Weekly Roundup: October 2nd
Featuring Knuckledragger, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Racetraitor, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Knuckledragger – “Hard Times”
Following the release of the stellar Half Man EP earlier this year, Brisbane label collective Burning Hammer Records are coming through with another heavy hitter release. Different Breed... is the debut 12-inch from Queensland’s Knuckledragger—who share members with Deathbed and the aforementioned Half Man—and drops later this month on October 30th. The release contains six tracks of “anthemic hardcore, honouring the melody and rhythm of ‘90s NYHC and blending it with the biggest influences in Australian Hardcore Punk (614).” Watch the video for “Hard Times” below:
Violent Way – This Is For Us
Thanks to groups like The Chisel and Béton Arme, I came across a great Oi! band from Buffalo called Violent Way, who recently dropped a new stomping EP last week called This Is For Us. Regular readers will know that I’ve been on a big Montreal Oi! trip lately, and this stuff scratches that same itch: fast and catchy punk with plenty of grit and attitude. As vocalist guitarist/vocalist Nick Terlecky told No Echo via email back in 2021:
“My intention with Violent Way from the start was to be true to this subculture that I love and to stand out among the rest. No bullshit, no gimmicks — real Skinhead shit.”
Stream the EP in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Anxious – “Down, Down”
Alternative outfit Anxious have dropped another stand-alone single showcasing the full breadth of their creative growth. The track is titled “Down, Down,” and it follows on from the release of last year’s “Where You Been” and “Sunsign,” both of which followed their breakthrough debut Little Green House. Their latest for Run For Cover Records is a yearning emo number filled with melodic crests and lush harmonies, rendered in vivid detail by Brett Romnes (The Movielife, Front Bottoms, Oso Oso). New album, please? Listen to “Down, Down” here.
Appalooza – The Shining Son
If the classic sounds of groups like Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden or Red Fang are up your alley, then I’ve got something to really rev your engine. French stoner rockers Appalooza are unfurling a new slab of riff-ready tunes for the good folks over at Ripple Music. The Brest trio's latest LP is titled The Shining Son and drops in full on October 20th. Expect big riffs and even bigger sing-a-longs; real lonely drivetime shit. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Sweet Pill – “Starchild”
Last year, Philly rockers Sweet Pill put out a record called Where The Heart Is, and I saw a lot of people talking about it, so naturally, I was curious. Turns out it’s a brilliant album and the perfect introduction to the band’s anthemic take on the emo/alternative intersection. Well, they've just recently announced their signing to Hopeless Records and celebrated this news with the release of some new material. The quintet’s latest single, "Starchild," is described by vocalist Zayna Youssef as “a good transitional song from [their] debut” with some added “dancey-ness,” which sounds great to me. Listen to “Starchild” here.
Racetraitor – Creation and the Timeless Order of Things
Experimental hardcore purveyors Racetraitor are set to release their new album, Creation and the Timeless Order of Things, on November 17th through Good Fight Music. Initially formed in 1996, the group—featuring Fall Out Boy’s Andrew Hurley on drums—are expanding on their metallic hardcore roots through heavy Persian classical music and noise soundscapes, along with some insane guest contributions from Dennis Lyxzen (Refused), Tim Kinsella (Joan of Arc, Cap'n Jazz), Stan Liszewaki (Terminal Nation), Sanket Lama (Chepang), and Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man). Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – “Man of the Hour”
I’ve been a diehard fan of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes for years now, ever since the release of their incendiary debut EP Rotten back in 2015. The rock troubadours have now unveiled the release of their forthcoming fifth studio album, Dark Rainbow, set to arrive early next year on January 26th through International Death Cult. Lead single ‘Man of the Hour” finds Carter tackling themes of identity and reflection over a Southern gothic instrumental, wrestling with the idea of fame and rockstardom in our modern age:
“We talk about how rock and roll will never die, but we never really talk about how maybe the idea of the rock star should die. The whole concept and what it means has always been this glamorised moment, but ultimately when I put that suit on, it didn’t go very well for me.”
Watch the video for “Man of the Hour” below:
Year of the Knife – No Love Lost
In late June, Year of the Knife were involved in a horrific accident on tour where all four members endured serious injuries, including vocalist Madison Watkins, who suffered many broken bones and a traumatic brain injury. The quartet successfully crowdfunded a GoFundMe to cover Madi’s expensive rehabilitation costs, and she was only recently discharged and will require extensive ongoing care. This makes the recent announcement of their upcoming record, No Love Lost, due out October 27th from Pure Noise Records, a bittersweet one. As bassist Brandon Watkins (also Madi’s husband) describes:
“This record represents so many things for us. It’s Madi's big debut, her second set of recordings and first ever LP singing for YOTK. In my opinion, she CRUSHES. It was super hard to come to the decision to release the record while she was still recovering. The record was originally supposed to start rolling out in July, but with everything that happened, we thought it best to wait. Now that Madi's more aware of what’s going on, I think she’ll be really excited. And we’re really excited to share this record with all of you.”
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.
Koyo – Would You Miss It?
In a great interview with BrooklynVegan editor (and friend of the show) Andrew Sacher, frontman Joey Chiaramonte outlines the lineage and motivations behind Koyo as a creative outlet. Joey and guitarist Harold Griffin first met in middle school on Long Island in the late 2000s, bonding over local emo and pop punk like Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, The Movielife, Thursday, and New Found Glory, alongside other later influences like Glassjaw and Crime In Stereo.
Eventually, Joey became involved with Long Island and NY hardcore, playing bass in the metallic heavy-hitters Typecaste and tour-managing for Vein.fm during their come-up while also retaining his love for more tuneful, melodic music:
“We spent quite a few years playing music to get people to whoop each other’s asses. It creates a desire for contrast... Very early on, the conversations were: we need to expand the local palette of Long Island. Like hardcore’s obviously hard and heavy right now, let’s contrast that a little bit, let’s do something different that pays homage to Long Island Hardcore always being a place where a lot of different types of bands could exist.”
This is how Koyo came to embody the sound and sensibility of groups like Silent Majority, The Movielife, and early Taking Back Sunday, bridging catchy and immediate pop-punk with the energy of melodic hardcore and the earnest, heartfelt delivery of iconic emo. And it’s the synthesis of these elements that make Would You Miss It?, the band’s debut full-length for Pure Noise Records, one of my most anticipated albums of the year. Highly recommended.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
For our latest Wordsmiths episode, we’re joined by graphic designer, bootleg wizard, and avid film buff Patrick Galvin. Pat takes us through his connection with heavy music and its various life-affirming tangents, all of which lead him to his creative work as the brains behind Hollow Bones Studio and his most recent venture, Gold St. Press. We talk about finding nu metal in Canberra, touring with his close mates, bucket list design projects, developing a love for hip-hop, reconnecting with hardcore, and finally settling down to become a full-blown movie night Dad. Check it out in full below: