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

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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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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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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.

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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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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.

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