Weekly Roundup: January 10th
Featuring Vein.fm, Blood Red Shoes, Higher Power, and more.
And we’re back! It’s a new year with the same old craziness, folks. It seems we’re all sleepwalking into Year Three of this Global Plague of Endless Deferral and everyone is already exhausted, detached and utterly defeated. Very cool.
In an effort to lift spirits, I have a special offer (redeemable here) available until the end of the month, where new subscribers to the newsletter will get 50% off for 12 months. So, if you enjoy what I’m doing at The Pitch, and you’re in the mood for some extra goodies in your inbox each week, feel free to chip in and take advantage of this discount with all the “share, like, subscribe etc.” zeal you can muster. On with the show!
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Higher Power – “Fall From Grace”
It’s been a while since we heard from UK outfit Higher Power. 2020’s stellar 27 Miles Underwater LP was a revelation for the Leeds quintet, bridging their crossover hardcore roots with a fuzzed-out, 90s alt-rock revivalism in the vein of legacy acts like Jane’s Addiction, Filter and Far. This progression continues in earnest on their latest cut which offers up massive grungey hooks with thunderous drum work. Watch the energetic video for “Fall From Grace” below:
Age of Apocalypse – Grim Wisdom
Produced by former Nails/current Twitching Tongues member Taylor Young (Section H8, Drain, Regional Justice Center), Grim Wisdom (due January 21 via Closed Casket Activities) is the new full-length album from NYHC outfit Age of Apocalypse. The LP follows the group’s incredible 2021 split with Pain of Truth and promises to deliver more bone-breaking metallic hardcore crunch and 90s alt-metal stylings in the vein of Type O Negative and Life of Agony. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Blood Red Shoes – “Murder Me”
Channelling their obsession with true crime podcasts, stalkers, and serial killers, this latest single from UK outfit Blood Red Shoes is a delicious slice of bouncy, gothic-tinged electronic pop. The single features on the duo’s forthcoming record, Ghosts On Tape (out January 14th through Velveteen Records) and was recorded in 2020 with Grammy-nominated producer Tom Dalgety (Pixies, Royal Blood). Listen to the delightfully dark “Murder Me” here.
Deaf Club – Productive Disruption
Over a decade ago, I read a copy of Justin Pearson’s From the Graveyard of the Arousal Industry (2010), which documented his life and career in San Diego’s noise-rock, punk, and grindcore scene. While I only casually listen to Pearson’s varied musical projects (Swing Kids, The Locust, Dead Cross, Retox, and many more), I’ve always respected his talent, work ethic and philosophy, and his latest effort in L.A.’s Deaf Club is no exception. The group’s latest LP, Productive Disruption, packs 14 songs into 22 raucous minutes and sounds like a pipe bomb going off in your head. Stream the LP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Loathe – “Dimorphous Display”
On 2020’s I Let It In and It Took Everything, UK alt-metallers Loathe pretty much perfected the Deftones-meets-metalcore formula. And yet, for all its pros, that album felt a little too rote and predictable for my liking. Well, thankfully that’s not the case with the quartet’s cacophonous new banger. Featuring glitched out production and angular irruptions of discordant aggression, the group’s more melodic inclinations feel spontaneous once more, hinting at good things to come for LP#4. Listen to “Dimorphous Display” here.
New Oblivion – Demo
The newest project from members of Boston post-punkers True Faith, New Oblivion is a spiritual sonic offshoot that zeroes in the darker oi punk vibe of the 80s. Think stuff like New Age/Second Empire Justice-era Blitz and recent efforts from contemporary groups like High Vis and The Chisel. Stream the band’s four-track demo in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Vein.fm – “The Killing Womb”
In my retrospective series on the “Best Albums of the 2010s,” I expressed my surprise at how Veim.fm and 2018’s phenomenal errorzone could make metalcore “sound this cutting-edge, let alone this dangerous.” With the announcement of their long-awaited follow-up LP, This World Is Going To Ruin You (out March 4th via Closed Casket Activities/Nuclear Blast), I have no doubt that the Boston bruisers will completely upend expectations once again, dragging the genre kicking and screaming into a dark new decade. Watch the confronting video for their newest single “The Killing Womb” below:
Abrasion – Born To Be Betrayed
Californian hardcore unit Abrasion are a veritable who’s-who of heavy talent. The group features drummer Adam Galindo (Berthold City, One X Choice), vocalist Angel Garcia (DARE), and guitarist/principal songwriter Jesse Price (ex-SeeYouSpaceCowboy). The group’s newest five-track effort Born To Be Betrayed delivers no-frills metallic hardcore that draws influence from European and US luminaries like Reprisal, All Out War, Merauder, and 100 Demons. Stream the EP in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2022 TUNES playlist, updated weekly.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
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