PRISONER - "Shroud"

PRISONER: industrial-laced Richmond crew "keep it gross and misanthropic" on new blackened hardcore single "Shroud"; sophomore album "Putrid | Obsolete" coming soon

With its sophomore album, Putrid | Obsolete, coming March 15th on Persistent Vision Records, Richmond, Virginia band Prisoner have unveiled the album's second single, "Shroud."

Stream "Shroud," here now (available March 1st on all digital platforms):

https://www.invisibleoranges.com/prisoner-shroud/

Pre-order Putrid | Obsolete, here:
https://persistentvisionrecords.com/collections/prisoner
https://deathwishinc.com/collections/persistent-vision

"Shroud" sees the quintet unleash a flood of blackened hardcore, laced with industrial elements. Shades of Godflesh, Neurosis, and Napalm Death interweave into a nightmarish web of analog and digital punishment that fully captivates.

Invisible Oranges reports: "Prisoner keep it gross and misanthropic... The record uniquely balances the scales between industrial insanity and d-beat delinquency, with a sludgy backdrop to create an all-encompassing feeling of hatred and dread."

“The lyrics are inspired by the collapse of the environment, caused by uncontrolled capitalism and the short-term desires of the ruling class poisoning the earth," states Prisoner's Pete Rozsa. "The first single, 'Leaden Tomb,' was more the hateful, angry emotional response to this issue, whereas 'Shroud' is the more nihilistic, depressed response."

Formed in Richmond in 2012, Prisoner first made its mark in 2017 with the release of debut album Beyond the Infinite, via Forcefield Records (Inter Arma, Yautja). Noisey's Kim Kelly hailed that album with these words: "A jagged slab of experimental, metallic hardcore... An interesting example of how extreme metal and noise can artfully coalesce without losing the soul of either."

Seven years later, Prisoner has delivered Putrid | Obsolete, a monstrous new beast that carries that marriage of "extreme metal and noise" to new depths.

Putrid | Obsolete was produced by the same team that worked on Beyond the Infinite – recorded and mixed by Ricky Olson (.gif from god, Enforced) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Nails, Body Void) – and yet, seven years down the line, the sound that these two have summoned is exponentially more earthquaking than what came before. Also contributing to the immensity of the new recording is newest member Adam Lake, who makes his recorded debut with Prisoner here and helps elevate the band's industrial and noise facets to a central position within the mix. Guitarist/vocalist Pete Rozsa states: "Before Adam was in the band, Justin [Hast, bassist] and I would have a few synths on stage and would play samples over top of a few songs. We decided we would benefit more from a full-time member committed to samples, programming, and synthesizer, and Adam filled that role perfectly."

With a decade's worth of shows under its belt, playing with the likes of Full of Hell and Windhand, Prisoner embarks on an East Coast tour with Listless in March.

Prisoner's Putrid | Obsolete kicks off a year's worth of crucial releases from Persistent Vision Records, the new, Richmond-based label owned by Paul Hansbarger, whose former label, Perpetual Motion Machine, released music in the ‘00s by such greats as Pageninetynine, Thou, and Kowloon Walled City.

Mar 13 - Richmond, VA @ Fallout (w/ Listless)
Mar 14 - Norfolk, VA @ Chichos Backstage (w/ Listless)
Mar 15 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pourhouse (w/ Listless)
Mar 16 - Asheville, NC @ Static Age Records (w/ Listless)
Mar 17 - Birmingham, AL @ The Firehouse (w/ Listless)
Mar 18 - Atlanta, GA @ The Catacombs (w/ Listless)
Mar 19 - Tampa, FL @ Deviant Libation (w/ Listless)
Mar 20 - Hollywood, FL @ American Legion 92 (w/ Listless)
Mar 21 - Orlando, FL @ Stardust Video & Coffee (w/ Listless)
Mar 22 - Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern (w/ Listless)
Apr 27 - Richmond, VA @ Wonderland (w/ Disrotter)
May 8 - Richmond, VA @ Gallery 5 (w/ Rid of Me)
Jun 14 - Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana (w/ Nuclear Tomb)

Photo by Tony Lynch

KING YOSEF x Roadburn

KING YOSEF: industrial-metal phenom to play Roadburn Festival; US tour with HEALTH kicks off this week

King Yosef has been added to Roadburn Festival's 2024 lineup, scheduled for April 18-21 in Tilburg, Netherlands.

Also performing are The Jesus and Mary Chain, Chelsea Wolfe, Xiu Xiu, Khanate, Cult Leader, and more.

An official statement from Roadburn Festival reads: "We’re proud to announce that King Yosef will be heading to Roadburn this coming April, offering up a heady mix of industrial noise, hip hop, and the sound of metal on metal in musical form. Defying easy categorisation, King Yosef moves fluidly between genres, cherry-picking the bits that best suit his style and mood at any given time. The results are a dizzying yet coherent amalgam of sticky beats, chilling interludes and scathing vitriol. As a festival, we like to push boundaries and embrace heavy music in all its forms. We see a kindred spirit in King Yosef, an artist that seeks to create community through creativity."

Having already toured Australia this year (with Greg Puciato and Trace Amount), followed by Japan (with Trace Amount), Yosef kicks off a full US tour with HEALTH on March 2nd.

Along with the touring, he is in the midst of dropping a series of new singles, recorded by Kurt Ballou (Converge, Code Orange), mixed by Steve Evetts (Sepultura, Suicide Silence), and mastered by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip).

Stream the official music video for new track "Cut the Cord," here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97GrsIY317o

Stream the official music video for new track "Shame's Mirror," here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WVA-sRcJV4

Revolver Magazine reports: “King Yosef is keeping utterly filthy industrial-metal alive and well in the 2020s... The perfect midpoint between Godflesh and Jesus Piece.”

From humble beginnings in rural Oregon, King Yosef has risen from the ashes of a troubled past to make art that cuts to the bone. Running on sheer willpower, this creative force has been manifesting a body of work that expresses his own unique pain, in his own unique style, and building a career on his own terms. Operating in a zone where metal, hardcore, industrial, and hip-hop intersect, Yosef’s music is utterly personal yet aligns beautifully with the zeitgeist of 2024.

Born Tayves Yosef Pelletier, King Yosef first earned attention as a producer, collaborating in 2016 with rappers XXXTentacion and Ski Mask the Slump God. Relocating from a small town to the city of Portland, Pelletier began releasing music as a solo artist under the King Yosef name in 2017, combining his early love for heavy music with his experiences in the hip-hop realm.

In the following years, Yosef sharpened his sound over the course of two EPs, several singles, and collabs with the likes of Youth Code, leading ultimately to the 2023 release of An Underlying Hum – a concept album born out of Yosef's experiences in therapy, digging deep into his childhood traumas.

Kicking off 2024 with new music and a slew of world touring, Yosef's story is still just beginning.

HEALTH, Pixel Grip, King Yosef:
Mar 2 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall
Mar 4 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theatre
Mar 5 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
Mar 7 - Austin, TX @ Empire Garage
Mar 8 - Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Factory
Mar 9 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Midtown
Mar 11 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
Mar 12 - Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
Mar 13 - Richmond, VA @ The National
Mar 15 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Mar 16 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Mar 17 - Boston, MA @ Royale
Mar 19 - Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
Mar 20 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
Mar 22 - Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
Mar 23 - St Louis, MO @ Red Flag
Mar 25 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Mar 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
Mar 28 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Mar 29 - Vancouver, BC, Canada @ The Commodore
Mar 30 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Apr 1 - Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
Apr 2 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
Apr 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco

Photo by Harper King

KONTRAVOID - "Losing Game" (feat. Chelsey Crowley)

KONTRAVOID: Nuovo Testamento vocalist Chelsey Crowley adds '80s freestyle allure to masked enigma's new single "Losing Game"; official music video now streaming

With the release of Kontravoid's new album, Detachment, just days away, the masked enigma has revealed new single "Losing Game," featuring vocals by Chelsey Crowley of Nuovo Testamento.

Stream the track's official music video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHU6-jqEowo

Pre-order new album Detachment (out March 1st on Artoffact Records), here:
https://kontravoid.bandcamp.com/album/detachment

The Brvtalist reports: "Renowned for his decade-long exploration of dark pop intricacies, the enigmatic Canadian-born, LA-based artist delivers yet another remarkable full-length album, following the success of his previous works such as Too Deep (2019) and Faceless (2021). In his new album Detachment, he presents a unique blend of infectious body music, electro, freestyle and gothic nuances. Today, we unveil 'Losing Game,' a track featuring Chelsey Crowley from synth-pop sensation Nuovo Testamento. It serves as a natural evolution of Kontravoid's distinctive sound, with his signature pulsating rhythmic bass lines and Crowley's vocals in an ethereal floating feather, shining through Madonna-esque overtones mixed with the hi-pitched allure of Clare Grogan from Altered Images. 'Losing Game' feels like stumbling upon a hidden gem from 1984, yet it's a creation firmly rooted in the present."

Launched in 2012, Kontravoid is the solo project of Cameron Findlay. Born in Canada and based now in LA, Findlay has perfected his own brand of dark pop that cruises freely through electronic music genres.

Findlay states: "The sound of the new album is definitely influenced by freestyle and electro, and I try to mix those influences with more of a modern EBM sound. I feel like Detachment is an evolution of the type of sound I’ve created for Kontravoid, while still keeping the style fairly consistent with my previous releases."

"The album name, Detachment, is more or less the theme for most of the tracks on the record, referring to being disconnected from reality in some way," he explains. "It’s just a theme I wanted to explore with this era of the project. The new mask is reference to that in a way, with its frayed cabling and ripped wires."

Kontravoid has toured with HEALTH, Boy Harsher, Drab Majesty, Hide, and more. With select West Coast and Mexico shows booked for February and March 2024, he will embark on a full European tour in April and May.

Tour:

Feb 29 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Mar 1 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Mar 2 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place
Mar 21 - Guadalajara, Mexico @ C3 Rooftop
Mar 22 - Mexico City, Mexico @ La Mezcalli
Apr 25 - Thessaloniki, Greece @ OSM Tapes
Apr 26 - Athens, Greece @ Death Disco
Apr 27 - Geneva, Austria @ La Gravière
Apr 28 - Marseille, France @ Le Molotov
Apr 30 - Bratislava, Slovakia @ FUGA
May 2 - Madrid, Spain @ The Basement Club
May 3 - Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Upload
May 4 - Valencia, Spain @ Spook Club
May 6 - Glasgow, UK @ Flying Duck
May 9 - Manchester, UK @ The White Hotel
May 10 - Newcastle, UK @ Lubber Fiend
May 11 - London, UK @ Camden Assembly
May 14 - Paris, France @ La Petit Bain
May 17 - Leipzig, Germany @ Wave-Gotik Treffen

Photo by David Rauch-Batista

ULTRA SUNN - US

ULTRA SUNN: Belgian "New Beat" heirs release new single "Some Ghost Could Follow" from upcoming Artoffact Records album "US"

Belgian duo ULTRA SUNN have released new single "Some Ghost Could Follow" from their debut full-length album, US, out April 19th on Artoffact Records.

Stream the track and pre-order the album, here: https://ultrasunn.bandcamp.com/album/us

Stream the "Some Ghost Could Follow" music video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NQHtIoqpNM

From, Brussels, Belgium ULTRA SUNN consists of Gaelle Souflet and Sam Huge. The duo brings a modern edge to the classic sound of their home country's New Beat boom of the late 1980s, commonly referred to as "The Sound of Belgium."

A genre allegedly birthed from a 45-rpm record (A Split Second's "Flesh") being played at the wrong speed, New Beat is explained with these words in a 2018 article from Red Bull Music Academy: "Across a tight-knit network of clubs in cities such as Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp, the small and unassuming nation of Belgium moved to a rhythm all of its own. Known as New Beat, this genre fused electro-pop, industrial music, EBM and the nascent gurgles of acid in surprising ways, drastically slowing down records and seamlessly blending styles into detached and crepuscular dancefloor magic. What’s more, New Beat’s legacy is still clearly audible in contemporary European house and techno." Two of the most famous artists to come out of the scene include Technotronic and Lords of Acid.

The band comments: "The famous Sound of Belgium is indeed one of our major inspirations, we grew up with this music and sounds and we have the pleasure of having met most of the acts in this scene. Some are true mentors and we cherish the advice they gave us. We are proud to be considered the heirs of this musical tradition while having the desire to add our current and modern touch to the sounds and themes."

With backgrounds in art history and fashion design, Souflet and Huge became a couple ten years ago and launched ULTRA SUNN together in 2019. Their 2020 single "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" was a worldwide hit, amassing tens of millions of streams so far – over half a billion views on TikTok alone – as well as radio play and DJ spins around the globe.

Across three EPs – Night Is Mine, Body Electric, Kill Your Idols – ULTRA SUNN has evolved, inspired not only by predecessors in the Belgian electronic music scene, but by art, fashion, and a broad array of sounds. "Our inspirations can range from 17th-century Baroque music, to RuPaul," they state. The duo has collaborated with the likes of Kontravoid, Kris Baha, and Curses.

A thread of equality and self-empowerment runs through all the band's work, according to Souflet and Huge: "Our message is positive and combative. We like to have a powerful energy which invites you to fight against darkness, whether it comes from outside or from within yourself. It regularly happens that people come to us and tell us about the positive impact that our tracks have in their lives and it's the best reward. ULTRA SUNN is about light. Our goal is to bring a little light through our music, our lyrics and our attitude. The shows are always very powerful moments where we connect intensely with the audience and where we all build a strong moment together."

About the new single, "Some Ghost Could Follow," they state: "With this track, we invite you to think about these ghosts who could follow you in the night as you wander in a city that you know too well. The streets are paved with regrets, but some ghosts seem so much weaker in the end. In the verses we mention insomnia, resilience and the memories that come back to haunt you like a hallucinatory apparition, directly and deliberately interrupted by the mantra of the chorus, like a magic spell, a prayer, a call to order."

ULTRA SUNN has performed live across Europe, North America, and South America, including shows with with legends Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, A Split Second, and more. In 2023, their live lineup was rounded out by keyboardist and percussionist Alexis Andrigo.

Embarking on multiple legs of touring throughout this year with select festival dates (Sick New World, Catch One, Resistanz, Dark Malta, Verboden, Amphi), the band will embark on an EU/UK run before switching continents. A US tour will take the band from Denver through Seattle, then they return to Europe for another EU leg, including a special album release party at the Orangerie au Botanique in their home town of Brussels on June 1st.

Tour:
Feb 8 - Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang
Feb 9 - Dortmund, DE @ Junkyard
Feb 10 - Strasbourg, FR @ La Laiterie
Feb 11 - Den Haag, NL @ Grauzone
Mar 9 - Bethune, FR @ La Poche
Feb 8 - Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang
Feb 9 - Dortmund, DE @ Junkyard
Feb 10 - Strasbourg, FR @ La Laiterie
Feb 11 - Den Haag, NL @ Grauzone
Mar 9 - Bethune, FR @ La Poche
Mar 29 - London, UK @ Moth Club
Mar 30 - Brighton, UK @ Alphabet
Mar 31 - Sheffield, UK @ Resistanz Festival
Apr 6 - Bologna, IT @ Tank
Apr 21 - Malta, MT @ Dark Malta Festival
Apr 25 - Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
Apr 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Catch One
Apr 27 - Las Vegas, NV @ Sick New World Festival
May 2 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
May 3 - San Diego, CA @ The Kensington Club
May 4 - Riverside, CA @ The Hideaway Cafe
May 7 - San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
May 8 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlows
May 10 - Portland, OR @ Coffin Club
May 11 - Seattle, WA @ Substation
May 12 - Vancouver, WA @ Verboden Festival
May 30 - Paris, FR @ Le Petit Bain
Jun 1 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique Orangerie
Jun 6 - Berlin, DE @ Gretchen
Jun 7 - Krakow, PL @ Klub Re
Jun 8 - Warsaw, PL @ Hydrozagadka
Jun 9 - Wroclaw, PL @ Liverpool
Jun 28 - Köln, DE @ Amphi Festival
Aug 8 - Lokeren, BE @ Fonnefeesten
Aug 17 - Matra, HU @ Fekete Zaj
Sep 19 - Bordeaux, FR @ Iboat
Sep 21 - Lausanne, CH @ Les Docks
Oct 3 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
Oct 4 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
Oct 5 - Newark, NJ @ QXT's
Oct 7 - Richmond, VA @ Fallout
Oct 8 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House
Oct 9 - Atlanta, GA @ 529
Oct 10 - Tampa, FL @ Absolution Fest
Oct 12 - Nashville, TN @ The Cobra
Oct 15 - New Orleans, LA @ Santos
Oct 16 - Austin, TX @ Elysium
Oct 17 - Houston, TX @ Etro Nightclub
Oct 18 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
Oct 19 - Dallas, TX @ Sundown
Oct 21 - Wichita, KS @ Liminal Evasion
Oct 23 - Kansas City, MO @ VIVO Life
Oct 24 - Saint Louis, MO @ The Crack Fox
Oct 25 - Carbondale, IL @ Hangar 9
Oct 26 - Indianapolis, IN @ White Rabbit
Oct 27 - Madison, WI @ Crucible
Oct 30 - Detroit, MI @ Small's
Oct 31 - Chicago, IL @ Sanctum Fest
Nov 16 - Dresden, DE @ Coldhearted Festival

Tracklist:
1) Broken Monsters
2) This Is Not About You
3) Some Ghost Could Follow
4) You and Me
5) Lost and Found
6) Shake Your Demons
7) The Truth
8) Fall from Grace
9) The House

Lineup:
Sam Huge - vocals

Gaelle Souflet - synth

Photos by Kris Parenti

THE RED CHORD - Fused Together in Revolving Doors

THE RED CHORD releases groundbreaking debut album "Fused Together in Revolving Doors" for the first time on vinyl; tickets on sale now for shows with Deadguy, Through the Eyes of the Dead, more

The Red Chord announces the first-ever vinyl pressing of its groundbreaking debut album, Fused Together in Revolving Doors, 22 years after its original release.

Available May 17th, the Fused reissue will feature a new reimagining of the original album art, created by artist Mike Wohlberg. Vinyl variants will be available for purchase through IndieMerch, Deathwish Inc, Decibel Magazine, and the band directly.

The release marks the return of Black Market Activities, the label founded in 2003 by The Red Chord frontman Guy Kozowyk, which helped launch the careers of such bands as Fit For An Autopsy. 

To celebrate, The Red Chord will play two official release shows, June 1st and June 2nd, with support from Deadguy, Through the Eyes of the Dead, and more.

June 1 @ Widowmaker Brewing, Braintree, MA:
The Red Chord

Deadguy

Intercourse

Body Stuff

June 2 @ Widowmaker Brewing, Braintree, MA:
The Red Chord

Through the Eyes of the Dead

From a Second Story Window

Stagnater

Purchase tickets for the shows, here: https://www.widowmakerbrewing.com/s/order?location=11ea07caa02d994e9fa50cc47a2ae330#35

Founded in Boston, Massachusetts, The Red Chord grabbed the underground scene by the throat in 2002 with its debut album, Fused Together in Revolving Doors. A strange cocktail of brutality and groove, Fused freely combined influences from across the board of extreme metal and hardcore and would contribute greatly toward inspiring an entire scene of younger bands on the rise, soon to be labelled "deathcore."

Despite its status as a godfather to hordes of bands pasting together breakdowns and blastbeats, The Red Chord maintained an eccentric personality that kept it distinct from its imitators. The band wielded a fluid, experimental approach to music, never seeking to conform. As such, The Red Chord was the odd band out on almost every bill – and a relentless touring schedule in the mid-2000's saw them play on many bills, indeed.

Separating The Red Chord even further from the pack, Kozowyk's lyrics were rife with dark humor and surreal scenarios. Crowd favorite "Dreaming in Dog Years," the penultimate track on Fused, is told from the point of view of his dog, in the final moments before being put to sleep. His stage presence might have evoked Jamey Jasta; his voice, Frank Mullen; but Kozowyk's lyrics seemed to stem from a mind in line with Mike Patton's.

The Red Chord released four full-length albums in total, between 2002 and 2009. Peaks of that decade included the sale of over 50,000 copies of sophomore album, Clients, and tours with the most important metal and hardcore bands in existence, including Between the Buried and Me, Cannibal Corpse, Converge, Every Time I Die, and Gwar. 

The Red Chord faded from view in the 2010's, returning in 2022 for a slot on Decibel Metal and Beer Fest in Philadelphia. The band – now consisting of Kozowyk, guitarist Mike McKenzie, bassist Greg Weeks, and drummer Jon Rice – has remained active since then, making appearances at Furnace Fest, Tattoo the Earth, and the Denver installment of Decibel Metal and Beer. Along with the upcoming Fused reissue and the Fused release shows, the band will play Milwaukee Metal Fest in May, followed by Big Texas Metal Fest and New England Metal and Hardcore Fest.

A Metal Injection article, reflecting upon The Red Chord's entire catalog, had these words for Fused Together in Revolver Doors: "Time flies and this is one of those legendary releases that still holds up and feels fresh in the present. A strange and chaotic amalgamation of technical-minded death metal, mathcore, grindcore, and hardcore served up in a way unlike anything else out at the time it was released in 2002. Much has been said and will continue to be said when it comes to the bands' influence within multiple styles of metal, but the more important point is that a band this jarring ended up becoming as influential and well known as they have."

Tracklist:

1) Nihilist

2) That Certain Special Ugly

3) Catalepsy

4) Like a Train Through a Pigeon

5) He Was Stretching and Then He Climbed Up There

6) Breed the Cancer

7) L Formation

8) Dreaming in Dog Years

9) Sixteen Bit Fingerprint

Fused lineup:
Guy Kozowyk - vocals
Mike McKenzie - guitar, backing vocals
Kevin Rampelberg - guitar
Adam Wentworth - bass
Mike Justian - drums

Current lineup:
Guy Kozowyk - vocals
Mike McKenzie - guitar, backing vocals
Greg Weeks - bass
Jon Rice - drums

Discography:
Fused Together in Revolving Doors (2002, Robotic Empire)
Clients (2005, Metal Blade)
Prey for Eyes (2007, Metal Blade)
Fed Through the Teeth Machine (2009, Metal Blade)

Cover art by Mike Wohlberg

Poster by Mark Richards

KING YOSEF - "Shame's Mirror"

KING YOSEF: industrial-metal phenom drops "Shame's Mirror" music video, gears up for US tour with HEALTH

Having just completed tours of Australia and Japan, and kicking off a full US tour with HEALTH on March 2nd, King Yosef is in the midst of dropping a series of new singles, recorded by Kurt Ballou (Converge, Code Orange), mixed by Steve Evetts (Sepultura, Suicide Silence), and mastered by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip).

Revolver Magazine reports: “King Yosef is keeping utterly filthy industrial-metal alive and well in the 2020s... The perfect midpoint between Godflesh and Jesus Piece.”

The latest single, "Shame's Mirror," is a haunting, lumbering, industrial-rock anthem that showcases Yosef's singing voice. Stream the official music video for "Shame's Mirror," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WVA-sRcJV4

From humble beginnings in rural Oregon, King Yosef has risen from the ashes of a troubled past to make art that cuts to the bone. Running on sheer willpower, this creative force has been manifesting a body of work that expresses his own unique pain, in his own unique style, and building a career on his own terms. Operating in a zone where metal, hardcore, industrial, and hip-hop intersect, Yosef’s music is utterly personal yet aligns beautifully with the zeitgeist of 2024.

King Yosef, born Tayves Yosef Pelletier, first earned attention as a producer, collaborating in 2016 with rappers XXXTentacion and Ski Mask the Slump God. Relocating from a small town to the city of Portland, Pelletier began releasing music as a solo artist under the King Yosef name in 2017, combining his early love for heavy music with his experiences in the hip-hop realm.

In the following years, Yosef sharpened his sound over the course of two EPs, several singles, and collabs with the likes of Youth Code, leading ultimately to the 2023 release of his greatest work to date: An Underlying Hum. An Underlying Hum is a deep dive into a broken psyche – a concept album born out of Yosef's experiences in therapy, digging deep into his childhood traumas.

Yosef followed up the release of An Underlying Hum by touring the West Coast with Converge and Deaf Club, then returned to the studio to work once more with Ballou and Evetts on a handful of blistering new tracks, including newest single "Shame's Mirror."

HEALTH, Pixel Grip, King Yosef:
Mar 2 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall
Mar 4 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theatre
Mar 5 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
Mar 7 - Austin, TX @ Empire Garage
Mar 8 - Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Factory
Mar 9 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Midtown
Mar 11 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
Mar 12 - Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
Mar 13 - Richmond, VA @ The National
Mar 15 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Mar 16 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Mar 17 - Boston, MA @ Royale
Mar 19 - Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
Mar 20 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
Mar 22 - Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
Mar 23 - St Louis, MO @ Red Flag
Mar 25 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Mar 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
Mar 28 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Mar 29 - Vancouver, BC, Canada @ The Commodore
Mar 30 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Apr 1 - Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
Apr 2 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
Apr 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco

Photo by Harper King

AMBLARE

AMBLARE: drummer Bryan St. Pere (Hum) shines posthumously on self-titled album by post-hardcore powerhouse; "Starlight" music video streaming now

Amblare announces the April 5th release of its self-titled debut album. A masterpiece of radiant, emotive rock, it is also the final recording of Hum drummer Bryan St. Pere.

Pre-order the Amblare LP here: https://www.melodicvirtue.com/products/amblare-lp

Stream the official music video for the album's first single, "Starlight" (available February 16th on all digital platforms), here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FehHrXT4NZw

Based in Evansville, Indiana, a small city west of Louisville, Kentucky, Amblare was formed by principal songwriter and frontman Matt McGuyer, bassist Alex Wallwork, and St. Pere, revered around the globe for his decades of drumming with Hum.

McGuyer describes how the undeniable chemistry between the three musicians transformed a solo project into a full-fledged band: "I started playing drums at five years old. Guitar at ten years old. I played in many bands but I always wanted to write, record, and release a record, entirely myself. While working towards that goal, around 2016, I began posting what I had been working on. To my surprise, my posts caught Bryan St. Pere’s attention and he contacted me, asking if I wanted any help with what I was up to. We got together to hang out and we agreed that starting a band for these songs I had been writing was a fun idea and worthwhile quest. He mentioned that for bass, we needed a local guy we knew about and loved the playing of, mutually. That is Alex Wallwork. My first time ever seeing Alex, he was playing bass at a local music store and I fell in love with his playing. We fit together instantly. So, we officially became a band and Alex made up the name Amblare."

Recorded at Earth Analog Recording Studio by Matt Talbott (Hum) in 2019 and 2020, and mixed and mastered by Mario Quintero (Spotlights), Amblare's self-titled debut sees the trio bash out moody, soul-stirring post-hardcore songs, recommended highly for fans of Cave In and Failure.

The album's opener, "Starlight," is a two-minute burst of hope and longing that sets the scene for what is to unfold over the next seven tracks. Slamming, groove-heavy drumming lays the base for crunchy rhythm guitars, glistening leads, and mesmerizing vocals. "'Starlight' is about loving someone so deeply and intrinsically that telepathic energetic communication beyond the grave is possible," states McGuyer. "It’s a swaying ballroom in the cosmos."

St. Pere passed away in the summer of 2021, just as the Amblare album was nearing completion. Reporting on St. Pere in 2021, NME stated: "St. Pere joined Hum in 1990, a year after the band first formed. He performed on all five of the band’s albums, including their most well-known track ‘Stars’ from 1995’s ‘You’d Prefer An Astronaut.’ St. Pere’s drumming style has been described as a blend of heavy hardcore rhythms and the spaced-out shoegaze that flowed throughout Hum’s catalogue. St. Pere was also a member of the Indiana-based band Amblare."

"We are honoring Bryan's wishes to press the Amblare album and release it," says McGuyer. The LP will be released via Melodic Virtue, the Evansville-based label and publishing house run by designer Aaron Tanner, whose catalog includes beautiful, authorized coffee table books on such artists as The Residents, Ministry, and Pixies. 

Plans are in motion for live shows in 2024 with an as-yet-unnamed drummer filling St. Pere's shoes. McGuyer and Wallwork meanwhile lend their talents to numerous other projects; McGuyer is the newest member of long-running indie rock favorites Mock Orange and Wallwork plays with trad metallers Faerie Ring, to name two.

Tracklist:
1) Starlight
2) Iridesce
3) Underest
4) Flyin
5) The Splits
6) Mine’d
7) Undivided
8) Weakend

Lineup:
Matt McGuyer - vocals, guitar
Alex Wallwork - vocals, bass
Bryan St. Pere - drums, percussion

Album art by Aaron Tanner

Band photos by Heath Metzger

KONTRAVOID - "Reckoning"

KONTRAVOID: masked electronic antihero drops anime-inspired "Reckoning" music video; Artoffact Records to release new album "Detachment"

Stream the official music video for new single "Reckoning" (out February 9th on all digital platforms), here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT2ea9mFL2Y

Pre-order new album Detachment (out March 1st on Artoffact Records), here:

https://kontravoid.bandcamp.com/album/detachment

Launched in 2012, Kontravoid is the solo project of masked artist Cameron Findlay. Born in Canada and based now in LA, Findlay has perfected his own brand of dark pop that cruises freely through electronic music genres.

A 2021 review, penned by Andi Harriman of Post-Punk.com, states: "[Kontravoid] toes the line between goth and, dare-we-say-it, rave elements. This – alongside the visual impact he has employed with his masked persona – has been why he’s one of the scene’s most treasured artists."

Releasing three full-length albums of new material, on top of an EP, various singles, a live album, and a wealth of remixes, Findlay has honed Kontravoid to its present state over the past decade. Out March 1st on Artoffact Records, new album Detachment sees the project assume its most confident form to date.

Findlay states: "The sound of the new album is definitely influenced by freestyle and electro, and I try to mix those influences with more of a modern EBM sound. I feel like Detachment is an evolution of the type of sound I’ve created for Kontravoid, while still keeping the style fairly consistent with my previous releases."

"The album name, Detachment, is more or less the theme for most of the tracks on the record, referring to being disconnected from reality in some way," he explains. "It’s just a theme I wanted to explore with this era of the project. The new mask is reference to that in a way, with its frayed cabling and ripped wires."

New single "Reckoning" plows forward with a barrage of hard, driving techno rhythms and ominous vocals, evoking cavernous, strobe-lit clubs of the early 1990s. Matching the track's intensity is an eye-melting, animated music video, created by Findlay and 3D artist/animator Alec Mackenize (with whom he also teamed up on the excellent "Faceless" music video in 2021.)

Findlay states: "The video for 'Reckoning' was influenced by horror/sci-fi anime and comics that Alec and I are fans of. The film Wicked City and the work of Yoshiaki Kawajiri was a strong influence on the look of the video, as well as Spawn, Preacher and Heavy Metal Magazine. Once Alec and I starting talking about a creative direction for the video we realized that we both share the same appreciation for a style of animation from the '90s and early 2000s, and wanted to achieve something similar with the video."

Kontravoid has toured with HEALTH, Boy Harsher, Drab Majesty, Hide, and more. With select West Coast and Mexico shows booked for February and March 2024, he will embark on a full European tour in April and May.

Tracklist:

1) Awaken
2) For What It Is
3) Losing Game (feat. Chelsey Crowley of Nuovo Testamento)
4) Reckoning
5) Death Shot
6) Sin Walker
7) How It Ends
8) In Reverse
9) Fading
10) Detachment

Tour:

Feb 29 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Mar 1 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Mar 2 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place
Mar 21 - Guadalajara, Mexico @ C3 Rooftop
Mar 22 - Mexico City, Mexico @ La Mezcalli
Apr 25 - Thessaloniki, Greece @ OSM Tapes
Apr 26 - Athens, Greece @ Death Disco
Apr 27 - Geneva, Austria @ La Gravière
Apr 28 - Marseille, France @ Le Molotov
Apr 30 - Bratislava, Slovakia @ FUGA
May 2 - Madrid, Spain @ The Basement Club
May 3 - Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Upload
May 4 - Valencia, Spain @ Spook Club
May 6 - Glasgow, UK @ Flying Duck
May 9 - Manchester, UK @ The White Hotel
May 10 - Newcastle, UK @ Lubber Fiend
May 11 - London, UK @ Camden Assembly
May 14 - Paris, France @ La Petit Bain
May 17 - Leipzig, Germany @ Wave-Gotik Treffen

Discography:

Detachment (2024, Artoffact Records)
Faceless (2021, self-released)
Live from the Void (2020, self-released)
Too Deep Remixes (2020, Fleisch)
Too Deep (2019, Fleisch)
Undone EP (2018, Fleisch)
Kontravoid (2012, self-released)

Album cover by Nedda Afsari

Promo photo by David Rauch-Batista

CATERWAUL 2024 schedule

CATERWAUL: Whores. added to 2024 festival lineup; full schedule revealed, single-day tickets announced

With a lineup already boasting Oxbow, Brainiac, Couch Slut, and dozens of other artists representing the full spectrum of "independent-minded, iconoclastic, noisy music," the organizers of Caterwaul have announced the addition of sludgy noise rockers Whores. to the final night of the fest. Scheduled for May 24-27, the 4-day extravaganza will unfold across stages at two iconic venues in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Palmer's Bar and Mortimer's Bar.

Now in its third year, Caterwaul is becoming the epicenter of its own scene – a mix of the old and new, the known and unknown, not limited to any one specific genre but dedicated to uniting all people on the noisy, eccentric side of the fence. The festival is sponsored by Three Floyds Brewing.

4-day passes can be purchased now at this location: https://ticketstripe.com/2024caterwaul

Single-day tickets will be available starting Friday, February 9th.

The complete schedule is as follows:

Friday, May 24 @ Mortimer's

12:30 am - Murf
11:45 pm- Heet Deth
11:00 pm - Chief Tail
10:15 pm - Shovel
9:30 pm - Pretty Please
8:45 pm - The Kronk Men
8:00 pm - DUG

Saturday, May 25 @ Mortimer's

1:15 am - The Art Gray Noizz Quintet
12:15 am - Neckbolt
11:30 pm - Facet
10:45 pm - Bronson Arm

Saturday, May 25 @ Palmer's

9:15 pm - Oxbow
8:15 pm - Part Chimp
7:30 pm - Ganser
6:45 pm - Thrones
6:00 pm - Lung
5:15 pm - Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends
4:30 pm - Porcelain
3:45 pm - DEAD
3:00 pm - Isolation Tank Ensemble
2:15 pm - Asbestos Worker

Sunday, May 26 @ Mortimer's

1:15 am - Couch Slut
12:30 am - Cougars
11:30 pm - Primitive Broadcast Service
10:30 pm - BEDTIMEMAGIC
9:45 pm - Vestments

Sunday, May 26 @ Palmer's

8:15 pm - J. Robbins Band
7:15 pm - Gaswar
6:30 pm - The Triceratops
5:45 pm - Zach Dracula
5:00 pm - Almanac Man
4:15 pm - Flooding
3:30 pm - Scrunchies
2:45 pm - Another Heaven

Monday, May 27 @ Palmer's

9:15 pm - Brainiac
8:15 pm - Whores.
7:30 pm - Djunah
6:45 pm - CNTS
6:00 pm - The Austerity Program
5:15 pm - Gay Witch Abortion
4:30 pm - Intercourse
3:45 pm - Quits
3:00 pm - In Lieu
2:15 pm - Lords and Lady Kevin

Beyond the stellar curation, Caterwaul has come to represent a cooperative, familial spirit within the underground. Through their decades of work in the trenches of independent music, serving in the roles of musician, label owner, show booker, podcaster, and more, Caterwaul founders Conan Neutron (Seismic Wave Entertainment), Rainer Fronz (Learning Curve Records), and Melanie Thomas are deeply tied to the artists and fans whom Caterwaul pulls together. A recent statement from the trio proclaims: "With Caterwaul we make a promise to showcase the paragons of the weird, whilst also prioritizing the community spirit that holds us all together. We are working harder than ever to make sure that our 2024 version will top the previous editions. Count on it."

Caterwaul logo, by Whitney Does

Photo of Whores., by Scott Lowden

PRISONER - Putrid|Obsolete

PRISONER: Richmond crew unites death metal, doom, crust, and industrial on sophomore album "Putrid | Obsolete"; new single "Leaden Tomb" mourns environmental collapse; official music video now streaming

From Richmond, Virginia, Prisoner announces the March 15th release of its sophomore album, Putrid | Obsolete, on Persistent Vision Records.

Pre-order Putrid | Obsolete, here:

https://persistentvisionrecords.com/collections/prisoner
https://deathwishinc.com/collections/persistent-vision

Stream the official music video for the album's first single, "Leaden Tomb" (out February 2nd on all digital platforms), here: 

https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2024/02/01/track-premiere-prisoner-leaden-tomb/

Formed in Richmond in 2012, Prisoner first made its mark in 2017 with the release of debut album Beyond the Infinite, via Forcefield Records (Inter Arma, Yautja). Noisey's Kim Kelly hailed that album with these words: "A jagged slab of experimental, metallic hardcore... Roaring d-beats careen headfirst into rhythmic, thrumming industrial segments... An interesting example of how extreme metal and noise can artfully coalesce without losing the soul of either."

Seven years later, Prisoner has delivered Putrid | Obsolete, a monstrous new beast that carries that marriage of "extreme metal and noise" to new depths. On first single "Leaden Tomb," an industrial intro sets the stage for a death metal/crust punk stampede that leads to a free fall off a sludge-doom cliff. Sheets of electronics lace the track from start to finish, intensifying the experience into something all-consuming. Across all eight of Putrid | Obsolete's tracks, shades of Godflesh, Neurosis, and Napalm Death interweave into a nightmarish web of analog and digital punishment that fully captivates. 

Putrid | Obsolete was produced by the same team that worked on Beyond the Infinite – recorded and mixed by Ricky Olson (.gif from god, Enforced) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Nails, Body Void) – and yet, seven years down the line, the sound that these two have summoned is exponentially more earthquaking than what came before. Also contributing to the immensity of the new recording is newest member Adam Lake, who makes his recorded debut with Prisoner here and helps elevate the band's industrial and noise facets to a central position within the mix. Guitarist/vocalist Pete Rozsa states: "Before Adam was in the band, Justin [Hast, bassist] and I would have a few synths on stage and would play samples over top of a few songs. We decided we would benefit more from a full-time member committed to samples, programming, and synthesizer, and Adam filled that role perfectly."

All three of Prisoner's vocalists – Rozsa, Hast, and guitarist Dan Finn – contributed lyrics to Putrid | Obsolete, whose overarching theme is "the horrific failure of humanity," in Rozsa's words. He gives this statement about the meaning behind first single "Leaden Tomb": “At this point we are more than a few steps into a dystopian collapse. Technocracy, capitalism, war, and human beings' general hatred toward each other has put most of us into a defeating cycle while some centralize wealth and power. We have also built up our technology in certain ways that serve to perpetuate this cycle. ‘Leaden Tomb’ is specifically inspired by the collapse of the environment, caused by uncontrolled capitalism and the short-term desires of the ruling class poisoning the earth."

With a decade's worth of shows under its belt, playing with the likes of Full of Hell and Windhand, Prisoner embarks on an East Coast tour with Listless in March.

Prisoner's Putrid | Obsolete kicks off a year's worth of crucial releases from Persistent Vision Records, the new, Richmond-based label owned by Paul Hansbarger, whose former label, Perpetual Motion Machine, released music in the ‘00s by such greats as Pageninetynine, Thou, and Kowloon Walled City. Stay tuned for updates.

Tracklist:
1) Flesh Dirge
2) Pool of Disgust
3) The Horde
4) Shroud
5) Leaden Tomb
6) Pathogenesis
7) Entity
8) Nanodeath

RIYL:
Godflesh, Neurosis, Napalm Death, Meathook Seed, His Hero Is Gone, Nails, Candy

Lineup:
Pete Rozsa - guitars, vocals, synth, samples
Dan Finn - guitars, vocals
Justin Hast - bass, vocals
Joel Hansen - drums, synth, samples
Adam Lake - synth, samples, programming

Tour:

Mar 13 - Richmond, VA @ Fallout (w/ Listless)
Mar 14 - Norfolk, VA @ Chichos Backstage (w/ Listless)
Mar 15 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pourhouse (w/ Listless)
Mar 16 - Asheville, NC @ Static Age Records (w/ Listless)
Mar 17 - Birmingham, AL @ The Firehouse (w/ Listless)
Mar 18 - Atlanta, GA @ The Catacombs (w/ Listless)
Mar 19 - Tampa, FL @ Deviant Libation (w/ Listless)
Mar 20 - Hollywood, FL @ American Legion 92 (w/ Listless)
Mar 21 - Orlando, FL @ Stardust Video & Coffee (w/ Listless)
Mar 22 - Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern (w/ Listless)
Apr 27 - Richmond, VA @ Wonderland (w/ Disrotter)
May 8 - Richmond, VA @ Gallery 5 (w/ Rid of Me)
Jun 14 - Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana (w/ Nuclear Tomb)

Discography:
Putrid | Obsolete (2024, Persistent Vision Records)
Beyond the Infinite (2017, Forcefield Records)
Fear Is the Mind-Killer (2014, self-released)
- (2013, self-released)

Photos by Keith Baillargeon