Out today: BRONSON ARM - Casket Schwagg

Casket Schwagg, the sophomore album by Bronson Arm, is out today on Learning Curve Records.

From Kalamazoo, Michigan, Bronson Arm consists solely of baritone guitarist/vocalist Blake Bickel and drummer Garrett Yates. Ominous like Sonic Youth, explosive like Fugazi, the duo delivers austere anthems that swell with tension and burst with cathartic hooks. 

Casket Schwagg was mixed by Brandon Eggleston (Swans, Helmet). Across nine hard-rocking songs, Bickel and Yates fully mesmerize with a mix of martial rhythms, doomy tones, and euphoric melodies. 

Stream and buy the album, here: https://bronsonarm.bandcamp.com/album/casket-schwagg

"'Casket Schwagg' is a strong return which showcases Bronson Arm hitting their stride. The band finely fuses weight, rhythm, and tension into a compelling sound which grabs attention from the very first listen."
–Destroy//Exist

"Bronson Arm, the noise rock minimalists, have got a new album coming out called 'Casket Schwagg.'"
–Getting It Out

"Blake Bickel’s baritone guitar churns like a machine chewing gravel, Garrett Yates’ drums slam down with cold precision, and Bickel’s voice rises above, sharp and unyielding."
–Idioteq

"Kalamazoo noise duo Bronson Arm are ready to serve up some surprisingly catchy noise rock on their upcoming sophomore album 'Casket Schwagg'... Consisting of baritone guitarist and vocalist Blake Bickel and drummer Garrett Yates, the group packs a huge punch with just two members."
–New Noise

"Michigan’s Bronson Arm dazzled with their self titled debut only a year ago and are back with a bigger, bolder, and more aggressive beast on 'Casket Schwagg'... This is noise rock for those who love the genre but also for those who are adventurous and enjoy hearing something fresh and new."
–Nine Circles

"One of the things that makes me happy, when I'm listening to the album... I go, 'You know what this sounds like? This sounds like a Bronson Arm record.' It's a fresh set of songs, but it's a fresh set of songs by a band whose sound I like and I recognize."
–Whatever Comes Next 

Out today: TONGUECUTTER - Minnow

Minnow, the new album by Tonguecutter, is out today on Learning Curve Records.

The trio, based in Iggy Pop's hometown of Muskegon, Michigan, delivers intense and unorthodox punk-metal bangers – equal parts riot grrrl and thrash. Boasting jubilant riffage, prog tendencies, and almighty howling rage, DRI, Voivod, and Babes in Toyland are all valid reference points. Vocalist/guitarist Chantal Roeske is a formidable bandleader with a soaring voice and a propensity for odd time signatures, whose path in music began more than 30 years ago; Minnow puts her passion and talent on full display.

Stream the music video for "Big 'Ol Tree," a song which Roeske describes as "an ode to bodily autonomy for women," here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2xNvXlV95M

Stream the album, here:
https://www.scenepointblank.com/news/records/2025/05/01/spb-featured-stream-tonguecutter-minnow/

Buy the album, here: 

https://tonguecutter.bandcamp.com/album/minnow

"Blending the heavier side of grunge with powerful guitars and dynamic vocals, the band's sound is both intense and hard hitting, delivering an electrifying energy that demands attention."
–Destroy//Exist

"This album has been over 30 years in the making. Well, not literally... What I mean is, we don’t get to 'Minnow' by Tonguecutter without first going through Hole, DRI, maybe a little Soundgarden and Cave In, definitely a bit of Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill... For something to so expertly call back to memories and the past without getting lost in itself is praiseworthy alone – stack fierce and emblematic writing and performances on top of it and you have an album representing the best 2025 has to offer."
–Everything Is Noise

"[Tonguecutter] is a trio from Muskegon, MI, with a sound that is heavy and aggressive... A myriad of influences sneak into the songs, sometimes mixing up time signatures and drawing from thrash to riot grrrl to punk and noise rock."
–Scene Point Blank

Out today: PLQ MRX - Cumgitsum

Cumgitsum, the debut EP by PLQ MRX, is out today.

From Philadelphia, PLQ MRX is a motley (and often, masked) crew rumored to include members affiliated with Swans, Unsane, Ecstatic Vision, Author & Punisher, and more. The sound is a raw, grimy, sludgy brand of punk with an acid-fried aesthetic. Reference points include Flipper, Butthole Surfers, and Chat Pile... but the band members prefer to credit Funkadelic as an influence.

Stream the EP, here:
https://plqmrx.bandcamp.com/album/cumgitsum

Buy the EP, here:
US: https://reptilianrecords.bandcamp.com/
EU: https://totemcatrecords.bigcartel.com/
Canada: https://fuzzedandbuzzed.com/

Shows:
April 26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie (w/ Season to Risk)
April 27 - Queens, NY @ TV Eye (w/ Season to Risk)

"There once was a group of Philly noise rockers called Plaque Marks... Plaque Marks are gone but PLQ MRX have risen to take their place, pushing the band’s raucous noise rock in new, Funkadelic-inspired directions."
–Decibel

"A sludgy, psychedelic-tinged brand of punk, laced with rich instrumentation, infectious grooves, and a wild unpredictability."
–Destroy//Exist

"Enter PLQ MRX's bizarre circus of deviance... 'Cumgitsum' is a bizarre ode to bands like Butthole Surfers, Flipper and, to some extent, Don Van Vliet’s works. This is all contained within the package that includes various references to drug use and the dark side of what clowns can be."
–Invisible Oranges

"Emerging from the back alleys of Philadelphia’s noise rock underbelly, PLQ MRX is a masked collective of sonic delinquents who sound like Flipper got lost in a Funkadelic bender... If noise rock is entering a more performative, psychedelic phase, PLQ MRX are here to set the stage on fire, douse it in cough syrup, and sell the ashes as merch."
–It's Psychedelic Baby

"This is some twisted, heavy, and acid-damaged 'noise' rock. In an age where most bands give you the bare minimum, or routine formulas, it’s refreshing to hear a band that goes all-out in pursuit of their vision, especially when it is something as out-there as this one."

–New Noise

JOLIETTE - Pérdidas Variables

JOLIETTE: Mexico City post-hardcore dynamo to deliver new album "Pérdidas Variables" via Persistent Vision Records

Persistent Vision Records announces the June 20th release of Pérdidas Variables, the new album by Mexico City post-hardcore band Joliette.

Pre-order the album, here: https://persistentvisionrecords.com/products/joliette-perdidas-variables-lp

Stream the album's first single, "Nimbus," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX1kfOQwEjI

Described by BrooklynVegan as "a raw-yet-beautiful dose of screamo," Joliette has been a force in the Mexican scene since 2011, playing shows with the likes of Converge and Touché Amoré, and releasing music on labels such as Zegema Beach Records. 

On the upcoming new album, Pérdidas Variables, the band's debut for Persistent Vision, the quartet takes the urgency of scene heroes like Saetia and Raein and laces it with the brooding, post-metal grandeur of Neurosis or Cult of Luna. While some bands in the genre use sloppiness as their medium, wielding chaos to convey emotional fragility, Joliette moves as steadily as a freight train. The rhythm section of Hugo Madrid and Matías Acuña bangs and growls in perfect, propulsive unity, while the guitars of Gastón Prado and Juan Pablo Castillo combine into apocalyptic storm clouds of sound. 

Screaming in his native Spanish, Gastón Prado's earnest voice transcends language barriers. Loud in the mix, his raspy pleas demands attention as they transmit universal angst.

Pérdidas Variables is an album inspired by Joliette's hometown. "It’s a meditation on Mexico City," states Juan Pablo Castillo, "as both a physical space and a psychological one, a place constantly shifting under your feet, full of layers, ruins, and noise. The lyrics are rooted in very real fears, earthquakes, collapse, systems failing, but they’re also about the quiet, daily sense of disconnection and mourning that urban life can bring. Each song looks at a different fragment of that experience."

Castillo gives this statement on the album's first single: "'Nimbus' explores the quiet, almost hypnotic beauty of a rainy night in the city. It’s about how the rain blurs the line between the external world and the internal, creating a sense of isolation and introspection. The song captures that moment when the city feels both distant and close, as the rain transforms the landscape into something dreamlike. It’s a meditation on the passage of time, memories, and how everything seems to fade into a soft, gray atmosphere."

Pérdidas Variables was recorded by Matías Acuña and Fernando G. Esteve, mixed by Hugo Madrid, and mastered by Paolo Riffo.

In addition to performing relentlessly across its native Mexico, Joliette has traveled the world, touring Europe, Central America, South America, the United States, and Canada. An extensive European tour kicks off April 30th.

Based in Richmond, Virginia, Persistent Vision Records is quickly making a name as a beacon of compelling sounds from across the globe. Joliette joins Habak as the second Mexican band on the label. Other recent releases include albums by Pageninetynine, La Quiete, Blind Girls, and Fórn. Persistent Vision founder Paul Hansbarger is also co-founder of Dark Days Bright Nights, an annual music festival whose upcoming 2025 lineup boasts City of Caterpillar, Uniform, Sleepytime Trio, Dazzling Killmen, and more.

Tracklist:
1) Todos Pierden
2) Arsénico
3) Limítrofe
4) Cielo Sordo
5) L'uomo Mangia la Mela
6) Pérdida Variable
7) Nimbus
8) Gris Protagónico

Lineup:
Gastón Prado - guitar, vocals
Juan Pablo Castillo - guitar
Hugo Madrid - bass, synth
Matías Acuña - drums

Guests:
Almendra Gallegos - vocals on "Pérdida Variable"

Tour:
Apr 30 - Hilversum, NL @ Vonk In De Wijk
May 01 - Hamburg, DE @ Gängeviertel
May 03 - Gothenburg, SE @ Sekten
May 07 - Jonkoping, SE @ Kulturhuset
May 10 - Odense, DK @ Ilter Festival
May 12 - Berlin, DE @ Neue Zukunft
May 13 - Bamberg, DE @ Autumn Kids
May 15 - Vienna, AT @ Venster99
May 16 - Venezia, IT @ Venezia Hardcore Fest
May 17 - Munich, DE @ Kafe Kult
May 18 - Wiesbaden, DE @ Kreativfabrik
May 19 - Trier, DE @ VillaWuller
May 20 - Metz, FR @ La Chouee
May 22 - Norwich, UK @ Voodoo Daddy’s
May 23 - Nottingham, UK @ JT Soar
May 24 - London, UK @ Portals Festival
May 25 - Bristol, UK @ Exchange Basement
May 27 - Paris, FR @ Le Klub
May 28 - Aromas, FR @ A la Vieille Ecole
May 29 - Cassano d´Adda, IT @ Solidar Rock Fest
May 30 - Zurich, CH @ Ebrietas

Cover art by Daniela Vergara

BRONSON ARM - "To Live Deliciously"

BRONSON ARM: noise rock minimalists condemn con men on new single "To Live Deliciously"; Tonguecutter's Chantal Roeske stars in official music video

The official music video for new Bronson Arm track “To Live Deliciously” is streaming now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADfXk2k3sWY

From Kalamazoo, Michigan, Bronson Arm consists solely of baritone guitarist/vocalist Blake Bickel and drummer Garrett Yates. Ominous like Sonic Youth, explosive like Fugazi, the duo delivers austere anthems that swell with tension and burst with cathartic hooks.

Sophomore album Casket Schwagg was mixed by Brandon Eggleston (Swans, Helmet) and will be released May 9th via Learning Curve Records. Across nine hard-rocking songs, Bickel and Yates fully mesmerize with a mix of martial rhythms, doomy tones, and euphoric melodies. Pre-order the album, here: https://bronsonarm.bandcamp.com/album/casket-schwagg

The "To Live Deliciously" video features fellow Michigan rocker Chantal Roseke of Tonguecutter in the role of a surprisingly violent karaoke performer.

Bickel says this about the new song: “This track is a condemnation of all con men. A scornful rant of contempt and a rally cry to burn it down. Intentionally short and repetitive, to drive the simple message home.”

May 15 - Kalamazoo, MI - Bell’s Back Room
May 16 - Minneapolis, MN - Cloudland Theatre
May 17 - Milwaukee, WI - MKE Ultra
June 07 - Michigan City, IN - Burn ’Em Brewing

Photos by Brady Olson

TONGUECUTTER - "Dust Collector"

TONGUECUTTER: thrash and riot grrrl influences shine on Michigan power trio's new single "Dust Collector"

Tonguecutter has released "Dust Collector," the new single from the band's upcoming debut full-length, Minnow.

Stream the "Dust Collector" music video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czPUNrWrd9s

Pre-order the album, out May 2nd on Learning Curve Records, here: https://tonguecutter.bandcamp.com/album/minnow

A power trio hailing from the remote lakeshore town of Muskegon, Michigan, Tonguecutter initiates a spectacular collision of thrash and grunge on Minnow. Meaty riffage and sly rhythmic shifts lay a base over which vocalist/guitarist Chantal Roeske lets loose an irradiant display of angst. The jubilant riffage of Suicidal Tendencies, the progressive bent of Voivod, and the almighty howling rage of Hole are all present. But the real greatness lies in Roeske's melodic sensibility, as a singer and songwriter, with each song taking unexpected twists and blooming with unforeseen hooks.

A recent review from Destroy//Exist reads: "Blending the heavier side of grunge with powerful guitars and dynamic vocals, the band's sound is both intense and hard hitting, delivering an electrifying energy that demands attention."

The second single to be released from Minnow, "Dust Collector" is a stomping thrasher crowned by Roeske's soaring vocals. Roseke reveals that the song is an ode to a maternal figure from her past: "I wrote the lyrics for 'Dust Collector' about my first neighbor as a young adult, Mary Beth. She was a hell of a character and taught me how to cover up the taste of alcohol with rum, and treat cat wounds. The song represents those weird neighbors that are protectors of wild youth."

Roeske's musical journey goes back more than 30 years. "I started my first band as a teenager in 1994, with influences like DRI, Anthrax and Babes in Toyland," she states. "It was fast as hell but had a lot of grunge and riot grrrl flavor."

A town of only 40,000 people, Tonguecutter's base of Muskegon possesses a wealth of punk lore. It is the birthplace of James Osterberg, Jr., a.k.a. Iggy Pop, and it was the home of The Disappointments, a unit that served as GG Allin's backing band for a stretch in the late 1980s. Today, Tonguecutter thrives amidst a Michigan scene that includes bands such as Cloud Rat and Bronson Arm.

Photo by Viki Stark

HEAVY HALO - "Failure."

HEAVY HALO: alt-industrial dream team delivers new single "Failure."; music video pays tribute to computer viruses of the 1990s

Alt-industrial dream team Heavy Halo has revealed "Failure.," the new single from its forthcoming album, Damaged Dream.

Stream the official music video for "Failure." – consisting entirely of footage of actual computer viruses from the 1990s, bearing ominous names such as Crucifixion, Fear, Ithaqua, Morphine, and Possessed – here: https://youtu.be/IKeg0-36ZNU

Vocalist McKeever gives this statement about the new single: "'Failure.' is the heaviest and most severe song on Damaged Dream. It’s about how nihilism is a cognitive virus that spreads when your ideals shatter at the hands of cold reality. When you watch everyone you know suffer at various points in their lives you have to face the wreckage of your own innocence. So once that’s gone, what do you have left? Well there’s power and resilience in desperation and catharsis. For us, we’re just trying to write our way out of hell. Creating in spite of the void is its own victory."

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Heavy Halo is the duo of McKeever and producer Gosteffects. Working out of Spellsound Studios, located inside a historic, 19th-century Brooklyn hospital building, the pair meld metallic guitars, frenetic beats, and yearning vocals into industrialized alt-rock anthems for the next generation. New album Damaged Dream will be released July 25th on Silent Pendulum Records.

Revolver Magazine has praised Heavy Halo's "chunky riffs and EBM-panicked beatwork" and "nihilistic yet melodic vocals about diving headfirst into the chaos that surrounds us every day."

Post-Punk.com recently delivered this assessment of the band's sound: "Built on a backbone of industrial-techno rhythms, its serrated guitars slash through raw electronics, a collision of sweat and circuitry... a machine with a beating heart, nodding to Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM with the raw urgency of Smashing Pumpkins and the aching howl of The Cure. The ghosts of ‘90s rebellion flicker in its DNA, yet its spirit is welded to the digital age, where raw emotion fuses with cold machinery. In this, Heavy Halo also finds kinship with HEALTH and Poppy, reveling in that chaotic crossroads where flesh meets electric power."

Pre-order Damaged Dream, here: https://silentpendulumrecords.com/collections/heavy-halo

Photo by Tori McGraw