Milwaukee's finest are gearing up to release their third full-length later in 2016, but before they do that, they're looking back at some of the material they first made their name on. In 2011, Expire were a young and feisty quartet scraping their way through some of the most fierce and fresh hardcore around. Old Songs collects that era's material onto one convenient release for fans, including their first two EPs and their contributing track to the 2012 America's Hardcore compilation. The LP packaging includes a spot UV and embossed jacket with a heavy duty printed dust sleeve. Check out the track listing below.
Old Songs will be in stores March 25, but you can order the vinyl now and pre-order CD and tape versions at B9Store.com.
Expire - Old Songs track listing:
1. 3:56
2. Navy Blue or Black
3. Expired
4. Darker
5. Anchor
6. Sold Short
7. Sleep Lost
8. First Fall
9. Grip
10. Focus
11. Tucked Away
Cross Me's Forever Cursed EP detailed; new music coming soon; on tour now
After touring relentlessly and seasoning and developing their sound along the way, Cross Me are ready to release their Bridge Nine debut EP. Titled Forever Cursed and available on 7" vinyl, digital and streaming formats on March 11, these four songs compose a mean, turbulent 10 minutes of hardcore with deep introspection and heavy thrash and metal influences that gives them character and unique flair amid a crowded modern hardcore field. Check out a teaser for the EP now below.
Hailing from Milwaukee, Cross Me formed in early 2013, bonding over a mutual love of classic and modern NYHC (The Icemen, Madball, Backtrack). They came out of the gate with their 2014 EP, Paid in Full and last year, the "Mind Prison" / "Content" flexi 7", both released on Flatspot Records.
Cross Me are gearing up for another round of U.S. tour dates; the first leg will take them to the east coast with Eternal Sleep, while Survival Method will take the latter's place for dates in the south that lead up to Midwest Blood Fest with Another Mistake, Weekend Nachos, Bent Life and more. Check out the tour dates listed below and keep up with Cross Me on Facebook and Twitter.
Cross Me, On Tour:
1/15- Columbus, OH @ 15th Haus
1/16- Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee's
1/17- Ottawa, ON @ Meadowlands House
1/19- Worcester, MA @ The Raven
1/20- New Britain, CT @ Pulaski Club
1/21- Warren, NJ @ Warren American Legion
1/22- Norfolk, VA @ 37th and Zen
1/23- Fayetteville, NC @ Drunk Horse Pub
1/24- Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
1/25- Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
1/26- Jacksonville, FL @ Birdhouse
1/27- Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
1/28- West Palm Beach, FL @ Absent Heart Studios
1/29- Odessa, FL @ The Goat House
1/30- Panama City Beach, FL @ The Den
1/31- Baton Rouge, LA @ 524 Studios
2/1- Houston, TX @ The White Swan
2/2- Dallas, TX @ RBC
2/3- Little Rock, AR @ Vino's
2/4- Nashville, TN @ Coco 66
2/5- New Albany, IN @ Midwest Blood Fest
Forever Cursed EP Track Listing:
1. Forever Cursed
2. Waste of Life
3. Cold
4. Numb
Malfunction's Fear of Failure out now
Malfunction's first full-length Fear of Failure is out today! Purchase and/or stream it at the following places:
-B9Store.com
-Bandcamp
-iTunes
-Amazon CD
-Amazon MP3
-Google Play
-Spotify
Recorded at GCR Recording Studios with Jay Zubricky, mixed by Taylor Young (Nails, Twitching Tongues), and mastered by Paul Leavitt (Turnstile, Darkest Hour), Fear of Failure is a harsh and uncompromising bout of metallic hardcore. The band's first proper release in three years after touring extensively with the likes of Bane, Turnstile, Backtrack, and Harm's Way shows them progressing considerably, adopting a loose and raw yet thoroughly heavy strain aggressively exorcising the demons of personal anxieties and volatile relationships.
Check Malfunction out on Terror's The 25th Hour Tour kicking off next week with Code Orange and Take Offense:
MALFUNCTION tour dates w/ Terror / Code Orange / Take Offense
28-Nov - Chicago, IL - The Abbey
29-Nov - Detroit, MI - Saint Andrew's Hall - The Shelter
30-Nov - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar
1-Dec - Buffalo, NY - Studio at Waiting Room
2-Dec - Etobicoke, ONT - The Rockpile - West
3-Dec - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz PDB
4-Dec - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
5-Dec - Howell, NJ - GameChanger World
6-Dec - Washington DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
7-Dec - Raleigh, NC - Kings
8-Dec - Orlando, FL - BackBooth
9-Dec - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Hell
10-Dec - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
11-Dec - Austin, TX - The Sidewinder
12-Dec - Fort Worth, TX - Tomcats
13-Dec - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street Collective
14-Dec - Denver, CA - Marquis Theater
15-Dec - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
16-Dec - San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside
17-Dec - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
18-Dec - Los Angeles, CA - Los Globos
19-Dec - La Jolla, CA - Che Cafe Collective
H2O's 'Use Your Voice' out now!
H2O's Use Your Voice is officially out today!!! After seven long years, support the band and their new album and pick up a copy from one of the smart, tastemaking stores listed below. If you can't find it, let us know and get your choice of format online (LP/CD/CS/DL/stream) from the following outlets listed below as well.
Also, through the rest of the weekend we're offering the Use Your Voice CD for just $5! Get that deal atB9Store.com/H2O.
-Bandcamp
-iTunes
-Amazon (LP)
-Amazon (CD)
-Amazon (MP3)
-Google Play
-Spotify
Alliance Entertainment
Amoeba Music
Applause Music
Audiophile Music Direct
Baker & Taylor
Banana Belt
Birdland Record Shop
Boo Boo Records
Bull Moose Music
C D City
Caroline Records
Dearborn Music Company
Disc And Dat
Down In The Valley
E-Music DBA Everyday Music
Easy Street Records Corporation
Eric's Trip
Ernie B's Reggae Distribution
Extreme Noise Records
Gotham Distributing Corporation
Gregory R. Halamay
Haight Street Amoeba
Half A Man
Hollywood Amoeba
Holt Enterprises
Independent Records Of Colorado Springs
Jack's Music Shop
Kennedy Entertainment Corp
Lost Highway
Lou's
Lunchbox Records
Mad-Rhino
Margaritaville Music
Millennium Enterprises
Newbury Comics
Oz Enterprises
Painted Smiles
Port Of Sound Record Shoppe
Princeton Record Exchange
Pure Pop For Now People
Recorp
Rolling Stones Corp.
Salzer's Mercantile
Scotti's Record Shops
Shake It
Silver Platters
Skinnies Records
Sound Garden
Streetlight Records
The Coiro Corp.
The Electric Fetus Co.
The Exclusive Company Corp.
Trans World Entertainment
Transcontinent Record Sales
Twist And Shout Records
Vintage Vinyl
Waterloo Records & Video
West Canterbury
Zia Enterprises
Malfunction premiere "Drift"; 'Fear of Failure' pre-orders launched
Malfunction have premiered "Drift" over at RevolverMag.com. It's the first track to be revealed from their forthcoming full-length debut, Fear of Failure, which is now available for pre-order atB9Store.com. Digital pre-orders with an IG of "Drift" are also available from iTunes and Bandcamp.
Fear of Failure is out November 20. Be sure to catch the band on Terror's The 25th Hour Tour shortly thereafter with Code Orange, Take Offense, and others (dates below).
Terror's The 25th Hour Tour dates
28-Nov - Chicago, IL - The Abbey w/ Code Orange, Take Offense, King Nine, Malfunction
29-Nov - Detroit, MI - Saint Andrew's Hall - The Shelter w/ Code Orange, Take Offense, King Nine, Malfunction
30-Nov - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar w/ Code Orange, Take Offense, King Nine, Malfunction
1-Dec - Buffalo, NY - Studio at Waiting Room w/ Code Orange, Take Offense, King Nine, Malfunction
2-Dec - Etobicoke, ONT - The Rockpile - West w/ Code Orange, Take Offense, Malfunction, Blind Justice
3-Dec - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz PDB w/ Code Orange, Take Offense, Malfunction, Blind Justice
4-Dec - Worcester, MA - The Palladium w/ Code Orange, Take Offense, Malfunction, Blind Justice
5-Dec - Howell, NJ - GameChanger World w/ Code Orange, Incendiary, Take Offense, Malfunction, Blind Justice
6-Dec - Washington DC - Rock & Roll Hotel w/ Code Orange, Incendiary, Take Offense, Malfunction
7-Dec - Raleigh, NC - Kings w/ Code Orange, Incendiary, Take Offense, Malfunction
8-Dec - Orlando, FL - BackBooth w/ Code Orange, Incendiary, Take Offense, Malfunction
9-Dec - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Hell w/ Code Orange, Incendiary, Take Offense, Malfunction
10-Dec - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa w/ Code Orange, Take Offense , Malfunction, Blistered
11-Dec - Austin, TX - The Sidewinder w/ Code Orange, Take Offense , Malfunction, Blistered
12-Dec - Fort Worth, TX - Tomcats w/ Code Orange, Take Offense , Malfunction, Blistered
13-Dec - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street Collective w/ Code Orange, Take Offense , Malfunction, Blistered
14-Dec - Denver, CA - Marquis Theater w/ Code Orange, Take Offense , Malfunction, Blistered
15-Dec - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ Code Orange, Take Offense , Malfunction, Blistered
16-Dec - San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside w/ Code Orange, Bitter End, Take Offense , Malfunction
17-Dec - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction w/ Code Orange, Bitter End, Take Offense , Malfunction
18-Dec - Los Angeles, CA - Los Globos w/ Code Orange, Bitter End, Take Offense , Malfunction
19-Dec - La Jolla, CA - Che Cafe Collective w/ Code Orange, Bitter End, Take Offense , Malfunction
Foundation reveal "Failure Breeds Failure", launch 'Turncoat' pre-orders, announce tour dates
Foundation have detailed info on their forthcoming EP and final release, Turncoat, and revealed a new song from it, "Failure Breeds Failure", which features guest vocals from Anderson Bradshaw from the Promise/Another Victim. Stream that via their newly launched Bandcamp below, and check out artwork and track listing above/below as well. Pre-orders are available directly from Jawk Records here on several different variants. It's expected out January 2016.
The band have announced some respective weekend tours as well with bands like Blistered, King Nine, and Freedom, and scheduled their final show for April 30, 2016, in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Check out all that info below as well.
Turncoat track listing:
1. The New Faith
2. A Warm Place in Hell
3. Failure Breeds Failure
4. Devotion III
5. Silence Above, Quiet Below
Upcoming tour dates:
NOVEMBER
w/ Blistered and Society Abuse
28th- Tampa, FL. Epic Problem.
29th- Jacksonville, FL. Burro Bar.
DECEMBER
Fallcore Fest
4th- Houston, TX. Walters.
w/ KING NINE and Criminal Instinct
11th- Long Island, NY. TBA.
12th- Boston, MA. Middle East.
13th- Wilkes-Barre, PA. Westside Park.
JANUARY
w/ Forced Order and Ex-Youth
8th- Los Angeles, CA. Los Globos.
9th- Berkley, CA. 924 Gilman St.
10th- Anaheim, CA. Chain Reaction.
FEBRUARY
w/ Freedom
19th- Chicago, IL. Q-Bar.
20th- Detroit, MI. The Sanctuary.
21st- Indianapolis, IN. Savage Yard.
APRIL
w/ TBD
30th- Atlanta, GA. TBA.
FINAL SHOW
Win a test pressing of H2O's 'Use Your Voice'!
Want to win a test pressing of H2O's upcoming album Use Your Voice? Repost this image on your social feed with the hashtag #USEYOURVOICE for your chance!
Use Your Voice is out October 9 and up for pre-order on B9Store.com.
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
Malfunction announce new album, 'Fear of Failure'
As one of Bridge Nine's most recent roster additions, Buffalo, NY's Malfunction are elated to announce the release of their new full-length album Fear of Failure on November 20th. Sign up for pre-order notifications at B9Store.com.
Recorded at GCR Recording Studios with Jay Zubricky, mixed by Taylor Young (Nails, Twitching Tongues), and mastered by Paul Leavitt (Turnstile, Darkest Hour), Fear of Failure is a harsh and uncompromising bout of metallic hardcore. The band's first proper release in three years after touring extensively with the likes of Bane, Turnstile, Backtrack, and Harm's Way shows them progressing considerably, adopting a loose and raw yet thoroughly heavy strain aggressively exorcising the demons of personal anxieties and volatile relationships.
The quintet formed in 2011 and wasted little time getting music out to the world with their Locals Onlydemo, followed by an appearance on the Bad Meets Evil compilation. This soon led to them getting picked up by upstate hardcore standby Reaper Records, who released their Finding My Peace EP in 2012, with the band issuing a cassingle in the summer of 2013 (all the while touring the country to get deserved widespread attention). Fear of Failure will thus mark their first batch of new material in over two years.
Following the release of Fear of Failure, Malfunction will embark on a North American tour with Terror, Code Orange and others. Check out the tour dates below along with Fear of Failure track listing and stay tuned for song premieres and more info coming soon.
Fear of Failure track listing:
1. Drained
2. Fear of Failure
3. Cut Off
4. WIndow of Illusion
5. Final Thoughts
6. Drift
7. Guilt
8. Sonic
9. Release
10. Discontent
The 25th Hour Tour dates
28-Nov - Chicago, IL - The Abbey
29-Nov - Detroit, MI - Saint Andrew's Hall - The Shelter
30-Nov - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar
1-Dec - Buffalo, NY - Studio at Waiting Room
2-Dec - Etobicoke, ONT - The Rockpile - West
3-Dec - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz PDB
4-Dec - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
5-Dec - Howell, NJ - GameChanger World
6-Dec - Washington DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
7-Dec - Raleigh, NC - Kings
8-Dec - Orlando, FL - BackBooth
9-Dec - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Hell
10-Dec - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
11-Dec - Austin, TX - The Sidewinder
12-Dec - Fort Worth, TX - Tomcats
13-Dec - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street Collective
14-Dec - Denver, CA - Marquis Theater
15-Dec - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
16-Dec - San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside
17-Dec - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
18-Dec - Los Angeles, CA - Los Globos
19-Dec - La Jolla, CA - Che Cafe Collective
Modern Pain's 'Peace Delusions' out today
Modern Pain's new album, Peace Delusions, is out today. Pick up an LP, CD or digital copy atB9Store.com. Download it from iTunes or Bandcamp, or stream it via Spotify below. Physical copies will be in retail stores within the next two weeks.
Peace Delusions might be described as "if In Utero was a hardcore punk record", but even that might be underselling the Dallas, Texas band's first full-length. This new album resembles a golden artifact unearthed from the '80s American hardcore underground, harnessing the unbridled aggression of groundbreaking acts like SSD, Poison Idea and Infest and filtering it through the caustic, ashy atmospheres and unfettered noise rock of Texan predecessors Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard, as well as Moss Icon's murky, wordy pathos. This unpredictable, nerve-damaging, half-hour-long debut full-length remains at its core, however, a spacey, noisy punk record all its own.
Modern Pain's 'Peace Delusions' streaming in full
Modern Pain's Peace Delusions is now streaming in full via Bandcamp. Check it out below and grab an early download if you like what you hear. The album is officially out this Friday, September 4th, with LP and CD pre-orders from B9Store.com shipping now.
Peace Delusions can be described as "if In Utero was a hardcore punk record," but even that might be underselling the Dallas, Texas band's first full-length. This new album resembles a golden artifact unearthed from the '80s American hardcore underground, harnessing the unbridled aggression of groundbreaking acts like SSD, Poison Idea and Infest and filtering it through the caustic, ashy atmospheres and unfettered noise rock of Texan predecessors Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard, as well as Moss Icon's murky, wordy pathos. This unpredictable, nerve-damaging, half-hour-long debut full-length remains at its core a spacey, noisy punk record.
H2O 'Use Your Voice' pre-orders launched; title track streaming; U.S. fall tour
H2O's forthcoming album and first in eight years, Use Your Voice, is now available for pre-order on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital formats with special package deals and a new shirt at B9Store.com. The second song from the record is now online as well--stream the title track over at Noisey. Digital folks can also pre-order Use Your Voice at iTunes and the B9 Bandcamp and get an IG of the previously released "Skate!". Both of these songs also make up the Skate! EP, out on 7" and digital formats September 11 and still available for pre-order while supplies last at B9Store.com. Use Your Voice will be in stores October 9.
In addition, the band have announced a series of Use Your Voice album release shows for November and December. The November dates take place in the Midwest and northeast and will feature Angel Du$t and GIVE on all shows, while December's run involves a short trek through Florida with Boys No Good and the Attack. Check out details above and below.
H2O Use Your Voice album release shows
November support: Angel Du$t, GIVE
December support: Boys No Good, The Attack
11/12 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
11/13 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Cafe
11/14 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
11/15 Buffalo, NY @ Waiting Room
11/17 Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Loft
11/18 Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground
11/19 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East upstairs
11/20 Howell, NJ @ GameChangerWorld
11/21 Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge
12/03 Jacksonville, FL @ 1904
12/04 Ybor City, FL @ Crowbar
12/05 Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
12/06 Margate, FL @ O'Malley's
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
H2O announce 'Use Your Voice', reveal "Skate!" video and 7" pre-order
It's been seven years since the release of a proper full-length album from H2O (2008's critically acclaimed Nothing to Prove). The band's immensely anticipated new album, Use Your Voice, will finally see the light of day on October 9th, 2015. Bassist Adam Blake commented, "Nothing to Prove was the record we really found our niche, where we were really like, 'This is H2O. This is what H2O should be...this is the spirt of the thing.' We felt like a brand new band. We felt excited." He continued, "It's nice, seven years after Nothing to Prove, that we can capture those feelings again with this new record."
H2O, which also includes members Toby Morse, Todd Friend, and Rusty Pistachio, have spent the last seven years constantly on tour and playing live, hitting almost every nook and cranny on Planet Earth. In 2011, they released a covers album, Don't Forget Your Roots, which featured takes on songs by some of their favorite acts like 7 Seconds, Dag Nasty, and Gorilla Biscuits. With a rigorous tour schedule, as well as at-home obligations, H2O finally started demoing songs out two years later in 2013, while on tour with Terror. Suddenly, the foundation was laid for Use Your Voice.
Recorded once again by a dream team of Chad Gilbert (Producer, Nashville [who recorded vocals]) and Paul Miner (Engineer, Orange County, CA [who recorded music]), Use Your Voice is 11 songs of high-energy, high-octane melodic hardcore punk that is sure to please any fan of the band's impressive back catalog (which includes their 1996 self-titled debut, 1997's Thicker Than Water [Epitaph], 1999'sF.T.T.W. [Epitaph], 2001's GO [MCA], and landmark 2008 release Nothing to Prove [Bridge Nine]) and modern punk in all shapes and forms. On this new album, frontman and lyricist Toby Morse continues to deliver his direct and personal manifestos, with subjects spanning fatherhood ("Father Figure"), romantic relationships ("True Romance"), music fandom ("Popage"), social media philosophy ("#NotRealLife") and more.
Check out a video for the first song to surface from Use Your Voice, titled "Skate!", now on YouTube. For this video, the band reconnected with longtime friend and director Joseph Pattisall, who also directed their videos for "What Happened?" and "Nothing to Prove" which have over 2 million combined views on YouTube alone. The new video for "Skate!" utilized 30-year-old-footage of Toby skating as a teenager in St. Mary's County Maryland and was put together as a passion project just for fun and to give fans a sample of the new record. "Skate!" was filmed over the course of several days at Hurley HQ, Brooklyn Projects, and Vans Skate Park in Orange, CA, and features professional skateboarding legend Steve Caballero and Rob Mertz as well as cameos from countless other friends and family of H2O. The song appears on Use Your Voice as well as a pre-release 7inch of the same name that is up for pre-order now from B9Store.com/H2O.
More info and an official music video for a new track will come soon in conjunction with the release ofUse Your Voice. Until then, keep up with H2O on Facebook.
Use Your Voice Track Listing:
1. Black Sheep
2. Skate!
3. Thick and Thin
4. Use Your Voice
5. Father Figure
6. From the Heart
7. Popage
8. LYD
9. Still Dreaming
10. #NotRealLife
11. True Romance
Crown of Thornz debut new song at InEffectHardcore.com, pre-orders for 7-inch launched
Crown of Thornz have premiered a new track over at InEffectHardcore. "The Kiss of Death" comes from their upcoming 7", Nothing But Tragedy, which is now available for pre-order at B9Store.com with a new shirt design. The Nothing But Tragedy 7"/DL will be out August 14.
Crown of Thornz were an NYHC mainstay during the mid-1990s alongside acts like Madball, H2O, and Vision of Disorder. Street-wise and charismatic graffiti artist Lord Ezec spearheaded the band in 1994 with high school friend (and future Shelter member) Franklin Rhi, recruiting future Breakdown member Mike Dijan. They would quickly become a live favorite on the scene with energetic and tight performances that ignited crowds with their musically and emotionally heavy style that drew inspiration from Cro-Mags and crossover-era Agnostic Front while ruminating about love and hate dichotomies, senseless violence, and contemplative introspection. Their recorded output was limited: There was only 1995's Train Yard Blues EP on then-hardcore pillar Equal Vision Records, and 1996's Mentally Vexedfull-length on local cornerstone Another Planet. But both releases found attention worldwide, and the band would tour all over on them until their demise in 1998.
Now, we are excited to present Crown of Thornz's first recorded output since a 1998 split single with Aggressive Dogs. Nothing But Tragedy features two new tracks: "The Kiss of Death", a somewhat more straightforward representation of the CoT sound that nonetheless moves their thudding, mid-tempo hardcore style forward. The B-side is "No Reason Why" (not to be confused with the Gorilla Biscuits classic), an epic, darkly affecting rock song, the likes of which CoT have never quite approached, with a booming, heady chorus to boot.