The Los Angeles-based punk band Sour Tongue was formed in the early days of the 2020 pandemic by Satori Marill and John Murphy, the mission of the alternative rock, grunge and riot grrrl influenced quintet remaining the same ever since their inception: “when it stops being fun, we’ll end it.” Fusing disco with grunge, hardcore punk with country, plus much more, Sour Tongue utilise humour and a degree of sonic absurdity to convey a deeper message of angst and desperation.
Having developed a global fanbase via four previous singles, an EP, plus a US tour with industrial rock heavyweights KMFDM, the band’s bright and breezy new single ‘I Thought You Liked Me!’ was written about a near universal experience felt by girls. “I wrote the song about being manipulated and lied to, getting fed up and reversing the roles,” states vocalist Marill. “I wanted to talk about reactive impropriety, but with a feeling of guilt tucked beneath it, because I think a lot of people are ashamed to admit when they do something out of spite. I think anyone who has ever had their heart broken and done something stupid in return can relate to it.”
The single is taken from a forthcoming EP entitled Final Girl, their most personal set of songs to date. Told as a story in four parts, it is about the intersection of grief, betrayal and heartbreak, yet loving through it all. It’s dark, it’s angry, it’s funny, it’s heartbreaking. It’s a horror comedy.
British artist J. Blacker, mastermind of ESA, has released a powerful music video for ‘Golden House’. The song is taken from the artist’s new album Sounds for Your Happiness, released on July 5th via Negative Gain Productions.
The new single and music video for ‘Golden House’ is an erotically charged, Roman tragedy inspired slab of pumping dancefloor power. Featuring Jo Hysteria from Massenhysterie on vocals, the video for ‘Golden House’ is a cynical POV on the infamous Roman rulers; Nero & Caligula (played by Jo Hysteria and Jamie Blacker respectively). As we witness their hedonistic and power hungry daily affairs (which include a servants wrestling match and body builders performance) before accompanying Nero and Caligula as they travel into modern times and seek to satisfy their hunger for pleasure.
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Inspired heavily by the pomp of the 1979 film Caligula, the video features competition winning body builders Jeannie Ellam and Vikki Varley alongside Jenova Rain and Stephan Sutor as the video Finale’s Insurgents, looking to swipe the ‘throne’ from the naive and arrogant Nero & Caligula.
The context that inspired this piece is the realisation that even after 1548 years since the demise of the infamous Roman Empire, the elected powers in place will still conduct themselves in the same way..and that abuse of power pays no real attention to time periods.
The single for this club edit of the track and music video is available from today (July 18). Whilst the original version of this track (which includes a historic re-telling of these two Emperors by Konstantia Buhalis) is featured on ESA’s album Sounds for Your Happiness, released on July 5th.
Sounds for Your Happiness is yet another milestone in the creative universe of ESA. Striking and thought provoking visuals, enormous electronics and powerful messages is always expected from an ESA release..Sounds for Your Happiness does not disappoint with any of these ingredients.
With this album, J Blacker paints ESA as a sinister technology company, with the musical structures from the album, utilised to create an emotional response from its listeners, which is transferred as energy to run the simulation we all live in. Its a nod to shows and films such as Severance and Soylent Green.
Musically, Sounds for Your Happiness is a bleak and furious slab of electronic meat. A journey of EBM / Industrial / Black Metal / Dark Ambient / Power Noise / Punk / Techno and Goa, the album is as ambitious as it is exhilarating and genres merge seamlessly into an energetic free-fall of sonic chaos.
Get plugged in and let the happiness wash over you.
Los Angeles psychedelic rock outfit Tombstones In Their Eyes present their new single ‘I Am Cold’, born from a period of intense personal freefall. It’s a raw, unflinching look at vulnerability and the chilling acknowledgment of emotional detachment, transforming inner turmoil into a powerful, resonant anthem.
‘I Am Cold’ is released by Kitten Robot Records, along with the B-Side ‘Take It Down’, which was recorded during the Asylum Harbour sessions. Spawned from a dark night of the soul, is a visceral outpouring of longing and a stark confrontation with a perceived numbness. A testament to creativity salvaged from the depths, this song is a gripping sonic journey forged in a crucible of personal hardship.
‘I Am Cold’ is the final offering from the band’s latest Asylum Harbour album, following psychedelic audio-visual trips for the singles ‘By My Side’, ‘Gimme Some Pain’, ‘I Like to Feel Good’ and ‘Mirror’. Recorded at Kitten Robot Studios, this album was recorded produced and engineered by Paul Roessler (known for his work with Josie Cotton, Nina Hagen, Hayley and the Crushers and Gitane Demone) and co-produced by John Treanor.
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Today, Tombstones In Their Eyes is made up of long-time members John Treanor (vocals & guitar), Stephen Striegel (drums), Courtney Davies (vocals), Phil Cobb (guitar) and Paul Boutin (guitar), along with new band members Nic Nifoussi (bass) and Clea Cullen (vocals).
What started as a demo-swapping exercise between Treanor in LA and James Cooper in NYC a decade ago evolved into a powerhouse band crafting expansive psychedelic soundscapes. For Treanor, these sonic explorations are not only an immersive subliminal journey, but a way to grapple with anxiety and depression by channeling it into art that boldly gazes outward at the universe while diving deep into the soul. Literally a cosmic therapy session.
KHNVM unleash a new video single featuring the title track of their new full-length Cosmocrator. The fourth album of the German death metal act with Bangladeshi roots has been scheduled for release on August 29, 2025.
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KHNVM comment: “The title track of our new album, ‘’Cosmocrator’, delves into the duality of its name, which translates as ‘Ruler of the World’ as well as its sinister connotation meaning ‘Satan’ within ancient pagan texts”, singer and guitarist Obliterator states. "This reflects our exploration of themes that are both universally human and also profoundly dark. Through intense musicality and complex lyricism, we confront the unsettling truths that lie beneath the surface of existence, appealing to those who seek adrenaline combined with philosophical depth.”
New Irish trio Rún are preparing to release their debut self-titled album on Rocket Recordings on 22nd August, and today share with us another taster in the form of ‘Strike It’.
About the track the band comment, “’Strike It’: A barely contained explosive doom riff with an industrial patina; points to the hypocrisy of a religious institution in profound dereliction of its duty to the most weak and vulnerable of us. The song addresses the macabre details of the Tuam babies controversy in Co. Galway, Ireland.”
The Irish word Rún can mean secret, mystery, or love, or perhaps some elusive combination of the three, reflecting the many aspects of life that defy easy explanation. In wrestling with these, it can become necessary to commit oneself entirely, to jump in at the psychic deep end in search of the vibrations and feelings at hand. This is where the band Rún come in.
The debut album of Rún – the result of three powerful artists locking horns and bringing equally passionate and uncompromising approaches to bear – is no less than an extraordinary collective catharsis. Yet more evidence that true heaviness is about much more than a cranked amp. It’s an emotionally driven and richly atmospheric journey into the darkest recesses of states earthly and unearthly, from a spiritually intrepid outfit who alchemise experimental methods and improvisatory states to reach intimidating heights of sonic and psychic intensity.
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Live dates:
21 Aug / Galway / Roisin Dubh 22 Aug / Cork / Nudes 27 Aug / Dublin / Spindizzy Records (instore) 29-31 Aug / Birmingham / Supersonic Festival 6 Sep / Sligo / Minor Disturbance Festival 15 Nov / London / Rich Mix (w/ Sirom) 19 Nov / Glasgow / The Glad Cafe 20 Nov / Newcastle / The Lubber Fiend
Rún comprise firstly Tara Baoth Mooney – sometime Jim Henson voice artist, with a longstanding background in everything from folk and choral music to experimental film-making. Diarmuid MacDiarmada – Nurse With Wound co-conspirator and brother of Lankum’s Cormac, brings with him the experience of avant-garde collaborations with a plethora of artists stretching back over thirty years. Drummer, sound designer and engineer Rian Trench, meanwhile, has worked on everything from the psychedelic IDM of Solar Bears to auto-generative experiments to orchestral arrangements, and owns the studio – The Meadow on Ireland’s East Coast – in which the album was made. The disparate artistic practices of the three members of the band collude in this context to create something no member could have foreseen. “Beyond the larger themes we explore, the work is often inspired by dreams, synchronicities, and other uncanny influences found in everyday life” reckons Diarmiud.
Besides this, an extremely diverse range of musical influences make their presence felt here, from William Basinski and Pauline Oliveros to Om, Coil and The Necks. “Suffice to say that there was a variety of sacred musics, acid-folk, cosmic jazz, stoner / sludge-metal, avant-garde composers and a hint of R&B being ground up and baked in with everything else in our wonky witches’ kitchen.” They say, “Things that possibly shouldn’t go together are juxtaposed to create something surprising and new.”
Parisian fuzz fanatics Electric Jaguar Baby return to burn down the garage with Clair-Obscur, their wildest, heaviest, and most electrifying album to date, set to be released on September 5, 2025 via Majestic Mountain Records (Kal-El, Saint Karloff).
Today, the duo ignite another surge of fuzz-fueled energy with the release of their latest video, “Bring Me Down,” featuring a special guest appearance by Patrón.
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This follows the release of the raucous lead single ‘My Way’, and the recently premiered ‘Heroine’, which features guest vocals by Chris Jr. of Greek doom heavyweights Acid Mammoth, another fuzz-drenched bombshell from the upcoming LP.
Formed in 2015, the duo comprised of Franck (drums/vocals) and Antoine (guitar/vocals), have spent the last decade distilling garage, stoner, punk, psych, pop and grunge into pure fuzz-fueled chaos. Known for their explosive live shows and no-rules approach, they’ve shared stages with everyone from Sepultura to Death Valley Girls. Now, “Clair-Obscur” marks their third full-length and most fearless outing yet. Recorded live and drenched in distortion, the album rips through 11 unfiltered tracks of raw sonic adrenaline, with killer guest appearances from Lo (ex-Loading Data) and Chris Babalis Jr. (Acid Mammoth).
With a new EU tour in the works and their amps permanently stuck at 11, Electric Jaguar Baby are revving hard into a new era and you’re invited along for the trip.
The German dark electro-pop duo Rotersand have released a new single entitled ‘Sexiness Of Slow’. The second to be issued ahead of Don’t Become The Thing You Hated, their long-awaited new album out on 8th August, the song is a slow-burning club anthem that oozes tension and desire. With thick beats, seductive synths and an atmosphere so charged it could short circuit the dancefloor, it is electronic sensuality in its most powerful form.
Announced via its first single‘Private Firmament (I Fell For You)’Don’t Become the Thing You Hated sees the Hamburg based act (comprised of Rascal Nikov and Krischan Jan-Eric Wesenberg) return with an album that is as much a cultural critique as it is a musical statement. In a world increasingly defined by division, alienation and existential anxiety, the duo cast a sharp eye on the psychological toll of our times and issue a warning. The message is clear: in fighting what we oppose, we risk becoming it ourselves.
Musically, the album is a masterclass in synthesis, melding sonic sophistication with visceral emotional impact. Navigating seamlessly between intricate sound design and tightly constructed rhythmic frameworks, these are layered with melodic hooks that are as intellectually engaging as they are dancefloor-ready. The album soundscape is dark yet resolutely hopeful and explores a dynamic spectrum of styles, from propulsive electro with surgically crisp beats and brooding industrial textures to anthemic, almost dreamlike interludes. Each track reveals itself as a meticulously crafted entity, constantly surprising the listener yet never straying from its emotional nucleus.
Industrial rock insurgents Jesus on Extasy are back – darker, heavier and more relentless than ever. Led by founding member Dorian Deveraux, the band has returned with an uncompromising sound that pushes their signature mix of industrial beats, searing guitars and raw emotion to the next level.
JoE have just dropped the heavy-hitting ‘Soul Crusher’ as a new single, with Deveraux stating that “it’s a post-breakup song dealing with the feeling of reality kicking in after you’ve basically mourned the loss of a loved one. You start to see them for what they really are and you start wondering if any of it was even real or if you’ve been gaslighted all along. I’d be lying (mostly to myself) if I told you the song isn’t autobiographical. It was written in the aftermath of a pretty dark period in my life and was an outlet to deal with the trauma.”
‘Soul Crusher’ offers a further brutal preview of the forthcoming new JoE album, Between Despair And Disbelief, out on 12th September via Metropolis Records. Giving fans a tantalising taste of their second coming with the single ‘Wide Awake’ in 2023, the band subsequently signed to the label to issue ‘Days Gone By’ in late 2024. Both were heavier, more intense and unapologetically aggressive than ever before. “It looks like the world is going to hell. We might as well deliver the soundtrack for that,” adds Deveraux.
JoE will tour Europe with Die Krupps in September, on which fans can expect an unrelenting live set packed with new material and reimagined classics, proving that their resurgence is built. With a harder edge and a fire that refuses to burn out, JoE fully intend to leave an everlasting mark on the alternative rock landscape.
NYC’s Lip Critic return with their first new music since last year’s acclaimed Hex Dealer – which Consequence of Sound described as “a cannonball to the chest” and Paste compared to “the B-52s on ketamine”, while we here at Aural Aggravation said was “Lip Critic’s definitive statement”. Double singles ‘Mirror Match’ and ‘Second Life’ are out now and continue Lip Critic’s furious experimental energy, born in a flash of cosmic coincidence and baseball-fueled mysticism.
‘Mirror Match’ is a twitchy, high-octane confrontation with your doppelgänger, arriving alongside a bespoke Lip Critic-designed pinball game set in a cloning facility. ‘Second Life’ throws the chaos into bass-heavy nightmare territory, accompanied by a surreal music video styled like an off-brand cooking show episode, complete with Sandra Lee-inspired semi-homemade absurdity.
"We were on tour near the end of 2024 and had just played our LA show. We had a two day gap before our next show in Santa Ana so we got a room at the hotel Casa Grande. That night after the drive I fell asleep watching Randy Johnson highlight reels. All the great moments from his time as a Diamondback, as well as his years on the Yankees and the Giants.
That night I had a dream I met a tall man with a body made entirely of radiant light wearing a baseball cap. He opened his arms and from them came two perpendicular rays that shot around me to form the shape of a diamond. When the tips of the rays connected I was engulfed in a thunderous sound, like that of a waterfall. It shook me so much that I woke up in a jolt. I woke to see that I had been writhing in my sleep and had completely displaced the other 3 members I had been sharing this queen bed with.
I apologized and brushed it off as another bad dream brought on by a late night binging baseball history videos on YouTube. Upon checking my phone, I saw I had received a text in the night from a number I didn’t recognize, offering us two days of unexpected studio time.
When we arrived at the studio that day, he opened the door wearing a fitted baseball cap, towering over our band with an average height of 5’8”. I instantly felt a familiarity. As he showed us around I felt a sense of having returned, like visiting your old elementary school once again for a younger siblings’ graduation. He led us to the control room which was equipped with a speaker system large enough for a room quadruple the size. He stood at one corner and I sat in a chair directly opposite. The square room shifted to a diamond by our perspectives.
He turned the speakers up and without hesitation played us through a whirlwind of different music at an unbelievable volume, and I was engulfed in a thunderous sound, like that of a waterfall. ‘Mirror Match’ and ‘Second Life’ were two tracks made and completed in the two days at his studio."
Lip Critic are touring extensively across the US this summer with headline dates, festival appearances, a co-headline run with Hello Mary, and support slots for MSPAINT, Pat and the Pissers & Mannequin Pussy.
Azure Emote unveil the noire video clip ‘Bleed with the Moon’ as the final advance single taken from their new full-length Cryptic Aura. The fourth studio album of the American progressive death alchemists has been chalked up for release on July 25, 2025.
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AZURE EMOTE comment: “Overall, ‘Bleed with the Moon’ is conceptually very simple and straightforward, but also one of the more personal songs on the album”, mastermind Mike Hrubovcak reveals. “Alcohol is a demon and I’ve named him Al-Kuhl. This analogy is based on my personal experiences and the lyrics are about getting possessed by this demon around a bonfire in the woods at night. I’m not trying to glorify excessive drinking here. I rather artistically convey the passion, euphoria, and physical and mental dangers of convening with such ‘spirits’ in the heat of the moment. I have a love/hate relationship with Al-Kuhl and I have learned that eventually it ends up taking much more than it gives. This song was written during such a night however, and even the album cover is a photo of a homemade skeleton that I made and burned in the woods along with a bottle and a bonfire.”
Aural Aggravation 