Progressive metal quartet OU (pronunciation: “O”) will be releasing their debut album ‘one’ on 6th May 2022 on InsideOutMusic. The band recently released the explosive first single “Travel” and now are excited to share the album’s second single titled “Mountain.”
You can watch the video here:
Drummer Anthony Vanacore says this about the new song:
“Mountain is absolutely one of our favorite tracks on the album, we are so proud of how this song came out! I think it really captures the spirit of OU and I’m pretty sure you’ve never heard anything quite like it.”
“Witchy” goth rock band, METAMORPH recently unveiled their new single, ‘Love In The Wreckage.’ Not, sadly, an homage to JG Ballard, the song tells a story of life in today’s chaotic world. It’s a transmutation of the world’s chaos into love; a tale of light in the dark.
METAMORPH’s music has always been about change. 2021 was full of so much chaos and pain. METAMORPH’s Margot Day says: “There has been a strange undercurrent of joy in the madness. I found myself transforming this emotional intensity into a spiritual awakening. These new lyrics and melodies are pouring in like an avalanche.”
Fresh off their first UK tour since the days before Covid, The Kut has released a brand new single ‘Satellite’. Emotive, powerful and featuring a guitar solo straight out of a Clapton ‘How To’ school, the track released on Valentine’s Day as the second single from her forthcoming sophomore album. And now there’s a video to accompany it, which you can watch here:
Announced a Double Award Winner in UK Songwriting Contest this week, winning both the UKSC Rock Award and UKSC Music Video Award, The Kut (PhD) is a rising rock multi-instrumentalist who performs and records alongside a collective of women in music.
The award winning ‘ANIMO’ (meaning courage or spirit) was released in November as the first single from the forthcoming long player. The single charted at No.8 in the UK Physical Singles Chart and No.35 in the UK Sales Chart.
Premiered by Johnny Doom at Kerrang! Radio, the record received playlist support from Janice Long, BBC Radio Wales, Planet Rock, BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, Total Rock, Primordial Radio, Hard Rock Hell and upwards of 1500 plays worldwide. US Radio is well represented too, with FM playlising in 20+ US States including at 91X, San Diego, The New Music Foodtruck, WVUR, Chicago, WOOL, Burlington, WCSF, Chicago, KXT, Dallas, KXUA, Fayetteville, KFCF, Fresno, KXFM, Laguna Beach, WVZA, Marion, KBRE, Merced, KFAI, Minneapolis, KZMU, Moab, WODU, Norfolk, WRKC, Philadelphia, Radio Phoenix, KMUD, Redway,KAMP, Tucson, WQRR, Tuscaloosa, WERA, Washington, KPCA, California, KUPR, New Mexico, WDWN, New York, WNIA, North Carolina and WVUR, Virginia. The music video has now also been playlisted on LATV, adding to previous US support from MTV, MTV-U AXS TV and Music Choice.
On release the record featured at No.12 in the US NMD NACC Top Singles ‘Heatseeker’ Chart, and subsequently made its debut in the US Submodern Singles (Airplay) Top 100. Funded by Arts Council England, the award sees in the release of ‘Satellite’ as a second video single from the forthcoming album, alongside touring and documentation from behind the scenes at rehearsals, at the studio and on set.
“Every single release we are challenging ourselves to grow and level up!” The Kut shared in a post from East End Studios, London. The new music video for ‘Satellite’ is directed by Mike Gripz of Smith Town Studios, and expected for release next week. Featuring Diana Bartmann (drums), Alison Wood (keys / bvs), Jennifer Sanin (bass / bvs) alongside The Kut (vocals / guitar), the single’s powerful message is expected to pull some heartstrings this Valentine’s. Dedicate to ‘everyone who’s had my back when I needed it most’ the single is produced by James LeRock Loughrey and was recorded at Axe & Trap Studios, Wells. It releases at all digital retailers, with CDs via the Criminal Records store.
Performing as late headliner on The River Stage, Isle of Wight Festival in September, The Kut has recently taken part in the Music Venue Trust x The National Lottery #ReviveLive Tour, with one rescheduled tour date remaining. The multi-venue event features a series of special shows in grassroots venues with the aim of kick starting the return to live gigs and featuring performances from Enter Shikari, Feeder, Becky Hill and many more.
In 2018, The Kut’s debut album ‘Valley Of Thorns’ reached No. 7 in the UK Rock Albums Chart and No. 18 in the UK Independent Albums Chart. The record was released on Criminal Records, now home to a host of rising artists including Weekend Recovery, The Last Siren, LORI, Mike Walsh, Argonaut, Calaveras and most recently music critic Everett True.
A Place To Bury Strangers have shared ‘I’m Hurt’, the newest single from their anticipated sixth studio album, ‘See Through You’, out February 4th (digital) and March 11th (vinyl) on Dedstrange. Following previous singles ‘Let’s See Each Other’ and ‘Hold On Tight’, the post-punk legends dive headfirst into suffering on today’s dark and explosive ‘I’m Hurt’.
The accompanying video, directed by Chad Crawford Kinkle (Dementer, Jug Face), is the first in a series of ‘See Through You’ videos from horror movie directors hand-selected by A Place To Bury Strangers. Under Kinkle’s frantic and hallucinatory direction, Oliver Ackermann’s expression of relentless liminal terror is transubstantiated into a brutal backwater blood feast. While the flickering, kinetic visuals will be familiar to anyone who has seen the band live, the psychological horror at the heart of ‘I’m Hurt’ is raw. Together, Kinkle and APTBS scramble our collective unconsciousness with scenes of grotesque public freakouts from the outskirts of the subliminal that are tied to a scorned woman’s black magic ritual which conjures up teenage demons on the hunt for revenge.
Watch ‘I’m Hurt’ here:
“‘I’m Hurt’ is the sound of friendship dying. At the time of writing this song, I was going out of my mind dwelling on conflict in my head and beating myself down while trying to rebuild my faith in humanity which is reflected in the actual structure of the song. The drums build with this frustration and a desire to scream with no voice. Listen closely to the vocal phrasing of ‘I’m Hurt’ in the chorus and you can hear the self-doubt and failure I was experiencing at the time,” says Ackermann.
A Place To Bury Stranger’s Oliver Ackermann always brings surprises. The singer and guitarist has been delighting and astonishing audiences for close to two decades, combining post-punk, noise-rock, shoegaze, psychedelia, and avant-garde music in startling and unexpected ways. As the founder of Death By Audio, creator of signal-scrambling stompboxes and visionary instrument effects, he’s exported that excitement and invention to other artists who plug into his gear and blow minds. In concert, A Place To Bury Strangers is nothing short of astounding — a shamanistic experience that bathes listeners in glorious sound, crazed left turns, transcendent vibrations, real-time experiments, brilliant breakthroughs.
And just as many of his peers in the New York City underground seem to be slowing down, Ackermann’s creativity is accelerating. He’s launched his own label – Dedstrange – dedicated to advancing the work of sonic renegades worldwide. He’s also refreshed the group’s line-up, adding Ceremony East Coast’s John Fedowitz on bass and Sandra Fedowitz on drums. Ackermann and John Fedowitz are childhood friends who played together in the legendary Skywave, and the band has never sounded more current, more courageous, or more accessible. 2021’s Hologram EP was the first release from the new line-up – and the first on Dedstrange – and the reaction was ecstatic, with Pitchfork saying that Ackermann had “transcended his gearhead tendencies, gracefully navigating fuzz and feedback loops as well as melodies and hooks”. ‘See-Through You’ pushes things even further. Simply put, it’s an epic, instant classic.
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS 2022 UK/EUROPEAN TOUR DATES – TICKETS ON SALE HERE
Wed 09 March – Hafenklang – Hamburg, Germany
Thu 10 March – Beatpol – Dresden, Germany
Fri 11 March – Klub Poglos – Warsaw, Poland
Sat 12 March – Futurum – Prague, Czech Republic Sun 13 March – Randal Club – Bratislava, Slovakia
Mon 14 March – Durer Kert – Budapest, Hungary
Wed 16 March – Control Club – Bucharest, Romania
Thu 17 March – Mixtape5 – Sofia, Bulgaria Fri 18 March – Eightball – Thessaloniki, Greece
Sat 19 March – Temple – Athens, Greece Mon 21 March – 25th of May Hall – Skopje, Macedonia
Tue 22 March – Club Drugstore – Belgrade, Serbia
Thu 24 March – Mochvara – Zagreb, Croatia Fri 25 March – Freakout Club – Bologna, Italy
Sat 26 March – Largo – Rome, Italy Sun 27 March – Legend Club – Milan, Italy
Tue 29 March – Bogen F – Zurich, Switzeralnd Wed 30 March – Backstage – Munich, Germany
Thu 31 March – Caves Du Memoir – Martigny, Switzeralnd
Fri 01 April – La Trabendo – Paris, France Sat 02 April – Lafayette – London, UK Mon 04 April – Kayka – Antwerp, Belgium Tue 05 April – Gleis 22 – Munster, Germany Wed 06 April – Melkweg – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Thu 07 April – Vera- Groningen, Netherlands Sat 09 April – Hus 7 – Stockholm, Sweden Sun 10 April – John Dee – Oslo, Norway Mon 11 April – Pumpehuset – Copenhagen, Denmark
Tue 12 April Hole 44 – Berlin, Germany Wed 13 April – MTC – Cologne, Germany
Like so many IKEA item names, Swedish black metal act Rimfrost’s moniker is one which has the capacity to raise a smirk and a snicker for English speakers. I know, I know, it’s juvenile, chuckling to myself about cold cock and chilly willy, and there‘s nothing particularly comical about this release. But as ever with black metal, there’s an element of high theatre that’s only as serious as you take it. Or, put another way, an element of theatre that can only be taken as seriously as it’s pitched. Venom’s Black Metal may have defined the genre, but ultimately, it was no more than an underproduced collision of punk with Motorhead (who arguably blended punk and metal with shedloads of speed).
The corpse-paint wearing black metallers split in 2019, but reconvened in the Autumn of 2021, and unveiled the first fruits of their reunion in the form of ‘Killer Instinct’ in October. So to refer to The Rise of Evil: Killer Instinct as an EP feels a shade disingenuous, since it contains just two songs – the aforementioned ‘Killer Instinct’ plus ‘The Rise of Evil’ make up a single that form a narrative that, as they explain ‘depicts the story of a killer’. In that sense, I’m reminded of the debut single by iLiKETRAiNS, on which the two parts of ‘As The Curtains Close’ tell of a stalker with murderous intent.
Rimfrost’s release is a lot less brooding and considerably less sinister. ‘The Rise of Evil’ is fast and furious, staccato guitars nailed to a frenetic drum driving the headbanging behemoth slog without pause, and it’s heavy alright, but there’s also some musicianship on display here.
‘Killer Instinct’ is less black in its metal persuasion and altogether more heavy metal, with histrionic guitars and a crisp production, with an overall feel – aside from Hravn’s growling, deep-throated vocal snarlings – that’s more Iron Maiden than Immortal, more Saxon than Satyricon. It’s the sound of spandex more than of souls being crushed.
Sure, genres evolve, and rightly so, but this cleanly-produced fretwork frenzy is a far cry from Bathory or even subsequent Swedish exponents of black metal like Dissection, although the theatrical element is perhaps more in common. While it’s serious music, I’m not certain that they’re entirely serious. The result, then, is ok, but rather cozy if you’re on the market for something more purely black or simply something that’s spine-crunchingly strong.
Toundra are enchanted to be releasing ‘El Odio, Parte III’, the third and last part of their 22-minute-long piece ‘El Odio’ off of their new album HEX. For the video of ‘El Odio. Parte III’, the band once more collaborated with Asturian director Jorge Carbajales again. Watch the video here:
And the band is just as excited to be announcing the launch of the full short film ‘El Odio’ on January 10th (1PM CET) via Youtube.
HEX will be released on January 14th, 2022 via InsideOutMusic.
It’s been a while. Back in the mid/late-noughties, Maybeshewill (formed in 2006) carved their own furrow in the world of post-rock, balancing delicate ethereal explorations with some bruising riffs, and, every now and again, in the absence of vocals, incorporating samples int the mix.
They adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder certainly seems to have some currency when it comes to their comeback, seven years after their called time and bade their fans farewell.
‘Zarah’, the first cut from forthcoming album, the appropriately-titled No Feeling is Final, has already found a fan and champion in Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana. There’s a reason for this, as Guitarist Robin Southby explains:
“The track is built around an extract of a speech by Zarah Sultana. Zarah’s words encapsulate the anger and frustration felt by younger generations, being denied a say in their own future by an older global elite who are staunchly opposed to taking action on the climate crisis in the name of wealth accumulation and upholding existing power structures. The speech decries the billionaire-led multinational corporations and nepotic career politicians who are desperately clinging on to the status quo of late-stage capitalism in the face of a world that is literally burning down around them.”
It’s easy to dismiss instrumental post-rock acts as pedalling mere atmosphere and wistfulness, but politics can be found beneath the surface of the works of so many artists: Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s music does little to reveal the band’s leftist / anarcho leanings, although there are clues in the titles and artwork and so on. But here, Maybeshewill render their position quite explicit, and it’s a strong thing to do.
It’s also a strong release: on the one hand, it’s classic Maybeshewill, a continuation of form that sees them marry unsettling undercurrents and a moody tension with incredible gracefulness, and, of course, epic building crescendos.
‘Zarah’ isn’t so much a crescendo-orientated composition, but is rich in texture, and packs all the elements of an epic into a succinct 3:45. Maybeshewill aren’t only back, but they’re better than ever.
Rotherham based three-piece, sludge band Swamp Coffin will return on 26th November with the colossal new album Noose Almighty on UK label APF Records. It’s an incredibly cathartic record covering depression, trauma, grief, betrayal and a general disenchantment with the world. Vocalist/guitarist Jon Rhodes explains,
"Something not a lot of people know is the day that we were due to travel to London to record our 2017 demo me and my wife were woken up at 2:30am by the police to tell us her brother had been killed in a car accident. When we eventually got in to the studio a month later it made that demo session all the more emotional as he and I we were close, he’d always been a big music lover and I was gutted I never got to share any of this with him. 9 months after his death we had a housefire that left me and my family without a home for 6 months so the two events were massively influential’.
For the recording of ‘Noose Almighty’ the band returned to Top Floor Audioworks in Sheffield to again work with Owen Claxton who recorded, mixed and mastered their previous record.
Recorded in only three days, the band had rehearsed the material to death beforehand so they could record efficiently and more importantly leave time for their usual ‘mad experimentation’ and layering which takes a record from being great to something truly special.
‘Welcome To Rot’ is the first single to be shared from the album. Jon adds, "When we were close to finishing writing the album I remember saying to the other guys that we needed something incredibly nasty and horrible to finish the record with. Welcome To Rot came together really quickly and fit the bill perfectly. In the words of Owen Claxton, who recorded the album, “It’s fucking gross”.
The title is inspired by our hometown and lyrically it’s about overcoming that claustrophobia that seems to affect all dying towns. There’s that mentality that things were always better in the good old days when in reality everything has been slowly falling apart for years, shops and houses are boarded up and only those that can’t go anywhere else are left behind. It may be a shithole, but it’s a shithole we’re proud to have come from. Filming the video DIY style in a cramped, filthy barrel store under a pub seemed like a fitting location."
Danny Elfman and Trent Reznor have joined forces to deliver a brand new version of ‘True’, one of the standout singles from Elfman’s acclaimed new double album Big Mess [ANTI- / Epitaph Records]. Released today, the reimagined single showcases a sonic collision of two of music’s most iconic artists, melding vocals from Reznor and Elfman with vicious industrial percussion, cinematic piano flares and walls of feedback.
“This is the first duet/collaboration I’ve ever done in my life, so to do it with Trent was a real surprise and a treat,” says Elfman. “He’s always been a big inspiration to me, not to mention he has one of my all-time favorite singing voices.” Today, Elfman has also debuted a new music video for the reimagined single of ‘True’. Directed by Aron Johnson, who contributed visual effects to the Sarah Sitkin-directed music video for the album version of ‘True’, the piece features warped imagery and retro VHS aesthetics that capture the song’s intensity. Combining segments of Sitkin’s archived footage along with brand new 3D modelling, the visual serves as a remix in itself of the original music video, reinterpreted through the eyes of Aron.
Fast-rising Hull six piece Low Hummer have shared new single ‘Human Behaviour’ – the second preview of their much anticipated debut album ‘Modern Tricks For Living’ due September 17th on Dance To The Radio records.
A group of self-described ‘misfits from Hull’ – Low Hummer are one of Yorkshire’s most exciting new bands, throwing together classic indie songwriting, anthemic noughties garage rock and more than a little 80’s inspired synth sounds. A handful of much hyped singles in, the band are finally ready to release their debut album ‘Modern Tricks For Living’ and unleash their much discussed and seldom-seen ferocious live show out into the world.
With each new single finding the band played more and more heavily across BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music, featured in Spotify UK’s New Music Friday and lauded by tastemakers including NME, Dork and Under The Radar, Low Hummer announced in May that they would at last be releasing their debut album. Released on black vinyl, the album will also get a special ‘Dinked’ edition release – available through UK record stores pressed to 500 copies and almost immediately sold out.
‘Human Behaviour’ is the follow up to latest single ‘The People, This Place’ – this new offering lowers the intensity a little, bringing the effortless, rich and mellow vocals of Aimee Duncan to the fore over synth-led indie anthem. Written, demoed and recorded entirely during the album sessions at The Nave Studio in Leeds with producer Matt Peel, ‘Human Behaviour’ was one of the last songs added to the record by the band.
Low Hummer are a band endlessly fascinated with the world around them, with alienation, social isolation, manipulation and disinformation. All ideas that songwriter Dan Mawer has drawn from in his quest to settle these questions in his head through the band’s music. ‘Human Behaviour’ is no different and finds the songwriter battling with ideas of apprehensive thoughts, fleeting youth and the passage of time with typical depth and eloquence.
“Too cold to care, too old to feel brand new, the future’s hollow, ageing shadow
All beauty fades, young dreams of me and you, breathe shallow, ageing shadow
Cheek to cheek, hand in hand
In loving sorrow, this ageing shadow
I don’t know enough to be young”
Working on their debut album, the band set out to capture a true snapshot of their lives and the world around them. With the opportunity of hashing out ideas on the road taken away from them, Low Hummer began dissecting the tracks and piecing them back together on record, giving them the chance to explore their creative boundaries not just individually but as a group.
Released on 17th September, Modern Tricks For Living is available for pre-order now.
Low Hummer will be performing live throughout the rest of 2021, beginning with their biggest ever headline show to launch their debut album at The Social in Hull, before setting out to festivals including Reading & Leeds, Live at Leeds, Long Division and Gathering Sounds for the remainder of the year.
Full dates below. Check ‘Human Behaviour’ here:
Live Dates:
Gold Sounds Festival – Leeds – Sat 7th August
Reading & Leeds Festival – Reading – Friday 27th August
Reading & Leeds Festival – Leeds – Saturday 28th August
The Social – Hull – (Album Launch) – 24th September
Gathering Sounds – Stockton on Tees – 25th September
Long Division Festival – Wakefield – 25th September
Aural Aggravation 