FATHERS + Decibel Magazine

“...it’s a record where your favorite song constantly shifts, forcing you to go back and, to be on the safe side, just listen to the whole thing again.”

“The hype, happily, is super on point and will make you a believer in the power and legitimacy of the Fathers’ Network-esque mission statement: “This is for every man that has been beaten down, every child that has been abused, woman raped or family member slaughtered. We have all been hurt or slandered and had something irreplaceable taken from us. No matter your race, gender or beliefs, we all fucking fight back!”
-Decibel Magazine

“They deliver what I consider a new, fresh take on post-hardcore which can be challenging. Where other bands in this genre tend to stay within the boundaries of hardcore, FAtHERS take note of said boundaries and gladly cross the line every chance they get.”

-Distorted Culture

FATHERS' self-titled release is out on vinyl today. In honor of this, Decibel Magazine has asked the band to create a guest playlist, via Apple Music, here.

This self-titled LP was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jeff Kanan at The Keep Studios in Denver, CO. Cover art and layout by Mhyk Monroe. It was released on vinyl on March 30th (today) through Sailor Records, and is currently available digitally through all major outlets (including Spotify, Google, Apple Music, etc.).

Order limited edition vinyl here.

Self-titled LP:

1. Brawler

2. No Joke

3. Father

4. Fight!

5. Fools

6. 12

7. Don’t Tell

8. Swamp Witch

9. Mr. Clutter

Upcoming shows:

March 30 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive

FATHERS + Distorted Culture

“They deliver what I consider a new, fresh take on post-hardcore which can be challenging. Where other bands in this genre tend to stay within the boundaries of hardcore, FAtHERS take note of said boundaries and gladly cross the line every chance they get.”

-Distorted Culture

Read the review of FATHERS' self-titled release, as well as an interview with band members, at Distorted Culture, here.

This self-titled LP was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jeff Kanan at The Keep Studios in Denver, CO. Cover art and layout by Mhyk Monroe. It was released on vinyl on March 30th (today) through Sailor Records, and is currently available digitally through all major outlets (including Spotify, Google, Apple Music, etc.).

Order limited edition vinyl here.

Self-titled LP:

1. Brawler

2. No Joke

3. Father

4. Fight!

5. Fools

6. 12

7. Don’t Tell

8. Swamp Witch

9. Mr. Clutter

Upcoming shows:

March 30 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive

Out today: THE SWORD - Used Future

The Sword's sixth studio album, Used Future, is out today on Razor & Tie Records. The album was produced by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, The Decemberists, First Aid Kit) and mastered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Ghost).

Watch the awesome "Used Future" music video, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx7pOi2KADE

The Sword is on tour now! See tourdates, here:
http://theswordofficial.com/

Read more about The Sword, here:
http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-sword-2018-bio.html

"The Sword's upcoming sixth record, 'Used Future'... features their most pristine production to date courtesy of Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie) and consummates their pivot away from doom metal. The former Black Sabbath acolytes now incorporate elements of Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and Blackfoot into their sound..."

–Billboard

"The group hones in on a very cool, very Seventies-style heavy rock & roll sound that would fit neatly on a record shelf next to Deep Purple..."

–Revolver

"Retro crunch... A little sci-fi synth here, a little funk swagger there."

–The A.V. Club

"Monstrous grooves underlie heavy riffs... 'Used Future' sees the group further augment its signature brand of crushing rock with a heavier synth and electronic presence."
–Modern Drummer

"The Sword have evolved from sci-fi channeling metallians to hard n' heavy rockers of the order that walked the earth nearly half a century ago... [Used Future] marries blown-out analog synths worthy of John Carpenter or Tangerine Dream with massive Led Zeppelin riffs and scorching, ZZ Top-style licks..."
–High Times

"Catchy riffs and intoxicating grooves, merging the likes of Sabbath with ZZ Top..."
–Exclaim!

"An infectious, classic rock-inspired song machine... Catchy hooks mixed with groove-rock mentality that sounds as modern as any Queens of the Stone Age record in 2018."
–LA Weekly

"Another dose of riffy, '70s-inspired rock."
–BrooklynVegan

"'Used Future' finds the Austin outfit morphing into a full-bore space-truckin’ classic rock act, replete with harmonized guitars, glowing analog synth tones, and lyrics about highways, both astral and material... like some long-lost Thin Lizzy concept album based on 'Tron.'"

–Free Williamsburg 

"As many masterful melodies as raucous riffs."
–Time Out Austin

"Austin's most prominent metal band continues to push against the boundaries and stereotypes of the genre... Drawing upon psychedelia, classic rock, folk, and other influences."

–Austin American-Statesman

"While the band's new album 'Used Future' is another turn in music style for these guys, that's kind of always been their since 'Warp Riders' dropped several years ago, and they're always solid live."
–Houston Press

"The group’s heavy bent, fervently-conceived doom metal roots certainly remain in tact, but the new single injects a bit more space than fans may be used to, and sets up for a heck of a live show."

–Sacramento Bee

"On its sixth album, Used Future, The Sword effectively transitions from metal to '70s rock. Songs such as 'Deadly Nightshade' and 'Twilight Sunrise' still groove but both tracks have trippy mid-song interludes that recall Pink Floyd as much as they recall Black Sabbath."
–Cleveland Scene

"There’s no better time for Austin, TX retro space groove collective The Sword to drop their bluesy, mustachioed, off-world road hog 'Used Future'... In all the best ways, The Sword’s sixth full-length feels like a transmission from a techno-mystical cult who only communicate in frayed-denim guitar licks from forty-plus years ago."

–MetalSucks

"A step forward in the overall evolution of The Sword. They're taking greater cues from early classic rock, embracing storytelling through instrumentation, and further distancing themselves from stoner metal."
–Metal Injection

"Fuzzy, psyche-rock inspired..."
–Metal Insider

"Sonically, the band continue to slowly metamorph into their Texas forebears ZZ Top, with more bluesy than sludgy riffs, that evoke long stretches of cacti and tumbleweeds..."
–PunkNews

"Used Future takes its listeners on a trip back to the days of ‘70s garage rock, with epic stoner riffs that echo the likes of early Black Sabbath, often breaking into mind-altering jam sessions."
–New Noise 

"Its crisp 13 tracks/43 minutes are pulled off with professionalism... The Sword have never done anything other than deliver accessible heavy rock and tour like hell... At this point the band has at very least earned a measure of respect for what they’ve accomplished as ambassadors of underground heavy."
–The Obelisk

"The extra usage of synths creates a spatial vibe where the fuzz, the Southern rock riffs, and retro influences fed through a contemporary production, have room to breathe."
–Echoes and Dust

"The Sword barrel down the highway bludgeoning passers-by with thick Southern riffs, warped sci-fi, and a groove that may hit your feet as hard as your head."

–Scene Point Blank

"Their most refined album to date. Once again, the group delivers some catchy, psychedelic rock anthems, but has additionally threaded them together with recurring interludes and postludes for a nice, cinematic polish."
–Ghettoblaster

"The Sword have lightened up their sound the past few years and the band's latest releases, 'Used Future,' shows that change in style coming into full bloom."
–Bearded Gentlemen Music

"They’ve gotten comfortable and confident enough to basically do whatever they want and not worry about pleasing folks who only loved their first three (or two) albums... After one spin through 'Used Future' it already stuck with me more than anything since 'Warp Riders'..."
–Last Rites

"While the band have moved on from being called the next Metallica or whatever you deemed them to be, they could care less and are better for it."
–Nine Circles

"The Long Play format is not dead and The Sword show how a collection of songs, well placed and correctly sequenced, can create a fantastic listening experience... I have always loved the vocal style of John D. Cronise and found that the drawl-like Texan feel he gives works perfectly with both the band’s previous doom style and this more, stripped-down, classic rock. The drums and bass are as groovy as hell and the dueling lead guitars evoke the staple sound of Southern rock perfectly." 
–It Djents

THE SWORD - "Used Future" video + tour

THE SWORD RELEASE "USED FUTURE" VIDEO

LEG 3 OF "USED FUTURE" TOUR ANNOUNCED

In celebration of today's release of their sixth studio album, Used Future, The Sword premiere the video for the album's title cut. The video, created by acclaimed Austin-based video game producers Rooster Teeth, can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx7pOi2KADE

In addition, the band today announce the dates for leg three of the Used Future tour which starts on June 7th in Albuquerque, NM. Support on all dates of leg three will be provided by Atomic Bitchwax.

The complete tourdates (legs 1, 2, and 3) are here: 

http://www.theswordofficial.com/tour/

VIP packages for all shows can be purchased here:

http://theswordvip.com

Dates for leg three are as follows:

The Sword w/ Atomic Bitchwax:

Jun 7 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad

Jun 8 - Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole

Jun 9 - San Diego, CA @ Belly Up

Jun 11 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom

Jun 12 - Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo

Jun 13 - Vancouver, BC @ Venue

Jun 15 - Calgary, AB @ Marquee

Jun 16 - Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall

Jun 17 - Regina, SK @ The Exchange

Jun 18 - Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid

Jun 20 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

Jun 21 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's

Jun 22 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls Theatre

Jun 23 - Washington, DC @ Rock n' Roll Hotel

Jun 24 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

Jun 26 - Johnson City, TN @ Capone's

Jun 27 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In

Jun 29 - Hot Springs, AR @ Maxine's

Photo by Jack Thompson

BC35 + Dangerous Minds

"The New York noise scene that emerged with and after No-Wave can feel like the story of Sonic Youth and its near-orbit, due to that band’s massive influence. But Downtown artnoise can as easily be understood by viewing Martin Bisi as a nexus... In early 2016, his Gowanus, Brooklyn studio, sort-of eponymously named 'BC,' had been in operation for 35 years, and to commemorate the milestone, a weekend-long series of performances took place in the facility... Most excitingly, it featured a band called 'New Old Skull,' a reunion, after almost 30 years of inactivity, of members of the seminal New York noise guitar band Live Skull."
–Dangerous Minds

Dangerous Minds has premiered the video for "Details of the Madness," the debut track by New Old Skull.

New Old Skull is a new band consisting entirely of former members of Live Skull – stalwarts of the NYC avant-rock scene of the 1980s who made their mark throughout that decade alongside bands like Sonic Youth and Swans. A 1989 review in SPIN Magazine hailed Live Skull's final album as "grinding, slash-n-drone, East Village-trash-shit noisecluster rock."

Watch the "Details of the Madness" video, directed by New Old Skull (and former Live Skull) guitarist/vocalist Mark C, here:
https://dangerousminds.net/comments/details_of_the_madness_members_of_seminal_nyc_noise_rock_band_live_skull_re

New Old Skull composed its first song, "Details of the Madness," specifically for the 35th anniversary of producer Martin Bisi's Brooklyn studio, BC Studio, where much of Live Skull's output was recorded in the '80s. BC Studio's 35th anniversary was celebrated by way of a weekend's worth of live performances, recorded and immortalized on the upcoming album, BC35. In addition to New Old Skull, the BC35 album includes live recordings of new material (some composed, some improvised) by current and former members of Sonic Youth, Swans, Cop Shoot Cop, Foetus, White Hills, and many more, all of whom have history with Bisi and BC Studio. Bisi himself appears on three of the songs. The album was mastered by Fred Kevorkian (Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Sonny Rollins).

BC35 will be released April 20th on Italian label Bronson Recordings in vinyl and digital formats. The first pressing of 500 LPs will include 150 gold color vinyl copies. All LPs come packaged with an additional 7" vinyl containing the album's final two tracks.

Pre-order, here:
https://bc35anniversary.bandcamp.com/album/bc35-the-35-year-anniversary-of-bc-studio

Martin Bisi will tour the US and Europe in 2018, including BC35 record release shows in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Boston.

New Old Skull will play the Brooklyn and Philly BC35 record release shows. Live Skull alum Thalia Zedek will perform at the Boston record release show with her current band, tK.

Martin Bisi, live:

April 20 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus - BC35 record release show w/ New Old Skull, White Hills, EXCOP, Tidal Channel
May 5 - Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA - BC35 record release show w/ New Old Skull, Tidal Channel
May 11 - Boston, MA @ Deep Thoughts - BC35 record release show w/ tK (ex-Live Skull), Ajda The Turkish Queen
June 6 - Washington DC @ Rhizome
June 7 - Raleigh NC @ Neptunes w/ film screening of "Sound & Chaos: The Story Of BC Studio"
June 8 - Atlanta @ The Earl w/ Ulan Bator & Phil Puleo (ex-Swans, Cop Shoot Cop)
June 9 - Knoxville TN @ The Pilot Light
June 10 - Richmond VA @ Strange Matter w/ Haybaby, Among the Rocks and Roots
June 29 - Montreal, Canada @ L'Escogriffe  
June 30 - Toronto, ON @ The Baby G
July 1 - Detroit, MI @ El Club w/ Crazy Doberman (John Olson of Wolf Eyes)
July 2 - Chicago, IL @ The Hideout w/ Invisible Things, ONO
July 3 - Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog w/ Hiram-Maxim 

EGRETS ON ERGOT + Dangerous Minds

"...when someone comes along and makes a genuinely exciting record in the idiom, it’s pretty damn satisfying. L.A.’s Egrets on Ergot have done exactly that..."
-Dangerous Minds

Watch Egret on Ergot’s newest video, “Occult Matters”, via Dangerous Minds, here.

Egrets On Ergot are an experimental art-punk band in Los Angeles, CA, with their current LP on Cleopatra Records. Their sound has been described as versatile, from moody, gothy post-punk to funky rhythmic, pseudo-no wave with a smattering of industrial clamor.

This video is a single off of Egrets on Ergot’s recently-released LP, “Surfeit of Gemütlich”, which is available digitally and on vinyl via Cleopatra Records. Order here.

Animation created by Eric Livingston, who is also responsible for album artwork and videos for bands including Dead Cross, Silent, and PANICKER.

Upcoming shows:

March 14 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar w/ MANE

March 15 - Austin, TX @ The Elysium (SxSW showcase w/ Todd Rundgren, Pastel Ghost, Descartes a Kant)

March 17 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger (Heatwave Fest)

Out today: RITUALZ - Doom

Doom, the debut full-length by Mexico City's Ritualz, is out today on Artoffact Records.

Listen and buy the album, here:
https://ritualz.bandcamp.com/album/doom

"Gothic trance."
–Noisey

"Cryptic pop songs."
–New Noise

"JC has taken his love of bands like Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode to create music that stands out from the pack. Ritualz' new album Doom is lush with emotionally-charged, dark goth pop songs, along with a layer of gloom and hooks that will captivate your ears. There are songs on the album that will make you want to dance and there are others that will hypnotize you."
–Audioeclectica

Live:
Mar 9 - Mexico City, MX @ Foro Bizarro
Mar 22 - San Diego, CA @ Space Bar
Mar 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ Das Bunker
Mar 25 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Cid (DJ set)
Mar 29 - San Francisco, CA @ Elbo Room
Mar 30 - Portland, OR @ Lovecraft Bar
Mar 31 - Seattle, WA @ Timbre Room
April 1 - Vancouver, BC @ Astoria

Out today: ACTORS - It Will Come to You

ACTORS' debut full-length, It Will Come to You, is out today on Artoffact Records.

Listen and buy the album, here:
https://actors.bandcamp.com/album/it-will-come-to-you

Watch the latest music video, here:
http://www.post-punk.com/dark-passengers-in-vancouver-post-punk-band-actors-video-for-face-meets-glass/

Further info:
http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/search/label/ACTORS

"Vancouver’s brilliant post-punk and new-wave quartet ACTORS continue their flair for sonic cinematics... The atmosphere quivers with singer Jason Corbett’s crooning reverb augmented by shivering guitars and stark synths." 
–Post-Punk

"Addictively dancey, uplifting and melancholy sounds... Beautiful, dark music."
–CVLT Nation

"Eighties-style post-punk... Marrying influences from metal in the post-punk style."
–Decibel

"An electric and modern take on post-punk."
–Ghettoblaster

"Drawing from 4AD Records-era post-punk and New Wave... Urgent yet cinematic."
–The Joy of Violent Movement

"Debut full-length It Will Come to You thoroughly impresses with its cinematically synthwaved brand of forlorn-yet-danceable post-punk that wanders through an early-2000's Interpol type of take on such influences; plus a lush, modernized air of darkness... The whole record is superbly written and produced... More memorable and gripping than a number of the band's more popular contemporaries.
–Aversionline

Live:
Mar 10 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw (It Will Come to You album release show)
Mar 22 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Mar 23 - Boise, ID @ Vista Bar
Mar 24 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Club X (Batcave SLC)
Mar 28 - Sacramento, CA @ LowBrau
Mar 29 - Oakland, CA @ Golden Bull
Mar 30 - Los Angeles, CA @ La Cita (Part Time Punks)
Mar 31 - San Diego, CA @ Black Cat Bar
Apr 3 - Olympia, WA @ Cryptatropa
Apr 4 - Everett, WA @ Obscurus
Apr 5 - Eugene, OR @ Old Nicks
Apr 6 - Portland, OR @ Tonic Lounge (Out from the Shadows Festival)
Apr 12 - Vancouver, BC @ Astoria (Verboden Festival)
Apr 27 - Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club (w/ Japandroids)
May 10 - Paris, FR @ Le Supersonic
May 11 - Lille, FR @ Le Bobble Cafe
May 18 - Copenhagen, DK @ Stengade
May 19 - Hamburg, DE @ Gruner Jager
May 20 - Leipzig, DE @ Wave Gotik Treffen Festival
Aug 25 - West Yorkshire, UK @ Infest Festival

ACTORS + Post-Punk

"Vancouver’s brilliant post-punk and new-wave quartet ACTORS continue their flair for sonic cinematics in the video for their latest track 'Face Meets Glass'... The atmosphere quivers with singer Jason Corbett’s crooning reverb augmented by shivering guitars and stark synths." 
–Post-Punk

"Addictively dancey, uplifting and melancholy sounds... Beautiful, dark music."
–CVLT Nation

"Eighties-style post-punk... marrying influences from metal in the post-punk style."
–Decibel

"Drawing from 4AD Records-era post-punk and New Wave... Urgent yet cinematic."
–The Joy of Violent Movement

ACTORS' music video for new song "Face Meets Glass" has made its debut today via scene authority Post-Punk.com. 

Watch, here:
http://www.post-punk.com/dark-passengers-in-vancouver-post-punk-band-actors-video-for-face-meets-glass/

A surreal, stylish clip, revealing an ambiguous story of suicidal limo passengers, the "Face Meets Glass" video nods to directors like David Lynch and Nicholas Winding Refn, both of whom ACTORS frontman Jason Corbett has named as influences on his music and vision. The video was directed by Kira Clavell.

ACTORS' new album It Will Come to You will be released this Friday, March 9th, on Artoffact Records. Pre-order digital, vinyl, CD:
https://actors.bandcamp.com/album/it-will-come-to-you

The album's anthemic songs evoke the urgency of early-'80s U2 (Boy, October, War) as well as the driving, synth-drenched scores that emanated from that era's movie screens. Songs like "L'appel du Vide," "Slaves," and "Face Meets Glass" are bangers that glisten via frontman Jason Corbett's production job: slamming beats propel warm layers of synth, guitar, and vocals. Corbett writes, produces, mixes, and masters all ACTORS music at his own Vancouver studio, Jacknife Sound. 

ACTORS will be touring the US, Canada, and Europe, throughout 2018, starting with a hometown album release show this Saturday, March 10th. 

Mar 10 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw (It Will Come to You album release show)
Mar 22 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Mar 23 - Boise, ID @ Vista Bar
Mar 24 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Club X (Batcave SLC)
Mar 28 - Sacramento, CA @ LowBrau
Mar 29 - Oakland, CA @ Golden Bull
Mar 30 - Los Angeles, CA @ La Cita (Part Time Punks)
Mar 31 - San Diego, CA @ Black Cat Bar
Apr 3 - Olympia, WA @ Cryptatropa
Apr 4 - Everett, WA @ Obscurus
Apr 5 - Eugene, OR @ Old Nicks
Apr 6 - Portland, OR @ Tonic Lounge (Out from the Shadows Festival)
Apr 12 - Vancouver, BC @ Astoria (Verboden Festival)
Apr 27 - Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club (w/ Japandroids)
May 10 - Paris, FR @ Le Supersonic
May 11 - Lille, FR @ Le Bobble Cafe
May 18 - Copenhagen, DK @ Stengade
May 19 - Hamburg, DE @ Gruner Jager
May 20 - Leipzig, DE @ Wave Gotik Treffen Festival
Aug 25 - West Yorkshire, UK @ Infest Festival

Photo by Kira Clavell