DESPERATE LIVING - SHAME

DESPERATE LIVING: Reptilian Records to release new "SHAME" EP from ex-The Minor Times noise-punk squad

Reptilian Records announces the December 9th release of SHAME, the new EP by Desperate Living.

Stream the first single, "COMMIT TO," here: https://www.brooklynvegan.com/desperate-living-prep-new-ep-shame-stream-commit-to/

Pre-order the EP: https://reptilianrecords.bandcamp.com/album/shame

Noise rock grime and punk rock exuberance unite on Desperate Living's new EP, SHAME. Wild-eyed vocals and sludgy tones bring to mind the likes of Unsane or Uniform, but a driving beat assures that this is a party, not a funeral. Desperate Living's intensity is more hip-shaking and fist-pumping than it is wrist-slitting; the band's bursts of vitriol and swagger could enrapture a theater full of The Bronx fans and a basement full of AmRep nihilists on the same night.

From Philadelphia, PA, Desperate Living consists of four lifelong friends and veterans of such outfits as The Minor Times, Ladder Devils, and Legendary Divorce. Traces of those stellar bands' sounds haunt the mix, but in Desperate Living, vocalist/guitarist Brian Medlin, guitarist Timothy Leo, bassist Scott Signorino, and drummer Jonathan Van Dine have chosen to burn the complexity of past projects and go for a stripped-down, runaway-steamroller approach.

Vocalist/guitarist Brian Medlin says the EP's six pummeling songs are connected, with the lyrics exploring "the relationship between shame and truth." Recorded by Mark Watter at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia, SHAME is the band's first release for Reptilian Records. It follows two EPs, New Concrete (2019) and City Sadness (2020), both released on Brutal Panda Records. The cover art was created by Jake Vanderlinde.

With a name lifted from a John Waters film, Desperate Living are here to do what they please. "I like that film because it feels like there are absolutely no rules," states guitarist Timothy Leo. "Anything can happen."

Reptilian, celebrating its 33rd anniversary this year, boasts a catalog full of noise rock and punk gems, from artists including Dwarves, Easy Action, Pg. 99., KEN mode, Chat Pile, and more.

Tracklist:
1) SHAME
2) IS
3) GONE
4) IF YOU
5) COMMIT TO
6) THE TRUTH

Lineup:
Brian Medlin - vocals, guitar
Timothy Leo - guitar, backing vocals
Scott Signorino - bass
Jonathan Van Dine - drums

Discography:
New Concrete (Brutal Panda, 2019)
City Sadness (Brutal Panda, 2020)
Shame (Reptilian Records, 2022)

Photo by Michael Messina

TURBID NORTH - "Slaves"

TURBID NORTH: Texas trio's new single "Slaves" transcends doom and grind; official "Blade Runner"-inspired music video now streaming

The official music video for Turbid North's new single, "Slaves," is now streaming. View the video, here: https://www.nocleansinging.com/2022/11/21/an-ncs-video-premiere-turbid-north-slaves/

"Slaves" appears on the Texas trio's upcoming new album, The Decline, out January 20th. Pre-order the album, here: https://turbidnorth.bandcamp.com/album/the-decline

"Slaves" perfectly showcases Turbid North's multi-dimensional attack: it churns and grinds furiously while all-powerful waves of doom swell under the surface. Turbid North's unique sound owns the territory between the blasting mania of bands like Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer, the crushing weight of Crowbar, and the mournful, melodic glory of Pink Floyd.

No Clean Singing states: "While this song is in many ways a perfect representation of what to expect from The Decline – a diverse, dynamic blend of grind-influenced death metal, prog-tinged doom, and hooky, swaggering sludge – it also barely scratches the surface of what the full record has to offer."

The "Slaves" music video offers bleak images of a dystopian future, finally giving way to a glorious finalé in its last moments. Turbid North frontman Nick Forkel, who also created the video, states: "'Slaves' is about being a prisoner of your own mind. We all create battles in our heads. The video is a direct homage to Blade Runner’s opening scene. That’s the vibe I was going for: Blade Runner meets Metropolis."

Set within a sci-fi world, The Decline is rooted in real life struggles. Forkel describes the concept: "It's all part of one story. It's a collection of songs that delves into the downfall and self-destruction of a person. I went through some personal things that spawned this idea. Real experiences influenced these songs, lyrically and musically. It's darker and more personal for me than any other Turbid North record."

Turbid North's first new release in seven years, The Decline is a stunner of a comeback from this Alaska-born, Texas-based band. Vocalist/guitarist Forkel and the monstrous rhythm section of bassist Chris O'Toole (Unearth) and drummer Jono Garrett (Shock Withdrawal, Mos Generator) have honed their craft and delivered a new, transcendent piece of work that will go down as one of the crucial metal albums of 2023.

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2022/10/turbid-north-decline.html

Photo by Nick Forkel

Out today: FOEHAMMER - Monumentum

Monumentum, the new album by Foehammer, is out today on Silent Pendulum Records.

Foehammer conjures underworldly DC-area sludge-doom that captivates and hypnotizes. Progressing beyond the glacial pace of prior Foehammer releases, Monumentum is a thrilling album that rolls through a spectrum of tones and tempos – from blastbeats to cosmic drone.

Stream the album, here: https://toiletovhell.com/album-premiere-foehammer-monumentum/

Buy the album (LP): https://silentpendulumrecords.com/products/foehammer-monumentum

Buy the album (digital): https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/monumentum

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2022/09/foehammer-monumentum.html

"More colossal and severe than ever, with drummer Ben Price setting the tempos as if pushing boulders while Cardinell uses an arsenal of pedals and amps to broaden the roar of his guitar into something massive and molten."

–The Washington Post

"Fuzz fiends and tone worshippers: Get on this one. More than a set of songs, Monumentum is – as the kids say – a whole vibe... Some truly eclectic ideas shed heft in favor of clarity and textural variety. The most enticing bits remind us of Yob or Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and only in the best ways."
–Decibel

“Inspired by some of their favorite writers and the all-too-bleakness of our current reality, Foehammer continues to build upon the lore hidden beneath their sludge-ridden doom. Dour fans of Hell and Fórn will cling to this like gooey black tar.”
–Toilet ov Hell

"Foehammer creates downtuned anthems that get me hyped! I love the slow decaying riffs... the suffocating energy."
–Cvlt Nation

"Monumentum... lumbers forth with timeless weight at its core and a deathsludge lurch to coincide... Somewhere between compression sickness and blister-raised burn, the duo drive their point across in twisted, dense thud and rot-smelling resonance."
–The Obelisk

"Foehammer make a massive step forward with Monumentum as the duo adds more spice and savagery into their music and pepper you with doom that plods and always leaves you hanging on each note."
–Meat Mead Metal

"Deathsludgers Foehammer drop the damn hammer in a big way."
–Nine Circles

"If slow, unforgivingly heavy doom metal is your thing, Foehammer need to be on your radar."
–Everything Is Noise

"Think of earlier Thou, Ilsa, Usnea and such with big n’ long mountainous pieces and a bit of their own edge."
–Grizzly Butts

"Foehammer’s second album Monumentum has the group add a death metal-sized charge into their sludgy drone."
–Heavy Music HQ

SALVATION - Mock

SALVATION: Reptilian Records to release Chicago noise rockers' new masterpiece, "Mock"; new music video now streaming

Reptilian Records announces the December 9th release of Mock, the new album by Salvation.

Stream the music video for the album's first single, "Backwards Bunny," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4glroKBBbwQ

Pre-order the album, here: http://www.reptilianrecords.com/products/735056

The fourth release from this Chicago band, Mock is a masterpiece of dark, raucous, noise rock. Oozing with soul, crackling with danger, Mock churns along in blown-out glory, spiraling downward like a party on the last night on Earth.

Moments evoke Nirvana's sweet, melodic annihilation; other moments evoke the unhinged twang of Lollipop or Cows. Frontman Jason Sipe holds court with a formidable voice – a mix of power and pain, confidence and vulnerability, he commands attention with every holler and howl. On the album's two ballads, "Drag the River" and "Worn Out Party," he slays with a haunted croon that recalls Elliott Smith.

"It’s just a collection of feelings," states Sipe. "I guess it’s my way of communicating with whoever might hear our music and my way of documenting and publicly expressing who I am and the way I feel at this point in my life."

In the words of No Echo: "The group's classic Sub Pop meets AmRep noise rock has built up into a lean and mean beast of an operation."

Mock is Salvation's fourth album and its first for Reptilian Records, whose stellar catalog of the past three decades includes music by Dwarves, Easy Action, KEN mode, and Chat Pile. "It’s an honor to be a part of the Reptilian family," says Sipe.

Mock was mixed by Mike Lust at Electrical Audio and Phantom Manner. The cover art was created by Allison Schild. Drummer Brian Wnukowski is also known as a founding member of old-school Chicago noise rockers Big'n.

Tracklist:
1) Drag
2) Backwards Bunny
3) Up on the Wall
4) Hold the Phone
5) Drag the River
6) AM Radio
7) It's a Thrill
8) Voices in the House
9) Worn Out Party

Lineup:
Jason Sipe - guitar, vocals
Victor Riley - bass
Brian Wnukowski - drums

Discography:
Royal Fucks (2015, Forge Again Records)
Sore Loser (2017, Forge Again Records)
Year Of The Fly (2019, Forge Again Records)
Mock (2022, Reptilian Records)

Photo by Ryan Bardsley

Out today: CITY OF INDUSTRY - Spiritual West

Spiritual West, the new album by City of Industry, is out today.

Stream the album, here: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2022/11/10/full-album-stream-city-of-industry-spiritual-west/

Buy the LP via No Funeral Records: https://store.nofuneral.ca/product/city-of-industry-spiritual-west-vinyl

Buy the cassette and CD via Modern Grievance: https://cityofindustry.bandcamp.com/album/spiritual-west

The Seattle trio's moody, metallic, hardcore punk drives forward, laced with morose melodies, drenched in Pacific Northwest rain, calling to mind the sheer urgency of Converge or Show Me the Body. Frontman John Caraveo’s vocals are as honest and wounded as it gets. As a musical unit the band plays by no one’s rules, layering its sound with ambient passages, samples, church bells, and whatever else it pleases.

The album was recorded by Nich Wilbur (Mt. Eerie, Sumac); mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Gouge Away).

A West Coast tour is now underway.

Nov 11 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Hideaway

Nov 12 – Eugene, OR @ John Henry’s

Nov 13 – Eureka, CA @ Siren’s Song

Nov 15 – Oakland, CA @ Stay Gold

Nov 17 – Fresno, CA @ TBA

Nov 18 – Santa Fe Springs, CA @ Unmodern

"Spiritual West plays out as a whole sonic tapestry, with eerie synth-drones and ghostly samples helping the transitions from one deliriously intense track to the next. Parts of the album take clear influence from screamo or metal, but I’m not sure the end result belongs to any particular scene or genre."

–Stereogum

"City of Industry delve into all kinds of sounds and musical approaches on their third album. Integrated into its metallic rage are elements of noise rock, ambient/industrial, post-metal, melancholy goth. The band easily moves from savage blasts to melodic guitar skree through the 10 tracks, all while Caraveo screams his guts out...The trio defiantly shows it doesn’t follow a well-worn path.”

–Decibel

"City of Industry are a dark, heavy, boundary-pushing post-hardcore band from Seattle, and their new LP Spiritual West covers a lot of very appealing ground."

–BrooklynVegan

"With a sound that would have them fit on a live bill with everyone from Converge to Assück to Deafheaven, City of Industry is keeping their impressive pace up with the release of their fourth full-length album, Spiritual West."

–No Echo

"With Spiritual West, the Seattle trio continues to deliver their dark and harrowing take on modern hardcore... All in all, City of Industry display great growth. They have focused and compressed the anthemic aspects of Conspire Conspire Conspire, and have swapped out the clean passages found throughout False Flowers for the darker, ambient recitals."

–PopMatters

"Panicked vocals and pounding instrumentation... Ambient unease."

–Flood

"The new offering cranks up the intensity further... Intriguing and exhausting in equal measure, an unrelenting, chaotic, yet eclectic work driven forward by ambitious instrumentation. It shows the band’s extraordinary craft in the niche of out-of-the-box bleak hardcore."

–Idioteq

"City of Industry push their refined brand of metallic hardcore with vigorous and intense momentum. The trio’s volatile sound contains elements of pure, compelling, and raw material that creates a destructive and near-apocalyptic sense of bleakness."

–Metal Epidemic

"Violent dynamism which is expertly produced and shows the band's existential anxiety, together with their obvious individuality."

–Destroy Exist

DEAD WAVES - "Innermost" video

The official music video for Dead Waves' track, "Innermost," is now streaming.

The song appears on the NYC duo's latest EP, Abandoned Children. It was produced by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, PJ Harvey) and recorded by Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans).

The video was directed, shot, and edited by Curran Reynolds (Body Stuff) in Maine and NYC.

THE ATOMIC BOMB AUDITION - Future Mirror

THE ATOMIC BOMB AUDITION: Bay Area auteurs return with towering new post-metal album "Future Mirror"; first single "Render" streaming now

From Oakland, California, The Atomic Bomb Audition announces the December 9th release of new album Future Mirror – a towering new work of art and the band's first release in nearly a decade.

Stream Future Mirror's first single, "Render," here: https://www.invisibleoranges.com/the-atomic-bomb-audition/

Pre-order the album, here: https://theatomicbombaudition.bandcamp.com/album/future-mirror

Founded in 2004, The Atomic Bomb Audition labeled its earliest work as "music for films that don’t exist." Debut album Eleven Theaters was a 72-minute journey through bursts of avant-rock and pastoral interludes, informed heavily by directors such as David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick and by film composers such as Angelo Badalamenti and Ennio Morricone.

With three of its four members honing their compositional skills at Mills College, a school that has counted experimental music legends John Cage, Steve Reich, and Pauline Oliveros amongst its faculty, the quartet continued to indulge its sprawling, cinematic tendencies in the years that followed. 2008's Light Will Remain contained a 19-minute pair of tracks titled "Copernicus: apogee" and "Copernicus: perigee," for example, and 2012's How to Dismantle a U2 featured a faithful cover of Pink Floyd's entire "Echoes" epic. Yet, during this time, gems like "Bas (part 2)," a concise, metallic anthem of Baroness-worthy rapture, also appeared. From the realms of gleeful experimentation, truly stunning songs began to emerge.

Inspiration was everywhere. "The Bay Area is woven deeply into our DNA," says guitarist/vocalist Alee Karim. "We were all attracted to the weird rock heritage of the region, from artists like Faith No More to Sleep. These visionary artists, following a muse, commercial potential be damned. We were also influenced by the geography and the esoteric roots of Northern California. You can’t deny that divinity lurks in these lands. You feel that when you’re walking amongst redwoods, or looking out at the Pacific on a clear day."

New heights were reached with 2014's Infinite Fires EP. Soaring vocal harmonies, radiant guitar leads, sludge-doom weight, and end-times tension converged in a recording that documents just how far this band had come. Ten years since its inception, The Atomic Bomb Audition had evolved to a state where its most progressive aspirations were channeled into the creation of timeless rock.

Now, another decade later, the new album, Future Mirror, picks up where Infinite Fires left us. Future Mirror is a masterpiece of mourning and triumph. Meticulously crafted, without a shred of excess, the songs glisten. Unpredictable and enthralling, they unfold magically toward inevitable ends. The paths are circuitous but the outcomes are perfect. 

"This album is a distillation of what we’ve done in the past," states drummer Brian Gleeson. "More focused, more intentional. A 'less is more' approach, throughout."

Across Future Mirror's eight tracks, impressionistic layers of prog rock, heavy metal, and new wave are melded into new forms, transcending genres. Like the best progressive music, it is not merely an intellectual win, it is a visceral one. Future Mirror punches the gut while exciting the mind.

First single "Render" opens the album like an ecstatic, slow-motion leap off a cliff. A dirge-like pulse, victorious melodies, and bassist/vocalist Jason Hoopes' falsetto unite in an unforgettable, five-minute call-to-arms. Hoopes reveals the concept behind the song: "It’s about the discovery and acceptance of yourself as you are, not as you wish you were or how you’d like others to see you. About casting off adolescent fantasies, picking up the flag of your own nature and running joyfully into the battle of life. It’s anti-escapist."

"Render" is one part of a story that runs through the entire album. True to its roots, The Atomic Bomb Audition has created an album that plays out like a film. "It is about the cycle of death and rebirth," states Karim. "It’s very much programmed to be listened to all the way through, to symbolize that journey."

Future Mirror was recorded by Kowloon Walled City's Scott Evans at Sharkbite Studios with additional recording and all mixing by the band's own The Norman Conquest, whose credits as a recording engineer include Fred Frith, Elliott Sharp, and Blixa Bargeld. The album was mastered by Andrew Weathers.

The Atomic Bomb Audition has played with the likes of Author & Punisher, Kayo Dot, The Body, and Dysrhythmia. Stand by for news of the band's next shows.

Tracklist:
1) Render
2) Night Vision
3) WNGTIROTSCHDB
4) Dream Flood
5) Golden States, Pt. 1
6) ...Spells
7) Haunted Houses
8) More Light

Lineup:
Alee Karim - guitar, vocals
Jason Hoopes - bass, vocals
Brian Gleeson - drums, waterphone, destroyed piano, field recordings, Yamaha DX21 organ synthesizer, vocals
The Norman Conquest - synthesizers, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3, ARP 2600, Farfisa, ARP Solina, Prophet 5, Eurorack modular, vocals

Discography:
Eleven Theaters (2006, Hector Stentor)
Light Will Remain (2008, self-released)
Roots Into the See (2011, self-released)
How to Dismantle a U2 (2012, self-released)
Infinite Fires (2013, self-released)
Future Mirror (2022, Fifth Wizard)

Photo of The Atomic Bomb Audition, by Rex Mananquil

Cover art by Brian Gleeson

SE VENDE + Ghettoblaster

 

Listen to Se Vende's latest track, "The Sad Part," via Ghettoblaster, here:

https://ghettoblastermagazine.com/features/song-premiere/song-premiere-se-vende-the-sad-part/

Formed in 2010 by guitarists Jonny Cuz and Collin Smith, Se Vende released their first album, Pour Me… Some Coffee, in 2013. The intervening years were marked by drug use and jail time that prevented the band from exploring its full potential. Now focused and with the addition of Ono Senteno on drums, Se Vende delivers dirty, crusty pop punk in San Diego, CA-- a raw sound that is tight, without too much of the glossiness that can risk sterilizing emotions. In 2018, the band was approached by Tony Hawk to have one of their tracks, “Positivity 101,” featured on the soundtrack of his video game, Tony Hawk’s Skate Jam. Their live shows make fans out of even the most jaded observer with infectious energy and brutal honesty bleeding through. Se Vende draws influence from well-known legends such as Jawbreaker and The Breeders, is further informed by more obscure bands such as Fifteen, and spit out in a haze of alternately jangling and buzz saw guitars driven by the rhythm section. Lyrically, Se Vende covers the continuum of the human experience, from hopeless drug addiction to hope for the future, without romanticizing either. They simply state the facts and encapsulate both the desperation and optimism that make up their own stories. By day, founding members Jonny Cuz and Collin run their own print shop, which in the past year has also functioned as a DIY venue for the punk community in San Diego.

 

Happy Accidents will be released on limited vinyl via Paper Street Cuts on December 2nd, 2022. Preorder, here.

Upcoming shows:

Dec 6 - Fullerton, CA @ Programme skate and sound

Dec 7 - San Pedro , CA @ The Sardine

Dec 8 - Phoenix, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room

Dec 9 - Tucson, AZ @ Groundwork’s

Out today: FLIEGE - One Day They'll Wonder What Happened Here

Fliege's new album, One Day They’ll Wonder What Happened Here, is out today.

Stream the album via Fangoria, here: https://www.fangoria.com/original/exclusive-the-thing-inspired-album-release-flieges-one-day-theyll-wonder-what-happened-here/

Buy the album, here: https://dasfliege.bandcamp.com/album/one-day-theyll-wonder-what-happened-here

More info, here: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2022/09/fliege-one-day-theyll-wonder-what.html

"When Fliege set out to make their latest album, they turned to John Carpenter for inspiration. With albums previously focused on David Cronenberg's The Fly and Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo: The Iron Man, this time around they turned their focus to The Thing. A monumental project."
–Fangoria

“A scene-by-scene retelling of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Fliege’s new album is a genre-defying thing, skipping easy categorization in favor of extreme metal takes on ’80s glam, new wave and shred.”
–Decibel

"Horror-soaked black death industrial. In troubled times, horror thrives, and that’s why I’m really digging the new music from NYC’s Fliege."
–CVLT Nation

"An LP based on John Carpenter‘s 1982 soft sci-fi horror masterpiece The Thing... It’s a phenomenally realized interpretation of the film and a progression for the band that’s a must for the discerning metal fan."
–Everything Is Noise

"A stylistic kaleidoscope. The changing amalgam includes eerily swirling synths and jolting low-end turbulence, pulsating riffs and torrid screams, encircling sonic mists that gleam and bouncing dance-floor grooves, gothy singing and double-kick bursts."
–No Clean Singing

Out today: CONTRACULT - The New Torment

The New Torment, the new album by Contracult, is out today on Hogwasche Music.

Stream the band's latest music video, "The Infirmary," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr6ycCKRdLs

Buy the album, here: https://contracultcollective.bandcamp.com/album/the-new-torment-2

More info, here: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2022/09/contracult-new-torment.html

"Ferociously heavy industrial-metal... It's electrifying as hell."
–Revolver

"If you're in the mood for some glitchy, driving industrial then Contracult have you covered... The New Torment vacillates between oddly catchy hard rock and absolute digital mayhem. "
–Metal Injection

"LA-based industrial-metal. RIYL: Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, Fear Factory, Ghostemane."
–New Noise

"Over the last few years, Los Angeles has been something of a wellspring of budding talents in the realms of experimental and industrialized metal, with Contracult proving to be one of the more virulently dynamic acts to emerge."
–ReGen

"Nine Inch Nails, Atari Teenage Riot, Celldweller, and Korn, in a Nutribullet."
–Metal Epidemic