The new album, Midwinter Swimmers, sounds immediately like an old friend. At the same time, it’s a new kind of adventure for the beloved Pennsylvania band of high school friends Karen Peris, Don Peris, and Mike Bitts, having both an expansive, cinematic quality and the strange, lo-fi beauty of a newly discovered vintage folk/pop album, brimming with melody. Midwinter Swimmers is being released by Therese Records. Check out ‘Your Saturday Picture’ here:
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Following on from the recent inaugural ‘Gothic Moth’ event, a second of which is now booking for February 2025, Stephen Kennedy and a number of contributors to this ever-shifting, expanding, permutational musical collective have unveiled the first recorded fruits of their collaborations, and we welcome the arrival of ‘Scarlet’ by Papillon de Nuit.
They write that this is ‘an introduction, a flexing of the wings. There will be many songs, written by us, coming soon. We intend to be extremely busy, and what comes next will be very different… enjoy our nocturnal flutterings…..
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UNREQVITED drop the new lyric video ‘The Antimatter’ as the second single taken from the forthcoming new album A Pathway to the Moon.
UNREQVITED comment: “The next single track, ‘The Antimatter’, is an exploration of chaotic dissonance that transcends the palisade of precedence within its taxonomy”, mastermind 鬼 writes. “A grave tumult that culminates into a disturbed meridian of bedlam and unrest, thereafter dissipating into an apprehensive tranquility as wistful and haunting as a brooding gaze.”
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Enigmatic doom and psychedelic rock duo Lord Sin has released a haunting new video for their track ‘Living Sin,’ taken from their highly anticipated sophomore album Confessions, due for release on December 13th via Larvae Records. The video premiered at Heavy Blog Is Heavy, who praised the band’s ability to capture both the fragility and finality of mortality, stating: “Mysterious duo Lord Sin capture both sides of mortality with their eerie combination of doom and psychedelic rock. Their music is largely improvised and built in layers, the two feeding off the haunted rituals of doom metal and infusing them with the unnerving unpredictability of occult rock.”
‘Living Sin’ perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Confessions — a mesmerizing mix of haunting melodies and deeply atmospheric riffs. Watch the video here:
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The band shared their thoughts on ‘Living Sin,’ explaining: “’Living Sin’ depicts a phase in the life of someone close, where, on their deathbed, they confess all their sins to a loved one, burdened by the weight of pressure just before their last breath. This person lived their life like a specter, which is why the album is titled Confessions.”
Formed in 2020, Lord Sin made a powerful debut with Portrait of the Devil (released October 11, 2020, via Miasma of Barbarity Records), which laid the groundwork for the duo’s unique blend of improvisation, doom, and psychedelic dark rock. Now, with Confessions, the band has taken their raw, spontaneous approach to new heights.
The new album was recorded live in March 2021 at Rock’n’Raw Studios in Alfornelos by Bruno Jorge, capturing the visceral energy of Lord Sin’s performances. The raw guitar and drum takes were recorded in a single live session, followed by the addition of bass, guitar, vocals, and keyboards to complete the immersive sound. Mixing and mastering was done by Ricardo Towkuhsh Rodrigues at ERRE Estúdios in September 2022, giving the album a polished yet organic quality that retains the essence of Lord Sin’s gritty, improvisational style.
GRÀB unveil the lyric video ‘Kerkermoasta’ (English ‘dungeon keeper’) as the first single taken from their forthcoming new album Kremess (English: ‘funeral feast’’ German ‘Leichenschmaus’). The sophomore full-length of the Bavarian black metal duo has been scheduled for release on February 21, 2025.
GRÀB comment: “Our first advance single ‘Kerkermoasta’ is probably the most in-your-face track of the album”, vocalist and lyricist Grànt states. “It also shows a wide range of basically everything that makes our sound unique. Some parts remind me of the best days of such bands as the Norwegians Gehenna. There is also a dulcimer that introduces the melody, mid-tempo, blast beats, groove, and a slow ending. On the lyrical side the Bavarian word ‘Kerkermoasta’ literally translates to ‘Dungeon Master’. The dungeon keeper in question is the Grim Reaper himself. In other words: Life creates the doorway, death holds the key.”
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It may have been out a few weeks now, but it would be remiss of us to pass on the opportunity to shout about the debut single from Hull trio Wench! following their blistering York debut…
Bursting out on to Hull’s vibrant live music scene are WENCH! & they’ve already made a massive impression at a handful of explosive gigs & local festivals. Fuelled by female rage, this angry punk trio now share their debut single ‘Shreds’ – a track about being wronged in a relationship & getting emotionally ripped to shreds by the experience.
Produced at Hull’s renowned Warren Records studio by local indie, alternative producer Adam Pattrick, ‘Shreds’ is about the courage it takes to allow yourself to be
vulnerable in situations & how this is often disrespected by abusive people we come across in the everyday.
The band explain:
“’Shreds’ is a song for anyone who feel intimidated by social situations to an extent they don’t say what they mean. We believe in expressing ourselves in a raw & unfiltered way which can sometimes backfire but enables us to speak from the heart. As a band, although we feel our songs can have a deeper meaning, we like to describe said songs
in just a few words, being direct while refusing to be polite & quiet about the issues we face”.
The innovative WENCH! comprises Kit Bligh (Lead Vocals, Drums), Hebe Gabel (Bass, Flute) & Sev Speck (Guitar, Backing vocals). Fusing Riot Grrrl punk with & alternative rock & pop, this all-female, all-queer outfit are actively speaking out about misogyny & mistreatment of women, ensuring their gigs are a safe space. Inspired by a whole host of artists including Eddi Reader, Steve Gadd, Patti Smith, Lambrini Girls & Hull’s burgeoning folk scene, the band were formed while at college, with each member
coming from a differing musical background. Sev being influenced by folk, Hebe by blues & Kit by a mix of soul, jazz & rock, but with a common bond of aspiring to be in a riot grrrl-style band.
WENCH!’s music is for those who feel they’ve been mistreated, for the powerful women who’ve been tied down by the patriarchy, for the weirdos who’ve been told they don’t fit in, as well as anyone who wants to have a memorable time at a one of their sweaty gigs.
It’s been over four years since …(something) ruined unleashed their debut EP, bearing the utilitarian self-explanatory title of EP.
Absent from the live circuit, one may be forgiven for thinking that that was it. But no.
Seemingly out of nowhere, today sees the arrival of a new release, a AA-sided single, containing two slabs of truly brutal anti-corporate, antagonistic, antisocial, annihilative noise.
Prepare to be ruined.
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Finnish progressive heavy psychedelic rockers Craneium are thrilled to announce they’ve officially signed with Majestic Mountain Records. To celebrate this exciting occasion, the band will release their brand-new single Empty Palaces’ today, available on all digital platforms.
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In a statement from the band, guitarist Martin Ahlö shared: “A friend of the band gifted us a book on old Egyptian magick, and some of the spells carried really empowering messages. It also inspired the themes that we explored a lot in our music at the moment: the inevitable decay of mankind’s empires and monuments at the hands of nature and time.”
Drummer Joel Kronqvist added, “We’re beyond excited to share a new single called ‘Empty Palaces’ with the world. This track is the perfect blend of our signature 90’s edge mixed with the soulful, retro vibes of the 70’s.”
Known for their ability to seamlessly blend classic riffing with dynamic atmospheres, Craneium explores the ebb and flow of light and heavy, drawing inspiration from ’70s hard rock, ’90s desert psychedelia, and various other musical influences. Their sound stands as both timeless and uniquely their own.
Formed in 2011 in Turku, Finland, Craneium has made a name for themselves with electrifying live performances across the Nordic countries and Europe. Having shared the stage with acts such as Skraeckoedlan (SWE) and Mars Red Sky (FRA), Craneium continues to spread their powerful sound to fans worldwide.
The band has already released four albums and two split releases and is currently working on a new full-length album, tentatively scheduled for release in 2025, now under the wing of Majestic Mountain Records.
Philadelphia-based art-rock duo Tulipomania are back with ‘I’ve Been Told – Absolution’, the first offering from their sixth album Absolution, inspired by an invitation from acclaimed author Jeff VanderMeer to contribute music as part of the publication of his latest novel Absolution, the surprise fourth volume in his award-winning ‘Southern Reach’ series.
With a pressingly mournful urgency, this soundscape resonates with the complex energies enveloping VanderMeer’s novel, the author having invited the duo to create music inspired by ‘Absolution’ while still a work in progress. Hearing that VanderMeer took inspiration for the ‘Absolution’ novel from their Dreaming of Sleep album, the duo enthusiastically accepted the challenge.
Alternately categorized as cult synth punks, glam-leaning, post-punk, art-rock and muscular chamber pop, Tulipomania is Tom Murray (lead vocals, synthesizer, electronic percussion) and Cheryl Gelover (synthesizer, background vocals) – they first began their collaboration through projects for experimental film and animation classes. Tulipomania evolved from those experiences. Their new Absolution album includes four new tracks inspired by VanderMeer’s new novel, plus ten alternate versions of the songs that originally sparked VanderMeer’s interest, reimagined as a cohesive sonic experience.
It’s an exciting development for the duo to be involved in this new chapter of the Southern Reach Trilogy with Absolution being the brilliant, beautiful and terrifying final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time. An instant sensation, it has been celebrated by the New York Times, Stephen King and many others. With each volume climbing the bestsellers list, accruing awards, it was ultimately adapted in a movie – now a cult classic. The trilogy has now sold more than a million copies, securing its place in the pantheon of 21st century literature.
In the liner notes to the album, VanderMeer lends insight into his creative process: “I remember being in the middle of the ecstatic visions that formed my novel Absolution and discovering Tulipomania’s music for the first time, around August of 2023 – this very album’s doppelganger, in fact. The original mix of ‘Dreaming of Sleep’. It felt like a revelation – hypnotic, pulsing music that got deep hooks into my brain, so I couldn’t stop listening to the songs. Like a lighthouse’s roving light, the songs felt like a beacon, and the recursive nature of the composition, the sense of a beating heart, a thick muscle at the core of them, combined with the surreal lyrics got deep into the novel’s DNA. … So I was really pleased that this opportunity for this wonderful contamination of (novel / album) to go the other way – the Absolution remix of ‘Dreaming of Sleep’, with four new Absolution tracks! I really love this band so much – to the point I’ve listened to and recommend their entire back catalogue – that it’s an honor.”
On Absolution, Tulipomania is immersed fully in electronic means of creation – the exception being a sole accent played on electric guitar on the last track. This record involves Executive Producer Howard Thompson, renowned as a record industry executive (Elektra, Island, Almo Sounds), credited for having discovered and / or worked with Adam and the Ants, Billy Bragg, MC5, Mötorhead, PiL, Psychedelic Furs, Robyn Hitchcock, The Sugarcubes and Suicide, among others.
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AMBER ASYLUM reveal the title track taken from their forthcoming new album Ruby Red. The tenth regular full-length of San Francisco’s neoclassical dark ambient quartet has been slated for release on February 14, 2025.
AMBER ASYLUM comment: “The title track of our new album, Ruby Red, is a poignant dirge that directly addresses the pain and loss inflicted by the pandemic, riots, war, and the looming specter of death”, frontwoman Kris Force writes. “Its haunting melody resonates with the collective sorrow and anguish felt in the aftermath of recent upheavals. Through mournful vocals and evocative instrumentation, the song serves as a solemn elegy, amplifying the echoes of grief caused by these tumultuous events. Each note carries the weight of collective sorrow, inviting listeners to confront the harsh realities of our world and to find solace in shared experience.”
Listen here:
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In times of trouble, women have often had to bear an even heavier burden throughout history. On their tenth full-length Ruby Red, San Francisco based all-female quartet AMBER ASYLUM offers a haunting reflection on turbulent eras, and blends instrumental passages with evocative lyrics. Ruby Red combines dirges, introspective laments, and powerful songwriting that evoke both despair and hope. The album transitions between themes of pain, loss, empowerment, and mortality, while creating a sonic landscape that is both raw and introspective. "Ruby Red" features bass, classical strings, percussion and kit, modular synthesis and female voices.
Ruby Red differs from its predecessor in the expansion of focus and depth. While earlier albums centered more on personal emotions, relationships, and journeys, Ruby Red broadens its scope to address global issues such as societal upheaval, war, and human rights. This album navigates both the personal and the global, and aims to illuminate the seen and unseen forces that influence our shared reality.
Musically, AMBER ASYLUM balance driving neoclassical elements with the raw power of pounding bass and drums, adding a potent, rhythmic force that contrasts beautifully with the quieter, brooding strings on Ruby Red. The bass and percussion create a compelling pulse that underpins the tracks, adding both intensity and depth to the album’s darker moments.
AMBER ASYLUM have taken inspiration for the lyrical concepts of Ruby Red from significant global issues such as the pandemic, riots, war, political turmoil, the threat to women’s rights, and empowerment, all while maintaining a deep connection to the extramundane. It reflects on mortality and the inevitability of death as part of a greater cosmic order, intertwining these global crises with metaphysical reflections on the resilience of the human spirit.
AMBER ASYLUM were conceived by composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Kris Force in the Californian city of San Francisco in 1990. Throughout their ever-changing musical evolution, the band has shifted throughout a variety of styles and collaborated with a host of musicians such as Steve van Till (NEUROSIS), Sarah Schaffer (WEAKLING), John Cobbet (HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE), Leila Abdul-Rauf (VASTUM), among many others.
With Ruby Red, AMBER ASYLUM perfectly capture the growing dread and horror of many of a new dark age falling in our time. Yet the Californians balance the eerie and unhinged with a fragile beauty and blossoming of hope. Ruby Red is a most fascinating soundtrack of all that is to come. Listen carefully.
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Aural Aggravation 