Friday, March 15, 2024

AMBLARE - "The Splits"


AMBLARE: post-hardcore powerhouse releases new single "The Splits" from upcoming self-titled debut

"The Splits," the new single from Evansville, Indiana’s Amblare, is out now.

Stream the track, here: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2024/03/14/track-premiere-amblare-the-splits/

A glorious, glistening post-hardcore song that stirs the soul with soaring vocals and walloping grooves, “The Splits” is the second single off the band's upcoming self-titled album, out April 5th on Melodic Virtue.

Decibel reports: “Amblare, the self-titled album from the band of the same name, contains the final recordings of Hum drummer Bryan St. Pere… Amblare operate in a similar territory of heavy, fuzzed-out rock that borders on shoegaze, building a moody atmosphere."

Amblare vocalist/guitarist Matt McGuyer gives this background on the song: “‘The Splits’ is about when you’re embracing your individuality to the point that you’re alienated from your circles of friends, and the loneliness that accompanies it."

Recorded at Earth Analog Recording Studio by Matt Talbott (Hum), and mixed and mastered by Mario Quintero (Spotlights), Amblare's self-titled debut is recommended highly for fans of Cave In and Failure. 

Drummer St. Pere passed away in the summer of 2021, just as the Amblare album was nearing completion. Reporting on St. Pere in 2021, NME stated: "St. Pere joined Hum in 1990, a year after the band first formed. He performed on all five of the band’s albums, including their most well-known track ‘Stars’ from 1995’s ‘You’d Prefer An Astronaut.’ St. Pere’s drumming style has been described as a blend of heavy hardcore rhythms and the spaced-out shoegaze that flowed throughout Hum’s catalogue. St. Pere was also a member of the Indiana-based band Amblare."

Melodic Virtue is an Evansville-based label and publishing house run by designer Aaron Tanner, whose catalog includes beautiful, authorized coffee table books on such artists as The Residents, Ministry, and Pixies.

Pre-order the LP here: https://www.melodicvirtue.com/products/amblare-lp

Photo by Heath Metzger


Out today: PRISONER - Putrid | Obsolete


Putrid | Obsolete, the new album by Richmond, Virginia band Prisoner, is out today on Persistent Vision Records.

Stream the album, here: https://prisoner.bandcamp.com/album/putrid-obsolete

Buy the album, here: https://persistentvisionrecords.com/collections/prisoner


"Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, heavy quintet Prisoner are a force to be reckoned with... Built on a bedrock of blackened metal and dark hardcore, Prisoner incorporate clanging industrial sounds and hints of death metal, making music that can only be described as violent."
–Decibel

"Richmond's Prisoner combines death metal, doom, crust, and industrial into a distressing, genre-mixing fusion of extreme heaviness and edginess."
–Destroy//Exist

"Like a doomier combination of Napalm Death and Godflesh, Prisoner have produced an innovative and crushingly heavy second album that is unrelenting in its grim vision of the future."
–Distorted Sound

"It's a fun album, if you're into something extremely intense and agonizing and brutal."
–Every Album Ever Podcast

"Welding together crust-punk fury, industrial relentlessness and death-metal power, 'Putrid | Obsolete' is a record that clamps its metal jaws down on the listener in its opening seconds and offers barely a moment’s reprieve."
–Ghost Cult

"Emerging architects of a sonic dystopia where death metal, doom, and crust collide with industrial chill, Richmond, Virginia's Prisoner are about to unleash their second album, 'Putrid | Obsolete.'"
–Idioteq

“Prisoner keep it gross and misanthropic... The record uniquely balances the scales between industrial insanity and d-beat delinquency, with a sludgy backdrop to create an all-encompassing feeling of hatred and dread.”
–Invisible Oranges

"To add a sense of churning gears to filthy death metal or punk-inflected tunes can create a sense of unease. Prisoner creates music that provides a sense of unnatural order, to music that should be all about chaos, to great effect."
–Last Rites

"[Prisoner's] brand of industrial-tinged noise and metal feels like skulls melting from insurmountable heat, brains scrambling, and our blood washing away forever... A destructive record that mirrors human behavior."
–Meat Mead Metal

"A release that evokes (for me at least) the industrial ethic of the late 80s and early 90s. Although it reminds me of that period, there is nothing here that suggests it’s a copy of that music. Within the 8 songs, there is a dizzying level of confidence in their material and whilst some moments frustrate, it’s one of the most original albums I’ve heard in a while."
–Metal Epidemic

"Prisoner’s nearest sonic compatriots at the moment are Full of Hell, and like them, I am very curious to see where Prisoner go next. It’s exciting to hear bands engaging in this kind of experimentation and hybridization because the sounds they conjure really seem to capture the nihilistic zeitgeist of our current world."
–No Clean Singing

"Raw intensity and sonic experimentation... A blend of dark, atmospheric soundscapes and blistering aggression."
–RVA Mag

"A foreboding mix of industrial corrosion and crusty hardcore, this eight-track record delivers epic condemnations that encapsulate the simmering rage and distress that has pervaded our society over the past decade. Released under the emerging Richmond label, Persistent Vision Records, this highly anticipated album arrives just in time to coincide with the intensification of the political tumult in our country..."
–The Auricular

"This is the T-1000's favorite death metal record."
–The Heavyist Podcast

"
The Virginia killers bludgeon you into submission with their ferocious metal hybrid... The unrepentant Richmond crew unite death metal, doom, crust and industrial on their devastatingly heavy sophomore release."
–Tinnitist

"This is a band who lean in hard to their darkest visions and force you to contend with the demons inside their heads whilst provoking those who live in yours. 'Putrid | Obsolete' is not easy listening, but that's not the point. The suffering is the point. The volume is the point. And above all, Prisoner is the point. Dive the fuck in."
–Two Guys Metal Reviews

"Like a car crash of industrial metal, synths and grindcore, you can pick out obvious shards of Napalm Death, Godflesh and Neurosis amongst the musical wreckage... The overall theme of the album being that of 'the horrific failure of humanity,' Prisoner have kindly provided the perfect soundtrack."
–V13

"Prisoner are a hard band to put into a neat box. The Richmond, Virginia five-piece could be described as sludge metal, crust punk, industrial metal and more besides. What can be said with certainty is that the band’s forthcoming album 'Putrid | Obsolete' makes for a convincing soundtrack to a world going up in flames."
–Whatever Comes Next Podcast

Out today: DEL JUDAS - "Angela"


DEL JUDAS returns with new single "Angela"; country-goth enigma goes bigger, bolder, brighter on first new music in six years

Stream the official music video for new single "Angela," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVD2JhI3xU

The solo project of NYC musician Charlie Schmid, Del Judas melted hearts in 2018 with debut album Deity, a dark, cinematic slice of gothic Americana, released on Primal Architecture, the label owned by Josh Strawn of Azar Swan and Blacklist. Post-Punk.com called that album “the soundtrack to a lonely drive out west… lovingly giving nods to crooning melodies of Johnny Cash, Chris Isaak, Peter Murphy.Invisible Oranges stated: "Schmid’s voice is rendered in a Chris Isaak-like croon... a slow, nocturnal drive down the dark side of memory lane. 

Schmid is a graduate of the Aaron Copland School of Music, whose musical credits range from playing tympani in symphonies to churning out blastbeats in metal bands, but the launch of Del Judas in 2018 represented a reimagining of his most fundamental influences from childhood – icons of early rock n' roll and country, from Cash to Roy Orbison.

Officially released March 15th, new single “Angela” is the first new Del Judas music in six years. Where 2018's Deity album existed in a shadowy, post-punk realm, "Angela" sees a bigger, bolder, brighter version of Del Judas emerging. Schmid states: "I would characterize the new material as the outcome of a psychic rebirth. I’ve taken a lot of time to meditate and contemplate who I want to be as a person and as an artist since the release of my last record. I was in a dark place back then, which is why Deity was such a dark record. The upcoming material has some dark undertones of course, but ultimately reveals itself as more playful and revelatory."

Recorded by John Ried and mixed and mastered by Dustin Cicero, "Angela" is an instantly infectious track whose moody verses explode into an iconic chorus, calling to mind the wistful hooks of Dire Straits' heyday, among other things. “The song is about love and loss," says Schmid. "A snapshot in time from a summer spent upstate.”

New Noise Magazine reports: "While ‘Deity’ was a darker, atmospheric, post-punk affair, the new work from Del Judas is moving in a brighter direction. With the moody, bluesy style of Dire Straits on the verses and an almost power pop chorus, ‘Angela’ brings a sense of hope to the gloom."

Schmid reveals how his day job has helped guide the evolution of the Del Judas persona: "Now I sing professionally as a crooner for an entertainment company and play guitar and percussion for private events as well. That's how I earn my living. I feel that if it wasn’t for this shift in my career, I wouldn’t have transitioned into making the music I’m making now. I’m a firm believer that you end up sounding like who you’re surrounded by, and I can say with confidence that dressing up in a gold blazer and singing the shit out of Frank Sinatra has forged a new version of me."

A new full-length album is in the works now, promising to push even farther in this new direction. Schmid describes the new songs as "melodically dramatic, with overtones of country-western infused with the baroque pop excesses of the 1960s." 

Stay tuned for updates on the new album and Del Judas' next live performances.

Photo by Jaka Vinšek

Friday, March 8, 2024

KING YOSEF - "Mist of Pain" b/w "Dredge"


KING YOSEF: industrial-metal phenom drops new tracks "Mist of Pain" and "Dredge"; US tour with HEALTH continues; European tourdates announced

Currently ripping across the US on tour with HEALTH, industrial-metal phenom King Yosef has released two new tracks from his recent sessions with producers Kurt Ballou (Converge, Nails) and Steve Evetts (Sepultura, The Dillinger Escape Plan).

"Mist of Pain" showcases the lethal, metallic side of King Yosef's musical persona, described by Revolver Magazine as "the perfect midpoint between Godflesh and Jesus Piece."

"Dredge" is a moody rocker that cruises forward with soaring hooks, as infectious as the best of the early-2000s loud rock anthems.

Stream the new tracks here: https://kingyosef.bandcamp.com/album/mist-of-pain-dredge

Following Yosef's US tour with HEALTH, he will head to Europe for a short tour, including a slot on the esteemed Roadburn Festival (with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Chelsea Wolfe, Cult Leader, and more.)

Born Tayves Yosef Pelletier, King Yosef first earned attention as a producer, collaborating in 2016 with rappers XXXTentacion and Ski Mask the Slump God. Relocating from a small Oregon town to the city of Portland, Pelletier began releasing music as a solo artist under the King Yosef name in 2017, combining his early love for heavy music with his experiences in the hip-hop realm. In the following years, Yosef sharpened his sound over the course of two EPs, several singles, and collabs with the likes of Youth Code, leading ultimately to the 2023 release of An Underlying Hum – a concept album born out of Yosef's experiences in therapy, digging deep into his childhood traumas.

HEALTH, Pixel Grip, King Yosef - US Tour:

Mar 2 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall
Mar 4 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theatre
Mar 5 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
Mar 7 - Austin, TX @ Empire Garage
Mar 8 - Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Factory
Mar 9 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Midtown
Mar 11 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
Mar 12 - Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
Mar 13 - Richmond, VA @ The National
Mar 15 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Mar 16 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Mar 17 - Boston, MA @ Royale
Mar 19 - Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
Mar 20 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
Mar 22 - Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
Mar 23 - St Louis, MO @ Red Flag
Mar 25 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Mar 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
Mar 28 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Mar 29 - Vancouver, BC, Canada @ The Commodore
Mar 30 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Apr 1 - Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
Apr 2 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
Apr 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco

KING YOSEF - European Tour:

April 17 - London, UK @ The Black Heart
April 19 - Tilburg, NL @ Roadburn Festival
April 22 - Paris, FR @ Petit Bain
April 24 - Berlin, DE @ Lido
April 25 - Oslo, NO @ Vaterland

Photo by Harper King

Thursday, March 7, 2024

DEL JUDAS - "Angela"


DEL JUDAS: "country-goth" enigma announces new single "Angela"; first new music in six years

The solo project of NYC musician Charlie Schmid, Del Judas melted hearts in 2018 with his debut album, Deity, a dark, cinematic slice of gothic Americana, released on Primal Architecture, the label owned by Josh Strawn of Azar Swan and Blacklist.

Post-Punk.com called that album “the soundtrack to a lonely drive out west… lovingly giving nods to crooning melodies of Johnny Cash, Chris Isaak, Peter Murphy.”

Invisible Oranges stated: "Schmid’s voice is rendered in a Chris Isaak-like croon... A slow, nocturnal drive down the dark side of memory lane.

Coming Friday, March 15th, new single “Angela” is the first new Del Judas music in six years.

Schmid teases the following info: "I would characterize the new material as the outcome of a psychic rebirth... The upcoming material has some dark undertones of course, but ultimately reveals itself as more playful and revelatory. Now I sing professionally as a crooner for an entertainment company and play guitar and percussion for private events as well. That's how I earn my living. I can say with confidence that dressing up in a gold blazer and singing the shit out of Frank Sinatra has forged a new version of me."

This week, he appeared on the great Vinyl & Vision podcast, to discuss his return: https://www.psychicstatic.net/podcast/episode/1f3ea4e9/vandv-episode-115-charlie-schmiddel-judas-and-chris-isaaks-silvertone

Photo by Jaka Vinšek

Friday, March 1, 2024

Out today: KONTRAVOID - Detachment


Detachment, the new album by Kontravoid, is out today on Artoffact Records.

Stream the album and buy it, here:

Stream the "Losing Game" music video (feat. Nuovo Testamento's Chelsey Crowley), here:

Stream the "Reckoning" music video, here: 

Launched in 2012, Kontravoid is the solo project of Cameron Findlay. Born in Canada and based now in LA, Findlay has perfected his own brand of dark pop that cruises freely through electronic music genres.

Findlay states: "The sound of the new album is definitely influenced by freestyle and electro, and I try to mix those influences with more of a modern EBM sound. I feel like Detachment is an evolution of the type of sound I’ve created for Kontravoid, while still keeping the style fairly consistent with my previous releases."

"The album name, Detachment, is more or less the theme for most of the tracks on the record, referring to being disconnected from reality in some way," he explains. "It’s just a theme I wanted to explore with this era of the project. The new mask is reference to that in a way, with its frayed cabling and ripped wires."

Kontravoid has toured with HEALTH, Boy Harsher, Drab Majesty, Hide, and more. Following select West Coast and Mexico shows in February and March 2024, he will embark on a full European tour in April and May.

"Renowned for his decade-long exploration of dark pop intricacies, the enigmatic Canadian-born, LA-based artist delivers yet another remarkable full-length album, following the success of his previous works... In his new album 'Detachment,' he presents a unique blend of infectious body music, electro, freestyle and gothic nuances."
–The Brvtalist

"Established in 2012, Kontravoid is the creative endeavor of the enigmatic figure Cameron Findlay, originally hailing from Canada and presently rooted in Los Angeles. Moving within the realms of dark synthpop, darkwave, synthwave and hard techno, Kontravoid prepares for the release of the new album 'Detachment.' ['Reckoning'] pulsates with industrialized intensity, evoking a palpable sense of agitation, while the visuals contribute to an immersive, nearly nightmarish ambiance."
–Destroy//Exist

"Kontravoid has always been a bit of a chameleon in his respective subgenre. With his patented white mask, Kontravoid has presented dark and dirty club bangers, introspective space wandering downtempo reflections, and weary late night anthems to fuel whatever debauchery you find yourself in... The ten tracks that make up 'Detachment' are everything we could expect from Kontravoid, and shows growth and further development into realms he’s exploring. It’s a pressured thrillride, and catharsis that gives just enough pop melodic bliss for all the night creatures out there."
–Everything Is Noise

"Cam Findlay aka Kontravoid is the endboss of modern electronic darkwave, and the announcement of the forthcoming LP 'Detachment' via Artoffact already had us pretty amped. Then the video for 'Reckoning' dropped last week and things got real wild. Even before you get to the visual aspect of the clip, the vocal distortion and processing, hard body music bass and rhythm programming has the song earmarked for club play..."
–I Die: You Die

"Since launching in 2012, Cameron Findlay, the Canadian-born, LA-based talent behind Kontravoid, has carved out a unique niche within the dark pop and electronic music landscape, blending goth and rave elements under a captivating masked persona. With 'Detachment,' Kontravoid leans into influences of freestyle and electro, merging them with a modern EBM sound, marking an evolution in his decade-long journey."
–Idioteq

"The masked maestro has saddled up once more, emerging from the depths of his electronic enclave, brandishing a new arsenal of diabolically dark delights. With his enigmatic visage at the forefront, he’s riding a jet ski through hell, straight into the heart of the electronic music maelstrom with his latest full-length offering, 'Detachment.'"
–Post-Punk

"['Detachment'] sees the Canadian, L.A.-based artist continuing to pursue a signature blend of dark, catchy melodies with gothic atmospheres and gritty electronics."
–ReGen

Mar 1 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Mar 2 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place
Mar 21 - Guadalajara, Mexico @ C3 Rooftop
Mar 22 - Mexico City, Mexico @ La Mezcalli
Apr 25 - Thessaloniki, Greece @ OSM Tapes
Apr 26 - Athens, Greece @ Death Disco
Apr 27 - Geneva, Austria @ La Gravière
Apr 28 - Marseille, France @ Le Molotov
Apr 30 - Bratislava, Slovakia @ FUGA
May 2 - Madrid, Spain @ The Basement Club
May 3 - Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Upload
May 4 - Valencia, Spain @ Spook Club
May 6 - Glasgow, UK @ Flying Duck
May 9 - Manchester, UK @ The White Hotel
May 10 - Newcastle, UK @ Lubber Fiend
May 11 - London, UK @ Camden Assembly
May 14 - Paris, France @ La Petit Bain
May 17 - Leipzig, Germany @ Wave-Gotik Treffen

Photo by David Rauch-Batista

Thursday, February 29, 2024

PRISONER - "Shroud"


PRISONER: industrial-laced Richmond crew "keep it gross and misanthropic" on new blackened hardcore single "Shroud"; sophomore album "Putrid | Obsolete" coming soon

With its sophomore album, Putrid | Obsolete, coming March 15th on Persistent Vision Records, Richmond, Virginia band Prisoner have unveiled the album's second single, "Shroud."

Stream "Shroud," here now (available March 1st on all digital platforms):

Pre-order Putrid | Obsolete, here:
https://persistentvisionrecords.com/collections/prisoner
https://deathwishinc.com/collections/persistent-vision

"Shroud" sees the quintet unleash a flood of blackened hardcore, laced with industrial elements. Shades of Godflesh, Neurosis, and Napalm Death interweave into a nightmarish web of analog and digital punishment that fully captivates.

Invisible Oranges reports: "Prisoner keep it gross and misanthropic... The record uniquely balances the scales between industrial insanity and d-beat delinquency, with a sludgy backdrop to create an all-encompassing feeling of hatred and dread."

“The lyrics are inspired by the collapse of the environment, caused by uncontrolled capitalism and the short-term desires of the ruling class poisoning the earth," states Prisoner's Pete Rozsa. "The first single, 'Leaden Tomb,' was more the hateful, angry emotional response to this issue, whereas 'Shroud' is the more nihilistic, depressed response."

Formed in Richmond in 2012, Prisoner first made its mark in 2017 with the release of debut album Beyond the Infinite, via Forcefield Records (Inter Arma, Yautja). Noisey's Kim Kelly hailed that album with these words: "A jagged slab of experimental, metallic hardcore... An interesting example of how extreme metal and noise can artfully coalesce without losing the soul of either."

Seven years later, Prisoner has delivered Putrid | Obsolete, a monstrous new beast that carries that marriage of "extreme metal and noise" to new depths.

Putrid | Obsolete was produced by the same team that worked on Beyond the Infinite – recorded and mixed by Ricky Olson (.gif from god, Enforced) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Nails, Body Void) – and yet, seven years down the line, the sound that these two have summoned is exponentially more earthquaking than what came before. Also contributing to the immensity of the new recording is newest member Adam Lake, who makes his recorded debut with Prisoner here and helps elevate the band's industrial and noise facets to a central position within the mix. Guitarist/vocalist Pete Rozsa states: "Before Adam was in the band, Justin [Hast, bassist] and I would have a few synths on stage and would play samples over top of a few songs. We decided we would benefit more from a full-time member committed to samples, programming, and synthesizer, and Adam filled that role perfectly."

With a decade's worth of shows under its belt, playing with the likes of Full of Hell and Windhand, Prisoner embarks on an East Coast tour with Listless in March.

Prisoner's Putrid | Obsolete kicks off a year's worth of crucial releases from Persistent Vision Records, the new, Richmond-based label owned by Paul Hansbarger, whose former label, Perpetual Motion Machine, released music in the ‘00s by such greats as Pageninetynine, Thou, and Kowloon Walled City.

Mar 13 - Richmond, VA @ Fallout (w/ Listless)
Mar 14 - Norfolk, VA @ Chichos Backstage (w/ Listless)
Mar 15 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pourhouse (w/ Listless)
Mar 16 - Asheville, NC @ Static Age Records (w/ Listless)
Mar 17 - Birmingham, AL @ The Firehouse (w/ Listless)
Mar 18 - Atlanta, GA @ The Catacombs (w/ Listless)
Mar 19 - Tampa, FL @ Deviant Libation (w/ Listless)
Mar 20 - Hollywood, FL @ American Legion 92 (w/ Listless)
Mar 21 - Orlando, FL @ Stardust Video & Coffee (w/ Listless)
Mar 22 - Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern (w/ Listless)
Apr 27 - Richmond, VA @ Wonderland (w/ Disrotter)
May 8 - Richmond, VA @ Gallery 5 (w/ Rid of Me)
Jun 14 - Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana (w/ Nuclear Tomb)

Photo by Tony Lynch