Lux Tenebris, the first new material from Italy’s THE SECRET in six years, will see release next week through Southern Lord, and Invisible Oranges is now streaming the scathing EP in its entirety
THE SECRET ends the extensive period of decay since their 2012-released Agnus Dei LP with Lux Tenebris, the EP delivering the most oppressive, blackened scourge from the band yet. Following three years without communication between members, the band regrouped under the same roof for the first time since 2015 to record this three-song act in sonic exploration of the theme of the sepulchre.
With their advance stream of the EP, Invisible Oranges offers in part, “The three songs on Lux Tenebris are the first from the band since 2012’s Agnus Dei and as such they serve as more of a reintroduction to THE SECRET than a continuation of their previous releases… THE SECRET are a more patient band in 2018, but only in their willingness to let parts develop at a steadier pace. If anything, their raw speed has increased.”

Stream THE SECRET’s Lux Tenebris EP at Invisible Oranges RIGHT HERE.
Southern Lord will issue THE SECRET‘s Lux Tenebris as part of the label’s special twentieth anniversary subscription series on August 31st with a small portion of the pressing to be available via label direct mailorder. The 12″ vinyl pressing bears the three tracks on the A-side, with a silkscreened B-side; the EP will also be released on all digital platforms. Find preorders at the label webstore HERE, European store HERE, and Bandcamp HERE.

The twenty-minute Lux Tenebris EP sees THE SECRET abandoning the minimalistic approach of the previous two albums, the band expanding its sound by adding more layered and textural guitar work to the primordial destructive aggression that distinguished the Solve Et Coagula and Agnus Dei LPs. While still physical and confrontational, these songs show no concern for mortality and forget time and deterioration, creating new room for resonation and atmosphere. Lux Tenebris is an ode to the eternal night suspended beyond life and death. The signature sound of the band is pushed to its extreme by further developing the black metal and doom influences reminiscent of Southern Lord mid-2000s catalog, showcasing THE SECRET as one of Italy’s undeniably darkest bands in existence once again. Lux Tenebris was recorded by Steve Scanu and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege and completed with a cover illustration and layout by View From The Coffin.
For review copies of Lux Tenebris and coverage of THE SECRET in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com, in Italy contact luca.pessina@anubipress.com, all others contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.
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Just days ahead of the Southern Lord release of Only Self, the anxiously awaited debut LP from Philadelphia’s metallic hardcore outfit, JESUS PIECE, Revolver Magazine is hosting an exclusive early stream of the entire album. JESUS PIECE is quickly developing a reputation as one of the heaviest, most uncompromising acts both on record and on the stage. With the brutalizing grooves of Disembodied, Turmoil, Harm’s Way, and labelmates Xibalba, the band incorporates elements of noise, ominous tones, and haunting atmospheres into their dynamic songwriting. With crushing, modern production, the eleven new tracks on their Only Self debut LP place JESUS PIECE among the scene’s darkest and heaviest acts and delivers one of the most anxiously-awaited albums of the hardcore/metal underground this year with Only Self, a record which proves itself as one of the year’s most vicious releases.
Only Self was recorded in Chicago at Bricktop Recording Studio with Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos, Like Rats, Dead In The Dirt) mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Integrity, Nails, Xibalba), and completed with artwork by Dom Pabon.
Revolver notes of Only Self, “Through clenched teeth, vocalist Aaron Heard sounds like an unhinged animal, ferociously tearing through drop tuning, d-beats, blasts and exaggerated breakdowns to create the ideal pied piper to lead us all down this path of hate and frustration.

Musically, JESUS PIECE borrows from a thousand different sources in their approach, avoiding many of the modern tropes and sticking to influences like Buried Alive, Disembodied, Craft, Nasum, Cursed, doom metal, and more in their hateful approach to the genre.”

Hear JESUS PIECE tear a hole in the sky; stream Only Self at Revolver Magazine RIGHT HERE.

Southern Lord will release Only Self on CD, LP, and digital formats this Friday, August 24th. Find physical preorder options at the label shop HERE and digital at Bandcamp HERE, iTunes HERE, and through all other digital providers.

JESUS PIECE has toured mercilessly alongside Darkest Hour, Comeback Kid, Burn, Knocked Loose, Terror, Vein, Year Of The Knife, and many more across North America and Europe over the past year, and just made their vicious return to This Is Hardcore. The band has confirmed a hometown release show for the LP, this Sunday, August 26th with Horror Show and more. Watch for new tour dates forJESUS PIECE to continually to be announced throughout the year in support of Only Self.

JESUS PIECE:
8/30/2018 Ortlieb’s – Philadelphia, PA *Only Self release show w/ Horror Show, Raw Force [info]

A band which works tirelessly to play to everyone they can, the anthems of JESUS PIECE tackle topics of personal struggle and loss, to socio-political matters including racism, police brutality, and other injustices. The band formed in 2015 and self-released their first demo/EP in the same year, followed by a self-released EP in the Summer of 2016. Bridge Nine Records released a split 7″ between JESUS PIECE and Malice At The Palace in early 2017. The band has paved their own way into the national scene by booking multiple headlining coast-to-coast tours among many bouts of regional touring and performances at notable festivals including This Is Hardcore, Nature World Fest, Sound And Fury, FYA Fest, and others.

For review copies of Only Self and interviews/coverage of JESUS PIECE in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and internationally contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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Salt Lake City-based duo EAGLE TWIN has announced a European tour this Autumn in support of their third album, The Thundering Heard (Songs Of Hoof And Horn), out now via Southern Lord. The tour begins in Utrecht, Netherlands October 4th and runs through October 14th, ending at Antwerp Desert Fest in Antwerp, Belgium.

EAGLE TWIN‘s commanding sound delivers like a tectonic force, where doom and blues collide. Gentry Densley’s dominating low-end vocal tone is like an instrument in itself, rumbling alongside towering riffs, and Tyler Smith’s powerful rhythmic propulsion. It is a compelling combination, particularly when you add melodious bluesy romp to the equation. Equally prevailing are the stories that shape EAGLE TWIN‘s musical output, drawing upon folklore, and strongly informed by recent happenings in the world. Observing our relationship to nature, and the band’s own surroundings in the dead salt seas of Utah are themes that feature frequently across their musical canon. The Thundering Heard continues where the previous album, The Feather Tipped The Serpent’s Scale ended.

The Thundering Heard is available on LP, CD, and digital formats through Southern Lord; find physical order options HERE and digital at Bandcamp HERE.

EAGLE TWIN European Tour Dates [event page]:
10/04/2018 dB’s – Utrecht, NL
10/05/2018 Høstsabbat Festival – Oslo, NO
10/06/2018 Hot Alte Bude – Madgeburg, DE
10/07/2018 Hühnermanhattan – Halle, DE
10/08/2018 Klub 007 Strahov – Prague, CZ
10/09/2018 Channel Zero – Lubjiana, SI
10/10/2018 Circolo Kroen – Verona, IT
10/11/2018 Kraken – Milano, IT
10/12/2018 Le Bal Doom Doom 3 – Lyon, FR
10/13/2018 Olympic Cafè – Paris, FR
10/14/2018 Antwerp Desert Fest – Antwerp, BE

“Gentry Densley sings in a squelchy growl like he’s doubled over clutching his gut, and his riffs project a similar kind of nausea. Along with Tyler Smith’s expansive, often cinematic percussion, Densley spins myths of the terrifying inhabitants of the (super)natural world: birds that seem prehistoric, wolves whose very presence feel like an omen, snakes that morph into antlers.” – Pitchfork

“the music is viscerally accessible, and deeply cathartic. It’s tempting to associate the record with the chaotic present day, but the record had essentially already been recorded as long as two years ago.” – Noisey

“They take the best of blues and doom and combine them into something that is slow, epic, focused and downright unique. Their most recent offering, A Thundering Heard, builds on the awesome sound they already established and takes things to the next level. 5/5” – New Noise Magazine

“Absolutely mesmerising…Continues their fantastical animalistic folkloric/mythic/poetic narrative with a noted switch in elemental milieu: the celestial, although still present to a degree, has been replaced by the terrestrial…Eagle Twin has carved out their own rift canyon dreams, and proves once again to be one of the most unique acts in the extreme music pantheon.” – Zero Tolerance

“Balancing heaviness, melody and expansiveness in order to take the listener on a journey.” – Louder Than War

“The Utah duo’s aggregate of dustbowl Americana, Tom Waits blues clank and Sleep/Melvins-level doom riffs felt heavy as shit and twice as fresh…unrelenting triumphant doom which feels implausible coming from a two-piece… arguably the fantastical visions this music inspired speak volumes about its vastness.” – The Wire

“Comprised of labyrinthine movements and buck harder than a spooked Clydesdale…This album’s balance of heft and hooks makes for a great entry point for those unfamiliar, while longtime devotees will undoubtedly find themselves kneeling at this duo’s antler-festooned altar of doom once again.” – Metal Hammer

Worcester, Massachusetts crossover outfit HIGH COMMAND is out on the Summer Annihilation MMXVIII Tour across the Eastern US and Canada this week. The band is working on their debut LP which is set for release through Southern Lord upon its completion.

Surging with the strength of the early US thrash and crossover scene, HIGH COMMAND projects a scathing display of scorched earth vocals and spiraling divebomb riffs, soaked in napalm leads, and percussive devastation. With competitive and fantasy-inspired lyrical scourge, the band drives their message forth with might and conviction. The raw barbarity of HIGH COMMAND‘s crushing early recordings caught the ear of Southern Lord who hunted the band down and now has them locked and loaded for the release of their debut LP. Writing for the new record commenced in the autumn of 2017, and the album will be completed in the coming months and released by early 2019. Stand by for further missives on the band’s impending aural assault.

HIGH COMMAND is storming across the North American continent on the Summer Annihilation MMXVIII, with two shows in Ontario this week before they cross back into the Midwest US and crush south into the Southeastern states and back up the East Coast, the final show hitting Brooklyn on August 26th.

Watch for additional tour dates and more info on their debut album to be issued over the months ahead.

HIGH COMMAND Summer Annihilation MMXVIII:
8/10/2018 The Dom – Ottawa, ON
8/11/2018 Coalition – Toronto, ON
8/12/2018 The Fireside Inn, Detroit MI
8/13/2018 Chi Town Futbol – Chicago, IL
8/14/2018 Spacebar – Columbus, OH
8/15/2018 Best Friends Bar – Lexington, KY
8/17/2018 Radio Café – Nashville, TN
8/18/2018 Rock House Live – Memphis, TN
8/19/2018 Santos Bar – New Orleans, LA
8/20/2018 Firehouse – Birmingham, AL
8/21/2018 529 Bar – Atlanta, GA
8/23/2018 Strange Matter – Richmond, VA
8/24/2018 The Pinch – Washington, DC
8/25/2018 Lava Space – Philadelphia, PA
8/26/2018 St Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY

The brainchild of guitarist Ryan McArdle and vocalist Kevin Fitzgerald, HIGH COMMAND began in rebellion to the brutal winter months, yet quickly spiraled into a full-bore killing machine, initiating the recruitment of like-minded area friends, the lineup fleshed-out by guitarist Mike Bonetti, bassist Chris Berg, and drummer Ryan Pitz. The bandrecorded The Secartha Demos at The Paincave with Chris Corey (Mind Eraser, Magic Circle, No Tolerance, Innumerable Forms) and had it mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (From Ashes Rise, Integrity, Obituary) after which it saw release through Haftvad Records, the label issuing, “With razor-sharp metallic riffs, pure punk adrenaline, and an original Sword and Sorcery theme, HIGH COMMAND delivers a demo of skull crushing fantasy violence and aggressive atmosphere. If the brutal literary worlds of Robert E. Howard and Karl Edward Wagner manifested in the musical form of Sodom, Mercyful Fate, Integrity, and Cro-Mags, The Secartha Demos would likely be the result. For those who live for the lust of battle and music that bludgeons with the fury of a spiked-mace.” The label then issued the two-song The Primordial Void 7″ shortly after.

Decibel Magazine called the band, “A brawny and narrative-driven kind of crossover, draped in outlandish lore, taking zero prisoners,” and No Clean Singing offered, “It’s a powerhouse dose of crossover thrash that’s thoroughly galvanizing when the pedal is to the metal, and hits hard enough to rupture organs in the mercilessly grim slower sections.”

For coverage of HIGH COMMAND in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompoud.com and elsewhere contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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Philadelphia’s JESUS PIECE premieres their new single “Punish” through Cvlt Nation, as the band’s Only Self debut LP nears release later this month via Southern Lord.

Only Self was recorded in Chicago at Bricktop Recording Studio with Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos, Like Rats, Dead In The Dirt) mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Integrity, Nails, Xibalba), and completed with artwork by Dom Pabon.

With the premiere of “Punish,” Cvlt Nation declares, “It was a long wait for a full length from JESUSPIECE. This record was absolutely worth the wait. Only Self is hardcore music at its finest. The songwriting, the metallic production, the lyrical content – it’s all so cohesive. When I first learned who JP was, I was glued to the internet for a few weeks watching live videos of a band that is uncompromisingly heavy. It’s a beautiful thing when a band’s live reputation stacks up to their album. This release is the next chapter in what will hopefully be a reign of unending terror for years to come.”

JESUS PIECE vocalist Aaron Heard simply offers, “‘Punish’ is aggression.”

Stream “Punish” from JESUS PIECE at THIS LOCATION.

Southern Lord will release Only Self on CD, LP, and digital formats on Friday, August 24th. Find digital preorders at Bandcamp where “Curse Of The Serpent” and “Neuroprison” are streaming HERE, and find physical preorder options HERE.

A band which works tirelessly to play to everyone they can, the anthems of JESUS PIECE tackle topics of personal struggle and loss, to socio-political matters including racism, police brutality, and other injustices. The band formed in 2015 and self-released their first demo/EP in the same year, followed by a self-released EP in the Summer of 2016. Bridge Nine Records released a split 7″ between JESUS PIECE and Malice At The Palace in early 2017. The band has paved their own way into the national scene by booking multiple headlining coast-to-coast tours among many bouts of regional touring and performances at notable festivals including This Is Hardcore, Nature World Fest, Sound And Fury, FYA Fest, and others.

JESUS PIECE is quickly developing a reputation as one of the heaviest, most uncompromising acts both on record and on the stage. With the brutalizing grooves of Disembodied, Turmoil, Harm’s Way, and labelmates Xibalba, the band incorporates elements of noise, ominous tones, and haunting atmospheres into their dynamic songwriting. With crushing, modern production, the eleven new tracks on their Only Self debut LP place JESUS PIECE among the scene’s darkest and heaviest acts and delivers one of the most anxiously-awaited albums of the hardcore/metal underground this year with Only Self, a record which proves itself as one of the year’s most vicious releases.

JESUS PIECE has toured mercilessly alongside Darkest Hour, Comeback Kid, Burn, Knocked Loose, Terror, Vein, Year Of The Knife, and many more across North America and Europe over the past year, and just made their vicious return to This Is Hardcore. Watch for new tour dates for JESUS PIECE to continually to be announced throughout the year in support of Only Self.

For review copies of Only Self and interviews/coverage of JESUS PIECE in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and internationally contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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Southern Lord is excited to bring forth the debut album by Los Angeles-based rock trio, THE PRIMALS, founded by current and former members of Darkest Hour, The Explosion, Dead To Fall, and more. The band’s first full-length, All Love Is True Love, will see release September 7th, the label this week issuing the first single, “Fortune & Sons.”

THE PRIMALS is comprised of vocalist/guitarist John Henry (vocalist for Darkest Hour), bassist Chad Fjerstad (formerly of Dead To Fall), and drummer Andrew Black (formerly of The Explosion). The band’s fuzzy execution is equal slabs ripping guitar heaviness and infectious pop sensibility. Concocted by a seasoned group of thrashers with a historical backbone in D.C. punk community. The disintegrated spirit of grunge rises from the ashes, revitalized in a new light.

All Love Is True Love, THE PRIMALS‘ debut album, features ten infectious tracks produced by John Reis (Rocket From The Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes) and completed with cover art by Laura K. Giron. Fans of Wand, Ty Segall, Nirvana, and The Pixies are advised to tune in.

The first single from All Love Is True Love, “Fortune & Sons” has been issued, the band stating, “‘Fortune & Sons’ is one of the heaviest songs on the record. Though the album offers a plentiful dose of dynamic variety, we wanted to kick you off with a ripper.”

THE PRIMALS‘ “Fortune & Sons” is now streaming at THIS LOCATION and all primary digital outlets.

Southern Lord will release THE PRIMALS‘ All Love Is True Love on CD, LP, and digital platforms on September 7th. Find digital preorders HERE; watch for physical preorder options, additional audio samples, and more to be issued in the days ahead.

A band who performs live around their hometown and throughout the region regularly, THE PRIMALS will announce new tour dates supporting the release of All Love Is True Love in the weeks ahead.

All Love Is True Love Track Listing:
1. Hello Cruel World
2. Dead Predators
3. Another World To Call Your Own
4. Pity City
5. Fortune & Sons
6. The Wayward Impaler
7. It’s Personal
8. Together Whatever
9. Save Me, Baby
10. I’m Coming Home

THE PRIMALS Live:
8/03/2018 Toxic Toast – Long Beach, CA w/ Fissure, Ass Life, Bringers
8/18/2018 Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA w/ Starcrawler, The Paranoyds, more
9/07/2018 TBA – record release show

Review copies of All Love Is True Love will be issued shortly. For coverage of THE PRIMALS in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and internationally contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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American/Canadian vegan straightedge outfit SECT – its members also hailing form the likes of Cursed, Left For Dead, Catharsis, Undying, Earth Crisis, The Path Of Resistance, Day Of Suffering, Racetraitor, and more – continues to support their second LP, No Cure For Death, announcing a fall European Tour.SECT will play a one-off show in New York City on September 22nd, joining Pig Destroyer, Despise You, and Full Of Hell. SECTthen makes their return to Europe in November on a co-headlining tour with Southern Lord labelmates Gust. The trek begins in London on November 4th with shows in Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic to follow through November 11th, ending in Hamburg.

Stream No Cure For Death at Bandcamp HERE and see SECT’s “Day For Night” video directed by Justin Reich (Black Label Society, Crowbar, Hatebreed) at THIS LOCATION.

SECT Tour Dates:
9/22/2018 Grammercy Theatre – New York, NY w/ Pig Destroyer, Despise You, Full Of Hell
European tour w/ Gust:
11/04/2018 The Black Heart – London, UK
11/05/2018 Eglantier – Berchem, BE
11/06/2018 Juha West – Stuttgart, DE
11/07/2018 Faust – Hannover, DE
11/08/2018 Cassiopeia – Berlin, DE
11/09/2018 Theremin – Prague, CZ
11/10/2018 Junkyard – Dortmund, DE
11/11/2018 Hafenklang – Hamburg, DE

Unloading a brutalizing barrage of grinding crust and metallic hardcore wrath, SECT unites vocalist Chris Colohan (Cursed, Burning Love, Left For Dead), guitarists James Chang (Catharsis, Undying) and Scott Crouse (Earth Crisis, The Path Of Resistance), bassist Steve Hart (Day Of Suffering), and drummer Andy Hurley (Racetraitor, The Damned Things). No Cure For Death was recorded with Kurt Ballou at God City studios, mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music. Fueled by socio-political vitriol, for SECT, the purpose of hardcore as they know it is to convey an urgency that transcends age, credentials or scene politics, to convert desperation into real talk and action.

No Cure For Death is out now on LP, CD, and digital formats; find merch bundles via Southern Lord’s US webshop HERE and Euro store HERE, and find the record at iTunes HERE, Spotify HERE.

“the album finds the scene vets taking a stand against the sociopolitical status quo… The doomsday clock is ticking, and there’s no time to waste.” – Revolver Magazine

“the metallic hardcore is filthy and sinister, laden with a guitar tone resembling a power tool and with feedback akin to the noise one would make scraping on steel.” – Exclaim!

“The pedigree of SECT is incredible. Stacked with hardcore punk vets in each slot, their five contributors have cultivated a rich history, but none seems interested in touting any one single member’s past. The music and, more importantly, the message are immediate, harvesting concern and motivating fury from the present tense. Blasting ugly, confrontational D-beat crustcore, steeped in savage commentary regarding society’s conflicts…” – New Noise Magazine

“the video is an all-action affair that captures the intensity of both the band’s performance style and the song at hand… the song sounds both massive and mean.” – No Echo
“The album was produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou, so you should know what it’s going to sound like already – total fucking Armageddon.” – Metal Injection

For review copies of No Cure For Death and interviews with SECT contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and in Europe contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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Contempt For Man, the debut LP from Swedish grindcore outfit AXIS OF DESPAIR – formed by current and former members of Nasum, Coldworker, Infanticide, Volturyon, Livet Som Insats, Nervgift, Overtorture, and more – sees release through Southern Lord Recordings tomorrow. Advancing its official release, Cvlt Nation is streaming the album in its pulverizing entirety.

Contempt For Man dispatches twenty super-charged tracks of AXIS OF DESPAIR‘s brutalizing but hook-laden grindcore attack. The album surges with blasting percussion delivered with savage force, yet every hit finding its target with pinpoint accuracy. The blazing riffs leave charred scars in their path, while lyrically the band unloads their noncompliance with humanity’s declining ways. The album was recorded by drummer Anders Jakobson at Soundlab Studios and in the band’s rehearsal room Summer 2017, mixed at Studio Ülgnor by Johan Berglund, and is completed with artwork by Paul Romano (Mastodon, Circle, Hate Eternal).

AXIS OF DESPAIR drummer Anders Jakobson states, “It’s been a year since we recorded the album and now it’s finally time for the release! It’s a great feeling as we have been very anxious to share our work with the world. The early reviews and fan reactions have been positive and obviously we are very happy about the response. We set out to record a really good grindcore album of the meat-and-potatoes kind. No experiments way out of the box to try to re-invent the grindcore wheel or become a totally original band. We have spent hours into every song, writing and arranging, re-writing and re-arranging, with the hope of putting together a solid debut album that might strike the listener as a wall of sound during the first round and let the details appear during repeated listenings. We are proud of our album and super psyched to hear what others think of it.”

Cvlt Nation writes, “We are all living in a fucked-up reality show. Music is one place that I can find peace. I love putting on raging music that I can imagine shapeshifting into a weapon of destruction that I could use to end the life of the oppressors.”

Stream AXIS OF DESPAIR’s Contempt For Man in its entirety at Cvlt Nation RIGHT HERE.

Southern Lord will release Contempt For Man on LP, CD, and digital formats this Friday, July 27th; find preorders at the label webshop
HERE and at Bandcamp
HERE

Following their recent performance at Obscene Extreme, AXIS OF DESPAIR will announce additional shows and tour dates supporting the album in the weeks ahead.

AXIS OF DESPAIR was formed in late 2013 by former Coldworker members Joel Fornbrant (vocals), Oskar Pålsson (bass), and Anders Jakobson (drums). The lineup was completed by guitarist Kristofer Jankarls (also in Livet Som Insats) a few months later and the quartet focused on songwriting. The first recording took place in the spring of 2015 and the twelve tracks were released on the two 7″ EPs — Time And Again, released via Selfmadegod Records, and Mankind Crawls, a co-release through Give Praise Records and Spela Snabbare Records. Following both EPs and several live shows, AXIS OF DESPAIR set to work on new material, striving to create a striking grindcore album with an aggressive, yet diverse selection of strong songs. The writing process was spread out over a year until the band went into the studio and begun the recordings in the summer of 2017, now set to arrive in the form of their debut album, Contempt For Man.

For review copies of Contempt For Man and coverage of AXIS OF DESPAIR in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com, all others contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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Kerrang is hosting a premiere of “Neuroprison,” the new single by Philadelphia-based JESUS PIECE, as the brutal metallic hardcore act prepares for the August release of their Only Self debut LP through Southern Lord. Only Self was recorded in Chicago at Bricktop Recording Studio with Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos, Like Rats, Lord Mantis) mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Integrity, Nails, Full Of Hell), and completed with artwork by Dom Pabon.

With the “Neuroprison” release, JESUS PIECE vocalist Aaron Heard discloses, “To be locked in a Neuroprison is to spend most of the day lost in your head while the world keeps turning around you.”

The write-up at Kerrang offers in part, “the United States is producing some of the best hardcore the country ever has. And Philadelphia’s Jesus Piece might as well be the poster boys for the movement.”

Unleash the new JESUS PIECE track “Neuroprison” at Kerrang RIGHT HERE.

JESUS PIECE is quickly developing a reputation as one of the heaviest, most uncompromising acts both on record and on the stage. With the brutalizing grooves of Disembodied, Turmoil, Harm’s Way, Xibalba and similar acts, the band incorporates elements of noise, ominous tones, and haunting atmospheres into their dynamic songwriting. With crushing, modern production, the eleven new tracks on their Only Self debut LP place JESUS PIECE among the scene’s darkest and heaviest acts and delivers one of the most anxiously-awaited albums of the hardcore/metal underground this year with Only Self, a record which proves itself as one of the year’s most vicious releases.

Southern Lord will release Only Self on CD, LP, and digital formats on Friday, August 24th. Find digital preorders at Bandcamp where “Curse Of The Serpent” is streaming HERE, and physical preorder options HERE.

JESUS PIECE has toured mercilessly alongside Darkest Hour, Comeback Kid, Burn, Knocked Loose, Terror, Vein, Year Of The Knife, and many more across North America and Europe over the past year. The band will also make their return to This Is Hardcore in July, performing with the likes of One King Down, Ten Yard Fight, E.Town Concrete, Sick Of It All, Arkagnel, Eighteen Visions, All Out War, Merauder, Harvest, and many more. Watch for new tour dates for JESUS PIECE to continually to be announced throughout the year in support of Only Self.

JESUS PIECE Live:
7/29/2018 The Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA @ This Is Hardcore [info]

JESUS PIECE is a band that works tirelessly to play to everyone they can. Their anthems lyrically range from personal struggle and loss, to racism, police brutality, and many other social and political injustices. The band formed in 2015 and self-released their first demo/EP in the same year, followed by a self-released EP in the Summer of 2016. Bridge Nine Records released a split 7″ between JESUS PIECE and Malice At The Palace in early 2017. The band has paved their own way into the national scene by booking multiple headlining coast-to-coast tours among many bouts of regional touring and performances at notable festivals including This Is Hardcore, Nature World Fest, Sound And Fury, FYA Fest, and others.

Review copies of Only Self will be released in the weeks ahead. For coverage of JESUS PIECE in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and internationally contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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Metal Injection is hosting a premiere of “Lockdown,” the new single by Swedish grindcore kingpins AXIS OF DESPAIR. The band – formed by current and former members of Nasum, Coldworker, Infanticide, Volturyon, Livet Som Insats, Nervgift, Overtorture, and more – is preparing for their Contempt For Man debut full-length to see release through Southern Lord at the end of July.

Contempt For Man dispatches twenty super-charged tracks of AXIS OF DESPAIR’s brutalizing but hook-laden grindcore attack. The album surges with blasting percussion delivered with savage force, yet every hit finding its target with pinpoint accuracy. The blazing riffs leave charred scars in their path, while lyrically the band unloads their noncompliance with humanity’s declining ways.

Of “Lockdown” the band offers, “While the title is a nod to fellow grinders Lock-Up, the music centers around an idea of doing a chorus riff with clear notes that moves around, thus creating a hook that makes ‘Lockdown’ stand out on the album. This is a quite good slice of AXIS OF DESPAIR‘s type of grindcore: while ‘Lockdown’ has its share of drive and aggression, it also has catchiness and a certain groove that we really like.”

The Metal Injection write-up defines the track as, “a rather quick dose of buzzing guitars and blasting drums. It builds off a strong hook and a menacing groove. While only a small sample of AXIS OF DESPAIR‘s newest effort, it shows a promising forecast for the rest of Contempt Of Man.”

Experience AXIS OF DESPAIR’s “Lockdown” at Metal Injection RIGHT HERE.

Contempt For Man was recorded by drummer Anders Jakobson at Soundlab Studios and in the band’s rehearsal room Summer 2017, mixed at Studio Ülgnor by Johan Berglund, and is completed with artwork by Paul Romano (Mastodon, Circle, Hate Eternal).

Southern Lord will release Contempt For Man on LP, CD, and digital formats July 27th; find preorders at the label webshop HERE and at Bandcamp where the tracks “A Life Of Ceaseless Grind,” “Crush The Empire,” and “The Wolven Law” are streaming HERE.

AXIS OF DESPAIR will perform at Obscene Extreme 2018 in Czech Republic on July 19th with more live actions to follow. Watch for additional tour dates, audio samples, and further album updates in the weeks ahead.<

AXIS OF DESPAIR Live:
7/19/2018 Obscene Extreme Festival – Trutnov, CZ

AXIS OF DESPAIR was formed in late 2013 by former Coldworker members Joel Fornbrant (vocals), Oskar Pålsson (bass), and Anders Jakobson (drums). The lineup was completed by guitarist Kristofer Jankarls (also in Livet Som Insats) a few months later and the quartet focused on songwriting. The first recording took place in the spring of 2015 and the twelve tracks were released on the two 7″ EPs — Time And Again, released via Selfmadegod Records, and Mankind Crawls, a co-release through Give Praise Records and Spela Snabbare Records. Following both EPs and several live shows, AXIS OF DESPAIR set to work on new material, striving to create a striking grindcore album with an aggressive, yet diverse selection of strong songs. The writing process was spread out over a year until the band went into the studio and begun the recordings in the summer of 2017, now set to arrive in the form of their debut album, Contempt For Man.

For review copies of Contempt For Man and coverage of AXIS OF DESPAIR in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com, all others contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

https://axisofdespair.com

https://www.facebook.com/axisofdespairsweden