Sound and Fury Festival has unveiled half the lineup for its forthcoming 2016 edition. B9's Cross Me are included, as are acts like Guns Up!, Nails, Twitching Tongues, Down to Nothing, and Angel Du$t among others. Check out the full list below so far, alphabetically.
The fest takes place June 10 and 11 at Regent Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Passes are on sale now here, and $5 off can be had until 4pm EST with the promo code THEMOST.
The second lineup announcement is promised a month from now on February 29.
SOUND AND FURY FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT #1:
ANGEL DU$T
BLIND JUSTICE
CROSS ME
DOWN TO NOTHING
DOWNPRESSER
FORCED ORDER
FREE
FREEDOM
FULL OF HELL
FURY
GAG
GOD'S HATE
GUNS UP!
JESUS PIECE
MINUS
MIZERY
NAILS
RESPONSE
TAKE OFFENSE
TWITCHING TONGUES
VAMACHARA
WORLD BE FREE
Cross Me premiere "Numb" music video, Forever Cursed pre-orders launched
Cross Me have premiered their music video for "Numb", the first track from their forthcoming EP,Forever Cursed. Check it out at RevolverMag.com and pre-order Forever Cursed now at B9Store.com.
Cross Me are the latest band to consider themselves part of the current Midwest Blood hardcore movement, and a furious participant they are. After touring hard for a young act and seasoning and developing their sound along the way, they're ready to release their Bridge Nine debut. The four-songForever Cursed EP is 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. Forever Cursed will be in stores March 11 on 7" vinyl and digital formats.
Check out the band's remaining tour dates below as well, leading up to an appearance at Midwest Blood Fest next week.
Cross Me, On Tour:
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
Cross Me - Forever Cursed EP track listing:
1. Forever Cursed
2. Waste of Life
3. Cold
4. Numb
Expire's Old Songs out March 25, available now from B9
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
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*
After the Fall announce Pacific northwest dates
After the Fall have announced another round of tour dates, this time for the U.S. Pacific northwest following their weekend in British Columbia supporting Propagandhi. Dead Bars will join them on most dates. Check those out below.
The band continue supporting last year's Dedication.
AFTER THE FALL tour dates:
02/05/16 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre w/ Propagandhi (sold out)
02/06/16 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre w/ Propagandhi
02/06/16 Victoria, BC @ Sugar w/ Propagandhi
02/10/16 Tacoma, WA @ Real Art w/ Dead Bars
02/11/16 Bellingham, WA @ Waterfront w/ Dead Bars
02/12/16 Portland, OR @ SMU Warehouse w/ Dead Bars
02/13/16 Longview, WA @ The Edge w/ Dead Bars
02/14/16 Seattle, WA @ Victory Lounge
Dead Swans news coming soon...
The UK's long-dormant Dead Swans are teasing...something...on their Facebook. Check it out.
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
Lemuria playing Pouzza Fest
Lemuria have been announced as part of this year's Pouzza Fest in Montreal, Quebec, taking place May 20th through the 22nd. They'll play alongside Less Than Jake, Sick of It All, the Suicide Machines, and many others. Check out the full lineup in the accompanying admat.
Floorpunch, Foundation, Burn, Malfunction playing United Blood Fest
United Blood have announced the lineup for their two-day 2016 installment taking place in March. Floorpunch, Foundation, Burn, Right Brigade, and Twitching Tongues will headline. B9ers Malfunction make an appearance in the lineup as well. Check out the full list announced below.
The fest takes place March 25 and 26 at The Canal Club in Richmond, VA. Two-day passes are on sale now here.
UNITED BLOOD FEST 2016 - March 25-26, 2016
Floorpunch
Foundation
Burn
Right Brigade
Twitching Tongues
Incendiary
King Nine
Give
Naysayer
Maximum Penalty
God's Hate
Forced Order
Blind Justice
Build & Destroy
Red Death
MALFUNCTION
Lost Souls
Fury
Barge
Hard Stripes
ICE
Protester
Iron Edge
Society Abuse
Regulate
Higher Power
Free
The Wilding Incident
R.I.P. Rob McAllister (Iron Chic)
Credit: BrooklynVegan/Mimi Hong
We were shocked and saddened to hear about Rob McAllister, formerly of Iron Chic, passing away yesterday. I've known Rob for close to a decade, since his earlier days playing in Capital, and he was always super warm, friendly, and personable in our interactions. He also helped create some of the best punk rock to ever come from Long Island. Everyone at B9 sends our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fans.
-Brian Shultz, B9 Distribution
After the Fall announce weekend shows with Propagandhi
After the Fall have announced a weekend of shows as direct support for Propagandhi next month in the British Columbia province in western Canada. Check those out above and below.
The band continues to support last year's album Dedication.
AFTER THE FALL shows w/ Propagandhi
02/05/16 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre (sold out)
02/06/16 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
02/07/16 Victoria, BC @ Sugar
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.
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
Cross Me touring in early 2016 with Eternal Sleep, Survival Method
Cross Me have announced another round of U.S. tour dates, this time for early 2016. 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 itinerary below and expect more info on Cross Me's B9 debut EP coming soon.
CROSS ME tour dates w/ Eternal Sleep [1/19-1/30], Survival Method [1/31-2/5]
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
1/26- 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
Silver Snakes announce new album on Evil Ink Records, premiere new song
We're happy to say that Silver Snakes have announced their new album on their new label, Evil Ink Records (headed by Coheed and Cambria's Claudio Sanchez). It's called Saboteur, is out February 5, 2016, and you can hear the first song, "Raindance", at BrooklynVegan. Pre-orders are available here.
Here's what the band had to say about the song and album:
'Saboteur is a record summed up by its title. It's about sabotage, it's about using direct action to accomplish a goal. It can be applied to many situations : Personal, Political etc. it's about having the passion to do absolutely whatever it takes to make a point even if it's potentially harmful.
"Raindance" was one of the first songs written for the record. It's the follow up track to a song we previously released called "Sundance" which was about being caught up in abusive relationships. "Raindance" is about taking the plunge into new endeavors only to have voices from the past show up to steer you elsewhere. It's the balance between sides, The person being torn down and the voice of negativity all speaking at once.'
The band will be on the road supporting Coheed, along with Glassjaw, early next year. Check those dates, as well as the Saboteur track listing, below.
Saboteur Track List:
1. Electricity
2. Glass
3. Raindance
4. Devotion
5. Fire Cloud
6. Red Wolf
7. Charmer
8. La Dominadora
9. Dresden
10. The Loss
Silver Snakes -- 2016 Tour Dates
Jan 11 - Los Angeles, CA - Silverlake Lounge
Jan 18 - Los Angeles, CA - Silverlake Lounge
Jan 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Silverlake Lounge
Feb 1 - Los Angeles, CA - Silverlake Lounge
Feb 22 - Boston, MA - House of Blues*
Feb 25 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theater*
Feb 26 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom*
Feb 27 - St. Paul, MN - Myth Live Event Center*
Feb 29 - Columbus, OH - The LC Indoor Pavilion*
Mar 1 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE*
Mar 2 - Washington, DC - Echostage*
Mar 4 - New York, NY - Theater at Madison Square Garden*
Mar 5 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore*
Mar 7 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz*
Mar 8 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore*
Mar 10 - Miami, FL - The Fillmore*
Mar 11 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live*
Mar 12 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live*
Mar 14 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle*
Mar 15 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works*
Mar 17 - Houston, TX - Revention Music Center*
Mar 19 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom*
Mar 21 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee*
Mar 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium*
Mar 23 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic*
Mar 25 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas*
Mar 26 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex*
Mar 27 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium*
* - w/ Coheed & Cambria, Glassjaw