Void Of Vision Release New Album "What I'll Leave Behind" + Share Video For "Neurotic"

"'What I'll Leave Behind' is an expressive and beautiful offering that sees experimentation and originality flourishing in the face of trauma and affliction…With new trajectories ahead, Void Of Vision is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with- and that is the message they will leave behind for years to come" — Wall Of Sound, 10/10

"Brutal, raw, emotive, gut wrenching despair and confusion. No thought is left off the page and those lyrics are sensationally captured in a musically refined album… Musically and visually, it’s almost a celebration track, a tale of freedom and acceptance. Now it’s time to take on the world" — HiFi Way

"This band just continues to reinvent themselves in the best possible way" — The Break Down With Nath + Johnny

Today, Melbourne's Void Of Vision release their fourth studio album What I'll Leave Behind via UNFD.

A stupefying collection of explosive riffs, viscous textures and serrated metalcore, What I'll Leave Behind finds Void Of Vision channeling their trademark wares into new and scintillating territory, redefining modern heavy music through a sharp and compelling lens.

Today, Void Of Vision also share a brand new video for the track "Neurotic;" the ultimate ode for vocalist Jack Bergin's road to self discovery alongside staggering odds.

"'Neurotic' is my own personal ego death anthem," Bergin shares. "I've spent so many years of my life in the most neurotic headspace. I've been a self-absorbed, egocentric, and overall shitty person behind the curtain and managed to pull it off under the guise of music. It only took until very recently to realise sometimes we all have to let go of a piece of ourselves to move forward and saying it all out loud in the moment is a part of that step that just makes it more real."
 
He continues, "Becoming self-aware and conscious of my own personal growth since radiotherapy has made me realize what's really important. The artificial fantasy we trap ourselves in is only built to last so long, feeling it all come to a halt is near bliss. I'm losing unnecessary connections, so many fake people and so much wasted time that is giving me more happiness than I have ever found within this bleak rat race. "
 
He finishes,"Unplugging from it all just feels so fucking good."

Watch the video for "Neurotic" below.

Tracing a long and harrowing personal journey for vocalist Jack Bergin, What I'll Leave Behind ultimately captures events that trace back to 2022 when Bergin woke up in an ambulance. Following a seizure and countless tests, Bergin would soon discover the fundamental, tectonic-plates-of-life shifting reason: he had a "glitch" in his head. An arteriovenous malformation (AVM), to be precise, a tangle of blood vessels in his brain, revealed by MRI and CT scans.

Balancing touring, music video filming and the recording of the CHRONICLES III: UNDERWORLD EP, Bergin's increasing exhaustion alongside his creative commitments prompted him to step back and reconfigure, adapting a shadow-self and creative gimmick dubbed the Angel Of Darkness, accompanying the single of the same name and aiming to help Bergin take space to get through each day, whilst still propelling Void Of Vision's artistic world forward.

Alas, the steps taken were not enough; in April of 2023, hospital visits and further scans revealed that the AVM had ruptured, and Bergin was suffering a brain bleed. Surgery was now essential; immediately it was clear that Void Of Vision's schedule, including headline shows, festivals and the recording of their next album, needed to be wiped clean, as Bergin was hospitalised for the foreseeable future.

Experiencing what he today acknowledges was little short of an existential crisis, Bergin spent the weeks in his hospital bed in a state of exhaustive, draining introspection, reflection and analysis, oscillating between contradictory emotions, facing his own mortality and questioning everything: "Was / is it all worth it? What am I doing with my life? Who am I without the band? What will I leave behind?"

From this state of conflict, Bergin’s internal war of attrition, came What I'll Leave Behind, Void Of Vision's fourth album, with the new album also finding Bergin and his bandmates, James McKendrick (guitar/vocals), George Pfaender (drums) and Mitch Fairlie (guitar) more focused than ever; the genre polyamory of the CHRONICLES era smelted and reforged into a sound that is distinctly, unmistakably, joyously their own. Nasty, heavy, yet sleekly surgical, it offers the perfect soundtrack for a journey from disaster to acceptance, via trauma, uncertainty, loss and learning.

Void Of Vision have solidified their standing as one of the most innovative and sonically explosive acts in the heavy scene for over a decade. From their debut EP, 2014's Broken // Bones through to 2016's Children of Chrome, 2017's Disturbia, 2019's Hyperdaze and the release of the amalgamated CHRONICLES series in 2023, a new future was heralded last year by the arrival of a standalone single Angel Of Darkness; an alt metal rager weighted equally by searing heaviness and pulsing pop, helmed by the titular Angel Of Darkness as the band's representative during the single's campaign.

With recent unforgettable performances at home and abroad in their wake alongside Stray From The Path, ERRA, Holding Absence, Polaris and the first ever edition of Knotfest Australia, Void Of Vision are currently on the road supporting Aussie juggernauts Parkway Drive on their gargantuan 20 Year Anniversary Tour in Australia, with a packed Brisbane show on Wednesday 18 September kicking of proceedings, a second show in Brisbane tonight to coincide with the release of What I'll Leave Behind, and shows still to come for Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and closing out in Perth.

Void Of Vision will also be returning to North America this November and December, supporting The Ghost Inside and also appearing as part of August Burns Red's annual Christmas Burns Red event.

"The most beautiful things / Are what I'll leave behind..."

VOID OF VISION ON TOUR:
WITH THE GHOST INSIDE:
11/21 — The Van Buren — Phoenix AZ
11/22 — Riverside Municipal Auditorium — Riverside CA
11/23 — The Catalyst — Santa Cruz CA
11/25 — Roseland Theater — Portland OR
11/26 — The Showbox — Seattle WA
11/27 — The Pearl — Vancouver BC
11/29 — Union Hall — Edmonton AB
11/30 — Palace Theatre — Calgary AB
12/ 1 — Knitting Factory — Spokane WA
12/ 2 — Knitting Factory — Boise ID
12/ 3 — The Depot — Salt Lake City UT
12/ 5 — Diamond Ballroom — Oklahoma City OK
12/ 6 — Emo's Austin — Austin TX
12/ 7 — House Of Blues — Houston TX
12/ 8 — House Of Blues — Dallas TX
12/ 10 — Brooklyn Bowl — Nashville TN
12/ 11 — Agora Theatre and Ballroom — Cleveland OH
12/ 13 — Newport Music Hall — Columbus OH

Smartpunk Records Drops Roses Are Red "Conversations" 20th Anniversary Vinyl Re-Issue

Roses Are Red's iconic emo/melodic rock album Conversations was first released on September 21, 2004. Two decades later, the band is celebrating the milestone with three vinyl variants re-released via Smartpunk Records.

It is available on vinyl for the first time via Smartpunk Records here.

During the era of its original release, the band took the emo scene by storm on the Vans Warped Tour in 2004 and 2005, the Take Action Tour in 2006, on tours with My Chemical Romance, Alkaline Trio, and Hawthorne Heights, and in features with Alternative Press, Revolver, Outburn, and more. 

This pressing includes the band’s cover of Smashing Pumpkins' "Cherub Rock" and a demo version of "Time Signals Progress." The band will also be performing a special "20 Years of Conversations" show on September 21, 2024 in Rochester, NY. The band’s second album What Became of Me has also been pressed to vinyl for the first time, and will be available September 21.

Roses Are Red is actively releasing new music in 2024 with their first release in 18 years, with "Memento" embodying the modern nostalgia of the elder emos.

Listen to "Memento" below.

When asked about the anniversary release, vocalist Vincent Minervino says,"Revisiting Conversations and the scene around it feels like reconnecting with an old flame. We all have those butterflies in our stomach, just like seeing a DM request from your first love. The entire experience means so much to us, and we couldn't have been more thrilled when Smartpunk approached us about a vinyl pressing to celebrate the 20th anniversary. We can't wait to play the songs again on stage with our old friends, and we are super excited for this new chapter of the band."

ABOUT ROSES ARE RED:
Blurring the line between aggressive melodic rock and hook-driven emo, Roses Are Red came together in late 2002 in Rochester, NY. Claiming influences ranging from Jimmy Eat World to Def Leppard, the quintet debuted in 2003 with the ten-song Handshakes and Heartbreaks on Enterprise Records. Touring behind Handshakes, the band caught the attention of Trustkill Records, signed in early 2004 and entered the studio that summer with Chris Badami (The Starting Line, The Early November). A stint on the summer's Warped Tour preceded the arrival of their label debut, Conversations, that September. Roses Are Red stayed on the road, hitting Europe with Underoath and Silverstein, and returning to the U.S. for 2005's Warped. Sharing stages over time with bands like My Chemical Romance, Story of the Year, and Bullet For My Valentine helped their fan base grow even further. Working with Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive), the band's next effort, What Became of Me was released in June 2006 as one of Alternative Press's "Most Anticipated" that year. The band participated in the Take Action Tour 2006 alongside Matchbook Romance, The Early November, and Chiodos. In 2024, the band reformed after a 17-year hiatus to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Conversations and released brand new track "Memento."

ABOUT SMARTPUNK RECORDS:
Smartpunk has been a recognizable name in the scene for a long time (Remember that sponsored Warped Tour stage?!). After exchanging several hands and countless ideas of what it could and should be, they decided to start a record label in 2016 with the main idea of focusing solely on reissuing records that have been out of print or never on vinyl. After all, they're a label of vinyl dorks themselves! After releasing Set Your Goals' Mutiny and Gameface's Good, they started to venture into signing newer bands. They actively balance in between many worlds — putting out amazing music from friends and bands that rock, reissuing older titles, and partnering with other incredible labels in our scene and doing exclusive color variants of their releases.

"Since forming the record label, Smartpunk Records has released timeless albums such as Less Than Jake's Anthem, Nominee's Lowlife, RIVALS' Sad Looks Pretty on Me, Virginity's POPMORTEM, and melodic skate punkers The Swellers' My Everest.

Miranda Lambert Sends 'Postcards from Texas' Today, Sept. 13

With NPR’s “All Songs Considered” lauding Miranda Lambert as “the most accomplished and consistently great artist in contemporary country music” as Postcards from Texas leads today’s discussion of the most impactful new releases, the show also declares, “This is an album that proves that she’s a backbone of country; she can make these really beautiful, minimalist country songs that get to the heart of very clear, concise ideas about love and homeland.” Listen to the latest project from the most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history HERE.
 
“Usually when you make a record, it’s a snapshot of the past two or three years and where you are in that moment,” reflects Lambert. “Postcards from Texas instead draws on all the different stages of my life and my career, all the influences that have ever inspired me, and gives you a really full picture of who I am.”
 
With a perky backbeat and a come-hither tone, Lambert kicks off Postcards from Texas with “Armadillo,” the plucky, magical-thinking road adventure that sets the tone for the 14-song romp across her home state that is both nostalgic and forward-facing. With an emphasis on the wide-ranging musical palette of Texas itself, Lambert and co-producer Jon Randall created a mélange of sleek ‘70s country (“Looking Back On Luckenbach,” “Wildfire”), slow-burning Neil Young swagger (“Wranglers”), grassy pluck (“Bitch On The Sauce (Just Drunk)”), a hilarious shuffle (“Alimony,” celebrated by the Associated Press as “such a rewarding lyric reversal, it feels almost prototypical – as if plucked from some great country music songbook instead of written into it”) and classic songwriter fare (“No Man’s Land,” “I Hate Love Songs”), plus an unrepentant take on David Allen Coe’s “Living On The Run.”
 
“You’d have to look pretty far and wide to find anyone in music who has been as consistently good or eternally enjoyable as Miranda Lambert,” declares Rolling Stone’s review. With her ninth solo studio project adding to that celebrated discography, the accomplished writer and vocalist of many colors and emotions delivers an album that is in turns sleek, ragged, rocking and honky tonk ready. Think of it as Lambert’s love letter to her home state. Recorded at Austin’s legendary Arlyn Studios, the pair of GRAMMY-winning creative forces drew on some of Texas’s best-known musicians to further root this song cycle in the textures that have defined her storied career. If you like freewheeling, high-flying, seat of your pants ecstasy and slightly salty “here’s how it is,” Lambert’s first album for Republic Records pushes all those buttons, and more.
 
“There’s the line ‘livin’ on a Lone Star love’ in ‘Looking Back on Luckenbach,’ and that could be the thesis statement for this record,” Lambert reflects. “It really sums up the entire journey that I’ve taken with this new path… Going back to the root and putting a lot of steel guitar on it, a lot of country – a lot of kinds of country – it’s just kind of finding my place again artistically.”
 
“At this stage in her career, Lambert doesn’t have anything to prove — and that’s one of many reasons why Postcards from Texas is a ride that works,” applauds the Associated Press, with local cultural authority Texas Monthly adding, “On paper, Lambert seems to have all she ever wanted and more… Rather than taking a victory lap, though, Lambert is pushing into territory that’s as risky as it is familiar.”
 
A masterclass in the phases and stages of a songwriter raised on the potent forces of Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, George Strait, Steve Earle and Guy Clark, this is Lambert at her truest and most real. “There are tearful, pedal-steel ballads that could have been written at any point in the past 50 years, but also songs with a more contemporary, arena-ready rock sheen,” notes the Daily Mail, yet as Rolling Stone raves, “the album never feels like a tribute to anything other than her own independent muse.”
 
From start to finish on Postcards from Texas, the woman known for her staunch individualism, no-mess attitude and unwavering truth-telling moves through the expansive freedoms and musical gears that makes Texas such a mythic, magical place – looking back on the journey thus far while also keeping an eye down the road to where all of it might take her.
 
“The beginning and ending were on purpose,” she admits. “We’re gonna start out and end in the same level of brokenness. ‘Living on the Run,’ because of what it says, makes you feel like you’re about to get in the car with that armadillo again, and start it all over. I feel like it’s the signal to start the journey all over again, because that’s what life is.”

About Miranda Lambert
Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multi-faceted career as an artist, entertainer, entrepreneur, advocate and businesswoman with an unflinching quest for excellence, honesty and conviction. With her ninth solo studio album, Postcards from Texas, available everywhere now via Republic Records, the most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, including their top honor for Entertainer of the Year, has also won three GRAMMYs and 14 Country Music Association Awards. A TIME100 honoree and perennial best-of-the-year list maker at the New York Times, TIME, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Stereogum, People and more, NPR has called her “the most riveting country star of her generation.”
 
A multi-dimensional superstar, she’s earned seven No. 1 solo albums, 10 No. 1 hit radio singles, more than 80 prestigious awards and countless RIAA certifications; conquered Las Vegas with her twice-extended Velvet Rodeo residency; blurred genres with Leon Bridges, the B-52s, Loretta Lynn, Enrique Iglesias, Sheryl Crow and Elle King; and delivered her LGBTQ+ inclusive anthem “Y’All Means All” for Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” She’s taken those standards to become a New York Times bestselling author and the first female restaurateur on Lower Broadway with her Tex-Mex cantina Casa Rosa, while also expanding her creative reach with her Wanda June Home collection exclusive to Walmart and her Idyllwind clothing and boot line at Boot Barn. Her passion for rescue animals inspired the creation of her MuttNation Foundation, which has raised nearly $10 million since inception to promote adoption, support shelters across the country, advance spay & neuter and assist with the transport of animals during times of natural disaster.
 
MirandaLambert.com | Facebook | Twitter/X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

Brantley Gilbert Inks Passion, Pain & Perspective on Seventh Studio Album 'Tattoos'

Multi-Platinum country-rock trailblazer Brantley Gilbert knows life has a way of leaving a mark. You can either hide it or embrace it. With his seventh studio album Tattoos, available now via The Valory Music Co., he opts to embrace it. Listen HERE.
 
“All my albums, they capture a chapter of my life,” Gilbert explains. “If somebody wants to know who I am, what I’ve been through and where I stand, they can start at the beginning and listen through, and that’s why it was undeniable that Tattoosshould be the title – because my tattoos do the same thing.
 
“People get ‘em for a lot of reasons, but for most of us, tattoos talk about our victories and losses, our struggles and the whole nine,” he observes. “I was one of those kids who had to learn the hard way. But if I would’ve listened to the advice of others, I don’t know I would have ended up where I am.”
 
Landing on Grammy.com’s “Must-Hear Albums in September,” Tattoos features 10 songs all co-written and co-produced by the Georgia native with a trusted cast of long-time collaborators. The set matches Gilbert’s ink in both striking design and depth of meaning. Through flowing curves and jagged lines, shadow and light look back on a life of blue-collar pride and full-throttle rebellion – along with addictive love, abiding faith and blessings beyond what any of us deserve.
 
Those themes are nothing new to this longtime craftsman, but when the title track “Tattoos” took shape, so too did the album’s reflective theme. Written on an annual retreat to rural Texas with Jake Mitchell, Randy Montana and Cole Taylor, Gilbert knew the slow-burning anthem was something special.
 
“I knew I had one that really captured who I am,” he says. “It doesn’t sound like anything else you’ve heard before, and it really gives you the long and short of my life, which is what my tattoos do.”
 
With about 90 songs to choose from, Gilbert carefully laid his Tattoos out from there. Some came from an all hands-on-deck weekend at Lee Brice’s Nashville property, with Jelly Roll and more, determined to write with no pre-conditions. Others found their way to Gilbert through friends who know his creative soul, and after joining forces with primary co-producer Brock Berryhill, the pair spent late night after late night whittling the pack down to its essential elements.
 
The result – predictably enough – is an electrifying mix of in-your-face aggression and roughneck reflection, as Gilbert delivers another full-spectrum soundtrack to modern country life. But this time, he was careful to put an emphasis on his early days, both in sound and substance, focusing on real instruments over synthetic effects and put to use in a variety of big-picture, small-town settings.

Like the community spirit those towns rely on, the album’s standout feature may be its guest appearances – a trend starting with the first track, “Dirty Money” featuring Justin Moore, as Billboard calls it a “pride-fueled celebration of those who earn their ‘dirty money’ straight from the ground, providing food for communities through raising and harvesting crops,” noting, “this track revs up with all the gritty churn of a combine, as a bed of industrial-scale, frothy guitars, sharp percussion and thudding bass carry the two artists’ intertwined, distinctive drawls.”
 
Lead single “Over When We're Sober” with Ashley Cooke mixes can’t-stop romantic intoxication with a top shelf vocal blend, capturing the raw magnetism of a romantic buzz. Co-written with Justin Wilson, Jelly Roll and Berryhill, the sweet-and-sour concoction jumps out from the speakers.
 
 “God Isn’t Country” – which features a vocal master class from Rascal Flatts legend (and longtime friend) Gary LeVox – fuses feel-good faith with awe for the natural world. And with the hand-over-heart declaration that is “Me and My House” ft. Struggle Jennings and Demun Jones, Gilbert adds another unique tattoo to his collection. A defiant tip of the hat to the independent country rap world Gilbert has always admired, the track is also a nod to bold self-determination – a pledge to uphold his traditional ideals.
 
This deep into his career, Gilbert’s nostalgia is also plain to see. With the namesake of his current headlining tour, “Off The Rails” captures the hard-charging energy of fan favorites like “Kick It In the Sticks,” while heartfelt ballads like “Gone By Now” celebrate the love shared by the star and his wife, Amber. Described as a “transparent” look into his heart, its sunset sonics speak to early romantic ballads.
 
Likewise, “The Hell That Raised Us” tributes the wild-and-free nature of a rural childhood, and while “Out Here” waves a good-timing flag for those living by their own rules, Gilbert finishes with “Miss These Towns,” completing the sonic self-portrait. A stripped-down lament about watching the decline of rural communities all over the U.S. (including his own), Gilbert knows change is inevitable, and not always a bad thing. But he’s been around long enough to know the value of respecting your past.
 
In celebration of his new album Tattoos, Gilbert will headline Brantley Gilbert’s World’s Largest Album Release Party on Broadway in downtown Nashville tonight, September 13. The free multi-artist concert is part of FREEDOM FRIDAY events kicking off the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix weekend (September 13-15). Presented by 1st Phorm Energy, with additional partnership from Rousch, Polaris, and Modern Buggy, the 4th annual FREEDOM FRIDAY concert honors members of the Military, Police, Fire, First Responders and Frontline Heroes. The 160th Special Ops Aviation Regiment will perform a helicopter aerial demonstration and a pre-concert flyover by the 101st Airborne Division.
 

Off The Rails Tour Dates

Sept. 13           Brantley Gilbert’s World’s Largest Album Release Party // Nashville, TN
Sept. 19           Mountain Health Network Arena // Huntington, WV
Sept. 20           Santander Arena // Reading, PA
Sept. 21           DCU Center // Worcester, MA
Sept. 26           LJVM Coliseum // Winston-Salem, NC
Sept. 27           The Corbin Arena // Corbin, KY
Sept. 28           Florence Center // Florence, SC
Oct. 3              Knoxville Civic Coliseum // Knoxville, TN
Oct. 4              First National Bank Arena // Jonesboro, AR
Oct. 5              Ozarks Amphitheater // Camdenton, MO
Oct. 10            Raising Cane’s River Center Arena // Baton Rouge, LA
Oct. 11            Cadence Bank Arena // Tupelo, MS
Oct. 12            The Sounds Amphitheater // Gautier, MS
Oct. 17            Enmarket Arena // Savannah, GA
Oct. 18            McKenzie Arena // Chattanooga, TN
Oct. 19            Atrium Health Amphitheater // Macon, GA
 
*Festival Date
 
About Brantley Gilbert
As one of the godfathers of country’s modern rock-and-rap edge, multi-Platinum The Valory Music Co. trailblazer Brantley Gilbert knows life has a way of leaving a mark. With his seventh studio album, Tattoos, available now,  the Georgia native chooses to embrace it – inspired by the idea that his tattoos tell a story, just like his songs. And just like his songs, he’ll never hide the truth they reveal. An era-defining artist forever bonded to his fans, Gilbert’s been mining the timeless values of hard-working dedication, high-octane thrills and humble faith since his 2009 debut, A Modern Day Prodigal Son, creating a chart-topping grit-and-grace fusion which helped set the stage for today’s genre-blending format. With his dedicated BG Nation behind him, the fiery performer-songwriter has racked up more than 8.3 BILLION career streams, boasting back-to-back Platinum albums and seven No. 1 hits including the RIAA 7x Platinum “Bottoms Up;” 2x Platinum “Country Must Be Country Wide;” 2x Platinum “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do;” 2x Platinum “One Hell of An Amen;” and the Platinum-certified “What Happens In A Small Town” with Lindsay Ell. His world-class pen helped create a watershed hit with Jason Aldean’s 4x Platinum country-rap game changer, “Dirt Road Anthem.” And possessing a can’t-fake-it quality of fierce independence, the ACM, CMA and AMA award winner has toured alongside everyone from Willie Nelson and Toby Keith to Kenny Chesney, Nickelback and more. Tattoos further cements his legacy – 10 cowritten, co-produced tracks with an electrifying mix of in-your-face aggression and roughneck reflection, as Gilbert’s diesel-powered smoke-and-soul vocal delivers another full-spectrum soundtrack to modern country life. Tracks like full-throttle “Off the Rails” and intoxicating chart-climbing single “Over When We’re Sober” with Ashley Cooke lead a set packed with guest appearances from Gary LeVox, Justin Moore and Off The Rails tour mates Struggle Jennings and Demun Jones, as the superstar headlines across the U.S. through October 2024. For more information, visit BrantleyGilbert.com or follow on Instagram, TikTok and X@BrantleyGilbert and Facebook.com/BrantleyGilbertMusic.

GO AHEAD AND DIE | BETTER DEAD THAN MAINSTREAM: LIVE AT THE MARQUEE THEATER OUT NOW + RELEASE LYRIC VIDEO FOR 'I.C.E. CAGE' LIVE!

Arizona death-crusters GO AHEAD AND DIE's newest offering Better Dead Than Mainstream: Live At The Marquee Theater is now available digitally via Nuclear Blast Records. The audio from the album was taken from their September 25, 2021 show with SOULFLY as well as INCITE and HEALING MAGIC. The night featured a performance of their debut self-titled album which was released two months prior. The audio for the live album was produced, engineered, and mastered by Arthur Rizk. For the album cover, the band enlisted Costin Chioreanu to create the artwork.

To celebrate the live album, the band once again teamed up with Costin Chioreanu who created a lyric video for the track, 'I.C.E. Cage' live.

Stream / purchase Better Dead Than Mainstream: Live At The Marquee Theater digitally, here:
https://bfan.link/gaad-bdtm-live

Watch the lyric video for 'I.C.E. Cage' live below.

Catch GO AHEAD AND DIE live:
11/09/2024 Tempe, AZ - The Marquee Theater @ The Max Cavalera Dynasty Show

GO AHEAD AND DIE unleashed their caustic sophomore album Unhealthy Mechanisms last year via Nuclear Blast Records. A torrential whirlwind born from the livid minds of Igor Amadeus Cavalera (HEALING MAGIC) and Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY). The sophomore album is a fresh dive into the madness of society and the pollution that ravages our minds.Unhealthy Mechanisms was produced by Igor Amadeus Cavalera while John Aquilino handled the recording in his Platinum Underground Studio steeped in the mystic ambiance of the Superstition Mountains’ foothills. The mixing and mastering were once again handled by Arthur Rizk (CAVALERA, SOULFLY, TURNSTILE). For the artwork, the band enlisted Santiago Jaramillo of Triple Seis Design to create the unnerving design that fits with the album title. GO AHEAD AND DIE's newest record is a testament to declining mental health around the world, and a reminder that we are not alone in our pain. The mind is lost. The fuse is lit. Time to set everything ablaze.

GO AHEAD AND DIE is:
Max Cavalera | Vocals, Guitar
Igor Amadeus Cavalera | Vocals, Guitar
Johnny Valles | Drums
Jackie Cruz | Bass

Visit GO AHEAD AND DIE at:
www.facebook.com/GoAheadAndDieBand
www.twitter.com/GAADband
www.instagram.com/GoAheadAndDieBand
www.youtube.com/@GoAheadAndDie

Bill Leeb (Front Line Assembly, Delerium) releases debut solo album 'Model Kollapse' + video for 'Muted Obsession' (feat. ACTORS)

"A frenzy-filled dose of sonic adrenaline that is infectious and, paradoxically, suitable for the dancefloor... Is dystopian bliss a thing? They could be on to something big here" ~ The Spill Magazine

"You are getting Leeb’s classic vocals and lyrics, and some FLA style programming... some of the specific textures and bits of production feel different than anything in recent memory from the venerable artist" ~ I Die: You Die

"Instantly recognizable... still sounds like something unmistakably new... sinister synthetic soundscape" ~ Rock and Roll Fables


Legendary electronic music maverick Bill Leeb has released his debut solo album 'Model Kollapse' via iconic alternative music label Metropolis Records. Bringing double delight, he also unveils his new video for 'Muted Obsession', which features Shannon Hemmett and Jason Corbett of post-punk outfit ACTORS. 

Reflecting the Tim Hill-produced video, Leeb says this song is about “the perception between fantasy and reality. How far would you go in this virtual social world we have created? Are we truly all alone? Who wants to play?”

Based in Vancouver, Bill Leeb is the genius behind highly influential electro-industrial scene mainstays Front Line Assembly and ambient-pop duo Delerium, having gotten his start with Skinny Puppy. He is also a key member of other recording projects, including Noise Unit, Intermix and Cyberaktif.

Four decades on, this album was recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles with assistance from Vancouver/Toronto-based production duo Dream Bulletand long-term FLA/Delerium cohort Rhys Fulber, plus regular mixing engineer Greg Reely.

Earlier, Leeb shared ‘Terror Forms’ feat. Shannon Hemmett, which explores the intricacies of artificial intelligence and the very survival of humanity itself, and 'Demons', a song about the omnipresence of technology and the internal battles we wage due to the malevolence we see around us. This album also involves an appearance by long-term Delerium collaborator Mimi Page.

‘Model Kollapse’ marks Leeb's first solo venture since the mid-80s days of Front Line Assembly, when he used to make recordings in his bedroom, releasing them on limited edition cassette. It reflects the dystopian, nihilistic world we have created in so many different ways, ultimately asking the question "When will the human voice be lost to AI and technology....or will that be what saves us in the end?"  

Caustic yet melodic, danceable and very much song-oriented rather than soundscape-driven, 'Model Kollapse' carries traces of hard-edged electronic dance music pioneers such as Front 242, DAF, KMFDM and Skinny Puppy. Remarking that “Metropolis Records is one of the most important for alternative music on the planet, Leeb shares, "This album was made possible by my long-term friendship with label boss Dave Heckman, who continually supported my projects, allowing complete artistic freedom.” Heckman died in 2022.

The term "Model Collapse" refers to an AI phenomenon where trained models, especially those relying on synthetic data or AI-generated data, degrade over time. “As we forge forward on an unprecedented technological scale, it makes me wonder how much longer we can remain in control of various aspects of our lives. Automation has already taken over many industries. With technology running much of the world, will the entire planet eventually be vulnerable to a Model Kollapse? Chaos would surely ensue.”

Since Leeb formed Delerium in 1987, it has received two Juno awards and collaborated with Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer), Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Kirsty Hawkshaw (Opus III), Emily Haines (Metric), Jacqui Hunt (Single Gun Theory), Matthew Sweet and Kristy Thirsk (Rose Chronicles). Their hit 'Silence' with Sarah McLachlan reached #1 in numerous countries, its remixes also charting (the Tiësto remix was voted the 12th-greatest dance track of all time via Mixmag).

As of September 13, the ‘Model Kollapse’ album is available on vinyl and CD, as well as digitally. It may be ordered directly from the article via Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles and the Okanagan, British Columbia
Written and produced by Bill Leeb and Dream Bullet
Additional production by Rhys Fulber
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Greg Reely
Featuring contributions by Shannon Hemmett, Jason Corbett & Mimi Page
Videos created by Tim Hill
Album artwork by Allen Jaeger
Released by Metropolis Records
Publicity by Shauna McLarnon for Shameless Promotion PR
Artist photos by Bobby Talamine

Keep up with Bill Leeb
Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | Front Line Assembly Facebook | Delerium Facebook | FB Group | Spotify | Apple Music | Press contact

Keep up with Metropolis Records
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George Strait’s New Album, COWBOYS AND DREAMERS, Arrives

It’s been 15 years since The New York Times distinguished George Strait as “a country superstar in complete command of his gift,” and with the arrival of his 31st studio album for MCA, Cowboys And Dreamers, that statement rings just as true today. Filled with classic country honky-tonkers about drinkin’ and not thinkin’ as well as sad songs and ballads about loss and cheatin’, listen to the album Cowboys & Indians Magazine notes is “​​a cornucopia of trad-country-arrangement beauty,”.

Dedicated to three of Strait’s very good, longtime friends and collaborators who he lost this year – manager Erv Woolsey, road manager Tom Foote and fiddler Gene Elders who plays on four tracks on this album – the Texas Troubadour shared, “I will never forget all of the good times we had together.”

Produced by Chuck Ainlay, who has been mixing Strait records since 1985, Tony Brown (Strait’s 1993’s Easy Come, Easy Go; 2008’s Troubadour) and Strait, the album’s title comes from a song penned by Jessie Jo Dillon, Keith Gattis and Bubba Strait. 

“It is a really cool song,” shared Strait of the title track. “So cool that I thought that I should name the whole album after it. And sometimes I feel like the last of a dying breed trying to find where I fit. That pretty much says it all. ‘Somewhere between high on top of the world, and fighting with calling it quits.’” While the Keith Gattis reaffirming “Wish I Could Say” offers, ‘Wish I could tell you how the world ain’t ended, And how it’s all going to be ok.’

The follow-up to Honky Tonk Time Machine, Strait’s 27th No. 1 Billboard Country album, Cowboys And Dreamers, named “album of the week” by Associated Press, features 13 new songs, including three already released tracks -- “Three Drinks Behind,” “MIA Down in MIA” and “The Little Things” -- as well as “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame” featuring Chris Stapleton and Strait’s rendition of Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues.” All making appearances in his live set, Strait has one final show in 2024, supersizing his long-standing “Strait to Vegas” show at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to mark the 37th installment of the engagement with Chris Stapleton and special guests Little Big Town.

About George Strait
George Strait is the King of Country Music, having sold more than 105 million albums and counting while earning more than 60 major entertainment industry awards as well as countless nominations. The Texas singer-songwriter is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades. With 33 different Platinum or multi-Platinum albums, he’s earned the third-most certifications of any artist in any genre, following only The Beatles and Elvis Presley, and with a total of 60, Strait has more No. 1 songs than any other artist in history.
 
The Texas troubadour's 31st career studio album, Cowboys And Dreamers, is available now. It follows 2019’s best-selling country album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, on MCA Nashville. That album quickly became Strait’s record-extending 27th No.1 Billboard Country album. The Country Music Hall of Fame member also earned his 100th entry on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his single “The Weight of the Badge” from the project. For more information, visit GeorgeStrait.com.

Scotty McCreery Releases "Fall of Summer (NC State Version)" Due to Fan Demand

When NC State men’s and women’s basketball teams made their historic run to the NCAA Final Four last Spring, Triple Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery tweaked the lyrics to his current single “Fall of Summer” from his current album Rise & Fall with an update for his beloved Wolfpack singing, “I said come see me at NC State.” The change has remained a popular one at his live show and even taken on a life of its own on social media with fans inserting their own school name in the lyrics. McCreery, who was just announced yesterday as a performer at the 2025 Stagecoach Festival, has heard the call from fans and due to popular demand is releasing “Fall of Summer (NC State Version).” Available today, listen to the updated “Fall of Summer” Below.
 
Written by McCreery, Frank Rogers and Brent Anderson and produced by Rogers, Derek Wells, and Aaron Eshuis, “Fall of Summer,” is currently climbing the chart at country radio and was most added its first week. Filled with mature nostalgia, and built on one of the album’s most modern, cinematic sounds, the midtempo and reflective standout finds the country crooner’s vocal at a low simmer, as a guy looks back on a season of life that ultimately faded, but also made room for the here and now.

Rise & Fall is McCreery’s most critically acclaimed album to date, with Billboard naming it one of the 50 Best Albums of 2024 (So Far). The album’s first single, “Cab in a Solo,” recently became his sixth #1 hit. Listen to the album Rolling Stone says is “every bit as legit as Jamey Johnson’s That Lonesome Song, Garth Brooks’ In Pieces, or Randy Travis’ Storms of Life,” HERE. 
 
“Across the 13-track collection, McCreery exhibits his continued growth as a vocalist and songwriter,” notes Holler. People echoes the sentiment, writing that the album “brims with a newfound confidence and maturity,” while Country Now calls it “his best record yet,” and American Songwriter declares it a “career album” as Rise & Fall finds him exploring not only heartbreak but rowdy nights, nostalgia, faith, newfound joy, fatherhood and enduring love, resulting in a project full of insightful storytelling. The album was produced by McCreery’s longtime production team of Frank Rogers, Derek Wells and Aaron Eshuis. 
 
McCreery co-wrote 12 of the 13 songs on the album, which Billboard observes, “Light-hearted fare such as ‘Stuck Behind a Tractor’ and ‘And Countin’’ mesh with heartbreak brushoffs such as ‘Lonely,’ the bluegrass-inflected album-closer ‘Porch’ and the faith-filled ‘Red Letter Blueprint.’” It is available digitally as well as on CD and vinyl. In addition, Amazon is releasing a limited-edition forest green vinyl version of the album. Order autographed vinyl and CDs of Rise & Fall HERE.

McCreery also recently joined Callista Clark on the duet “Gettin’ Old” via Dreamcatcher Artists label (listen HERE). Clark wrote the song with Averie Bielski and Karen Kasowski, while Joey Hyde and Frank Rogers share production credits.
 
Of the collaboration McCreery shared, “I’ve been a fan of Callista and her talent for some time, especially after having her out on my European tour a few years ago. I loved this song from the first time I heard it and was honored that she asked me to sing it with her.” 

The two recently shot a music video for the track, conceived, produced and directed by award-winning film maker Roman White, which will be released soon. A preview of the video can be seen now on both Clark and McCreery’s socials.

Having spent almost half his life in the spotlight making country music, the North Carolina native is in the midst of his headlining Fall of Summer Tour. Named after his current single of the same name, the tour will take the North Carolina native across the U.S. and Canada with stops in Santa Fe, NM; Bakersfield, CA; Stamford, CT; Windsor, Ontario; Kansas City, MO, Las Vegas, NV, and more.

Tickets are on sale now. Purchase at ScottyMcCreery.com.
 
Fall of Summer Tour Dates: 
9/13               Santa Fe, NM                          Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino
9/14               Abilene, TX                            Mulligans Outdoor Bash
9/21               Central Point, OR                   Bi-Mart Amphitheatre at the Expo
9/23               Bakersfield, CA                      Kern County Fair
9/28               Columbia, SC                         Segra Park
9/29               Fort Myers, FL                       Island Hopper Festival
10/4               Nixa, MO                                Aetos Center for the Performing Arts
10/5               Benton, MO                            Benton Speedway
10/17             Bloomington, IL                     Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts
10/18             La Porte, IN                            La Porte Civic Auditorium
10/19             Wisconsin Dells, WI               Crystal Grand Music Theatre
11/2               Las Vegas, NV                       The Sandbar at Redrock Casino Resort & Spa
11/7               New Brunswick, NJ                State Theatre New Jersey
11/8               Stamford, CT                          Palace Theatre
11/9               Hampton Beach, NH              Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
11/15             Cherokee, NC                         Harrah's Cherokee Casino
11/16             Choctaw, MS                          Pearl River Resort
11/21             Windsor, ON                           The Colosseum at Caesar’s Windsor
11/22             Orillia, ON                              Casino Rama Resort - Entertainment Centre
12/6               Kansas City, MO                    Ameristar Kansas City Casino
12/7               Hinton, OK                             Sugar Creek Casino
 
About Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery has been a household name for nearly half his life, ever since making history in 2011 as both the first country artist and the youngest male artist of any genre to debut his first studio album, the Platinum-certified Clear as Day, at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. With his latest album Rise & Fall, featuring his sixth No. 1 single “Cab in a Solo,” current single “Fall of Summer,” and 12 additional tracks, McCreery explores classic themes of heartbreak, rowdy nights, nostalgia, faith, newfound joy, fatherhood, and enduring love, and through it all, felt comfortable being himself, resulting in a project full of electrified twang, rich baritone vocals and insightful storytelling. The 30-year-old has sold more than 4 million albums and achieved 6 No.1 hits: the recent “Cab in a Solo,” the RIAA Platinum-certified “Damn Strait,” the RIAA Gold certified “You Time,” the RIAA Gold certified “In Between,” the RIAA Platinum certified “This is It,” and the RIAA Triple Platinum certified ‘Five More Minutes.” The North Carolina native has earned one Triple Platinum, five Platinum and four Gold singles; one Platinum and two Gold albums; won the 10th season of “American Idol” in 2011 at age 17; was named the ACM New Artist of the Year in 2011; won two CMT Music Awards, the first for Breakthrough Video of the Year (“The Trouble with Girls”) in 2012, and the second for Digital-First Performance of the Year (“It Matters to Her” from “CMT Stages”) in 2024; and BMI Awards for writing One of the Top 50 Country Songs of the Year five times (in 2015 for “See You Tonight,” in 2018 for “Five More Minutes,” in 2019 for “This is It,” in 2021 for “In Between,” and in 2022 for “You Time”). He was awarded Pandora Billionaire status in 2021 in recognition of his music achieving more than one billion streams on Pandora. His song “Five More Minutes” inspired two popular holiday movies which aired on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Network: “Five More Minutes” in 2021 and “Five More Minutes: Moments Like These” in 2022. He released his first book Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream in 2016. Last year McCreery was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Josh Turner and Randy Travis, after being invited late last year by Garth Brooks. The singer/songwriter married his high school sweetheart Gabi in 2018, and the couple had their first son Avery in October 2022. For more information, visit ScottyMcCreery.com.

Jenna Paulette Releases 13-Track Sophomore Album, ‘Horseback’

Working cowgirl and songstress Jenna Paulette has worn her authenticity on her sleeve throughout her career with a mix of grit and vulnerability. On her debut album The Girl I Was in 2023, Paulette candidly depicted her journey of self discovery following a toxic ten year relationship. Now, Paulette is arriving on the other side of that journey, with a project that reflects on all the experiences and values that have shaped her into that girl, with the release of her sophomore album, Horseback, available now via Leo33. 
 
Listen to Horseback HERE.
 
“The Horseback album is a culmination of perspectives I have of myself—to the things my family instilled in me, the men and women I grew up with and the one’s I am blessed to be surrounded by where we live in a small town in West Texas,” shares Paulette. “A window into the way so many of us feel and the things we value.”  
 
Consisting of 13 tracks, Horseback starts off with “Wild Is Her Favorite Color,” celebrating the freedom that comes with living authentically, before delving into “3 Kings,” a tip of her hat to the three kings that have influenced her lifestyle, “King George, King Ranch, King James.”
 
The album intertwines upbeat tracks, including previously released “Outside” and “Run The Damn Ball,” harkening back to the values of grit and hard work that Paulette has come to embody, with the heartbreak ballad “Chasin’ Whiskey” and empowering “Darlin,’” both of which signal the redemption of love lost and found again. 
 
Having co-written eight of the 13 songs on the project, Paulette reflects on the songwriting and selection process, stating, “The songs were mostly inspired on the back of my horse driving cattle to the next pasture or set of pens. Sung into my phone in hopes of not forgetting the budding melody or thought. Out where there is enough room to think. Anything I didn’t write myself was most likely listened to on one bar of service in my husband’s dusty Dodge full of cowboys or horseback on the top of a hill looking for cows. I then put my heart and story into the lyric.
 
“So much has happened, so much good, since The Girl I Was. All I’ve got to say is the girl I was pretending to be before I got back to me…you ain’t getting that Horseback. The woman I am is here to stay. This album is a picture of who she was always meant to be.”

Perhaps the most poignant of all is Paulette’s title track, “Horseback,” which portrays Paulette arriving confident in this new era of her life. “The title track is my ‘Wide Open Spaces,’ my rebellion against the way people say things need to be…It’s the bridge between leaving somewhere and finding some place in what’s left of the middle of nowhere that is real and is home,” she shares.
 
To coincide with the album’s release, and in a partnership with Ely & Walker apparel company (Home of Ely Cattleman shirts), Jenna Paulette brings to life a functional working female cowboy collection called CowboyGirl. This collection addresses the need for functionality in the saddle, designed to offer all the same benefits that men need working cattle, but with a style that is vintage and feminine. Small details tie the CowboyGirl collection together and make it relative to today’s functional needs, while honoring generations past.  
 
The collection will highlight two new ideologies: the State Flowers of Texas, where Jenna grew up, and Oklahoma, where Jenna’s family ranch was, and will be available exclusively at over 200 Boot Barn locations beginning November 1, 2024.
 About Jenna Paulette: 
A CMT Next Women of Country honoree and an Apple Music’s Country Riser, singer-songwriter Jenna Paulette — a cowgirl who came of age amid the gritty realities of ranch life — is part of Nashville’s growing wave of female artists who are rewriting the rules and charting their own paths. Paulette settled in Nashville in 2015, where she struck up a mentorship with Ashley Gorley – a veteran songwriter with 70+ No. 1 tunes under his belt – which ultimately led to her publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music in June 2021. Since collaborating with songwriters Will Bundy, Rhett Akins and Jessie Jo Dillion, as well as opening for Mason Ramsey, Parmalee, John Michael Montgomery, Clay Walker and most recently Aaron Watson, Paulette has landed brand partnerships with Justin Boots, Boot Barn, Ely Cattleman and Ranch Water.
 
With the arrival of her debut album The Girl I Was in 2023, Grammy.com remarked the project as “transformative,” noting it “fuses the sounds of Twain and Miranda Lambert, tackling mental health with the somber ‘You Ain't No Cowboy’ and waxing philosophical on ‘Country In The Girl.’” She continued to spotlight her authentic western lifestyle last year, performing the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo, making her Grand Ole Opry Debut and performing in multiple festivals including CMA Fest. Paulette recently signed with independent label Leo33. Paulette’s sophomore album, Horseback, is available everywhere now. For more information, visit www.jennapaulette.com.

Bodysnatcher Unleash New EP 'Vile Conduct' + Drop "Say Goodbye" Music Video via MNRK Heavy

Floridian heavy hitters Bodysnatcher have released their new EP 'Vile Conduct' and the official music video for "Say Goodbye" (via MNRK Heavy). Leading up to today, the quartet has shared "Murder8" featuring the inimitable Jamey Jasta, "Severed", "Human Disdain", and most recently, "Infested". Altogether, the tracks have amassed a staggering 1.7 million streams on Spotify alone and 582k views and counting on YouTube. Speaking about the EP, the band commented:

"'Vile Conduct' to us is a culmination of all of the different struggles people in general can be subject to, or can inflict on others. Whether it be personal struggles, loss, hatred toward humanity, etc. These are all human-specific. We feel these kinds of things will always be important to talk about and bring to the surface for not just the listener, but for us individually so that we can try to heal the best we know how to."

'Vile Conduct' is available now on all streaming platforms at the link here, and watch the "Say Goodbye" music video below.

Don't miss your chance to see Bodysnatcher's incendiary live show on The Nothing That Is US Tour with Fit For An Autopsy, Distant, Sylosis, and Judiciary kicking off on Friday, October 18 in Worcester, MA. For ticket information, please click here.

The Nothing That Is US Tour Dates:

10/18 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium

10/19 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

10/20 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts

10/22 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage

10/23 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground

10/24 - Atlanta, GA The Masquerade (Heaven)

10/25 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live

10/26 - West Palm Beach, FL - Banyan Live

10/28 - Houston, TX - House of Blues

10/29 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center

10/30 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater

11/01 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater

11/03 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades

11/05 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater

11/06 - Seattle, WA - El Corazón

11/08 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex

11/09 - Denver, CO - Summit

11/10 - Wichita, KS - Templelive

11/12 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater

11/13 - Chicago, IL - Metro

11/14 - Detroit, MI - Saint Andrew’s Hall

11/15 - Cleveland, Oh- House of Blues

11/16 - McKees Rocks, PA - Roxian Theatre

11/17 - New Haven, CT - Toad’s

Drawing their name from the infamous Plainfield Ghoul, Ed Gein, Bodysnatcher know a thing or two about darkness, brutality and aggression. Since their 2014 inception in Melbourne, Florida, Bodysnatcher have been bringing nothing but the finest in furious, extreme music. Combining crushing breakdowns with eerie ambience, scathing riffs and grisly grooves, the band have become synonymous with “heavy,” invoking violence in every city they happen to visit, spawning mosh pits that leave nothing but craters in their wake.

With each release, Bodysnatcher have added depth to their dynamic, proving they are an ever-growing and changing act with the singular purpose of absolutely obliterating the listener. In 2015, mere months after their formation, the act exploded into the worldwide underground with the release of their debut EP, Abandonment. Considered one of the “Rushmore” releases of the American Downtempo wave, Abandonment took Bodysnatcher around the country, delivering breakdowns and broken bones to venues from Southern Florida to California. The band’s debut full-length that followed, Death of Me (Stay Sick Records), saw the band mature from their modest downtempo roots into something more diverse and devastating, incorporating a blend of contemporary metal and hardcore elements to create something that saw Bodysnatcher start to blur conventional genre lines. Death of Me would skyrocket the band’s notoriety even higher, including a headlining west coast tour with Extortionist (Unique Leader Records) in support. Almost immediately after the release of Death of Me, Bodysnatcher underwent a significant lineup change, bringing aboard Chris Whited (King Conquer, 1776 Recordings) as percussionist and producer alongside Kyle Carter (Beacons) and Kyle Shope (Float Face Down) on guitar and bass respectively. With all three of them working alongside the titanic range and unmistakable vitriol of frontman Kyle Medina as songwriters, a deluxe re-release of their debut LP featuring five all-new songs followed not long after the line-up was cemented. Those songs segued Bodysnatcher into a new sound and style that would not full materialize until their two follow-up releases, This Heavy Void (2020) and Bleed-Abide (2022). These records together would not only see the band signing with premier heavy music label MNRK Heavy, but would also highlight the band’s unique ability to blend harrowingly personal tales of love and loss with blistering aggression. Between This Heavy Void’s “Twelve/Seventeen” and Bleed-Abide’s “Smashed Perception”, the band seemed to encompass the alpha and omega of all things eviscerating—emotionally or, well, literally.

Since Bleed-Abide, Bodysnatcher have continued their tireless grind, touring across the country with the likes of AngelMaker, Hatebreed, Dying Fetus, Emmure, We Came as Romans and more—and spending plenty of time inoculating overseas lands with their unique concoction of crushing brutality as well. 2024 witnesses the band depart for not one, but two colossal ventures with former label mates SPITE—across both Europe and the continental United States.

From their earnest beginnings as one of the United States’ premiere exporters of bludgeoning, beefy breakdowns to now one of the country’s most renowned heavy music exports, Bodysnatcher are a peerless example of hard work, dedication and—of course—devastating heaviness. - Connor Welsh

TO THE GRAVE Unleashes New Album 'Everyone’s A Murderer' Alongside Blistering Single "Made In Aus"

Australian deathcore juggernauts To The Grave have released their third full-length album, 'Everyone’s A Murderer,' today via Unique Leader Records. The album drops alongside their incendiary new single "Made In Aus," a track that exemplifies the band’s unrelenting power and commitment to exposing harsh truths. Stream the full album now HERE and watch the official music video for the "Made In Aus" below.

"Made In Aus" is a visceral declaration, a sonic battlefield where the band's fury is unleashed through brutal riffs and their signature, unflinching lyrics.“Wall to wall chaos in this one. Once you start caring about animals, people you thought were good-hearted will show true colours and defend violence they could never commit with their own hands,” shares vocalist Dane Evans on the new single.

'Everyone’s A Murderer' is To The Grave’s most intense offering yet, both sonically and thematically. The album confronts societal and environmental atrocities with the band’s signature blend of deathcore brutality, giving voice to the voiceless through a sound that is as punishing as it is purposeful.

Providing further insight on the new album, Evans shares

"For this record my aim was to speak through the faceless activists that fight for animals, for those living in vystopia feeling alone and helpless in a world that will fight tooth and nail to defend the animal holocaust. Due to it being illegal to rescue farmed animals from abuse these activists must stay silent about it to avoid having their own freedom taken.

It wasn't an easy task, it's never going to do justice to the horrors animals go through every day by the millions in cold, dark sheds around the world or to those that have witnessed it and are doing everything they can to put an end to it. There's no words, no lyrics and no music that can describe the violence or bring back the lives stolen by human hands so this is for them.

Our idea for this album evolved so much before it started but we knew we wanted something that sounded classic, like it was from a different decade entirely. It had to have all the elements that brought us all towards deathcore all those years ago combined with all the modern touches you'd find in the recent TTG material, all whilst trying to do something new and step outside our comfort zone in the process.

It was cool to work with the new lineup on the gritty details like production, tones and getting the energy of the drums down. Once the album was in a listenable state these guys really gave it all personality and brought everything to the table to shape this new sound.

We're very critical of ourselves as artists and have made music in the past that for whatever reason we haven't loved. With that in mind I think the overall goal with this record was to make something that regardless of what anyone else thought, we were proud of and I'm happy that we all had that shared vision in mind.

We probably had the most fun making this record that we've ever had and it felt liberating to be able to make something that we liked. It felt like starting the band from new again and only having the pressure of wanting to write cool shit.

The singles are tough as fuck and I think do a good job of representing the blunt force approach on the album leaving a tonne of surprises in the sharps bin for when people pick it up on release day. That should make sense when it drops."

To The Grave’s release of 'Everyone’s A Murderer' is just the beginning. The band is set to dominate stages worldwide, starting tonight with a very special album release show at Stay Gold in Melbourne with support from No Life (NZ) & Identity Error and Saturday, followed by a second album release show tomorrow at The Lansdowne with support from No Life (NZ) & Facecutter in Sydney. They will then hit the US in September and October supporting deathcore legends Oceano. After that, they will join Veil of Maya, Signs Of The Swarm, and Varials for the Faces of Death Tour across the UK and Europe in October and November. They then return to Australia for a series of sold-out shows with Lorna Shore and Bodysnatcher in 2025. For further info and tickets head to tothegraveau.com

To The Grave

Upcoming Tour Dates

2024

AUSTRALIA

Album Release Shows w/ support No Life (NZ)

30/08 Fri - Melbourne, Stay Gold w/ No Life / Identity Error / IllFeral

31/08 Sat - Sydney, The Landsdowne w/ No Life / Facecutter / IllFeral x Rezchem

USA

Main Support To OCEANO

09/05 Thurs - Detroit, MI

09/06 Fri - Cleveland, OH

09/07 Sat - Erie, PA

09/08 Sun - Brooklyn, NY

09/10 Tues - Baltimore, MD

09/11 Wed - Greensboro, NC

09/12 Thurs - Columbia, SC

09/13 Fri - West Palm Beach, FL

09/14 Sat - Orlando, FL

09/15 Sun - Atlanta, GA

09/17 Tues - Houston, TX

09/18 Wed - San Antonio, TX

09/19 Thurs - Dallas, TX

09/20 Fri - El Paso, TX

09/21 Sat - Albuquerque, NM

09/22 Sun - Phoenix, AZ

09/24 Tues - Anaheim, CA

09/25 Wed - Fresno, CA

09/26 Thurs - Sacramento, CA

09/27 Fri - Portland, OR

09/28 Sat - Seattle, WA

09/29 Sun - Spokane, WA

10/01 Tues - Salt Lake City, UT

10/02 Wed - Denver, CO

10/03 Thurs - Omaha, NE

10/04 Fri - Chicago, IL

ABOUT TO THE GRAVE

One of Australia’s most uncompromising bands, To The Grave garnered international success with their 2019 debut album 'Global Warning'. The caustic five piece have continued to collect international success, with 2021’s follow-up 'Epilogue', a re-issue of 'Global Warning' with bonus tracks, their 2023 album, 'Director's Cuts' along with it's subsequent Deluxe release, which featured a new collection of tracks on the 'Offcuts' EP solidifying their position as “one of the country's heaviest exports.” (Revolver).

To The Grave have steadily built an audience in the underground, accumulating more than 11 million Spotify streams, racking up over 5.4 million YouTube views, all whilst decimating live audiences alongside Parkway Drive, Polaris, Cattle Decapitation, Thy Art Is Murder, Shadow of Intent, Angelmaker, Enterprise Earth, Vulvodynia and Alpha Wolf.

Now, following a sold-out national headline tour in 2022, global critical acclaim for the release of 'Director's Cuts' and it's Deluxe release, featuring the 'Offcuts' EP and plenty of upcoming tours, the band are more focused than ever.

To The Grave lyrically expose a societal and environmental hell on earth whilst pushing the boundaries of accessible extremity, full of barbed hooks, thick with atmosphere and drenched in groove. Razor-sharp guitars played with an exploratory approach - blending everything from whammy pedal squeaks and chiming cleans to death metal chainsaw tones - are entwined with live drums to give a level of dynamism that musically sets this band apart from the extreme metal pack, yet they maintain the weight of the heaviest bands today. Vocalist Dane Evans commands a multifaceted performance, bursting with vocal energy from throat-ripping dissonant screeches to low end gutturals. 

To The Grave are

Dane Evans - Vocals

Jack Simioni - Guitars, Programming

Matt Clarke - Bass, Vocals

Nic Webb - Guitars, Vocals

Rangi Barnes - Drums

NAILS Releases New Album, 'Every Bridge Burning'

Revered purveyors of aggression NAILS have released their highly-anticipated, 4th full-length album, Every Bridge Burning, with Nuclear Blast Records.

Featuring 10 cut throat tracks like ‘Lacking The Ability To Process Empathy,’ ‘Give Me The Painkiller’ and ‘Imposing Will’, Every Bridge Burning is a blitzkrieg of seething anger and unrelenting intensity that NAILS has built their name upon for the last 15 years.

Commenting on the album, NAILS founder Todd Jones says:

“This band was modeled after some of my favorite bands; the type of bands where, when they put out an album, you know what it’s going to sound like. it’s the delivery of the expectation.”

Every Bridge Burning was produced by Kurt Ballou at God City Studio and is adorned with aptly diabolic artwork by Jef Whitehead.

Purchase/Stream Every Bridge Burning: https://nails.bfan.link/every-bridge-burning

NAILS Tour Dates:

W/200 Stab Wounds, Mammoth Grinder & Tribal Gaze

Sept 11 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount

Sept 12 - Toronto, ON - The Axis Club Theatre

Sept 13 - Detroit, MI - Tangent Gallery

Sept 14 - Chicago, IL - Avondale Music Hall

Sept 15 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway

Sept 16 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In

Sept 17 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade

Sept 18 - Greensboro, NC - Hangar 1819

Sept 19 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage

Sept 20 - Brooklyn, NY - The Brooklyn Monarch (w/special guest Stabbed)

Sept 21 - Worcester, MA - New England Metal & Hardcore Festival @ The Palladium

Nov 2 - Manchester, UK - Damnation Festival

w/Xibalba, World Peace, Deadbody & Auditory Anguish

Nov 14 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone

Nov 15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco (w/special guest Entry)

Nov 16 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick (no Xibalba)

About NAILS:

For the first time in over 8 years, the blistering assault on our nervous system that can only be described as the sound of NAILS, has reemerged. With Carlos Cruz on drums, Andrew Solis on Bass, Shelby Lermo on Guitars, and Todd Jones on guitar & vocals, the upcoming studio album, EVERY BRIDGE BURNING, will be revealed August 30th, 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The album artwork, a creation by Jef Whitehead, serves as a visual prelude to the auditory chaos—a stark representation of the aural brutality that NAILS delivers.

Recording for the album commenced in Massachusetts at God City Studio with Kurt Ballou (of CONVERGE), whose contribution is integral to the NAILS sound, as elucidated by Jones: “we’ve recorded every album with Kurt. He’s such an important ingredient as to how we present our music. When our fans want to hear NAILS, they want to hear something that is through the filter of Kurt’s engineering.” 

EVERY BRIDGE BURNING was born out of unwavering dedication to NAILS fans and the underground music scene. It echoes their commitment to authenticity and raw power. NAILS remains a beacon of rebellion and resilience in a world hungry for genuine expression. With no shortage of effort or meticulous song arrangement, the time has arrived to become engulfed in the ferocity of NAILS once again as EVERY BRIDGE BURNING unveils a new, but familiar chapter in extreme music.          

“This band was modeled after some of my favorite bands; the type of bands where, when they put out an album, you know what it’s going to sound like,” describes Jones, “it’s the delivery of the expectation.” The sensory destroying musical onslaught that we’ve all been missing is back. NAILS is Todd Jones, Carlos Cruz, Andrew Solis, and Shelby Lermo.

Follow NAILS:

https://www.instagram.com/nailstyranny

https://www.facebook.com/NAILSoxnard

https://www.youtube.com/@nailstyranny

http://nailsmerch.com/

WINTERSUN - Release New Album Time II

12 years following WINTERSUN's TIME I, Finnish heavy metal quartet led by Jari Mäenpäärelease today their new album TIME II via Nuclear Blast Records.

Jari Mäenpää comments: "TIME II is an epic journey from light to darkness and back to light, exploring the universe and energy, contrasting dark stormy landscapes to calm and beautiful cherry blossom tree gardens with misty, snowy mountains that will leave you breathless. It has songs with furious speed of drums, guitars, and bass and beautiful melodic slower songs with a magical exotic influence. It has massive orchestrations and choirs spiced with ancient world instruments and glimmering synths. It has Jari's soaring, clean singing contrasted with his aggressive style. It is a highly detailed and complex album where you will find new things with every listen."

Order TIME II here: 
https://wintersun.bfan.link/time-ii.ema

About WINTERSUN:

Finally, our patience will be rewarded when Finnish WINTERSUN’s Time II album is revealed to the world on August, 30th by Nuclear Blast. ‘It has been quite a journey’ admits mastermind Jari Mäenpää who has been working on his expansive Time project since early 2004.

Time II includes six epic tracks with individual stories. Yet the subjects are all linked and this red line gives it a conceptual feeling. Entering WINTERSUN’s universe, we are brought into the right mood with the eastern-influenced, atmospheric intro ‘Fields Of Snow’. The first real WINTERSUN track is the metallic brilliance of ‘The Way Of The Fire’, with fire representing the energy of stars as a source of life, which is also connected to time. In ‘One With The Shadows’ we experience the magic of an opulence of vocal harmonies, while orchestral arrangements loom up as ornamental move. Jari has a remarkable vision on the lyrics, ‘Now I think it is about regret. You are living in the shadows as long as you don’t turn regret into something positive to continue your life. In ‘Ominous Clouds’, clouds are gathering as the interlude journeys towards the next exploring adventure ‘Storm’.

This is the heaviest and darkest track on the album,’ explains Jari. ‘It even has influences from classical music, more precisely from Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, furious guitars and heavy drums prevail, while the tone remains chaotic.’ The last track, ‘Silver Leaves’, with an array of harmonious sounds, is partly performed with traditional Chinese instruments like the ‘erhu’ (similar to the violin or fiddle). Ending on a positive note the song tells the story of finding a calm place and state of mind after the storm, being satisfied with your life, and enjoying nature around you, as reflected by the cherry tree garden on the cover. The artwork was created by Cameron Gray, while the booklet was designed by Hungarian artist Gyula Havancsák (lyrics, credits & thanks pages) and Onni Wiljami Kinnunen (band photos pages).

WINTERSUN is:

Jari Mäenpää | vocals, guitars, computer, programming
Teemu Mäntysaari | guitars
Jukka Koskinen | bass
Kai Hahto | drums

Post Profit Release Deluxe Version of "Self Defeater" EP + Share "Two Toxic" Live Studio Video

Last year, Texas quartet POST PROFIT — Matt Jackson [vocals, guitar], Nick Hawner [guitar +vocals], Zach Hicks [drums + vocals], and Charles Horin [bass + vocals] — released their six-song EP, Self Defeater, giving us all a delicious slice of the band's bright future ahead.

Today, the foursome proudly releases the deluxe edition of Self Defeater, which features live studio versions of all the original songs on the EP. All live tracks were recorded with noted producer Machine (Lamb of God, Clutch, Crobot).

So it's double the fun! Get it here.
 
Post Profit also dropped the live studio video for "Two Toxic," which was shot by Seamless Loop Productions at The Machine Shop in Austin, Texas. 

"We are so excited to release a deluxe of the EP so people could hear these songs in a different light," the band says. "We always tend to add various elements to our songs when we play them live. The feel of the songs translate a lot differently."

Post Profit continue, "The studio versions were recorded with Machine, so he understood the ins and outs of every song and was the perfect candidate to capture the nuances of a more raw recording. With transitions and arrangements that have been made over time, it brings a genuine feeling of excitement, like we're playing the songs for the first time again."

ICYMI, the band shared the official video for the song earlier this summer.  Watch it here.  The video was directed by David Brodsky of MyGoodEye. It was shot at the historic Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room Gilded Age mansion in the Philadelphia suburb of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, which originally opened all the way back in 1899. Learn more about this majestic location here.

Post Profit return to the road this weekend, supporting Nothing More, Set it Off, and From Ashes to New. The tour kicks off in late August and runs through late September.  All confirmed dates below.

"We can't express how excited we are being brought back out with our friends in Nothing More," Post Profit shares. "We'll be playing a bunch of songs off our Self Defeater EP, including 'Two Toxic.' These should be great shows so make sure to come show your faces.  We can't wait!"

POST PROFIT ON TOUR:
WITH NOTHING MORE, SET IT OFF, + FROM ASHES TO NEW:
8/31 — Columbia, MO —  The Blue Note *
9/3 — Little Rock, AR —  The Music Hall
9/5 — San Antonio, TX —  Tech Port
9/6 — Houston, TX —  Bayou Music Center
9/7 — Dallas, TX —  Southside Ballroom
9/9  — Atlanta, GA —  Tabernacle
9/10 — Nashville, TN —  Marathon Music Works
9/13 — Myrtle Beach, SC —  House of Blues
9/14 — Orlando, FL —  House of Blues
9/15 — Tampa, FL —  Jannus Landing
9/17 — Asheville, NC —  The Orange Peel
9/19 — Silver Spring, MD —  The Fillmore
9/20 — Richmond, VA —  Credit Union Amp
9/23 — Buffalo, NY —  Riverworks
9/24 — Cleveland, OH —  Agora
*Direct support to Nothing More

ABOUT POST PROFIT:
Some would say Post Profit have been waiting for this moment since the cradle, with each member being introduced to musical instruments between the ages of 2 to 6. 

Zach and Matt forged a friendship as toddlers ever since their moms became best friends from church in Longview, TX. Nick would later learn of Matt's vocal prowess through the high school intercom. "Matt's father was the high school principal," explains Nick. "And he'd have Matt on there in the mornings singing about refraining from drugs and alcohol and striving for good school attendance." 

Over the next few years, the trio would really get to know each other from attending and performing at local shows. Nick and Zach especially hit it off and quickly became inseparable, spending much of their time listening to music, eager to put their own band together. Meanwhile, Matt was sinking his teeth into a Dallas based metalcore band called Far From Earth.
 
During early 2017, Matt started hosting open jams every Sunday at a smoky East Texas dive bar and one night asked Zach to join on drums. Zach dragged his new friend Nick along on guitar and the trio quickly formed a strong musical bond. They would soon start slipping originals into their covers sets and after months of unrelenting practices and bar jams they booked their first show at a Halloween party in Tyler, TX.
 
With the experience of countless gigs across the South, Post Profit soon gained a reputation for their commanding and impactful live performance, including powerful 2021 and 2022 performances at Welcome To Rockville in Daytona, FL. Rallying around influences such as Deftones, Incubus, Failure, and Quicksand, the band refined their original songs and sound into what would become their 2022 debut self-produced album When You Think It's Right It's Always Wrong. The release garnered over a million cumulative streams independently, and the success of their single "Smother" grabbed the attention of SharpTone Records, eventually landing them a deal.

When it was time to hit the road in support of their 2024 Self Defeater EP, the guys turned to Los Angeles native Charles Horin to round out the lineup on bass. "Charles was previously in a band called Analog Party," explains Nick. "And they had very heavy influences from Failure, one of our favorite bands, so we knew right away he would be a great fit musically."
 
With the release of Self Defeater, Post Profit have you right where they want you, existing in a constant state of evolution while ushering hard rock forward with them. Masterfully crafted to leave the listener wanting more, this is Post Profit letting the world know who they are.

Oceano Release New Album 'Living Chaos' via Sumerian Records + Drop "Into The Flames" Lyric Video

Deathcore titans Oceano have released their hotly-anticipated new album 'Living Chaos' and a new lyric video for "Into The Flames" (via Sumerian Records). Frontman Adam Warren wrote all of the lyrics and recorded the entire writing process of the album vocally on his Twitch channel. Leading up to today, the band has shared "Mass Produced", "Wounds Never Healed", and most recently, "The Price Of Pain", which altogether have amassed a staggering 2.4 million streams on Spotify aloneand nearly 1 million views on YouTube. 'Living Chaos' is available now on all streaming platforms at the link here, and watch the "Into The Flames" lyric video below.

In tandem with the release of their new album, Oceano will be kicking off their headlining run The Living Chaos Tour next week with To The Grave, VCTMS, and Half Me as support. Be sure to get your tickets at the link here.

Living Chaos Tour with To The Grave, VCTMS + Half Me:

Thu, Sep 05 - Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary

Fri, Sep 06 - Columbus, OH@ King of Clubs

Sat, Sep 07 - Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall

Sun, Sep 08 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Meadows

Tue, Sep 10 - Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage

Wed, Sep 11 - Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819

Thu, Sep 12 - Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern

Fri, Sep 13 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Respectable Street

Sat, Sep 14 - Orlando, FL @ Conduit

Sun, Sep 15 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell)

Tue, Sep 17 - Houston, TX @ Scout Bar

Wed, Sep 18 - San Antonio, TX @ The Rock Box

Thu, Sep 19 - Dallas, TX @ Southside Music Hall

Fri, Sep 20 - El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse Bar

Sat, Sep 21 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad

Sun, Sep 22 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile Theater

Tue, Sep 24 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction

Wed, Sep 25 - Fresno, CA @ Full Circle Brewery

Thu, Sep 26 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's

Fri, Sep 27 - Portland, OR @ Dante's

Sat, Sep 28 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

Sun, Sep 29 - Spokane, WA @ The Big Dipper

Tue, Oct 01 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall

Wed, Oct 02 - Denver, CO @ HQ

Thu, Oct 03 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room

Fri, Oct 04 - Chicago, IL @ Cobra Lounge

JAMES POPIK RELEASES BRAND NEW ALBUM THE SOURLAND SYMPHONY IN ASSOCIATION WITH DEKO ENTERTAINMENT

Guitarist James Popik brings a unique touch and repertoire to his music. From Acoustic Jazz to electrified Fusion Jams, classical Brazilian music and American songbook master’s to reworked rock anthems, James has forged a unique voice. Opening for Los Lonely Boys, Dave Mason, Marshall Tucker, Butch Trucks, as well as backing jazz legend Richie Cole (Doc Severinson, Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton), appearing with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bernie Worrell (Parliament, Talking Heads), and Henry McCullogh (Wings, Joe Cocker).

His latest release has been 7 years in the making and is titled The Sourland Symphony which is an album of Instrumental Acoustic Music inspired by and dedicated to the Sourland Mountain featuring Violin, Cello, Double Bass, Bouzouki, Mandolin, 6 and 10 string acoustic guitars, and percussion. It includes tracks like Green Mountain Melting, Headwaters, and West Mountain.

Listen to “West Mountain” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb2MypJ7qgQ

As stated in New Jersey Stage: "The Sourland Symphony is a fantastic instrumental collection, well written and performed and with its diverse styles is a must add to any music collection. Popik took his time analyzing the mountain and each composition reflects not only his patience but also the landscape's various seasons and times.”

Video for “Green Mountain Melting” below.

At last check Jim has logged in over 2500 gigs in the last few years in over 200 different venues from Maine to New Orleans including a stop at The White House in DC, as well as being an active member of the Sourland Conservancy where he is the principal curator and promoter of the Sourland Mountain Festival.

Check out The Sourland Symphony here: https://jamespopik.bandcamp.com/album/the-sourland-symphony

 

For more information, visit
https://www.jamespopikmusic.com
www.dekoentertainment.com
Deko Entertainment–Art Has Value

Wounded Touch Release "Traumatic Entanglement" Split EP with FallFiftyFeet via Smartpunk Records

Smartpunk Records' metal powerhouses Wounded Touch embrace elements of 2000s metalcore and mathcore in their short but densely-packed, majorly heavy new split EP. The band's featured tracks include "Submitted For (Dis)Approval" and "In Mouths Wielding Silence" (featuring Chris Colohan of Cursed and Left For Dead).

The band recorded their tracks with Matt Marquez from Norma Jean and they share the tracklist with fellow metal band FallFiftyFeet. 

Since their inception, the Michigan outfit has used musical guerilla campaign tactics and a resilient DIY work ethic to make their way onto nationwide festivals and a full UK tour while gaining notoriety from metal's top publications including Metal Hammer, Brooklyn Vegan, and New Noise Magazine.

Speaking about the new EP, Wounded Touch says, "We’d been getting anxious in between releases and started writing to pass time and try stuff out, especially with some new pedals and experimental tunings. So we wrote a few tracks and took our friend Matt Marquez from Norma Jean up on an offer to record us at his new studio and we’d been talking for a while with FallFiftyFeet about wanting to do something together, so we decided to do a split with them since they also had two tracks they’d been sitting on. Arif from Wormrot did the artwork which tied it all together and we decided to release it on CD as the physical format after numerous requests for that specific ‘dead format’ while on the road. All this results in the release of ‘Traumatic Entanglement"

Artwork: Arif Suhaimi of Wormrot

ABOUT WOUNDED TOUCH
Even since their infancy, the Michigan outfit Wounded Touch have used musical guerilla campaign tactics to make their way onto the likes of The Fest, Furnace Fest '21 and '23 official pre-shows, SXSW, tour the United Kingdom, and sell out the first pressing of their debut LP while fighting for every inch of ground not given. Bringing influence through the scope of the nostalgic 2000s metalcore/mathcore sound, the band aims to always keep their heads down, remain humble, and push forward through any means necessary if it means continuing to be loud, noisy, and frantic on as many stages as possible.

ABOUT SMARTPUNK RECORDS:
Smartpunk has been a recognizable name in the scene for a long time (Remember that sponsored Warped Tour stage?!). After exchanging several hands and countless ideas of what it could and should be, they decided to start a record label in 2016 with the main idea of focusing solely on reissuing records that have been out of print or never on vinyl. After all, they're a label of vinyl dorks themselves! After releasing Set Your Goals' Mutiny and Gameface's Good, they started to venture into signing newer bands. They actively balance in between many worlds — putting out amazing music from friends and bands that rock, reissuing older titles, and partnering with other incredible labels in our scene and doing exclusive color variants of their releases.

"Since forming the record label, Smartpunk Records has released timeless albums such as Less Than Jake's Anthem, Nominee's Lowlife, RIVALS' Sad Looks Pretty on Me, Virginity's POPMORTEM, and melodic skate punkers The Swellers' My Everest.

M.A.G.S. Releases New Album "CREATOR"

Smartpunk Records' indie rock prodigy M.A.G.S. has released his new album CREATOR via Smartpunk Records. It is an accompaniment and reimagination to last year's fan-favorite album Destroyer. 

Each song from Destroyer has been reconstructed and bent into new forms to create a new tracklist on CREATOR that is an exploratory showcase of M.A.G.S.'s imaginative, diverse capabilities as a multi-instrumentalist.

When discussing the album, Elliott Douglas (the man behind the moniker) says, "With CREATOR, I wanted to subvert the expectations of my listeners and bend my genre to a nearly unrecognizable extent. There was a moment a few years ago in the music industry where it was sort of this novel trend to be a black person in rock music, like it was some completely new concept that black people could play guitar and be in bands that sound like Paramore or The Strokes. I’ve been on my own wave for the majority of my career and CREATOR is the perfect example of what happens when I choose to create what feels right to me and not what is expected. With the help of 2 of my most talented friends, we reimagined my previous album ‘Destroyer’ over the course of 9 days in an apartment in Chicago in late 2023. Constructed entirely from my acoustic demos, we experimented and collaborated our way into a sound that goes far beyond what I ever thought M.A.G.S. was capable of."

CREATOR was conceived and mixed by Elliott and was produced in collaboration with Jeremy Strange and Ehmed Nauman of Chicago's This House Is Creaking.

M.A.G.S. also announced October tour dates. Those are posted below.

M.A.G.S.:
WITH BARELY CIVIL:
10/10 — Los Angeles, CA  —  The Paramount
10/13 — Los Angeles, CA  —  El Rey Theatre*
10/15 — San Francisco, CA  —  Bottom of the Hill
10/16 — Reno, NV  —  Holland Project
10/17 — Portland, OR  —  Swan Dive
10/20 — Boise, ID  —  Shrine Social Club (Basement)
10/21 — Salt Lake City, UT  —  Urban Lounge
10/24 — Denver, CO  —  Marquis
10/25 — Kansas City, MO  —  Encore
10/27 — Minneapolis, MN  —  7th St. Entry
10/28 — Milwaukee, WI  —  Cactus Club
10/29 — Chicago, IL  —  Subterranean (Downstairs)
*Supporting American Football

ABOUT M.A.G.S.
M.A.G.S. is the solo moniker for Buffalo-bred multi-disciplinary artist Elliott Douglas. His style seamlessly glides between genres ─ from funky garage rock to minty alt-pop with a punk-inspired energy. The release of his third full-length album Destroyer in 2023 via Smartpunk Records pushed Douglas into a more textural direction, dripping with flavors of post-punk while keeping his genre-bending melodies. Written by Douglas and produced by Jay Mass (Defeater), the album is about having to destroy yourself in order to grow and move forward — an extremely relatable phase in one's life.

M.A.G.S. released his first solo record in 2015, an EP titled Cellophane, and his self-titled LP arrived two years later — securing a seat amongst the most prominent indie/alt-rock artists. With his new batch of music, Douglas displayed marked growth in vocal prowess, overall musicality and lyrical bite through the release of 2020's Lost Tapes EP. Dougals' universal appeal feeds his success, and it's never at the expense of his art. Elsewhere in his blossoming catalog, songs like "MVP" and "Hi Tops" zig-zag from visceral, gnarly heavy metal to lo-fi folk-rock, respectively; his musicianship is a marvel to witness, each entry building on the last with refreshing acrobatics.

ABOUT SMARTPUNK RECORDS:
Smartpunk has been a recognizable name in the scene for a long time (Remember that sponsored Warped Tour stage?!). After exchanging several hands and countless ideas of what it could and should be, they decided to start a record label in 2016 with the main idea of focusing solely on reissuing records that have been out of print or never on vinyl. After all, they're a label of vinyl dorks themselves! After releasing Set Your Goals' Mutiny and Gameface's Good, they started to venture into signing newer bands. They actively balance in between many worlds — putting out amazing music from friends and bands that rock, reissuing older titles, and partnering with other incredible labels in our scene and doing exclusive color variants of their releases.

Since forming the record label, Smartpunk Records has released timeless albums such as Less Than Jake's Anthem, Nominee's Lowlife, RIVALS' Sad Looks Pretty on Me, Virginity's POPMORTEM, and melodic skate punkers The Swellers' My Everest.

SIMONE SIMONS - Debut Solo Album Out Now + New Video For 'Cradle To The Grave' ft. Alissa White-Gluz

Yesterday saw the release of Vermillion, the debut solo album from SIMONE SIMONS. To celebrate, she has revealed a brand new video for 'Cradle To The Grave' featuring Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy.

SIMONE SIMONS & ARJEN LUCASSEN comment:

“'Cradle to the Grave' is about the universal experience of navigating life's ups and downs and the quest for meaning and purpose. It views the human condition as one of struggle and resilience, where despite efforts to build and achieve, there's an underlying acceptance that life is brief, finite, and often cruel."

Watch the video for 'Cradle To The Grave' below.

Purchase and stream Vermillion now at:
https://simonesimons.bfan.link/vermillion

About SIMONE SIMONS:

For more than 20 years, ever since she was a teenager, SIMONE SIMONS has been carving her own path as a woman within the world of metal. As a lead singer, icon, and role model for a whole generation of female metalheads, the Epica lead singer remains one of the most prominent key figures in all things metal. After eight albums and countless global tours with her band, SIMONE SIMONS finally found the time to release her first solo album – a moment 15 years in the making! Her breathtaking debut Vermillion is a stunning feat chronicling her storied past as well as her rise to fame, and showcasing her many different influences ranging from prog rock to film scores to metal to electronic elements.

Of the timing for her eagerly awaited foray into the realms of a solo career, the Dutch singer says with a disarming grin: Epica has my priority and I always have the liberty to do other musical projects besides my career in Epica. Yet, I never had the time to dive into a project to this extent.
Some endeavors require patience and time, and rightly so. Simone chose not to rush her solo project, opting instead to thoughtfully consider how she wanted to present herself. Enter stage right Arjen Lucassen (AYREON). Her musical partner and longtime collaborator is no stranger to her soaring operatic voice. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. And while many would use their solo effort as a radical, even provocative departure from everything they stood for, SIMONE remains true to her love for epic melodies, huge choruses, and monumental, intelligent music.

OUT NOW: Within The Ruins' 'Phenomena II'

Progressive deathcore giants WITHIN THE RUINS are pleased to unleash their new video for “Demon Killer.” The ferocious new hymn comes off of the band’s Phenomena II full-length, out today on MNRK Heavy!

Phenomena II serves as the sequel to the WITHIN THE RUINS ’ critically lauded Phenomena full-length, which was released a decade ago and has reaped over 18 million streams to date! “We had written a handful of songs, and we were searching for inspiration,” recalls guitarist Joe Cocchi. “We wanted to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Phenomena, because it was a pinnacle point of our career. I wrote a demo that reminded [vocalist] Steve [Tinnon] of Phenomena. So, it was his idea to create Phenomena II. The styles really aligned in terms of the unique guitar effects and the themes where each track tells a story from a comic book character’s point-of-view.”

With “Demon Killer,” the band tempers technicality with moral ambiguity within its depiction of [DC Comics antihero] Constantine. “It checked all of the boxes by utilizing this glitchy effect we started using on Phenomena,” Cocchi elaborates. “‘Demon Killer’ is Constantine. He was born into a world that never appreciated him. Steve is breaking down his character by talking about his internal conflicts and how he’s fighting evil with evil.”

“We absolutely love how this video turned out,” adds Tinnon. “The imagery and effects do incredible justice to the character of John Constantine, and really encapsulate his struggle between the forces of good and evil.” 

WITHIN THE RUINS recently confirmed five Southwest headlining shows this October with support from Gore. See all confirmed dates below and stay tuned for additional shows to be announced in the weeks to come.

SEE ALL DATES HERE