Weekly Roundup: March 24th
Featuring Malevolence, CIVIC, Ringlets, and more.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
For our guest episode this week, we’re joined by Travis Stever, resident shredder for esteemed prog-rockers COHEED AND CAMBRIA, along with post-hardcore supergroup L.S. DUNES.
Travis chats about Coheed’s career longevity, how the band’s latest record–the expansive Vaxis Act III: The Father of Make Believe–represents a sonic “victory” for the quartet, working with producers like Zakk Cervini and Will Yip, the joy of listening to his “Dental Chair Vision Quest” road trip playlist, and the “endless flow” of creative chemistry among his brothers in L.S. Dunes:
SIDE A:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
CIVIC – “Chrome Dipped”
The last time I mentioned Naarm/Melbourne indie punks CIVIC in this humble newsletter rag, it was for the release of 2023’s Taken By Force. That record put the band on the international radar, with European tours and festival slots, and now the quartet are hungry for a follow-up. Chrome Dipped, out May 30th through ATO Records, speaks to the group’s creative desire to push for something new.
“One of the main objectives for this album was to make a drastic turn in our sound,” explains frontman Jim McCullogh. “Break the mould, melt the steel… We didn’t really know what we were going to make, but we went into it very open for change.” Watch the video for the record’s title track and lead single below:
Gush / Spouse – SPLIT
Since I moved to Naarm/Melbourne at the end of 2023, one of the buzziest bands on the local scene has been shoegaze/slowcore sensation GUSH. Following the release of last year’s promising the stars seem closer than you are EP, the group have teamed up with Canberra’s SPOUSE for a collaborative two-track release titled—wait for it—SPLIT, out now through Gutwrench Records.
Recorded in a converted garage at the GRALM Farm on Ngooraialum land run by Spouse member Ezra Ryan’s grandparents, the “concrete-floored, high-ceilinged studio, complete with foldout table mixing desks, noise proofing made of family picture frames and shelves of olives and dried rosemary,” allowed the two groups to create dense, emotional music in a “place of love and family.” Stream the split release in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
XweaponX – “Everybody Breaks”
Full disclosure: I have never been, nor likely ever will be, straight edge. While I have the utmost respect for the ‘edge’ and its dedicated history, it’s never been a part of the subculture I’ve actively participated in. That said, however, I do enjoy hard-ass edge metal anthems, and this new one from the gloriously monikered XWEAPONX is an absolute doozie.
With the group featuring members of established scene heavyweights like Knocked Loose, Gates To Hell, and Inclination, they’ve already got the collective mosh credentials to make this latest rager sound both stupid heavy and utterly *ahem* intoxicating. Listen to “Everybody Breaks” below:
Ringlets – The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time For Walkies)
We last heard from Aotearoa indie rockers RINGLETS in 2023 with the release of their S/T debut album and lead single “Sever.” While it seems they also released a song last year, I missed that one, so whoops—my bad. Never fear, dear reader, for the Auckland-based post-punkers have announced a new record for 2025.
The group’s highly anticipated sophomore album, The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time For Walkies), is dropping on June 27th via Flying Nun Records and Leather Jacket Records. The album purportedly “conjures mystic visions; takes raucous, unkempt yet solely committed turns, twists, and tiptoes delicately between the absurd and the divine.” How do you say “LFG” in Māori? Stream the LP’s pre-release single/s here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Malevolence – “If It’s All The Same To You”
Steel City heavy riff crew MALEVOLENCE are back with their highly anticipated full-length follow-up to their 2022 LP. The new album is titled Where Only The Truth Is Spoken and is billed as a “level up in every sense – musically, lyrically, and visually.”
According to the quintet, “The production, the songwriting, the videos – everything about this record is bigger, heavier and more refined.” Word. They’ll also be back in Australia this year as primary support for Alpha Wolf’s upcoming “Terrible Days Across Australia” regional tour this May/June. Watch the Guy Ritchie-inspired video for “If It’s All The Same To You,” which sports a winking cameo from British acting legend Alan Ford aka ‘Brick Top’:
SIDE B & FEATURE ALBUM:
My Side B write-ups on ANORAK!, EYES, HAYWIRE and the latest undead rager from SPIRITWORLD are available now on the TPD Patreon. So please consider becoming a Friend of the Show (for just $3 USD/$5 AUD per month).
You can join our alternative music community, access our existing bonus content, and send me a mildly threatening chat message with some new music you like. I’m deadly serious about this. I want your recommendations!!