Weekly Roundup: December 13th
Featuring Static Dress, Crowbar, Blood Command, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Static Dress – “vague”
Taking some cues from scene stars like My Chemical Romance and Creeper, Static Dress have clearly gone for thematics and world-building over straight-forward singles. On their new project Prologue..., the UK outfit have released a comic book with an accompanying nine-song soundtrack, featuring a deeper look into the lore the band have crafted while also blending their melodic punk rock with ferocious post-hardcore soundscapes. Watch the video for “vague” below:
Home Front – Think Of The Lie
La Vida Es Un Mus might just be my favourite label of 2021. Everything they drop fails to disappoint and that includes this new EP from Alberta’s Home Front. Produced and mixed by Fucked Up drummer Jonah Falco “on a boat moored outside an isolated estate along the A40 in between sets of ‘The Evil Russian Pushup Challenge’ and icy walks to Lidl,” this sleek six-track release offers moody post-punk ragers in the vein of The Cure, Blitz, and Echo and the Bunnymen. Stream Think Of The Lie here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Voivod – “Planet Eaters”
Nobody does cosmic thrash metal better than Canadian legends Voivod and their latest single “Planet Eaters” is bonafide proof. With hyperspeed riffage, a bass tone heavier than a quasar, and lyrical overtures to interstellar escapism, it’s everything a battle-jacketed fan could ask for. Here’s to hoping that the band’s new album, Synchro Anarchy, out February 11th through Century Media, reaches for the stars with gusto. Listen to “Planet Eaters” here.
Glare – Heavenly
Texan shoegazers Glare have been working on their debut EP for years. Released through Sunday Drive Records, Heavenly showcases the Rio Grande Valley group’s aural dexterity with engaging songwriting, lush crescendos, and an affinity for the wall-of-sound approach exemplified by genre luminaries like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. Stream the full EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Crowbar – “Chemical Godz”
The godfathers of southern sludge are back with another slab of thick, beefy riffs. Zero and Below (out March 4 via MNRK Heavy) is the twelfth full-length album from NOLA act Crowbar and it’s been on the backburner for nearly two years. With this new material finally seeing the light of day, the band have dropped the LP’s lead single in the form of the weighty tome “Chemical Godz.” It’s dense and murky, kind of like drinking quicksand, and is the perfect entry point into Crowbar’s sonic density. Listen to “Chemical Godz” here.
AWOL – S/T
At this point, even without any leading information, if a group is platformed by the good folks over at Last Ride Records, chances are I’ll fuck with it. Case in point: AWOL. I can find little to no supplementary details on who or what this new Melbourne hardcore act is about, other than listening to the band’s recently released self-titled five-track project—and that’s more than enough. If you want no-frills metallic hardcore, this is it. Stream the EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Blood Command – “The End Is Her”
With ex-Pagan frontwoman and Aussie pocket-rocket Nikki Brumen at the helm, Bergen-based outfit Blood Command have never sounded more at home. “The End Is Her” delivers on a soaring post-hardcore composition and gives Brumen plenty of room for her more melodic chops. As band mastermind Yngve Andersen states: “It’s a song about feeling so invisible that no matter how loud you scream, no one will hear you. For anyone who burns so brightly but nobody else sees even a flicker of the flame.” It’s a powerful number that hints at great things to come from the Norwegian alt-punks. Watch the track’s video below:
Elder & Kadavar – ELDOVAR: A Story of Darkness & Light
With both groups trapped in a city of four million people during lockdown, Berlin rockers Kadavar and US psych-prog outfit Elder collaborated on a full-length album of new material. The result is ELDOVAR: A Story of Darkness & Light: “A marvel of musical liberty, a gushing opus between rock, prog and alternative, held together by the two bands’ contrasts—Light and shadow. Alpha and omega.” Through seven tracks and 44 immersive minutes, the sprawling LP takes the listener on an inward journey of conscious revelry. Stream the full album here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2021 VIBING playlist, updated weekly.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Links to some of my other published work across the Web. Take a look, share if you feel like it, and help a brother out.
