Weekly Roundup: April 17th
Featuring Kvelertak, Balance and Composure, Geld, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Trophy Eyes – “What Hurts The Most”
Well, here’s an announcement that I predicted some weeks ago. Trophy Eyes have finally announced their latest album; it’s titled Suicide And Sunshine and will be out June 23rd through Hopeless Records. According to frontman John Floreani, the record is about: “the tragedy and the beauty of life”:
“When we did Chemical Miracle (2016), our second full-length, the logo for the album was a palm tree and a noose. That’s literally suicide and sunshine. It’s always been there on my mind. And I think I finally just phonetically set it out. That encompasses everything I’ve been trying to do my entire career.”
Watch the video for lyrical gut punch “What Hurts The Most” below:
SPY – Satisfaction
Bay Area bruisers SPY do the kind of raw, fast, and frenzied hardcore punk that makes me foam at the mouth like a rabid dog. I’ve been a big fan since 2021’s Habitual Offender EP, alongside last year’s split with Maniac, and now they've announced their full-length debut, Satisfaction, out on June 2nd through Triple B Records. This one can’t come soon enough, and I expect it to come completely off the leash. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Tapestry – “Hutchison Terrace
Okay, so here’s a group we haven’t heard from in a long time. Post-hardcore outfit Tapestry are originally from Darwin but now based in Melbourne, and their 2018 Ghost of Me EP was one of my favourite releases of that year. I also saw them support Polaris that year and they were entirely captivating. I suspect the pandemic put a hold on their momentum somewhat, but they’re finally (!) back with a huge, emotive new single. Hopefully, this is a “big things coming soon” moment for them. Listen to “Hutchison Terrace” here.
95 reunion – Leisure
Sometimes, you hear something really cool, and you immediately want to find out more about it. Who made it? Where? How? With who? Is there more on the way? When it concerns 95 reunion, I cannot answer any of these questions to a satisfactory degree. What I can tell you, however, is that their most recent two-track single, Leisure, absolutely bangs, and you should listen to it. Is that enough? You be the judge. Stream the two-track single in full here (Spotify).
Kvelertak – “Krøterveg Te Helvete”
I’ve been a massive Kvelertak sweater for well over a decade now. I still spin their self-titled debut all the time, and I called 2020’s Splid “business as usual in their party riff department” for Killyourstereo. The forthcoming fifth LP from the Norweigan black ‘n’ roll masters is titled Endling and arrives on September 8th via Rise Records/Petroleum Records. According to guitarist Vidar Landa:
“On Endling, we tell the stories of the extinct and dying men and women of Norway. Old and new myths, cultures, and rituals come to life — the folklore that doesn't fit a TV series concept. Vikings and trolls are for television. This is the real deal.”
Listen to the album’s rowdy lead single, “Krøterveg Te Helvete,” here.
Balance and Composure – Too Quick to Forgive
Nothing warms my heart more than a band I’ve loved for years coming back from the brink, picking up the tools, and having another crack at this whole “music” thing. Alt-rock outfit Balance and Composure went on hiatus back in 2017 after being at the forefront of the “nu-grunge” revival for much of the 2010s, releasing two of the best records of that decade with 2011’s Separation and 2013’s The Things We Think We’re Missing. Well, after six years, they’re officially back, and they’ve dropped a surprise release titled Too Quick To Forgive. These new tracks are gorgeous and dark and moody, and everything I have ever wanted from them. Stream the double single in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Geld – “Fog of War”
Melbourne gutter punks Geld have been one of Australian hardcore’s best-kept secrets for a while now, but all of that is soon to change. They’ve announced their signing to legacy label Relapse Records and the impending release of their juggernaut third LP, Currency // Castration, on June 9th. As their press release declares, the album “is a stripped bare, streamlined take upon hardcore in its purest form, reconstituted into a heavy, psychedelic dose of amphetamine thrills.” Hell yes. Check out the video for “Fog of War” below:
Burner – It All Returns To Nothing
Longtime fixtures of this newsletter, Burner, are roaring back from the UK underground with the release of their debut LP, It All Returns to Nothing, out via Church Road Records on June 23rd. From the sounds of things, this record will pick up where last year’s A Vision of The End EP left off, with their crushing take on metallic hardcore spliced through with the lethal traits of death and black metal. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2023 CUTS playlist, updated weekly.
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Autumn Rhythm – Joy for Tomorrow
Sure, I could be talking about 72 Seasons this week, but honestly, why bother? Do I really need to convince or assuage you regarding the merits of listening to four dads make heavy metal to keep their whiskey brand and merch store running? I’m doubtful. It has maybe 20 minutes of interesting stuff—if I’m being generous—buried deep among the 80 minutes of lack-lustre, self-indulgent, repetitive detritus that constitutes the full record, so yeah, have at it. (Or don’t.)
Instead, listen to Joy for Tomorrow, the new LP from New York “anti-rock music” trio Autumn Rhythm. It’s got nine delightful power-pop tunes, and it’s a whole lot of fun. The very antithesis of listening to Metallica in 2023. You’re welcome.
Stream here: Spotify
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Have you seen John Wick? What about Guardians of the Galaxy? Or Watchmen? Perhaps 300? If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, then you’ve likely heard scores from our latest Pitch pod guest. Tyler Bates, one of Hollywood's most prolific and successful producers and composers, takes us through his expansive Hit List, covering his work on blockbuster films, indie horror pictures, studio franchise soundtracks, and collaborations with acclaimed directors like James Gunn, Zack Snyder, Rob Zombie, and more. Check it out below: