THIS IS OBLIVION

THIS IS OBLIVION: Brooklyn duo brings violence and violins to self-titled debut album; new music video now streaming

Brooklyn duo This Is Oblivion announces the May 6th release of its self-titled debut album.

Consisting of vocalist/violinist Lulu Black and drummer Michael Kadnar, This Is Oblivion summons a dark, evocative sound, in league with the most dramatic dirges of Chelsea Wolfe or Swans. The pair will release the new album via Kadnar's label, Silent Pendulum Records.

Stream the official music video for the album's first single, "The Truth," here:
https://floodmagazine.com/102422/this-is-oblivion-the-truth-first-listen/

Pre-order the album, here:

https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-oblivion

First single "The Truth" mesmerizes as it punishes; haunting vocals coil around funereal strings and cannon-fire drums. The accompanying music video, directed by Brendan McGowan and starring Black and Kadnar, is a suitably beautiful, intense, and theatrical clip, presenting a purple-lit dream sequence of chains, thorns, and fire.

Black describes the concepts behind This Is Oblivion's debut album: "It’s an exploration of the cyclical nature of connection; how every moment in time is paradoxically suspended somewhere between a moment of collapse and ascendance; how love can be an anchor when the world seems to be ending and love itself can feel like the end of the world." This paradox is expressed in "The Truth" as Black sings, "I will ruin you / I will run to you / I want you to ruin me / I want you to run from me."

A classical music major in college, Black's interest in other genres – industrial, darkwave, doom, and more – led her to start creating her own music. "My biggest influence has always been Nine Inch Nails, especially Trent and Atticus' cinematic scores," she states. "I love gritty textures paired with gorgeous harmonies."

Kadnar is known to many as the rhythm machine behind bands such as The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Downfall of Gaia, and So Hideous. Known predominantly as a metal drummer, Kadnar separates himself from the pack by bringing outside influences into his playing, from jazz, funk, world music, and beyond; in This Is Oblivion, he utilizes a whole palette of percussion and his approach ranges from the delicate to the colossally heavy.

Black and Kadnar began This Is Oblivion in the spring of 2020. The two are not only in a band together, but in a relationship. "Collaborating with a romantic partner is a first for both of us," says Black. "A relationship that then evolves into an artistic collaboration can be hugely positive but also very raw and vulnerable at times." The couple's debut album was recorded and mixed in 2021 by Seth Manchester at Machines With Magnets (Lingua Ignota, The Body) and mastered by Brian Lucey at Magic Garden Mastering (Depeche Mode, David Lynch). The cover art was created by Rose Callahan and Taylor Bates.

Tracklist:
1) Invocation
2) The Truth
3) Elegy
4) Undeserving
5) Offering
6) A Reckoning
7) Unto You
8) Litany

Lineup:
Lulu Black - vocals, violin, viola
Michael Kadnar - drums, piano, backing vocals

Guests:
Jennifer DeVore - cello on "Elegy" and "Litany"
Marco Mazzola - electronic drum samples on "A Reckoning"

Photo by Rose Callahan

EYES OF PERDITION - "Dealing Death"

EYES OF PERDITION: Las Vegas slammers team with Matti Way on ghostly new "Dealing Death" video

Las Vegas, Nevada band Eyes of Perdition has revealed the official music video for its song, "Dealing Death." 

The horror-laced clip mixes footage of the foursome laying down its desert-baked hybrid of slamming death metal and brute hardcore, with scenes of a "ghost story" starring Eyes of Perdition frontwoman Lindsay O. 

The video was directed by Matti Way, known to many as the vocalist of such bands as Abominable Putridity, Disgorge, and Pathology, and as the president of Unique Leader Records.

Stream the video, here:
https://metalinjection.net/video/eyes-of-perdition-throws-down-with-new-single-dealing-death

Lindsay O. states: "When it came time for Eyes of Perdition to conceptualize a video for the single, I couldn't think of a better director to work with on this. Matti wanted to create an atmosphere of 'haunting' to accompany the song. The ghost in the film has been waiting hundreds of years for a train that will never come. It creates a tension and a sense of desperation that certainly underscores the intensity of the song."

The video was filmed at the historic Globe Train Depot in Globe, Arizona, which O. describes as "certifiably haunted – I could feel the specters of years past as we filmed!"

"Dealing Death" appears on Eyes of Perdition's latest EP, Incendiary Truths, self-released in August 2021. O. offers this glimpse at the story behind the song: "'Dealing Death' is about someone relentlessly pursuing revenge, with unbridled resolve, to the point of self destruction. There's a bit of desperation in the song too – being extremely exhausted, yet compelled to continue to slay and maim, existing solely on one's own fumes and fury."

A multi-faceted artist whose biggest heroes include Henry Rollins and whose musical output runs the gamut from death metal to dark pop, O is one of the more compelling figures in the scene today; her soul-searching, existential lyrics punctuate and elevate Eyes of Perdition's Neanderthal grooves.

Revolver Magazine has hailed Eyes of Perdition's sound with these words: "An infernal brew of chuggy deathcore, monstrous death metal and the absolute heaviest elements of beatdown hardcore. Eyes of Perdition are easy to smash faces to but surprisingly hard to categorize." Decibel Magazine has honored the band with this assessment: "Their uncompromising hardcore/slam hybrid is as punishing and bone-dry as mid afternoon under the Mojave sun."

Eyes of Perdition plays Northwest Terror Fest in Seattle, WA on July 1st, alongside Repulsion, Ringworm, Xibalba, and more.

https://eyesofperdition.bandcamp.com/
https://instagram.com/eyesofperdition/
https://facebook.com/eyesofperdition/

https://fromthenorthfilms.com/

Photos by Krook9, Matti Way

LAMENT CITYSCAPE - A Darker Discharge

LAMENT CITYSCAPE: industrial-metal powerhouse flourishes on stunning new Lifeforce Records album "A Darker Discharge"; new track streaming now

"Another Arc," the new single by industrial-metal powerhouse Lament Cityscape, is out now.

Stream the track, by way of its official lyric video, here: https://youtu.be/0lAPdUeje0o

"Another Arc" is the first single from the Wyoming-based outfit's upcoming new album, A Darker Discharge, out April 29th; it is the band's first album for German label Lifeforce Records.

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

With a slew of recordings released over the past decade, the prolific Lament Cityscape project is the brainchild of Mike McClatchey. Past releases were hailed as “a mid-paced industrial/doom miasma” (Decibel Magazine), “simply devastating” (No Clean Singing), and "sledgehammer-level impact” (Invisible Oranges). The Wire Magazine warned: “Best jack your headphones up to their highest leakage levels.”

Incorporating elements of industrial-metal, sludge, noise, post-punk, and more, Lament Cityscape has evolved over the years to its present state. As evidenced on new single "Another Arc," McClatchey has honed the sound into its leanest, most lethal incarnation to date. "Another Arc" blazes forward like an electronics-heavy mix of Code Orange's merciless rhythms and Uniform's unhinged angst.

McClatchey credits his recent relocation from Oakland, California to rural Wyoming, for the new album's aggression: "We moved from Oakland to Wyoming to stay as safe as possible regarding COVID. I started writing and recording ‘A Darker Discharge’ several weeks into living here. Everything was still in storage so I did everything on a laptop. No guitars or bass or drums. I programmed everything because I wanted it to be a lot harsher and colder than anything we’ve done in the past. I instantly felt pushback from everyone here. Almost daily we would see 'Keep Your California Out of My Wyoming' shirts or bumper stickers. Trump flags being flown far after him losing. Homophobic and racist garbage everywhere. It set a tone for the album to be a lot angrier, faster, and more confrontational."

Amidst the onslaught of tracks such as "Another Arc" are instances of shocking beauty, in line with the melancholic grandeur of Jesu or The Soft Moon's Luis Vasquez. "Innocence of Shared Experiences" is a rapturous stunner; "The Under Dark" and "Where the Walls Used to Be" are towering anthems of epic proportions. But the album's seven songs unfold seamlessly – a one-way ride into the depths, making for one of this year's most captivating albums so far.

"The lyrics paint a picture of being in an underground place and being forced to be complacent," says McClatchey. While life in Wyoming might be at the heart of A Darker Discharge, McClatchey uses the language of the "body horror" genre, exemplified by films like Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989), to tell his story. "I write about very personal emotions and situations through some weird 'transformative body horror' lens," he explains. "I do it because I don’t know anything else and I feel the overwhelming need to keep creating and keep getting better at expressing ideas and emotions through turning some fucking knobs until things feel right."

A Darker Discharge was written, recorded and mixed by Mike McClatchey at Underland Studio in Buffalo, WY. It was mastered by Zach Weeks at GodCity Recording Studio in Salem, MA.

Tracklist:
1) Ocean of Fuses
2) All These Wires
3) Another Arc
4) Innocence of Shared Experiences
5) The Under Dark
6) Where the Walls Used to Be
7) Part of the Mother

Live band:
Mike McClatchey - vocals, guitar
Peter Layman - backing vocals, guitar
Jim Willig - backing vocals, bass, synth
Seánan McCullough - drums

Discography:
Mine Rats - EP - 2013
The First Son of the Final Son - EP - 2014
The Torn - LP - 2015, Battleground Records
Turn Outward - remix EP - 2016
Soft Tissue (collab w/ Theologian) - LP - 2016, Battleground Records/Annihilvs Power Electronix
"A Series of Warnings" - single - 2017
The Torn (Release) - film - 2018
The New Wet - EP - 2020
The Pulsing Wet - EP - 2020
The Old Wet - EP - 2020
Soft Tissue: Excised Edition - LP - 2020, Annihilvs Power Electronix
Wet Pneumatic - LP - 2021, Annihilvs Power Electronix
A Darker Discharge - LP - 2022, Lifeforce Records

TRACE AMOUNT - Anti Body Language

TRACE AMOUNT: new industrial visionary to release debut album "Anti Body Language" via Federal Prisoner; new music video now streaming

Anti Body Language, the debut full-length album by Trace Amount, will be released April 15th via Federal Prisoner, the label founded by Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Black Queen, Jerry Cantrell) and visual artist Jesse Draxler.

Stream the official music video for the album's first single, "Anxious Awakenings," here:
https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-trace-amounts-grisly-industrial-banger-anxious-awakenings

Pre-order the album, here:
https://federalprisoner.shop/

Trace Amount is the solo project of Brooklyn-based producer, vocalist, and visual artist, Brandon Gallagher. First conceived in 2019, Trace Amount took shape during the early stages of the pandemic, inspired by the grim realities of life in New York City at that time, and has evolved at a lightning pace ever since.

The sound is a harsh strain of industrial music, evoking apocalyptic dread through primal rhythms, layers of synth and noise, and Gallagher's distorted moans and screams. Decibel Magazine has hailed Trace Amount as a "one-man sonic demolition unit"; CVLT Nation has termed it, an "experimental industrial onslaught"; Post-Punk.com has warned, "Trace Amount is not for the faint of heart." 

Influenced by the daily grind of urban existence and paranoid visions of a hyper-technological world, Trace Amount sets a dark tone, but on Anti Body Language glimpses of color appear from within the void. Oppressive bangers like "Anxious Awakenings" are balanced by tracks like "Tone and Tenor," featuring the sumptuous vocals of industrial-pop chanteuse KANGA, and the album's closer, "Suspect," which sees a sanguine saxophone weave its way into the mix. 

Gallagher states: "Trace Amount falls under the industrial umbrella, but truthfully I get inspired by a lot of hip hop and experimental 'pop' music as well. Putting all electronic music under the same umbrella, I think you're limitless as to where you can go with songwriting. I love Skinny Puppy and Nitzer Ebb, but I also love M.I.A., Ghostemane, and Eartheater. It seems like an insane combination but I was heavily influenced by all of these artists and I think you can hear all of their influences through my music, one way or another."

Anti Body Language was co-produced by Fade Kainer (Statiqbloom) and mixed by Ben Greenberg (Uniform) at Circular Ruin in Brooklyn, NY. The album was mastered by Kris Lapke (Alberich).

Of equal importance to the music is Trace Amount's visual dimension, expressed through graphic design and video work created by Gallagher himself and by collaborators of his choosing, illustrating a mix of real urban decay and sci-fi fantasy that intersects with the sonic assault to complete the picture. Gallagher states: “I started off as a graphic designer, but as I've progressed I've gotten more into video editing and animation. With Trace Amount I would describe the whole visual aspect as art direction. The beauty of it being a solo project is that I get to work with whomever I want depending on where I see it fitting."

For the Anti Body Language album cover, he teamed up with none other than Federal Prisoner co-owner and world-renowned artist, Jesse Draxler. "I began working on Anti Body Language in early 2021 and by the end of March I had the record fleshed out instrumentally and most of the lyrics were written," he says. "Since this was my first full-length with this project and I was really proud of how the songs were coming along, I wanted to aim high and work with a bucket-list level artist. For me that was Jesse Draxler. I felt his style would nail the overall attitude I was aiming to achieve with Anti Body Language, and it absolutely did.”

Anti Body Language is Trace Amount's first full-length but it follows a slew of other recent releases; Gallagher has been barreling forward in high gear for the past year. Some highlights of the past twelve months include: the release of Under the Skin, a remix collaboration with Pig Destroyer's Blake Harrison, released via Deathbed Tapes; the release of Alien Dust, a collaboration with Qual (William Maybelline of Lebanon Hanover), released via Faktor Music; a US tour with Black Magnet (20 Buck Spin); and the release of Endless Render 2.0, a redux of Endless Render, which features the drumming of The Dillinger Escape Plan's Billy Rymer, as well as a new B-side featuring remixes by Kontravoid, Qual, Michael Berdan (Uniform), and Misery Engine.

A testament to the power of collaboration; an example of the ways in which sound and vision can complement each other; a beacon of sheer drive and work ethic; Trace Amount is an exciting new force in the scene of industrial music and beyond. No limits.

Tracklist:
1) Anxious Awakenings
2) Anti Body Language
3) Eventually It Will Kill Us All
4) Digitized Exile
5) No Reality
6) Tone and Tenor (ft. KANGA)
7) Pixelated Premonitions
8) Suspect (ft. Statiqbloom)

Upcoming shows:
Mar 7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus w/ Thou, Uniform

Discography:
Fake Figures in the Sacred Scriptures - EP - 2019, self-released
"Obsessive Diagnosis" - single - 2020, self-released
"The Hanging Garden" (The Cure) - single - 2020, self-released
Endless Render - EP - 2020, self-released
"Concrete Catacomb" (ft. Body Stuff) - single - 2021, self-released
Under the Skin - EP - 2021, Deathbed Tapes
Alien Dust - EP - 2021, Faktor Music
Endless Render 2.0 - EP - 2021, self-released
Anti Body Language - LP - 2022, Federal Prisoner

Photo by George Douglas Peterson

MORAL PANIC - White Knuckles

MORAL PANIC: New York City punks (ex-Livids, The Heroine Sheiks, Overdose) to release "White Knuckles" seven-inch; title track streaming now 

New York City punk band Moral Panic announces the March 18th release of its new "White Knuckles" seven-inch on Robellion Music.

A trio of bare-bones rippers, the "White Knuckles" seven-inch comprises two new originals – "White Knuckles" and "T-Rex" – and a cover of Big Black's "Colombian Necktie" (available only on vinyl, not digital) which takes Steve Albini's caustic classic and reimagines it as a rousing call-to-arms.

With founder Daniel Kelley's earnest shout and garage-rocking guitar tone leading the charge, the "White Knuckles" seven-inch features the debut of Moral Panic's new, ironclad rhythm section: bassist Michael Dimmitt and drummer Eric Robel. 

Stream the track, "White Knuckles," here:

https://newnoisemagazine.com/track-premiere-moral-panic-white-knuckles/

Pre-order the seven-inch, here:

https://www.robellion.com/moral-panic-7-white-knuckles-orange-vinyl-edition/

A West Coast native, Kelley founded Moral Panic after relocating to NYC. He reminisces: "I'm originally from Los Angeles and grew up going to punk shows in the LA and Orange County area. There was a time where I was seeing bands like TSOL and The Adolescents play every weekend. I went to college in San Francisco and immersed myself in the scene there. After that I felt the calling to go to New York, so I up and went, with one suitcase, a computer and my Gibson Les Paul."

A week after arriving in New York in the spring of 2011, Kelley met New Bomb Turks frontman Eric Davidson and joined Davidson's brand new band Livids as a guitarist. Two years later, Livids imploded and Kelley immediately formed Moral Panic, taking over vocals in addition to guitar.

In its first few years, Moral Panic released two albums (both recorded by Phil Palazzolo and the latter mixed by Jeff Burke of Radioactivity and The Marked Men) and played shows with the likes of Night Birds, D.O.A., and The Dictators. Maximumrocknroll bestowed these words on the band in a 2019 review: "This is punk rock. Sure, it’s catchy, but it’s got this nervous energy that keeps the listener on edge. They keep up the pace for the entire record. This thing just shreds. At times I’m reminded of Dead Boys, only amped up a tad."

Kelley states: "I think Moral Panic has always had a hard time fitting in. We are generally too rock n' roll for the punks and too punk for the rock n' rollers! In my opinion we are a punk band, plain and simple." 

In late 2019, with a slew of bassists and drummers having entered and exited the fold, Kelley welcomed the new rhythm section of bassist Michael Dimmitt and drummer Eric Robel, a move which turned the band into an absolute killing machine but did nothing to please the purists; the new members' love for the noisier side of rock n' roll mixed majestically with Kelley's wild-eyed punk rock fury, making Moral Panic stronger than ever and tougher to pigeonhole.

"The three of us started writing new Moral Panic tunes and used the lockdown to write, rehearse and get tight as a band," says Kelley. "With literally nowhere to play we decided to do a series of guerilla shows where we would set up in the window of Eric's East Village apartment and play for neighborhood folks starving for some music."

Veterans of the NYC underground, Dimmitt and Robel have each lent their passion and prowess to a litany of bands, spanning punk, rock, and metal. Robel's many credits include The Heroine Sheiks, fronted by Cows wild man Shannon Selberg, and Born Loose, fronted by Larry May of The Candy Snatchers; Dimmitt has done time in Disassociate, Mutilation Rites, Overdose, and more. Documentary filmmakers as well as musicians, the two collaborated long before teaming up in Moral Panic – Dimmitt assisted Robel in the making of The Color of Noise, a documentary about Tom Hazelmyer and his legendary label, Amphetamine Reptile.

Moral Panic's "White Knuckles" seven-inch was recorded by Joe Hogan (Ronnie Spector, Murphy's Law) at Six Feet Under Studios, mastered by Matt Rocker and mixed by Adam Tucker. The record will be released on Robel's own label, Robellion Music. Available in black vinyl and transparent orange vinyl, the record features four different hand-sprayed cover designs which combine to form a single piece of artwork when joined together.

A new Moral Panic full-length album is in the works now, to be released on Reptilian Records in the US and the Berlin-based Alien Snatch! Records in Europe.

Tracklist:
1) White Knuckles
2) Colombian Necktie (Big Black cover; vinyl only)
3) T-Rex

Lineup:
Daniel Kelley - vocals, guitar
Michael Dimmitt - bass
Eric Robel - drums

Photo by Sarah Coulter

IF IT KILLS YOU - Invisible Self

IF IT KILLS YOU: post-hardcore unit teams with At the Drive-In's Jim Ward on new album "Invisible Self"; first single streaming now

Bakersfield, California post-hardcore band If It Kills You announces the April 1st release of its new full-length album, Invisible Self.

Produced by Jim Ward of At The Drive-In and Sparta, Invisible Self is an immersive experience: nine intense, radiant songs whose emotional weight and ironclad songcraft bear traces of Ward's bands as well as Quicksand, Hum, and Drive Like Jehu (whose song "If It Kills You" inspired the band name).

"Parallel Lines," the album's opening track and first single, rips forth by way of luminous guitars, growling bass, rock-solid drumming, and frontman Justin Martin's impassioned howl. Contributing his unique playing to the song is guest guitarist Shelby Cinca of Frodus.

"Frodus is a big influence on our band," says Martin. "The album 'And We Washed Our Weapons in the Sea' is a personal top 10 for me. The frantic energy of Shelby's musicality was something we were ecstatic to have on our record."

Stream "Parallel Lines," here:
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/if-it-kills-you-tap-spartas-jim-ward-frodus-shelby-cinca-for-parallel-lines-listen/

Pre-order Invisible Self (vinyl and digital), here:
https://ifitkillsyou.bandcamp.com/

Invisible Self producer Jim Ward discusses the making of the album: "Connecting with the guys in If It Kills You during the lockdown phase of the craziness we’ve been going through was a real blessing for me. Not only are they a great, creative band sonically, but the depth of lyrics and real intention was a joy to work with. I think it takes a special band to work remotely with a producer and actually produce a thoughtful and great sounding album, and these guys delivered. My greatest joy in working with them is not just the pride of being part of a fantastic album, but also that some solid friends were made."

Drummer Tyler Patterson concurs: "It was super inspiring to work with Jim on this record. It was invaluable to get his insight and advice on the record. Jim’s musical career itself is a huge influence on us. We are huge fans of At the Drive In and Sparta."

With Ward as producer, the album was recorded and mixed by Martin at The Noise Feed, the recording studio he owns and operates in Bakersfield. Mastering was handled by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering (Bambara, Kowloon Walled City). The cover art was created by Alan Rosetti, also known as AR/KVB.

Beyond If It Kills You, Martin is making a career out of connecting with his heroes: Songwriting Malpractice, the podcast he started in 2020, features revealing one-on-one talks with a slew of notable musicians, including members of most of the aforementioned bands as well as The Melvins, The Jesus Lizard, Jawbox, Failure, Converge, Trail of Dead, Torche, and more.

Tracklist:
1) Parallel Lines
2) Cloak and Dagger
3) Negative Forces
4) Impulse Response
5) Distress Signal
6) Invisible Enemies 
7) Anti-Pattern
8) 205 Hz
9) Intruder

Lineup:
Justin Martin - vocals, guitar
Kevin Clark - vocals, guitar

Mikee Lee - vocals, bass
Tyler Patterson - drums

Guests:
Shelby Cinca (Frodus) - guitar on "Parallel Lines"
Ben Davis (Sleepytime Trio, Bats and Mice) - vocals on "Impulse Response"
Jim Ward (At the Drive-In, Sparta) - synth on "Invisible Enemies"
Bill Taylor (Songs for Snakes) - vocals on "Anti-Pattern"
Jordan Belardes - violin on "Intruder"

Discography:
If It Kills You 7" - 2015
Split 7" w/ Songs for Snakes - 2017
Infinite Hum - 2018
"Rend It" (Fugazi cover) - 2020
Invisible Self - 2022

Photo by Raz Azraai