Release Roundup: April 21st
Featuring Blood Vulture, Private Function, Somerset Thrower, and more.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Okay, a few points to cover at the top here. Yes, I have changed the name. This is now a ‘Release’ Roundup rather than a weekly edition so that I can be a little looser with the temporal frequency of the newsletter (hence the tardiness, again).
Why do you ask? Well, my gorgeous wife and illustrious co-host is currently 16 weeks pregnant, so I’m getting ahead of my life’s imminent chaos. Please send your thoughts, prayers, and congratulations in a timely manner.
We also took last week off for the Easter break (praise be, he is risen, etc.), but I still want to shout out our most recent guest episode.
Guitarist Sammy Urwin and vocalist Justine Jones joined the show to chat about their numerous collaborative endeavours (including CHURCH ROAD RECORDS and Since Always Press), EMPLOYED TO SERVE’s stellar new record, Fallen Star (out tomorrow through Spinefarm), getting their band momentum back post-pandemic, learning tips from tourmates Gojira, and how the communal catharsis of heavy music endures as a powerful, unifying force. Check it out below:
SIDE A:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Private Function – “Koala”
Fresh from warming up stadium crowds for Green Day (and getting stuck on the Gold Coast during a cyclone), Naarm/Melbourne party starters PRIVATE FUNCTION have announced the impending release of their 4th LP: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (yes, that’s right) is a sprawling 19-track record, and arrives on May 23rd.
According to frontman Chris Penney, the album’s lead single—the extremely earwormy “Koala”—is both a departure from their usual sound and also the most Private Function song to date; a carefree ode to “hugging the ones you love and holding them as tight as you can for as long as life lets you.” Watch the track’s tongue-in-cheek video below:
Ritual – Songs for the Haunted
Here’s a sick recommendation courtesy of TPD patron Chris (shout out to Chris! You rule!). European hardcore outfit RITUAL are back after a 13-year hiatus with their new album, Song for the Haunted, dropping on September 12th through Through Love Records.
The group formed in 2005 and played over 300 shows in 19 countries before disbanding in 2012. Now they’re back and sounding more vital than ever. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s how they feel about their reunion:
“Whereas the old Ritual were above all an angry band, here we hear a new hope, which is perhaps also based on the sense of community that has always welded childhood friends together and is now more than ever aesthetically effective… It feels good to be back.”
Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Somerset Thrower – “Never Going to Therapy”
Being from the other side of the world, it’s wild to think about how formative the Long Island scene and sound have been to my musical development. Emo and melodic hardcore staples like Taking Back Sunday and Crime in Stereo, as well as newcomers like Iron Chic and Koyo, are essential listening in my household and have been for years.
Well, now I’m adding SOMERSET THROWER to that storied list. Back with their first new music following 2020’s exceptional Paint My Memory LP, their third album, Take Only What You Need to Survive, is set for release on July 11th through Smartpunk Records. Watch the video for “Never Going To Therapy” below:
Sledges – Losing Pace
San Diego alt-rockers SLEDGES originally released their Losing Pace EP in 2024. Why does this matter? Well, that release caught the attention of Quiet Panic Records, who liked it so much they signed the band, adding them to a stacked roster that includes Slow Crush, Filth Is Eternal, M.U.T.T., and more.
Now that EP is getting a June 9th reissue that comes with two extra tracks. If you frequent Reddit enough to argue with strangers about whether Deftones are shoegaze or not (wait, just me?), then this is for you. Stream the EP’s re-release single/s here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Blood Vulture – “A Dream About Starving To Death”
Following Neon Nightmare’s spectacular debut last year, it seems to be the season for resurrecting a particular brand of mid-90s metal: namely horny and heavy, gothic-adjacent, Type O Negative worship. Helmed by multi-talent Jordan Old, one-half of Two Minutes To Late Night, BLOOD VULTURE are coming in hot with their debut album, Die Close, due out on June 27th through Pure Noise Records. Speaking on the project’s debut single, Old states:
“‘A Dream About Starving To Death’ is a song I wrote about a vampire who realises he is about to watch the world end. He has lived past the extinction of humanity and lost count of how many days he has been hungry, and he realises that soon there won't be an Earth anymore. He’s not sure whether it will explode or just rot and crumble, and he’s curious about whether he’ll disintegrate or just float forever in space.”
Watch the video for “A Dream About Starving To Death” below:
SIDE B & FEATURE ALBUM:
My Side B write-ups on HOON, BLOOD COMMAND, DOMESTICATED INCELS, and SUPERHEAVEN are available now on the TPD Patreon. So please consider becoming a Friend of the Show (for just $3 USD/$5 AUD per month).
You can join our alternative music community, access our existing bonus content, and send me a mildly threatening chat message with some new music you like. I’m deadly serious about this. I want your recommendations!!