MORAL PANIC - Validation

MORAL PANIC: NYC punks rock hard on new album "Validation"; title track streaming now

Mere months after the release of the acclaimed "White Knuckles" seven-inch, NYC punks Moral Panic are back with a new album's worth of electrifying songs, recorded by Joe Hogan (Ronnie Spector, Murphy's Law) and mixed by Jeff Burke of Radioactivity and The Marked Men.

Validation will be released September 9th by the legendary Reptilian Records in the US, and German label Alien Snatch in Europe.

Stream the title track and pre-order the album, here: 

US: https://www.reptilianrecords.com/products/729524

Europe: https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/moral-panic-validation

It is rare that a self-proclaimed "punk" band can rock as hard as Moral Panic. This has been founder/frontman Daniel Kelley's cross to bear since the beginning. Kelley has been quoted in the past stating that his band was "too rock n' roll for the punks and too punk for the rock n' rollers." Middle fingers outstretched, he only leans further into this identity crisis on Validation and the results are thrilling.

With Hogan and Burke's larger-than-life production, Validation lands somewhere between Dead Boys, The Who, and KISS, capturing Moral Panic at its best yet: on fire, in its own sphere, oblivious to trends. Kelley's gloriously cranked guitars gnash and flail; his dueling tracks spar gleefully like freshly unchained pit bulls at play. The new rhythm section of Michael Dimmitt and Eric Robel – a formidable unit who made their debut on the "White Knuckles" seven-inch – plows down the rails with the momentum of a runaway train in alpine terrain.

Kelley states: "Our goal was to be a bit less lo-fi and get more of a big, loud, noisy, pissed sound! I don't really think that the influences have changed much, but the rhythm section is definitely stronger and has evolved the band into a bigger sound."

Highlights include the title track; "Hatchet," a song "about how much of a bummer it can be when it turns out your heroes are dicks"; and "Anti Anti Anti," a scorching cover of the song by original Phoenix punks The Consumers (whose guitarist Paul B. Cutler went on to form the more famous 45 Grave).

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 and played shows with the likes of Night Birds, D.O.A., and The Dictators. 

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.

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. 

"Classic punk... a success." –Decibel Magazine

"Ripping punk rock with heavy rock n’ roll vibes." –New Noise Magazine

"This is punk rock. Sure, it’s catchy, but it’s got this nervous energy that keeps the listener on edge. This thing just shreds. At times I’m reminded of Dead Boys, only amped up a tad." –Maximumrocknroll

Tracklist:

1) Intro

2) Validation

3) The Rail

4) Outta Gas

5) Hatchet

6) Big Fish

7) Anti Anti Anti

8) Quarantine

9) Horton Hears The Who

Lineup:

Daniel Kelley - vocals, guitar

Michael Dimmitt - bass

Eric Robel - drums

Cover art by Eric Robel

Photo by Sarah Coulter

KEN mode - US tour

KEN mode announces US tour with Frail Body

With its eighth full-length album, NULL, set for a September 23rd release on Artoffact Records, KEN mode announces a US fall tour that will see the band bring its metallic noise-rock across the East Coast and Midwest. Included in the 3-week run is a headlining slot at No Coast Fest in Denton, TX, as well as stops in some cities the band has not played since 2015. Supporting KEN mode will be Illinois screamo trio Frail Body.

"We needed to get out and pound the pavement, as it's the only way we know to properly launch a record," states KEN mode guitarist/vocalist Jesse Matthewson. "We're thankful we're able to bring out a killer younger band like Frail Body, who embodies everything that is right in this music: sick riffs, passion, and emotion. We've been working on this one for a while, and are super excited to announce this run, all the way down to Texas, up the East Coast, and back up through the Midwest. I can hear the 'what about ______?!' already! Since we're a day job band these days, we can't afford to take off 4-6 weeks to do full territory runs anymore, so we try to cover as much range as we can without having our businesses completely fall apart in our absence. Being an adult sucks, but in terms of appropriate distractions from the day to day, we've set up an ideal run to showcase all of the new material, and are super excited to get to see Frail Body every night for three weeks! We're playing a lot of our favorite venues, and are super stoked to see so many of our American friends. More to come, as we continue to navigate this entertaining pandemic performance landscape!"

Oct 20 - St Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Oct 21 - Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
Oct 22 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Oct 23 - Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing Co.
Oct 24 - Columbus, OH @ Big Room Bar
Oct 25 - Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR
Oct 26 - Little Rock, AR @ Vino's
Oct 27 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street
Oct 28 - Austin, TX @ The Lost Well
Oct 29 - Houston, TX @ Black Magic
Oct 30 - Denton, TX @ No Coast Fest
Oct 31 - New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Nov 2 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Nov 3 - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
Nov 4 - Philadelphia, PA @ Silk City
Nov 5 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
Nov 6 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
Nov 7 - Montreal, QC @ Turbo Haus
Nov 8 - Toronto, ON @ The Baby G
Nov 9 - Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary
Nov 10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
Nov 12 - Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium

Founded by brothers Jesse and Shane Matthewson, KEN mode has come to define intensity and dedication, via tours with Russian Circles, Torche, and Full of Hell, and releases produced by the likes of Steve Albini, Kurt Ballou, and Matt Bayles. Upcoming new album NULL sees this warhorse of a band emerge from the darkest of times with new energy, evolved and ready to carry on into its next chapter.

Jesse Matthewson points to the bleakest days of the COVID-19 pandemic as a well of inspiration for the new album, proclaiming NULL to be "a direct psychological reaction to the collective experience of the last two and a half years." Having sunk to new lows, Matthewson was instilled with a newfound urgency to make the most authentic and courageous art possible: "We felt like there was really no reason to do anything at all unless we were trying to push this into something new," he states.

Recorded and mixed by Andrew Schneider (Cave In, Unsane), NULL is the first KEN mode release to feature collaborator Kathryn Kerr (saxophone, synth, piano, percussion, backing vocals) as a full-fledged member of the band; the album features a new palette of No Wave and industrial-tinged sounds (shades of Swans, John Zorn, Einsturzende Neubauten), infiltrating some of its tracks.

Pre-order the album, here: https://kenmode.bandcamp.com/album/null

Stream the band's latest music video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIZ7M6f3BQ0

Photo by Brenna Faris

NO COAST FEST 2022

NO COAST FEST 2022: Metz to perform self-titled debut album in its entirety; Protomartyr joins lineup; official poster art revealed; tickets on sale now

No Coast Fest founder Jeff Helland announces the addition of Protomartyr to this year's festival, whose lineup already boasts Metz, KEN mode, Young Widows, Tropical Fuck Storm, USA Nails, Bummer, Chat Pile, and many more. Metz, whose self-titled debut album celebrates the 10th anniversary of its release on Sub Pop Records this fall, confirms they will be performing the acclaimed album in its entirety at the festival.

Founded in 2019, the Texas-based No Coast Fest has quickly risen to become a household name as a destination for noise-rock and noise-rock-adjacent sounds. A mix of local, national and international artists, this year's edition of the annual bash showcases a range of new and established talent from all across the globe.

"Not only do we have more bands in more days, but with Tropical Fuck Storm coming in from Australia and USA Nails from the UK, we’ve gone global," states Helland. "We also managed to be timed perfectly for the reboot of Young Widows. And after a couple years of learning the ropes, we landed Metz, a band I’ve loved for a decade. Then there are bands in the mix that will be new for most folks and I love that too, having a platform to turn people on to some new blood."

A four-day event, this year's fest is scheduled for October 27th-30th at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios in Denton, Texas, a college town nestled 40 miles northwest of downtown Dallas. The epicenter of Denton's live music scene since 1997, Rubber Gloves was recently renovated and relaunched under new ownership. 

An article in the Dallas Observer proclaims: "To say that Rubber Gloves is a fixture in the Denton community would be an incredible understatement. Down a ways from the Square on Sycamore Street where the trains pass, this music venue earned its legendary status booking bands that went on to fill arenas. Since reopening after a two year hiatus, Rubber Gloves has undergone an expansive makeover that included the addition of an outdoor bar and stage. Keeping with its dedication to the local music scene, the cheap drinks are served up by a bar staff of mostly local musicians."

The location is of great significance to Helland, a former Denton resident and Rubber Gloves regular. "I lived in Denton from 1996 to 2006," he reminisces. "I grew up in small towns. Going to college in a town like Denton, allowed me access to people and music that I hadn’t even known existed. Rubber Gloves is within walking distance of downtown Denton. Within that square mile there’s a world class record store, a dozen bars, and multiple restaurants – none of which are chains or franchises, just people doing what they love."

As a member of the band White Drugs, an outfit signed to the legendary Amphetamine Reptile label, Helland says he was also inspired by AmRep founder Tom Hazelmyer: "I'd wanted to start a festival since playing the AmRep 25th anniversary in 2010. Walking around there, you saw groups of people from all over the world who travelled not just for the music but for the community."

Hazelmyer has been an active part of No Coast Fest – he designed the official posters for the 2020 and 2021 festivals. For this year's poster, Helland tapped graphic designer TOOTH, also known as Steel Pole Bath Tub bassist Dale Flattum, whose artwork has adorned posters for such bands as X, Faith No More, The Melvins, and Mötley Crüe.

In addition to more than 30 bands performing, the fest will feature an array of vendors, including Skin Graft Records, Reptilian Records, Hex Records, and The Ghost Is Clear Records.

For more info and tickets, visit the No Coast Fest website, here: https://nocoastfest.com/

Live photo of Metz, by AF Cortes

HAUNTED HORSES - The Worst Has Finally Happened

 
"...their industrial punk sound is the perfect vehicle for the turmoil of fear and neurosis that sits at the foundation of capitalism — the thudding of production, the grinding of human bodies as they feed the machine. The comforting drone of AI wrapping its uncaring algorithms around our suffering minds."
—Cvlt Nation

Stream Haunted Horses' album, The Worst Has Finally Happened, in its entirety via Cvlt Nation, here:

https://cvltnation.com/haunted-horses-industrial-punk-the-worst-has-finally-happened-full-album-stream/

Haunted Horses is an industrial-punk duo hailing from Seattle, WA. Their sound is thunderous and chaotic, utilizing wall of noise techniques through an onslaught of keys, guitars and drums. Myke Pelly's off kilter drumming and Colin Dawson's architectural noise structures create jittery post-punk that is both upbeat and gloomy. Most recently, the band enlisted Seattle-based bassist Brian McClelland of Filth is Eternal and He Whose Ox is Gored, creating an added level of heavy rhythmic noise that not only contributes an exciting dynamic layer to the album sonically, but to their already-captivating live performance as well. The bleak vocals are persistently ominous in a seductive way, conjuring up the nightmarish aura of a dissonant horror-film soundtrack. With reviewers like Anthony Fantano (Needle Drop) likening their previous work to legendary bands such as Swans, Bauhaus, and Killing Joke, Haunted Horses carry on the tradition of noise that can terrorize as well as entrance, oftentimes simultaneously. This is evident in the list of hard-hitting contemporaries they’ve shared the stage and toured with, including Lingua Ignota, Portrayal of Guilt, A Place to Bury Strangers, Bambara, and Boy Harsher. Fans of Einstürzende Neubauten, Swans, Girl Band, Death Grips, The Soft Moon, Daughters, Street Sects, Ho99o9, and Uniform will find Haunted Horses a welcome addition to their lexicon.

 

The Worst Has Finally Happened will be released on limited edition, color vinyl via Three One G Records on July 29th, 2022. Preorder, here.

The Worst Has Finally Happened tracklist:

1. House of the World to Come

2. The Garden

3. Pig

4. Window Sung

5. The Worst

6. Swarms

7. Thorns

8. Golden Stairs

9. Cold Machine

10. Severed Circle

 

HAUNTED HORSES Website

IG: @haunted_horses

Facebook

Bandcamp

CLOUD RAT - "Inner Controller (Lucid Running Home)"

CLOUD RAT reveals new Kali-worshiping single "Inner Controller (Lucid Running Home)," delivers statement about HIDE tour

Cloud Rat has released "Inner Controller (Lucid Running Home)," the second single from its upcoming album, Threshold. 

Stream the song, here: https://open.spotify.com/album/75NZMaXvxKMr6nodNrleKl

Stream the video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZXY_xxPyF0

Threshold will be released October 7th on Artoffact Records. Pre-order the album, here: https://cloudrat.bandcamp.com/album/threshold

Vocalist Madison Marshall states: "'Inner Controller (Lucid Running Home)' is about becoming enlightened by letting go of everything, accepting Kali and letting her destroy you. It touches on themes of self-hatred and body horror, despising parts of yourself so much that entities begin to manifest. And the idea of death feeling like sleep."

With more than 20 releases under its belt – a treasure trove of albums, EPs, splits, and seven-inches, released since 2010 – Cloud Rat is a singular force in the extreme music scene, creating a legacy of crucial work by way of pure catharsis. Cloud Rat has been labelled a "grindcore" band, but the prolific Michigan trio is so much more. Cloud Rat's only rule is realness. Within its punishing songs, the band glides freely through a range of musical forms; underneath its full-throttle grind swirls a Lake Superior of emotion. Vocalist Madison Marshall's gut-purging screams and drummer Brandon Hill's hyperactive hammering meld with guitarist Rorik Brooks' kaleidoscope of epic riffs and occasional synths, into songs that are equally wild-eyed, bone-crushing, and heartbreaking.

A review from Kerrang! Magazine of 2019's Pollinator album reads: "Their music is inexhaustible, spasming through elaborate rackets of heaving riffs, spit-flecked vocals, and berserk percussion without ever slowing down. At the same time, there’s an atmospheric creep to their music that gives it a hard menace."

Upcoming new album Threshold is described by guitarist Rorik Brooks as "our best work so far."

A European tour with electronic duo HIDE has been announced for the fall, kicking off October 5th in Berlin. Brooks gives this statement about the tour: "We are thrilled to head to Europe with HIDE this fall - they are one of the best, most exciting, and interesting bands currently active, and they're lovely folks too! Every time we've played together in the past, it has been a killer gig. A whole tour of shows like that is a dream. Can't wait!"

Oct 5 - Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree
Oct 6 - Hamburg, DE @ Stubnitz
Oct 7 - Copenhagen, DK @ Ideal Bar
Oct 8 - Malmo, SE @ Plan B
Oct 11 - Oslo, NO @ Vaterland Bar
Oct 12 - Stockholm, SE @ Debaser
Oct 14 - Helsinki, FI @ Blow Up Fest
Oct 15 - Tallinn, EE @ Sveta Bar
Oct 16 - Vilnius, LT @ XI20
Oct 18 - Warsaw, PL @ Hydrozagadka
Oct 19 - Prague, CZ @ Underdogs
Oct 20 - Munich, DE @ Rote Sonne
Oct 21 - Koln, DE @ Blue Schell
Oct 22 - Nijmegen, NL @ Soulcrusher Festival
Oct 24 - Bristol, UK @ Crofters
Oct 25 - Glasgow, UK @ The Hug & Pint
Oct 26 - Manchester, UK @ The White Hotel
Oct 27 - London, UK @ Moth Club

Photo by Luke Mouradian

KEN mode - "But They Respect My Tactics"

KEN mode reveals new single "But They Respect My Tactics" from upcoming album NULL; official music video now streaming

KEN mode's new single, "But They Respect My Tactics," is now streaming. The track appears on the band's upcoming new album, NULL, set for a September 23rd release date on Artoffact Records.

Stream the song's official music video, here: https://youtu.be/ZIZ7M6f3BQ0

Pre-order the album, here: https://kenmode.bandcamp.com/album/null

Founded by brothers Jesse and Shane Matthewson, KEN mode has come to define intensity and dedication, via tours with Russian Circles, Torche, and Full of Hell, and releases produced by the likes of Steve Albini, Kurt Ballou, and Matt Bayles. Upcoming new album NULL sees this warhorse of a band emerge from the darkest of times with new energy, evolved and ready to carry on into its next chapter.

KEN mode guitarist/vocalist Jesse Matthewson points to the bleakest days of the COVID-19 pandemic as a well of inspiration for the new album, proclaiming NULL to be "a direct psychological reaction to the collective experience of the last two and a half years." Having sunk to new lows, Matthewson was instilled with a newfound urgency to make the most authentic and courageous art possible: "We felt like there was really no reason to do anything at all unless we were trying to push this into something new," he states.

Recorded and mixed by Andrew Schneider (Cave In, Unsane), NULL is KEN mode's eighth full-length album. NULL is the first KEN mode release to feature collaborator Kathryn Kerr (saxophone, synth, piano, percussion, backing vocals) as a full-fledged member of the band; the album features a new palette of No Wave and industrial-tinged sounds (shades of Swans, John Zorn, Einsturzende Neubauten), infiltrating some of its tracks.

New single "But They Respect My Tactics" is an existential crisis, set to music. In Matthewson's words, the song illustrates a turning point where one's disappointment transforms into resignation. Matthewson explains: "Do you ever feel like your heroes have become parodies of a former version of themselves? Does it even matter? As long as there is chatter online, and we keep you online making noise, the narrative itself is meaningless. What matters is that we're collecting your data and advertising to you and, in the broad scope of the human experience, all of this will only be a footnote as well."

KEN mode will hit the road in September for a string of Canadian shows, followed by a headlining slot at No Coast Fest in Denton, TX, alongside Metz, Young Widows, and more. Stand by for news of more touring.

Sept 23 - Winnipeg, MB, CA @ The Good Will Social Club – w/ Vile Creature, Mares of Thrace
Sept 24 - Saskatoon, SK, CA @ Amigos Cantina – w/ Vile Creature, Mares of Thrace
Sept 25 - Calgary, AB, CA @ Palomino Smokehouse – w/ Vile Creature, Mares of Thrace
Sept 26 - Edmonton, AB, CA @ Starlite Room Temple – w/ Vile Creature, Mares of Thrace
Oct 30 - Denton, TX @ No Coast Fest – w/ Metz, Young Widows

Photo by Brenna Faris

DR. ACULA

DR. ACULA returns with first new album in ten years; new track streaming now; upcoming shows with SeeYouSpaceCowboy and more

The recently reunited Dr. Acula announces details of its first new album since 2012; the start of an entirely new chapter for this band, the upcoming self-titled full-length will be released October 28th on Silent Pendulum Records. 

Dr. Acula is a comeback of epic proportions – a radical reboot that sees this comedic outfit reborn as a dark, focused, beast of a modern metal band.

Stream the first single, "The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena," and pre-order the album, here: https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dr-acula

Stream the song's official lyric video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb942iwaS4Q

Founded in 2005 in Long Island, New York, Dr. Acula was named after a Mitch Hedberg stand-up bit: "I went to the doctor. All he did was suck blood from my neck. Do not go see Dr. Acula." Fueled by sophomoric humor and a gleeful compulsion to mash genres, the young bucks released four full length albums and two EPs via labels such as Victory and Uprising, burning through a slew of members in the process.

BrooklynVegan has described the early, Ghostbusters-sampling tracks as "a totally batshit style of heavy music... which hopped between grindcore, deathcore, mathcore, synthcore, and the sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek, theatrical style of post-hardcore that now gets called sasscore."

Now, ten years since the last album, Dr. Acula's founding members have reclaimed their band and rewritten the script with a crushing and dead-serious collection of new songs.

Bassist Rob Guarino states: "To put it frankly, this chapter of Dr. Acula is a 'party's over' vibe. When we started over 15 years ago, it was all fun and games. We weren’t really paying attention. Now we've grown, our fans have grown, and there’s a conversation to be had. Life isn’t great for most people these days and we wanted to write something that could touch on that. Those are the songs that move us personally and we wanted to challenge ourselves to make that for someone else."

"The album's overarching theme is that of being stuck on a loop," Guarino explains. "A loop where shit keeps going wrong. Even if you see it coming, you may not be able to fix it because it’s out of your hands. The horror theme of the song titles ties into how terrifying life can be."

First single "The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena" blasts out of the gate with a high-speed thrash attack, before descending into a Converge-esque breakdown. Vocalist Rob Accardi discusses the song's message: "We've written a lot of songs about how partying and doing drugs is fun. With this album we really wanted to explore the darker side, both lyrically and musically." "It's a new perspective that comes with experience," says guitarist Lou Figurito. "Going from youthful recklessness and invincibility to the realization that the down sides will eventually get the upper hand. 'Snowman' is a first-person perspective of one of those nights, turned early mornings, where that realization starts to settle in."

Dr. Acula was engineered by Anthony Lopardo, and mixed and mastered by Moon Tooth drummer Ray Marte, at Westfall Recording Company in Farmingdale, NY.

The album artwork was created by illustrator Dan Buksa, also responsible for a comic book that will be included in the LP.

The album's closing track, "The Barking Ghost," features guest vocals by Kyle Medina of Bodysnatcher.

Once a messy, polarizing band, making noise for the fun of it, Dr. Acula has evolved into its next form, bearing its new self-titled album as proof. But there is a certain beauty in the naïve stylings of the early days and an argument can be made that a new generation has taken cues from the young Dr. Acula's unfettered, kitchen-soup approach to music-making. The early works take on new importance when viewed in their historical context and the Dr. Acula of 2022 will be rubbing elbows with bands at least partly influenced by the risks they took in the '00s. "We’ve been out of the game for a bit and there are a lot of bands we’ve interacted with that are absolutely crushing it now," states Accardi. "Some of which we are lucky to be sharing the stage with this summer." 

Dr. Acula plays live on its home turf of Amityville, NY, July 2nd with SeeYouSpaceCowboy, then hits the road for a handful of shows with Curses and ps.you'redead.

Shows:
July 2 - Amityville, NY @ Amityville Music Hall – w/ SeeYouSpaceCowboy
July 15 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire – Curses, ps.you'redead
July 16 - Frederick, MD @ 611 Cafe – Curses, ps.you'redead
July 17 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground – Curses, ps.you'redead
July 29 - Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall – Curses, ps.you'redead
July 30 - Manchester, NH @ Jewel Music Venue – Curses, ps.you'redead
July 31 - Providence, RI @ Alchemy – Curses, ps.you'redead

Tracklist:
1) Epilogue
2) Apotheosis
3) The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena
4) How to Kill a Monster
5) Welcome to Dead House
6) Egg Monsters from Mars
7) Don't Go to Sleep
8) Stay Out of the Basement
9) The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight
10) The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
11) The Barking Ghost (ft. Kyle Medina of Bodysnatcher)

Lineup:
Rob Accardi - vocals
Bill Graffeo - guitar
Lou Figurito - guitar
Rob Guarino - bass

Out today: THE BEARER - Chained to a Tree

The Bearer's debut full-length, Chained to a Tree, is out today on Silent Pendulum Records.

Stream the album and buy it, here: https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/chained-to-a-tree

From the album's first note through its last, The Bearer barrels forth, possessed by the same fiery spirit that once burned inside the likes of Converge and Botch.

Drummer Colton Siegmund is one of that rare breed of singing drummers – to which Code Orange's Jami Morgan also belongs – who can scream with throat-scouring conviction whilst pounding the drums like a boss.

Hailing from Austin, Texas, the trio shares two members with fellow Austin punks Drip-Fed.

In a city rocked by the transformative effects of capitalism, The Bearer brings a humanistic message to the table. "The main message is that every human being deserves respect, to be cared for and represented," says Siegmund.

Chained to a Tree was engineered and mixed by Andrew Hernandez (Mammoth Grinder, This Will Destroy You). The artwork was created by Alexandre Goulet (All Out War, Despised Icon).

“The Bearer should make fans of Botch and Coalesce go nuts…”
–No Echo

“The Bearer is a ripping, metallic hardcore band from Austin, TX, with a drummer who can scream his head off. The band’s sound is loud, chaotic, and very intense, but is anything but one-dimensional…"
–New Noise

"Mastodon’s Brann Dailor, Zoetrope’s Barry Stern, Exciter’s Dan Beehler, Code Orange’s Jami Morgan: all drummers who also handle(d) lead vocals. Not an easy task, especially when the BPMs get frantic. The Bearer‘s drummer, Colton Siegmund, can relate. He’s the voice of this metallic hardcore trio from Austin, TX... a band that pushes his drum and vocal chops equally with its frisky tempos and aggressive attack."
–Decibel