BoySetsFire have premiered the music video for their track, "Fall from Grace", over at Germany'sVISIONS Magazine.
The track is lifted from their most recent album, last year's self-titled, issued in the U.S./Canada via B9 and worldwide on End Hits Records.
BoySetsFire announce summer European tour
BoySetsFire have announced a summer tour for Europe in support of last year's self-titled album. The two-week-long venture includes an array of festival dates. Check out all the dates below.
BOYSETSFIRE European tour dates:
17.06 Bischofsmais, Germany @ Rock the Hill
18.06 Saarwellingen, Germany @ Rockcamp Festival
20.06 Liverpool, UK @ Arts Club
21.06 Birmingham, UK @ Academy 3
22.06 London, UK @ Academy Islington
23.06 Kortrijk, Belgium @ De Kreun
24-26.06 Scheessel, Germany @ Hurricane Festival
27.06 Graz, Austria @ PPC
28.06 Budapest, Hungary @ A38
30.06 Leipzig, Germany @ Conne Island
01.07 Schweinfurt, Germany @ Alter Stattbahnhof
02.07 Munster, Germany @ Vainstream Rockfest
Expire, BoySetsFire, Malfunction appearing on final Bane tour
Bane have announced their "final final final and last" tour, which kicks off in March and spans the continental U.S. Bridge Nine acts are well-represented among the support, with Expire, BoySetsFire, and Malfunction all slated to appear on various dates. The lineup stays stacked with Burn, Twitching Tongues, Death by Stereo, Give, Axis and others. Check out the full tour dates below for who's playing where.
BANE final tour dates:
Thu-Mar-24 Warren, NJ Warren Legion w/ GIVE, TBA
Fri-Mar-25 Montreal, QC Foufounes Electriques w/ GET THE SHOT, AXIS
Sat-Mar-26 Toronto, ON Hard Luck w/ GET THE SHOT, AXIS
Mon-Mar-28 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews w/ AXIS
Tue-Mar-29 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock Social Club w/ AXIS
Wed-Mar-30 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck w/ AXIS
Fri-Apr-01 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre w/ TWITCHING TONGUES, AXIS
Sat-Apr-02 Salt Lake City, UT Loading Dock w/ TWITCHING TONGUES, AXIS
Mon-Apr-04 Seattle, WA El Corazon w/ TWITCHING TONGUES, AXIS
Tue-Apr-05 Vancouver, BC Cobalt w/ TWITCHING TONGUES, AXIS
Wed-Apr-06 Portland, OR Analog Theater w/ TWITCHING TONGUES
Thu-Apr-07 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst w/ BURN, TWITCHING TONGUES, AXIS
Fri-Apr-08 Berkeley, CA 924 Gilman, w/ BURN, TWITCHING TONGUES, AXIS, EX-YOUTH
Sat-Apr-09 Los Angeles, CA Union w/ BURN, TWITCHING TONGUES, AXIS
Sun-Apr-10 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory w/ BURN, DEATH BY STEREO, TWITCHING TONGUES, AXIS
Wed-Apr-13 Phoenix, AZ The Nile w/ BURN, DEATH BY STEREO, AXIS *Free Show*
Fri-Apr-15 Dallas, TX Club Dada w/ BURN, AXIS
Sat-Apr-16 Austin, TX Sidewinder w/ BURN, AXIS
Sun-Apr-17 San Antonio, TX Paper Tiger w/ BURN, AXIS
Mon-Apr-18 Houston, TX Walter's w/ BURN, AXIS
Wed-Apr-20 Tampa, FL Local 662 w/ BURN, DOWN TO NOTHING, EXPIRE, AXIS,
Thu-Apr-21 Savannah, GA Dollhouse w/ DOWN TO NOTHING, EXPIRE
Fri-Apr-22 Atlanta, GA Masquerade w/ DOWN TO NOTHING, EXPIRE
Sat-Apr-23 Birmingham, AL High Note Lounge w/ DOWN TO NOTHING, EXPIRE
Sun-Apr-24 Nashville, TN The End w/ DOWN TO NOTHING, EXPIRE
Tue-Apr-26 Detroit, MI Populux w/ GRADE, EXPIRE, MALFUNCTION
Wed-Apr-27 Buffalo, NY Waiting Room w/ GRADE, EXPIRE, MALFUNCTION
Thu-Apr-28 Cleveland, OH Now That's Class w/ GRADE, EXPIRE, MALFUNCTION
Fri-Apr-29 Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen w/ GRADE, EXPIRE, MALFUNCTION
Sat - Apr-30 Chicago, IL TBA
Sun-May-01 Louisville, KY The New Vintage w/ EXPIRE, MALFUNCTION
Mon-May-02 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups w/ EXPIRE, MALFUNCTION
Tue-May-03 Pittsburgh, PA Cattivo w/ EXPIRE
Wed-May-04 Washington, DC DC9 w/ BOY SETS FIRE, EXPIRE, GIVE
Thu-May-05 Baltimore, MD Otto Bar w/ BOY SETS FIRE, EXPIRE, GIVE
Fri-May-06 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church w/ BOY SETS FIRE, EXPIRE, GIVE
Sun-May-08 New York City, NY Webster Hall (Marlin Room) w/ EXPIRE and friends
Sat-Jun-18 Boston, MA *To Be Announced*
Bridge Nine 2015: A Year in Review
Bridge Nine's 20th anniversary came this year, but aside from some retrospective goodies for long-time followers of the label, we stayed busy putting out fresh releases (with a few reissues sprinkled in). Here's a look at our slate of releases from B9's platinum year in chronological order along with some personal thoughts.
At the bottom, check out a free sampler via Bandcamp and Spotify with tracks from all our artists with 2015 releases.
BRIDGE NINE 2015: A YEAR IN REVEW BY BRIAN SHULTZ
January
13th: BoySetsFire - The Misery Index: Notes from the Plague Years [vinyl reissue]
BoySetsFire's bold and ambitious fourth album is one of my favorites of theirs, with anthems like "Requiem" and the bravely horn-addled yet intense "So Long and Thanks for the Crutches", so it was cool to have a hand in its release history with this new reissue. I remember seeing them live for the first time touring on it almost a decade ago and despite the small crowd at the time, they played their hearts out. This unintentionally almost-10th anniversary reissue is basically mandatory for fans--it looks good on complementary teal and white variants and includes a big poster insert.
27th: Caravels / Octaves - Split EP
This split EP is a rare co-release from B9, as we teamed up with Topshelf Records and their band Caravels to release new material from them and our own Octaves. Neither band had come out with new stuff since 2013, so it was nice to have two acts that play unique strains of modern post-hardcore in harmonious ways deliver fresh songs.
February
10th: War On Women - War On Women
Our first proper full-length release of the year was a total powderkeg: a fierce and volatile album that garnered quite the reaction--some ignorant Facebook users, sure, but mostly spiritual liberation as summed up by this one fan's feedback: "HELL FUCKING YEAH! EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH HARDCORE MUSIC!". The co-ed Baltimore punk quintet made their first huge musical statement, releasing a record that, per their name, tackled a wide array of contemporary feminist issues in both confrontational and humorous ways without skimping on Propagandhi-style aggression or riffs. There's an occasional theater to this record that revives Dead Kennedys' necessarily over-the-top social critique, too, while also melding punk, metal, and hardcore influences in newfangled ways.
24th: Alcoa - Parlour Tricks
Alcoa's sophomore full-length is actually a strong contender for my personal favorite album we released this year, so it's natural to say it deserves more recognition. Derek from Defeater has been quietly progressing this project since its genesis in the mid-2000s or so, and it's really seemed to peak on his fleshed-out full-length releases, a consistently enjoyable blend of alt-country and more generally alternative pop-rock leanings. His second album here tones down the bright recording of 2013's Bone & Marrow a bit, but the songs are somehow more powerful in subtler ways. I love the earnest, sadder stuff on here, like the stripped-down, darker "always chasing me" and the chamber feel of "come & go". Then there's my favorite track, "for holden", with the best chorus Gin Blossoms forgot to write during their heyday.
March
24th: Agnostic Front - Police Violence EP
Our relationship with Agnostic Front has yielded a prolific amount of cool stuff, including reissues of their classic foundational releases, the United Blood EP and Victim in Pain LP, as well as their seminal Live at CBGB album. This teaser EP we did for their new album, just as we did for their last one in 2011, steals some of the more old-school-leaning, thrashy material from their 11th (!) full-length, The American Dream Died, and includes an anthemic, burly B-side, "Same Old Story", exclusive to the release. The colors are sick, honestly, complementing the EP title and theme in a pretty brutal way (black and blue, pool of blood, and blood spatter).
April
14th: Gallows - Desolation Sounds
We had to sit on this album for a while before finally letting this side of the world hear it, as we helped Gallows get their new record out to U.S. fans for the second time in a row. This is another neat chapter in their evolution, bringing in more of the occult feel they've developed in this stage of the career with an accessibility that make certain moments sound like radio rock from an alternative universe. It's still dark and has plenty of punk bite, though: standout "Leather Crown" is a Fucked Up-style ripper, and the heavy, brooding "Chains" pounds the pavement hard.
May
12th: After the Fall - Dedication
After the Fall are actually old friends of mine--namely singer/guitarist Mike, whose band I've been following and watching play live since at least 2004, before we met. A genuine guy that just values friendship, loves punk and the power manifested in a short, well-written and aggressive but melodic song, it shows in spades on their fifth and newest album, Dedication. The whole thing is a heartfelt memorial to one of their original members, Brian J. Peters, who lost his battle with cancer in 2013. Every song tackles a different angle of Peters' personality or untimely passing, and it all ties together to paint a portrait of a seemingly great guy who touched everyone around him in profound ways, and it does so with a bright, melodic and catchy veneer the band have developed impressively over their decade-plus tenure.
19th: Modern Pain - "Peace Delusions" b/w "Kill Yr. Idols" single
This early version of "Peace Delusions" was the first sneak peak we got from Modern Pain's forthcoming full-length, which was initially self-titled before the band decided to go with the first single's name anyway. There's a slightly different aural aesthetic to this earlier version of the track, giving the short two-track single its own vibe--the exclusive B-side, a cover of Sonic Youth's "Kill Yr. Idols" offers insight into the band's unique approach to hardcore (more on this later), and is pretty spot-on as well.
June
H2O - Four Song 1995 Demo [reissue]
Before we started rolling out promo for H2O's new album, we did this fun little thing that looked back at their very beginnings. This was a reissue for the fans that weren't around the first time in 1995 for the release of their original demo tape, putting all four songs from the Don Fury demo session (recorded just after Christmas 1994) on a yellow tape limited to 200 and hand-numbered by Toby Morse himself.
August
14th: Crown of Thornz - Nothing But Tragedy EP
Holy Christ did this 7" take forever to press. I guess if you were waiting for new Crown of Thornz material, a few more months was nothing at that rate--the NYHC act hadn't delivered new music since 1998. It was very cool to work with a classic and forward-thinking act of the mid-1990s NYHC scene, but it was cooler to have them come back and not just rehash what they were originally doing or pander to fans. These are two longer and still aggressive songs that really are in their own category of hardcore.
September
4th: Modern Pain - Peace Delusions
Modern Pain are another band that have certainly fashioned their own category of hardcore, and it's quite a good one--noisy, fuzzy and blown out, sounding like a lost relic of the '80s underground. This album is sick from start to finish, maintaining a blistering intensity through all its noisy divergences. It's unpredictable and rather hostile, leaving the listener with a weird, unsettling feeling by its end--in a good way. though. At this moment in hardcore, there's no other band out there quite like them.
11th: H2O - Skate! single
This was another teaser single we did, featuring two tracks from H2O's then-forthcoming and looong-awaited album, Use Your Voice, so we could finally get some new H2O out there sooner rather than later. There was a "Skate!" music video that came out around the same time as well, which the band roped in friend and pro skateboarder Steve Caballero for (he plays guitar on the track too!) and which features some pretty interesting footage of a teenage Toby Morse. These are definitely two of the faster songs from the record, making for a quick appetizer, and the limited-to-1000 7" seems to be a pretty sought-after item now.
25th: BoySetsFire - BoySetsFire
BoySetsFire proved their reunion album wasn't a fluke with this new self-titled effort, which also probably came out of nowhere for fans as it was announced just a month-and-a-half in advance. It's packed to the gills with sterling examples of their signature sound, running the gamut from huge anthems ("Savage Blood") and desperate-sounding numbers ("Cutting Room Floor") to upbeat, Rise Against-style cuts ("Heaven Knows") and juddering, Snapcase-esque hardcore ("Coward"), all with their incensed, politicized rage retained.
October
9th: H2O - Use Your Voice
H2O hadn't released a studio album of new material since 2008, so Use Your Voice was a long time coming--luckily it was worth the wait. The band came back hard with this jubilant and honest album that touches upon every enjoyable stripe of the melodic hardcore and punk spectrum while elaborating on all sorts of topics clearly important to frontman Toby Morse's heart. He expounds on the pure joy of skating as a young misfit, his love of pop music, social unrest, and even an ode to his wife (which mixes things up a bit, offering a different chorus tone from the band than we normally hear). They definitely cut 11 tracks any fan of H2O should love without pandering or phoning it in.
November
20th: Malfunction - Fear of Failure
The phrase "demo submission" has become sort of a misnomer, as most bands who get in touch with the label about working with us tend to offer fully-formed, finished releases without a home (and they're often terrible, or make no sense for us to release). Malfunction was the rare case of a demo submission being an actual demo submission, from a band that had been on our radar for some time, and also, actually good. They gave us three pre-production demos that showcased an exciting new chapter in their musical evolution, and the resulting album, Fear of Failure, fully delivered. Their first full-length is harsh, heavy and uncompromising, a fantastic entry of '90s metallic hardcore revival that pulls a little bit from an often overlooked scene.
BRIDGE NINE 2015: A YEAR IN REVEW BY BRIAN SHULTZ
January
13th: BoySetsFire - The Misery Index: Notes from the Plague Years [vinyl reissue]
BoySetsFire's bold and ambitious fourth album is one of my favorites of theirs, with anthems like "Requiem" and the bravely horn-addled yet intense "So Long and Thanks for the Crutches", so it was cool to have a hand in its release history with this new reissue. I remember seeing them live for the first time touring on it almost a decade ago and despite the small crowd at the time, they played their hearts out. This unintentionally almost-10th anniversary reissue is basically mandatory for fans--it looks good on complementary teal and white variants and includes a big poster insert.
27th: Caravels / Octaves - Split EP
This split EP is a rare co-release from B9, as we teamed up with Topshelf Records and their band Caravels to release new material from them and our own Octaves. Neither band had come out with new stuff since 2013, so it was nice to have two acts that play unique strains of modern post-hardcore in harmonious ways deliver fresh songs.
February
10th: War On Women - War On Women
Our first proper full-length release of the year was a total powderkeg: a fierce and volatile album that garnered quite the reaction--some ignorant Facebook users, sure, but mostly spiritual liberation as summed up by this one fan's feedback: "HELL FUCKING YEAH! EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH HARDCORE MUSIC!". The co-ed Baltimore punk quintet made their first huge musical statement, releasing a record that, per their name, tackled a wide array of contemporary feminist issues in both confrontational and humorous ways without skimping on Propagandhi-style aggression or riffs. There's an occasional theater to this record that revives Dead Kennedys' necessarily over-the-top social critique, too, while also melding punk, metal, and hardcore influences in newfangled ways.
24th: Alcoa - Parlour Tricks
Alcoa's sophomore full-length is actually a strong contender for my personal favorite album we released this year, so it's natural to say it deserves more recognition. Derek from Defeater has been quietly progressing this project since its genesis in the mid-2000s or so, and it's really seemed to peak on his fleshed-out full-length releases, a consistently enjoyable blend of alt-country and more generally alternative pop-rock leanings. His second album here tones down the bright recording of 2013's Bone & Marrow a bit, but the songs are somehow more powerful in subtler ways. I love the earnest, sadder stuff on here, like the stripped-down, darker "always chasing me" and the chamber feel of "come & go". Then there's my favorite track, "for holden", with the best chorus Gin Blossoms forgot to write during their heyday.
March
24th: Agnostic Front - Police Violence EP
Our relationship with Agnostic Front has yielded a prolific amount of cool stuff, including reissues of their classic foundational releases, the United Blood EP and Victim in Pain LP, as well as their seminal Live at CBGB album. This teaser EP we did for their new album, just as we did for their last one in 2011, steals some of the more old-school-leaning, thrashy material from their 11th (!) full-length, The American Dream Died, and includes an anthemic, burly B-side, "Same Old Story", exclusive to the release. The colors are sick, honestly, complementing the EP title and theme in a pretty brutal way (black and blue, pool of blood, and blood spatter).
April
14th: Gallows - Desolation Sounds
We had to sit on this album for a while before finally letting this side of the world hear it, as we helped Gallows get their new record out to U.S. fans for the second time in a row. This is another neat chapter in their evolution, bringing in more of the occult feel they've developed in this stage of the career with an accessibility that make certain moments sound like radio rock from an alternative universe. It's still dark and has plenty of punk bite, though: standout "Leather Crown" is a Fucked Up-style ripper, and the heavy, brooding "Chains" pounds the pavement hard.
May
12th: After the Fall - Dedication
After the Fall are actually old friends of mine--namely singer/guitarist Mike, whose band I've been following and watching play live since at least 2004, before we met. A genuine guy that just values friendship, loves punk and the power manifested in a short, well-written and aggressive but melodic song, it shows in spades on their fifth and newest album, Dedication. The whole thing is a heartfelt memorial to one of their original members, Brian J. Peters, who lost his battle with cancer in 2013. Every song tackles a different angle of Peters' personality or untimely passing, and it all ties together to paint a portrait of a seemingly great guy who touched everyone around him in profound ways, and it does so with a bright, melodic and catchy veneer the band have developed impressively over their decade-plus tenure.
19th: Modern Pain - "Peace Delusions" b/w "Kill Yr. Idols" single
This early version of "Peace Delusions" was the first sneak peak we got from Modern Pain's forthcoming full-length, which was initially self-titled before the band decided to go with the first single's name anyway. There's a slightly different aural aesthetic to this earlier version of the track, giving the short two-track single its own vibe--the exclusive B-side, a cover of Sonic Youth's "Kill Yr. Idols" offers insight into the band's unique approach to hardcore (more on this later), and is pretty spot-on as well.
June
H2O - Four Song 1995 Demo [reissue]
Before we started rolling out promo for H2O's new album, we did this fun little thing that looked back at their very beginnings. This was a reissue for the fans that weren't around the first time in 1995 for the release of their original demo tape, putting all four songs from the Don Fury demo session (recorded just after Christmas 1994) on a yellow tape limited to 200 and hand-numbered by Toby Morse himself.
August
14th: Crown of Thornz - Nothing But Tragedy EP
Holy Christ did this 7" take forever to press. I guess if you were waiting for new Crown of Thornz material, a few more months was nothing at that rate--the NYHC act hadn't delivered new music since 1998. It was very cool to work with a classic and forward-thinking act of the mid-1990s NYHC scene, but it was cooler to have them come back and not just rehash what they were originally doing or pander to fans. These are two longer and still aggressive songs that really are in their own category of hardcore.
September
4th: Modern Pain - Peace Delusions
Modern Pain are another band that have certainly fashioned their own category of hardcore, and it's quite a good one--noisy, fuzzy and blown out, sounding like a lost relic of the '80s underground. This album is sick from start to finish, maintaining a blistering intensity through all its noisy divergences. It's unpredictable and rather hostile, leaving the listener with a weird, unsettling feeling by its end--in a good way. though. At this moment in hardcore, there's no other band out there quite like them.
11th: H2O - Skate! single
This was another teaser single we did, featuring two tracks from H2O's then-forthcoming and looong-awaited album, Use Your Voice, so we could finally get some new H2O out there sooner rather than later. There was a "Skate!" music video that came out around the same time as well, which the band roped in friend and pro skateboarder Steve Caballero for (he plays guitar on the track too!) and which features some pretty interesting footage of a teenage Toby Morse. These are definitely two of the faster songs from the record, making for a quick appetizer, and the limited-to-1000 7" seems to be a pretty sought-after item now.
25th: BoySetsFire - BoySetsFire
BoySetsFire proved their reunion album wasn't a fluke with this new self-titled effort, which also probably came out of nowhere for fans as it was announced just a month-and-a-half in advance. It's packed to the gills with sterling examples of their signature sound, running the gamut from huge anthems ("Savage Blood") and desperate-sounding numbers ("Cutting Room Floor") to upbeat, Rise Against-style cuts ("Heaven Knows") and juddering, Snapcase-esque hardcore ("Coward"), all with their incensed, politicized rage retained.
October
9th: H2O - Use Your Voice
H2O hadn't released a studio album of new material since 2008, so Use Your Voice was a long time coming--luckily it was worth the wait. The band came back hard with this jubilant and honest album that touches upon every enjoyable stripe of the melodic hardcore and punk spectrum while elaborating on all sorts of topics clearly important to frontman Toby Morse's heart. He expounds on the pure joy of skating as a young misfit, his love of pop music, social unrest, and even an ode to his wife (which mixes things up a bit, offering a different chorus tone from the band than we normally hear). They definitely cut 11 tracks any fan of H2O should love without pandering or phoning it in.
November
20th: Malfunction - Fear of Failure
The phrase "demo submission" has become sort of a misnomer, as most bands who get in touch with the label about working with us tend to offer fully-formed, finished releases without a home (and they're often terrible, or make no sense for us to release). Malfunction was the rare case of a demo submission being an actual demo submission, from a band that had been on our radar for some time, and also, actually good. They gave us three pre-production demos that showcased an exciting new chapter in their musical evolution, and the resulting album, Fear of Failure, fully delivered. Their first full-length is harsh, heavy and uncompromising, a fantastic entry of '90s metallic hardcore revival that pulls a little bit from an often overlooked scene.
BoySetsFire's self-titled album out now
BoySetsFire's self-titled album is out today! This brand new full-length from the Delaware post-hardcore veterans is available directly from Bridge Nine in the U.S. and Canada and will hit retail stores November 20; visit End Hits Records to order it in all other territories. Physical copies should arrive at B9HQ very soon and pre-orders will ship immediately thereafter; you can still reserve your vinyl or CD copy at B9Store.com. Download and/or stream it at the following places as well:
- iTunes
- Amazon Music
- Spotify
BoySetsFire premiere "One Match" music video via Dying Scene
BoySetsFire have premiered a music video for their brand new song, "One Match", over at Dying Scene. The song comes from the band's forthcoming self-titled full-length, due out September 25 directly from Bridge Nine in the U.S. and Canada (in U.S./CA stores November 20) and from End Hits Records for the rest of the world on September 25. U.S. and Canadian customers can pre-order their copy at B9Store.com, while the rest of the world should check out pre-order options from End Hits.
BoySetsFire premiere "Savage Blood" lyric video on APTV
BoySetsFire have premiered the lyric video for their new song, "Savage Blood", over at Alternative Press's APTV section. Stream the previously released "Cutting Room Floor" below as well.
BoySetsFire is due out September 25 via Bridge Nine in the U.S./Canada and End Hits Records everywhere else. North Americans are encouraged to browse pre-order options at B9Store.com and everyone else from End Hits. The LP and CD versions will be in retail stores in the U.S./Canada on November 20.
BoySetsFire announce self-titled album, premiere first single, launch pre-orders
BoySetsFire have announced details on their forthcoming new album, and premiered the first single.
Check out "Cutting Room Floor" on BSF fan Marcel Gimmin's Facebook. The self-titled effort BoySetsFirewill be available directly from Bridge Nine and digitally on September 25, with a wide release in NA retail stores due November 20. North Americans can pre-order it now at B9Store.com. End Hits Recordswill be handling the release for the rest of the world on September 25, and have a wide variety of pre-orders for customers in their regions available here.
There is a good reason why BoySetsFire's new album is self-titled. It is the final result of a fight for freedom that lasted years and a reawakening of all the strengths within the band, combined with the power of the close bonds between its members. The focus is on their own abilities, something that was not always easy for frontman Nathan Gray, nor the rest of the band, which includes Chad Istvan, Joshua Latshaw, Chris Rakus and Robert Ehrenbrand. The captivating euphoria that has been building around the band for years has been channeled into thirteen songs that contrast with the rage of the previous album, with rousing optimism seeping from every pore. You could say that the eponymous album is the light-hearted sister of the brooding While A Nation Sleeps... (2013, Bridge Nine).
While he was in the studio, Nathan Gray was delirious with joy and sounded more enthusiastic than in any previous interview:"This album has quickly become one of my favorites we've ever done, and I am dying to get it out there. In albums past, we've talked a lot about all the terrible things going on in this world, and this time, we've focused a lot on sort of overcoming all of that. It's a much more positive vibe. Musically, there are some incredible, huge sounds on this album. It's very much us."
The first track on BoySetsFire, "Savage Blood" opens the album with an unbelievable energy that breaks down barriers. It features the crushing sound the world has come to expect from BoySetsFire, but with a level of intensity the band has rarely achieved before. The anger that has defined many of the post-hardcore veterans' albums is combined with catchy hooks.
"One Match", the first single from the album and perhaps the most unforgettable tune since the band's smash hit "Rookie", makes it clear that it is a blazing torch that will light a thousand others in dark times. Despite the track's accessibility, its lovingly crafted details show that the band has the talent to take a huge step forward in terms of songwriting on their sixth album.
"Torches to Paradise", which is an explosive force in a philosophical band like BoySetsFire, whose members have very different beliefs, has a very special meaning for bassist Robert Ehrenbrand in particular: "To me it is about freeing myself from the burden of dogma and the imposed slavery of illusions brought upon us by society, religion and mind control...setting fire to 'paradise' (aka the illusion) we free ourselves and become what we truly can be, a self-empowered and free thinking, loving entity."
This self-produced and released album deserves even more respect when you consider the band's turbulent past: Originally formed in 1994, BoySetsFire was as good as dead about five years ago, when its members put the shards of an almost failed career back together, risking a reunion. The post-hardcore pioneers, who helped shape the genre with their albums After the Eulogy and Tomorrow Come Today, both released around the millennium, were victims of the music industry's demise and the failed attempt to work with a major label affiliated record company.
That brave comeback in early 2013 was based completely on the principle of self-determination and culminated in the release of one of their most successful albums to date, While a Nation Sleeps.... The album was hailed as "one of their most cohesive melodic hardcore albums, right up in line with 2000'sAfter the Eulogy, which many consider to be their best album" (Alternative Press) and "Comeback albums are often greeted with lofty, unrealistic expectations, but it is safe to say that BoySetsFire have surpassed even the wildest of these expectations with While A Nation Sleeps..." (Sputnik Music).
BOYSETSFIRE
s/t
Release: September 25, 2015
01. Savage Blood
02. Cutting Room Floor
03. Don't Panic
04. Ordinary Lives
05. One Match
06. The Filth Is Rising
07. Torches To Paradise
08. Coward
09. Heaven Knows
10. Fall From Grace
11. Dig Your Grave
12. Breathe In, Bleed Out
13. Bled Dry
BoySetsFire announce European tour with Silverstein, Great Collapse
BoySetsFire have announced a European tour set to take place in early October. Support will come from Silverstein and Great Collapse (members of Rise Against, Comeback Kid, Strike Anywhere, and Set Your Goals).
The band is currently hard at work on their next album, for which they're aiming a fall release through B9 in the U.S. and their own label, End Hits, the rest of the world. They last released While a Nation Sleeps... in 2013.
BOYSETSFIRE European tour dates w/ Silverstein, Great Collapse
01.10.2015 Hamburg [D] - Docks
02.10.2015 Amsterdam [NL] - Melkweg
03.10.2015 London [UK] - Islington Academy
04.10.2015 Hasselt [B] - Muziekodroom
05.10.2015 Munster [D] - Skater's Palace
06.10.2015 Wiesbaden [D] - Schlachthof
07.10.2015 Nurnberg [D] - Lowensaal
08.10.2015 Solothurn [CH] - Kofmehl
09.10.2015 Vienna [AT] - Arena
10.10.2015 Lindau [D] - Club Vaudeville
11.10.2015 Leipzig [D] - Werk 2
12.10.2015 Berlin [D] - Huxley's