After years of gestation, hibernation, and (probably) procrastination, Norwegian punk outsiders Haraball are back with Fear of the Plow, their most unhinged and gloriously unpredictable album to date. The first taste, lead single ‘Prison Cheese’, is out now on all major digital platforms.
The band had this to say about the single: “’Prison Cheese’ is about volunteering as a gravedigger, helping the local village idiot sort the corpses “correctly”. It’s a morbid tale, but also a celebration of high quality gardening tools and the joys of manual labour.”
Following up 2019’s Hypno, this new record dives deeper into the sonic identity Haraball stumbled upon by accident and then decided to keep: a volatile blend of hardcore, 60’s psych-rock, post-punk, and whatever else they had lying around that didn’t make them cringe. Somehow, the result is even darker, rawer, and yes, uglier than before. But not without the occasional accidental beauty.
“This time, parts of it almost sound pretty,” the band admits. “Some might even say it sounds mature. And we’ll just have to live with that.”
This one hell of a hybrid. Just when you think post-punk has been explored to the point at which it has been hollowed out, exhausted, and has only well-worn and instantly recognisable tropes to offer, along come Washington DC’s Zabus, purveyors of avant-garde post-punk with an EP which is something of a ‘best of’ with tracks from their two recent albums, Automatic Writhing (September 2024) and Floodplain Canticles (January 2025), plus a new track which paves the way for their next offering Whores of Holyrood (due in August).
With its immense, reverb-laden sound and expansive, drifting desert-like soundscape ‘Grafhysi Fyrir Alla’ makes four and a quarter minutes feel like a hypnotic span of double that duration. The shuffling bass and big, booming bass are pure dub. The guitar chimes and floats into the ether as everything swashes around in a huge echoic pool.
Of ‘Grafhysi Fyrir Alla’, lifted from last year’s Automatic Writhing, project founder and focal member Jeremy Moore says it’s about “the societal imposition of unobtainable standards of beauty, and our obsession with physical perfection at the expense of true happiness”. This is certainly not a case of style over substance, but a coming together of musical inventiveness with a level of intellect which is rare. “Psychopathologies like body dysmorphic disorder, at the extreme, can lead to a path of ruin, if most of your life is spent chasing a ghost—what you believe the world wants you to be. Death doesn’t discriminate. The end is always the same.”
This is some pretty heavy – and dark – philosophy on offer here, and it’s welcome: as much as there is much to be said for the benefits of the escapism music can offer, there’s equal solace to be found in art which articulates one’s own world view. And so it that that Zabus portray contemporary dystopia from a range of camera angles.
‘Orphalese’ is more uptempo and is decidedly cinematic with its broad-sweeping layers of synths driven by propulsive, rolling drums. There’s no verse / chorus structure, but instead a hypnotic expanse of sound, the aural equivalent of standing on a summit and looking out at a three-sixty horizon through a heat haze. It’s immersive, utterly absorbing, and transportative.
The first of the tracks lifted from Floodplain Canticles is the six-minute ‘Tearful Symmetries’, which is low and slow, Jeremy Moore’s reverb-drenched baritone croon approximating the late, great, Mark Lanegan against a dubby backdrop punctuated the clangs and scrapes of guitar drones and sculpted feedback. ‘This is the end….’ He reflects, but not with sadness or panic, but a sense of inevitability.
‘Golden-rot’ goes all out for the theatrically gothic experience: it’s as big on drama as it is on sound, as an insistent mechanised drum beat pounds away, cutting through a smog of murky guitar and thick, booming bass, and if I wasn’t already perspiring hard from the humidity and thirty-degree heat, this would make me sweat, with its tension and crackling energy.
And so we come to the title track, the first taste of Whores of Holyrood. It’s different again, although the cavernous reverb is a constant. This cut is a brooding piece that borders on country, once more evoking the spirit of Lanegan. It’s spacious, but its intensity brings an almost suffocating weight.
Shadow Genesis provides a perfect introduction to Zabus, and at the same time whets the appetite for what’s to come. And let me tell you, it’s something to get excited about.
It may seem hard to believe, but there is music beyond Glastonbury at this time of year, and it may seem even harder to credit, but more than ten acts played the festival. And because right now, it seems there’s nothing but wall-to-wall debate over Bob Vylan’s performance, I feel more than ever that my job here is to focus my energy elsewhere. The only thing I will say on the matter is that it’s staggering just how vehement the criticism has been of the band in the media and by the government, when criticism of the perpetrators of genocide has been largely non-existent. The statement on the stage backdrop makes the point perfectly: “Free Palestine. The United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a ‘conflict’.” And yet, I’ve observed countless couch warriors calling Bob Vylan ‘opportunists’ and ‘attention seekers’.
And this is where we land with ‘What You Made Me Do’, the new single by female-fronted grungy alt-rock four-piece Shallow Honey. Not because it’s a political song – it isn’t – but because it’s a song that comes from that breaking point where something just gives. Because normal dialogue simply has no effect. When the only way to get someone to listen is by going to an extreme.
I am screaming for attention
finding all the words
the words that can offend you.
Rai, Shallow Honey’s vocalist, describes the meaning behind the track: “WHAT YOU MADE ME DO is a track about when you have been calmly expressing your feelings and frustrations to someone over a long period of time, yet have not been heard. After a while of repeating yourself and trying to meet them where they’re at with nothing back – you will snap! Like holding a beach ball under water – you can only push it down for so long. It feels good to let go – but it’s also really scary and sobering”.
It’s indubitably relatable for most of us – and for those who it’s not relatable, it’s likely because you’re the one who’s given to endless stonewalling, the shit who will act surprised, dumbfounded, offended, and then suggest that this is an overreaction from someone who’s being sensitive or whatever.
‘What You Made Me Do’ is appropriately fiery, with driving guitars to the fore in what is a solid rock tune that would could have come from that early ‘90s golden age of grunge. But Rai’s vocals, while, strong, bring melody, with a tone reminiscent of Gwen Stefani, giving the song an instant accessibility – without diluting the power of the sentiment.
B-sides ‘Aim Low’ and ‘Start the Ride’ are both of a similar quality, with guts and a raw energy that’s completely compelling.
In short: this is good stuff. Dig it. More soon, please.
doubleVee is pleased to announce the release of the third single: ‘Maybe Tonight (What’s Inside of Me?)’, from their upcoming EP Periscope at Midnight. It’s their updated take on Allan’s Starlight Mints song ‘Inside of Me’, from the 2006 Starlight Mints album Drowaton.
Produced and recorded by Allan and Barb in their home studio, the EP was co-mixed by the pair and Wes Sharon of 115 Recording, with Wes handling the mastering. The EP’s artwork was created by Salt Lake City-based artist Grant Fuhst. Prior singles ‘Submarine Number Three Vee’ and ‘Everyone’s Lonely Under the Sea’ were released in April and May. EP Periscope at Midnight releases July 25th.
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The EP showcases four new tracks and Submarine Number Three Vee and Maybe Tonight [What’s Inside of Me?], re-imaginings of two of Allan’s songs from his time with his band Starlight Mints. New tracks include the driving beat of Diamond Thumb and second single Everyone’s Lonely Under the Sea, a dynamic song with detuned guitar leading the melody. The dreamy Natural Selection and the jaunty Modern Times also join the Vests’ satisfyingly unconventional musical library.
Ani Glass announces the release of ‘Phantasmagoria’ on the 4th of July, the lush first single and title track from her forthcoming second album.
In February 2020, just before the release of her debut album Mirores, Ani Glass (Cardiff-based artist Ani Saunders) was diagnosed with a rare benign brain tumour. The diagnosis marked the beginning of a personal journey that shaped her second album, Phantasmagoria (released on the 26th of September), a lush, introspective concept album that delves deeply into her experience of navigating life with this diagnosis. With lyrics in Cymraeg (Welsh), Kernewek (Cornish), and English, as well as some BSL woven into her live performances, Phantasmagoria brings together all languages and mediums at Ani’s disposal to express a poignant time in her life.
Opening single ‘Phantasmagoria’ weaves themes of water and sleep into a beguiling sonic landscape layered with mystical ethereal vocals invested with a restless need for stillness and comfort. Lush instrumentation is underpinned by synth pulses played by co-producer Iwan Morgan and swirling flutes played by Laura J Martin. “I’m the prophet of sleep and silence/Phantasmagoria/We’ll rest until summer” Glass sings touchingly, in the arms of chiming classical textures, there are echoes of early Goldfrapp or the enveloping vocal swoops of Enya. Yet, it’s a moment of warm, transcendent beauty and comforting self-realisation. Now we rest, the storm will pass.
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Crafting a elegantlly drawn sonic world underpinned by electronica, samples and synth pulses yet informed by the spirit of Arthur Russell who inspired her to learn the cello, Glass crafts her most personal and inspirational work yet, she stretches her sonic tapestry with live instrumentation and innovative vocal performances, that push into the realms of the avant-garde and forward-looking pop, Phantasmagoria fascinates and invigorates at every turn, revealing intricate and innovative details with every listen.
The single Phantasmagoria is out on the 4th of July and her new album is released on the 26th of September.
Genre-defying UK-based music outfit Tian Qiyi presents their impressive new single ‘Dharma’ featuring the legendary Jah Wobble on bass. This is the final single to be released ahead of their sophomore album Songs For Workers, out June 27 via Pagoda Records.
Tian Qiyi is more than just a band, bringing together brothers John Tian Qi Wardle and Charlie Tian Yi Wardle with their father, Jah Wobble (John Wardle). Their unique sound reflects their rich family heritage, blending their father’s pioneering work in post-punk and dub with the Chinese cultural influences of their mother, Zilan Liao. ’Dharma’ flows with a captivating blend of Eastern psychedelic melodies and Charlie’s ethereal vocals, all underpinned by a hypnotic fusion rhythm and beautifully primordial percussion. As groovy as it is addictive, the trio serve up a truly grounding experience here.
This new offering follows their stunning lead track ‘Watch The Sunrise’ and Bandcamp exclusive ‘Mongolian Dub’, a fascinating ethno-psychedelic initiation into this 10-track musical journey. Like much of the goodness found on this album, Tian Qiyi’s music bridges generations and cultures, blending deep dub grooves with Eastern traditions.
“‘Dharma’ is a track that brings together our Irish, Chinese, and Mongolian roots. It features flowing, psychedelic melodies, with Charlie’s otherworldly vocals adding to the vibe. The rhythm section, anchored by a laid-back, hypnotic pulse from me on percussion and my dad on bass, creates a psychedelic dub fusion”, says John Tian Qi Wardle. ”And Songs For Workers is an album where we have moved away from influences and inspiration, instead embracing instinct and familiarity. Our background played a crucial role, from the traditional Chinese music we learned with our grandad and mum, to the improvisational, instinctive playing we developed from performing and recording with our dad.”
American Dark Metal veterans NOVEMBERS DOOM have released a new video single for the song ‘Major Arcana’, the title track of their forthcoming new album. The twelfth full-length from these purveyors of dark and brooding metal is scheduled to be released on September 19, 2025.
NOVEMBERS DOOM comment: “The title track ‘Major Arcana’ represents significant growth for us, exploring new ideas and taking ourselves out of our comfort zone – both musically and thematically”, vocalist Paul Kuhr states on behalf of the band. “Yet we are still staying true to who we are and the artistic legacy that we have created for so many years now. Each of us pushed hard to challenge ourselves as performers as well as songwriters, and we could hardly be any prouder of what we have accomplished with ‘Major Arcana’, both in terms of the song itself as well as the new album as a whole.”
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In further news, NOVEMBERS DOOM will also reissue a 20th Anniversary Edition of their cult album The Pale Haunt Departure (2005) on October 3, 2025. This collectors’ edition full-length will be released on vinyl for the first time and as a lavish artbook including 7 exclusive bonus track, rare images, and liner notes. Mailorder customers, who order both albums, will receive The Pale Haunt Departure early and together with Major Arcana on September 19.
NEW WORLD DEPRESSION conjure the wrath of the spirits from the deep seas in their new video clip ‘The Vault’. The song is also the opening track and the first single taken from their new full-length Abysmal Void. The seventh album of the German death metal veterans has been scheduled for release on September 19, 2025
NEW WORLD DEPRESSION comment: “The opening track ‘The Vault’ of our new album Abysmal Void, is a dark hymn of guilt, vengeance, and nature’s wrath", guitarist Julian Schulz explains on behalf of the band. "Once the spirits of the sea awake and rise, there is no escape. The song tells a metaphorical story of a doomed ship’s crew, which symbolises humanity’s self-inflicted demise as we relentlessly drain the planet’s resources.”
With roots dating back to the early days of the industrial rock scene, the US band 16Volt also crossed over into related genres as soon as group founder Eric Powell signed his first record deal in 1991 while still in his teens.
Brand new single ‘White Noise’ is taken from a long-awaited album by the band entitled ‘More Of Less’. Scheduled for release on 25th July, it is their first full-length record since 2017, when Powell put 16Volt on a hiatus that lasted seven years.
“‘White Noise’ is a song about feeling unheard, when your voice gets drowned out and it seems like you can’t get a word in or no-one is listening to you,” he explains. “To others, you become just white noise, that static sound of nothingness.”
The single follows just two weeks after a first ever (and already sold out) vinyl pressing of Wisdom, the group’s 1993 debut album. Powell’s reactivation of 16Volt in 2024 had been marked with the release of Negative On Arrivals, which combined songs from the group’s previous two records in 2016 and 2017.
Aural Aggravation 