Weekly Roundup: October 18th
Featuring The Chisel, Bambara, Knocked Loose, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
The Chisel – “Retaliation”
Next off the rank for UK punk are hard-boys The Chisel, with the upcoming release of their debut LP Retaliation, out November 26th through La Vida Es Un Musos Discos. The band has released the record’s title track as their lead single and it’s a fiery burst of old-school hardcore and oi-fuelled street punk. Perfect for smashing pints and grubbing on geezers with a cheeky “You what?” Watch the piss ‘n’ vinegar clip below:
Agnes Vein – Deathcall
I’d never heard of Thessaloniki metallers Agnes Vein until I copped a random recommendation from a fellow writer on Twitter. (Thanks, Matt!) To my surprise, the Greek trio offer up a dark and brooding fusion of traditional black metal and cavernous doom on their latest album Deathcall, out December 17th via Venerate Industries. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Bambara – “Mythic Love”
While they might have a hard time peeking out from behind the shadow of lauded contemporaries like Iceage and legendary signifiers in Nick Cave and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Brooklyn art-rockers Bambara are looking to break new ground with Love On My Mind (out February 25th through Wharf Cat Records). Lead single “Mythic Love” slithers and saunters with William Brookshire’s pulsing bassline, anchored by Reid Bateh’s anthemic vocals and gritty urban lyricism. Listen here.
Upon Stone – Where Wild Sorrows Grow
Featuring members of groups like Dead Heat, Vamachara, and Hands Of God, there was no way Cali death metal collective Upon Stone weren’t going to bring some serious skills to their debut four-track EP. Where Wild Sorrows Grow is molten melo-death done right—electric riffage, mournful melodies, coarse vocals, expansive atmospherics—and it sounds like Gothenburg masters At The Gates and In Flames in the prime. Stream the full EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Beachheads – “Down South”
I'll check out pretty much anything Norweigian label Fysisk Format has to offer and power pop outfit Beachheads is no exception. I mean, it also helps to have two members of metal powerhouse Kvelertak in the band, too. From what I can gather, Beachheads are all about layers of fuzzed-out guitars, vocals soaked in reverb, and fun, bright songwriting. Sounds good to me. The band’s sophomore LP, Beachheads II, is out March 4th. Listen to “Down South” here.
Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine of Hell
My last encounter with Emma Ruth Rundle was through her stellar collaboration with doom metallers Thou on 2020’s May Our Chambers Be Full. Now, Rundle is back with her fifth album, Engine of Hell, out November 5th through Sargent House. According to the L.A. songstress, the eight-track LP features “very personal songs; here are my memories; here is me teetering on the very edge of sanity, dipping my toe into the outer reaches of space and I’m taking you with me and it’s very fucked up and imperfect.” Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Knocked Loose – “A Tear in the Fabric Life”
After going through the “big things coming” tease for a few weeks now, Oldham County’s finest finally saw fit to drop their surprise EP, A Tear in the Fabric of Life. Following 2019’s devastating A Different Shade of Blue, this latest effort from Knocked Loose features six tracks of their heaviest and most unrelenting material to date. Seriously, folks, this shit is straight savagery and it sounds like someone chewing landmines for 21 minutes. Watch the grim-dark animated short film for the entire EP below:
Burial Waves – Holy Ground
On their debut EP Holy Ground, out November 12th through Dark Operative, Burial Waves present themselves as the ideal DC/Baltimore band. Combining members from now-defunct post-rock outfit Black Clouds, prog-punk trio Caverns and math-rock ensemble The Effects, their new project rounds out the line-up with Kyle Durfey of Pianos Become The Teeth on vocals. The result is lush post-hardcore that shimmers with churning riffage, towering melodies, and a broad sonic palette. Stream the EP’s pre-release single here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2021 VIBING playlist, updated weekly.
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