Weekly Roundup: July 5th
Featuring Duvel, One Step Closer, Nerve Damage, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Turnstile – “TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION”
After hitting us with the throwback sound of “Mystery” last month, Baltimore punks Turnstile have dropped their latest project, the TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION EP. The four-track release packs in plenty of ‘90s groove and pit-starter riffs, along with a visually stunning short film companion piece directed by vocalist Brendan Yates. Hit it up below for a vibe check:
Duvel – S/T
Man, I absolutely adore this record. I really can’t stress that enough. A random find from Norway’s Fysisk Format label, Oslo post-punks Duvel have come through with a magnificent, self-titled sophomore album containing nine tracks of lush, boisterous Brit-pop and post-2000s indie. It’s super fun and insanely catchy. It’s also been on repeat all week and I’m not stopping anytime soon. Stream the LP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Sparing – “Lush”
On their latest single “Lush,” North Carolina five-piece Sparing are clearly indebted to the influence of late ‘90s alt-rock and the dominance of ‘10s Run For Cover Records mainstays like Balance and Composure, Daytrader, and Superheaven. There’s a gruff post-hardcore edge to the melodic instrumentation and huge anthemic hooks found on their forthcoming debut EP, Old Dreams (out July 30th via Sunday Drive Records). Listen to “Lush” here.
Darkthrone – Eternal Hails……
Norwegian metal icons Darkthrone need little introduction. They’ve been out here channelling the dark arts into a violent conflagration of void-gazing doom and frigid black metal for 35 years. The duo’s nineteenth (!) LP, Eternal Hails……, is pretty much what you expect it to be: raw, brutal and uncompromising. But the real kicker is the incredible cover artwork that features “Pluto and Charon” (1972) by renowned science fiction artist David A. Hardy. It’s a total mood and the sci-fi nerd in me is here for it. Stream the album here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Creeks – “Bluffin’”
No one else quite has the distinctly twangy vocal timbre of Balance & Composure vocalist Jon Simmons. Since his former band’s indefinite hiatus and run of final shows a few years ago, Simmons has been releasing new acoustic material under his solo moniker, Creeks. His latest single, “Bluffin’”—taken from his forthcoming acoustic EP, The Pain You Took On (out July 9th)—could easily slot anywhere in the B&C canon, carried by delicate strumming, plaintive vocal lines, and harshly-processed drum beats. Listen to “Bluffin’” here.
Nerve Damage – Society Made Me Sick
After their formation in 2014 and a series of splits, tapes and digital releases, Yugambeh/Bundjalung (Gold Coast) ragers Nerve Damage have finally dropped their first proper vinyl release through the good folks over at Last Ride Records. Recorded throughout early 2020 with Liam Kriz (Shackles, Blind Girls, Bloom Parade), Society Made Me Sick is about as confrontational and viscerally pissed-off as Australian hardcore gets. Stream the full 7-inch here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
One Step Closer – “Pringle Street”
One of the most exciting bands in hardcore punk right now, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania quintet One Step Closer are set to kick the scene into new heights with the release of their upcoming debut LP, This Place You Know (out September 24th through Run For Cover Records). Lead single “Pringle Street” exemplifies the band’s M.O.: aggressive riffs and tempos, subtle earworm melodies, and memorable moments of thoughtful lyricism. Watch the kaleidoscopic video below:
Stand Still – A Practice of Patience
I’ve always been a huge fan of acts like The Movielife, Crime In Stereo, Silent Majority, and others of that ilk who embody a particularly Long Island strand of spirited melodic hardcore. Newcomers Stand Still absolutely nail this sound on their debut EP, A Practice in Patience, mixing in nods to contemporary emo and pop-punk for good measure. Stream the EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2021 VIBING playlist, updated weekly.
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
At The Gates – The Nightmare of Being
In a recent interview with BangerTV, Tomas Lindberg discusses referring to himself as a “misanthropic humanist.” While the At The Gates frontman is known for being one of the most affable dudes in modern metal, it’s still slightly odd to hear Lindberg wax philosophical about “liking people” but not having “high hopes” for humanity as a whole. And truthfully, who could blame him? I mean, we recently turned the Gulf of Mexico into the Eye of Sauron. Again.
The main theme on The Nightmare of Being, the band’s third post-reunion album and seventh overall, is an existential rumination on pessimism. Or, more accurately, the self-rationalisation of pessimism. It’s a position tacitly acknowledged in lyrics like, “The luminous point where logic becomes contemplation/ Lost in thought, dreamless sleep, adrift in deep space,” on a track quite literally called “Cosmic Pessimism.”
Against Lindberg’s philosophical musings, the rest of the band face the challenge of reworking the band’s melo-death foundations into something fresh and vital. And for the most part, they succeed, flirting with stripped back production, epic doom passages (“The Fall into Time”) and proggy saxophone (“Garden of Cyrus”). But don’t worry, the iconic Gothenburg sound remains firmly intact, with plenty of molten riffage to be found on the record.
Stream here: Spotify | YouTube
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
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