Weekly Roundup: June 20th
Featuring Russian Circles, Hot Mulligan, Raw Brigade, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
King Stingray – “Let’s Go”
Hailing from the coastal community of Yirrkala, East Arnhem outfit King Stingray are prepping for the release of their debut self-titled album (out August 5th through Cooking Vinyl Australia). The quintet's guitarist Roy Kellaway is the son of Yothu Yindi bassist Stu Kellaway and lead vocalist Yirrnga Yunupingu, a Gumatj clan songman, whose name translates to “place of stingray,” is the nephew of legendary Yothu Yindi frontman, Dr. M. Yunupingu. Fusing breezy guitar-driven hooks with Yolngu language and indigenous instrumentation like the yidaki (didgeridoo), the album’s lead single, “Let’s Go,” is a carefree surf-rock tune and a summer smash in the waiting. Watch the fun road trip video below:
Russian Circles – Gnosis
Post-metal titans Russian Circles are some of the best ever to wield a ten-minute riff. The trio’s forthcoming LP, Gnosis (out August 19th on Sargent House), already sounds like another bonafide skullcrusher and follows on from 2019’s Blood Year. The record was recorded with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou at his iconic God City studios, so you just know this thing will be absolutely monstrous, with hefty tones and some seriously serpentine compositions. I say, bring it on. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Hot Mulligan – “Drink Milk and Run”
Michigan post-emo pioneers Hot Mulligan are back with another sublime dose of self-referential sad-boyisms. Their newest single is titled “Drink Milk and Run,” and, according to frontman and now-longhair Nathan Sanville, the track is about wealth inequality and “how America doesn't care for the poor.” Right on, Nate. It's also a super catchy tune, with a Bloc Party-inspired guitar lead and a totally danceable hi-hat pattern. Will the band announce a new LP that somehow manages to top 2020’s stellar you'll be fine? Watch this space. Listen to “Drink Milk and Run” here.
Sunflo'er – All These Darlings and Now Me
As a subgenre persuasion, mathcore is a curious beast. In essence, it’s a melting point of dizzying time signature switch-ups, angular riffage, and serrated vocals that flagrantly defies easy categorisation. The aspect of New York quartet Sunflo’er that I most enjoy is how they bring a melodic, almost—dare I say—anthemic quality to this mathcore madness, with an unparalleled degree of swagger and rock’n’roll sensibility. Their latest record, All These Darlings and Now Me, is set to arrive on September 2nd via Dark Trail Records. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Eat Your Heart Out – “Down”
Well, it sounds like Newcastle alt-rockers Eat Your Heart Out have been hard at work during the pandemic. “Down” is the band’s first offering of new material since the release of their debut full-length Florescence back in 2019. I really enjoyed that record, and their newest single continues to spotlight frontwoman Caitlin Henry’s powerful pipes alongside some more experimental guitar tones. Rest assured, however, that the track still has plenty of ‘oomph’ (yes, that is the technical term) and a certified earworm chorus to boot. Listen to “Down” here.
Raw Brigade – Aggressive City
For years now, Colombian bruisers Raw Brigade have been a shining beacon for South American hardcore. After the release of their Hardcore Latino promo EP in 2021, the Bogotá outfit have come out swinging once again, this time armed with a shiny new album for Cash Only Records. Aggressive City offers up nine tracks of white-knuckled, old-school fury, and the brisk, 14-minute runtime frequently threatens to tip over into outright power violence territory with all the control of a midnight bar-room brawl. Stream the album in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Norma Jean – “Call For The Blood”
No one does noisy and rowdy, aggressive yet heady post-hardcore quite like Georgian juggernaut Norma Jean. Without ever losing a thread of their collective and ever-evolving identity, each new record adds another impressive layer of intricate chaos to the band’s sonic DNA. Name-dropping influences as broad as Alice In Chains, The Smashing Pumpkins, and White Zombie, the group’s forthcoming ninth LP, Deathrattle Sing For Me (out August 12th via Solid State Records), promises to keep that tradition alive. Watch the video for the album’s lead single “Call For The Blood” below:
Ether Coven – The Relationship Between the Hammer and the Nail
Featuring vocalist and guitarist Peter “Mean Pete” Kowalsky of Remembering Never/xBISHOPx fame, Ether Coven approach doom and sludge with brooding and vitriolic hardcore intensity. The Relationship Between the Hammer and the Nail, the Floridian quartet’s newest LP (out August 5th through Good Fight Music), was engineered by Andy Nelson and includes guests appearances from Dwid Hellion (Integrity), Anthony Crupi (Pain Ritual), Daniel Weyandt (Zao), and Howard Jones (ex-Killswitch Engage, Blood Has Been Shed, Light The Torch). Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2022 TUNES playlist, updated weekly.
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Bleakness – Life At a Standstill
One of my favourite records of the 2010s is Sister Faith, the J. Robbins-produced fourth album from Louisville sluggers Coliseum. After a few records of raucous hardcore, the band dialled things back a little, embracing various moods and textures, before ultimately switching out the piss and vinegar for dark punk and swaggering rock’n’roll. Life At a Standstill is a record that aptly follows in this hallowed tradition, tracing a path laid down by notable acts like The Misfits, AFI and Coliseum before them.
On their second full-length, French trio Bleakness splice melody and rhythm together with urgency and versatility—a truly dark art bordering on necromancy. The ten tracks on offer here are moody and gothic without feeling overwrought or pretentious, and standout cuts like “Dancing With Darkness” and “Rush into the Night” dare to do what all good punk rock should: harness fun and effortlessly soundtrack the midnight hours. So go on, get spooky.