THE TUNNEL - Shudder

THE TUNNEL: San Francisco noir-rockers to release new album "Shudder" via Learning Curve Records; title track's official music video streaming now

Learning Curve Records announces the May 12th release of Shudder, the new album by The Tunnel.

Stream the official music video for the album's title track, here: https://bigtakeover.com/news/video-premiere-shudder-by-the-tunnel

Pre-order the album, here: https://learningcurverecords.bandcamp.com/album/shudder-lp

With stabs of growling bass, a discordant peal of guitar, and the robotic thump of a floor tom, Shudder's title track launches into being, setting the stage for frontman Jeff Wagner's unmistakable voice – a sinister croon, caked in distortion and sleaze. Bearing traces of such pompadoured antiheroes as Nick Cave, Wagner's dark and theatrical twang is offset by the band's mechanized throb. These two energies – the sultry noir and the cold machinery – grind against each other and create the sparks that are The Tunnel.

The glorious clash of styles can be depicted in many ways. A 2020 review from White Light/White Heat saw it as a mix of "seedy primeval swampy muddy groove" and "industrialized noise racket" and dropped a flurry of names, from The Birthday Party to Big Black. 

A line might also be drawn to a certain circle of '90s indie rockers – Girls Against Boys, Six Finger Satellite, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion among them – whose noise rock assaults were laced to varying degrees with young-Elvis swagger, representing a similar marriage of heat and cool. 

To describe it in cinematic terms, it might be film noir and cyberpunk projected onto the same screen. Indeed, the band counts directors like Lynch and Cronenberg amongst its greatest influences.

In a review on his Head Heritage site, the great Julian Cope stated, simply, "These guys is motherfuckers, no less."

Wagner puts it like this: "I see our music as a hot-wired transformer in a dead dark city. The dystopian future is now."

Shudder is the prolific San Francisco band's seventh full-length album, amidst various other EPs, splits, and tracks on comps. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band itself, Shudder is an absolutely perfect expression of its makers' well-honed vision. Over ten tracks, the band – Wagner, flanked by bassist Sam Black and drummer Michael Jacobs – slinks and slithers from the shotgun shack to the dark alley and back again, evoking a fantasy where macabre backwoods gloom unites with dystopian urban decay. While some of the inspiration flows from the songs and films of the aforementioned artists, the band's hometown provided the rest.

"San Francisco is a shithole right now and I’m not super confident that it will ever recover," laments Black. 

"I think the last few years’ apocalyptic vibe only sharpened our music’s sense of struggle and pleasure in the face of grim paranoia," says Wagner.

Jacobs gives a more optimistic view: "I have lived here all my life and seen a lot of change. The musical history is undeniable. I am hopeful that the spirit still remains, but the demographics have shifted. I am inspired to see clubs that I used to go to decades ago, rising from the dead, and it seems like a new DIY underground scene is emerging."

The Tunnel will be performing at this year's Caterwaul Festival in Minneapolis, alongside Cherubs, Whores., and dozens more. The fest is curated by none other than Learning Curve Records owner Rainer Fronz. 

Upcoming shows:

April 6 - San Francisco, CA @ Amado's

May 29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Caterwaul Festival

June 17 - San Francisco, CA @ The Kilowatt

Tracklist:
1) Deathray
2) Frontage
3) Shudder
4) Tungsten
5) Hangman
6) Subductress
7) Racknid
8) Daybreak
9) Zealot
10) Uneasy

Lineup:
Jeff Wagner - vocals, guitar
Sam Black - bass
Michael Jacobs - drums

Discography:
Shudder - 2023, Learning Curve Records
Noise for Change Equal Rights Amendment Benefit - 2022, Learning Curve Records
A Growing Scarcity of Expectation Compilation - 2021, Destroy//Exist
Condemned/Collapse EP - 2020, self-released
Shapeshifter - 2020, Forbidden Place Records
The Tunnel/Thought Leaders split - 2020, King of Sticks Recording Cooperative
Quarantimes Vol. 2 Benefit - 2020, Learning Curve Records
Nightfall EP - 2019, self-released
Plasma Den/Overland EP - 2017, Glorious Alchemical
Six Curses of the Blackout Witchcave - 2017, Glorious Alchemical
Apparition Overdrive - 2015, Glorious Alchemical
Sultry Daggers - 2012, Glorious Alchemical
Fathoms Deep - 2011, Glorious Alchemical
Carver Brothers Lullaby - 2009, Glorious Alchemical

Photo by Jeff Wagner

Out today: THE TURIN HORSE - Unsavory Impurities

Unsavory Impurities, the new album by The Turin Horse, is out today on Reptilian Records (US) and Invisible Order (EU).

Stream the album and buy it, here (US):

https://reptilianrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unsavory-impurities

Stream the album and buy it, here (EU):

https://invisibleorderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unsavory-impurities

Named for the historic city in the north of Italy where they formed, The Turin Horse consists of guitarist/vocalist Enrico Tauraso, formerly of Dead Elephant, and drummer Alain Lapaglia, ex-MoRkObOt. With one untitled EP under their belts, Tauraso and Lapaglia come tearing out of the gate on Unsavory Impurities. Eyes wild and teeth gnashing, the two operate in a zone of pure abandon, bashing out caustic noise rock then dropkicking it into other dimensions. Injecting freedom and chaos into a genre known for its austerity, The Turin Horse play with prog-level exuberance and lace their raw, blown-out songs with left-field sounds, including saxophone and an arsenal of samples: The band's liberated approach to abrasive music brings to mind the maniacal sludge-punk of Karp, by way of the unchained experimentalism of Today Is The Day.

“Taking cues from both radical noise rock bands a la Scratch Acid and Season to Risk along with the metallic experimentalism of Today Is the Day, The Turin Horse shoot the whole thing through with noise, found sounds, and any other wild idea that strikes them to create a beautifully unpredictable assault.”
–CVLT Nation

"Raw noise rock with a psychedelic streak."
–New Noise

"A thrill ride where doom and d-beat collide with warped, twisted punk."

–Fecking Bahamas

"The Turin Horse blend angular noise rock with proggy psych atmospherics."
–Idioteq

"Unique Italian noise rock group The Turin Horse are finally back with a progressive/psychedelia influenced full-length for 2023... They’re pushing noise rock/post-hardcore into their own zone."
–Grizzly Butts

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-turin-horse-unsavory-impurities.html

Out today: ENDLESS NAMELESS - Living Without

Living Without, the new album by Endless, Nameless, is out today on Silent Pendulum Records.

Stream the album and buy it, here: https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/living-without

From Denver, Colorado, Endless, Nameless deals in progressive songcraft and soul-baring sincerity – a mix of sculpted discordance and the rawest emotions, occupying a space where post-hardcore, grindcore, and prog intersect. On Living Without, the follow-up to 2018's debut EP, Counterparts, the band spins a web of dizzying drums and knotty guitars, with vocalist Elle Reynolds pairing pensive melodies and primal screams that rip the ears like a swooping eagle.

The playful euphoria of the music is contrasted by the gravity of Reynolds' lyrics. "I cover a mix of personal and political topics on the album," they reveal. "Being a trans person, it feels like my personal identity is violently and forcibly made political, so a lot of the album touches on that and intentionally blends those two categories."

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2022/12/endless-nameless-living-without.html

“If you’ve had your eye on the progressive hardcore underground at all this year, you’ve probably seen Endless, Nameless come up a few times now, and if you haven’t you are certainly about to. The Colorado quartet’s emotive, crushingly detailed layers of sound submerge the listeners in waves of math rock, prog, alternative, and more, glueing it all together with Elle Reynolds’ uniquely captivating vocals.”
–Fecking Bahamas

"As you'd probably expect from a band named after one of the noisiest Nirvana songs, you can hear the non-commercial side of grunge coming through in their music, but they've also got a discordant, proggy post-hardcore side that aligns them with labelmates like The Number Twelve Looks Like You."
–BrooklynVegan

"Endless, Nameless exist as an act of resistance. Their debut full-length Living Without is an externalization of heavy personal themes, with vocalist Elle Reynolds’ belted lyrics matching the furious, lurching mathcore of the band."
–Flood

“There's a particular space between math-rock, mathcore, and skramz that I just happen to adore… A unique blend of aggression, emotional impact, and technical complexity… We can cite bands like Circle Takes the Square, The Fall of Troy or, most pertinently in this case (to my ears at least), Chicago's wonderful, blog darlings, Snooze… Happily, I've found another in the form of Endless, Nameless.”
–Heavy Blog Is Heavy

"Their math rock side is energetic and flashy without losing the greater emotional punch. That punch is further provided by some post-hardcore proclivities with ethereal singing and shattered screams alike. Those screams also open up some profoundly wild black metalish moments where things go off the rails ever so slightly for the optimal catharsis of blast beats and poison-dipped guitars... I don’t get the sense that Endless, Nameless set out to be different for different’s sake... It all feels like this is where their hearts lie, along precipices of expression where instead of falling off the edge with the next step, they simply bend physics to walk down along the sheer cliff wall."
–Everything Is Noise

"Somewhere between out-and-out lunacy, meticulous prog, and ephemeral springs of pop... Living Without, to put it simply, is an enthralling, often disturbing listen."
–Distorted Sound

"From mathcore to prog to black metal, all within the same song. The group won’t be held to any particular songwriting standards, which gives this album a fluid sense of excitement."
–Heavy Music HQ

CHAT PILE x Nerver

CHAT PILE teams with fellow Midwest noise rockers Nerver on "Brothers in Christ" split; new Stephen King-inspired track "Cut" streaming now

Chat Pile has revealed new song "Cut," from Brothers in Christ, the Oklahoma City band's upcoming split with Nerver.

Out April 14th on Reptilian Records and The Ghost Is Clear Records, Brothers in Christ will be released as a 10" vinyl EP in four color variants. A one-sided silkscreened 12" version has already sold out.

Stream Chat Pile's "Cut," here: 

https://soundcloud.com/reptilian-records/chat-pile-cut/

Pre-order the Brothers in Christ EP from Reptilian Records, here:

http://www.reptilianrecords.com/products/740555

Pre-order the Brothers in Christ EP from The Ghost Is Clear Records, here:

https://theghostisclearrecords.limitedrun.com/products/740695

Chat Pile's 2022 full-length, God's Country, was one of the year's most talked-about albums, putting forth a harrowing, metallic version of noise rock that cut to the bone. Pitchfork's review of the album called it "terrifying and thrilling in equal measure... a vivid rendering of the towering piles of poison littering America’s psychic landscape" and compared the sound to Floor, Godflesh, and Unwound. Stereogum described it as "a grimy and splenetic sludge-attack that stands tall as one of the year’s best albums."

New track "Cut" is a new bit of greatness from this singular band. Rather than brute force, Chat Pile uses tension as its weapon. Industrial-strength drums and earthquaking bass are tempered by the eerie twang of guitar and vocalist Raygun Busch's unmistakable voice – his mumbles and pleas are as intense as any scream.

Bassist Stin gives this context for the new material: "These tracks were written and recorded after we tracked 'God's Country.' We wanted to use this release as a deliberate excuse to switch gears and fully lean into our more indie and alt-rock tendencies. Slint, Sonic Youth, Guided By Voices, and Starfish's 'Stellar Sonic Solutions' were certainly on our minds at the time."

Busch, meanwhile, states that the new songs were inspired entirely by Stephen King. "'Cut' is an homage to the short fiction of King, particularly 'The Man Who Loved Flowers,' 'Strawberry Spring' and 'The Jaunt,'" he says.

From Kansas City, kindred spirits Nerver wield punishing noise rock in the vein of Unsane, bolstered by swells of melody that elevate the songs to majestic heights. "We met Nerver at a warehouse show back in 2019 in Oklahoma City and hit it off immediately," says Stin. "They're the biggest sweeties and their band kicks absolute ass. We've been talking about doing a split together since practically Day One but it took us a little time to finally get our act together and make it come to fruition. It's Chat Pile's hope that this union helps draw some attention to what is quickly becoming known as Braum's Region Noise Rock, i.e. splattery bands from the Heartland, like Bighand//Bigknife, Big Water, Nerver, Abandoncy, Nightosphere, Whep, and others."

Chat Pile plays Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands in April and Arctangent Festival in the UK in August. A new album is in the works. Stand by for more news.

Tracklist:
1) Nerver - Kicks in the Sky
2) Nerver - The Nerve
3) Chat Pile - King
4) Chat Pile - Cut

Photo of Chat Pile, by Juliette Boulay

TUNIC - "My Body, My Blood"

TUNIC releases official music video for new single "My Body, My Blood"; Artoffact Records to release new album "Wrong Dream"; North American tour in May

Winnipeg trio Tunic has released the official music video for new single "My Body, My Blood."

The song appears on the band's new album, Wrong Dream, out April 28th via Artoffact Records.
 

Stream the video, here: https://www.invisibleoranges.com/tunic-video-premiere/

Pre-order the album, here: https://tunicband.bandcamp.com/album/wrong-dream

The video, created by Canadian sculptor/director Torin Langen, is a whimsical, retro-experimental work of art, replete with ghoulish masks, occult overtones, and silent-era charm.

Tunic's David Schellenberg says: "I was introduced to Torin Langen last spring when we played in Kitchener, Ontario. He said he was a fan of the band and that he made music videos. I started to see some of his work pop up on my socials and realized that his overly creepy, experimental, cult-like images would really work with our new material, especially 'My Body, My Blood.' I reached out to him and here we are."

New album Wrong Dream was recorded and mixed at Machines With Magnets by Seth Manchester (Metz, The Body, Liturgy, Lightning Bolt). Wrong Dream is Tunic's greatest and most engaging work to date; the band's tangle of dissonance and angst is laced with heart-swelling moments of melody, basslines evoking early post-punks like Gang of Four and Public Image Ltd., and odd instrumentation. While still rife with sounds that will perk the ears of old Tunic fans, and most Amphetamine Reptile or Three One G devotees, Wrong Dream sees Tunic assume an accessible new form – something closer in spirit to Fugazi than to anything that can be neatly boxed as "noise-punk" or "hardcore."

Teeming with raw, direct, vulnerable lyrics, the album's songs illustrate various forms of trauma from Schellenberg's past. Of the new single, "My Body, My Blood," he states: "This song is about mentally abusive relationships I was in, some romantic, some platonic. In one case I used to pretend I was asleep when this person came home so I didn't have to interact with them. I laid quietly in the dark to avoid them. In another I was verbally abused by a former business partner and it didn't matter that we were supposed to be equals. He talked down to me and broke my spirit. No matter who I was to him, I was on the bottom."

Tunic hits the road in May for a full North American tour.

May 3 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
May 5 - Minneapolis, MN - Mortimers
May 6 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
May 7 - Detroit, MI - City Club
May 8 - Windsor, ON - The Meteor
May 9 - Waterloo, ON - Dive Bar
May 11 - Toronto, ON - Orwell's
May 12 - Ottawa, ON - Rainbow
May 13 - Montreal, QC - Turbo Haus
May 14 - Boston, MA - O'Briens
May 15 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus
May 16 - Allentown, PA - Red Door at Muhlenberg College
May 18 - Washington, DC - Pie Shop
May 19 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR
May 20 - Kansas City, MO - Farewell
May 21 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle
May 25 - Saskatoon, SK - Black Cat Tavern
May 26 - Edmonton, AB - The Aviary
May 27 - Calgary, AB - The Palomino Smokehouse

More info and images: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2023/02/tunic-wrong-dream.html

Photo by Adam Kelly

GLASS CASKET

GLASS CASKET: Between the Buried and Me members return after 17-year hiatus with new self-titled EP on Silent Pendulum Records; new track streaming now

Glass Casket returns with its first release in 17 years: a brand new, self-titled EP, out June 9th on Silent Pendulum Records.

Stream the EP's first single, "Let Them Go," here: https://metalinjection.net/new-music/glass-casket-streams-first-new-song-in-17-years-announces-new-ep

Pre-order the album from Silent Pendulum Records, here: https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/glass-casket

From Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Glass Casket features guitarist Dustie Waring and drummer Blake Richardson, both members of Between the Buried and Me.

Back in action now under the Glass Casket banner officially for the first time since 2006, Waring and Richardson are teamed with fellow original members Adam Cody and Sid Menon, along with newest member Wes Hauch (Alluvial, ex-The Faceless). 

The quintet have offered up a thrilling taste of things to come, in the form of the upcoming new EP's first single, "Let Them Go." An anthemic slab of death metal groove, replete with mesmerizing flourishes, "Let Them Go" bursts with energy and demands to be played on repeat. It is a sound that will melt the ears of fans of bands such as Whitechapel, Decapitated, Cryptopsy, and of course, BTBAM.

Active in the early '00s, Glass Casket faded from view after the release of its Desperate Man's Diary album in 2006, with Waring and Richardson committing full-time to Between the Buried and Me. Waring explains the hiatus: "We never really went anywhere. Everyone just kind of had their own lives and plans. Most of the guys were in college at the time and I just wanted to tour and play as much as possible, so Blake and I ended up in BTBAM. When 'Desperate Man’s Diary' was recorded, we’d already released 'Alaska' with BTBAM and had a pretty nonstop touring schedule so there were only a few shows played during that period."

In 2014, Waring and Richardson connected with guitarist Hauch and made moves toward reviving Glass Casket. Waring states: "Back in 2014, Wes Hauch came and stayed with me for about a month and we put together some material with Blake and demo’d out a few things. I guess it just wasn’t the right time, so we just sat on it for a while and stored riffs and parts away for when things lined up. Fast forward to about a year ago... Blake started working on some stuff and emailed us ideas. Everything kind of took shape from there and I started demoing guitars just to see where we were at, how the songs made us feel. Everyone was pretty stoked on the material, so Blake tracked his drums at home, I went in and tracked with [producer] Jamie King, Adam came in and did his vocals with Jamie, and Wes tracked his solos at home. Very fast, very easy process for us at this point, and it came out better than expected. It was time."

Cody muses on how the material has evolved since the old days: "The lyrics on this release are the completion of a circle for me. I’ve waited a long time to release another album with Glass Casket. Our first two albums were full of despair and heartache. The lyrics on this release are full of drive and determination. They focus on dealing with mental illness and overcoming obstacles one day at a time. It also deals with letting go of past tragedies. The ongoing fight we all deal with on a daily basis. No one is above it."

Stand by for more updates about Glass Casket and the upcoming new self-titled EP. The EP is yet another highlight for Silent Pendulum Records, the Brooklyn-based label whose recent hot streak includes releases by Dr. Acula, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, and Heavy Heavy Low Low.

Tracklist:
1) Merrymaker
2) Let Them Go
3) Prison of Empathy
4) For the Living

Lineup:
Adam Cody - vocals
Dustie Waring - guitar
Wes Hauch - guitar
Sid Menon - bass
Blake Richardson - drums

Photo by Wes Richardson

ELEPHANT RIFLE - Broken Water

ELEPHANT RIFLE: Learning Curve Records to release Nevada eccentrics' new album "Broken Water"; psychedelic music video for "The New Wimpkiller" streaming now

Learning Curve Records announces the April 28th release of Broken Water, the new album by Elephant Rifle.

Stream the official music video for first single "The New Wimpkiller" – a wonderfully retro dose of psychedelic eye candy – here: https://northerntransmissions.com/the-new-wimpkiller-by-elephant-rifle/

Pre-order the album, here: https://learningcurverecords.bandcamp.com/album/broken-water

From Reno, Nevada, Elephant Rifle's freak flag-waving brand of Western noise rock falls in a crack between the most jagged crags of '90s noise-rock, '80s hardcore, and '70s classic rock. A 2011 review from The AV Club stated: "Amid strangled guitars and amputated rhythms, the group unleashes all manner of demons, psychic and sonic. But it’s done with an underdog abandon and sordid sense of humor."

New album Broken Water is the prolific band's ninth release since 2010. First single "The New Wimpkiller" has frontman Brad Bynum howling with a quavering twang that calls to mind Jello Biafra, or maybe Al Johnson of U.S. Maple, while the band drives forward with burliness of a Melvins/Jesus Lizard jam session and the quirks of guys raised on Trout Mask Replica and Grateful Dead bootlegs.

"The New Wimpkiller" is intended as an act of defiance against the conservative powers that be, explains Bynum. "They say they need more money, simple fact of survival," he sings. "They say they need more armies, they have to smash their rivals / They say I’ve got no value, simple act of denial / They’ve never seen me gyrate, let’s give them an eyeful."

Speaking about the song, he states: "There are all these tough guy 'strong man' politicians around these days. And they’re all so full of shit and need to be mocked whenever possible. Trump, of course, but not just Trump. For example, here in Reno, there’s this shitty tough guy lawyer who ran for governor. When people like that get any power at all, they try to make some money, beef up the police and military, and they don’t see any value in the arts. But it’s fun to me to imagine some flamboyant 'Footloose'-style dancing up in the guy’s grill."

Alongside explosive rockers like "The New Wimpkiller," Broken Water contains pensive acoustic laments, scrappy punk ragers, and more. Through all the album's peaks and valleys, a certain Nevada vibe ties things together. "I like it when music sounds like it comes from a place, and I hope our music reflects Nevada." says Bynum. "Nevada is all about wide open wild spaces, and I hope our music evokes that." Indeed, Broken Water evokes Elephant Rifle's home state, by way of an array of Western-tinged sounds permeating the mix. In addition to its core of drums, bass, guitar, and vocals, the band added piano, organ, acoustic guitars, dulcimer, theremin, and a slew of percussion. "It was rewarding to get to explore some different sides of our musical personalities," says Bynum.

Broken Water was recorded by Tim Green (The Fucking Champs, Nation of Ulysses) at Louder Studios. The cover art was created by acclaimed Nevada artist Michael Sarich.

Elephant Rifle will be hitting the road in May with Facet and will be performing at this year's Caterwaul Festival, a stacked noise rock fest in Minneapolis curated by none other than Learning Curve Records owner Rainer Fronz. Bands scheduled to play include Cherubs, Djunah, and dozens more.

May 20 - Reno, NV @ The Holland Project w/ Facet, Nerver

May 21 - Carson City, NV @ Shoe Tree Brewing w/ Facet, Reptoid

May 22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon w/ Facet, Baby Gurl

May 23 - Denver, CO @ Seventh Circle w/ Facet, Quits, Almanac Man

May 24 - Kansas City, MO @ Farewell w/ Facet 

May 25 - Des Moines, IA @ The Dark Slide w/ Facet 

May 26 - Minneapolis, MN @ Caterwaul Festival 

May 27 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge

Tracklist:
1) Kübler-Ross
2) The New Wimpkiller
3) Bel Biv Devoid
4) Dry Nurse
5) All Locomotive, No Tracks
6) Every Billionaire Is a Crime
7) Cig Stain White
8) Medicinal Leeches
9) Waxxxing Gibbbous
10) Spores, Molds, and Fungus
11) Private Beach

Lineup:
Brad Bynum - vocals, piano, electric piano, organ
Clinton Wallace - electric and acoustic guitars, dulcimer, organ, vocals
Scaught Bates - bass guitar, bongos, jaw harp, shakers, theremin, vocals
Michael Young - drums, percussion, vibraphone

Discography:
Christian House of Girls EP (2010, Humaniterrorist Record Collective)
Teenage Lover EP (2011, Humaniterrorist Record Collective)
Party Child (2012, Humaniterrorist Record Collective/Satan’s Pimp)
Dirty Pillows Mixtape EP (2013, Humaniterrorist Record Collective)
Ivory (2015, Humaniterrorist Record Collective)
Hunk (2018, Humaniterrorist Record Collective/No List)
Teach You to Dance (2020, Humaniterrorist Record Collective)
Satyriasis EP (2021, Humaniterrorist Record Collective)
Broken Water (2023, Learning Curve/No List)

Photo by Metal Jeff

THE TURIN HORSE - "Sixty Millions Blues"

THE TURIN HORSE: Italy's experimental noise-rockers unleash new track "Sixty Millions Blues" from Reptilian Records debut

Italian duo The Turin Horse has released new track "Sixty Millions Blues" from its upcoming new album Unsavory Impurities.

The album drops March 24th on Reptilian Records (US) and Invisible Order (EU).

"Sixty Millions Blues" opens with ear-scraping, Albini-worthy tones, then launches into a hellbound nugget of sludge-punk that rocks like Chris Spencer fronting Karp. 45 seconds in, a whirr of psychedelia blankets the song gloriously then disappears. Injecting freedom and chaos into a genre known for its austerity, The Turin Horse play with prog-level exuberance and lace their raw, blown-out songs with left-field sounds, including saxophone (courtesy of baritone sax player Alessandro Cartolari) and an arsenal of samples: "Synths, classical music, field recordings, pocket fans, data-bending files, circuit-bent machines, vegetables, anything we deem useful for our purposes," states Tauraso.

Stream "Sixty Millions Blues," here: https://newnoisemagazine.com/premieres/track-premiere-the-turin-horse-sixty-millions-blues/

Pre-order the album, here (US): http://www.reptilianrecords.com/products/739184

Pre-order the album, here (EU): https://invisibleorderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unsavory-impurities

Named for the historic city in the north of Italy where they formed, The Turin Horse consists of guitarist/vocalist Enrico Tauraso, formerly of Dead Elephant, and drummer Alain Lapaglia, ex-MoRkObOt. With one untitled EP under their belts, Tauraso and Lapaglia come tearing out of the gate on Unsavory Impurities. Eyes wild and teeth gnashing, the two operate in a zone of pure abandon, bashing out caustic noise rock then dropkicking it into other dimensions.

Tauraso states: "If we had to make a list of influences I think it would be endless... Personally I would include Today Is The Day. I've been a fan for many years and have always enjoyed their uncompromising vision of music. I've always found it cathartic."

While honoring those who have inspired them, The Turin Horse really march to their own beat and no one else's. As Tauraso puts it, "The thing that has conditioned us the most is the need to try to express ourselves freely. We already have to mediate with society for a good part of our daily lives and we like to think that music is our hour of fresh air."

The band's singular sound is thanks in part to Tauraso's homemade rig: "We couldn't find a bass player and I chose to see this lack as a creative opportunity to customize my guitar sound by building a large part of my gear."

Unsavory Impurities was recorded and mixed by Massimiliano Moccia and Enrico Tauraso. It was mastered by Arik Victor at Creep Studio in Philadelphia. The cover art was created by Mow Skwoz.

Making their Reptilian Records debut with Unsavory Impurities, The Turin Horse join a stellar roster that has included Dwarves, KEN mode, Chat Pile, and many more.

Photo by Omar Tomaino

INTERCOURSE - Halo Castration Institute

INTERCOURSE: Connecticut outsiders prowl the fringes of noise rock and hardcore on new Learning Curve Records album "Halo Castration Institute"; "Blair Witch"-inspired music video streaming now

Learning Curve Records announces the May 5th release of Halo Castration Institute, the new album by Connecticut outsiders Intercourse.

Stream the official music video for first single "Where Losers Go to Die," here: https://metalinjection.net/video/intercourse-stays-positive-with-new-single-where-losers-go-to-die

Pre-order the album, here: https://learningcurverecords.bandcamp.com/album/intercourse-halo-castration-institute-lp

In a nod to the iconic line from the film Stand By Me, the album's opening track and first single, "Where Losers Go to Die," kicks off with frontman Tarek Ahmed bellowing: "Hey man, want to see a dead body?" What follows is an eerie The Jesus Lizard-esque dirge that slips into a Neanderthal breakdown, serving as a perfect introduction to Intercourse's world. Choosing brutish simplicity as their weapon of choice, the band prowls the shadowy fringes of noise rock and hardcore, a zone also occupied by the likes of Chat Pile and Couch Slut. "We’re too weird for a lot of the hardcore scene and too aggro for the weird scene," states Ahmed. 

The band's sole founding member, Ahmed wields a singular vocal style that smashes the line between the sublime and the ridiculous. With a strangulated roar, almost cartoonish in its unhinged glory, Ahmed spouts painfully direct, often poetic, lyrics about the pain of existence. His songs reference a litany of characters from his own past, growing up in the backwoods of Connecticut as an Egyptian kid in the post-9/11 years, and from the annals of true crime – hitman Richard "The Iceman" Kulkinski, bulldozer enthusiast Marvin Heemeyer, and Bjork stalker Ricardo Lopez, to name a few. A 2021 write-up from No Echo hailed Ahmed as "a brilliant wordsmith I aspire to someday match in skill."

Of the album's first single, "Where Losers Go to Die," Ahmed states: “The song is about trying to fight your own existential dread and realizing how futile it is. Life sucks, it only gets worse, and all anyone will offer you is clichéd advice."

The song's official music video is a lo-fi slice of unease that matches the song's anxiety to a tee. "I directed the video and our guitarist Sean edited it," says Ahmed. "We were going for a 'Blair Witch' vibe and I love how the vibe matches the album art."

Halo Castration Institute is Intercourse's ninth release in less than a decade. The album was recorded at Dead Man’s Blade studio in New Britain, CT by Ryan Pelegano, and was mastered by Mike Moschetto.

The cover art was created by Madds Ellis, in-house illustrator for Last Podcast on the Left.

Stand by for news of Intercourse's next upcoming shows. Past shows include bills with the likes of Deadguy and Cro-Mags and festivals such as Dreary North and Caterwaul (curated by none other than Learning Curve Records boss Rainer Fronz). 

Tracklist:
1) Where Losers Go to Die
2) I Need Saturday Off So I Can Play a Teenager's Bedroom
3) The Passion of Jesus Christ Allin
4) The Iceman's Tears
5) Heemeyer's Hammer
6) My Own Personal 9-11
7) George Soros Funded
8) Skin Walker Brothel
9) Hollywood, Florida
10) Kabristan

Lineup:
Tarek Ahmed - vocals
Sean Prior - guitar
Pete Stroczkowski - bass
Caleb Porter - drums

Guests:

Peter Kovalsky (Remembering Never, Ether Coven) - vocals

Tyler Trelease (Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean) - vocals

Paul DeGrandpre (Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean) - guitar

Discography:
Enablers EP - 2016, No List Records
Pissing in the Abyss 7" - 2016, Eye Tape Records
Split w/ The Asound - 2017, Tsuguri Records
Everything Is Pornography When You've Got an Imagination - 2018, Constant Disappointment Records
Bum Wine 7" - 2019, Constant Disappointment Records / Corpse Flower Records
Split w/ Gaytheist - 2020, Learning Curve Records
Rule 36 - 2021, Reptilian Records
Split w/ Canyons - 2021, The Ghost Is Clear Records
Halo Castration Institute - 2023, Learning Curve Records

Photo by Alexandra Esteves

Out today: COMMON WOUNDS

Common Wounds' self-titled debut EP is out today on Protagonist Music.

Stream the EP and buy it here: https://protagonistmusic.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled-11

Common Wounds is a new band from Phoenix, Arizona, featuring ex-members of Landmine Marathon and Run with the Hunted. Landmine Marathon was a Phoenix death metal band that earned the cover of Revolver Magazine in the late 2000s and played shows with Metallica, while Run with the Hunted was a straightedge band on Trial guitarist Timm McIntosh's label. In Common Wounds, the guys team up to deliver something else: a heavy, passionate, post-hardcore vibe, taking inspiration from bands like Fugazi, Unwound, Quicksand and Helmet. The self-titled debut EP was was recorded and mixed by Zachary Rippy (Power Trip, Wristmeetrazor).

"Pointed and burly, pulsing with the honesty of emotional hardcore and the swagger of noise rock."
–Decibel

"Phoenix's Common Wounds (ex-Run with the Hunted, Landmine Marathon) pull equally from '90s-style post-hardcore and noise rock, as you can hear on their caustic, towering new single."
–BrooklynVegan

"If you miss 'real' emo and post-hardcore, look no further than Common Wounds, a new band from members of Landmine Marathon and Run With the Hunted. Common Wounds is filled to the brim with burly, angular riffs and noise rock swagger. This is cathartic music."

–MetalSucks

"Common Wounds are a new post-hardcore band out of Phoenix, AZ, but its members come from bands like Landmine Marathon, Run with the Hunted, and more. That said, Common Wounds doesn't so much pull from these past enterprises as it draws inspiration from bands like Rites of Spring, Fugazi, and even Helmet. Their upcoming self-titled five-track EP does an excellent job of creating a sound that is heavy, jangly, and metallic without sacrificing their identity or their individuality."
–Invisible Oranges

"Bone-bruising... Emotionally searing."
–No Clean Singing

"This music calls to mind the street heavy DNA of Helmet and Unsane, with the meandering chaos of Lowercase and Unwound, and the passion of Hoover and Current; while any hints of influence serve the creation of their own tension-filled cacophony."

–The Tinnitist

"Common Wounds’ self-titled EP explores 90s post hardcore and emo through the lumbering, heavier lens of noise rock.  It’s a combination that works well."

–Metal Trenches

"The vocals are gritty and aggressive, commanding attention from the beginning, with the lyrics channelling feverish desperation... Not a band to be ignored."
–Distorted Sound

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2023/02/common-wounds.html

Photo by Kindness Photo Co.

BODY STUFF - "Transmission"

BODY STUFF: new single "Transmission" streaming now; upcoming new album "Body Stuff 4" features Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart and pop icon Tiffany

Body Stuff's new single "Transmission," from the upcoming full-length album, Body Stuff 4, is now streaming.

Stream the track and pre-order the album, here: https://bodystuff.bandcamp.com/album/body-stuff-4

Following three EPs released in the past ten years, Body Stuff 4 is the New York City band's first full-length album. It will be released June 2nd via The Chain.

Body Stuff is the duo of vocalist/songwriter Curran Reynolds and producer Ryan Jones. Prior to launching the project in 2013, the two friends served together as the rhythm section for cult hero Steve Austin's band, Today Is The Day, playing on the Kurt Ballou-produced Pain Is A Warning album and touring the world in support of it. Even earlier still, they were both members of Wetnurse, the left-field metal outfit whose acclaimed vocalist, Gene Fowler, died of unknown causes last year.

Across three EPs – Body Stuff (2013), Body Stuff 2 (2016), and Body Stuff 3 (2020) – a singular sound was established. Passionate vocals and wistful hooks, nodding to the songs that filled late-‘80s Top 40 charts, were bolstered by a bellicose drum machine and thick guitars conjuring industrial-metal power, while a ghostly fog blanketed the whole affair.

A Metal Injection article in 2020 stated: "If Godflesh ever teamed up with Billy Idol, they'd still be trying to collect the formula that makes Body Stuff infectiously entertaining." A review in The Wire Magazine in that same year hailed the band's "doomed romanticism and synth-assisted stadium rock" and concluded: "It's hugely evocative stuff."

Reynolds states: "The intention is to channel my experiences into a universal message of love."

With Reynolds' songwriting at the heart of the project, he and Jones work closely together to track and mix the songs; Jones, also a live audio engineer for Grammy winners Portugal. The Man, owns and operates NYC recording studio Growlhouse, where Body Stuff 4 was realized. 

Recorded between 2020 and 2022, Body Stuff 4 sees Body Stuff reach its most fully fleshed-out state thus far. From the raw minimalism of the earlier work, the sound has progressed into a more ornate form while still retaining its rough edges and bleeding heart. The album was mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Torche, Code Orange).

New single "Transmission" is an anthemic rocker that trades Body Stuff's metallic impulses for something jangly and driving. "This is the first song I wrote for the new album," says Reynolds. "It's about cause and effect. There is no right or wrong, just consequence. It's dedicated to my friend who left this world last year, Gene Fowler."

Other highlights include "Fame," featuring guest vocals by pop icon Tiffany, and a remix of Body Stuff 3's standout single, "New York in the Rain," created by Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart.

The band plays April 19th at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NY: https://dice.fm/event/rw8v5-djunah-rid-of-me-body-stuff-the-triceratops-19th-apr-saint-vitus-bar-new-york-tickets

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2023/02/body-stuff-body-stuff-4.html

Photo by Paul Roura

TUNIC tour

TUNIC to embark on North American tour in support of new Artoffact Records album "Wrong Dream"

With its third album, Wrong Dream, set for an April 28th release on Artoffact Records, Winnipeg trio Tunic announces a May tour of the US and Canada.

May 3 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
May 5 - Minneapolis, MN - Mortimers
May 6 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
May 7 - Detroit, MI - Cass Cafe
May 8 - Windsor, ON - The Meteor
May 9 - Waterloo, ON - Dive Bar
May 11 - Toronto, ON - Orwell's
May 12 - Ottawa, ON - Rainbow
May 13 - Montreal, QC - Turbo Haus
May 14 - Boston, MA - O'Briens
May 15 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus
May 16 - Allentown, PA - Red Door at Muhlenberg College
May 18 - Washington, DC - Pie Shop
May 19 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR
May 20 - Kansas City, MO - Farewell
May 21 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle
May 25 - Saskatoon, SK - Black Cat Tavern
May 26 - Edmonton, AB - The Aviary
May 27 - Calgary, AB - The Palomino Smokehouse

Buy tickets, here: https://linktr.ee/tunictour

Stream the official music video for Wrong Dream's first single "Whispering," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSvjyrhLgfE

Pre-order the album, here: https://tunicband.bandcamp.com/album/wrong-dream

A band that has averaged 100 shows per year, sharing stages with Metz, KEN mode, and a litany of other greats from across the noise-rock and post-punk spectrums, Tunic is no stranger to the road. The band – vocalist/guitarist David Schellenberg, drummer Dan Unger, and bassist Tomas Ingham – will tear across half of North America once again this May, this time performing songs from its glorious new album, Wrong Dream.

Recorded and mixed at Machines With Magnets by Seth Manchester (The Body, Liturgy, Lightning Bolt), Wrong Dream smashes the boundaries set by the band's previous work and represents a giant step forward. The core elements of Tunic's anxiety-ridden sound are intact – a herky-jerky assault of pummeling drums, distorted bass, discordant guitar, and wild-eyed vocals, somewhere in the noise-punk territory between Amphetamine Reptile and Three One G – but Wrong Dream is the band's greatest and most engaging work to date. The band's tangle of dissonance and angst is laced with heart-swelling moments of melody and startlingly vulnerable lyrics, making for songs that cut deeper than what came before.

Adventurous and painfully honest, Wrong Dream is the sound of a band having the courage to fulfill its potential. While still rife with sounds that will perk the ears of old Tunic fans, and most AmRep or Three One G devotees, Wrong Dream sees Tunic assume an accessible new form – something closer in spirit to Fugazi than to anything that can be neatly boxed as "noise-punk" or another such genre.

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2023/02/tunic-wrong-dream.html

Photo by Adam Kelly

THE POSTMAN SYNDROME - Terraforming

THE POSTMAN SYNDROME: Silent Pendulum Records presents 20th anniversary reissue of post-hardcore pioneers' debut album, Terraforming, remixed by Scott Evans (Thrice, Kowloon Walled City)

Two decades after the album's initial release, Silent Pendulum Records announces the April 14th release date of the official reissue of Terraforming, the auspicious 2002 debut from New Jersey band The Postman Syndrome.

Silent Pendulum's reissue marks the first time this great album has ever been released on vinyl and, fully remixed by Scott Evans (Thrice, Kowloon Walled City) and remastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, Torche), the music shines in a way never before heard.

A video announcing the reissue can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEZ-Soj0F7M

Pre-order Terraforming here (LP): https://silentpendulumrecords.com/products/the-postman-syndrome-terraforming

Pre-order Terraforming here (digital): https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/terraforming

Ahead of its time, The Postman Syndrome crafted epic songs that mixed post-hardcore, progressive metal, space rock, and more. With its forward-thinking approach placing them in the ranks of contemporaries such as Cave In, Between the Buried and Me, and The Number Twelve Looks Like You, the quintet caught the attention of a small but devoted fanbase that has grown over time even after the band broke up in 2005.

A PunkNews reviews likened Terraforming to Cave In's groundbreaking Jupiter, stating: "Both albums switch from amazing hardcore-rooted music to weird noise to amazingly melodic and memorable tracks."

In the years since 2005, bassist Brett Bamberger and guitarist/vocalist Matt Lupo went on to form new band East of the Wall with original drummer Mike Somers, while Bamberger, guitarist/vocalist Jim Stang, guitarist/vocalist Chris Alfano, and later-era drummer Seth Rheam started Day Without Dawn. Alfano and Rheam have since joined East of the Wall as well. Members have played in numerous other projects (especially Bamberger, whose resumé includes Revocation, Publicist UK, River Black, and more), but fans continue to have an affinity for the collective’s initial endeavor.

June 17th, The Postman Syndrome will play its first official show since 2005 – an album release show at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ, with support from Nora and So Hideous: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-postman-syndrome-nora-so-hideous-vssls-tickets-570074426957

Silent Pendulum's release of Terraforming is yet another highlight for the Brooklyn-based label whose recent wins include the new album by Dr. Acula and reissues from Heavy Heavy Low Low and Psyopus. Upcoming releases slated for 2023 include the much-anticipated return of the great, BTBAM-affiliated Glass Casket.

Tracklist:

1) Amputees Make Bad Swimmers - Chapter I

2) Hedgehog's Dilemma - Chapter II

3) Hedgehog's Dilemma - Chapter III

4) Schizorabbit and the Face Parade - Chapter IV

5) Schizorabbit and the Face Parade - Chapter V

6) Rotating Crib Toy - Chapter VI

7) Rotating Crib Toy - Chapter VII

8) Unfamiliar Ceiling - Chapter VIII

9) Lonely in Your Arms - Chapter IX

10) Interpretive Decorating - Chapter X
11) Volume Fact - Chapter XI

12) Volume Fact - Chapter XII

ENDLESS, NAMELESS - "Sarah Lynn"

ENDLESS, NAMELESS: Denver post-hardcore powerhouse drops "Sarah Lynn" single from upcoming Silent Pendulum Records album, Living Without 

Denver post-hardcore powerhourse Endless, Nameless has revealed new track "Sarah Lynn" from the band's upcoming Silent Pendulum Records album, Living Without.

Stream the track, here: https://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2023/03/02/exclusive-premiere-endless-nameless/

Pre-order the album (LP): https://silentpendulumrecords.com/products/endless-nameless-living-without

Pre-order the album (digital): https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/living-without

Heavy Blog Is Heavy's write-up states: “There's a particular space between math-rock, mathcore, and skramz that I just happen to adore… A unique blend of aggression, emotional impact, and technical complexity… We can cite bands like Circle Takes the Square, The Fall of Troy or, most pertinently in this case (to my ears at least), Chicago's wonderful, blog darlings, Snooze… Happily, I've found another in the form of Endless, Nameless.”

From Denver, Colorado, Endless, Nameless deals in progressive songcraft and soul-baring sincerity – a mix of sculpted discordance and the rawest emotions, occupying a space where post-hardcore, grindcore, and prog intersect. On Living Without, the follow-up to 2018's debut EP, Counterparts, the band spins a web of dizzying drums and knotty guitars, with vocalist Elle Reynolds pairing pensive melodies and primal screams that rip the ears like a swooping eagle.

The playful euphoria of the music is contrasted by the gravity of Reynolds' lyrics. "I cover a mix of personal and political topics on the album," they reveal. "Being a trans person, it feels like my personal identity is violently and forcibly made political, so a lot of the album touches on that and intentionally blends those two categories."

Of the new single, "Sarah Lynn," Reynolds says: "Sarah’s a character from a cartoon we all loved, Bojack Horseman, who dies tragically on a bender with her friend, and I ran with that inspiration and used that metaphor as a vehicle for my own personal guilt around a friend I lost."

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2022/12/endless-nameless-living-without.html

Photo by Jordan Altergott

THE TURIN HORSE - "Regret Song"

THE TURIN HORSE: Italian noise-rockers blast off to psychedelic realms on new single "Regret Song"

Italian duo The Turin Horse has revealed new track "Regret Song" from its upcoming Unsavory Impurities album.

Unsavory Impurities drops March 24th via Reptilian Records in the US and Invisible Order in Europe.

Stream "Regret Song," here: https://idioteq.com/the-turin-horse-blend-angular-noise-rock-with-proggy-psych-atmospherics-in-new-single-the-regret-song/

Pre-order the album, here (US): http://www.reptilianrecords.com/products/739184

Pre-order the album, here (EU): https://invisibleorderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unsavory-impurities

Idioteq reports: "The Italian purveyors of noise-infused rock music have wholeheartedly embraced the sonic textures of progressive and psychedelic genres on 'Unsavory Impurities'... which showcases the group’s commitment to exploring uncharted sonic territories. 'Regret Song' serves as a testament to their vigorous and edgy approach... transitioning from a spacey, prog-infused and psychedelic journey to an ongoing frenzy of angular and chaotic rock."

Named for the historic city in the north of Italy where they formed, The Turin Horse consists of guitarist/vocalist Enrico Tauraso, formerly of Dead Elephant, and drummer Alain Lapaglia, ex-MoRkObOt. With one untitled EP under their belts, Tauraso and Lapaglia come tearing out of the gate on Unsavory Impurities. Eyes wild and teeth gnashing, the two operate in a zone of pure abandon, bashing out caustic noise rock then dropkicking it into other dimensions.

The band's liberated approach to abrasive music brings to mind the maniacal sludge-punk of Karp, by way of the unchained experimentalism of Today Is The Day. While honoring those who have inspired them, The Turin Horse really march to their own beat and no one else's. As Tauraso puts it, "The thing that has conditioned us the most is the need to try to express ourselves freely. We already have to mediate with society for a good part of our daily lives and we like to think that music is our hour of fresh air."

Making their Reptilian Records debut with Unsavory Impurities, The Turin Horse join a stellar roster that has included Dwarves, KEN mode, Chat Pile, and many more.

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-turin-horse-unsavory-impurities.html

KING YOSEF - "Power"

KING YOSEF: Revolver Magazine premieres "Power" single from new Kurt Ballou-produced album "An Underlying Hum"; official music video now streaming; US tour with Black Magnet underway

"Power," the new single by King Yosef, is now streaming.

Watch the official music video, here: https://www.revolvermag.com/music/fans-godflesh-code-orange-hear-king-yosefs-searing-new-song-power

Pre-order the new album, An Underlying Hum, here: https://kingyosef.bandcamp.com/album/an-underlying-hum

Recorded and mixed by Converge's Kurt Ballou at GodCity Music, the album drops April 28th via Bleakhouse.

Revolver states: “King Yosef’s bludgeoning new song is a scathing onslaught of heavy hardcore chugs a la Code Orange and wire-sparking industrial-metal fuckery that recalls his collaboration with Youth Code.”

King Yosef, a 25-year old Oregon native whose other past collabs include some of the biggest names in rap, including XXXTenatacion and Ski Mask the Slump God, calls the track “an anthem for being the worst version of yourself.”

A series of seething bangers, laced with ominous melodies, An Underlying Hum's songs penetrate deep and haunt the skull for days; a mix of metallic hardcore, hip-hop bounce, industrial noise, and ghostly interludes, for fans of the aforementioned bands as well as Death Grips, Nine Inch Nails, and Godflesh.

An Underlying Hum is a deep dive into childhood traumas and a quest toward self-betterment, inspired by Yosef's time in therapy: "I went through a process of diving in so deep," he says. "All the bad memories and situations of growing from youth to adult. I put the memories into a song. All these things that were stuck in me, they no longer have power over me."

A US tour with Black Magnet is now underway.

More info: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2023/02/king-yosef-underlying-hum.html