Weekly Roundup: August 14th
Featuring Pest Control, Moon Coven, Padre, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Creeper – “Teenage Sacrifice”
Is it possible that UK rockers Creeper might have a penchant for all things dark and moody? One pass at “Teenage Sacrifice”—the latest single from the band’s forthcoming third full-length, Sanguivore (out October 13th on Spinefarm)—is more than enough to confirm such an assumption. The sound of glam guitar leads, driving bass, and melodramatic vocals? Check. Visuals soaked in blood, leather, smoke, and arcane rituals? You betcha. It’s all here and very, very wholesome. Watch the vampiric video for “Teenage Sacrifice” below:
A Mourning Star – A Reminder of the Wound Unhealed
Last year, Canadian pit starters A Mourning Star dropped their …To See Your Beauty Fade EP, and it was one of the subgenre’s breakout moments. For dudes like me (read: those who worship at the altar 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Poison The Well, Zao, and others), it helped revive a now-classic metalcore sound ripped straight from the Y2K era. For their debut album, A Reminder of the Wound Unhealed (out on October 13th through DAZE), the quintet have combined crushing new tracks with remastered versions of their previously released material, and—safe to say—this one is highly anticipated for yours truly. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Padre – “Together Alone”
When we had Johnny Needham (of The Break Down reaction channel fame) on The Pitch Pod a few weeks ago to chat about The Artist in the Ambulance (2003), he promised that the debut single from his new outfit Padre would be suitably spiritually aligned. And man, he wasn’t kidding. This new ripper from the Central Coast crew is on some big, anthemic, Punk-O-Rama meets Warper Tour compilation shit. It’s a little bit Thrice, a little bit Rise Against, and you could throw in some Bodyjar and Irrelevant in the mix, too. It’s quality stuff, and I’m very keen to see what they do next. Listen to “Together Alone” here.
Moon Coven – Sun King
Given the substantial crossover and oversaturation that currently exists in the stoner rock/doom metal space, it takes a little something extra to catch my attention. Call it ‘the juice,’ call it the innate gift of songwriting craft—whatever it is, occultic Swedes Moon Coven have it in spades. On their fourth LP, the forthcoming Sun King (out on August 25th through Ripple Music), the quartet strips back their bells and whistles and hone in on the subterranean power of a penetrating riff. Throw in some soulful croons that recall the transcendent majesty of Pallbearer and Torche, and you’ve got yourself a good time in the making. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Pest Control – “Enjoy The Show”
Earlier this year, UK maniacs Pest Control dropped their stomping debut LP, Don’t Test the Pest, through Quality Control, and it put everyone in crossover thrash on notice—and for good reason. Proving that they’ve got plenty more riffage in the tank, the Leeds quintet are already back on the block with a roaring new single titled “Enjoy The Show,” and as one would expect, it’s super fun, chaotic and comes ready-made for pit activation. Listen to “Enjoy The Show” here.
Wrong Man – Big Plans
Listening to Wrong Man, it’s clear how much the noisy post-hardcore outfit love a good riff. And not just any riff—I’m talking about those big, fat, meaty, chunky suckers. You know the ones. The amps-to-11, through a wall of Marshall stacks, Quicksand-meets-Fugazi type shit. After playing in groups like Partisan and Rise and Fall, the Belgian quartet are ready to build off their debut with their next release, their Big Plans EP, which arrives on October 6th through Sunday Drive Records. Stream the EP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Magnitude – “Of Days Renewed”
Holding it down once again for North Carolina straight-edge, Magnitude are back after a four-year absence with another slab of floor-punching hardcore anthems. The group’s sophomore LP is titled Of Days Renewed… and drops on September 15th through the good folks over at Triple B Records. Speaking on the record's title track as an ode to perseverance, vocalist Russel Bussey explains:
“‘Of Days Renewed’ is a song for anyone who feels lost, broken, or hopeless. We are all destined to experience dark times in our lives. I wanted to write a song pulling from some of the darkest times I’ve made it through and incorporate some of the thoughts that pushed me forward.”
Watch the video for “Of Days Renewed” below:
Amends – Our Place Amongst the Dirt
Western Sydney folk rockers Amends have unveiled their upcoming full-length album, Our Place Amongst the Dirt, out on September 22nd via Resist Records. With evocate album artwork from Annie Walter, the record was mixed by Thomas Sigal and mastered by Alan Douches. Over the years, the group have racked up support slots for like-minded acts like Lucero and The Menzingers and are about to embark on a coveted national run alongside Spanish Love Songs. 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.
URNE – A Feast On Sorrow
In the foreword to A Feast On Sorrow, the latest studio album from London metal trio URNE, frontman/bassist Joe Nally offers up a warning: “This is not an album of joy or anything uplifting.” Grief is a difficult thing to capture and render into art, yet on their sophomore record, Nally & Co manage to plumb the depths of darkness and depression to create something beautiful, “a stark rumination on the grim inevitabilities of disease, dementia and deterioration in old age.”
Both heavier and more melodic than its precursor and the band's debut, 2021's Serpent & Spirit, the bleak sonic weight of A Feast On Sorrow is guided along by capable hands: the album’s producer, Gojira’s Joe Duplantier. On singles like “The Burden” and “Becoming an Ocean,” one hears galloping rhythms and serpentine guitar leads slither around Nally’s expressive vocal performance, delivered in raw growls, hallowed cleans section, and anguished shrieks.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
We’ve got a shiny new guest episode of The Pitch Pod, and this one’s for the moshers. The lads from Creak—Jack, Pat, and Rob (apologies to Moose)—join the show to run through the stylistic influences behind the Newcastle quartet’s forthcoming debut full-length and sonic pipebomb, Depth Perception. It’s a quality chat overflowing with tangents and chaotic energy as we discuss fest flight-or-fight highlights, the best all-time pit calls, why Dragonball-Z is sick, deep podcast lore, and conspiratorial band threads. Check it out in full below: