Hailing from Athens, Georgia, deathrock act Vincas are invoking a special kind of Southern flair to their dreary punk-infused cemetery dirges. These haunted melodies and vampiric tunes are more Birthday Party than Bauhaus, and the Caveman and late Roland S. Howard might approve of these macabre whiskey-soaked anthems that stagger along with swamp-like guitars, growling bass, and frontman Chris McNeal’s wicked baritone croon."

–Post-Punk.com

"Imagine if Nick Cave, Southern Death Cult and The Cramps had a 3-some... Primal post-punk classic."
–CVLT Nation

"A uniquely Southern brand of post-punk/death-rock... Macabre and bludgeoning... Stark and fatalist lyrics with a menacing, on-the-edge fervor."
–Big Takeover

"Swampy and stompy... lustful and vampiric."
–ReGen

"Georgia post-punks Vincas unite H.P. Lovecraft and Nick Cave..."

–Idioteq

Out today: ÖTZI - Storm

Ötzi's new album Storm is out today on Artoffact Records.

Stream the album, here:
https://post-punk.com/listen-dark-anarcho-post-punk-trio-otzis-tempestuous-new-album-storm/

Watch the band's latest video, here:
https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/-tzi/otzi-hold-still-premiere/

Buy the album, here:

https://orcd.co/OtziStorm

"Their effervescent pop chorus melodies co-exist beautifully with their moody guitar echo."
–Paste Magazine

"The Bay-area’s own formidable Dark Anarcho post-punk act Ötzi are riding out these tenebrous times with a whirling tempest of their own, in their new album aptly titled Storm. This, the band’s sophomore album, is unrelenting in its sonic deluge of captivating melodies... driven by fervent emotions of anger and sorrow."
–Post-Punk

"Elements of gloomy post-punk and danceable new wave... While influenced by the atmospheric elements of the greats before them, Ötzi clearly understand their way around a hook.
–No Echo

"Nodding to forebears of anarcho punk and goth — Siouxsie and The Banshees, Crass, The Cure, and the like — Ötzi delivers anthemic hooks worthy of ’80s new wave radio hits, but also with enough aggression and raw passionate energy..."
–Ghettoblaster

"The Oakland-based post-punk group fuses a variety of influences with raw, stripped down production and a strong message... 1980s-tinged post-punk that's equally dark and passionate."
–Scene Point Blank

Storm is another powerful full-length from the group in both sound and theme. Songs are intense, foreboding, and lyrically relevant.
–Rebel Noise

"Oakland’s Ötzi’s particular brand of post-punk is hefty on the punk side of things, and on Storm, the band’s sophomore release, they kick things up into a higher and more emotional gear than previously seen. "
–Nine Circles

NETHERLANDS - Zombie Techno

NETHERLANDS: Brooklyn innovators announce release of fifth full-length album, "Zombie Techno"; work on sixth album begins with Converge's Kurt Ballou

"If you’ve never done psychoactive drugs in a big city, listening to Netherlands will give you an idea of what the experience is like... Their music feels panicked and hysterical, all while vocalist Timo Ellis moans in your ear like a robot’s ghost. It’s this sort of avant-garde yet sensually-pleasing atmosphere that has made the band a favorite of musicians like Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher and Gojira’s Joe Duplantier."
–Kerrang!

“Netherlands, one of my current faves, continue to sonically challenge the unique atypical alchemy of the riff. A blast from left field of heavy bass and keys. Robotic vox conjure images and sounds of a Phillip K. Dick existence.”
–Bill Kelliher of Mastodon

“Netherlands is one of my absolute favorite bands! This band is sophisticated and raw at once, and I find their talent and dedication to their craft to be very inspiring. Frontman Timo Ellis’ voice will take you on an incredible journey and his lyrics are an invitation to question both oneself and the world as we know it. And they’ll blow your mind with how intense they are live!"
– Joe Duplantier of Gojira

Brooklyn band Netherlands announces the June 26th release of its fifth full-length album, Zombie Techno.

Stream "Force Quit!," a track from Zombie Techno, here:
https://thenetherlands1.bandcamp.com/track/force-quit-2

Netherlands has been cranking out its psych-prog-sludge-pop since 2012 and Zombie Techno contains some of its greatest work to date. Somewhere between the colossal weight of the Melvins, the sugary hooks of Torche, the gleeful drama of Rush, and the absurdism of Frank Zappa, Netherlands' singular sound lies. Falsetto vocals, brain-quaking synthbass, manic guitar shred and martial drumming combine in supremely weird, catchy songs that rage and groove to the beat of a rapidly accelerating doomsday clock.

Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Timo Ellis (an ex-member of Cibo Matto and collaborator of Yoko Ono) has been warning about humanity's unsustainable ways since Day One – his critiques of modern society are scathing, and for a Netherlands album to drop during a global pandemic makes perfect sense. A recent statement by lauded rock scribe David Von Bader (Premier Guitar) reads: "Zombie Techno is a musical document of the late Anthropocene that dissects and critiques mankind’s devolution via its addiction to technology, the scourge of capitalism, and the plague of distraction. As the Earth’s ecosystem morphs into proverbial white blood cells tasked with ridding itself of the virus of humanity, Netherlands look on in anger and grief and, with the last fumes of hope they can muster, submit a turbulent, psychedelic jaunt through various sonic biomes. It is the musical version of a life flashing before one’s eyes."

Title track "Zombie Techno" opens the album – Kerrang! premiered the song's official video along with the words, "If you’ve never done psychoactive drugs in a big city, listening to Netherlands will give you an idea of what the experience is like."

Standout "Force Quit" is a blazing rocker, melding sci-fi tones and rhythmic noise-metal devastation.

"This Time My Broken Heart Stays Open" is a sprawling synth-doom power ballad.

"We're All Gonna Die One Day" is the feel-good/feel-bad hit of the summer – a bouncy, infectious, glam anthem rewired with apocalyptic lyrics.

Zombie Techno was recorded by Ellis, mixed by Adam Sachs (Swans, Joan As Policewoman), and mastered by Ron A. Shaffer (Tricky, Usher). With Zombie Techno set for a June 26th release, Netherlands is already at work on the next album –  the as-yet-untitled sixth full-length is being recorded with Converge's Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studio (Torche, High On Fire) and mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Alex Berthelot (Gojira, Frank Ocean).

Before the collapse of live music, Netherlands laid waste to stages, on bills with Napalm Death, Martin Rev, Flipper, Melt-Banana, Mutoid Man, Yob, Retox, Moon Tooth, and many more. Stay tuned for news of the next live shows.

Tracklist:
1) Zombie Techno
2) Casual Monsters
3) Morris
4) Shirestarter
5) Force Quit!
6) U.F.O. D.U.I.
7) This Time My Broken Heart Stays Open
8) We're All Gonna Die One Day
9) Requiem

Lineup:
Timo Ellis - vocals, guitar
Chealsea "Thee Chuq" Wierbonski - synthbass
Josh Musto - synthbass
Damien Shane Moffitt - drums

Discography:
Fantasmatic (2012, self-released)
Silicon Vapor (2013, self-released)
Audubon (2016, Prosthetic Records)
Black Gaia (2018, Records and Tapes Records)
Hope Porn EP (2019, Records and Tapes Records)
Zombie Techno (2020, Records and Tapes Records)

Cover art by Timo Ellis
Band photo by Walter Wlodarczyk

VINCAS - "Let Me In"

VINCAS: Post-Punk.com premieres vampiric new single "Let Me In"

Post-Punk.com has premiered "Let Me In," the new single by Vincas.

Stream the song, here:
https://post-punk.com/vampiric-deathrock-scratches-at-your-window-in-vincas-let-me-in/

"Let Me In" appears on Phantasma, the band's new album, out May 29th on Learning Curve Records.

From Athens, Georgia, Vincas' macabre, danceable post-punk rocks like the reanimated corpse of The Birthday Party, by way of David Lynch, relocated to a shack in a Georgia swamp.

Inspired by the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, vampiric lust oozes through lyrics such as: "I’ll crawl through your window / I’ll scratch, let me in / Say the words and let me in."

Post-Punk.com states: "Hailing from Athens, Georgia, deathrock act Vincas are invoking a special kind of Southern flair to their dreary punk-infused cemetery dirges. These haunted melodies and vampiric tunes are more Birthday Party than Bauhaus, and the Caveman and late Roland S. Howard might approve of these macabre whiskey-soaked anthems that stagger along with swamp-like guitars, growling bass, and frontman Chris McNeal’s wicked baritone croon."

Bass/synth/vocalist Chris McNeal also plays in Maserati (whose new album came out in April on Temporary Residence)

Guitarist Gene Woolfolk is a member of noise-rock supergroup Plaque Marks.

Phantasma is Vincas' third full-length. The album was engineered by Mike Albanese (Maserati), and mixed and mastered Kyle Spence (Harvey Milk). 

Band photo by Jenna Halik

ÖTZI + Paste

ÖTZI: Paste Magazine premieres "Hold Still" music video

Oakland post-punks Ötzi have teamed up with Paste Magazine to premiere the official music video for their song "Hold Still."

"Hold Still" appears on the band's new album, Storm, out May 22nd on Artoffact Records.

Stream the video, here:
https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/-tzi/otzi-hold-still-premiere/

Pre-order the album, here:
https://orcd.co/OtziStorm

Of the song, Ötzi drummer/vocalist Gina Marie states, “We’re so overwhelmed by the awful things happening in the world, that sometimes it’s hard to see the good that exists right in front of us. The song was written to express love and appreciation for that one person who gets you through the day.”

Ötzi bassist/vocalist Akiko Sampson adds, “We shot the video right before the pandemic outbreak, and goofing off at the boardwalk for this video was one of the last things we did as a band. Now it feels like a reminder to not take for granted all the times that we can be together.”

On Storm, Ötzi pierces the heart with their dark and passionate style of post-punk. Brooding and aggressive sounds intertwine, via dual vocals, flanged-out guitar, austere bass and tense drumming. Anthemic hooks, worthy of '80s new wave radio hits, are delivered by way of stripped-down production, the rawness of which makes the songs penetrate even deeper.

While nodding to the howls of Siouxsie and the Banshees, the anarcho-punk of Crass, and the laments of early The Cure, Ötzi lives very much in the present, if not the future.

“The darkness of our sound doesn’t come from existential dread or moroseness, it’s a reflection of the lives we’ve lived as femmes in an often hostile world," says Sampson. "We express all this mourning and anger through our music, so playing is always cathartic for us. But afterwards, what we’re left with is a sense of hope and a vision for what can be. So in this album, we wanted to incorporate all of those dimensions. Because that’s what 'Storm' is about – huge, violent life changes that leave you transformed forever.”

Since their formation in 2014, Ötzi has toured the world with the likes of The Chameleons, Deerhoof, Modern English, and She Past Away. 

More info:
http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2020/03/otzi-storm.html

Band photo by Kevin Brown

Out today: BINARY CODE - Memento Mori

Memento Mori, the new album by Binary Code, is out today.

The album was inspired entirely by the suicide of founder/guitarist Jesse Zuretti's girlfriend and all sales will be donated to suicide prevention. In Zuretti's words: "The album was written after my girlfriend at the time committed suicide. The album literally saved my life. I remember begging life for a sign or some guidance, and I woke up the next day and started writing music."

Over the past decade, Binary Code's sound has evolved from technical death metal into a heartbreaking and cinematic version of heavy rock. Zuretti states: "I think we've arrived at a place between Katatonia, Gojira, Devin Townsend, and composers like Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman." Memento Mori is a highly compelling example of a band successfully transforming itself into something new.

Listen and buy, here: https://binarycodemusic.bandcamp.com/album/memento-mori-2

More info: http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2020/03/binary-code-memento-mori.html

"On their first album in four years Binary Code have upped their melody and rhythm game. I recommend this one not only because of the great music but because, the band states '100% of proceeds will be donated to Suicide Prevention in honor of a loved one who inspired the new record.'"
–Metal Injection

"Some of their best, most inspired and mature work to date."
–MetalSucks

"Binary Code have been preparing for a whole new era of progressive music... The band’s sound has shifted over time, from a more technical death metal sound and into their current cinematic, heavy rock aesthetic. If you’re a fan of bands like Katatonia, Gojira, Devin Townsend, and composers like Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman, Binary Code will definitely be up your alley."
–Gear Gods

"Undoubtedly the band’s strongest, most cohesive, and most captivating album."
–No Clean Singing

"This is an incredible album that takes their earlier tech death cues and gels with their more progressive, heavy rock stance of today. We’re calling it their finest moment and highly suggest supporting the band and this album."
–Nine Circles

"The ever evolving Binary Code is back... The album explores cinematic highs and lows with metallic punch and gut-punch emotion..."
–Scene Point Blank

"Moody atmosphere and majestic buildups. You may want to keep your eyes and ears open for a rather extraordinary cover of Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You.’ Don’t be around me if I’ve had a few beers and that jam comes on because I will cry like an anime character."

–Ghost Cult

"Binary Code have come quite a way from their debut album over a decade ago, transforming from a prototypical tech death group to an absorbing progressive sound on Memento Mori. This is the second album featuring vocalist Oded Weinstock, and his ability to switch between emotional singing and roaring screams without either dropping strength is impressive."

–Heavy Music HQ

SPIRITWORLD - Pagan Rhythms

SPIRITWORLD: Las Vegas shapeshifter Stu Folsom reveals details of apocalyptic hardcore masterpiece "Pagan Rhythms"; album features producer Sam Pura (Self Defense Family) and drummer Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta); new track streaming now

SpiritWorld announces the July 10th release of debut full-length album Pagan Rhythms.

Stream new song, "The Bringer of Light," here:

Bandcamp: https://spiritworldprophet.bandcamp.com/track/the-bringer-of-light

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbrC1kAaSKg

SpiritWorld is the work of Las Vegas-based artist, author, songwriter and vocalist, Stu Folsom. Folsom is a true independent and SpiritWorld's Pagan Rhythms is the latest chapter in his unpredictable story. 

A mercurial hero in the Las Vegas scene and beyond, Folsom is known to exercise his artistic freedom to the fullest and leave people guessing as to what is next – from the metallic hardcore of his namesake band, Folsom, to the country-punk of SpiritWorld's early material, informed by the likes of John Doe and Steve Earle.

Under the SpiritWorld name, Folsom has released one demo, one single, and a split – but any fans who have gotten comfortable with SpiritWorld's countrified sound will be shocked and rocked by the new album. Pagan Rhythms is a festival of relentless, apocalyptic hardcore – nine over-the-top tracks, rooted in the warlike sounds of Slayer, Sepultura, and Bolt Thrower, laced heavily with Wild West vibes, and containing contributions from some of the best musicians on the planet.

Pagan Rhythms was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Sam Pura (The Story So Far, Self Defense Family) and features drummer extraordinaire Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta, Trash Talk) among other players. From start to finish, the album bursts with energy and seethes with end-of-the-world drama. Any fan of the metallic hardcore ecstasy of Hatebreed, Ringworm, or Integrity will find something here to rejoice about.

Folsom describes the musical background that led him here:

"I grew up in a household full of country. My grandmother came out to Nevada from Texas after the Great Depression when there was nothing here and raised a family off the land. My grandfather was a rodeo cowboy and ranch hand. I grew up on honky tonk music and rodeo with five brothers. My brothers got into hardcore punk and metal in the late '80s and early '90s so there was a mix of George Jones, Slayer and 7 Seconds constantly blasting in the family car and I fell in love with all of it."

Beyond music, there are literary and cinematic references at play. Pagan Rhythms is the auditory companion piece to a collection of Folsom's short stories titled Godlessness (which will accompany the vinyl pressing) – Western horror stories influenced by Cormac McCarthy novels and Coen Brothers films, among others things.

Apocalyptic as the aesthetic might be, Folsom flips the narrative in a positive way. In his words: 

"The gods are dead and we’re all alone. The world rots and every time I look at the news I can’t help but feel like Hell has swallowed us whole. I focus all my anxiety and despair into art and hope that I can bring a little respite to someone else lost out in the dark, even if it is only for a few moments. I am making the records that I long to hear and I know they will land somehow in the arms of loners, outcasts and working-class folks like me who need them."

Pagan Rhythms tracklist:
1) Pagan Rhythms
2) The Bringer of Light
3) Unholy Passages
4) Night Terrors
5) The Demon Storm
6) Armageddon Honky Tonk & Saloon
7) Godless
8) Comancheria
9) Ritual Human Sacrifice

Pagan Rhythms musicians:
Stu Folsom - vocals, guitar, bass
Matt Schrum - guitar
Lord Beezus - samples
Sam Pura - guitar, bass
Randy Moore - lead guitar
Thomas Pridgen - drums
Adam Elliott - drums

SpiritWorld discography:
Demo (2017, self-released)
Viper Blood single (2018, self-released)
Split 7” w/ Black Coffee (2019, Head2Wall Records)
Pagan Rhythms (2020, self-released)

Pagan Rhythms artwork: Stu Folsom

SpiritWorld photo: Jennifer Olsen

instagram.com/spiritworldprophet
spiritworldprophet.bandcamp.com