Weekly Roundup: July 26th
Featuring MONO, No Longer at Ease, Thrice, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Thrice – “Scavengers”
Following up 2018’s Palms, California post-hardcore luminaries Thrice are back with a new self-produced LP, Horizons / East (out September 17 through Epitaph). Lead single “Scavengers” is a sublime slice of upbeat alt-rock, proving once again that the Irvine quartet hasn’t lost any of their decades-long talent for crafting sticky hooks. Check it out below:
Stress Angel – Bursting Church
Released in tandem by the good folks at Dying Victim Productions and Stygian Black Hand, Bursting Church is the debut album from Stress Angel, an NYC extreme metal duo consisting of Manny Sores and Nicolai Orifice. It’s a bloody cauldron of classic metal archetypes, striking thrash, and black metal’s demented ferocity. Or, as their press release puts it, a record bursting “with feral energy, unholy passion, and RIFFS!” Stream the LP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Midwife – “2020”
Named after the chemical forensic investigators use to reveal trace amounts of blood left at a crime scene, Luminol is the third full-length album from self-taught guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Madeline Johnston. Describing her sound as “heaven metal,” Midwife straddles the fine line between experimental pop and harsh drone, as evidenced by “2020”—an ethereal soft-gaze interpolation of The Offspring’s seminal pop-punk hit, “Gone Away.” Listen to “2020” here.
No Longer at Ease – S/T
In a piece for No Echo covering the release of their debut self-titled EP, No Longer at Ease vocalist Tyler Crawford describes their sound and origin: “Our sound is very inspired by '00s hardcore especially bands who were on Bridge Nine and Rivalry Records at the time, as well as some '90s New Age Records releases.” So, if the likes of Have Heart, Bane, and Verse are of any interest to you, this North Carolina hardcore outfit offer up four tracks of utterly unstoppable hardcore punk. Stream the EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Combos – “Fuck Your Face”
I’ve been on a big Scandinavian kick lately and in the frigid depths of that immersive rabbit hole I came across the rowdy Norwegians in Combos, whose notable interests include “prog skating, soccer punk, sneaker bawling, acid graff and black metal leadership.” Fair enough. Their latest single, the subtlely titled “Fuck Your Face,” blends punk energy with a decidedly European pop flair and a zero-fucks given attitude. Listen to “Fuck Your Face” here.
Flames of Betrayal – The Rain Reeks of Heaven
I’m a huge sucker for any kind of unashamed At The Gates worship, and North Carolina mosh purveyors Flames of Betrayal have delivered the purest embodiment of “Gothencore” to ever hit my ears. The band’s debut album, The Rain Reeks of Heaven, is nine tracks of blistering metallic hardcore cut through with searing melodic death metal and is a must-listen for fans of Morning Again, Darkest Hour, and Martyr A.D. Stream the LP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
MONO – “Riptide”
Making a strong return to expansive heaviness in their third decade of existence, Japanese post-rockers MONO have dropped their phenomenal new single “Riptide.” The near six-minute epic is taken from the band’s forthcoming Steve Albini-produced album, Pilgrimage Of The Soul (out September 17 through Pelagic Records). Watch the track’s philosophical short film below:
Johnny Football Hero – Complacency
I have Twitter to thank for this one. Complacency is the second EP from Philly power-pop trio Johnny Football Hero, and it offers up six delightful tracks of proggy and angular emo with layered female vocals and twisted harmonies. It’s earnest and raw and a whole lot of fun. Stream the EP 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.
