SEMUTA - Glacial Erratic

SEMUTA: Portland post-metallers debut title track from new album "Glacial Erratic"; official music video features members of Usnea, Dark Castle, more

"Progressive, melodic sludge metal... The video for 'Glacial Erratic' [is] a true celebration of the scene Semuta come from." 

–Decibel Magazine

From Portland, Oregon, Semuta announces the May 24th release of its debut full-length album, Glacial Erratic, and reveals the official music video for the album's title track.

Stream the "Glacial Erratic" music video, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZOBawig1HE

Pre-order the album, here:
https://semutamusic.bandcamp.com/album/glacial-erratic

Semuta is the duo of guitarist/vocalist Benjamin Caragol and drummer Ben Stoller, former members of noted Rose City bands Burials, Dark Numbers, and more. Together as Semuta, the two summon a mournful strain of sludgy post-metal, marked by enthralling songcraft and passionate execution.

Mixed by Scott Evans at Antisleep Audio (Kowloon Walled City, Great Falls) and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Portrayal of Guilt, Torche), debut full-length Glacial Erratic depicts an ocean of melancholy, punctuated by triumphant swells. Its five songs unfold over the course of 37 minutes, with Caragol's rich, clean vocals soaring over icy lulls and metallic eruptions. Navigating gentle interludes, tense buildups peppered with odd time signatures, and heroic climaxes, Stoller delivers rock-solid beatings in the Bonham tradition and Caragol unfurls a spectrum of six-string magic, all in service of the songs' momentum.

Caragol states: "When I was a kid all I really cared about was metal, but around the time I was 15 or 16 I started to branch out. A big moment for me was seeing Radiohead for the first time. I had never seen a group of musicians so willing to dispense with conventions, and explore such a wide array of sounds. After that I was drawn to heavy bands that experimented with sonics, odd times, and emotive melodies; bands like Neurosis, Converge, Godspeed... I really appreciate music that pushes boundaries while maintaining a lot of feeling. I want the music we make to be ambitious, but I also want it to resonate with people emotionally."

Caragol's goal, to create music that challenges the mind whilst stirring the soul, has been realized with Glacial Erratic, an album likely to hook the ears of any fan of progressive heavy music, from Russian Circles to Cave In and beyond.

Revealing the themes at play behind the new album, Caragol states: "Most of our songs are about the ways in which human systems are failing us. Governments waging endless war. Corporations hoarding wealth and exploiting natural resources at the cost of an inhabitable planet. The abandonment and persecution of our most vulnerable populations. It’s hard to look at our civilization and not see a gaping wound. And most people bury their heads in the gutter of social media and vapid entertainment; a desperate attempt to hold onto fleeting moments of joy as the world around us falls apart."

In contrast to the grave messaging, the official music video for the album's title track sports a lighthearted, B-movie tone. Directed by renowned documentarian of Portland's metal and punk scenes, Shelby Kray, the video sees a party at a backyard skateboard ramp devolve into hallucinatory horror. Making cameos are a bevy of Semuta's hometown friends, including members of Usnea, Dark Castle, Armed for Apocalypse, Stoneburner, Nasalrod, and more. "Portland has a pretty thriving music scene," says Caragol, in regards to the video casting. "There’s a wide variety of bands, and the music community is pretty close knit."

The Glacial Erratic album artwork was created by Ashleigh Caragol, with design and layout by Justin Cory. The album follows one self-titled EP, released by the band in 2020.

Semuta has announced a string of West Coast dates for the spring, teaming up with such bands as Conan and Heiress along the way.

Apr 18 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios (w/ Conan)
May 31 - Portland, OR @ The High Water Mark (w/ Yellfire)
June 1 - Bellingham, WA @ Make Shift (w/ Melancholia)
June 2 - Seattle, WA @ The Sunset Tavern (w/ Heiress)
June 8 - Santa Rosa, CA @ Shady Oak (w/ Ex Everything)
June 9 - Oakland, CA @ The Stork Club (w/ Ex Everything)

Tracklist:
1) Toeing the Line
2) A Distant Light
3) Glacial Erratic
4) Selective Memory
5) Wounds at the Stem

Lineup:
Benjamin Caragol - guitar, bass, vocals
Ben Stoller - drums

Photos by James Rexroad

FÓRN - The Departure of Consciousness

FÓRN: funeral sludge masters reissue debut album "The Departure of Consciousness" via Persistent Vision Records; new album in the works

Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Fórn's debut album, The Departure of Consciousness, Persistent Vision Records announces its official reissue of the funeral sludge masterpiece.

Originally released in 2014 via Vendetta Recorda and Gilead Media, The Departure of Consciousness is an auspicious debut that documents this remarkable band in its earliest state.

Out June 14th, Persistent Vision's 12” vinyl release will include expanded artwork, by tattoo artist Bryan Proteau, and limited color variants.

Pre-order the LP, here:

https://persistentvisionrecords.com/products/forn-the-departure-of-consciousness-lp

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

Stream the album, here: 

https://forn.bandcamp.com/album/the-departure-of-consciousness

In the band's own words, Fórn was formed in 2012 in "a particularly dismal and harsh winter in Boston, Massachusetts" and found its initial inspiration in the sounds of Grief, Burning Witch, and Asunder. With instruments tracked by Alec Rodriguez at New Alliance, vocals tracked by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer, and mastering handled by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, debut album The Departure of Consciousness captures the raw greatness of those early days. A mix of cavernous atmosphere and gargantuan riffs, the six-track full-length plumbs the lowest depths of human misery, yet buzzes with a relentless energy that keeps the momentum flowing ever forward and holds the listener's attention with a suffocating grip.

Kim Kelly, writing for SPIN in 2015, reported: "Rarely does a debut album spring forth from the womb so fully-formed and vital as Fórn’s The Departure of Consciousness... The album’s six, tense, foreboding compositions take their cues from Thou’s poisonous sludge and funeral doom’s lightless melancholia in equal measure, and come punctuated by sparse, blood-curdling howls. Elephantine riffs like the backbone of 'Gates of the Astral Plane' feel positively cosmic in scope when subjected to this level of desperate, dire intensity. This album drags listeners into the utter depths of despair then leaves them there, alone, as the last light winks out."

Reflecting on the TDOC era, vocalist Chris Pinto states: "Our first show ever was with the mighty Floor. It was also Joey’s first show playing guitar in a band. What I remember most is that we had way, way, way too many amps, but that was kind of the point. From there, things came very quickly. I remember getting to play with Thou, Windhand, Noothgrush, Brainoil, Bell Witch and The Body around when TDOC came out and those were all highlights."

The band also famously played in a cave (located in the ruins of the historic Sutro Baths in San Francisco) in 2014, the week of the album's original release.

Pinto reveals this about the concepts at play behind the album: "The title was inspired by some pseudo research paper I came across when I was studying cognitive psychology in college. A lot of concepts for Fórn songs relate to psychology and occult philosophy. A reoccurring theme on TDOC is facing your shadow self and the negative feelings and experiences that surround that, and how it’s even worse if you don’t confront your shadow self."

In the years since TDOC, Fórn has released two more albums and a split with Yautja, and has established itself as a stalwart of the scene. With members spread now between Boston, LA, Portland and Berlin, the band confirms that a new album is in the works, to be released on Persistent Vision Records later in the year. Guitarist Joey Gonzalez gives the following statement on the upcoming new album: "It's very much a test to see what I could do with this band and how I could push our art into uncharted territories, while still feeling like we’ve maintained the identity of the band. We’re very excited to share new music with the world. In many ways it feels like a homecoming, though certain aspects of the new record are definitely going to feel otherworldly compared to our past releases."

In the meantime, the band will play select dates across the US and Canada, including stops at festivals such as Toronto's Prepare the Ground Festival (with Orchid, Liturgy, Body Void) and Cascadian Midsummer Festival (with Wolves in The Throne Room, Steve Von Till, Earth).

Tracklist:

1) Emergence

2) Dweller on the Threshold

3) Gates of the Astral Plane

4) Alexithymia

5) Suffering in the Eternal Void

6) Cerebral Intermission

Tour:
May 29 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
May 30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
Jun 1 - Toronto, ON @ Prepare The Ground Festival
Jun 2 - Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo
Jun 20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Knucklehead
Jun 21 - Bakersfield, CA @ Death Over Bakersfield
Jun 23 - Pe Ell, WA @ Cascadian Midsummer Festival

The Departure of Consciousness lineup:
Chris Pinto - vocals
Joey Gonzalez - guitar
Brandon Terzakis - guitars
Brian Barbaruolo - bass
Chris Donaldson - drums

2024 live lineup:

Chris Pinto - vocals
Joey Gonzalez - guitar, electronics

Danny Boyd - guitar

Brian Barbaruolo - bass

Lane Shi - vocals, synth

Andrew Nault - drums, electronics

Promo photo by Reid Haithcock
Live photo by Brian Pelletier

ULTRA SUNN - "You & Me"

ULTRA SUNN: Belgian "New Beat" heirs release new single "You and Me" from upcoming Artoffact Records album "US"

Belgium's ULTRA SUNN has released new single "You & Me," from its upcoming new album, US.

US will be released April 19th on Artoffact Records.

Stream the official music video for "You & Me," here:

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

Stream "You & Me," here:

https://ultrasunn.bandcamp.com/album/us

https://open.spotify.com/album/4BuaTajxHj0SuBs0UoJcIB

https://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1726038404

Pre-order the album, here: 

https://ultrasunn.bandcamp.com/album/us

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 1986 track, "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." Two of the most famous artists to come out of the scene are 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."

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. 

ULTRA SUNN's 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.

The upcoming album, US, is its debut full-length.

Souflet and Huge say this about the new single, "You & Me": "It’s probably the first love song we have written. 'You & Me' is one of our most intimate tracks. It’s a song that talks about our relationship and what we love to experience together. The verses echo our travels and places that are important to us in which we like to take refuge. The chorus sounds like something we say to each other, as if in all our experiences and favorite places, we were looking for and finding each other."

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. A slew of world touring is underway for 2024, including a stop at Sick New World Festival (Slipknot, System of a Down, Code Orange) in Las Vegas.

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

Photos by Kris Parenti

GOD MOTHER - Sinneseld

GOD MOTHER: Sweden's metallic hardcore phenom diversifies on new EP "Sinneseld"; d-beats and cowbells unite on first single "Big Things Coming"

From Stockholm, Sweden, God Mother announces the May 10th release of new EP, Sinneseld.

Pre-order the EP here: https://godmothersverige.bandcamp.com/album/sinneseld

Stream the EP's first single, "Big Things Coming," here: https://metalinjection.net/new-music/god-mother-rages-on-with-new-single-big-things-coming

With its debut album, Maktbehov, released in 2015, God Mother caught the ear of the Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman, who went on to release the band's 2017 album, Vilseledd, on his own label, Party Smasher Inc, and to give the band an opening slot on one of Dillinger's final farewell shows in New York that year.

Weinman endorsed the band with these words: "After 20 years of touring the world and playing thousands of shows with thousands of bands, it is hard to impress me. But Sweden has done it again. God Mother is an undeniable 'force majeure' that demands attention like bands did in the old days, by just being that f*cking good. Torch, officially passed!"

Pitchfork's review of Vilseledd read: "Sweden’s God Mother blend d-beat, grind, math rock, and more, contorting tradition rather than kowtowing to it... The quartet are miles ahead of their peers."

Almost five years later, 2022's Obeveklig EP was startlingly lean and mean, expressing all the pent up frustrations of the pandemic era – the sound of a chained dog released from its cage. "Converge at their most hostile," was the assessment delivered by metal blog Last Rites. European tours with Suffocation and Frontierer followed.

Returning now in 2024, God Mother is back with Sinneseld. The fourth in a series of 9-letter titles, all in the band's native Swedish, the word "sinneseld" is an archaic description of mental illness, translating to English as "mind fire." Vocalist Sebastian Campbell states: "The world has also changed a lot for the worse in the time between Obeveklig and Sinneseld. We have struggled to hold onto mental health and our sense of purpose, with the reality around us."

With the world in as fragile a state as ever, and with the band members building families in the midst of it – Campbell and guitarist Max Lindström both have children on the way and drummer Michael Dahlström just welcomed his second child – a feeling of "carpe diem" pervades Sinneseld. Where Obeveklig was lean and mean, Sinneseld sees the band exploring new musical directions, as if to say "the time is now, try everything, do it today."

Amongst Sinneseld's five tracks lies the most accessible song of the band's career, as well as the most punishing one. "It’s our most sprawling release, musically," says Campbell. "'Human+' is probably the hardest song we’ve ever written, sharing space with the rock n' roll vibe of 'Big Things Coming.'"

Unlike any other song in God Mother's catalog, "Big Things Coming" is an infectious, cowbell-heavy banger that sees Campbell trade his scream for a throaty yell. "It was fun to write and arrange something that sounded more clear and direct than what we’ve done before," he says.

Lyrically, the song skewers the artificiality of our image-based, content-driven culture, with Campbell facetiously boasting about his imaginary successes. "In a world where your self worth is based off of your ability to produce or build something, there is no weight, truth or real act," he states. "Our digital selves are just a product to consume and to convey to others how good we are."

Sinneseld was mixed by God Mother's Michael Dahlström and mastered by Cult of Luna's Magnus Lindberg (Refused, Birds in Row).

Tracklist:
1) Huddinge Blues
2) Big Things Coming
3) Breacher
4) Human+
5) Spellcraft

Lineup:
Sebastian Campbell - vocals
Max Lindström - guitar
Daniel Noring - bass
Michael Dahlström - drums
Robin Hansson - guest vocals on "Human+"

Shows:
April 13 - Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7 (w/ Cult Leader)
May 9 - Vadsø, Norway @ Valo Rock Festival

Discography:
Imitation EP (2013, self-released)

Inga Budskap Kvar EP (2013, self-released)

Maktbehov (2015, self-released)

Split EP w/ Artemis (2016, self-released)

Vilseledd (2017, Party Smasher Inc)
Obeveklig EP (2022, self-released)
Sinneseld EP (2024, self-released)

Press:

"It's easy to see why someone like Ben Weinman would speak so highly of it... Chaotic, grindy hardcore."
–BrooklynVegan

"God Mother escape easy classification. Their blend of sludge, hardcore, punk and grindcore is blistering."
–Decibel

"Converge at their most hostile."
–Last Rites

"Pummeling rapture of audio violence."
–Loudwire

"One crucial piece of chaotic, noisy hardcore."
–New Noise

"A focused blitzkrieg of hardcore, crust, and noise rock."
–No Echo

"They toggle between bone-crushing barnstormers and slow-churned stoner metal with remarkable technical proficiency... The quartet are miles ahead of their peers."
–Pitchfork

"Dillinger Escape Plan-approved spazzcore."
–Revolver

Photo by Emil Johansson

AMBLARE - "The Splits"

AMBLARE: post-hardcore powerhouse releases new single "The Splits" from upcoming self-titled debut

"The Splits," the new single from Evansville, Indiana’s Amblare, is out now.

Stream the track, here: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2024/03/14/track-premiere-amblare-the-splits/

A glorious, glistening post-hardcore song that stirs the soul with soaring vocals and walloping grooves, “The Splits” is the second single off the band's upcoming self-titled album, out April 5th on Melodic Virtue.

Decibel reports: “Amblare, the self-titled album from the band of the same name, contains the final recordings of Hum drummer Bryan St. Pere… Amblare operate in a similar territory of heavy, fuzzed-out rock that borders on shoegaze, building a moody atmosphere."

Amblare vocalist/guitarist Matt McGuyer gives this background on the song: “‘The Splits’ is about when you’re embracing your individuality to the point that you’re alienated from your circles of friends, and the loneliness that accompanies it."

Recorded at Earth Analog Recording Studio by Matt Talbott (Hum), and mixed and mastered by Mario Quintero (Spotlights), Amblare's self-titled debut is recommended highly for fans of Cave In and Failure. 

Drummer 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."

Melodic Virtue is an 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.

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

Photo by Heath Metzger

Out today: PRISONER - Putrid | Obsolete

Putrid | Obsolete, the new album by Richmond, Virginia band Prisoner, is out today on Persistent Vision Records.

Stream the album, here: https://prisoner.bandcamp.com/album/putrid-obsolete

Buy the album, here: https://persistentvisionrecords.com/collections/prisoner

Info and tourdates, here: https://thechainworld.blogspot.com/2024/02/prisoner-putridobsolete.html

"Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, heavy quintet Prisoner are a force to be reckoned with... Built on a bedrock of blackened metal and dark hardcore, Prisoner incorporate clanging industrial sounds and hints of death metal, making music that can only be described as violent."
–Decibel

"Richmond's Prisoner combines death metal, doom, crust, and industrial into a distressing, genre-mixing fusion of extreme heaviness and edginess."
–Destroy//Exist

"Like a doomier combination of Napalm Death and Godflesh, Prisoner have produced an innovative and crushingly heavy second album that is unrelenting in its grim vision of the future."
–Distorted Sound

"It's a fun album, if you're into something extremely intense and agonizing and brutal."
–Every Album Ever Podcast

"There are metal bands, there are grind bands, there are industrial bands, there are highly energetic and expressive bands, and then… there is Prisoner."

–Everything Is Noise

"Welding together crust-punk fury, industrial relentlessness and death-metal power, 'Putrid | Obsolete' is a record that clamps its metal jaws down on the listener in its opening seconds and offers barely a moment’s reprieve."
–Ghost Cult

"Emerging architects of a sonic dystopia where death metal, doom, and crust collide with industrial chill, Richmond, Virginia's Prisoner are about to unleash their second album, 'Putrid | Obsolete.'"
–Idioteq

“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.”
–Invisible Oranges

"To add a sense of churning gears to filthy death metal or punk-inflected tunes can create a sense of unease. Prisoner creates music that provides a sense of unnatural order, to music that should be all about chaos, to great effect."
–Last Rites

"[Prisoner's] brand of industrial-tinged noise and metal feels like skulls melting from insurmountable heat, brains scrambling, and our blood washing away forever... A destructive record that mirrors human behavior."
–Meat Mead Metal

"A release that evokes (for me at least) the industrial ethic of the late 80s and early 90s. Although it reminds me of that period, there is nothing here that suggests it’s a copy of that music. Within the 8 songs, there is a dizzying level of confidence in their material and whilst some moments frustrate, it’s one of the most original albums I’ve heard in a while."
–Metal Epidemic

"Prisoner’s nearest sonic compatriots at the moment are Full of Hell, and like them, I am very curious to see where Prisoner go next. It’s exciting to hear bands engaging in this kind of experimentation and hybridization because the sounds they conjure really seem to capture the nihilistic zeitgeist of our current world."
–No Clean Singing

"Raw intensity and sonic experimentation... A blend of dark, atmospheric soundscapes and blistering aggression."
–RVA Mag

"A foreboding mix of industrial corrosion and crusty hardcore, this eight-track record delivers epic condemnations that encapsulate the simmering rage and distress that has pervaded our society over the past decade. Released under the emerging Richmond label, Persistent Vision Records, this highly anticipated album arrives just in time to coincide with the intensification of the political tumult in our country..."
–The Auricular

"This is the T-1000's favorite death metal record."
–The Heavyist Podcast

"The Virginia killers bludgeon you into submission with their ferocious metal hybrid... The unrepentant Richmond crew unite death metal, doom, crust and industrial on their devastatingly heavy sophomore release."

–Tinnitist

"Channeling noise, dissonance and a shot of pure punk adrenaline into one of the most thrilling explosions of sound I’ve heard in some time."

–Treble

"This is a band who lean in hard to their darkest visions and force you to contend with the demons inside their heads whilst provoking those who live in yours. 'Putrid | Obsolete' is not easy listening, but that's not the point. The suffering is the point. The volume is the point. And above all, Prisoner is the point. Dive the fuck in."
–Two Guys Metal Reviews

"Like a car crash of industrial metal, synths and grindcore, you can pick out obvious shards of Napalm Death, Godflesh and Neurosis amongst the musical wreckage... The overall theme of the album being that of 'the horrific failure of humanity,' Prisoner have kindly provided the perfect soundtrack."

–V13

"Prisoner are a hard band to put into a neat box. The Richmond, Virginia five-piece could be described as sludge metal, crust punk, industrial metal and more besides. What can be said with certainty is that the band’s forthcoming album 'Putrid | Obsolete' makes for a convincing soundtrack to a world going up in flames."
–Whatever Comes Next Podcast

Out today: DEL JUDAS - "Angela"

DEL JUDAS returns with new single "Angela"; country-goth enigma goes bigger, bolder, brighter on first new music in six years

Stream the official music video for new single "Angela," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVD2JhI3xU

The solo project of NYC musician Charlie Schmid, Del Judas melted hearts in 2018 with debut album Deity, a dark, cinematic slice of gothic Americana, released on Primal Architecture, the label owned by Josh Strawn of Azar Swan and Blacklist. Post-Punk.com called that album “the soundtrack to a lonely drive out west… lovingly giving nods to crooning melodies of Johnny Cash, Chris Isaak, Peter Murphy.” Invisible Oranges stated: "Schmid’s voice is rendered in a Chris Isaak-like croon... a slow, nocturnal drive down the dark side of memory lane. 

Schmid is a graduate of the Aaron Copland School of Music, whose musical credits range from playing tympani in symphonies to churning out blastbeats in metal bands, but the launch of Del Judas in 2018 represented a reimagining of his most fundamental influences from childhood – icons of early rock n' roll and country, from Cash to Roy Orbison.

Officially released March 15th, new single “Angela” is the first new Del Judas music in six years. Where 2018's Deity album existed in a shadowy, post-punk realm, "Angela" sees a bigger, bolder, brighter version of Del Judas emerging. Schmid states: "I would characterize the new material as the outcome of a psychic rebirth. I’ve taken a lot of time to meditate and contemplate who I want to be as a person and as an artist since the release of my last record. I was in a dark place back then, which is why Deity was such a dark record. The upcoming material has some dark undertones of course, but ultimately reveals itself as more playful and revelatory."

Recorded by John Ried and mixed and mastered by Dustin Cicero, "Angela" is an instantly infectious track whose moody verses explode into an iconic chorus, calling to mind the wistful hooks of Dire Straits' heyday, among other things. “The song is about love and loss," says Schmid. "A snapshot in time from a summer spent upstate.”

New Noise Magazine reports: "While ‘Deity’ was a darker, atmospheric, post-punk affair, the new work from Del Judas is moving in a brighter direction. With the moody, bluesy style of Dire Straits on the verses and an almost power pop chorus, ‘Angela’ brings a sense of hope to the gloom."

Schmid reveals how his day job has helped guide the evolution of the Del Judas persona: "Now I sing professionally as a crooner for an entertainment company and play guitar and percussion for private events as well. That's how I earn my living. I feel that if it wasn’t for this shift in my career, I wouldn’t have transitioned into making the music I’m making now. I’m a firm believer that you end up sounding like who you’re surrounded by, and I can say with confidence that dressing up in a gold blazer and singing the shit out of Frank Sinatra has forged a new version of me."

A new full-length album is in the works now, promising to push even farther in this new direction. Schmid describes the new songs as "melodically dramatic, with overtones of country-western infused with the baroque pop excesses of the 1960s." 

Stay tuned for updates on the new album and Del Judas' next live performances.

Photo by Jaka Vinšek

KING YOSEF - "Mist of Pain" b/w "Dredge"

KING YOSEF: industrial-metal phenom drops new tracks "Mist of Pain" and "Dredge"; US tour with HEALTH continues; European tourdates announced

Currently ripping across the US on tour with HEALTH, industrial-metal phenom King Yosef has released two new tracks from his recent sessions with producers Kurt Ballou (Converge, Nails) and Steve Evetts (Sepultura, The Dillinger Escape Plan).

"Mist of Pain" showcases the lethal, metallic side of King Yosef's musical persona, described by Revolver Magazine as "the perfect midpoint between Godflesh and Jesus Piece."

"Dredge" is a moody rocker that cruises forward with soaring hooks, as infectious as the best of the early-2000s loud rock anthems.

Stream the new tracks here: https://kingyosef.bandcamp.com/album/mist-of-pain-dredge

Following Yosef's US tour with HEALTH, he will head to Europe for a short tour, including a slot on the esteemed Roadburn Festival (with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Chelsea Wolfe, Cult Leader, and more.)

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 Oregon 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.

HEALTH, Pixel Grip, King Yosef - US Tour:

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

KING YOSEF - European Tour:

April 17 - London, UK @ The Black Heart
April 19 - Tilburg, NL @ Roadburn Festival
April 22 - Paris, FR @ Petit Bain
April 24 - Berlin, DE @ Lido
April 25 - Oslo, NO @ Vaterland

Photo by Harper King

DEL JUDAS - "Angela"

DEL JUDAS: "country-goth" enigma announces new single "Angela"; first new music in six years

The solo project of NYC musician Charlie Schmid, Del Judas melted hearts in 2018 with his debut album, Deity, a dark, cinematic slice of gothic Americana, released on Primal Architecture, the label owned by Josh Strawn of Azar Swan and Blacklist.

Post-Punk.com called that album “the soundtrack to a lonely drive out west… lovingly giving nods to crooning melodies of Johnny Cash, Chris Isaak, Peter Murphy.”

Invisible Oranges stated: "Schmid’s voice is rendered in a Chris Isaak-like croon... A slow, nocturnal drive down the dark side of memory lane.

Coming Friday, March 15th, new single “Angela” is the first new Del Judas music in six years.

Schmid teases the following info: "I would characterize the new material as the outcome of a psychic rebirth... The upcoming material has some dark undertones of course, but ultimately reveals itself as more playful and revelatory. Now I sing professionally as a crooner for an entertainment company and play guitar and percussion for private events as well. That's how I earn my living. I can say with confidence that dressing up in a gold blazer and singing the shit out of Frank Sinatra has forged a new version of me."

This week, he appeared on the great Vinyl & Vision podcast, to discuss his return: https://www.psychicstatic.net/podcast/episode/1f3ea4e9/vandv-episode-115-charlie-schmiddel-judas-and-chris-isaaks-silvertone

Photo by Jaka Vinšek

Out today: KONTRAVOID - Detachment

Detachment, the new album by Kontravoid, is out today on Artoffact Records.

Stream the album and buy it, here:

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

Stream the "Losing Game" music video (feat. Nuovo Testamento's Chelsey Crowley), here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHU6-jqEowo 

Stream the "Reckoning" music video, here: 

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

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. Following select West Coast and Mexico shows in February and March 2024, he will embark on a full European tour in April and May.

"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... In his new album 'Detachment,' he presents a unique blend of infectious body music, electro, freestyle and gothic nuances."
–The Brvtalist

"Established in 2012, Kontravoid is the creative endeavor of the enigmatic figure Cameron Findlay, originally hailing from Canada and presently rooted in Los Angeles. Moving within the realms of dark synthpop, darkwave, synthwave and hard techno, Kontravoid prepares for the release of the new album 'Detachment.' ['Reckoning'] pulsates with industrialized intensity, evoking a palpable sense of agitation, while the visuals contribute to an immersive, nearly nightmarish ambiance."
–Destroy//Exist

"Kontravoid has always been a bit of a chameleon in his respective subgenre. With his patented white mask, Kontravoid has presented dark and dirty club bangers, introspective space wandering downtempo reflections, and weary late night anthems to fuel whatever debauchery you find yourself in... The ten tracks that make up 'Detachment' are everything we could expect from Kontravoid, and shows growth and further development into realms he’s exploring. It’s a pressured thrillride, and catharsis that gives just enough pop melodic bliss for all the night creatures out there."
–Everything Is Noise

"Cam Findlay aka Kontravoid is the endboss of modern electronic darkwave, and the announcement of the forthcoming LP 'Detachment' via Artoffact already had us pretty amped. Then the video for 'Reckoning' dropped last week and things got real wild. Even before you get to the visual aspect of the clip, the vocal distortion and processing, hard body music bass and rhythm programming has the song earmarked for club play..."

–I Die: You Die

"Since launching in 2012, Cameron Findlay, the Canadian-born, LA-based talent behind Kontravoid, has carved out a unique niche within the dark pop and electronic music landscape, blending goth and rave elements under a captivating masked persona. With 'Detachment,' Kontravoid leans into influences of freestyle and electro, merging them with a modern EBM sound, marking an evolution in his decade-long journey."
–Idioteq

"The masked maestro has saddled up once more, emerging from the depths of his electronic enclave, brandishing a new arsenal of diabolically dark delights. With his enigmatic visage at the forefront, he’s riding a jet ski through hell, straight into the heart of the electronic music maelstrom with his latest full-length offering, 'Detachment.'"
–Post-Punk

"['Detachment'] sees the Canadian, L.A.-based artist continuing to pursue a signature blend of dark, catchy melodies with gothic atmospheres and gritty electronics."
–ReGen

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