Available now on Bandcamp and from Southern Lord Europe. // Out on DSP’s and retail stores on July 28th.

One of the vanguards of the 90’s underground, punk/hardcore community, San Diego’s Heroin released their first 7” in 1991 before disbanding in 1993. In that short time, the band went on to influence countless post-hardcore and screamo bands of that era and into today. Heroin’s first 7” also marked the first release for the legendary independent label Gravity Records, which was central in developing and promoting the “San Diego sound” and also branched out into other forms of experimental music across their extensive catalog.

Southern Lord revealed the band’s long-awaited discography exclusively for Record Store Day last April. The extensive discography contains all of the Heroin’s out-of-print 7”s and 12”s, compilation tracks, as well as the session the band recorded at the infamous Inner Ear Studios in Washington, DC, and never-before-heard unreleased songs. A double LP Gatefold “tip on” jacket is beautifully packaged with a special zine with tons of photos and liner notes by Sonny Kay.

Check out Heroin’s Discography on Bandcamp here.

“Heroin was a product of our time and our youth so I’m sure we would be unrecognizable if we kept putting out records for thirty years… I think our overall spirit could be relevant today because our lyrics and message were mostly existentialist observations and kind of just poetry,” the band comments.

Read the rest of the new, in-depth interview with Heroin here.

Heroin, Discography track listing:

Side A (1)

1. Meaning Less
2. A Portion
3. The Obvious
4. We Can Never Know
5. In General
6. Moving Parts
7. Another

Side B (2)

1. Leave
2. Wander
3. Blind
4. With No Name
5. Head Cold
6. Undertaking
7. Indecision

Side C (3)

1. This Time
2. Never Ever
3. Has Been
4. I’ve Got Mine
5. Cost*
6. Wander*
7. Things Change*

Side D (4)

1. Comes To Mind
2. How Could I*
3. Compelled*
4. This Time*
5. A Portion*
6. Undertaking*
7. Has Been
8. Destination
9. Second Coming

The razor-sharp recording that effectively proves how lethal Power Trip was in a live setting, Live In Seattle, arrives today on vinyl, CD and digital formats. The 43-minute collection was recorded as the title states in Seattle, WA at Neumos on May 28, 2018. Originally released in June of 2020, Live In Seattle is a must-have for any fan of Power Trip.

Listen / share on Youtube.

The set list for Live In Seattle is a selection of classic tracks from the band’s discography; Nightmare Logic and Manifest Decimation albums (the Grammy™ nominated Best Metal Performance “Executioner’s Tax [Swing of the Axe],” “Conditioned to Death,” “Firing Squad,” and more), and even a deep cut / fan favorite, “Suffer No Fool,” these eleven thrashing crossover tracks are full of the fire and venom that only Power Trip can deliver.

Revisit the “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” visualizer on YouTube.

Revisit the Live In Seattle unboxing video on YouTube.

The 43-minute Live In Seattle set is available on all formats here and via our store.

Live In Seattle, track listing:

1. Drown (Intro)
2. Divine Apprehension
3. Suffer No Fool
4. Soul Sacrifice
5. Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)
6. Crucifixation
7. Heretic’s Fork
8. Conditioned to Death
9. Firing Squad
10. Manifest Decimation
11. Crossbreaker

The RSD-exclusive deluxe double LP’s will be available on April 22, 2023.

Southern Lord continues its prolific output with two exciting new releases for Record Store Day: 2006’s monolith Altar from Sunn O))) + Boris, and a collection of recordings from 90’s mainstays Heroin.

Heroin Discography

One of the vanguards of the 90’s underground, punk/hardcore community, San Diego’s Heroin released their first 7” in 1991 before disbanding in 1993. In that short time, the band went on to influence countless post-hardcore and screamo bands of that era and even today. Heroin’s first 7” also marked the first release for the legendary independent label Gravity Records, which was central in developing and promoting the “San Diego sound” and also branched out into other forms of experimental music across their extensive catalog.

The Heroin discography contains all of the band’s out-of-print 7”s and 12”s, compilation tracks, as well as the session the band recorded at the infamous Inner Ear Studios in Washington, DC, and never-before-heard unreleased songs. A double LP Gatefold “tip on” jacket is beautifully packaged with a special zine with tons of photos and liner notes by Sonny Kay.

Sunn O)))/Boris Altar

Out of print for over 15 years, Altar will finally return on double LP. The album is a collaboration between experimental music groups Boris and Sunn O))), originally released on October 31, 2006 through Southern Lord Records. In addition to major players Sunn O))) and Boris, Altar also boasts an extensive roster of guest musicians/collaborators such as Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Joe Preston (Earth, Thrones, Melvins, High on Fire), Phil Wandscher and Jesse Sykes (both of Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter) as well as long time Sunn O))) collaborators TOS Niewenhuizen and Rex Ritter.

Greg Anderson comments, “We had a lot of fun making Altar— we transcended all barriers and boundaries to create our own sonic language that still strongly resonates. It was incredibly adventurous for us at that point in time. We played in the moment without a preconceived direction then arrived at a beautifully heavy place together.” He continues, “Altar is a monumental documentation of some early experiments with collaboration. We learned a lot from working with Boris and engineer/producer: Randall Dunn as well as Bill Herzog, Jesse Sykes, Joe Preston etc. We definitely carried those ideas and spirit into recordings that followed Altar.”

Boris and Sunn O))) continue to circle each other with reverence; most recently, Boris’s Wata and Takeshi did a session with Sunn O)))’s “Life Pedal” which you can watch now courtesy of EarthQuaker Devices.

Watch / share the Boris Life Pedal session on YouTube.

Sunn O))) + Boris, Altar track listing:

1. Etna
2. N.L.T.
3. The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep)
4. Akuma No Kuma
5. Fried Eagle Mind
6. Blood Swamp

Heroin, Discography track listing:

Side A (1)

1. Meaning Less
2. A Portion
3. The Obvious
4. We Can Never Know
5. In General
6. Moving Parts
7. Another

Side B (2)

1. Leave
2. Wander
3. Blind
4. With No Name
5. Head Cold
6. Undertaking
7. Indecision

Side C (3)

1. This Time
2. Never Ever
3. Has Been
4. I’ve Got Mine
5. Cost*
6. Wander*
7. Things Change*

Side D (4)

1. Comes To Mind
2. How Could I*
3. Compelled*
4. This Time*
5. A Portion*
6. Undertaking*
7. Has Been
8. Destination
9. Second Coming

*previously unreleased

A razor-sharp recording that effectively proves how lethal Power Trip was in a live setting, Live In Seattle was recorded as the title states in Seattle at Neumos on May 28, 2018. Originally released in June of 2020, the collection will finally arrive on vinyl, CD, and digital formats on June 23rd, 2023.

The set list for Live In Seattle is a selection of classic tracks from the band’s discography; Nightmare Logic and Manifest Decimation albums (the Grammy™ nominated Best Metal Performance “Executioner’s Tax [Swing of the Axe],” “Conditioned to Death,” “Firing Squad,” and more), and even a deep cut / fan favorite, “Suffer No Fool,” these eleven thrashing crossover tracks are full of the fire and venom that only Power Trip can deliver.

Watch / share the “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” visualizer on YouTube.

The 43-minute Live In Seattle set will be available for pre-order ahead of its June 23rd release on Southern Lord soon.

Live In Seattle, track listing:

1. Drown (Intro)
2. Divine Apprehension
3. Suffer No Fool
4. Soul Sacrifice
5. Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)
6. Crucifixation
7. Heretic’s Fork
8. Conditioned to Death
9. Firing Squad
10. Manifest Decimation
11. Crossbreaker

Live In Seattle, cover art:

“fantastical big-room thrash like 1986 never ended” – Stereogum

High Command have announced U.S. and Canada tour dates this May, ending at the Milwaukee Metal Fest on May 28th (full routing can be found below). This run marks High Command’s first jaunt away from the east coast in support of their new album Eclipse of the Dual Moons and follows the band’s support slots for Sunn O))) in Philadelphia and Brooklyn that closed out 2022.

On their second album, Eclipse of the Dual Moons, the band take their love of storytelling a step further, deepening and widening the world of Secartha, the realm of High Command’s songs. The band place themselves as omniscient narrators of the world they have created, and say that they are inseparable from Secartha and its people.

“It’s one thing to make a good metal record, but it’s another to put on top of it a sort of overarching story that makes sense to listeners. The whole High Command project is enriched by lyrics articulating characters, a world, and trials faced within it. We want our records to be immersive and leave listeners with a feeling they’ve experienced something bigger than the music.”

It’s not just a question of widening the world, which the band first started exploring on The Secartha Demos (2016); Eclipse of the Dual Moons sees High Command honing their process to a fine art “it’s like we started with chiseling a rock… this record is the moment the rock in question begins to look like an actual sculpture.”

Revisit Eclipse of the Dual Moons singles linked in the track listing below and catch High Command on the road soon:

High Command, on tour

May 20 Hartford, CT @ The Webster

May 21 Brooklyn, NY @ The Brooklyn Monarch

May 22 Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia

May 23 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium

May 24 Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Bell

May 25 Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre

May 26 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern

May 27 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot Ballroom

May 28 Milwaukee, WI @ MKE Metal Fest

Eclipse of the Dual Moons, track listing:

1. Eclipse Of The Dual Moons
2. Immortal Savagery
3. Imposing Hammers Of Cold Sorcery
4. Omniscient Flail Of Infamy
5. Fortified By Bloodshed
6. Chamber Of Agony
7. Siege Warfare
8. Spires Of Secartha
   

FOR MORE FROM HIGH COMMAND:

FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP | INSTAGRAM

1989’s Manic Ride is now sonically enhanced with an aggressive remaster from Brad Boatright. // Pre-orders are available now.

Frenetic, coarse and frequently atonal. Nothing is more a distillation of that sound than the mighty BL’AST! ’s final studio album, Take The Manic Ride (1989). Over 30 years later, and the album is getting the reissue treatment on Southern Lord.

In June of 1988 BL’AST! went into the studio with Black Flags’ live sound GOAT: Dave Rat (RATSOUND), and the breakneck Take The Manic Ride was recorded. This version was later destroyed after the band was dissatisfied with the original production. Now, this unmissable piece of hardcore history has been carefully restored under the strict guidance of mastering engineer Brad Boatright (also remastered the other BL’AST! albums re-released by Southern Lord). Manic Ride will be released by Southern Lord on March 10th.

Mike (Neider, guitar) comments on the reissue:

“The release of Manic Ride is essential to finish the history of past BL’AST! releases. It displays how off the beaten path BL’AST! is and always has been. The music and lyrics does not tread lightly. We’re grateful to have Manic Ride’s affiliation w/ Rat Sound/Dave Rat, SSTRecords and Southern Lord and for all of our friends, fans and family, as well as the BL’AST! blood brotherhood. For this to be released in our fortieth year as a band is truly amazing.

Rest In Power to the artist of the Manic cover, Justin Forbes.”

The original line up for Take The Manic Ride:

Dave Cooper – bass

Bill Torgerson – drums

Mike Neider – guitar

Clifford Dinsmore – vocals

Available to order via Bandcamp, and the Southern Lord, and Southern Lord Europe stores.

MANIC RIDE track listing:

1. Somewhere I’ve Found/Falsehood Claws
2. Overdrive
3. Out of Alignment
4. Start the Machine
5. Turn and Face the World
6. Blast it Back
7. Bones
8. Powerize
9. It’s Time
10. Abraxis
11. Look Inside

Additional bio information:

Having formed in 1983, the highly influential Santa Cruz hardcore legend BL’AST! released their first album, The Power of Expression in 1985. This debut album went on to become one of the highly sought after, must-have hardcore albums from the 80s.

BL’AST! were beyond intense, continually pushing the boundaries of hardcore with their advanced musicianship, unstoppable energic delivery and explosive live performances. This overwhelming power caught the attention of SST records, who released the band’s second album, It’s In My Blood in 1987. Their third album, Take The Manic Ride, was then released in 1989.

BL’AST!‘s wide-eyed, ambitious approach and intense perseverance became an influence for many bands to come. Shortly after the release of Take The Manic Ride the band broke up and their story was, for some time, buried by time and dust…

The band reformed in the 2000s, and released the 7” EP, For Those Who Grace The Fire, from 2015, which featured Dave Grohl on drums and Chuck Dukowski on bass. They then released Blood!, an album consisting of then-lost recordings, and remixed by Dave Grohl, in 2013. Later on, they also did a split 7″ with Eyehategod, contributing “Cut Your Teeth” in 2017.

For More on BL’AST!:

WEB | BANDCAMP | INSTAGRAM | MERCH STORE

2022 has been a phenomenally active year for Greg Anderson as The Lord.
Having previously shared standalone track releases, he then released his debut solo album Forest Nocturne in Summer followed by a collaborative album with Petra Haden,  Devotional in October. 

Now, he is heard in collaboration with David Pajo in a brand new track, “Nazarite“, which sees the two musicians meet over ominous arpeggios and spoken word segments in this new track which Greg suggests is a “gateway” to more collaborations in the future.

Greg says, “I’m beyond honored to have been able to collaborate with David Pajo for this ever evolving output as The Lord. Slint remains one of the most important bands ever to me. I composed the music for Nazarite as a love letter to Slint that exemplifies my obsession and devotion. David’s brilliant response to my humble offering is clear proof of his genius.“

David Pajo says, “In Tennessee, I played a bit of acoustic guitar on the Goatsnake song ‘Another River To Cross.’ It was then that I realized we had a perfect working dynamic. We seem to be able to push an idea from nothing into solid shape, without much effort or ego. I trust Greg’s ear and musical sense implicitly—he’s fearless.“

Listen to “Nazarite” on Bandcamp.

In an interview with Earthquaker, Anderson explains that he first met Pajo in Los Angeles (around 2015), and the pair became friends. Pajo later played a guitar intro on a Goatsnake album. Sunn O))) first invited David Pajo to join them on tour in 2019 and the pair remained in touch to eventually collaborate on this new track.

Greg continues; “Making music as The Lord has given me the freedom to collaborate with some of my favorite musicians from William Duvall to Petra Haden to David Pajo as well as exploring my own sound as a solo musician. Each track or full length that Southern Lord has put out so far has gone way beyond expectation and taken on a life of its own. These musicians have brought out the different sides of my musical interests in a very organic way, and it has been life-affirming to try things that I’ve never explored before.“

We look forward to sharing more from The Lord in 2023. 

FOR MORE ON THE LORD:

WEB | INSTAGRAM | BANDCAMP

FOR MORE ON DAVID PAJO:

WEB | FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP | INSTAGRAM

See core members Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson on the road soon, with a bonus show added in Los Angeles.

In the coming weeks, core Sunn O))) members Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley will return to the live aspect as Shoshin (初心) Duo in its original, raw form. They’ll perform as a pair, immersed in profound valve amplification, spectral harmonics, distortion, and volume. Pure and primeval riffs of temporality, massively heavy structures of sound pressure. Witness a live experience of physical sound, and glacial maximalism like no other. 

Supporting acts for select dates on tour have been announced and include High Command, Kali Malone, Tzompantli, David Pajo and more. See the full list of support acts as well as ticket links for the shows listed below.

Having most recently released Metta, Benevolence BBC 6 Music : Live on the Invitation of Mary Anne Hobbes (2021), Pyroclasts (2019) and Life Metal (2019), Sunn O))) continue their monumental momentum with the Shoshin (初心) Duo tour.

See Sunn O))) Shoshin (初心) Duo on the road:

December 9 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade [tickets] w/ The Accidents

December 10 Pelham, TN @ The Caverns [tickets]

December 12 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall [tickets] w/ The Crosses

December 13 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall [tickets] w/ Ready for Death & Deep Tunnel Project

December 14 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre [tickets]

December 16 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer [tickets] w/ High Command

December 17 Brooklyn, NY @ Pioneer Works [tickets] w/ Leila Bordreuil & High Command

January 24 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall [tickets]

January 26 Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall [tickets] w/ Joe Preston & Daniel Menche duo

January 28 Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre [tickets] w/ Kali Malone

January 30 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall [tickets]

January 31 Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre [tickets] w/ Kali Malone

February 2 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre [tickets]

February 4 Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room [tickets] w/ Tzompantli – SOLD OUT –

February 5 Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room [tickets] w/ David Pajo

SUNN O))) TOUR MERCH

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SUNN O))), VISIT:

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP | SPOTIFY

Southern Lord Europe’s yearly sale starts on Friday the 18th of November at 09:00 CET.
Remember we’re shipping worldwide and the EU store stock differs from the U.S. one (colors as well as releases) so take advantage and complete your Southern Lord catalog!!

“fantastical big-room thrash like 1986 never ended” – Stereogum

High Command share the final single from their forthcoming full length album Eclipse of the Dual Moons, out November 25th on Southern Lord. The single, “Fortified by Bloodshed,” arrives today alongside a new interview with the band via Invisible Oranges. Additionally, Eclipse of the Dual Moons is available for pre-order on all formats here.

Listen to “Fortified by Bloodshed” on Bandcamp.

Stream on Spotify + other DSP’s here.

Swords and metal go hand in hand. That’s what crossover thrash band High Command say, having turned heads with their debut album Beyond The Wall of Desolation (2019).

“Our love for the bay area in the 80’s is certainly no secret. Besides some of the more obvious influences we have I think we were much more comfortable exploring some of the less obvious stuff we hinted at with the first record. Particularly traditional heavy metal (Dio, Mercyful Fate) the south’s interpretation of the bay area (Exhorder, Obituary, Nasty Savage, Devastation, Rigor Mortis) first wave black metal (Bathory, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost). Of course all of this executed with the discharge, Cro mags, Sacrilege DNA that runs through our veins,” High Command comments.

But it’s not solely metal music which influences the band, who cite the lustful violence of Robert E. Howard, Michel Moorcock, Jack Vance and many other legendary pulp writers of the 20th century as an impetus for their expansive storytelling. “People would also be surprised to hear we drew quite a bit of inspiration from the music of Ennio Morricone, especially in regards to writing some more of the epic, grandiose passages and chord progressions.” says the band.

With their second album, Eclipse of the Dual Moons, the band take their love of storytelling a step further, deepening and widening the world of Secartha, the realm of High Command’s songs. The band place themselves as omniscient narrators of the world they have created, and say that they are inseparable from Secartha and its people.

“It’s one thing to make a good metal record, but it’s another to put on top of it a sort of overarching story that makes sense to listeners. The whole High Command project is enriched by lyrics articulating characters, a world, and trials faced within it. We want our records to be immersive and leave listeners with a feeling they’ve experienced something bigger than the music.”

It’s not just a question of widening the world, which the band first started exploring on The Secartha Demos (2016); Eclipse of the Dual Moons sees High Command honing their process to a fine art “it’s like we started with chiseling a rock… this record is the moment the rock in question begins to look like an actual sculpture.”

Revisit High Command’s “Siege Warfare,” on Bandcamp and on other DSP’s here.

Revisit “Imposing Hammers of Cold Sorcery” on YouTube:

Eclipse of the Dual Moons, track listing:

1. Eclipse Of The Dual Moons
2. Immortal Savagery
3. Imposing Hammers Of Cold Sorcery
4. Omniscient Flail Of Infamy
5. Fortified By Bloodshed
6. Chamber Of Agony
7. Siege Warfare
8. Spires Of Secartha

FOR MORE FROM HIGH COMMAND:

FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP | INSTAGRAM