Weekly Roundup: November 13th
Weekly Roundup: November 13th
Featuring Infant Island, Softcult, Upon Stone, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Upon Stone – “Dead Mother Moon”
We finally have word on the forthcoming full-length album from San Fernando metallers Upon Stone. Their Century Media debut, Dead Mother Moon, will be released early next year on January 19th and was produced/mixed by Taylor Young (God's Hate, Kruelty, Tribal Gaze). The LP sharpens the group’s late 90s melodeath sound—think In Flames, At The Gates, Dark Tranquility—with more aggression and catchier leads. As drummer Wyatt Bentley puts it:
“We made a record that we wanted to hear. If I found this record on import at a record store, this would be my favourite new band. I think it’s a good sign when you’re writing the stuff you would have loved to hear when you’re first getting into a sound.”
Watch the video for “Dead Mother Moon” below:
West Thebarton – Mongrel Australia
Aussie indie-punks West Thebarton have announced their upcoming album, Mongrel Australia, scheduled for release on March 22nd through Domestic La La. The septet released their Victory EP earlier this year, and their new record acts as the full-length follow-up to their impressive 2018 debut, Different Beings Being Different. On the LP’s lead single, frontman “Reverend” Ray Dalfsen states:
“‘Desire’ is the pull of the coast, the craving of passion and a feeling of irresistible release when you separate yourself from the world for a split second and escape. I wrote it while reimagining a moment, being alone with the person you love, and life stops in its tracks. It might brew a lil milder than what you’re used to, but it’s not a ‘fuck you’ to pub rock, more like a ‘keep the light on, I’ve gotta get away for a second, but I’ll be back soon.’”
Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Spotify).
Jarhead Fertilizer – “Parasitic Pathology”
In 2021, Decibel compared Jarhead Fertilizer’s pummeling Product of My Environment EP to “getting punched in the ass for 21 minutes.” Now, the Maryland extreme metal outfit are all set to drop their newest full-length offering, Carceral Warfare: a concept record based on the prison experiences of drummer/vocalist Dave Bland’s late father.
“Growing up, I watched a lot of crazy shit. My dad was an ex-convict, and that’s where the prison idea came from. I was surrounded by that lifestyle. Many of the lyrics compare Earth to a prison, and they explore all the atrocities of man. My relationship with my father definitely influenced the band, and this album is almost like me getting to tell his story since he passed away two years ago.”
Sonically, the LP finds the band fusing their existing death metal-meets-power violence template with industrial textures and grimy hip-hop beats. Listen to “Parasitic Pathology” here.
The Maguas – Settled
This one came through a recommendation from the band themselves, so shout out to Brandon for shooting this one over. Scranton emo rockers The Maguas released their debut album Settled on Friday last week through CI Records. The record was produced in collaboration with Nick Bruzzese (Man Overboard, The Wonder Years), and it features a number of re-recorded tracks from across the Pennsylvania band’s career, including notable singles like “Glum” and “Release Me”. Stream the LP in full here (Spotify).
Heavy Sentence – “Give Yourself to the Night”
In 2021, I featured Bang to Rights, the debut album from UK outfit Heavy Sentence, as a runner-up on my AOTY list. The group's fusion of NWOBHM influences, Thin Lizzy sleaze, and rollicking thrash ‘n’ roll à la Motörhead was electrifying, and their latest 7-inch, Warriors of Madness (out January 19th through Dying Victim Productions) promises more of the same. The production here is thick and clean with a noticeably classic touch while still embracing the dirt and grit of dive bar charm. Listen to “Give Yourself to the Night” here.
PROJECTOR – Now When We Talk It's Violence
This week's new band on my radar hails from Brighton (great city, big fan). They’re a UK three-piece named PROJECTOR, and their self-produced debut album, Now When We Talk It's Violence, is coming out on February 5th through Venn Records. The group have been around since 2018, and they bring an art-pop slant to 80s-inflected post-punk—think clanging drum machines, hooky alt-rock choruses, and big, shimmering melodies. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Softcult – “Haunt You Still”
Canadian alt-powerhouse Softcult have followed up their stellar see you in the dark EP from earlier this year with another hefty shoegaze banger. “Haunt You Still”, the latest single from the twin duo, mixes their knack for overdriven distortion and lush atmospherics with a lyrical exploration of “the lingering impact of past relationships and friendships”:
“Maybe it’s a defence mechanism, but we tend to demonise the people we once held close once they’re out of our lives, and it’s not always warranted. It’s a reactive way of protecting ourselves. This song is an acknowledgement that when things don’t work out between two people, it’s not always one sole person in the wrong.”
Watch the video for “Haunt You Still” below:
Infant Island – Obsidian Wreath
It’s been three long years since their last full-length offering, but we’re getting a new record from Fredericksburg quintet Infant Island. Obsidian Wreath (out on January 12th through Secret Voice) takes the “aesthetic harshness” of Virginian screamo and fuses it through the harsh aggression of Appalachian black metal, grindcore, contemporary post-metal, and noise rock—a full-bodied sound extreme in conceit and sonic ambition. The LP was produced again by Virginia legend Matthew Michel (Majority Rule, Nø Man) and features contributions from members of Greet Death, Undeath, King Yosef, For Your Health, and more. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2023 CUTS playlist, updated weekly.
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
AGLO – Build Fear
If you'll forgive me, I’m about to get really nerdy for a minute. (But it’s also my newsletter, so ah, deal with it, I guess?)
Build Fear, the stellar debut album from Melbourne/Naarm-based riff lord Aaron Osborne (I Exist, Mental Cavity, Extortion, Burn The Hostages) and his solo project AGLO, is based on specific episodes or storylines from Star Trek: Voyager (a huge retroactive win for ten-year-old, no friends me). The album was co-produced, recorded and mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit Recording Studios in L.A. (RIP), along with Taylor’s brother Colin on drums (Twitching Tongues, Gods Hate, DeadBody), and it finds Osbourne pairing his love for death metal, galactic storytelling, and murky, Eyehategod-worthy brutality.
Highlights include the chaotic “Storm of Fears” (based on the Season Four two-parter about a deadly game of predator and prey inside a holographic simulation of WWII, Nazi-occupied France) and the lumbering grooves of “Warhead” (based on an alien artificial intelligence and weapon of mass destruction that terrorises the Voyager crew after it merges with the ship’s Doctor program). As a metalhead and a longtime nerd, take my advice: Live long and riff.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
With Gold Coast metallers Sunk Loto bursting back on stage after a long hiatus, frontman Jason Brown joined The Pitch pod last week to run through his sprawling Hit List of eclectic heavy sounds. We talked about their current national tour run for the 20th anniversary of Between Birth & Death, show highlights from the 90s and 00s, the creative energy behind their comeback, and the bold potential of making new music. Check it out in full below: