Don't Sleep "See Change"

LP - $16.60 / CD - $10.70
STREET DATE: 6/2/23
CAT#: EH088
LABEL: End Hits

Whoever said lightning only strikes once clearly has not met Dave Smalley.

From being right in the middle at the birth of US hardcore punk with DYS to creating the blueprint of melodic hardcore with DAG NASTY, from helping to invent pop punk as we know it with ALL to finding himself in the middle of the west coast punk explosion of the 90s with DOWN BY LAW: Smalley was always on the forefront every time hardcore punk pushed its envelope.

While others may use a legacy like that as an excuse to take it a little slower, Dave Smalley has no intention to rest on his laurels and keeps writing new music and releasing records.
When he founded DON'T SLEEP with fellow East Coast punk rockers Garrett Rothman, Tony Bavaria, Jim Bedorf and Tom McGrath in 2017, the world was more than excited about seeing him front a fast yet melodic hardcore band again.

Being motivated by immensely positive feedback, DON'T SLEEP was finally ready to release its debut album "Turn the Tide" in 2020. And then the world came to a grinding halt. But after the dust settled, all five members decided that DON'T SLEEP was too important to not overcome all obstacles thrown in their way.

The five piece went back into the rehearsal room, finished 8 original songs and added an amazing TOM PETTY cover to the mix. The result is DON'T SLEEP's second full length "See Change" and it will see the light of day on Friday June 2nd 2023 worldwide via End Hits Records.

It is a record that combines all elements you have liked about Dave Smalley's music in the past while sounding incredibly contemporary in the here and now.
"DON'T SLEEP is very much a combination of five distinct friends coming together and making a unique sound," Smalley says. "It is a rare thing to have such cool synergy and energy and end up focused like a laser beam. It is powerful, melodic and purposeful. We respect and love the common roots we all grew up in and are coming together to make a sound with that as our foundation, but also looking to the future and growing."

A big assist in making "See Change" sound so fresh and current came from an unlikely pair of producers, the Grammy nominated team of Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland.

Guitarist Tony Bavaria explains the unusual choice:
"While they've worked a lot in the metalcore world (i.e. August Burns Red, Polaris) they've also done some really great sounding rock records for bands like Live, Candlebox, and Everclear. But they are also local hardcore / punk guys we knew for almost twenty years. Knowing how talented they are and the diversity of their work, we really wanted to see what they would be able to bring to the table. It was awesome to have the opportunity to work with them in a world class studio that would probably not be available to a hardcore band like us!"

The end result couldn't be more of a testament to the shared chemistry between band and producers. From the blazing hardcore opener "Harrisburg Graves" to the catchy mid-tempo punk rock of "Promise Made," from the epic chorus of "20/20" to the subtle off beat and reggae leanings of "Love is the suture," there is something here for all Smalley and punk fans, no matter which of his projects you first fell in love with. All the while, the powerful modern production sounds very rooted in the here and now.

Along with the catchiness and amazing musical energy, DON'T SLEEP's "See Change" is also full of lyrical inspiration -- as you would expect from a band fronted by Dave Smalley.

Bassist Garrett elaborates: "I think we've always had the perspective of seeing music and punk/hardcore as a positive force, where the people involved can make a difference in the world around them. It's been reflected in our name and in our album title "See Change." If you see injustice or something that needs to change in your surroundings, make it happen, visualize it, "See Change," know it's possible, and work to make it better."

So, let's just hope that this lightning will strike again and again.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Harrisburg Graves
  2. Promise Made
  3. Dead On The Inside
  4. Outside In
  5. Runnin Down a Dream
  6. 20.20
  7. Generation
  8. Love Is The Suture
  9. Time To Fight
  10. Bring The Light *
  11. Lazarus *
  12. Hypocrite *
  13. Arise *
  14. Reckoning *
  15. Jetstream Days *
  16. All The Way To Nowhere *
  17. Bloody But Unbroken *

*CD Bonus Track

FOR FANS OF:
Dag Nasty, All, Down By Law

Buggin "Concrete Cowboys"

Buggin "Concrete Cowboys"

LP - $17.25 / CD - $10.70 / CASSETTE - $10.70
LP UPC: 843563161609
CD UPC: 843563164488
CASSETTE UPC: 843563164471
STREET DATE: 6/2/23
CAT#: FSR67
LABEL: Flatspot

Formed in 2018, Chicago hardcore band Buggin is here to have a good time. Their songs are vibrant, groovy, and real, as demonstrated on their upcoming album, Concrete Cowboys, set for release in Spring 2023 on Flatspot Records. Following the 2021 single "Brainfreeze" and 2020 EP, Buggin Out, it marks their first foray into a full-length record. The album title comes from a cut on the band's 2019 demo and that song sees a rework as does "Poser Bulldozer". Alongside tracks titled "Snack Run" and "The Customer Is Always Wrong," it's clear that Buggin aren't afraid to have a little fun while singing about everyday occurrences.

As the band puts its:
"The album pretty much shows our growth as a band while still sticking true to our roots and why we started everything: having fun with the homies and not taking yourself too seriously. We're not concerned with following any type of trends, just sticking in our own lane."

Between these more playful elements are cathartic moments from vocalist Bryanna Bennett. "Hard 2 Kill" was written as a self-empowerment anthem, while "Not Yours" delves into the tokenization of women and non-binary folks in the hardcore scene. Closer "Youth" finds Bennett's snarling vocals aided by bassist Dewey Hendrik's more surf-punk vocal approach, creating a soundtrack for the younger generation.

The relentless energy Buggin exudes on their recordings, comes across ten-fold in a live setting. Having already shared the stage opening for acts such as Turnstile, 7 Seconds, Show Me The Body, Zulu, and Soul Glo, it's only a matter of time before the band reaches headliner status.

With the release of Concrete Cowboys, Buggin continues to keep there be true to yourself mentality and push towards a bright future in hardcore.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Bug Slam
  2. All Eyes On You
  3. Get It Out
  4. Snack Run
  5. The Customer Is Always Wrong
  6. Poser Bulldozer
  7. Hard 2 Kill
  8. Not Yours
  9. Concrete Cowboys
  10. Redacted
  11. Kick Rocks
  12. Youth

MARKETING POINTS:

  • BUGGIN is one of the most exciting bands in Punk/Hardcore at the moment
  • Can appeal to not only the Hardcore crowd but also Punk, Metal, Rock and Alternative demographics too
  • Has played w/ bands like: Zulu, Show Me The Body,Gel, Scowl, and more
  • Will tour US, UK, EUROPE in 2023
  • Playing Flatspot World, Tied Down, Outbreak, Ieper Festivals in 2023
  • Debut album and perfect hardcore release that will stand the test of time!
  • Has played festivals such as The Rumble, Disturbin The Peace, In Broad Daylight, LDB Fest, and more.
  • Recorded by Andy Nelson @ Bricktop Recording (Harms Way, Never Ending Game, Jesus Piece)
  • Pressed on Colored Vinyl

FOR FANS OF:
Turnstile, Backtrack, Mental

Instagram | Twitter

Janaka Stucky "Ascend Ascend: Live in Seattle with Lori Goldston"

2xLP - $21.25
LP UPC: 7795154137114
STREET DATE: 6/23/23
CAT#: NR126
LABEL: Neurot

Praised by Jimmy Page as “riveting,” Janaka Stucky’s book length poem, Ascend Ascend, published by Jack White’s Third Man Books in 2019, gets a mesmerizing treatment on this album by the same name, accompanied by experimental cellist Lori Goldston. Goldston, known for her work with a number of acts—including Nirvana, Cat Power, and Earth—provides otherworldly layers of distortion and natural reverb over Stucky’s dirge-like vocal performance.

Recorded at the All Pilgrims Church in Seattle while Stucky was on a 7-city tour produced by Atlas Obscura in 2019, the performance is served well by the room’s ambiance and was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Mell Dettmer—who has engineered albums for acts such as Earth, Sunn O))), Master Musicians of Bukkake, and Wolves in the Throne Room.

“I wrote Ascend Ascend over the course of 20 days—coming in and out of trance states while secluded in the tower of a 100-year-old church,” Stucky says. In the live performances, Stucky recited the book in its entirety from the confines of a magic circle—drawn with sigils and arcane seals on the floor—ringed with beeswax candles, incense, and live marigolds planted in an outer rim of soil.

“It was important that the performance of the work reflected the space from which it was produced—not just the physical space, but also the interior space,” Stucky says. “I wanted the shows to be initiatory—inviting the audience into my own altered state of consciousness, so the performance could become an invocation, a collective trance, flowering into this fourth dimension.”

Each performance was uniquely tailored to the unusual venues which are the hallmark of Atlas Obscura productions, and Stucky’s musical collaborators changed with each show as well.

“Lori and I had never met before the show, but exchanged several emails in the months leading up to the event,” says Stucky. “We didn’t even do much of a sound check, but Lori was cool and confident—and the performance was magical. With little to no prep, Lori and I tuned into each other and filled the resonant hall of All Pilgrims with the incantation you hear on this record.”

“The recording is very warm and processed in a way that really brings out the best of the room,” says Steve von Till of Neurot Recordings, who is releasing the album. “I have seen a million sound waves, and upon first looking at the waves of Janaka’s voice and Lori's cello I had to do a double take to make sure they weren't the same wave—or that there wasn't tons of bleed between the two—because they look eerily similar. They were so tuned in to each other!”

While on this tour, VICE magazine wrote that, “Janaka Stucky performs poetry readings like he's part fire-and-brimstone preacher, part doom-metal frontman.” Given the record’s aesthetic heritage and execution, which falls somewhere between ambient doom and psychedelic punk mysticism, the synergy with its release on Neurot Recordings feels like a perfect match.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Assiah, the Material World
  2. Yetzirah, the World of Formation
  3. Beri'ah, the World of Creation
  4. Atziluth, the Archetypal World

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Jimmy Page says, "Janaka Stucky is extraordinary, and his work riveting."
  • Janaka Stucky was the first writer published by Jack White's Third Man Books
  • The album was recorded live on a 7-city tour produced by Atlas Obscura in 2019
  • Atlas Obscura is producing a 4-city tour in 2023 to celebrate the album's release
  • The album features cello by Lori Goldston (Nirvana, Cat Power, Earth)

"Part prayer, part yowl, part spell, it’s grounded in the ancient and the occult." — The Boston Globe

“Janaka Stucky‘s haunting, intense readings are some of the most gripping examples of the form you’re likely to witness.” —Vol.1 Brooklyn

“Janaka Stucky performs poetry readings like he's part fire-and-brimstone preacher, part doom-metal frontman … For him, lighting incense, dropping acid, and creating some of the most ecstatic lines of verse you’ve ever read is just another day at the office.” —VICE

FOR FANS OF:
Swans / Michael Gira, SunnO))) , OM , Lingua Ignota, Stephen Jesse Bernstein

Official Site | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Incendiary “Change The Way You Think About Pain”

LP - $17.25 / CD - $7.00
LP UPC: 197187794652
CD UPC: 197188370329
STREET DATE: 5/26/23
CAT#: CLCR112
LABEL: Closed Casket Activities

Armed with crushing metallic riffs, instantly both fresh and familiar, Incendiary populate each of their four full-length albums with irresistibly energized rhythms and adrenalized urgency. Change The Way You Think About Pain is their leanest and unapologetically meanest yet. The quintet weaned on the Long Island, New York, hardcore scene have more to say than ever. Sharply biting and insightful lyrics sit atop blunt metalcore in a perfect soundtrack to throw a brick through a window.

Incendiary delivers a sound of its own, mixing classic passion and modern power. Frontman Brendan Garrone, guitarists Brian Audley and Rob Nobile, and drummer Dan Lomeli, cite East Coast hardcore heroes like Vision Of Disorder, 108, Indecision and Glassjaw as part of Incendiary’s formative DNA. Less familiar listeners might liken them to a very heavy Rage Against The Machine.

The band returned to Will Putney of Graphic Nature Audio (Knocked Loose, Every Time I Die, Vein.fm) to engineer, mix and master the new release. Many essential genre bands never made a second album, let alone a fourth. “We are kind of in rare territory being a hardcore band on their fourth LP,” Garrone concedes. “It feels like a milestone. By now, you’re either ‘supposed’ to drastically change your sound or have it be the exact same thing as the record before,” he adds. “We didn’t want to do either of those things. Our focus was on refining the sound that we’ve optimally been working towards rather than any desire to make a huge pivot.” Audley says that in addition to the more focused songwriting on Change The Way You Think About Pain, “we also wanted it to be more aggressive and more abrasive, in terms of songs and production. “

Thematically, Incendiary’s fourth album confronts the hyper-polarization of American society, those who confuse selfishness with freedom, and the lengths we’ll go to in order to avoid pain and maintain comfort. The socio-political pulse found throughout Cost of Living remains, with a deeper exploration of the introspective personal lyrics Garrone started to introduce on Thousand Mile Stare. “The album is a mix of both the socio-politically driven content and darker, more personalized subjects. The album title is meant to conjure the concept of pain avoidance,” Garrone explains. “Most of the songs have some kind of tie back to the things everyone does to avoid feeling any semblance of pain. ‘Pain avoidance’ is a phrase me and Brian came across and kept in the back of our minds.”

Featuring the Artwork of Daniel Danger. Vinyl comes packaged in a matte finish gatefold lp jacket and complimented by a printed inner sleeve.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Bite The Hook
  2. Jesus Bones
  3. Echo of Nothing
  4. Host:Parasite
  5. Lie of Liberty
  6. C.T.E
  7. Collision
  8. Rats in the Cellar
  9. Santosha (Illusion of the Self)
  10. Change The Way You Think About Pain

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Will Putney of Graphic Nature Audio (Knocked Loose, Every Time I Die, Vein.fm)
  • Original artwork by Daniel Danger
  • As seen at Hellfest, Outbreak Fest, Sound and Fury

FOR FANS OF:
Terror, Hatebreed, Indecision, and Foundation

Compliments of: Chicago Gang Culture

Book - $25.65
STREET DATE: 5/23/23
CAT#: RADIO-COMP
LABEL: Radio Raheem

RADIO RAHEEM and BEYOND THE STREETS Publishing are pleased to present Compliments of: Chicago Gang Culture; a deep dive into the history of gangs in the city of Chicago, spanning the 1960s to the 1990s, and highlighting over 40 years of history with critical essays and a comprehensive documentation that deep dives into the artistic merits and fashion influences that were emitted from a cultural phenomenon that is now celebrated and emulated, but its origins and dark history are often overlooked.

  • Compliments of: Chicago Gang Culture, 2023
  • Softcover, 208 pages
  • 8.5 x 10.5 in (21.59 cm x 26.67 cm)
  • Compiled by Roger Gastman and Richard Warwick
  • Texts by Alec Banks and Vic Mensa

Damien Done "Total Power"

CASSETTE - $6.00
STREET DATE: 5/19/23
CAT#: PRO-089
LABEL: Protagonist

Dusky rock'n'roll meets gloomy pop from Damien Moyal, the former of frontman of As Friends Rust, Culture, Morning Again, and Shai Hulud. Playing alongside former members of Child Bite, Earthmover, and Scissor Now, this latest effort sees Moyal continue his sharp turn from the angst of his past, instead using Damien Done as a vehicle to croon unnervingly voyeuristic tales over a collection of bleak but catchy tracks. Touching on the doom and drawl of swampy grunge and the cold, blue sneer of darker 80s pop and hazy post-punk, Total Power is just the slightest curl of a lip on an otherwise angelic face.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Maw
  2. Black Moon
  3. Pray For Me
  4. Inexorcisable
  5. Young Drugs
  6. Always On Fire
  7. Fin Dom
  8. Gentleman Thief
  9. Bounty and Blight

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Featuring members of As Friends Rust, Shai Hulud, Child Bite.
  • Full-color and multi-facet packaging with O-Card.

FOR FANS OF:
Nick Cave, Interpol, Billy Idol, Echo & The Bunnymen

Cult Leader "Lightless Walk"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 723314784267
STREET DATE: 5/19/23
CAT#: DW183
LABEL: Deathwish Inc.

Cult Leader are a chaotically aggressive band from Salt Lake City, Utah. "Lightless Walk" was recorded and engineered by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios (Converge, High On Fire). From the first menacing thumps of "Great I Am", Cult Leader unleash grinding musical fury. "The Sorrower" gallops before crashing into a wall of heaviness as they vocally declare "...nothing will get better". The pessimistic spiral continues in "Sympathetic" and "Suffer Louder", two tangles of cacophony that give birth to crushers of ending riffs. "Broken Blades" then emerges as a near constant barrage, showcasing the technical prowess thriving underneath Cult Leader’s layers of grime. While "A Good Life" ushers in new dynamics, clawing through melodious dirt before taking flight again. "Walking Wastelands", "Gutter Gods", and "Hate Offering" are all metallic monsters in their own right, lurching towards the epically haunting pairing of "How Deep It Runs" and "Lightless Walk". Two songs that show Cult Leader at their most depressive and powerful as they recede into introspective darkness.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Great I Am
  2. The Sorrower
  3. Sympathetic
  4. Suffer Louder
  5. Broken Blades
  6. A Good Life
  7. Walking Wastelands
  8. Gutter Gods
  9. Hate Offering
  10. How Deep It Runs
  11. Lightless Walk

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Available again on vinyl
  • Recently released a split with END
  • Over 6 million lifetime streams

FOR FANS OF:
Converge, Trap Them. Full Of Hell

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Omen Astra "The End of Everything"

LP - $14.00
STREET DATE: 5/19/23
CAT#: PRO-076
LABEL: Protagonist

Nothing can fully prepare you for the scope and scale of what Omen Astra are documenting on this monumental debut. Crushing. Atmospheric. Challenging. Just some of the descriptors one might choose to wrap their mind around this release. Influences present include the brute force, technicality, and hooks of bands as diverse as Cult of Luna, Faith No More, Cave In, Gojira, and Neurosis, and even touches of the interstellar psychedelia and melodic songcraft of Bowie or Pink Floyd. The full album is so sonically and emotionally heavy that it might transform your record player into a home version of the large-haedron collider. No comparison or written description is truly apt here, though it might be best characterized as an explosion of rage and beauty akin to the eye inside a storm - an experience to be lived rather than read about. And one absorbed best at full volume!

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Breathe Into the Wave
  2. False Gods
  3. Who's Been Painting My Roses Red?
  4. The City That Burns
  5. Glory To The Crown
  6. This Is The End of Everything

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Features members of New Day Rising, The Black Maria, Spread the Disease

FOR FANS OF:
Cult of Luna, Cave In, Gojira, Mouth of the Architect, Neurosis

Cult Leader "A Patient Man"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 723314784250
STREET DATE: 5/19/23
CAT#: DW208
LABEL: Deathwish Inc.

Cult Leader is a chaotic band from Salt Lake City, Utah. “A Patient Man” was recorded and engineered by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios (Converge, Nails, High On Fire). From the first hits of opener “I Am Healed” Cult Leader take listeners on a sonic rollercoaster ride. Much of the album follows this blueprint. Songs like “Curse of Satisfaction”, “Craft of Mourning”, and “Share My Pain” are driven by a weave work of unorthodox metallic riffing and fueled by hyper-aggressive percussion. While the tech- nical proficiency is impressive, it’s in their use of dynamics where they truly shine. The album contains four beautifully brooding epics; “To: Achlys”, “A World of Joy”, title track “A Patient Man”, and “The Broken Right Hand of God”. Each one of them carries a maturation and sense of melody that few “extreme” bands have within their arsenal. Proving that aggressive music still has much to offer the world in terms of originality, creativity, and emotion.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. I Am Healed
  2. Curse of Satisfaction
  3. Isolation in the Land of Milk and Honey
  4. To: Achlys
  5. A World Of Joy
  6. Craft of Mourning
  7. Share My Pain
  8. Aurum Reclusa
  9. A Patient Man
  10. The Broken Right Hand of God

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Available again on vinyl
  • Recently released a split with END
  • Over 6 million lifetime streams

FOR FANS OF:
Converge, Trap Them. Full Of Hell

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Bossk "Audio Noir"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 723314784243
STREET DATE: 5/12/23
CAT#: DW187
LABEL: Deathwish Inc.

Their album "Audio Noir" is transcendent aural experience. Opener "The Reverie" transports the listener to new dimensions through hypnotic repetition and layered instrumentation before taking a turn into stoner doom territory with "Heliopause". Emotional instrumental "Relancer" builds to a sonic crescendo while leading to the awesome "Kobe". A song that shifts a multitude of gears before setting into one of the more chaotic hooks the band has ever produced. "Atom Smasher" then carries some of the heaviest moments of the album before beautifully disintegrating into the touching track "Nadir". Lastly, Bossk unveil "The Reverie II", a brilliant ten minute reprise that shows the band at the peak of their creative powers. Solidifying "Audio Noir" as the best kind of masterpiece; a sea change that the music world never saw coming.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. The Reverie
  2. Heliopause
  3. Relancer
  4. Kobe
  5. Atom Smasher
  6. Nadir
  7. The Reverie II

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Available again on vinyl
  • "Audio Noir" has over 2 million lifetime streams
  • Appearing at Damnation Festival

FOR FANS OF:
Russian Circles, Amenra, Caspian

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

There Were Wires "His Talk, Her Teeth"

7"EP - $6.00
7"EP UPC: 724399772255
STREET DATE: 5/12/23
CAT#: IOD-13
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Unlikely but overwilling, the embryonic form of Boston’s There Were Wires (formed on Martha’s Vineyard in 1999) traversed every basement, rec hall and dive club in the city to blow out speakers and vocal chords alike with their explosive brand of hardcore punk. Their blend of harshly emotive dissonance and punchy, anthemic songs pulled inspiration from bands like Converge, Portraits of Past, and Unbroken. Though it’s true that TWW’s live shows were a powder keg of chaos, the true gooey center of the band revealed an honest vulnerability that belied the tough crowd of contemporaries, which gained them a small but devoted cult following in the New England scene.

After several self-released demo tapes and CD’s, TWW teamed up with Iodine Recordings for a professional version of their debut S/T record (including a live radio set), as well as their final 2003 record ‘Somnambulists’, which tread into darker, moodier, and more atmospheric territory than ever before. The boys disbanded shortly after this release with a final show in 2004, which led to the formation of the bands Disappearer, Doomriders, and No Flowers.

This limited edition 7"EP was originally released in 2004 and is now available again with an alternate cover, hand numbered out of 100. Features the track "His Talk, Her Teeth" from Somnambulists backed with a cover of Sonic Youth's "Tunic". Recorded and produced by Matt Squire (Underoath, The Amity Affliction, The Used). Includes remastered digital download code.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. His Talk, Her Teeth
  2. Tunic

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Limited Edition 7" with hand numbered covers.
  • Produced by Matt Squire (Underoath, The Used)
  • Reunion Shows planned for Spring 2023

FOR FANS OF:
Converge, Deadguy, Botch, Pg.99, Neurosis

Official Site | Instagram

Drowningman "Busy Signal At The Suicide Hotline"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 783495979739
STREET DATE: 5/12/23
CAT#: IOD-39
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

The 25th anniversary edition of the 1998 Metal-Core classic. Drowningman's debut full length, Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline is an unpredictable amalgamation of angular blasts and melodic chaos. This quintessential document on the merging of metal, hardcore and punk is available on vinyl again, fully remastered with two bonus tracks. Drowningman was once ubiquitous with chaotic heavy music, having come up alongside many bands of the era including: Botch, Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, and Coalesce. Originally released by Hydra Head Records, the reissue includes an out of print track from a split with Dillinger Escape Plan and a previously unreleased song. Available again with all new artwork and packaging. Includes download code.

"Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline most certainly gets everything right, even though it's not talked about as much as We Are the Romans or Jane Doe, and as the years go on and as metalcore spun itself out of relevance, this record has actually got better. Noise-rock-influenced metalcore, angular and sharp, like a more antisocial and punk Botch." - Decibel Magazine

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Condoning the Use of Inhalants
  2. High School Slow Dance
  3. Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline
  4. Sadder Than Saturday
  5. Mail Order Kidney
  6. Trouble Breathing
  7. Supermarket Riot
  8. Clothesline
  9. My First Restraining Order (1999)
  10. Like Taking out Stitches with a Fork (Needle and Thread)

MARKETING POINTS:

  • 25th Anniversary Edition, completely remastered for vinyl.
  • Remastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden (Deafheaven, Amenra, Quicksand)
  • Includes two bonus tracks previously unavailable, including from split with Dillinger Escape Plan.
  • All new artwork and package re-design for the anniversary edition.
  • Band is active and touring again with upcoming tours and festivals, including Decibel Metal and Beer Fest.
  • Included download code

FOR FANS OF:
Botch, Dillinger Escape Plan, Deadguy, Every Time I Die, Converge

Official Site | Instagram

Quicksand "Slip"

LP - $19.40
LP UPC: 783495979715
LP STREET DATE: 5/12/23
DELUXE BOOK+LP STREET DATE: 5/26/23
CAT#: IOD-30A
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Available for the first time in over a decade, the 30th Anniversary Edition of Slip was completely remastered for vinyl using the original 1993 master tapes and includes bonus track “How Soon is Now?”. The jacket artwork was reconstructed using original art elements and color improvements. Complete with several limited beautiful vinyl variants.

Few albums fully establish and encapsulate a genre like Quicksand’s debut album Slip does for post-hardcore. Originally recorded in 1992 and released in early February 1993, Slip is as relevant and important an album today as it was nearly 30 years ago. Slip is a musical bridge between the 1980s New York Hardcore scene from which Quicksand’s members cut their teeth on, and the burgeoning sound of the 90s' heavy rock. It’s an album that stands toe-to-toe with other great records released that year, but the band’s NYHC roots give the record an edge you won’t hear on an ‘In Utero’ or ‘Siamese Dream.’

Lead track “Fazer” throws listeners straight into a brick wall of heavy guitars. Quicksand’s gritty genius is immediately apparent in the song: a group confident in their ability to mix heaviness, melody and big-chorus sensibilities in a way none of their peers could dream of. Front man Walter Schreifels and company merge their vast pool of influences (citing everyone from Bad Brains to Danzig) into a sound that’s undeniably Quicksand. Nowhere is this more apparent than the album’s lead single “Dine Alone.” It's a deceptively catchy song that exposed countless MTV watchers to crushing riffs, Schreifel’s gritty-yet-beautiful yowling, and a still legendary odyssey of a bridge.

The album is proof positive that a band can write some of the heaviest riffs ever, while still pausing for moments to space out on songs like “Lie and Wait.” The record concludes with a summation of all its accomplishments in “Transparent,” offering up guitar riffs that manage to sound heavy and hopeful at the same time. "Transparent" reinterprets Revolution-summer forward-thinking positive mindset in a new context of rock music. It's as though the band is aware of the righteous wave of great music they’re ushering in with this album. Slip gave everyone including Deftones, Glassjaw, Title Fight and hundreds more the blueprint of what post-hardcore can accomplish. Quicksand firmly cemented Slip as an essential album in rock music and a testament to how far punk rock can go.

Slip was recorded by Quicksand members Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today), Tom Capone (Beyond, Bold), Sergio Vega (Deftones, Moondog) and Alan Cage (Beyond, Seaweed) and co-produced by Steven Haigler (Pixies) and Don Fury (Sick of it All, Agnostic Front). Remastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor).

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Fazer
  2. Head to Wall
  3. Dine Alone
  4. Slip
  5. Freezing Process
  6. Lie and Wait
  7. Unfulfilled
  8. Can Opener
  9. Omission
  10. Baphomet
  11. Too Official
  12. Transparent
  13. How Soon is Now?

MARKETING POINTS:

  • First pressing of an iconic album in over a decade.
  • Completely remastered for vinyl from the original 1993 tapes.
  • Remastered by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor)
  • Reconstructed/updated artwork from original art files.
  • Available on several beautiful color variants.
  • Band is actively touring worldwide with numerous festival appearances planned for 2023.

FOR FANS OF:
Failure, Hum, Narrow Head, Teenage Wrist

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There Were Wires "There Were Wires"

LP - $16.60
LP UPC: 724399772170
STREET DATE: 5/12/23
CAT#: IOD-08
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Unlikely but overwilling, the embryonic form of Boston’s There Were Wires (formed on Martha’s Vineyard in 1999) traversed every basement, rec hall and dive club in the city to blow out speakers and vocal chords alike with their explosive brand of hardcore punk. Their blend of harshly emotive dissonance and punchy, anthemic songs pulled inspiration from bands like Converge, Portraits of Past, and Unbroken. Though it’s true that TWW’s live shows were a powder keg of chaos, the true gooey center of the band revealed an honest vulnerability that belied the tough crowd of contemporaries, which gained them a small but devoted cult following in the New England scene.

After several self-released demo tapes and CD’s, TWW teamed up with Iodine Recordings for a professional version of their debut S/T record (including a live radio set), as well as their final 2003 record ‘Somnambulists’, which tread into darker, moodier, and more atmospheric territory than ever before. The boys disbanded shortly after this release with a final show in 2004, which led to the formation of the bands Disappearer, Doomriders, and No Flowers.

The band’s debut self titled LP is being pressed for the first time on vinyl and has been completely remixed by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at God City Studios and re-mastered for vinyl. The LP now includes several out of print B-Sides and the band’s 1999 demo. Available on two limited color variants. Nearly two decades later, with fresh new vinyl re-releases of both records in tow, TWW is poised to return to the stage once again. For now, what TWW’s second life yields beyond another chance to sing and dance with fans - both old and new - remains to be seen.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Lukewarm Happy
  2. Prepare For Collapse
  3. Instinctually Dumb
  4. The Physics of Air Hockey
  5. Stop Motion Aesthetic
  6. Fat with Glasses
  7. Commotion Strange
  8. The Hours
  9. Bigger and Better Things
  10. It Will Be Better Than the Rest of Your Life
  11. Cru Jones
  12. The Physics of Air Hockey (Demo)
  13. Stop Motion Aesthetic (Demo)
  14. Instinctually Dumb (Demo)
  15. Fat With Glasses (Demo)

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Classic influential Metal-Core album available for the first time in 20 years (on vinyl for the first time)
  • Remixed by Kurt Ballou (Converge, God City)
  • Full PR Campaign via Atom Splitter (Hatebreed, Alexisonfire)
  • Includes two bonus tracks, previously unavailable and 1999 Demo
  • Band is playing two reunion shows in Spring 2023 (First live appearance in almost 18 years)

FOR FANS OF:
Deadguy, Converge, Unbroken, PG.99, Jeromes Dream

Official Site | Instagram

Drowningman "Later Day Saints"

7"EP - $7.00
7"EP UPC: 724399772262
STREET DATE: 5/12/23
CAT#: IOD-39B
LABEL: Iodine Recordings

Two new songs from the legendary Vermont based technical hardcore band Drowningman. Returning from a long hiatus, Drowningman has recorded two new blistering songs "Navigating Grief and Loss in a Pre-apocalyptic Landscape" and "It Will End in Cops." Recorded by producer Steve Evetts (Deadguy, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die) at the tail end of the pandemic. "The truth is "violence" has become very casual. Wilder death threats are made every minute on the internet than you will find in any Drowningman song. Violence is now done at arms length, typed into someone's comments, via press release, or by certified mail. Whatever happened to settling things on the front yard? At the end of the day, I'm proud of what we did here." - Simon Brody of Drowningman

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Navigating Grief and Loss in a Pre-apocalyptic Landscape
  2. It Will End in Cops

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Produced by Steve Evetts (Lifetime, Deadguy, Dillinger Escape Plan)
  • First new songs in over 15 years from Drowningman
  • Active and touring again
  • Playing Decibel Magazine's Metal and Beer Fest in April 2023

FOR FANS OF:
Botch, Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Deadguy

Official Site | Instagram

Burial Clouds "Last Days of a Dying World"

LP - $19.40 / CD - $10.70
STREET DATE: 5/12/23
CAT#: CRR194
LABEL: Church Road

With roots firmly planted in the heavy metal traditions of the Pacific Northwest, Burial Clouds' music bears a dim light in a dark land; an emotional response to the human experience of life in a decaying empire.

Drawing influences from Doom, Psychedelia, Post-Metal, and Grunge, Burial Clouds' well crafted songwriting is ambitious in sonic scope. Heavy without being cliche, complex without falling into self-indulgence and epic without pretension.

Burial Clouds were originally an instrumental band, but have recently been joined on vocals by actor/musician Michael Malarkey (Vampire Diaries, Project Blue Book). With this addition the band have reached a new level of expansiveness through Malarkey’s crooning blues-esque vocals and blistering screams.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Cloudsplitter
  2. Beirut Shores
  3. Seawall
  4. Ether Fields
  5. Death, Emperor

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Features actor/musician Michael Malarkey (Vampire Diaries, Project Blue Book)

FOR FANS OF:
Cult of Luna, Yob, Isis

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Frail Body "A Brief Memoriam"

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 723314784236
STREET DATE: 5/5/23
CAT#: DW215
LABEL: Deathwish Inc.

Frail Body is a hardcore/punk band from Rockford, IL that embodies the spirit and soul of what many define as "screamo". "A Brief Memoriam" combines a new four-song recording session with their sought after "At Peace" session into one proper album. Both sessions were recorded by engineer Zack Farrar at Choir Room Audio.

A-side opener "Pastel" erupts with unhinged emotion driven by discordant guitars and hyper-speed drumming. This leads to the powerful "Your Death Makes Me Wish Heaven Was Real" a moving song of mourning and remembrance. "Aperture" then explores concepts of identity and growth amid a tangle of beautiful musical debris. Lastly, the poignant "Tradition in Verses" unfurls with a ground shaking emotion that is hard to capture in words. The B-side of "A Brief Memoriam" is comprised of their incredible "At Peace" session; a recording that shows Frail Body even in their earliest state was a heartfelt, creative force.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Pastel
  2. Your Death Makes Me Wish Heaven Was Real
  3. Aperture
  4. Traditions In Verses
  5. Cold New Home
  6. At Peace
  7. Old Friends

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Available again on clear vinyl
  • On tour w/ KEN Mode in March

FOR FANS OF:
Touché Amoré, Loma Prieta, Jeromes Dream

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Touché Amoré “Is Survived By”

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 723314784229
STREET DATE: 5/5/23
CAT#: DW151
LABEL: Deathwish Inc.

"Is Survived By" was produced and engineered by Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate) and mastered by Hans DeKline (Lisa Loeb, mewithoutYou).

"Is Survived By" shows Touche Amore embracing a maturation of their trademark melancholy. The sounds are welcomingly familiar; inspired percussion amid a sea of imaginative guitars and impassioned vocals. However, the underlying unrest is more complex and touching than any previous Touche Amore release before it. Simply put, these are not simple "love" songs that dwell in the past, but complex "life" songs about living in the present. Throughout the entire album vocalist/lyricist Jeremy Bolm digs deeper in search of personal catharsis, allowing us to relate to his drive to be clearly heard, truly understood, and unapologetically remembered. "Is Survived By" not only shows growth in subject matter but musicianship for Touche Amore. The jangly guitar work of Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt is on a new level here. Throughout the release they effortlessly entangle one another to construct beautiful yet unexpected melodies. While the explosive rhythm section of Tyler Kirby and Elliot Babin shines in the frenetic pace they keep. Achieving a stunning balance of hook laden listenability and emotion.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Just Exist
  2. To Write Content
  3. Praise / Love
  4. Anyone / Anything
  5. DNA
  6. Harbor
  7. Kerosene
  8. Blue Angel
  9. Social Caterpillar
  10. Non Fiction
  11. Steps
  12. Is Survived By

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Available again on vinyl
  • Band just celebrated their 15 year anniversary
  • Produced by Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Placebo, Sunny Day Real Estate)

FOR FANS OF:
La Dispute, Drug Church, Pianos Become The Teeth

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Touché Amoré “Parting The Sea Between Brightness and Me”

LP - $17.25
LP UPC: 723314784212
STREET DATE: 5/5/23
CAT#: DW121
LABEL: Deathwish Inc.

In February of 2011, Touche Amore piled into their beat up tour van in an Los Angeles suburb and set off on a twenty six hour journey to Eudora, Kansas. With a population of just over four thousand people, Eudora may be a peculiar place for a punk band to go, but nestled in its rural isolation is acclaimed engineer Ed Rose and his Black Lodge Studios (formerly Redhouse Recording Studio). There under Rose's attentive ears, Touche Amore poured their patchwork soul into their latest work, "Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me".

In "Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me", Touche Amore's creative formula is driven by emotional affect, not contemporary studio effects. In the purest form possible, raw shouted vocals and clean manic guitars fight for volume over roomy bass and percussion. Creating a sound that is shockingly simple as it is emotionally engaging. The serene and fragile opening notes of "Tilde" serve as the album's introductory serenade before Touche Amore pound and jangle into the hook-laden song. And seconds later, when vocalist/lyricist Jeremy Bolm screams "...I'm parting the sea between brightness and me...", a tone of desperation sets in that resonates throughout the duration of the album. His straight forward cries convincingly tell his own personal story. To some, this lyrical writing could read as a diary based purely in self deprecation, but his words cut and pull from a much deeper place in the heart. Serving as an open window into his constant soul searching amid life's constant trials and tribulations. Songs like "Home Away From Here" and "Sesame" are great examples of this, infectious in their sound and moving lyrical spirit. While "Method Act" and the emotional "Condolences" show the band experimenting with epic leanings while maintaining their beloved trademark character.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. ~
  2. Pathfinder
  3. The Great Repetition
  4. Art Official
  5. Uppers/Downers
  6. Crutch
  7. Method Act
  8. Faceghost
  9. Sesame
  10. Wants/Needs
  11. Condolences
  12. Home Away From Here
  13. Amends

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Available again on vinyl
  • Band just celebrated their 15 year anniversary
  • Produced by Ed Rose (Coalesce, The Get Up Kids)

FOR FANS OF:
La Dispute, Drug Church, Pianos Become The Teeth

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Guilt "Bardstown Ugly Box"

LP + 7"EP - $17.50
STREET DATE: 5/5/23
CAT#: MOM068
LABEL: Mind Over Matter

Guilt's impact and overall relevance went largely unrecognized during their six-year tenure as an intense and emotive über-indie-noise-metal-hardcore band. Their songs combined the best elements of several genres without sounding contrived and managed to evoke soulful emotion and raise thought-provoking questions within the confines of a musical style typically confined to mundane "evil" topics and horror imagery. Guilt evolved from the band Stepdown, which formed in 1991 with former Endpoint drummer Lee Fetzer and Endpoint bassist Kyle Noltemeyer on guitar, Christian McCoy on bass, powerhouse drummer Jon Smith, and Endpoint guitarist Duncan Barlow on vocals. Stepdown were fiercely political and rabidly confrontational, going head to head with the Nazi faction of the Louisville scene on more than one occasion. As Barlow's own personal battle with depression set in, however, the group's focus shifted and soon the name was changed. Fetzer left the group and Barlow picked up second guitar in addition to vocal duties. The Empty 7" was recorded at Mom's Studio and released by Initial, a small record label then based in Michigan. After a handful of shows, the band dissolved for almost a year, eventually re-forming and recording several new songs at DSL Studios that would later become the Synethesia 10"/CD EP on Initial. The record was heavy and intense, with darkly poetic lyrics and song titles named after colors picked to represent various moods. McCoy was replaced by Telephone Man's Ashli State before the band signed a deal with Chicago's Victory Records label. Guilt entered the studio with producer/Shellac member Bob Weston, who helped the band hone their sound by enhancing the drums, bringing down the metal element in the guitars, and eliciting top-notch, emotional performances. The end result was Bardstown Ugly Box, the band's masterwork, so named for a street in their native Louisville, KY. It was years ahead of its time in the hardcore/punk scene, fusing elements of noise, melody, heavy metal, punk rock, indie rock, and poetic storytelling seamlessly, with intensity yet class

  • Ryan Downey

For the 2023 reissue of this classic album, Mind Over Matter Records worked closely with the band as they revisited the audio and preserved that energy & effort into the physical release. The digital remix was completed by Steve Evetts (Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die), it was mastered by Brian Luken and then carefully cut into lacquer form by Dave Eck at Lucky Lacquers. With two newly unearth bonus tracks, MOMR also added in a bonus 7" to ensure that purists can continue to enjoy Bardstown Ugly Box as they've always known it and everyone gets the opportunity to hear previously unavailable tracks separate from the original track listing.

TRACK LISTING:

  1. Gamma
  2. Omega
  3. Chi
  4. Xi
  5. Omnicron
  6. Theta
  7. Phi
  8. Delta (7 Inch Bonus Track)
  9. Iota (7 Inch Bonus Track)

MARKETING POINTS:

  • Remix / Remastered by Steve Evetts (Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die)

FOR FANS OF:
Endpoint, Split Lip, By The Grace Of God

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