Bill Leeb is the Vancouver-based musician and mastermind behind electro-industrial scene mainstays Front Line Assembly and ambient-pop duo Delerium, as well as a key member of recording projects that include Noise Unit, Intermix and Cyberaktif.
Model Kollapse marks the first solo venture by this sonic chameleon and creative trailblazer since the mid-80s days of Front Line Assembly, when Leeb began making recordings in his bedroom and released them on limited edition cassette format. Almost four decades on, his new album was recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles with assistance from production duo Dream Bullet and long-term recording cohort Rhys Fulber, plus regular mixing engineer Greg Reely.
The song ‘Demons’ has been released today as the second single from the album, with Leeb stating that the EBM styled track is a comment on “how much darkness and evil exist in the world, some of it created via technology that is here to stay, and how we have to carefully navigate our way through it all on a day-to-day basis.”
‘Demons’ follows the introductory single ‘Terror Forms’, featuring Shannon Hemmett of the group ACTORS, who are also based in Leeb’s home city.
Renowned singer, musician, activist, and cultural icon Mari Boine shares her newest single, ‘Lean dás’. This captivating track is a unique collaboration with Norwegian-Sámi band ISÁK & the band’s vocalist Ella Marie. The artists bring their rich musical backgrounds to the track, infusing it with a profound sense of authenticity and passion. The track is taken from Mari’s full-length Alva, scheduled for release on the 6th of September 2024 via By Norse Music.
Mari shares her insights on the new single:"It can be difficult to maintain hope in these dark times, but to surrender hope is to lose our will to action, to render ourselves powerless. One reason I love "Lean dás (I Am Always Here)" is because it shines with hope. In this duet with my dear friend Ella Marie, we joik (summon) the Universal Mother, Divine Source, Giver of Life, Creative Force."
Ella Marie from ISÁK comments: "It truly is a dream come true to be featured on Mari’s new album. I have listened to her music as long as I can remember, and she is the greatest role model I have ever had. To now call her my friend and collaborator feels very special, and me and the rest of the band ISÁK are so honored that she wanted to merge her own song with our song, "Mun Lean dás", for this unique release. Singing it in the studio with Mari present was not only a magical experience, but also a master class in how she conveys emotions through her art. I am truly grateful for this experience."
Check it here:
Mari Boine Live 2024 and 2025 15-08 Bodø – Torsdag i Parken [tickets] 12-09 Elverum – Elverum Kulturhus SOLD OUT 14-09 Jessheim – Ullensaker kulturhus SOLD OUT 20-09 Kristiansund – Kulturfabrikken [tickets] 21-09 Sunndalsøra – Sunndalsøra Kulturhus [tickets] 22-09 Molde – Bjornsonhuset [tickets] 26-09 Førde – Førdehuset [tickets] 27-09 Sandane – Trivselshagen [tickets] 28-09 Geiranger – Festspela [tickets] 03-10 Sandnes – Sandnes Kulturhus [tickets] 04-10 Bryne – Storstova [tickets] 10-10 Strand – Kino [tickets] 11-10 Suldal – Kulturhuset i Suldal [tickets] 12-10 Sauda – Sauda Kulturhus [tickets] 20-10 Oslo – Den Norske Opera & Ballett SOLD OUT 01-11 Mandal – Buen Kulturhus [tickets] 02-11 Asker – Asker kulturhus SOLD OUT 03-11 Larvik – Bølgen Kulturhus [tickets] 08-11 Steinkjer – Hilmarfestivalen [tickets] 09-11 Oppdal – Oppdal Kulturhus [tickets] 15-11 Zürch, Switzerland – Volkshaus [tickets] 20-11 Kongsvinger – Radhus-Teatret [tickets] 21-11 Lier – Lier kulturscene [tickets] 22-11 Moss – Verket Scene [tickets]
San Diego-based alternative rockers Los Saints have released a new visualizer for the single ‘Hard’ off their recently released debut album Certified, out now ENCI Records.
Watch the video here:
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Art opens a window into the soul. It doubles as a haven for all of our most intimate thoughts, desires, and emotions. Like splashing paint on a canvas, Los Saints pour all of their experiences and feelings into a vibrant mosaic of indie, alternative, and rock. They piece together memories and mantras in the form of gauzy melodies, fuzzy guitars, and dusty rhythmic grooves. Co-founded by cousins Angel Mariscal [vocals, guitar] and Emiliano Garcia [drums], as well as mutual friend Gianluca Exposito [guitar], who has since parted ways with the band, the group have quietly buzzed out of the sleepy border town of Chula Vista, CA with sold out shows and acclaim from the likes of San Diego Union Tribune, Remezcla, Alternative Press, and more.
Now, Los Saints sharpen their distinct and dynamic signature style on their full-length debut LP, Certified.
“Los Saints isn’t just a band for me,” proclaims Angel. “It’s everything. It’s all I can do. That goes for the other guys too. The more we know ourselves, the more we know what our band is and are able to define our sound. Certified is who we are not just as musicians, but as people.”
Growing up in a Mexican-American family, he immersed himself in music. His mom hailed from Tijuana, and his dad grew up in the United States. Classic rap boomed through the house as he eventually gravitated towards Mac Miller and his “lifelong biggest influence” Cage The Elephant. In 2019, he formed Los Saints with Emiliano, envisioning “music almost everyone from any background can vibe with.”
In honor of their heritage, the group chose the moniker Los Saints.
“We were thinking of the Day of the Dead in Mexico, and its primary representation is a skull,” he goes on. “We needed to make it our own, so we turned it into ‘Spanglish’ by choosing ‘Los Saints’. Like the music, it’s a mixture.”
Los Saints initially gained traction with the Welcome To Confusion EP in 2022. The Honey Pop christened them “your next indie obsession,” while San Diego Union Tribune pondered, “Could Los Saints be Chula Vista’s version of Cage the Elephant?” Building on this momentum, the three-piece hit the studio with producer Keith Cooper (Dear Boy) and brought ‘Certified’ to life during sessions at Wildflower Recordings in L.A. The first single and opener “Faded” hinges on a bold bass line and a punchy drum groove. Guitars glow beneath a hazy and hypnotic vocal plea, “I don’t want you to look at me when you’re faded?”
On “Never Said,” a loose chime-y riff pierces a disco-style beat as falsetto rings out on the refrain.
“I’m not a dating app kind of dude,” he admits. “I’m a cave dweller, but I think so many kids my age can identify with these experiences of modern dating. On the first half of the song, you’re going into online dating with genuine intentions and looking for something true. The second half is the aftermath where reality hits, and your view changes. You realize all that glitters isn’t gold.”
Evocative of yet another dynamic, glitchy keys wrap around breezy acoustic guitar on the somberly nostalgic “If Everything Goes.” He sighs, “Don’t call me back, even though I’d like you to.”
“I was beating myself up for the way I am and how it affects romantic relationships,” he continues. “This person left your life, but you can’t help but blame yourself. Even though it was going to happen either way, you just think you’re the problem.”
Elsewhere, “Doctor” conjures “dark imagery of being interrogated like in a movie” via breathy lyrics and an off-kilter soundscape. Then, there’s “Hard.” Raw emotion seeps through the cracks in the vocals as thick distortion buoys the hook, “Help me see again who you are.”
“It’s about how being in a toxic situation—either romantically or with friends—has affected me and brought me down,” he states.
The title track culminates on a chantable chorus awash in shoegaze distortion. Stretching to a soaring climax, it evokes the feeling of “being isolated because you’re in a relationship that your friends and family don’t approve of.”
In the end, Los Saints bring the kind of emotion that bonds us together to the surface.
“When you listen to us, I hope you find our art to be a place of comfort,” Mariscal leaves off. “Sometimes, I cry when I write. I’m always trying to come up with songs you can connect to so you don’t feel alone. The world is a tough place. We can be friends one way or another.”
I tend to give releases a wide berth if there’s anything that could be construed as iffy about them or the artist or anyone else involved, not because I’m fearful of controversy, but simply feel it better not to provide a platform. Of course, some will argue that silence is tantamount to complicity – and I’m painfully aware of the extent to which that it’s true that many bad things happen while no-one speaks out. But I like to think that overall, my positions on matters of politics and beyond are fairly obvious on account of what I do cover, and some of the discussions around them, and I’m not about to virtue-signal with a list of releases by abusers and shady shits which have landed in my inbox to be immediately deleted.
But this one stood out. I sift through emails and divide them into ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘maybe’ for review, and have a separate flow for those that I’ll likely not have time or energy to review, but might be posting as a stream.
I’d never heard of Nachtmystium, but was intrigued to learn that they were back, although the tone of the press release struck me as a little different, more muted, perhaps: ‘…after all that was said and done, mastermind Blake Judd aka Azentrius is still standing. Not only that, but Judd has clawed himself back from the abyss of a most extreme life imaginable to a much more quiet, observant, and matured artist and person… His return will not be met with universal applause – even from the black metal scene. For anybody following the tumultuous career of Blake Judd and his pioneering band that has pushed the borders of their genre into new territories, this comes hardly as a surprise.’
But the video… on first play, I figured it was perhaps a Day Today or Brasseye type spoof, or that Nachtmystium was the Bad News or Spinal Tap of Black Metal. But no. Comparatively cursory research reveals Blake Judd’s long history of junkiedom, thieving, scamming, fraud, and unpaid bills, not to mention connections to the National Socialist Black Metal scene – something Judd is on record as renouncing and denying direct involvement with, but saying ‘We don’t oppose people’s right to be ‘NS’ or whatever… Even though I personally, my band(s) and my label have absolutely no interest in being a part of that scene, I will ALWAYS take their side when it comes to their freedom of speech being imposed upon.”
Freedom of speech has become a battle ground like no other in recent years , and thanks to social media, it’s a debate that’s taken the ugliest, most divisive of shapes, largely splitting along lines of left and right, with the left calling out fascists and twats, with the right calling the left fascists and twats for wanting to suppress their right to be fascists and twats. But, just as opposing Antifa is, effectively to align oneself as being Profa, to say ‘hey, free speech, it’s their right to be nazis’ is not only spineless, but a tacit statement in support of the nazis, even if it’s one born out of ignorance of just how much harm their ‘free speech’ can cause – and I find it hard to believe any adult could truly be that ignorant nowadays.
So, to return to the video… it contains some stills of the man himself, treated with grainy effects overlayed, with some lyrics flashed up, flickering, as the main focus of the visuals to what is, in real terms, some pretty standard black metal. But throughout, presented as ‘cuttings’, snippets of comments from social media and various other sources, essentially decrying what a deplorable scumbag he is.
It seems perverse that while he’s growling about ‘the return of a rightful might’, there are comments to the effect of ‘fuck this guy’ and ‘he owes me so much money’ to ‘good luck, Prophecy’. And against snippets reporting on his jail time and drug addiction, he snarls ‘No remorse, no remorse’.
Prophecy is a label which has released countless fantastic acts, and continues to do so, but I can’t help but feel that this is something of a mis-step – not even releasing new work by Nachtmystium, necessarily, but the pitch may be rather misjudged. These aren’t a few ‘oops’ moments – which should be approached apologetically even if they were – but to market the release in a way which celebrates all of this? Even if intended humorously – which there’s nothing to indicate that it is – it’s not very funny for the victims of his wrongdoings. And yes, they are victims, however desperate his drug plight or whatever at the time.
Musically, ‘Predator Phoenix’ is fine, and although the title seems both dubious and self-aggrandising, it’s par for the course in black metal. But the way this comeback is being heralded… not cool, man, not cool.
Released on Monday (29 July 2024) ‘Please Reply’ is the third promo single release from UK “synth and darkwave firebrands” 404 Error, taken from their debut album, Scene Killers. Hailing from Newcastle upon Tyne in Northern England, 404 Error is the semi-anonymous project of an artist known as 36663. ‘Please Reply’ meanwhile features an animated black and white lyric video, by someone credited only as Arif.
Known for sharp social commentary and provocative takes on goth scene politics, Please Reply is a pastiche drawn largely from the cesspool of unsolicited messages. Drawing from the biting social satire of Fad Gadget and Heaven 17, the lyrics sketch a man in his mancave, desperate and crude, yearning to be a woman’s submissive partner. His attempts to get her attention are filled with insincere promises and disrespect. He calls himself a nice guy, but his focus is selfish, driven by his own needs and desires, completely ignoring her boundaries or interests.
Watch the video here:
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“I think it’s terrible that women get messages like these. And I know many receive much worse, but I didn’t want to make the song too vulgar. I know a lot of women, especially goth women, who get strange guys addressing them as Mistress, or wanting to be their slave – even if there’s nothing they’ve said or done to signify that they’re even into fetish/BDSM. Some have had open propositions for pictures of their feet. And of course, many of these guys also try to guilt trip, hence the line “It’s so hard for men like me, nice guys just want a chance”. As if there’s anything ‘nice’ about propositioning a stranger.”
“I find it hard to say whether I even wrote this song, or if the lyrics are just the contents of far too many inboxes.”
The digital single on Bandcamp includes two bonus “virtual B-side” tracks: ‘Hawk Tuah’, and a cover of ‘Chop Suey’ by System of a Down.
“Hawk Tuah was a bit of fun that I didn’t know if I’d release. The problem with viral memes is they become old very quickly. But given the person in question is currently living her best life getting paid big money for club and TV appearances, I’d say people are still interested. Gosh knows how many messages she’s had from ‘Please Reply’ guys.”
‘Chop Suey’ meanwhile continues 404 Error’s tradition of rendering nu-metal covers barely recognisable (albeit, arguably more intelligible than the originals): a pattern established with a rendition of Slipknot’s ‘Wait and Bleed’, included with the debut single ‘ETHAL’. And where ‘ETHAL’ featured a guest vocalist known as J.A.N.E., ‘Chop Suey’ features vocals by one MXVC.
Dark electronic artist, SUBURBAN SPELL has revealed the first single from their forthcoming album, Incompatible.
‘Being Incompatible’ is a driving, dark synthpop song about a relationship that has been built on mutual concessions and arriving at a point where one realizes they need to make a choice about its future.
Says SUBURBAN SPELL founder, Peter Endall, “I wanted to make a statement that continual compromising in a relationship can also have detrimental effects that can have far reaching consequences that can shape your entire personality, sometimes not always for the better.”
Society generally says relationships are about compromise, Be mindful not to lose yourself along the way. ‘Being Incompatible’ builds on a soundscape that echoes 80’s icons such as Devo and Depeche Mode.
Detroit, MI’s Cascade Riot (newly signed to PNWK Records) has released a video for the new single ‘EXIT 55’.
Watch the video here:
The single is the first new music from the band since the January release of the ‘Life In Venus’ EP, and will appear on the band’s forthcoming label debut full-length.
‘Exit 55’ showcases a new, heavier side while still retaining a level of familiarity. “The song is really just about being fed up with things and wanting to get away from it all”, says frontman Ryan Failla. “We wanted to release it as the first single because it represents a side musically we haven’t really displayed before. With this and the other new material we’re working on, we’re really trying to expand on what Cascade Riot can be.”
Cascade Riot was originally formed in 2015. After releasing their debut EP Code Red that same year, the band went on a 6 year hiatus before returning in 2022 with the single ‘Hypnotized’. They have been consistently churning out material ever since.
Consisting of Ryan Failla (Vocals/Guitar), Adam Brady (Bass), and Alex Brady (Drums), the members have a long history together that stretches back to when they were kids. Ryan and Adam first met in middle school and played together in various bands as teenagers, eventually recruiting Adam’s brother Alex as a drummer. Although they never made it out of the basement, the seeds of Cascade Riot were planted.
Delivering guitar driven tunes with a punky undercurrent and a penchant for melody, the band draws inspiration from rock music of nearly every era. Their music has been featured on “Chris DeMakes a Podcast” hosted by Chris DeMakes from Less Than Jake and “The Mike Herrera Podcast” hosted by Mike Herrera from MxPx and they have opened for such bands as Billy Talent and Belvedere.
British singer, songwriter, producer and prog pioneer Tim Bowness has shared his stunning new single ‘Idiots At Large’. The third single to be released from his forthcoming album Powder Dry (out 13thSeptember on Kscope), ‘Idiots At Large’ presents an intriguing combination of delicate atmospherics and dynamic explosions to tell the story of someone drifting away from their previously safe home life and mainstream views.
Mixed by Bowness’s partner in no-man, Steven Wilson, the new single is accompanied by a vibrant, atmospheric visualiser created by Matt Vickerstaff.
Check it here:
Tim Bowness says, ‘The song is partly about eco-apocalypse and partly about someone becoming detached from their family and friends as a result of their increasingly strong beliefs (beliefs reinforced by digging deeper down the internet rabbit hole). This isn’t a commentary on the rights or wrongs of anything, it’s an observation about how idealism can alter the course of a life.’
Featuring 16 pieces over its restless 40-minute duration, Tim Bowness’s eighth studio album Powder Dry represents a new beginning on a new label.
A collection of acute contrasts, the album is a vibrantly accessible and wildly experimental genre-blurring assault, embracing Industrial Rock, Electro Pop, singer-songwriter directness, haunted carnival soundscapes and more.
Entirely produced, performed and written by Bowness (a first), Powder Dry was mixed (in stereo and Surround Sound) by Bowness’s partner in no-man (and The Album Years podcast), Steven Wilson, who also acted as Bowness’s sounding board during the mixing process.
Human Impact, the New York-based outfit founded by Chris Spencer (Unsane) and Jim Coleman (Cop Shoot Cop), who recently announced their sophomore album, Gone Dark (Oct. 4, Ipecac Recordings), have released a second single from the upcoming album. The video for ‘Hold On’ is out now, and you can watch it here:
Spencer discusses the concept behind the song: “’Hold On’ is an expression of resistance in the face of a system that’s using convenience and expediency to pry its way into a position of control.”
The accompanying video carries on a visual aesthetic that the band has used since their inception, including their recently released track and video for “Destroy to Rebuild” – an apocalyptic landscape with oversaturated colors and a not-so-subtle commentary on the current state of the world. Spencer and Coleman will venture further into the mix of music and art by performing an ambient noise set on Aug. 15 at Berlin’s Silent Green as part of Beth B’s Now Wave/Glowing exhibition.
The Human Impact arsenal is more formidable than ever thanks to the addition of two more noise-rock veterans: bassist Eric Cooper (Made Out of Babies, Bad Powers) and drummer Jon Syverson (Daughters). Spencer had spent the 2020 COVID lockdown working on a cabin in the East Texas woods and would travel into Austin for informal jam sessions with the pair in the Cooper’s garage. Friendly blasts through vintage Unsane songs ultimately resulted in the rhythm section being fully absorbed into Human Impact.
"Jon and Coop bring incredible musicianship," Spencer adds. "I feel incredibly lucky to be in a band with Jon. We’ve really clicked from the minute we started playing together. Cooper is awesome, and one of my best friends forever. We have a communication that I won’t have with just anybody. I can’t wait to fucking play this live."
For Malcolm Pardon, there’s beauty in our universal, inescapable demise. Like the romantic notion of the orchestra on board the Titanic playing their repertoire as the ship went down, on his second solo album Pardon looks past the bleak or macabre to observe death as a multi-layered, lifelong acquaintance.
“It’s not meant to be threatening or horrific in any way,” says Pardon of The Abyss. “There’s this constant dialogue we have with ourselves about how we’re going to die at some point. It’s like a constant companion, so you might as well get to know it, and befriend it.”
As one half of Roll The Dice, Pardon worked alongside fellow Stockholm resident Peder Mannerfelt on brooding fusions of electronica and classical composition. By contrast, his 2021 solo debut Hello Death saw him take a much more stripped-down approach, placing the emphasis on plaintive piano composition with only the subtlest of sonic treatments in the space around the notes. Without intentionally setting out to record a conceptual follow up, as he developed the sketches which would become The Abyss, Pardon found himself contemplating unknown futures and the artists’ quest into unexplored territory.
“For me, on a musical level The Abyss represents exploring your own capabilities,” he says, “Starting from an empty canvas, then slowly finding the way forward by connecting the right notes. It’s almost a subconscious experience. I sit down by the piano, and if I’m lucky I find something that takes me down the vortex.”
The lilting romanticism of ‘Enter The Void’ serves as a perfect distillation of Pardon’s approach, balancing a delicate piano refrain with a low, rumbling blast of noise before being carried aloft by swooning strings that echo down a distant hall. There’s beauty and hope shot through with foreboding in the particular treatment of each sound, the harmonic interplay between the musical elements and the gentle rise and fall of the arrangement.
Aural Aggravation 