The performances and execution across the board are big. The music sounds dynamic and strong. Wolfgang’s singing has a bigger presence, and his guitar and all instrument work are great. It’s no gimmicks rock that thrives in the moment and is equal parts flashy and driven. Lyrically it’s nothing mindblowing but the hooks are delivered so well that it gets in your head instantly. Strong singles are the highlights. I do wish the mainstream format wasn’t as followed in parts because I feel Mammoth could venture out and do well. Heavy music fans who have not given Wolfgang Van Halen a chance, need to. He’s not just a son of a legend, he’s proven he’s his own musician worthy of his own name. Good stuff. 7/10.
Mammoth WVH “Another Celebration At The End Of The World”
Mammoth WVH is an American rock band formed and fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen, initially as a solo project while he was still a part of Van Halen prior to their disbandment.
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From Google Bard: “Mammoth WVH is the solo project of Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen. The project was announced in 2021, and the self-titled debut album was released in June of that year. The album was a critical and commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Here are some of the things that make Mammoth WVH unique:
The band is led by Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen.
The music is a mix of hard rock, blues, and soul.
The album Mammoth is a personal and emotional statement from Van Halen.
The album Mammoth has been a critical and commercial success.
SPANISH LOVE SONGS, have released “Marvel”, the final track releasing ahead of the upcoming album ‘No Joy’ out August 25 via Pure Noise Records. Fans can listen to the new song now at this link: https://lnk.to/SLS_Music or on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Z-BlbCDY4AM
“Marvel’ is the backbone of the album thematically,” says vocalist and guitarist Dylan Slocum. “It was written for a friend, and the chorus was a throwaway joke that has just sort of stuck. It’s probably the most positive song I’ve ever written, and a response to every complaint I’ve ever lodged in other songs.
Find the things you need to stay afloat.
Piss off the cosmic forces that would see you perish.
Find what you need.
Stay alive.”
Recently hailed as “one of the summer’s most anticipated albums” from Brooklyn Vegan, ‘No Joy’ will be released in full on August 25, 2023 and is available for pre-order at this link: https://lnk.to/SpanishLoveSongs. Previously released tracks “Pendulum”, “Haunted” and “Clean-Up Crew” can be streamed on all platforms now: https://lnk.to/SLS_Music
Brimming with new wave pastiche, fluttering synths, shimmering walls of chorus guitar, and four-on-the-floor rhythms, ‘No Joy’ isn’t an exclamation point follow-up to the emotional catharsis of the landmark ‘Brave Faces Everyone’ as much as it is an exhale – the sound of vocalist and guitarist Dylan Slocum, his wife and keyboardist Meredith Van Woert, guitarist Kyle McAulay, bassist Trevor Dietrich, and drummer Ruben Duarte finding peace in quieter moments and embracing the negative space.
Produced by the band and Collin Pastore (Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Illuminati Hotties) and mixed by Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, M83, Best Coast), the 12 songs on ‘No Joy’ continue to find Spanish Love Songs grappling with the messiness of what it means to be alive in the modern age – unsure of the answers themselves but confident that together, we can all come a little closer to the solutions.
‘Brave Faces Everyone’ was about mustering up the strength to barely break even in an increasingly bleak world, ‘No Joy’ is finding the internal peace required to stay in the black. As Slocum says, “it’s an album about finding happiness in what you have and your current moment. It might be your best moment, or it might not, but you have to find joy in it.”
‘No Joy’ Track Listing
1. Lifers
2. Pendulum
3. Haunted
4. Clean-Up Crew
5. Middle of Nine
6. Marvel
7. I’m Gonna Miss Everything
8. Rapture Chaser
9. Mutable
10. Here You Are
11. Exit Bags
12. Re-Emerging Signs of the Apocalypse
This week, SPANISH LOVE SONGS announced an upcoming US tour supporting Hot Mulligan which will come after their first-ever tour in Australia, culminating in a special show in Melbourne on ‘No Joy’ release day, and are currently gearing up for a UK/EU fall run with Hot Mulligan. All current dates listed below with more info found at https://lnk.to/SLS_Music
Headline Tour in Australia
Aug 19 – Canberra – The Shaking Hand
Aug 20 – Sydney – Mary’s Underground (LOW TICKETS)
Aug 21 – Newcastle – Hamilton Station Hotel
Aug 23 – Gold Coast – Vinnies Dive
Aug 24 – Brisbane – The Outpost (LOW TICKETS)
Aug 25 – Melbourne – Stay Gold (SOLD OUT)
Aug 26 – Melbourne – Stay Gold
With HOT MULLIGAN
Aug 31 – Kingston, UK – Pryzm
Sept 1 – Leeds, UK – Stylus (SOLD OUT)
Sept 2 – Manchester, UK – Academy 2 (SOLD OUT)
Sept 3 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 (SOLD OUT)
Sept 5 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms (SOLD OUT)
Sept 6 – Bristol, UK – SWX (SOLD OUT)
Sept 7 – London, UK – 02 Forum Kentish Town (LOW TICKETS)
Sept 8 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Academy 2 (SOLD OUT)
Sept 10 – Eindhoven, NL – Effenaar (SOLD OUT)
Sept 11 – Cologne, DE – Club Volta (LOW TICKETS)
Sept 12 – Hamburg, DE – Logo (LOW TICKETS)
Sept 13 – Berlin, DE – So36
Sept 15 – Münster, DE – Skaters Palace (LOW TICKETS)
Sept 16 – Munich, DE – Strom (LOW TICKETS)
Sept 17 – Weisbaden, DE – Schlachthof (LOW TICKETS)
Sept 18 – Antwerp, BE – Trix
With HOT MULLIGAN, HEART ATTACK MAN, BEN QUAD
Tickets on sale Friday, August 4 @ Noon EST
Nov 8 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
Nov 10 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Roxian
Nov 11 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora
Nov 12 – Toronto, ON – History
Nov 14 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
Nov 15 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
Nov 16 – Huntington, NY – Paramount
Nov 17 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
Nov 18 – Richmond, VA – The National
Nov 19 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Nov 21 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
Nov 22 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
Nov 24 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Nov 25 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
Nov 26 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Nov 28 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
Nov 29 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
Dec 1 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren
Dec 2 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Dec 3 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
Dec 5 – San Francisco, CA – Fillmore
Dec 6 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
Dec 8 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
Dec 9 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
Dec 11 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Dec 12 – Denver, CO – The Summit
Dec 14 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Dec 15 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
Dec 16 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
Dec 17 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Hall
Since 2013, the LA-formed indie-punk quintet SPANISH LOVE SONGS have made hay on the backs of a string of beloved albums – 2015’s Giant Sings The Blues, 2018’s Schmaltz and 2020’s Brave Faces Everyone – lauded by critics and fans alike for their richly personal, no-holds-barred lyricism awash in existential dread, hyper-personal cultural ruminations and attempts to answer life’s big questions.
Thrash metal frontrunners NERVOSA have announced their fierce fifth full-length, Jailbreak, out September 29, 2023 via Napalm Records! This will be the first NERVOSAalbum with guitarist and founding member Prika Amaral on vocal duties, and showcasing the band’s mighty new lineup completed by the immensely talented and well experienced Michaela Naydenova on drums, Hel Pyre on bass and Helena Kotina on guitars.
Following the blistering standalone single “Endless Ambition”, with “Seed Of Death”, NERVOSA serves up a second taste of what’s to come. Starting off with a beautiful, epic intro, “Seed Of Death” features philosophical lyrics that explore questions about the never-ending cycle of life, grabbing an omnipresent issue relevant to all of us. Check out the captivating official music video below!
Prika Amaral on the new single and album: “I’m very happy with the result of this song and our new album. I always wanted to have a song like this but it never happened for different reasons and now we can finally make it happen. Also, we were able to take even more risks and do new things. With two guitars the doors open to a whole new world of possibilities, in fact NERVOSA had two guitars in the beginning, but then we decided to go with one guitar for logistical reasons, since it would be easier to move with one less person for tours. Now NERVOSA has a much bigger structure that allowed this addition, and we are really enjoying this moment of the band. The process of writing this record was the most fun and brought the most musicality, enriching the band.
Helena Kotina adds: “I think Jailbreak is NERVOSA‘s most revolutionary record, both musically and lyrically. It was a very challenging process but at the same time very constructive. We were able to take care of every detail until we obtained the best result.”
Breaking through barriers like an unstoppable steamroller, full-speed thrash outfit NERVOSA present their new studio album, entitled Jailbreak! With their previous record, Perpetual Chaos (2.8M plays on Spotify), NERVOSA not only secured their first chart positions (#18 GER Official Album Charts, #6 US Hard Music Albums, #9 US Top New Artist Albums charts), but also performed at some of Europe’s biggest festivals, such as Copenhell, Resurrection, MetalDays, Summer Breeze, Wacken Open Air, and many more.
Among its various themes, Jailbreak explores messages of breaking free from everyone and everything holding you back from doing exactly what you want to do. It encourages the listener to be proud of who they are, and to trust in themselves and the strength that lies within them. The album kicks off with charging “Endless Ambition”, a track previously released in early 2023 that acted as a first harbinger for everything that is about to come on the album. The track immediately showcases the incredibly powerful attitude and talent of Amaral as frontwoman. Raging “Suffocare”, which deals with several aspects of toxic relationships, and “Ungrateful” continue on the path of the intense opening track. Relentless title track “Jailbreak” attacks with a thrash metal chorus and roaring guitar solos. As a very special treat, NERVOSA spices up the intense track “When The Truth Is A Lie” with none other than an impressive guest contribution from legendary EXODUSguitarist Gary Holt, whilst INFECTED RAIN/DEATH DEALER UNION vocalist Lena Scissorhands provides another strong guest feature by lending her voice on “Superstition Failed”. “Elements of Sin” features some of the album’s most insane guitar work and thundering vocals, before uncontrollable closing track “Nail The Coffin” seals the 13-track album with a forceful thrash banger.
In true NERVOSA style, the album’s lyrical themes comment on our society in a direct, critical manner, with messages delivered through intensely fast-twitching, raw soundscapes. On Jailbreak, the band continues their powerful collaboration with Martin Furia, who produced the four-piece’s successful previous records. With this album, NERVOSA graces fans with yet another thrash metal masterpiece!
Jailbreak Tracklist: 1 Endless Ambition 2 Suffocare 3 Ungrateful 4 Seed Of Death 5 Jailbreak 6 Sacrifice 7 Behind The Wall 8 Kill Or Die 9 When The Truth Is A Lie (feat. Gary Holt) 10 Superstition Failed (feat. Lena Scissorhands) 11 Gates To The Fall 12 Elements Of Sin 13 Nail The Coffin
Jailbreak will be available in the following formats: 1LP Vinyl PURPLE 1LP Vinyl RED/WHITE MARBLED incl. slipmat (in gatefold) bundled with wristband & printed cotton bag 1MC TRANS RED, WHITE print CD Digipak + “Jailbreak” Shirt Bundle CD Digipak + “Seed Of Death” Shirt Bundle Digital Album
Experience NERVOSA Live in 2023: 31.07.23 SI – Podkraj Pri Velenju / Metal Days 2023 02.08.23 DE – Wacken / Wacken Open Air 2023 04.08.23 PT – Vagos / Vagos Metal Fest 2023 12.08.23 DE – Büdesheim / Krawall’O Rock 18.08.23 CZ – Moravský Krumlov / Rock Castle 2023 19.08.23 DE – Dinkelsbühl / Summer Breeze Open Air 2023 02.09.23 GR – Agrinio / Metal Union Festival 2023 03.09.23 GR – Athens / GIMME SHELTER OPEN AIR FEST 05.10.23 MX – Santiago De Querétaro / Chihuahuas Bar 06.10.23 MX – Mexico City / Hendrix Bar 07.10.23 MX – Torreón / Vertigo 08.10.23 MX – Monterrey / Nandas 78 Bar Barrio Antiguo 12.10.23 MX – Guadalajara / Novecientosiete 13.10.23 MX – Chihuahua / Rocktezuma 14.10.23 MX – Juárez / Hysteria bar 29.01.24 US – Port of Miami / 70000TONS OF METAL 2024
Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and with the rock band Audioslave.
Darrell Lance Abbott, best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside his brother Vinnie Paul.
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter[9] of the rock band Alice in Chains.
Michael David McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician known for being a founding member and lead guitarist of Pearl Jam.
Adam Thomas Jones is an American musician and visual artist, best known as the guitarist for Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th-greatest guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed ninth in Guitar World‘s Top 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.
Zachary Phillip Wylde is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, lead singer, songwriter and producer of the heavy metal band Black Label Society.
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American guitarist and singer, best known for his tenures with the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge.
Wesley Louden Borland is an American rock musician. He is best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist of the rap metal band Limp Bizkit.
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater.
Grammy-nominated Lancaster five-piece AUGUST BURNS RED — JB Brubaker [lead guitar], Brent Rambler [rhythm guitar], Matt Greiner [drums], Jake Luhrs [vocals], and Dustin Davidson [bass] — will embark on the 10th anniversary “Rescue & Restore” 10th Anniversary Tour. The North American tour kicks off November 10 in Worcester, Massachusetts and runs through December 9 in the band’s hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. All dates are below.
The band will perform the Rescue & Restore album in full in each night, along with other fan faves and classics.
Brand of Sacrifice, Spite, and Crystal Lake will serve as support.
VIP tickets are available immediately here. The package includes a meet and greet with the band, photo opportunity, autograph opportunity, an unreleased “Spirit Breaker (Reprise)” 7″ record”, VIP laminate, and early entry/access to merch in venues that allow.
The general on-sale is set for Friday, August 4 at 10am local time. Get tickets here.
“Rescue & Restore was a pivotal album for ABR,” the band says. “It was the first album where we really started to experiment and explore different instruments and textures that we’d never used before. After 10 records and 20 years as a band, this album is still one of our proudest moments collectively. We are so grateful for the opportunity to play the entire record every night on tour and to showcase songs we’ve never performed live before. This tour is going to special. We’ll see you in November and December!”
The annual Christmas Burns Red festival — tickets and VIP packages are available here — will find the band performing Rescue & Restore on December 8 and a 20-Year Anniversary set on Saturday, December 9. The Christmas Burns Red lineup will be announce shortly, but Brand of Sacrifice, Spite, and Crystal Lake will be performing on December 8.
ABR released Death Below on March 24, via SharpTone Records. Get it here.
AUGUST BURNS RED ON TOUR: WITH BRAND OF SACRIFICE, SPITE, + CRYSTAL LAKE: 11/10 — Worcester, MA — The Palladium 11/11 — Montreal, QC — L’Olympia 11/12 — London, ON — London Music Hall 11/14 — Fort Wayne, IN — Piere’s 11/16 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works 11/17 — Atlanta, GA — Masquerade 11/18 — Orlando, FL — House of Blues 11/20 — Fayetteville, AR — JJ’s Live 11/21 — Dallas, TX — The Factory 11 22 — Austin, TX — Emo’s 11/24 — Tempe, AZ — Marquee 11/25 — Anaheim, CA — House of Blues 11/27 — Sacramento, CA — Ace Of Spades 11/28 — Los Angeles, CA — The Belasco 11/29 — Las Vegas, NV — Brooklyn Bowl 11/30 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex 12/2 — Denver, CO — The Fillmore 12/4 — Minneapolis, MN — The Fillmore 12/5 — Chicago, IL — Radius 12/6 — Cincinnati, OH — Bogarts 12/8 — Lancaster, PA —Christmas Burns Red 12/9 — Lancaster, PA — Christmas Burns Red
Pennsylvania’s From Ashes To New is currently on an extensive tour alongside veteran metal acts In This Moment, Motionless In White, and Fit For A King. This is a testament to how far the Lancaster quartet has come, as their signature blend of nu metal riffs and electronic textures continues to resonate with audiences nationally. Today, amidst their sustained momentum from pre-release singles, the band releases their latest album, Blackout.
Conceptually, Blackout serves as the prequel to the band’s 2016 debut album, Day One, set in a pre-apocalyptic world. Given the consistent heaviness of the band’s subject matter with previous albums, it’s not to imply that this album is contrastingly idyllic by any means. Right off the bat, its first three tracks allude to suicidal ideation (“Heartache”), paranoia (“Nightmare”), and a defeatist admittance of guilt {“Hate Me Too”). But when these sentiments are complemented by the sharp, melodic choruses that the band is known for, it comes across like the subject of the song has some control over his circumstance and can transcend his hardships to an extent. The resulting bigness of this approach, alongside the band’s talents, is due to production by Grant McFarland and Hudson Slovak. In that sense, I appreciate how these tracks were all chosen as singles, given their conciseness in providing the album a solid entry point.
From there, “Hope You’re Happy” and the track to follow, “Barely Breathing,” examine vignettes through a newly bleak, cynical lens, as a result of dwelling on the immediacy of post-breakup pain. As the album accentuates its midpoint with “Dead To Me,” it would seem as though the subject of the song was putting the pain of his past behind him and ultimately aimed to improve his well-being.
By the album’s latter half, beginning with the track “Monster In Me,” the pain overtakes him to the point where any shred of his humanity seems all but abandoned. Alongside this thematic shift comes a noticeably darker, denser sound, where both the metallic riffs and hip-hop elements are utilized more extensively. With the succeeding track, “Echoes,” it’s implied that he is now overcome with fatigue from his actions, and the reality of the damage he’d caused up to this point sets in. His cries are met resounding indifference that he perceived before his meltdown, all the while he realizes the extent of his loneliness. The intensity of the album comes to a head with its ninth track “Armageddon.” As the band’s current single, it sets just the right tone for its interpretation of impulse destruction. The riffs in the song sound especially full and memorable, even in the more cooled off verse sections, while both the pre-chorus and chorus shine. In a similar way “Legacy” also reverberates notes of primal anger, while backtracking through the subject’s life to gradually reveal the source of his trauma, as well as what he’s currently battling. Although this isn’t one of the singles, it has the potential to be one, especially when paired with a song that is one – the penultimate track, “Until We Break”. I was pleased to hear Memphis Mayfire vocalist Matty Mullins on this track, as his voice sits in a distinctive and comfortable blend within the instrumentation. It’s also refreshing and continually exciting to hear him excel in different genre scopes beyond his post-hardcore roots, nu metal included.
This combined momentum comes to an apex on the album’s closer, “Broken By Design”, when the subject of the song accepts that the world around him is crumbling. Although I’m a fan of slower-paced closers, this song still fits well in accordance with the concept, with yet another catchy chorus to boot.
Overall, Blackout is a solid album complemented by strong hooks, as well as a familiar lyrical focus that fans have appreciated to this day. Its concept can be interpreted in two ways, as either the catalyst for a dark foreboding, or in aptly representing a time when interpersonal relationships had a profound effect on our outlook. Whatever the case, the release of the album, as well as the prior buzz generated from its singles, is evidence that the flame of modern rock continues to burn bright.
An album review on Truth Killer, the fourteenth album from Sevendust. Truth Killer starts with “I Might Let The Devil Win”. Off the bat, it’s a new style and sound for Sevendust. After that, it’s back to what Sevendust does best. Heavy riffs and Lajon Witherspoon being a powerhouse of a vocalist. The full album is not anything Sevendust fans aren’t used to, and that’s not a bad thing as Truth Killer is well-written and performed. The album has some tracks that deal with some in-track repetition and that might be the biggest detractor for some of this. It’s no revolution in rock for 2023, but it’s another solid album from Sevendust. 7/10.
Sevendust is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994. The band’s current lineup consists of Lajon Witherspoon (lead vocals), Clint Lowery (lead guitar, backing vocals), John Connolly (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Vinnie Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums).
___ From Google Bard: “Sevendust is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994. The band consists of lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon, rhythm guitarist John Connolly, lead guitarist Clint Lowery, bassist Vince Hornsby, and drummer Morgan Rose. Sevendust is one of the most successful and influential rock bands of the past two decades. They have sold over 10 million albums worldwide, and their music has been featured in numerous films and television shows. The band continues to tour and record, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.”
The sweet sixteen of Rock Coliseum where Jon, Mark, Crash, and Luke all take YOUR suggestions and give the thumbs up or thumbs down. Most likely thumbs down.
Thanks to everyone that tuned in live and big thanks to everyone that made a Super Chat. We enjoy doing these and it wouldn’t be anything without the audience making it fun. We hope to do another in October if we can make our schedules work. Hope to see you all there!
Within the deathcore resurgence in the late 2010’s, there were several acts that became household names. Whether it be Lorna Shore’s blackened symphonies of cacophony, Slaughter to Prevail’s massive grandeur, or even Chelsea Grin’s resurgence of brutality, the genre renaissance is prevalent to this day. So, what if one band took the DNA of what makes this genre so intricate and special, and formulated their own masterful sound? The result is Signs of the Swarm, a Pittsburgh act that’s carefully honed their craft as LP #5 approaches. Coming off of 2021’s Absolvere, Amongst the Low and Empty, with a solidified lineup, the stage is set for an impactful follow-up.
With prolific producer Josh Schroeder behind the mixing/mastering, it’s noteworthy that during that process, Amongst the Low and Empty blew out his subwoofer. This precedent for “heaviness” far surpasses the “how heavy is it?” discussion – it’s living, breathing proof that Signs of the Swarm is a recipe for disaster. But the compelling part is as such, shares drummer Bobby Crow: “it’s got death metal, metalcore, djent, some industrial stuff…” And Bobby wasn’t lying – there’s certainly some scope in Amongst the Low and Empty, whether it be synth runs in “Tower of Torsos” or a groovy breakdown structure in “Pray for Death”, it’s refreshing for a record in this genre realm to have this much nuance. Toss in a vocal feature from the legendary Matt Heafy of Trivium and the mass appeal is evident.
And as much genre is deliberated on in this review, the magic of it is that Signs of the Swarm happens to have a firm grasp of most sounds they strive for across Amongst the Low and Empty. Instead of “breakdown, slamming riff, blast beats, low growls, rinse and repeat”, you can hear a more meticulous songwriting structure between songs. It’s due to this variety that Amongst the Low and Empty is satisfying to enjoy front-to-back, as opposed to having blatant filler or skips. Skipping from blistering to commandingly-slow in “Between Fire & Stone”, it takes serious chops to take writing risks like this and actually have them pay off. And while variety is the spice of life, not every single risk tends to pay off, as some epic moments overshadow others like the tedious start to most tracks and lack of melody where it could have benefitted in some places. Still, I’d rather Signs of the Swarm attempt to branch out instead of restrict themselves to the same sound.
The decisiveness inside of Amongst the Low and Empty permeates into why the end result is so authoritative. Of the writing, “Everything came together so fast we didn’t have time to second guess it.”, mentions Bobby. “If we had a part where we weren’t sure what to add, we’d just let Josh do his thing – and thirty minutes later, he’d have a handful of fresh ideas for us to try out.” Where there’s a lot of deathcore I’ll listen to once and rarely come back to, there’s staying power in Amongst the Low and Empty; as a sum of its parts, it’s a full-album listen custom-tailored for heavy lifts or stress decimation. Signs of the Swarm has survived a bevy of member changes, but this is toe-to-toe with anything from their back catalog, even Absolvere which I hold in high regard. It’s a pleasure to see a band progress and not regress, and if you’ve been following these singles, you already know Signs of the Swarm is firing on all cylinders. Amongst the Low and Empty is sure to have heads banging furiously starting tomorrow.
Conquer Divide drop video for “N E W H E A V E N” New album Slow Burn out Sept 8 via Mascot Records Band touring w/ Electric Callboy + Icon For Hire through Fall 2023
CONQUER DIVIDE — the international five-piece band hailing from the U.S., U.K., and Canada who have generated accolades from Octane, Revolver, Alternative Press, Modern Drummer, Loudwire, and more — will release Slow Burn on September 8 via Mascot Records. Pre-order it here.
The band — vocalist Kiarely Taylor, bassist/vocalist Janel Duarte, guitarist Isabel Johnson, drummer Samantha Landa, and guitarist Kristen Sturgis — has shared the fifth single from the album.
Watch the video for “N E W H E A V E N” here. The visual is rife with religious imagery but it’s hardly about religion.
“‘N E W H E A V E N‘ was born out of the idea that you’ll never be satisfied with what you have if you don’t define your expectations,” the band offers. “We got together in Atlanta with Johnny Andrews for this one, and he’s a musical mad scientist. We played with religious metaphors, although the song is not about religion. You throw your whole life into something, and then you finally reach the pinnacle and get to pull the proverbial curtain back, but it’s not what you expected at all. So now you need a new high to chase. We did crowd-sourced gang vocals on this one, and it was fun to make that come together.”
As for the accompanying video, the band shares, “This video was sort of a continuation from our last music video where in the opening scene you see the Grim Reaper take his hood off to reveal he is now the priest overseeing the funeral. Kia figuratively ‘went to heaven’ and came back after realizing heaven wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.”
Conquer Divide will spend the rest of 2023 on the road — supporting Electric Callboy in late August through mid-September and with Icon For Hire in September and through late October. All dates are below.
Slow Burn continues to, well, burn at a fever pitch. Previous single “Atonement” has grabbed nearly 5 million streams, while “Paralyzed” is over 3 million streams. “Welcome2paradise” has surpassed 1.2 million streams.
CONQUER DIVIDE ON TOUR: WITH ELECTRIC CALLBOY + SOLENCE: 8/25 — Portland, OR — Roseland Theater 8/26 — Seattle, WA — The Neptune Theater 8/28 — Sacramento, CA — Ace Of Spades 8/29 — Santa Ana, CA — The Observatory 8/30 — Los Angeles, CA — The Belasco 8/31 — Phoenix, AZ — The Van Buren 9/2 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Depot 9/3 — Denver, CO — The Fillmore Auditorium 9/5 — Minneapolis, MN — The Fillmore 9/6 — Chicago, IL — House of Blues 9/8 — Alton, VA — Blue Ridge Rock Fest 9/9 — Mckees Rocks, PA — The Roxian Theatre 9/10 — Toronto, ON — The Danforth Music Hall 9/11 — Montreal, QC — Mtelus 9/13 — Boston, MA — Big Night Live 9/14 — Philadelphia, PA — Brooklyn Bowl 9/15 — New York, NY — The Palladium Times Square
WITH ICON FOR HIRE, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT, + CONCRETE CASTLES: 9/16 — Horseheads, NY — The L 9/17 — Leesburg, VA — Tally Ho Theatre 9/18 — Mechanicsburg, PA — Lovedraft’s Brewing Co. 9/19 — Hamden, CT — Space Ballroom 9/20 — Brooklyn, NY — The Kingsland 9/22 — Toronto, ON — Lee’s Palace 9/23 — Erie, PA — Basement Transmission 9/24 — Lakewood, OH — The Wincester 9/25 — Columbus, OH — A&R Music Bar 9/26 — Indianapolis, IN — Hoosier Dome 9/27 — Grand Rapids, MI — The Stache 9/29 — Joliet, IL — The Forge 9/30 — Des Moines, IA — Lefty’s Live Music
