KOOL KEITH/DEAD CROSS Mashup Video + REVOLVER

"...the clip is a surreal assault that perfectly matches the track: splicing bizarre scenes with written dialogue to tell the story of a torrid love affair … with a toilet."
- Revolver Magazine

Watch the weirdness of the "Uncrushable" mashup video, via Revolver Magazine, here.

Under many, many monikers over the years including Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, and Black Elvis, legendary Bronx-based Jupiter-born rapper Kool Keith is still spitting his eccentric thoughts decades into his career with as much flow as ever. Well-known for his lyrics focused on absurd metaphors and surreal similes, Keith's oddness certainly aligns with hip hop-punk amalgam Planet B, comprised of punk vocalist Justin Pearson (The Locust, Retox, Dead Cross) and double MPC-wielding Luke Henshaw (Sonido de la Frontera). This video features an unlikely but somehow perfect mashup of "Uncrushable" with hardcore supergroup Dead Cross (Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo, Justin Pearson, Mike Crain) track, "Church of the Motherfuckers," which was produced by Luke Henshaw. Accompanying music video is by David Hall (writer and director of the newly released Where in the Hell is the Lavender House: The Longmont Potion Castle Story)


The “Blast” b/w “Uncrushable” EP has been released as a 7" pressed on “shark grey” vinyl, available via Three One G Records, as well as digitally through iTunes. Order the vinyl, here.

“Blast” b/w “Uncrushable” EP:
1. Blast
2. Blast (Planet B Remix)
3. Uncrushable
4. Uncrushable (Dead Cross Mashup)

Out today: SOMETHING IS WAITING - Songs for the Sally Beauty Pavilion

Something Is Waiting's sophomore album, Songs for the Beauty Pavilion, is out today on Learning Curve Records.

Album release show:
April 4 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle w/ Low Dose (ex-Fight Amp)

Stream the album:
http://www.metalsucks.net/2019/03/28/exclusive-full-album-stream-something-is-waitings-songs-for-the-sally-beauty-pavilion/

Buy the album:
https://learningcurverecords.myshopify.com/products/something-is-waiting-songs-for-the-sallybeauty-pavilion-lp-pre-order

More info:
http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2019/02/something-is-waiting-songs-for-sally.html

"Something Is Waiting are the shrieky, sleazy, crust-glam you crave... They mix chuggy hard rock, shrieking crust, and greasy glam metal to create a sound that’s reminiscent of everyone from Today Is The Day and Dillinger Escape Plan to Ministry and Dope... The band’s new track, 'Nikki Lane’s Neo Nashville Airbnb,' just further solidifies our love for Something Is Waiting." 
–Kerrang!

"The band’s music has been described as being 'like Unsane covering 'Too Fast for Love,' or Axl Rose fronting The Jesus Lizard,' which is wholly accurate. It might sound like an unnatural fit, but it works perfectly: cock rock and noise rock obviously come at it from different places, but both genres revel in filth and grime."
–MetalSucks

"Chicago sleaze rock band Something Is Waiting rips it like it’s MTV-nation 1989... Exhilarating and PO’d... A lurching-Frankenstein tempo, gigantically jagged guitar riffs, heavily pounded drum beat, and Gobbo’s killer exclamations that he roars out with a caustic sneer."
–The Big Takeover

"It’s loud, in-your-face, mean rock ‘n’ roll, and it rules."
–Decibel

Out today: SKRYPTOR - Luminous Volumes

Skryptor's debut album, Luminous Volumes, is out today, a joint release between Skin Graft Records, Aqualamb, and Sleeping Giant Glossolalia.

Stream the album:
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/skryptor-dazzling-killmen-craw-aa-etc-releasing-debut-lp-stream-it/

Buy the album – formats include LP, CD, digital, and a 200-page, illustrated book of horror stories:
https://skryptor.bandcamp.com/album/luminous-volumes

More info:
http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2019/01/skryptor-luminous-volumes.html

"On the first listen, 'Lotus and Mace' [off debut album 'Luminous Volumes'] fits in well with stuff like Earthless and Elder, bands that embrace the transcendent qualities of the rock riff. But then the oddities start to surface: 'Weeding Out' punk/jazz, cyclical riffs that roll around with a stutter, and fiery, nervy playing... You come out the other side just wanting to hear it again, partly to find out what the heck it’s doing and partly because it rocks so hard doing it."
–Stereogum

"Galloping, off-kilter and unabashedly victorious, proggy noise-rock outfit Skryptor's new single 'Red Mountain' takes hard-rock/psychedelic throwback tropes, flips them on their heads and stretches it all into an adventurous march through endlessly shifting soundscapes."
-Revolver

"Across its seven instrumental tracks — two of which pass the nine-minute mark — it touches on noise, math rock, post-hardcore, metal, prog, psych, the avant-garde, and more. It’s an album that often favors dissonance and atonality, but it can be very beautiful at times too. It’s like late-period Black Flag meets early King Crimson meets the trippier side of Black Sabbath, but even those comparisons don’t begin the describe the breadth of musical styles explored on this album."
–BrooklynVegan

"Brooklyn trio Skryptor embody the belligerent swagger of noise rock through a progged-out lens..."
–Decibel

"Skryptor’s sound is sludgy but agile... The album deftly jumps from one highlight to the next. Interludes 'The Orchard, Pt. 1' and 'The Orchard, Pt. 2' sound like some strange mash-up of King Crimson and Captain Beefheart. 'Mystification' is a Voivod-ian trip through space, while 'Red Mountain' is the most straightforward rock-sounding track, like if Sonny Sharrock joined Mountain... 'Luminous Volumes' is crammed full of ideas and inventiveness. Despite the amount of musical information contained in each track, each song is coherent, as is the album as a whole."
–Burning Ambulance

Out today: MOON TOOTH - Crux

Moon Tooth's sophomore album, Crux, is out today.

Stream the album and buy, here:
https://moontoothny.bandcamp.com/album/crux

More info:
http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2019/01/moon-tooth-crux.html

On tour:
Mar 29 - Lawrence KS @ Bottleneck
Mar 30 - St. Louis, MO @ Sinkhole
Mar 31 - Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewery
Apr 1 - Murfreesboro, TN @ Media Rerun
Apr 2 - Atlanta, GA @ 529
Apr 3 - West Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
Apr 4 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House Music Hall
May 19 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts w/ Animals As Leaders, The Contortionist
May 20 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club w/ Animals As Leaders, The Contortionist
May 21 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza w/ Animals As Leaders, The Contortionist
May 24 - Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom w/ Animals As Leaders, The Contortionist
May 25 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall w/ Animals As Leaders, The Contortionist

"The Long Island prog-metal band bursts with enthusiasm and rabid energy, as if Mastodon's apocalyptic visions were replaced with cosmic wonder."
–Pitchfork

"Groove-laden... Rife with frustration, riffs and a celebratory, soaring overtone..."
–Revolver

"The Long Island, NY, quartet have all the grind and groan that one wants from a heavy metal track, but their use of clean vocals, uplifting riffs, and humongous choruses save them from the acrobatic and esoteric sides of the genre... Fans of both Strapping Young Lad and Deftones will find parts of their music to get down to."
–Kerrang!

"Metallicized hard rock so enticing we’re convinced it emits pheromones. [Moon Tooth] combines visceral harmonies, punkish verve, funkish boogie, throbbing aggression, and arena-rock-worthy hooks to create something unique and instantly memorable."

–MetalSucks

"Arguably one of the most original metal bands out there."
–Metal Injection

"Electrifying, bluesy, and highly original progressive metal... Walking the line between challenging and accessible... This is one of the best progressive records of the decade. Get on it."
–Invisible Oranges

"As with 'Chromaparagon' before it, 'Crux' is technically brilliant, with all musicians delivering intricate and meticulously played parts... Moon Tooth's stirring energy and optimism are incredibly infectious. Densely packed but never overdone, 'Crux' is an inspiring and uplifting distillation of modern rock."
–Echoes and Dust

"Spearheaded by Nick Lee's pyrotechnic guitar work and John Carbone's bottle rocket vox, 'Crux' comes across like Torche hopped up on trucker pills and John Petrucci guitar DVDs..."
–Free Williamsburg

"Razor-edged hard rock/metal that is as aggressive as it is memorable."
–Nine Circles

"Moon Tooth came swinging out of the gate in 2016 with their debut full-length, 'Chromaparagon'... One moment you're rocking out to stoner with mild psych touches, the next you're headbanging to progressive metal... Now, three years later, they have a brand new full-length titled 'Crux' for us to absorb... To say that Moon Tooth outdid themselves with 'Crux' is an understatement."
–Heavy Blog Is Heavy

"'Crux' is the carefree stage dive from a concert stage. It's the invigorating rush of jumping into a cold pool after you've been boiled by summer heat all day."
–Everything Is Noise

"This band is pouring everything they have into making a name for themselves and it shows on 'Crux.' There’s not a single thing I dislike about these 43 minutes and I can’t stop listening to it."
–Toilet ov Hell

"'Crux' is truly a work of art."

–Audioeclectica

KOOL KEITH + BrooklynVegan

"It’s the kind of dark, noisy, abrasive song that reminds you Keith was a predecessor to stuff like Death Grips and Yeezus, and the video matches the vibe perfectly."
- BrooklynVegan

Watch the bizarre toilet love triangle, via BrooklynVegan, here.

Under many, many monikers over the years including Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, and Black Elvis, legendary Bronx-based Jupiter-born rapper Kool Keith is still spitting his eccentric thoughts decades into his career with as much flow as ever. Well-known for his lyrics focused on absurd metaphors and surreal similes, Keith's oddness certainly aligns with continued collaborators Junkadelic Music as well as hip hop-punk amalgam Planet B, comprised of punk vocalist Justin Pearson (The Locust, Retox, Dead Cross) and double MPC-wielding Luke Henshaw (Sonido de la Frontera). 

Video by David Hall. 

The “Blast” b/w “Uncrushable” EP is being released as a 7" pressed on “shark grey” vinyl, available via Three One G Records, as well as digitally through iTunes and all major platforms on March 29th, 2019. Preorder vinyl, here.

Out today: UNNATURAL WAYS - The Paranoia Party

Unnatural Ways' third album, The Paranoia Party, is out today on Sleeping Giant Glossolalia.

Stream the album:
https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2019/03/21/full-album-stream-unnatural-ways-the-paranoia-party/

Buy the album:
https://sleepinggiantglossolalia.bandcamp.com/album/unnatural-ways-the-paranoia-party

More info:
http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2019/02/unnatural-ways-paranoia-party.html

“Derek Bailey meets Morbid Angel in the sci-fi shredding of Ava Mendoza and power trio Unnatural Ways... Mendoza’s riffs and solos bounce across the sonic landscape, sometimes shredding but just as frequently pulling from surf music or the industrial psychedelia of Chrome. The lyrics combine two types of alien imagery: the immigrant/emigrant type, and the extraterrestrial... Her voice is a clean post-punk wail of the Sioixsie/Savages school...”
–The Wire

"Unnatural Ways is a vehicle through which master guitarist Ava Mendoza showcases her wide-ranging abilities as a musician. With the group's first two largely instrumental releases in the bag, they've turned the focus on the shredder's voice for their upcoming third LP 'The Paranoia Party'... A spastic, fuzzy exercise in combining noise-rock motifs with off-kilter timing and a vocal performance that calls up goth-punk godmother Siouxsie Sioux... Pure, noisy ear candy."
–Revolver

"Unnatural Ways‘ new album, 'The Paranoia Party,' is a weird record for weird times... From skronky noise rock stomp to post-rock-esque crescendos to explosive metallic bursts and all-around top-notch musicianship. 'The Paranoia Party' is a unique beast and one that will likely yield new surprises and details for many more listens."
–Decibel

"Unnatural Ways deliver an epic head trip via newest batch of intense psych metal... Crafting a work that operates on as many levels as 'The Paranoia Party' is no small task, but Unnatural Ways founder and renowned guitarist Ava Mendoza proves more than ready... They’ve put a variety of cosmically slanted styles through a blender and laced the result with an earthy intensity, allowing for the listener to find the shining points of commonality between jazzy metal and heavy noise rock."

–Captured Howls

Out today: SIGILS - You Built the Altar, You Lit the Leaves

Sigils' debut album, You Built the Altar, You Lit the Leaves, is out today.

Stream the album:
https://www.cvltnation.com/listen-soaring-doom-anthems-sigils/

Buy the album:
https://sigilsdoom.bandcamp.com/

More info:
http://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2019/01/sigils-you-built-altar-you-lit-leaves.html

"For fans of Pallbearer, Yob... Long Island, New York, quartet Sigils make highly emotional doom full of soaring vocals, melancholy guitars, and lyrics about witchcraft and ghosts... 'You Built the Altar, You Lit the Leaves' draws on [vocalist Salvatore Rex's] experiences as a queer person coming of age in the often hyper-masculine and actively unwelcoming world of metal and hardcore, and his efforts to come to terms with his feeling of otherness."
–Revolver

"Soaring doom anthems that will rock you to your core."
–Cvlt Nation

"Crushing riffs and soaring vocals... Powerful but memorable."
–Echoes and Dust

"Windhand/Pallbearer-indebted Long Island doom that rolls in like a stone and drifts off like a vapor."
–Free Williamsburg

"Spine tingling doom... Soaring melancholy meets occult themes."
–Nine Circles

"If you're any fan whatsoever of psychedelic-tinged doom then this will definitely be up your alley."
–Heavy Blog Is Heavy

"Doom driven occultism with reverb-laden ambience..."
–Everything Is Noise

"Sigils' sprawling debut truly feels like the ballad of the doomed."
–Captured Howls

SOMETHING IS WAITING - "Your Vintage Nu Rock Band"

"Chicago sleaze rock band Something Is Waiting rips it like it’s MTV-nation 1989... Exhilarating and PO’d... A lurching-Frankenstein tempo, gigantically jagged guitar riffs, heavily pounded drum beat, and Gobbo’s killer exclamations that he roars out with a caustic sneer."
–The Big Takeover

Crank Something Is Waiting's new track, "Your Vintage Nu Rock Band" now via The Big Takeover:
http://bigtakeover.com/news/SongPremiereYourVintageNuRockBandbySomethingIsWaiting

The banging call-to-arms opens the Chicago band's new, sophomore album, Songs for the Sally Beauty Pavilion.

Something Is Waiting plays noise-rock by way of Sunset Strip swagger – like Axl fronting The Jesus Lizard, or Unsane covering "Too Fast for Love."

Out March 29th on Learning Curve Records, the album was recorded by SIW guitarist Pete Grossmann at Bricktop Recording (Weekend Nachos, Like Rats) and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Today Is the Day).

Chicago meat authority Kuma's Corner has bestowed the highest honor upon Something Is Waiting, naming a new burger after it, to be unveiled at the official album listening party on March 28th. The band plays an album release show, April 4th at the Empty Bottle, with Low Dose (ex-Fight Amp).

Photo by John Mourlas

POUND - ••

POUND: SEATTLE DUO RETURNS WITH SOPHOMORE ALBUM "••"; NEW VIDEO DEBUTED, PRE-ORDER LAUNCHED, SPRING TOUR ANNOUNCED

Seattle duo Pound returns with its sophomore album, ••, to be released May 31st in vinyl and digital formats on Silent Pendulum Records. 

Titled simply with two dots, Pound's upcoming second album is a tour-de-force that makes entirely new magic out of the formulas put forth on 2018's self-titled debut. Pound's debut wowed with its exuberant mix of chaos and groove, but on •• the songs power forward with new, unshakable strength and efficiency. 

Today, MetalSucks presents the premiere of the first music video off the album: a medley of tracks 5 and 6, "xx_.+-x_ _" and "x..^..x-x..^..x-x..^..x-x..^..x-"

Stream the video, here:
http://www.metalsucks.net/2019/03/20/video-premiere-pound-get-skronky-and-groovy-in-xx_-x_-_-and-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-double-feature/

Pound consists of guitarist Ryan Schutte and drummer David Stickney. In Schutte's words, the pair are driven by "the same mission as always – to get better at our instruments and push ourselves as musicians." New album •• is a stunning document of that mission in action.

The new video serves as a perfect introduction: what begins like a dirge from the bottom of the ocean, erupts into blast-rich chaos, then resolves in a deliciously driving groove. Overwhelming in its twists and turns, it thrills and hypnotizes.

Pound's gear is as unique as its sound: Schutte plays a baritone 9-string guitar and Stickney plays two drumkits, positioned at a 90-degree angle. In the absence of other instruments, the listener can fully absorb every detail of the duo's playing. Both musicians play as though their instruments are literally their voices.

From hyper-caffeinated odd-time riffing, to horrifically heavy grooves that lurch and boom like actual earthquakes, Schutte milks so much color out of his instrument, his guitar is a storyteller and vocals are never missed. Stickney blasts with the wild attack of Gabe Serbian, but pounds away grooves with Tomas Haake-level authority. When Stickney swivels around and switches from his main kit to his lower-tuned drumkit in the middle of a song, it is nothing short of a revelatory moment.

•• was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage) at Flatline Audio in Denver, Colorado.

Continuing the titling format begun on their debut, song titles are each a series of symbols which map out a rhythm in the song.

Pre-order includes bundles containing some truly unique items – among other things, a very limited, screen-printed "Pound" bottle filled with fero fluid, a metallic liquid that reacts to magnets!

Pre-order from the band: https://pound.bandcamp.com
Pre-order from the label: https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/

Pound will embark on a US tour in May.

May 1 - Salem, OR @ Shotski's Eats
May 2 - Medford, OR @ King Wah's
May 3 - Sacramento, CA @ The Blue Lamp
May 4 - San Jose, CA @ O'Malley's
May 5 - Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse Saloon
May 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ Blvd
May 7 - Flagstaff, AZ @ The Green Room
May 8 - Tucson, AZ @ House of Bards
May 9 - Tempe, AZ @ Time Out Lounge
May 11 - Denver, CO @ 7th Circle Music Collective
May 12 - Ogden, UT @ Funk n' Dive
May 13 - Boise, ID @ Killer Pussy Studios

Tracklist:
1) x-.+.+.x-.+.x-.x-.+
2) x-_-x-_.+._-
3) x-xx-x---x-x---x-x---
4) --x--xxx--xx--x--xxx--xxx
5) xx_.+-x_ _
6) x..^..x-x..^..x-x..^..x-x..^..x-
7) x-_x-_x-x-x-_x-_x-_x-x_x-x-
8) x_--_+_--_x_--.+_--_x_--+_--

Cover art by Jeff Grimal

Band photo by Neil Lim Sang

Music video by Michael Kane and Ryan Abrahamson at Counting Coup Media

RIYL: Car Bomb, Frontierer, The Locust, Discordance Axis, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Maruta, Meshuggah

RAVENNA WOODS + Alternative Press

"Ravenna Woods enter an eerie dream state in their new music video for 'Once For The Lockhearts...' The video holds perfect synergy with the supporting track, matching its slow, ominous feel."
- Alternative Press

Watch the video for "Once For The Lockhearts," via Alternative Press, here:
https://www.altpress.com/features/ravenna-woods-once-for-the-lockhearts-video/

Ravenna Woods was formed by Chris Cunningham and Brantley Duke in late 2009, after Chris returned home to Seattle from a teaching job overseas. After fleshing out some of those songs and writing a few more, a handful of new demos circulated to drummer Matt Badger, who introduced himself to the duo. Around 2015, Ravenna officially became a 5 piece, adding multi-instrumentalist and composer Nic Danielson on keys and Reed LV on bass. The band features ex-members of bands such as Lotte Kestner, Neon Blonde, Delour, Seattle Rock Orchestra, and The Kindness Kind.

Disappearing Someone will be released digitally as well as on vinyl through Rocket Heart Records on May 3rd.
Preorder, here.

RAVENNA WOODS website

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SKRYPTOR - "Raga"

"Brooklyn trio Skryptor embody the belligerent swagger of noise rock through a progged-out lens..."
–Decibel

Decibel has premiered "Raga," the opening track off Skryptor's debut album, Luminous Volumes.

A wild, instrumental ride, inspired in part by Indian classical music, "Raga" sets the tone for the album – a complex reimagining of the soaring sounds of '70s rock, heavy metal, and beyond, brought to you by three heavyweight noise-rock players from Dazzling Killmen, craw, and STATS. 

Stream, here:
https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2019/03/19/track-premiere-skryptor-raga/

Black Sabbath meets Mahavishnu, by way of AmRep and Touch & Go, in Skryptor's raw-yet-epic compositions. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Skryptor consists of Tim Garrigan (Dazzling Killmen), David McClelland (craw), and Hank Shteamer (STATS). Among other things, the band is a heartwarming tale of a musician getting to collaborate with his heroes. Shteamer was a rabid fan of Dazzling Killmen and craw when he was a mere teenager; he describes those bands as "my Zeppelin and Beatles." 

Out March 29th, debut album Luminous Volumes is a joint release between three labels: Skin Graft, Aqualamb, Sleeping Giant Glossolalia. The album was recorded and mixed by Colin Marston (Gorguts, Kelly Moran). Formats are vinyl, CD, digital, and an illustrated, 200-page book featuring original horror stories curated by Skryptor bassist David McClelland. 

Pre-order: 
https://skryptor.bandcamp.com/album/luminous-volumes

Photo by Millie Benson

MOON TOOTH - "Awe At All Angles"

"A groove-laden track rife with frustration, riffs and a celebratory, soaring overtone..."
–Revolver

"Arguably one of the most original metal bands out there."
–Metal Injection

"The Long Island, NY, quartet have all the grind and groan that one wants from a heavy metal track, but their use of clean vocals, uplifting riffs, and humongous choruses save them from the acrobatic and esoteric sides of the genre... Fans of both Strapping Young Lad and Deftones will find parts of their music to get down to."
–Kerrang!

Revolver has premiered the official music video for new Moon Tooth track "Awe At All Angles," off the Long Island, New York band's sophomore album, Crux.

Stream, here:
https://www.revolvermag.com/music/see-moon-tooth-shake-their-cares-and-rock-funny-awe-all-angles-video

Crux will be released March 29th on Modern Static Records. Pre-order the album, here:
https://moontoothny.bandcamp.com/album/crux

Moon Tooth's soulful, metallic sound, chock full of deft musicianship, has earned comparisons to Mastodon, Gojira, Coheed and Cambria, and Living Colour, among others.

Moon Tooth is on tour now with Mark Morton (Lamb of God) and Light the Torch (ex-Killswitch Engage).

Mark Morton, Light The Torch, Moon Tooth:
Mar 19 - New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre
Mar 21 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Mar 23 - Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
Mar 25 - Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy Theatre
Mar 26 - Phoenix, AZ @ Club Red

Moon Tooth only:
Mar 29 - Lawrence KS @ Bottleneck
Mar 30 - St. Louis, MO @ Sinkhole
Mar 31 - Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewery
Apr 1 - Murfreesboro, TN @ Media Rerun
Apr 2 - Atlanta, GA @ 529
Apr 3 - West Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
Apr 4 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House Music Hall

Photo by Anthony Barone

KOOL KEITH/DEAD CROSS MASHUP + Rolling Stone

“'I’m on all kinds of shit,' Keith repeats over pulsating blasts of noise. He proceeds to unleash a stream of his patented X-rated putdowns. Around a minute in, the band comes roaring in at full blast, with Lombardo’s rapid-fire double-kick drums and Patton’s maniacal shrieks adding live-wire intensity. Crain’s trilling guitar line contrasts perfectly with Keith’s laid-back delivery."

–Rolling Stone

Listen to the “Uncrushable” mashup feat. Dead Cross, via Rolling Stone, here.

Donning many monikers over the years including Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, and Black Elvis, legendary Bronx-based Jupiter-born rapper Kool Keith's oddness has aligned with continued collaborators Junkadelic Music as well as hip hop-punk amalgam Planet B, comprised of punk vocalist Justin Pearson and double MPC-wielding Luke Henshaw. This four track EP includes an unlikely but somehow perfect mashup of "Uncrushable" with hardcore supergroup Dead Cross (Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo, Justin Pearson, Mike Crain) track, "Church of the Motherfuckers," which was produced by Luke Henshaw, which premiered today via Rolling Stone.

Kool Keith’s newest “Blast” b/w “Uncrushable” EP will be released digitally as well as on shark-grey vinyl by Three One G Records on March 29th. Preorder here.

“Blast” b/w “Uncrushable” EP:

1. Blast

2. Blast (Planet B Remix)

3. Uncrushable

4. Uncrushable (Dead Cross Mashup)

LAMNIFORMES + No Echo

“The solo project finds Ian exploring the atmospheric side of his musical instincts, whether that's something reminiscent of the crushing post-metal of Neurosis or the slow-burning instrumentals of This Will Destroy You, Lamniformes is all about riding a vibe out to its full conclusion.”

- No Echo

Listen to the full stream of Lamniforme's newest album, Sisyphean, via No Echo, here.

Lamniformes, the songwriting project of multi-instrumentalist Ian Cory (Gabby’s World, Bellows), has its feet in two worlds. Informed as much by Cory’s experience in the Brooklyn indie rock circuit as by his love for the sounds of sludge and post-metal, Lamniformes is a band that defies easy categorization. Picture Old Man Gloom writing bedroom pop, or Mount Eerie on a Neurosis binge. The project’s newest release, Sisyphean is both heartbreaking and head-banging, an achingly beautiful collection that combines melody with soul-crushing distortion.

Sisyphean is being released by Furious Hooves on March 15th, 2019.
Order the limited edition cassette, here.

To bring Sisyphean to life, Cory recruited a team of musicians from Chicago’s art rock scene and the world of Brooklyn indie pop. Featuring performances from members of Gabby’s World, Bellows, and Small Wonder, Sisyphean is the product of a multi-regional musical community. The record’s sonic landscape reflects this communal effort. Cellos, organs, and electric piano share space with booming electric guitars and Cory’s own drumming. Above it all are layered vocals and midi programming that give the album a distinct melancholy tone. Despite taking its name from Albert Camus’ absurdist essay The Myth Of Sisyphus, Sisyphean isn’t an academic affair. Cory’s lyrics are rooted in the issues of modern life, including physical and mental health, addiction, toxic relationships, and the struggle to find hope in hopeless situations. The combination of these human themes with Lamniformes’ cathartic music makes Sisyphean an album for both the head and the heart.

Sisyphean LP:
Nothing Ends, Nothing Lasts
I Have Been A Flame
Deep Despair in Covington, KY
Hypothermia
Diminisher
Measured in Rings

KOOL KEITH feat. PLANET B + Dangerous Minds

“...no one will slice and dice you like Kool Keith. I think that’s why the line 'Do not be bougie with the facelift' on 'Blast' chills me to the bone: can you imagine how your face would look after a few hours in the operating room with Kool Keith?”

- Dangerous Minds

Watch the "short slasher movie" for the Planet B remix of Kool Keith’s “Blast”, via Dangerous Minds, here.

Under many, many monikers over the years including Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, and Black Elvis, legendary Bronx-based Jupiter-born rapper Kool Keith is still spitting his eccentric thoughts decades into his career with as much flow as ever. Well-known for his lyrics focused on absurd metaphors and surreal similes, Keith's oddness aligns with continued collaborators Junkadelic Music as well as hip hop-punk amalgam Planet B, comprised of punk vocalist Justin Pearson (The Locust, Retox, Dead Cross) and double MPC-wielding Luke Henshaw (Sonido de la Frontera). After Keith’s initial guest vocals on Planet B track “Crustfund”, the duo have once again collaborated with the notorious rapper to create a blistering remix of his new track,"Blast”. Video by Dark Details.

Kool Keith’s newest “Blast” b/w “Uncrushable” EP will be released digitally as well as on grey vinyl by Three One G Records on March 29th. Preorder here.

“Blast” b/w “Uncrushable” EP:

1. Blast

2. Blast (Planet B Remix)

3. Uncrushable

4. Uncrushable (Dead Cross Mashup)

BC35: Volume Two

FUTURE OF MARTIN BISI'S LEGENDARY BC STUDIO (BRIAN ENO, SONIC YOUTH, SWANS) HANGS IN THE BALANCE AMIDST BROOKLYN REZONING PROPOSALS; UPCOMING "BC35: VOLUME TWO" ALBUM CELEBRATES STUDIO'S CULTURAL IMPACT

Almost one year to the day after the release of acclaimed album BC35: The 35th Anniversary of BC Studio, producer Martin Bisi and Italian label Bronson Recordings will release the followup: BC35: Volume Two.

April 19th, the album will be released in vinyl, CD, and digital formats. Pre-order, here:

https://bc35anniversary.bandcamp.com/album/bc35-volume-two-the-35-year-anniversary-of-bc-studio

A record release show, featuring Martin Bisi and many of the new album's contributors, is booked for April 25th at Market Hotel in Brooklyn.

https://www.ticketfly.com/event/1837233-bc35-volume-2-record-release-brooklyn/

The BC35 project was organized by Bisi and co-producer Genevieve Fernworthy as a celebration of the legendary Brooklyn studio's 35th anniversary. Founded by Bisi in the early '80s, with friends Brian Eno and Bill Laswell, and still owned and operated by Bisi to this day, BC Studio is the birthplace of classic recordings by a stunning list of artists, from noise-rock to hip-hop to the far reaches of avant music – Eno, Laswell, Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Swans, John Zorn, Afrika Bambaataa, Herbie Hancock, White Zombie, Unsane, Cop Shoot Cop, and many more. A cavernous space located in an industrial building near Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal, the idiosyncratic studio has become synonymous with an adventurous, DIY approach. As an article in Newsweek put it:

"Considering how diverse BC Studio's output has been over the years, there's still something recognizable about the music that Bisi lays his hands on... A certain rawness."

In 2016, dozens of musicians with ties to the studio descended upon it to stage a weekend's worth of performances in honor of the anniversary – in some cases, full bands performing new written work; in other cases, individuals grouping together randomly and improvising. The performances were recorded and mixed, mostly by Bisi himself, and the first installment was released last year. Of that album, Pitchfork stated:

"The credits read like a who’s who of New York’s experimental underground... It’s a sonic embodiment of risk-taking, rule-breaking, and antithesis that celebrates the endurance of a man and a space tied directly to New York’s noise, art-rock, punk, free jazz, hip-hop, and alternative movements... Bisi demonstrates—as a producer, engineer, and general facilitator of the avant-garde—what’s made his name familiar to liner-notes obsessives and New York noise nerds for three and a half decades."

The upcoming release of the second installment, BC35: Volume Two, comes amidst new clouds of uncertainty, as neighborhood rezoning talks commenced in February which could impact BC Studio in a number of ways. The studio is situated in a former factory in Brooklyn's Gowanus neighborhood – a desolate, polluted, industrial zone that is now gentrifying at lightning speed. The new rezoning proposal incentivizes residential development and tall buildings; BC's fate is unknown in the face of these changes. Meanwhile, a grassroots push is organizing to designate key historical sites as landmarks, including the building housing the studio.

Bisi further points out how gentrification has played in to the BC35 project from the start:

"In 2015 I was mugged and beaten right in front of the studio. And shortly after that, the studio was robbed. This was the first time these things had happened since I set up shop there in the early '80s. It's directly tied to the gentrification of the neighborhood. This area never used to be a target. We had actual packs of wild dogs roaming the streets but it was not a target for robberies until now. It was those events in 2015 that inspired friends of mine to suggest the BC35 idea, as something positive to bring people together and celebrate the spirit of the studio. Now, with BC35: Volume Two coming up, we have these rezoning talks in motion and we are facing even bigger effects of gentrification."

BC35: Volume Two features many musicians who performed on the first album, in addition to some new names. Some highlights include:

Track 1, "Save Sludgie the Whale of Gowanus"
Bisi teams up with current and former members of Sonic Youth, Lubricated Goat, and more, on an improvised song dedicated to a whale who died near BC Studio, in the Gowanus Canal, in 2007. Nicknamed Sludgie, the whale is assumed to have died from the pollution in the notorious canal.

Track 2, "Up Against the Wall"
A new track, written for the event, featuring all original members of NYC band Live Skull, reunited for the first time since the '80s.

Track 5, "Down the Ladder, Up the Snake"; Track 15, "Prelude to the March of Things to Come"

Both tracks feature guitarist Andy Hawkins, founder of Blind Idiot God, with whom Bisi worked in the '80s when the band was on SST Records.

Track 7, "Glass of Lunch that Name Is King"
A string and vocal drone piece by BC35 co-producer Genevieve Fernworthy (Tidal Channel), performing here under her solo moniker, LAUDS, along with seven participants; they sustain the note G in a composition reminiscent of a monthly, improvisational series called Lunary that is held and recorded at BC Studio, around the full moon.

Complete tracklist and musicians:

1) "Save Sludgie the Whale of Gowanus"
Performed by: Nowhere Near
Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Lydia Lunch)
Alyse Lamb (Parlor Walls)
Stu Spasm (Lubricated Goat, Art Gray Noizz Quintet)
Skeleton Boy (Woman, Art Gray Noizz Quintet)
Martin Bisi

2) "Up Against the Wall"
Performed by: New Old Skull (Live Skull)
Rich Hutchins (Live Skull, Art Gray Noizz Quintet)
Marnie Jaffe (Live Skull)
Mark C (Live Skull)

3) "Tina"
Performed by: EXCOP
Algis Kizys (Swans, Lydia Lunch)
Phil Puleo (Cop Shoot Cop, Swans)
Jack Nantz (Cop Shoot Cop)
Jim Coleman (Cop Shoot Cop)

4) "Lumarian"
Performed by:
Jeannie Fry (Kitty Badass)
Andrea Havis (Susu)
Oliver Rivera Drew (Martin Bisi)
Diego Ferri (Martin Bisi)

5) "Down the Ladder, Up the Snake"
Performed by:
Andy Hawkins (Blind Idiot God)
Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Lydia Lunch)
Algis Kizys (Swans, Lydia Lunch)
Laura Ortman

6) "BC Breakdown"
Performed by:
Sxip Shirey
Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls, Violent Femmes)
Don Godwin

7) "Glass of Lunch That Name Is King"
Performed by: LAUDS String Ensemble
Genevieve Fernworthy (Tidal Channel, LAUDS)
Jason LaFarge (Pants Exploder)
Laura Ortman
Lawry Zilmrah
Megan Moncrief
Valerie Kuehne
Kolin Zein
John Schwartz

8) "Rainy Day in Bern"
Performed by:
John Bollinger (Barbez)
Dan Kaufman (Barbez)

9) "Ootapa"
Performed by: This Wilderness
Robert O. Leaver (Birdthrower)
Jim Coleman (Cop Shoot Cop)
Phil Puleo (Cop Shoot Cop, Swans)
Paul Wallfisch (Swans)

10) "X Dressing at the Radar Base"
Performed by: Tidal Channel
Genevieve Fernworthy (Tidal Channel, LAUDS)
Billy Cancel (Tidal Channel)

11) "Let Us Be"
Performed by: 

Dave W (White Hills)

12)  "Four"
Performed by: Mega Tormenta
Michael Bazini (Controlled Bleeding)
Jim Coleman (Cop Shoot Cop)
Greg "Torch" Sgrulloni

13) "Bobby's Car"
Performed by:
Ajda the Turkish Queen
Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls, Violent Femmes)
Paul Wallfisch (Swans)
Lorde Buckingham

14) "New York Exit the Hell Out of Grumphs"
Performed by:
Sissi Schulmeister (Alice Donut)
Steve Moses (Alice Donut)
Laura Ortman

15) "Prelude to the March of Things to Come"
Performed by:
Andy Hawkins (Blind Idiot God)
Algis Kizys (Swans, Lydia Lunch)
Rich Hutchins (Live Skull, Art Gray Noizz Quintet)
Laura Ortman

Production credits:

Produced by Martin Bisi and Genevieve Fernworthy

Mixed by Martin Bisi, with the exception of:
Track 2, "Up Against the Wall" - mixed by Mark C
Track 3, "Tina" - mixed by Jim Coleman
Track 6, "BC Breakdown" - mixed by Dan Godwin
Track 9, "Ootapa" - mixed by Jim Coleman
Track 14, "New York Exit the Hell Out of Grumphs" - mixed by Michael Jung

Mastered by Fred Kevorkian

Cover art by Alexey Novikov

Photo of Martin Bisi by Joan Hacker