Category: News

THE SECRET: Revolver Reveals “The Sorrowful Void” By Italian Metal Cult; Lux Tenebris EP Preorders Posted By Southern Lord

Posted on: June 22, 2018

Revolver Magazine is now streaming “The Sorrowful Void,” the first song to be revealed from THE SECRET‘s scathing EP, Lux Tenebris, their first new material in six years, due out in August via Southern Lord.
THE SECRET ends the extensive period of decay since their 2012-released Agnus Dei LP, emerging with their first studio material in almost six years. Following three years without communication between members, the band regrouped under the same roof for the first time since 2015 to record Lux Tenebris, a three-song act in sonic exploration of the theme of the sepulchre.
The band offers with the new song’s debut, “The Sorrowful Void’ is a song that develops from the obsession for a riff and its repetition. It’s the very first riff that has been written for this new EP and that single riff constitutes the majority of the song. This type of density and repetition makes the riff turn almost into a texture that my mind visualizes as a sort of vortex or a magmatic eruption. It’s a riff that is meant to get lost into. The writing process for this song influenced the overall sound of the rest of the EP.”
Revolver declares, “Italy’s THE SECRET have washed away any sign of hardcore for their latest track ‘The Sorrowful Void,’ a black-metal burner propelled by HM2 and a heaping spoonful of vitriol. Efficient whether at full assault or half-speed, THE SECRET‘s dark atmospherics help guide the song, leaving a brooding and fog-ridden aesthetic from under which vocalist Marco Coslovich unleashes his bellowing cries.”
Expose THE SECRET’s “The Sorrowful Void” at Revolver 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 SECRET Tour Dates:
8/12/2018 Cudi Purci Festival – Budapest, HU w/ High On Fire, Pillorian
8/18/2018 Frantic Festival – Francavilla al Mare, IT w/ Sadistic Intent, Bolzer, Enslaved

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 decay, 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.
Review copies of Lux Tenebris will be released shortly. For 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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HIGH COMMAND: Massachusetts Crossover Outfit Signs To Southern Lord; Debut Album Under Construction

Posted on: June 18, 2018

Worcester, Massachusetts-based crossover henchmen HIGH COMMAND have signed to Southern Lord and are currently plotting their debut full-length release for the label.

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.

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.

HIGH COMMAND recorded The Secartha Demos at The Paincave with Chris Corey (Mind Eraser, Magic Circle, No Tolerance, Inumerable Forms) and had it mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (From Ashes Rise, Integrity, Obituary) which saw release on 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.”

HIGH COMMAND:
Kevin Fitzgerald – vocals
Ryan McArdle – guitar
Mike Bonetti – guitar
Chris Berg – bass
Ryan Pitz – drums

Additional info on HIGH COMMAND will be issued shortly, including tour dates, updates on their debut album, and more. For coverage of the band in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompoud.com and elsewhere contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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THE SECRET: Lux Tenebris EP By Italian Cult To See Release As Part Of Southern Lord Subscription Series; Trailer Posted

Posted on: June 18, 2018

Vicious Italian cult THE SECRET returns in 2018, with new live performances as well as the impending release of their first new material in six years.

THE SECRET ends the extensive period of decay since their 2012-released Agnus Dei LP, emerging with their first studio material in almost six years. Following three years without communication between members, the band regrouped under the same roof for the first time since 2015 to record Lux Tenebris, a three-song act in sonic exploration of the theme of the sepulchre.

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 decay, 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.

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.

See a brief trailer for Lux Tenebris HERE

Lux Tenebris Track Listing:
1. Vertigo
2. The Sorrowful Void
3. Cupio Dissolvi

Southern Lord is releasing eight records as part of the label’s twentieth anniversary series. The bundles include a t-shirt, slipmat, and download code with each record. Find out more at the Southern Lord store RIGHT HERE

THE SECRET recently performed at Venezia hardcore fest alongside the likes of Integrity, Raw Power, The Varukers, Cripple Bastards, and more, solidifying the band as a destructive live force again as well. New performances are booked for Saint Helena Festival in Munich, Germany this week, and August performances at Cudi Purci Festival in Budapest, Hungary and Frantic Festival in Francavilla al Mare, Italy confirmed for August. Stand by for new tour dates, audio previews from the new EP, and more on THE SECRET to be released in the coming weeks.

THE SECRET Tour Dates:
6/16/2018 Saint Helena Festival – Munich, DE w/ Converge, Dark Buddha Rising, Kringa
8/12/2018 Cudi Purci Festival – Budapest, HU w/ High On Fire, Pillorian
8/18/2018 Frantic Festival – Francavilla al Mare, IT w/ Sadistic Intent, Bolzer, Enslaved

THE SECRET:
Michael Bertoldini – guitars/synthesizers
Marco Coslovich – vocals/lyrics
Lorenzo Gulminelli – bass
Tommaso Corte – drums

Review copies of Lux Tenebris will be released shortly. For coverage of THE SECRET in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com, in Italy contact luca.pessina@anubipress.com, all others contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Secret-95794903277
http://thesecret.bigcartel.com
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SUNN O))) Releases Downtown LA Rehearsal/Rifftape March 1998 Limited Edition LP

Posted on: June 15, 2018

SUNN O))) has unleashed the earliest recording of the band’s monolithic tones, revamped for a limited edition pressing via Southern Lord Recordings, as the label celebrates its twentieth anniversary, as a split label release together with Stephen O’Malley’s Ideologic Organ imprint.

The Downtown LA Rehearsal/Rifftape March 1998 dates back to the earliest rehearsals during the genesis of the SUNN O))) project. The source is a C60 cassette tape recorded on a boombox, and the result is essentially an extremely raw noise/drone record. It was taped in the band’s early practice space at Downtown Rehearsal (RIP), Los Angeles, in a practice room which the band shared with The Melvins and Goatsnake at the time. The LP sees SUNN O))) founders Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley on guitars and stacks of amps, the original cassette was mastered by Brad Boatright February 2018.

Longtime/old school diehard listeners of SUNN O)))‘s massive sound and those who have watched the collective’s transformation over the past two decades can find the brutal practice tape revamped as Downtown LA Rehearsal/Rifftape March 1998, available only through Southern Lord and directly from the band in a limited run on 180-gram vinyl LP – 900 black, 500 silver, 100 white, with machine numbering on the front cover – and digitally.

Find SUNN O)))’s Downtown LA Rehearsal/Rifftape March 1998 at Bandcamp HERE and find more purchase options at the band’s webshop HERE.

Downtown LA Rehearsal/Rifftape March 1998 Track Listing:
Side A:
1. Room 206 pt.1
2. Room 206 pt.2
3. B-Witch

Side B:
1. Room 206 pt.3
2. The Grimm Robe / Black Wedding
3. Mustaine / Thorns
4. M & D I.L.F.
5. The DJs

The celebration of twenty years of SUNN O))) and Southern Lord this year will continue with reissues of the band’s lauded White1 and White2 albums in the coming weeks.

SUNN O))) will perform live at the Psycho Las Vegas festival on August 19th alongside Godflesh, Goblin, Enslaved, All Pigs Must Die, Wolves In The Throne Room, and scores more.

Watch for further updates on SUNN O))) in the coming days.

SUNN O))) Live:
8/19/2018 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, NV @ Psycho Las Vegas [info]

For coverage of SUNN O))) in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com, all others contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

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AXIS OF DESPAIR: Band Featuring Members Of Nasum, Coldworker, Infanticide, And More To Release Contempt For Man Debut LP Via Southern Lord; “A Life Of Ceaseless Grind” Streaming

Posted on: June 1, 2018

Sweden’s AXIS OF DESPAIR – featuring current and former members of Nasum, Coldworker, Infanticide, Volturyon, Livet Som Insats, Nervgift, and Overtorture – is preparing to release their debut full-length, Contempt For Man,via Southern Lord on July 27th

AXIS OF DESPAIR‘s Contempt For Man propels with twenty super-charged, raging songs, clocking in around the half-hour mark – short enough to retain attention, and long enough to serve a good taste of the bands particular brand of European grindcore.

Listen to an advance track from AXIS OF DESPAIR’s Contempt For Man with “A Life Of Ceaseless Grind” streaming at THIS LOCATION.

Southern Lord will release Contempt For Man on July 27th; preorders are live at Bandcamp HERE.

AXIS OF DESPAIR will perform at Obscene Extreme 2018 in Czech Republic on July 19th. Watch for additional audio samples and further updates about the album to follow.

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> and Mankind Crawls.

Following the releases of the EPs and several live shows, AXIS OF DESPAIR continued to work on material with the ultimate goal 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.

Contempt For Man Track Listing:
1. Värdelös
2. Demons and Angels
3. Pawn Sacrifice
4. The Wolven Law
5. Lockdown
6. The Punishment Begins
7. The Noose Tightens
8. Det Går Aldrig
9. Crush the Empire
10. Pre-Emptive Nuclear Strike
11. A Life of Ceaseless Grind
12. Streams of Sludge
13. Into the Hard Earth
14. The Pain Maze
15. Vile Behaviour
16. Defea
17. Dull Dead Future
18. To Smite
19. A Brutal Truth
20. Flytande Död

AXIS OF DESPAIR:
Joel Fornbrant – vocals
Kristofer Jankarls – guitar
Oskar Pålsson – bass
Anders Jakobson – drums

Review copies of Contempt For Man will be issued in the coming days; for coverage of AXIS OF DESPAIR in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com, all others contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

https://axisofdespair.com
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UNSANE Announces North American Tour Dates With Child Bite, Weedeater, Zeke, Wrong, And More, Plus European Tour; Sterilize LP Out Now On Southern Lord

Posted on: May 23, 2018

New York City noise rock kingpins UNSANE have announced summer tours of the North American and European continents. The trio is still out there supporting their crushing eighth studio full-length album, Sterilize, which was released through Southern Lord in September.

The new tour dates see the long-running UNSANE crew touring around the country through most of July with a variety of other acts. An Eastern/Midwestern run from July 10th through 18th sees them supported by Child Bite, which includes a Rocks Off Concert Cruise in New York City harbor. From there they hit Texas with Weedeater, Zeke, and Sierra on July 19th, 20th, and 21st, the last of which sees the bands joined by L7, The Spits, Dixie Witch, and many more. The final stretch of the tour will see UNSANE supported by Wrong, winding from the Gulf States and up the East Coast from July 22nd through 29th.

After the US tour, UNSANE heads back to Europe for two weeks of touring. From August 4th through 17th the band will play through Poland, Finland, Netherland, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, and Switzerland, including multiple festival performances.

See the full confirmed UNSANE tour routing below.
Stream UNSANE’s entire Sterilize now at THIS LOCATION

Sterilize is available now through Southern Lord on CD, LP, and digital formats; find preorders and merch at Southern Lord’s webshop HERE

UNSANE
Tour Dates:7/10/2018 Photo City – Rochester, NY *
7/11/2018 Rocks Off Concert Cruise – New York, NY * [info]
7/12/2018 Club Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA *
7/13/2018 The Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI *
7/14/2018 Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL *
7/15/2018 Turf Club – St. Paul, MN *
7/16/2018 Record Bar – Kansas City, MO *
7/17/2018 Fubar – St Louis, MO *
7/19/2018 Gas Monkey – Dallas, TX +
7/20/2018 Lost Well – Austin, TX +
7/21/2018 White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX w/ L7, The Spits, more +
7/22/2018 Santos – New Orleans, LA ^
7/24/2018 Crowbar – Tampa, FL ^
7/25/2018 Gramps – Miami, FL ^
7/26/2018 Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL ^
7/27/2018 The Earl – Atlanta, GA ^
7/28/2018 Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC ^
7/29/2018 Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA ^
8/07/2018 OFF Festival – Katowice, PL
8/06/2018 Tavastia – Helsinki, FI
8/07/2018 DB’s – Utrecht, NL
8/08/2018 Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, DE
8/09/2018 Molotow Club – Hamburg, DE
8/10/2018 Void Fest – Bad Kötzting, DE
8/11/2018 Brutal Assault Festival – Josefov, CZ
8/13/2018 Musica W Festival – Castellina Marittima, IT
8/14/2018 Spazio Polivalente – Caramagna Piemonte, IT
8/15/2018 Piscina Comunale – Monghidoro, IT
8/16/2018 Frantic Festival – Pescara, IT
8/17/2018 Rock Altitude – Le Locle, CH
* w/ Child Bite
+ w/ Weedeater, Zeke, Sierra
^ w/ Wrong

Closing a five-year gap since the 2012 release of the Alternative Tentacles-issued Wreck LP, UNSANE made a vicious return last year with Sterilize, a record that recalls the most defining elements of the band’s seminal albums, surging with their unrelenting singular sound created by guitarist/vocalist Chris Spencer, bassist/vocalist Dave Curran, and drummer Vinnie Signorelli. Sterilize showcases the group sounding as dense and damaging as ever, and sees them remaining as necessary as ever, nearly three decades since they began.

Sterilize was reviewed as Bandcamp’s Album Of The Day, including, “Throughout, Dave Curran and Vincent Signorelli steamroll any rival noise-rock rhythm section into surrender. Chris Spencer’s virulent riffs add to the effect, while his growled lyrics cover a whole gamut of hopelessness: misery, delusion, corporate greed, history’s sick habit of repeating itself, running out of time, running out of breath, running ever towards oblivion.” Noisey’s feature includes that Sterilize, “continues that characteristically bloody legacy with another grisly scene front-and-center… The red splatter adorning the cover accurately matches the tone of its contents. ‘Aberration’ squeals with feedback and a meaty bassline by longtime member Dave Curran, while ‘Inclusion’ slowly grinds a steel-toed boot into the grime and viscera. For fans of the group, these ten tracks deliver the messy goods.” Exclaim! Magazine’s review boasts that Sterilize is, “an intense ride through conventional rock crafted with an ugly, chaotic sense of aggression that shows the band have no plans of ending their reign over the genre… it succeeds in solidifying UNSANE‘s rule as the kings of noise rock.”

For review copies of Sterilize,interviews with UNSANE, and coverage of the band live, in North America contact dave@earssplitcompound.com and internationally contact lauren@rarelynable.com

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BAPTISTS: Beacon Of Faith LP Streaming At Revolver Magazine As Album Nears Release Through Southern Lord This Friday

Posted on: May 23, 2018
Revolver Magazine is now streaming Beacon Of Faith, the new album from Vancouver’s BAPTISTS, as the album surges towards its official release this Friday through Southern Lord.
 
The Beacon Of Faith album stream is paired with an interview with BAPTISTS on their crushing Kurt Ballou-produced third full-length release, in which Revolver declares, “Like previous records Bushcraftand Bloodmines, the band’s latest release excels in wickedly fast, battering-ram-to-the-face assaults (‘Absolved of Life/Spent Cells’, ‘Carbide’) that recall Converge (whose guitarist Kurt Ballou recorded and contributed to the album) and cult crust/hardcore crew Cursed. But the act is just as willing to mangle you with barbed-wire noise rock (‘Gift Taker’), or slowly eroding death marches (‘Eulogy Template’). It’s the most fully-realized and harrowing Baptists experience yet.’
 
Listen to BAPTISTS’ Beacon Of Faith at Revolver Magazine RIGHT HERE.
 
Southern Lord will issue Beacon Of Faith this Friday, May 25th; find preorder bundles – including reissues of the band’s prior albums, Bushcraft and Bloodmines – at the Southern Lord webshop HERE, and digital preorders at Bandcamp HERE.
 
Stay tuned for Baptists tour dates and more BAPTISTS news to be announced shortly.
 
Beacon Of Faith broadly follows the same trajectory as its predecessors — Bushcraft (2013) and Bloodmines (2014) — combining raw adrenaline-fueled emotion, venomous vocal delivery, gigantic guitar sound, and a visceral, rhythmic propulsion, a sonic manifestation of desolate rage, bolstered by a palpable sense of urgency. The album is densely-packed, yet BAPTISTS‘ sound is far from claustrophobic. There is melody amongst the dissonance, as the band more deeply explore the noise rock vistas that have always underpinned their sound.
 
The lyrics on Beacon Of Faith are drawn from the members’ direct experience of a broken society and general discontentment with everyday life. A multitude of issues are in the firing line, from the Canadian court system, issues surrounding substance abuse, mental health, and how the more fortunate tend to dismiss people who have been dealt a less-fortunate hand. Beacon Of Faith was recorded at Godcity in Salem, Massachusetts with Kurt Ballou in July 2017, mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon, and completed with photography by Jillian Mann.
 
For review copies of Beacon Of Faith and interviews with BAPTISTS in the Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and otherwise contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.
 

VITAMIN X: Age Of Paranoia Now Streaming; Album Out Today Through Southern Lord

Posted on: May 18, 2018

Age Of Paranoia, the new album by Dutch hardcore punk kingpins VITAMIN X, is out today via Southern Lord.

 
Recorded by Igor Wouters at ARC Studios in Amsterdam, and including special guest guitar solos by J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr., Witch), and Bubba Dupree (Void, Soundgarden, Dave Grohl’s Probot, Brant Bjork). Age Of Paranoia offers sixteen volatile tracks, packed into a succinct, white-knuckled twenty-eight minutes. The album surges with rapid-fire punk angst, replete with ripping rock leads and raised-fist, group-chanting anthems. The cover artwork was created by Marald (Baroness, Kylesa, High On Fire).
 
Stream VITAMIN X’s Age Of Paranoia now at THIS LOCATION.
 
Age Of Paranoia is out now on LP, CD, and digital formats; find physical bundles HERE and digital at Bandcamp HERE as well as through all digital providers.
 
VITAMIN X will be performing the material from Age Of Paranoia at fests and shows throughout 2018, including a newly-confirmed release show for the album on June 22nd. Check out the listings so far below and stay tuned for more tour dates to be announced throughout the year.
 
VITAMIN X Tour Dates:
6/15/2018 TBA – SP
6/16/2018 Valles Escrema Fest – Montornes del Valles, SP
6/22/2018 – OCCII, Amsterdam NL *Age Of Paranoia release show
7/06/2018 Flugplatz – Zwickau, DE
7/07/2018 RIIP Fest – Tours, FR
7/14/2018 Woodstick Fest – Lage, DE
8/03/2018 TBA – Wroclaw, PL
8/04/2018 Novy – Jicin, CZ
8/05/2018 TBA – Bratislava, SK
9/07/2018 Chimpyfest – London, UK
9/14/2018 Punk Rock Weekend Fest – Stockholm, SE
9/15/2018 TBA – Troisdorf, DE
 
“Fast, furious, overflowing with energy and slam happy anthems, Age of Paranoia is a heavyweight, Hardcore monster that should, and deserves to, find a home in every HC kids, both young and old, record collection and on every single punk rock stereo in scene-land. Welcome to the Age of Paranoia. It’s time to take your vitamins…” – Mass Movement
 
”One of the best and most important hardcore bands today” – Profane Existence
 
”Excellent and addictive, gathering the best of punk and metal: one part hardcore punk, another Motörhead” – Metal Advisor
 
“the supreme thrash band in all of current rock ‘n’ roll” – Maximum Rocknroll
 
For review copies of Age Of Paranoia and interviews with VITAMIN X in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and elsewhere contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.
 

BAPTISTS: Title Track To Beacon Of Faith LP Streaming On All Platforms As Album Nears May Release Via Southern Lord

Posted on: May 8, 2018
“Beacon Of Faith,” the title track to the impending third LP by Vancouver, British Columbia-based metallic hardcore punk outfit, BAPTISTS, is now available on all digital platforms ahead of the album’s release through Southern Lord later this month.
Beacon Of Faith was recorded at Godcity in Salem, Massachusetts with Kurt Ballou in July 2017, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon.
Stream the BAPTISTS track “Beacon Of Faith” via iTunes HERE and Spotify HERE, as well as all other digital providers.
Southern Lord will release Beacon Of Faith on all formats on May 25th; the vinyl has been slightly delayed. Find preorder bundles – including reissues of the band’s prior albums, Bushcraft and Bloodmines – at the Southern Lord webshop HERE, and digital preorders and stream the track “Capsule” at Bandcamp HERE.
Watch for BAPTISTS tour dates and more on Beacon Of Faith to be announced shortly.
Though the Beacon Of Faith album is densely-packed, yet BAPTISTS‘ sound is far from claustrophobic. There is melody amongst the dissonance, as the band more deeply explore the noise rock vistas that have always underpinned their sound. The album broadly follows the same trajectory as its predecessors — Bushcraft (2013) and Bloodmines (2014) – combining the style of raw adrenaline-fueled emotion, venomous vocal delivery, gigantic guitar sound, and a visceral rhythmic propulsion; a sonic manifestation of desolate rage, bolstered by a palpable sense of urgency.
The lyrics on Beacon Of Faith are drawn from the members’ direct experience of a broken society and general discontentment with everyday life. A multitude of issues are in the firing line, from the Canadian court system, issues surrounding substance abuse, mental health, and how the more fortunate tend to dismiss people who have been dealt a less-fortunate hand.
For review copies of Beacon Of Faith and interviews with BAPTISTS in the Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and otherwise contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.

VITAMIN X: Revolver Magazine Premieres “Flip The Switch” Featuring J Mascis Of Dinosaur Jr.; Age Of Paranoia LP Nears May Release Through Southern Lord

Posted on: April 27, 2018

Southern Lord will issue the Age Of Paranoia LP by Dutch hardcore punk kingpins VITAMIN X in less than a month, the band’s first title for the label. As the release date closes in, the newest single has been released in the form of a Revolver Magazine premiere of “Flip The Switch,” which features guest guitar work by J Mascis.

The newest chapter in the VITAMIN X lineage, Age Of Paranoia, was recorded by Igor Wouters at ARC Studios in Amsterdam. Packing sixteen volatile tracks into a white-knuckled twenty-eight minutes, Age Of Paranoia surges with rapid-fire punk angst packed with ripping rock leads and raised-fist gang-chant anthems. The album includes several special guest guitar solos by J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr., Witch) and Bubba Dupree (Void, Soundgarden, Dave Grohl’s Probot, Brant Bjork), and is completed with cover artwork by Marald (Baroness, Kylesa, High On Fire).
New single “Flip The Switch” features an empowering solo by J Mascis which spans the entire track. Revolver states of the song, “It’s a very Annihilation Time, mid-period Black Flag-y ripper that’s perfect for the pit or washing down a cold one with another cold one (sorry, straight-edge homies). Either way, don’t miss Mascis tearing a hole in the universe with a solo over the entire thing.”
Stream the raging VITAMIN X anthem “Flip The Switch” with J Mascis at Revolver Magazine RIGHT HERE.
VITAMIN X guitarist Marc Emmerik recounts the experience: “We had this song with a Dinosaur Jr. type of intro. I thought it’d be perfect to let J Mascis do the solo. My friends Graham Clise (Witch, Lecherous Gaze, Annihilation Time) and Dave Sweetapple (Teepee, Witch) got in touch with him and he agreed to do it, he actually had one of our albums because John Brannon (Negative Approach) sang on it.
When J passed through Amsterdam he played the solo on my 1980 Gibson SG. He said he never plays Gibson but it has J Mascis all over it and it’s one of his most furious solos ever in which he seems to revisit his hardcore roots, as he was in hardcore punk band Deep Wound before Dinosaur Jr.
The funny thing is, J’s solo runs from beginning to end, more than two minutes! When he started he didn’t stop and ran his solo through the entire song, even over the vocals. After that first take I told him, ‘You only have to do the intro,’ to which he replied, ‘No, I’ll do the whole song; just take out whatever you want.’ When I came home and listened, we didn’t take out anything and kept his whole original solo since it’s insane and rips so much! I think this is the only song in hardcore punk with a two-minute solo from start to end!”
Southern Lord will release Age Of Paranoia on LP, CD, and digital formats May 18th; find preorder bundles HERE and digital at Bandcamp where you can stream “Modern Man” at Bandcamp HERE and through all digital providers.
VITAMIN X will be performing the material from Age Of Paranoia at fests and shows throughout 2018, having already announced a spread of performances through late summer. Watch for more tour dates to be announced throughout the year.
VITAMIN X Tour Dates:
5/03/2018 N8 Lounge – Bonn, DE
5/04/2018 TBA – Antwerp, BE
6/15/2018 TBA – SP
6/16/2018 Valles Escrema Fest – Montornes del Valles, SP
7/06/2018 Flugplatz – Zwickau, DE
7/07/2018 RIIP Fest – Tours, FR
7/14/2018 Woodstick Fest – Lage, DE
8/03/2018 TBA – Wroclaw, PL
8/04/2018 Novy – Jicin, CZ
8/05/2018 TBA – Bratislava, SK
9/07/2018 Chimpyfest – London, UK
9/14/2018 Punk Rock Weekend Fest – Stockholm, SE
9/15/2018 TBA – Troisdorf, DE
 
VITAMIN X has unloaded their energetic brand of rock and thrash-soaked hardcore punk since the late 1990s. Having operated through diehard DIY efforts, the band has amassed an arsenal of albums, EPs, singles, splits, and more across a wide array of underground labels, including Havoc Records, Tankcrimes, Underestimated, AgiPunk, Refuse Records, and many others. Their most recent two LPs were recorded by Steve Albini (Nirvana, Iggy Pop, Neurosis), and their 2016-released ”About To Crack” video went viral and reached more than a million views.
Well-known for their energetic and explosive live shows which attract fans from across the metal, punk, and rock spectrum, VITAMIN X has toured around the world several times, from Japan to the United States, from South America to Southeast Asia, and beyond. The band has played on MTV and many large fests including Hellfest, Maryland Deathfest, and many others, and recently toured with Baroness and Harley Flannagan’s Cro-Mags.
For review copies of Age Of Paranoia and interviews with VITAMIN X in The Americas contact dave@earsplitcompound.com and elsewhere contact lauren@rarelyunable.com.