Rise Records announced earlier today the signing of seminal West Coat hardcore punk band, 7 Seconds.

Here is the official statement from Rise Records:

Rise Records is proud to announce the signing of legendary hardcore band 7 Seconds to its family of artists. Forming in Reno, NV in January 1980, 7 Seconds was the originator of the West Coast Hardcore sound that influenced just about every hardcore band including; Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and modern day bands like Title Fight and American Nightmare. It is safe to say the band helped start the “Youth Crew” sound. Releasing an EP called Walk Together, Rock Together in 1985 officially put them on the map. Their positive lyrical content influenced so many youths over the years and they weren’t afraid to push the envelope.

Staying tried and true to their sound, 7 Seconds is back in full effect with a ton of new songs for a 7” and shortly after that, a new full length album. The guys will be heading into the studio this summer in Sacramento to begin the recording process. Amazingly enough, the band still has its original 3 members from 1982: Kevin Seconds, Steve Youth and Troy Mowat, plus Bobby Adams, who has been with the band since 1986. Kevin Seconds, the singer and songwriter, had this to say about the new 7” and forthcoming album, “we have about 20 new songs that we’ll record the best 13 songs from. This new record will be all about the energy and drive we still very much possess as a hardcore band. It’s been 9 long years since we’ve recorded a new album so there’s a great deal of urgency in them, with just the right mixture of both fast and mid-tempo tunes for people to sink their teeth into.“

The next few years will be exciting times for 7 Seconds and Rise Records; lots of new music, tours and talks of re-releasing back catalog for a special edition vinyl box-set. More rumors include the possible recording of their first 20 songs written in 1979 in which only 3 were recorded using a hand held tape recorder. In the meantime, get ready for some 7 Seconds, 1..2..3…Go!

If you were putting the Summer of 2013 into Seinfeldian terms, you may want to consider referring to it as The Summer of Night Birds. Nearly two years after the release of their cult-classic debut LP The Other Side of Darkness, Grave Mistake Records (US) and Taken By Surprise Records (Europe) will deliver Night Birds‘ second full-length, Born to Die in Suburbia on July 9th. On it, Night Birds have outdone themselves once again – honing their style on Born to Die in Suburbia, delivering 14 tracks of scintillating hardcore punk – refashioning the dark overtones and surfy inflections of early ’80s Cali punk for a modern world on the very verge of a nervous breakdown (full tracklisting below).

Check out the first single, the title track “Maimed for the Masses” off the Fat Wreck Chords 7″ below:

Recorded over the better part of the Winter of 2013 with Mitch Rackin at Seaside Lounge (Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, The Obits) in Brooklyn, NY, Night Birds have created a record that is distinctly more “Night Birds” than ever. Featuring guest vocals from Eric Davidson (New Bomb Turks, The Livids) and Miranda Taylor (Hunchback, Black Wine), Born to Die in Suburbia is rife with the band’s signature tales of dysfunction, despair and lamentations of a culture in rapid decline.

Never ones to hold still, this summer sees Night Birds migrating South to Austin’s Chaos in Tejas in June before heading back to the East Coast for a slew of dates this summer including tours with Red Dons and Zero Boys (all tour dates below).

Born to Die in Suburbia Tracklisting:
1.Escape From New York
2. Born To Die in Suburbia
3. Modern Morons
4. Domestic Dispute
5. No Spoilers
6. Ads In My Eyes
7. Nazi Gold
8. Silver Alert
9. Pretty Poison
10. Villa Obscura
11. Maimed For The Masses
12. New Cults
13. Less The Merrier
14. Golden Opportunity

Night Bird Tour Dates:
6/1 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (Chaos in Tejas)
6/2 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk (Chaos in Tejas)
6/7 – Washington, DC @ Casa Fiesta $
6/8 – Richmond, VA @ Gallery 5 $
6/15 – New Brunswick, NJ @ Cooler Ranch
6/28 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar (Insubordination Fest)
7/11 – Philly, PA @ Golden Tea House (RECORD RELEASE WEEKEND) %
7/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Death By Audio (RECORD RELEASE WEEKEND) %
7/13 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes (RECORD RELEASE WEEKEND) %
7/24 – New Brunswick, NJ @ Alamo*
7/25 – NYC, NY @ Cake Shop*
7/26 – Long Island, NY @ No Fun Club*
7/27 (early show) – Boston, MA @ The Middle East*
7/27 (late show) – Boston, MA @ O’Briens*
8/23 – Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups #
8/24 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class #
8/25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Belvedere’s (Skull Fest 4) #
8/26 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter #
8/27 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar #
8/28 – TBA #
8/29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Europa #
8/30 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater (2000 Tons Of TNT Fest) #
8/31 – Philly, PA @ Voltage #

% = w/ Omegas
* = w/ Red Dons
# = w/ Zero Boys
$ = w/ Big Eyes

Enjoy a new exclusive interview with Philly’s modern hardcore mainstays, Paint It Black, as vocalist Dan Yemin and bassist Andy Nelson sound off and go in-depth on the making of the band’s latest EP, Invisible, which hit streets via No Idea Records in March and was recorded by renowned engineer Will Yip at Studio 4. With members involved in various projects that often spread Paint It Black throughout different states and continents, Dan sets the record straight on PIB‘s current happenings, working with different studios, the band’s writing processes, and what we can expect in the coming months.

Without further ado, let’s hear from Dan and Andy..

Joshua BTS: Greetings! Thank you for taking a few minutes with Blow The Scene readers from around the world. Let’s kick off this interview by having you introduce yourself and your musical weapon of choice with hardcore punk mainstays, Paint It Black.

Dan Yemin: My name is Dan, and I’m responsible for vocals.

Andy Nelson: Andy. I play bass and on occasion make noises with my mouth.

Joshua BTS: Let’s dive right in. You have a new E.P., Invisible, which just dropped on No Idea Records in March. Please bring us up to speed on this latest recording. What did the writing process look like for Paint It Black with members spread out all over the US and active in a range of bands such as The Hope Conspiracy, Lifetime, Ceremony, etc? Is there a main riff fabricator or do you all play an active role? I know you mentioned “This new record has been in the works for what feels like a long time. So long, in fact, that it seems like a lot of people, us included, stopped believing it was really going to happen.”

Dan Yemin: Generally, I come up with all the riffs and the song configurations, but I try to leave a lot of room for restructuring. I do all the demos at home, with drum machine, bass, and guitars, and email the demos to the rest of the band. The songs get sent out one at a time, as they’re created and completed. Then it takes anywhere from 1-3 years to get everyone together for a two week stretch, which should be long enough to rehearse, re-arrange, and record.

Jared, Josh, and Andy generally re-work the songs without me for the better part of a week, which serves two functions: They have total freedom to rework the songs without me looking over their shoulders, and I don’t have to neglect my family or my work during this part of the process. They rework the arrangements and generally bring the songs up to a new level, so when I rejoin the band for rehearsals its always really exciting for me to hear what the songs have become. I love hearing a song that I basically thought of as a Swiz tribute get imbued with subtle elements of Los Crudos and Propagandhi, or some new way of playing a guitar part (that I couldn’t even play on my best day) gets integrated into a song, or some transition that I couldn’t figure out ends up getting transformed into a crazy Jesus Lizard stomp. The lyrics and vocal cadences I just obsess over in my head forever until I can’t sleep. It was especially frustrating scheduling these particular rehearsals and recording sessions, though, as Jared’s been in Europe for much of the past year.

Joshua BTS: I’d like to focus on the actual recording process for a moment. Who do you trust at the helm turning knobs once the material is finalized? What does your recording process look like? Do you track to a metronome? Do you track together in a live setting or separately? How much emphasis do you put on editing and mastering?

Dan Yemin: It takes a lot for us to trust someone on the boards. Our first experience in the studio (for CVA) wasn’t great. Our second experience was awesome in terms of working with J. Robbins, but we were under-prepared, because personnel-wise we were not in a good place. Our third LP was a trip, and a real act of faith, because we were in two studios with two vastly different processes and personalities, but we were incredibly well-prepared and we’d already had long-standing relationships with both producers/engineers (J.Robbins; Oktopus).

The two EP’s we recorded in 2009 were easy. We were very familiar with, and in generally in awe of, Kurt [Ballou]’s work, Jared had recorded with him before, and I’ve known him since the mid-90’s. Our most recent experience was awesome. We didn’t really know Will [Yip], but many of our close friends had worked with him, and he came highly recommended. We needed to be close to home, because our current situation no longer affords us the luxury of traveling out-of-town to record. There’s just no time, and we have to deal with really intense work schedules. Also, he’s recorded and played drums for Lauryn Hill, which tells me he knows what he’s doing, and can stay calm under pressure. He’s definitely the most laid-back person with whom we’ve recorded, and he knows his shit. We got our sounds sorted out really quick without any extra bullshit, and he has a way of making things seem really calm, so even though we were dealing with crazy time constraints, it felt like there was no pressure at all.

We generally don’t use a metronome, because we don’t need it, and it can really suck the spontaneity out of everything. We record drums with Josh and Andy playing along in the same room, but then we re-record the bass and guitars. Vocals got done a few weeks later, which gave me time to obsess even more about the placement of every single syllable. We don’t do much editing, but are very attentive to mixing and mastering. Those folks have the freedom to do their thing without us breathing down their necks, then they email the sound files to us, we comment, and they revise, this keeps happening over and over until we’re satisfied.

Joshua BTS: Where there any recording techniques or approaches that you applied to this Invisible E.P. that was a first or saw you step out of your comfort zone?

Andy Nelson: The mixing process transforms me into a drooling idiot, so I was personally relieved to trust Will this time around. He nailed it, although we constantly find ourselves asking for more low end, and this time was no different. That’s more an issue of taste, , but it is always a little funny to visit with that hilariously little truth –that almost all “heavy music” in this modern age lacks any actual presence of actual weight.

Dan Yemin: Not being present for mixing was a little outside our comfort zone. I played some guitar on this one, which I hadn’t done since Paradise. That was scary, since Josh is such a better player than I am. I felt pretty inadequate.

Joshua BTS: I’d like to focus on some of the motifs surrounding the art direction and lyrical content. How did you settle on the cover art, (which depicts an image of fire along a line of trees, one of which has a bicycle leaning against it, apparently about to be engulfed in flames)? Does this correlate with the title and the lyrical direction of the E.P.? How involved is the band in the creation process of the cover art?

Andy Nelson: Credit where credit is due, the artwork on all of our records since the first two LPs has been directed by Clint Woodside who is a former member of Space 1026 in Philadelphia and a dear, old friend of ours. Dan and I are involved in selecting the photographs for the sleeves, and while there is never a direct correlation between image and lyrics, I’d like to think the tones always match. We seek out visuals that are striking and eschew simple or literal interpretation. All text layouts are clean and minimal, which we think is both a classy and modern approach to a hardcore punk record. Clint could probably answer this all better than me, though, I admittedly lack the vocabulary to be fully articulate on this subject.

Joshua BTS: I know Josh Agran has mentioned Paint It Black “happens when it can” in reference to amount of time the individual members can dedicate to the band for touring or other activities. Yet the band described “a renewed sense of purpose” upon the announcement of Invisible. Can you give some specifics behind this “renewed sense of purpose” and what this means for PIB? Do you have the “What’s next?” discussions, or is the current ambiguity concerning touring and long term plans a conscious decision or preference?

Dan Yemin: The renewed sense of purpose refers in a lot of ways to the emotional high of making a new record. But we all really feel like we raised the bar with this one, so that experience is amplified. Let’s just say that everything is very deliberate and carefully planned.

Joshua BTS: Andy and Josh reside here in Philly, while Dan is over the bridge in Jersey and Jared lives in LA, but given that your “Hometown Record Release” is in Philly, it’s obvious you still consider this your home turf. What are your thoughts on the current Philly music scene and who is exciting you these days? I know many of you spend a fair amount of time abroad-What artists are exciting you outside of Philly?

Dan Yemin: : Hahaha! I don’t know where you get this stuff from! I’ve lived in Philadelphia for the past 21 years. Jersey? Seriously? No disrespect to the Garden State, but I haven’t really lived there since I was a kid. Our scene has been really strong for a long time. I really like Congenital Death, Attitude Era, Restorations, Xanax, Trophy Wife. Swearin’ and Waxahatchee moved here and I love those bands! Andy’s more tuned in than I am though…

Andy Nelson: Paint It Black is and will always be a Philadelphia band. I hate answering the “what do you think of the Philadelphia scene” question; as inevitably The Scene is what you make it. We’ve been lucky in that Philadelphia has mostly been kind to us, but then, we’ve always been kind to it, you know?

Joshua BTS: Anything set in stone for PIB as we head into the Spring and Summer months?

Andy Nelson: We will perform at This Is Hardcore fest in Philadelphia in August as well as at The Fest in Gainesville in November. Two hometown shows. Apart from that, it’s impossible to say what the future holds. I am endlessly frustrated and exhausted by certain obstructions to PIB‘s ability to do more, but the reality is what it is. At this point, I frankly can’t believe people who book shows or festivals still have the patience to put up with us. Hopefully Paint It Black will play California again before 2014.

Joshua BTS: I know Josh has some new projects in the works and that Andy and Dan have teamed up for a new project as well. Can you share any details about these budding projects and where fans might best follow updates?

Dan Yemin: All will be revealed in time. KYEO.

Joshua BTS: We really appreciate you taking a few minutes with Blow The Scene readers from around the world as we look forward to touching base soon! Any final thoughts?

Dan Yemin: I’m aware that it takes a lot of patience and energy to support this band. There are a ton of bands out there that make it a lot easier. It’s impossible to express how grateful we are. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your encouragement and attention.

Interview by BTS’s Joshua T. Cohen

Today we are very excited to offer Blow The Scene readers around the world an exclusive song premiere from Finland’s heavy handed d-beat practitioners, Unkind- Enjoy the title track “Pelon Juuret” taken from Unkind‘s forthcoming 2nd LP for Relapse Records, which will hit streets in North America on July 9th.

With a relentless d-beat drum attack, screaming note bends, and throat-shredding vocals, this track should melt your speakers played at appropriate volumes. Fans of Martyrdöd, Wolfbrigade, and Tragedy should find a lot to love here. The band has a strong grasp of atmospheric layering and placing meaty distortions on top of one another to create an apocalyptic sound. The authenticity of “Pelon Juuret” is immediately compelling.

Throughout the album, the band dives deeper into their atmospheric experimentation with approaches that channel influence from the like of Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. This, melded with their unrelenting d-beat assault keeps the music fresh and engaging.

With d-beat punk and Euro-influenced hardcore broadening it’s reach into more and more music circles as of late, it’s nice to see a core group of bands still deliver an authentic sound, and Unkind stands firmly amongst this pack. No half-ass cheater beats to be found here, these boys hold down some unrelenting crust and fire off aggressive hooks at will.

You’ve been warned.

Pre-Order and links further investigation can be found below. Enjoy.

Pre-Order Pelon Juuret
Unkind on Facebook

Brutal Truth have announced a run of summer and fall European festival appearances and tour dates. Kicking off July 24th at Metal Camp in Slovenia, the grind veterans will perform a string of 10 dates before heading back in September for another run. A complete listing of dates is included below with more to be announced shortly.

Brutal Truth released their last full-length End Time in 2011 to immense critical acclaim. That album along with numerous other Brutal Truth releases is available for streaming via their Bandcamp page. The band also recently remixed a track from End Time featuring numerous high-profile guests which will be released in the near future via Relapse as a split with powerviolence / noise vets Bastard Noise. Details on this split will be announced shortly.

This upcoming European run which will include their first shows in Europe with new guitarist Dan O’Hare (Total Fucking Destruction).

Brutal Truth Tour Dates:

July 24 Tolmin, Slovenia Metal Days Festival w/Mayhem, In Flames, Meshuggah
July 25 Bratislava, Slovakia FUGA
July 26 Chemnitz, Germany Rock Im Betonwerk Festival
July 27 Steenwijk, Netherlands Stonehenge Festival
July 28 Maxéville, France T.O.T.E.M
July 29 Paris, France Glazart
July 30 Brussels, Belgium Magasin 4 w/ Eyehategod
July 31 Berlin, Germany Spartacus Potsdam
Aug 01 Prague Czech Rep Modra Vopice
Aug 02 Spital am Semmering, Austria Metal Invasion Open Air Festival
Aug 03 Krakau, Poland Off Festival

Sep 19 Groningen, Netherlands Vera
Sep 20 Tilburg, Netherlands Incubate festival
Sep 21 Wermelskirchen Germany NRW Festival
Sep 22 London, UK Electrowerkz

Our Philly House Shows column returns with a feature direct from The Farm in West Philly as Wilmington, NC’s brutal practitioners of bottom-heavy d-beat punk, No Tomorrow recently unleashed a mean set supported by Plague Dogs, Repellers, and Alement. Like many classic West Philly basements, The Farm comes complete with makeshift bar with a steady stream of golden ambrosia for the 21-plusers, with just a enough floorspace for the eager masses to let loose. Always a major plus- Black Orchid Foods was on hand to deliver some radically healthy home-cooked food for a more than reasonable donation. Just another touch that makes Philly House Shows some of the best in the World.

No strangers to Philly, No Tomorrow packed the house as they continue to support a current split release with Oiltanker through Profane Existence that started making waves last year. Cvlt Nation described the split stating, “Oiltanker and No Tomorrow deliver performances that get to nitty gritty of what D-Beat is all about, and the vocals you will experience on this record are a wake up call to the world.”

Lots of great Philly crust to compliment the evening supplied by newcomers Alement and mainstays Plague Dogs and Repellers. Plague Dogs and Repellers have a series of regional dates cooking, so do utilize those links below and get to know these rowdy up-and-comers.

Without further ado, enjoy a series of photos by BTS’s Joshua T. Cohen

Alement

Repellers

No Tomorrow

Plague Dogs

Tempe, AZ’s Marquee Theatre recently played host to an eclectic gathering of rock talents as Black Lips hit town with support from local acts Andrew Jackson Jihad, Destruction Unit, and Freaks Of Nature.

Despite their relatively young age, Athens, GA’s Black Lips have a resume that reads likes a modern rock ‘n’ roll saga. Shortly after the formation of the band, founding members Alexander and Swilley were expelled from high-school during their senior in year in 1999, just following the infamous Columbine shootings. “They just figured we were up to some sort of subculture danger and didn’t want to take any chances, so they got rid of us. But I think that helped us become a better band.” commented Alex to OC Weekly. Still fledgling musicians at the time, the members were relying heavily on stage antics that often played out like watered-down GG Allen appearances, complete with public nudity, vomiting, and setting fire to guitars and even their own dicks. 2002 saw the band dealt a fatal blow, as founding member, vocalist and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh was killed in a head-on coliseum while parked at toll booth. The vehicle that struck his car was traveling on the wrong side of the interstate. Believing Eberbaugh would have wanted the band to push forward, the remaining members did just that.. After years of underground hits and notorious stage antics throughout the World. Black Lips are currently supporting their 6th studio album, Arabia Mountain, released via Vice Records in 2011.

No longer reliant on the stage antics of their younger years, the members of the Black Lips put on a solid live show in 2013. The air of expectancy still ever-present, and the rebellious undertones strong. About 4 songs in the Black Lips brought forth a barrage of toilet paper that proceeded to bank off of all corners of the Marque. A few youngsters even managed to get themselves arrested as the show moved forward undaunted. Black Lips recently did a faithful cover of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings‘ “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys”; This is from their Record Store Day split 7″ with Icky Blossoms (who turn in a cover of Siouxsie and the Banshee‘s “Arabian Knights”). It can be streamed here:

Rounding out this bill was Phoenix, AZ’s leading sons of manic-styled, acoustic punk-rock, Andrew Jackson Jihad, who set forth a solid set spanning their prolific output of material dating back to 2006. The band has garnred a solid local following as they continue sporadic touring throughout the US, and if you missed our Philly special of AJJ, be sure to scope it here.

The Freaks Of Nature played lead for this bill with a 60s-punk rock inspired sound that benefits from the pedal wizardry of their guitarist, who crafts all his own effects. Destruction Unit rounded out the bill with a blazing set of up-tempo garage and noise rock that was a definite crowd pleaser. Destruction Unit will be touring throughout the US this summer with a new 7″ single “Two Strong Hits,” available for pre-order at Suicide Squeeze Records.

And without further ado..Enjoy and exclusive set of photo’s by BTS’s Joshua T. Cohen.

The Freaks Of Nature

Destruction Unit

Andrew Jackson Jihad

Black Lips

Earth Crisis are launching the Firestorm 20th Anniversary Tour in Philadelphia on July 12th at Underground Arts. Earth Crisis will be performing their pivotal Firestorm EP in full with other choice and rare selections.

East Coast dates will see appearances by Shai Hulud, Thy Will Be Done, White Widows, with West Coast appearances by Lionheart and Harness.

Earth Crisis Firestorm Anniversary Tour w/ Shai Hulud, Thy Will Be Done, White Widows
7/12 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
7/13 Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
7/14 New York, NY @ Santos Party House

Earth Crisis Firestorm Anniversary Tour w/ Lionheart, Harness
8/15 Tempe, AZ @ Pubrock/Chasers
8/16 Tijuana, MEX @ You Revolucion
8/17 Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
8/18 Berkeley, CA @ 924 Gilman St.

Enjoy a new exclusive interview with Skeletonwitch bassist Evan Linger and guitarist Scott Hedrick direct from GodCity Studios as the band recently wrapped up recording sessions with renowned engineer and producer Kurt Ballou (Converge). Evan and Scott were kind enough to go in-depth on the writing and record processes behing their forthcoming LP for Prosthetic Records. Evan and Scott also touch on the band’s touring philosophy, how these current recording sessions compare to prior releases, upcoming plans, and much more in this exclusive interview.

Without further ado, let’s hear from Scott and Evan.

Joshua BTS: First and foremost, thank you very much for taking a few minutes with Blow The Scene readers from around the world. Let’s get this interview rolling by having you introduce yourselves and your weapon of choice with Athens, OH’s sons of shred, Skeletonwitch.

Scott: Hey, I’m Scott- I play the left-handed guitar in Skeletonwitch.

Evan: I’m Evan- I play the bass guitar in Skeletonwitch.

Joshua BTS: Skeletonwitch is currently at GodCity Studios recording your highly anticipated new album with renowned engineer Kurt Ballou. How has the experience of working with Kurt at GodCity been thus far?

Evan: It’s been pretty good. We’ve had him on the radar for a long time and a lot of the recordings that he’s done- We’re fans of the bands, stuff like that. It’s definitely a learning curve for the band anytime you work with a new producer. We worked with Matt Hyde last time in Los Angeles- He’s really clean and has like this really great production and you assume every producer is like that. Then you go to another guy and it’s completely different.

I think Kurt is of the same philosophy as we are, he plays in a band and gets the van and tours around the United States, so he know where we are coming from with the music. And personally I think it’s awesome. I’m a huge fan of his work and I’m excited to be here and excited for people to hear it.

Scott: Ya, I totally agree with him getting in the van and touring. A lot of the guys we’ve worked with haven’t done that in a while, so Kurt knows what it’s like to be in our shows more than a lot of producers.

Joshua BTS: How does the actual recording process compare to that of Matt Hyde? Are you doing anything drastically different? Like using a metronome as opposed to not using a metronome? I know you mentioned during our last interview that Matt pretty much has you leave the gear at home. Same deal with Kurt?

Scott: This time- We brought stuff with us but we ended up using more of Kurt‘s stuff. It’s a mix of both- Last time with Matt we used all Matt‘s stuff. This time with Kurt, we used some of our stuff and some of his stuff. Matt has a more formulated idea of how a metal record should be produced and the sound he wants to do, where as Kurt was ‘What do you guys want to sound like? What do you want to do?’ Either way can work out really well and produce a great result. Kurt is more organic as where Matt has more of an idea of the sound before you step inside.

Evan: As far as the metronome- We’ve always done that. Live things get a little wild and kids throwing beer on you and you play fast as hell. On the record, you want to hold yourself back a little bit because you want people to be able to hear the riffs. If you’re playing a mile-a-minute, maybe the impression you are trying to make could get lost. We always use the metronome but we really challenged ourselves this time. Stepped up the bpms on some songs so they do really kick ass and sound like we do live.

As far as gear and stuff like that- It depends on the person. You could have a bass made of pure gold, but you put a mic in front of it and might not sound right. It’s whatever we think sounds right, sounds like us, and is going to convey the riffs right. For example, for some of the bass tracks I was always using the same distortion pedal for bass. Kurt pulled out these 30-dollar Boss pedals that I starting scoffing at. So he plugged them in- I was like, ‘Oh , Jesus. This actually sounds a lot better than what I use.’ So we ended up using it. You run into into things like that- A collaboration of things he knows and gear he has with some stuff we brought into the studio. Just finding the right mixture and applying them.

As far as the tracking, we pretty much following the same process every time, which we are comfortable and happy with. We do drums first with guitarists playing along while the drums are being recorded. Once the drums are done, we record the guitars, bass, and vocals. At that’s actually where we are now with all of the music recorded and Chance is going to go in tomorrow and start tracking vocals. That’s what’s happening at the moment.

Joshua BTS: So how many days total have you been in the studio thus far?

Scott: We’ve bee here about two weeks and Kurt likes to take 1 day off a week, so we’ve had about 12 days in the studio.

Joshua BTS: Before you guys headed into the studio with Kurt- How long have you been prepping this round of material? Is this something you’ve nurtured on the road or did you sit down and craft a formulated approach?

Evan: We don’t write a lot on the road so we tend to not play a lot of new songs live before we go in to record. While we are writing, if we play songs live, people will hear them then the album will come out 8 months later- It’s almost old news at that point. So we play it pretty close to the vest as far as people hearing the new material. We took a significant amount of time off from our last tour. We did a really long headlining tour with the intention of having things go silent for a while when we got into the writing process. Most of (80 or 90 percent) of the record was written during a five month break that we had before going into the studio. We decided to sit down and create this record and then go into the studio and knock it out. We didn’t have songs sitting around for long time before we headed into GodCity.

Joshua BTS: Have you set forth the thematic elements for the album? Do you know what Chase‘s lyrical premises are? Have you figured out the art? How far into the release process are you?

Scott: We are pretty sure we know what the title is- I won’t get myself in trouble, or give you the wrong one [laughs] if we decide to change it. We’re already talking to a couple artists and are pretty sure we know where we want to go with it. We’re pretty damn sure what it’s going to sound like. Even thematically, while we were writing the songs we thought about ‘Oh, this would be a good one to potentially start the record’, or ‘This one might be a good closer’- Even some ideas to make the album flow. We come up with some of the more thematic type things as we are writing. As more songs are written and the body of work gets there, we take a step back and analyse it, how it all might fit together, and what it’s about too. We develop that as we go.

Joshua BTS: Do you guys have any perspective release dates in mind? Any timeline as to when fans might actually start to see things surface?

Scott: The tentative plan is September/October- We don’t know an exact date. There’s always a bunch of dumbass industry stuff that comes into it too where, ‘We better do it on this week!’ as opposed to this week. The part of the band that you don’t give a shit about [laughs]- The part that’s not creating music. I’m sure it’s some asshole sitting in an office, ‘No no no, not this day- Let’s do it this day!’- But it’s definitely going to be in the Fall.

Joshua BTS: One of the things Skeletonwitch is known for is the touring cycles. You guys keep up an almost relentless tour schedule. With this forthcoming release- Do you see the tour schedule being just as intense? How are you going to approach this tour cycle given how much you’ve already accomplished on the road?

Evan: We’ll just do em’ as they come. You can’t tour the US and then tour the US again a month later or something like that, people will get sick of seeing you as fun as that sounds. We do have some stuff lined up that we also can’t talk about, so another secret we can’t share [laughs].

Same as last time I think. We’re not some studio band that records a bunch of weird releases and puts em’ out, it’s really about the live show when it comes to this band. That’s a big part of it. I can see us doing what we have done, chugging along, doing some support tours with some other bands and definitely doing some headlining again.

Evan: Like Scott said, we just did a huge US tour, like a 60-day thing before we wrote this record and I can see us doing that again on this record cycle for sure.

Scott: The only thing I could see as possibly different.. The amount of touring we do isn’t going to change, that’s our bread and butter and what we like to do, we’re a live band. I can see us playing just as much and touring just as heavily, but not as much in the same areas. For example, we haven’t been to Japan yet or Australia, or South America. We may be playing as much as we have in the past, but we may not be in the same areas as much. So if we’re in you’re town and you’re thinking about seeing us, it may not be the case this time around ‘Oh if I don’t catch em now- They’ll be back to Iowa in 3 months, they never stop touring.’

But as our touring expands and grows we may not be hitting the same areas as much. You could stay in the van forever and just drive around the US and play a show every night somewhere, but at some point you also don’t want to overplay. So I think the best case is- We’ll play as much as we always have if not more, but we’re going to get to some places we haven’t been to yet. So if we’re coming to your town, come out, cause we might not be back for a little bit cause we’ll be in Japan or God-knows-where [laughs] in the meantime.

Joshua BTS: With so much time on the road, usually touring is the stress that eats up and spits out a lot of bands. Now I know there’s a whole myriad of reasons why bands breaks up, but often a recurring one, you hear it a lot, ‘Oh they were on the road forever and they just got burnt out.’ What’s unique about Skeletonwitch that allows you guys to keep up such a tour schedule? Even of the touring bands, you guys are on road a lot. I’ve seen you guys in Philly over the past couple of years at least 3 or 4 times.

Scott: We’re sort of like a shark- If we stop moving, we die. [laughs] It’s never been ‘Oh we tour too much guys, geez.’

Evan: If you’re touring too much and it’s breaking up the band, you should rethink you’re career choice maybe or enroll back in community college.[laughs] For us, I think it’s what keeps us going and tightly knit, that’s the fun part of being in a band. It’s not sitting in a studio gong ‘Let me get this fucking part right’, it’s the opposite, it’s going to the show and fucking drinking some beer with people and playing a live show and that live intensity. So it’s probably the opposite for us, it kind of keeps me going. Seeing new places, playing in front of new people, just trying to do your best in front of people when you do play live.

Joshua BTS: Once you guys wrap up at GodCity here in the next week or so- What’s the next immediate thing on your plate?

Evan: Late May into most of June we’re going to tour in Canada. We’re doing a headlining tour in Canada with band on Season of Mist called Anciients, a pretty rad band. Those dates are currently on our website and facebook and all that. And then I think the plan with the release happening in the Fall is we’ll be doing some kind of touring, whether it’s headlining or support is yet to be seen. And then we just go from there basically, Canadian dates on the books and Fall we’ll be on the road quite a bit and probably Winter as well in the US. After that our sites will be set elsewhere, maybe Europe and then Japan for first time or something else. We’ll be touring heavily around the record in the Fall for sure.

Joshua BTS: Very cool. I just want to thank you guys for taking a few minutes again with Blow The Scene readers from around the world, we really enjoy coming out when you play live and definitely looking forward to this forthcoming release. Any final thoughts as we say goodbye?

Scott: We took a look at your site again before the interview and saw it says you guys do “Underground music, art, occasionally food, and even sexuality,” so I thought maybe this was going to be a sex interview, so I’m glad it was about the music [laughs].

The other thing I would say is thanks to anyone who has supported the band in any way, come to show, whatever. We feel very fortunate to be able to do what we do and we don’t take that lightly, so we do truly appreciate anyone who takes time to read this and cares about our band, it really does mean a lot to us.

Interview by BTS’s Joshua T. Cohen
Photos by BTS’s Dante Torrieri from our Exclusive Philly special.

More info at Official Skeletonwitch website

Recently reunited hardcore faction Left For Dead, having last year played their first show in many years, has not only confirmed more upcoming live appearances, but will also be releasing new material for the first time in nearly two decades.

In their brief but brutal two year existence, Hamilton, Ontario-based Left For Dead would prove to bear one of the most aptly-chosen monikers ever, the hatred and energy of their live shows and string of iconic ‘90s punk/hardcore releases still to this day considered legendarily heavy in some circles. Raging with unrest and revenge upon political and governmental bodies as well as meaningless and apathetic members of society in general, the band’s unhinged, blasting anthems infected the scene through split releases with Chokehold, Acrid and Ochre, eventually contained on the Splitting Heads discography No Idea Records released in 1998 following the band’s demise the previous year. Members of the band would form countless bands following LFD, most notably Haymaker, The Swarm, the groundbreaking Cursed, and the still-active outfits Burning Love and Pick Your Side.

In January 2012, Left For Dead played the A389 Recordings Bash in Baltimore surrounded by two hometown shows in Canada, their first live actions in over seventeen years. In conjunction with the reunion, A389 released Devoid of Everything, an all-inclusive discography of all LFD material, cut from the original 1/4″ multi-track reels and remixed at Developing Nations by Kevin Bernsten and mastered by James Plotkin. As to their philosophy, the only liner notes of the release pretty much sum it up: “Somehow, it’s been 17 years. Some of us are dead, some of us are lost, some of us still fight it out. Looking back, the rash and sleepless fog of paranoia and cynicism that we spat at our world through back then only gets more and more justified in hindsight. No regrets, no apologies. We are surrounded by liars, and we were right to be so hateful.”

Now in 2013, Left For Dead confirms that they’ll be performing at this year’s Chaos In Tejas twice — first alongside Integrity on Saturday, June 1st, then with Infest the following day, Sunday, June 2nd — followed by a spot on this year’s RRROOOAAARRR Fest in Montreal this August. They will also release the first new material since the mid-90s this year through a limited edition “subscription series” of four 7” releases sold through A389 beginning later this Summer. Each of the four 7” releases will be limited to 400 copies, the pressing quantity chosen in tribute to local hardcore house 400 Upper Sherman, a long-defunct pivotal local venue for D.I.Y. bands during the formative years preceding LFD’s original rampage.

The first new song from the pending first 7” in this series has been released via the track “1946″ which can be previewed below.

Stream the entire Left For Dead Devoid of Everything discography via A389 below.

Top photo courtesy of Josh Sisk Photography

Melbourne, Australia-based Kromosom is en-route to invade the U.S. once again, as their Nuclear Reich 2013 tour commences this week.

Beginning in Boston this Friday, May 17th, Kromosom will romp down the East Coast alongside Nomad for ten shows, including a stop at this year’s Maryland Deathfest, then continuing south through New Orleans. Then Nomad drops off the tour and Frenzy comes on board with Kromosom for an additional eight dates of rampaging live action, kicking off with two shows at this year’s Chaos In Tejas in Austin, the tour then wrapping clockwise up the West Coast.

This week Cvlt Nation posted a new Sonic Cathedrals mixtape curated by the Kromosom faction. BrooklynVegan is also still hosting a stream of Live Forever.

Born in the smoldering wake of defunct crust acts Schifosi and Pisschrist, and featuring current members of Leprosy, Bloody Hammer, Fuil Na Seanchoille and Nuclear Death Terror, Kromosom released Live Forever via Southern Lord in January. The fifteen-track assault — the band’s first CD release — captures all of Kromosom’s material previously only available on vinyl, with fifteen boasting fifteen entirely unhinged, filthy tracks, barely touching the twenty-three minute realm, all mastered for maximum pandemonium by Jack Control (World Burns to Death, Severed Head of State). If this doesn’t get you raging it’s time to hang up your boots and join the rest of the sheep.

Kromosom Nuclear Reich Tour 2013 with Nomad

5/17/2013 Elk’s Lodge – Boston, MA w/ Aspects Of War, Blood Krow Butcher, Virginia Tech

5/18/2013 1196 Myrtle Ave. – Brooklyn, NY w/ Sad Boys, (A) Truth, Primitive Pact

5/19/2013 Jimmy’s house – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Wrathcobra, Liebestod, Ratface

5/20/2013 Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH w/ Hysteria, Eel, Tresspasser

5/21/2013 The Barbary – Philadelphia, PA w/ Rotten Sound, Hellshock, Wake

5/22/2013 The Acheron – Brooklyn, NY w/ Rotten Sound, Hellshock

5/26/2013 Baltimore Soundstage @ Maryland Deathfest – Baltimore, MD w/ Citizens Arrest, Iron Lung, Converge, Ilsa, Tinner, Magrudergrind

5/27/2013 Strange Matter – Richmond, VA w/ Terveet Kadet, Sete Star Sept, Lotus Fucker

5/28/2013 529 Bar – Atlanta, GA w/ Rotten Sound, Abigail, Dead In The Dirt, Disabled, Mangled, Cruciamentum, Anhedonist, Sadistic Ritual, Disfigurement

5/29/2013 Siberia – New Orleans, LA w/ Abigail, Speedwolf, Cruciamentum, Anhedonist

Kromosom Nuclear Reich Tour 2013 with Frenzy

6/01/2013 Chaos In Tejas – Austin, TX w/ Los Crudos, Framtid, Criminal Damage, No Tolerance, Sudor, Infernoh, Vaaska

6/02/2013 Chaos In Tejas – Austin, TX w/ Sudor, Nomad, Criaturas

6/03/2013 Blue Star Bar – Los Angeles, CA w/ Knifefight, Kruel, Generacion Sucida, Zoloa

6/04/2013 Di Piazza – Long Beach, CA w/ Knifefight, Drapetomania, Stoic Violence, Damages

6/05/2013 Metro – Oakland, CA w/ Needles, Midnight Brain, Cruor, Coma

6/06/2013 Knockout – San Francisco, CA w/ Kontrasekt, Condition

6/07/2013 The Know – Portland, OR w/ Warcry, Reactor

6/08/2013 Black Water – Portland, OR w/ Lebenden Toten

Top photo by Blow The Scene Dante Torrieri from our Exclusive Kromosom Philly Photo Special

Deafheaven Announce US Headlining Tour in June and July

San Francisco’s Deafheaven are gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated second full-length album, Sunbather, on June 11th. The band returns from a European tour this week, and will play a few West Coast shows with Boris later this month before they gear up for a full U.S. run in June and July with Marriages in tow. Check out the official post from Invisible Oranges or see the tour dates listed below.

Sunbather, recorded and engineered by Jack Shirley (Funeral Diner, Comadre) and designed by Nick Steinhardt (Touche Amore), deals with the profound sadness found in the quest for one’s personal perfection, serving as an artistic lucid dream of warmth despite the stinging pain of life’s cruel idealism. With opener “Dream House”, George Clarke‘s tortured vocals familiarly intertwine with Kerry McCoy‘s hypnotic guitar work before crashing into a wash of post-everything melody. This leads to the moving instrumental “Irresistible”, a track that carries a twisted indie-like sensibility buried beneath glittery layers of guitar and piano. However, it is in the title track and beyond where the maturation and growth of Deafheaven brightly shines. On Sunbather, they explore sonic peaks and valleys created by superb percussionist Daniel Tracy (new to the band for this recording). Daniel’s inclusion brings new dynamics to light as an urgent pulse to the swirling musical chaos, pushing bleak epic “Vertigo” and the dark emotional closer “The Pecan Tree” to new, awe-inducing heights. Without question Sunbather is Deafheaven at the peak of their creative strength and vision of their young existence; a 7-song, masterfully crafted work of art that will be renowned for years to come.

Sunbather Track List (Available June 11, 2013)
1. Dream House
2. Irresistible
3. Sunbather
4. Please Remember
5. Vertigo
6. Windows
7. The Pecan Tree

Deafheaven – On Tour

MAY Tour Dates

14 St. Petersburg, Russia @ Arktika
22 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop w/ Boris
23 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex w/ Boris
24 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex w/ Boris

JUNE Tour Dates

19 Phoenix, AZ @ Yucca Taproom w/ Marriages
21 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada w/ Marriages
22 Austin, TX @ Red 7 w/ Marriages
23 Houston, TX @ Mangos w/ Marriages
25 Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub w/ Marriages
26 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl w/ Marriages
27 Birmingham, AL @ The Forge w/ Marriages
28 Charlotte, NC @ Milestone w/ Marriages
29 Raleigh, NC @ King’s Barcade w/ Marriages
30 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel w/ Marriages

JULY Tour Dates

1 Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary w/ Marriages
2 Brooklyn, NY @ St. Vitus w/ Marriages
3 Boston, MA @ TT The Bears w/ Marriages
5 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop w/ Marriages
6 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean w/ Marriages
7 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick Lounge w/ Marriages
8 Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar w/ Marriages
9 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre w/ Marriages
10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court w/ Marriages
12 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon w/ Marriages
13 Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar w/ Marriages
15 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill w/ Marriages

New Defeater album, Letters Home, coming in July on Bridge Nine Records as US Tour dates are announced.

A band known for their captivating and comprehensive storytelling just as much as their elaborate and complex music, Massachusetts’ Defeater recently wrapped recording their third full-length album, Letters Home, which is their absolute best work yet. These ten new tracks are heavy and haunting, while lyrically poignant and continuing the story of a working class family living in post-WWII America. Letters Home revolves around the father of two brothers that listeners were introduced to in two of Defeater‘s prior releases (Travels and most recently Empty Days & Sleepless Nights), giving a background to the character and seeing some of the events from those past albums through his eyes. Vocalist Derek Archambault commented, “Inspiration for this record came from a few places. Much like with Lost Ground, these stories are based around my two grandfathers’ service in WWII.” He continued, “Musically the record hearkens back to Travels and Lost Ground. EDSN was a bit of a departure for us, and I think we took some good chances on that record but Letters Home brings it back to why we started this band in the first place five years ago.”

Letters Home is legitimately Defeater‘s heaviest body of music thus far – featuring powerfully intricate guitar instrumentation, colossal-sounding drums, and Archambault‘s voice sounding more ferocious than ever before. Guitarist Jay Maas remarked, “Letters Home is more focused on sounding dirty and mean, but at the same time we have improved as songwriters so some of these ten tracks are our most accessible.” The album was once again recorded at Maas‘s own Getaway Recording Studio (where the band’s prior releases were also tracked), and features the first recorded appearance by Defeater‘s new drummer Joe Longobardi who “…is some kind of drum wizard. His memory for organizing parts is sincerely inhuman, and he has such amazingly tasteful composition skills. Everything he plays just feels meant to be which really lends itself to an easier time for the rest of us”, said Maas. Second guitarist Jake Woodruff returns for Letters Home, as well as bassist Mike Poulin, and Derek Archaumbault on vocals and Jay Maas on guitar; all lending their skills to the newest chapter in Defeater‘s story.

This ten-song album is scheduled to hit stores on July 16th, 2013, once again on Bridge Nine Records. In support of Letters Home, Defeater will be on tour July 11th through August 4th on the second half of the Vans Warped Tour and will be out on the road thereafter as well. More touring plans will be announced soon, as well as album release details, track premieres, and more. Maas continued, “This is my favorite Defeater release; I think it pulls from all of the band members’ influences collectively and I can’t wait for people to hear it. July 16th can’t come soon enough.”

Letters Home Track Listing:

1. Bastards
2. No Shame
3. Hopeless Again
4. Blood In My Veins
5. No Relief
6. No Faith
7. Dead Set
8. No Savior
9. Rabbit Foot
10. Bled Out

DEFEATER – ON TOUR

July 2013 Tour Dates

11 Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center – Warped Tour

12 Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center – Warped Tour

13 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum – Warped Tour

14 Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theater – Warped Tour

16 Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion – Warped Tour

17 Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion – Warped Tour

18 Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center – Warped Tour

19 Auburn HIlls, MI @ Palace – Warped Tour

20 Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater – Warped Tour

21 Shakopee, MN @ Canterbury Park – Warped Tour

23 Kansas City, KS @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater – Warped Tour

24 Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Warped Tour

25 Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood – Warped Tour

26 St. Petersburg, FL @ Vinoy Park – Warped Tour

27 W. Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheater – Warped Tour

28 Orlando, FL @ Central FL Fairgrounds – Warped Tour

29 Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Warped Tour

30 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center – Warped Tour

31 Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater – Warped Tour

August 2013 Tour Dates

2 Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion – Warped Tour

3 San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center – Warped Tour

Top photo by BTS’s Bora Chung from our Exclusive Defeater Gallery.

4 Houston, TX @ Reliant Center Parking Lot – Warped Tour

Orange Goblin, ASG, and KEN Mode recently tore through Philly’s North Star venue as part of Orange Goblin’s lengthy North American Tour. There was a little confusion at the door, so unfortunately we missed the first three bands and picked up as KEN Mode hit the stage with a burst of energy.

Already a contender for our Top Lists of 2013, Canadian rock band KEN Mode are supporting their fifth studio album, Entrench, which hit streets in March via Season of Mist. SputnikMusic.com hailed this latest effort stating, “..the album as a whole makes for an unnerving, yet oddly rewarding experience which needs to be undergone by every fan of eclectic metal..KEN mode don’t always rely on unflinching heaviness. Both “Romeo Must Never Know” and “Figure Your Life Out” effectively integrate atmospheric passages into the style of the record without ditching its overpowering grimness.” This is also the first album to feature new bassist Andrew LaCour (Khann), as well as, guest appearances by Tim Singer (Deadguy, Kiss It Goodbye) and Dave Verellen (Botch, Narrows). You really could not have asked for more from KEN Mode’s performance, both poignant and sharp, this is definitely a band to keep an eye on in 2013.

ASG, the North Carolina psych-rock quartet who are set to release their Relapse Records debut Blood Drive on May 28, took the stage next. If you are just tuning in, ASG are streaming new song “Blood Drive” via Stereogum. A more than solid live band, ASG have no shortage of infectious driving riffs that we’ve seen win over new fans on more than one occasion, this performance being no exception. Blood Drive was recorded in the Fall of 2012 with producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Fu Manchu), and is must for any fans of heavy rock.

Last and certainly not least, British metal mainstays, Orange Goblin took the stage and proceeded to deliver a powerhouse performance for adoring Philly fans with this being the band’s first full stateside tour in over eight years. Still supporting their latest studio effort, 2012’s A Eulogy for the Damned on Candlelight Records, Orange Goblin also had the brand new A Eulogy For the Fans-Orange Goblin Live 2012 in hand. The CD/DVD is the first proper live recording from the band and includes Orange Goblin’s complete performances professionally recorded at Bloodstock Open Air Festival (England-August 11, 2012) and Hellfest (France-June 15, 2012). The DVD further includes the official Tom Cronin directed videos for “Red Tide Rising” and “Acid Trial,” the latter courtesy of Scion A/V, plus the Matt Chance directed Red Tide Rising Documentary and Gaetan Chataigner directed Highway To Hellfest Documentary. Art and design was once again provided by Jimbob Isaac under the direction of vocalist Ben Ward.

Discussing the album, Ward says, “for years people have been asking us to release a live album. It’s a warts and all recording to highlight exactly what you get at an ORANGE GOBLIN show. It’s not over-produced; you can hear the bum-notes and the forgotten lyrics as well as the energy and power emanating from the stage. And the crowd! I think that’s what a good live album is all about. It’s just the sound of us getting up on stage, plugging in and going hell for leather. Crack open a beer, turn it up loud and bang your head.”

Kerrang! has stated, “Orange Goblin shows are very predictable… you know they are going to be brilliant before they even hit the stage.” And anyone who at this North Star performance can validate that the band delivers on all fronts- Great energy, impeccable musicianship, great song selections, and lengthy set time.

Without further ado, enjoy a massive set of photos by Blow The Scene Senior Photographer, Dante Torrieri (Useless Rebel Imaging)

KEN Mode

ASG

Orange Goblin

NJ’s jazz-inspired punk metallers, Dillinger Escape Plan, are streaming their latest LP, One Of Us Is The Killer, in its entirety now at Pitchfork before the album officially drops this Tuesday (May 15th) via the band’s new home Sumerian Recordings and DEP’s own label imprint, Party Smasher Inc.

Dillinger Escape Plan On Tour 2013

2013 May 14 US Boulder CO Fox Theatre w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 16 US Caldwell ID The Venue w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 18 US Sacramento CA Ace of Spades w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 19 US San Francisco DNA Lounge w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 20 US Anaheim Chain Reaction w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 22 US Albuquerque NM Launch Pad w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 23 US El Paso TX Tricky Falls w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 24 US Austin TX Mohawk w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 25 US New Orleans LA One Eyed Jacks w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 26 US Birmingham AL Zydeco w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 28 US West Columbia SC New Brookland Tavern w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 29 US Charlotte NC Amos’ South End w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 30 US Carrboro NC Cat’s Cradle w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 May 31 US Asheville NC Orange Peel w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 Jun 01 US Richmond VA Kingdom w/ The Faceless, Royal Thunder
2013 Jun 09 US Belle Isle, Detroit, MI Orion Music Fest w/ Metallica, Rise Against and more
2013 Jun 20 PL Jaworzno Metalfest Poland w/ Volbeat, Down and more
2013 Jun 21 AT Graz See Rock Festival w/ Iron Maiden, Slayer and more
2013 Jun 22 IT Pinarella Di Cervia Rock Planet
2013 Jun 23 CH Monthey Pont Rouge
2013 Jun 24 CH Dudingen Bad Bonn
2013 Jun 25 AT Dornbirn Conrad Sohm
2013 Jun 26 DE Dortmund Fzw Club
2013 Jun 28 FI Helsinki Tuska Open Air w/ Nightwish, King Diamond and more
2013 Jun 29 DE Montabaur Mair 1 Festival w/ All That Remains, NOFX and more
2013 Jun 30 BE Dessel Graspop Festival w/ Iron Maiden, Slipknot and more
2013 Jul 02 LU Esch-Sur-Alzette Kulturfabrik
2013 Jul 03 DE Hannover Musikzentrum
2013 Jul 04 NL Groningen Vera
2013 Jul 05 DK Roskilde Roskilde Festival
2013 Jul 06 SE Goteborg Metaltown Festival w/ Slipknot, Korn, Motorhead and more
2013 Jul 19 US San Francisco The Regency Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Jul 20 US Los Angeles House of Blues Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Jul 21 US Santa Ana The Observatory Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Jul 24 US Oklahoma City Diamond Ballroom Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Jul 26 US Dallas House of Blues Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Jul 27 US Houston House of Blues Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Jul 29 US Orlando House of Blues Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Jul 30 US Atlanta The Masquerade Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Jul 31 US Knoxville Old City Courtyard Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 01 US Myrtle Beach House of Blues Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 02 US Silver Spring The Fillmore Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 03 US Worcester The Palladium Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 04 US Philadelphia The Trocadero Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 07 US New York Best Buy Theater Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 08 US Toronto The Sound Academy Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 09 US Montreal Heavy MTL Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 10 US Albany Upstate Concert Hall Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 12 US Chicago House of Blues Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 13 US Milwaukee The Rave Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 14 US Minneapolis Station 4 Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 16 US Denver Ogden Theatre Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 17 US Salt Lake City The Complex Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 19 US Seattle The Showbox SODO Summer Slaughter Tour
2013 Aug 20 US Portland Roseland Ballroom Summer Slaughter Tour

We are very excited to announce Earsplit PR as an official sponsor of our massive PAWS drive as the Homeward Bound Art Benefit Launches tonight at Grindcore House in Philadelphia!

Earsplit PR just released the following:

This June, Philadelphia-based music/arts webzine Blow The Scene is co-hosting a massive benefit drive including both an underground art show and killer music fest to aid in funding a no-kill animal shelter and rescue for P.A.W.S (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society).

Stay tuned for individual interviews with bands and artists involved with the event and more info to be released over the coming weeks.

The album will be released later this Fall on Deathwish. More information coming soon.

Photo by BTS Senior Photographer Dante Torrieri

Old-school thrash and hardcore reigned supreme as mainstays Suicidal Tendencies, Sick Of It All, DRI, and Waking the Dead stormed Philly’s Electric Factory venue with the Slam City Tour.

Hailing from Amsterdam, Waking the Dead set the evening in motion with their blend of thrashy hardcore and metal as the band continues to support a handful of releases on Dead Area Records. D.R.I. hit the stage next with their usual lewd humor and snarky cynicism that helped to pick up the energy of the evening. Still chock full of attitude now 30+ years active, the band fired off a wide cut of track selections that saw longtime fans mouthing every word. Despite the fact the band has not released a new studio album since 1995’s Full Speed Ahead, DRI has seen numerous tours and keeps up their road warrior status.

NYC’s legendary hardcore practitioners, Sick Of It All stormed the stage next and the crowd went absolutely bonkers. If you have seen this band in recent years, then you are already familiar with the dominating stage energy they emit while putting younger bands and even their peers to shame. Tonight was no different. Sick Of It All blasted through a tight set as they continue to support 2011’s Non-Stop, released through Century Media, featuring re-recorded classics with modern recording techniques and new drive.

Suicidal Tendencies picked up right where SOIA left off, storming the stage with a wave of momentum as they fired off a barrage of songs spanning their 25+ year career all the way through the band’s latest LP, 13, which hit streets earlier this year on the band’s Suicidal Records. 13 is Suicidal Tendencies‘ first original studio album since 2000′s Free Your Soul and Save My Mind. After decade of speculation, the band has delivered yet another solid offering in this latest chapter and 9th overall studio effort. There was no shortage a flipped-bills, mosh, and most notably, tons of smiling faces. It’s always refreshing to see a group of “aggressive” bands put in stellar performances without taking themselves too seriously.

Enjoy another stellar set of photos by Blow The Scene’s Senior Photographer, Dante Torrieri (Useless Rebel Imaging)

Waking The Dead

DRI

Sick Of It All

Suicidal Tendencies

As I Lay Dying singer and frontman Tim Lambesis has been arrested in murder-for-hire plot sting by police today in Los Angeles reports Reuters.

(Reuters) – Tim Lambesis, lead singer for the heavy metal band As I Lay Dying, has been arrested over accusations he sought the help of an undercover detective to have his estranged wife killed, police said.

A representative for the As I Lay Dying’s record label could not immediately be reached for comment, and it was unclear if Lambesis had an attorney.

Photo by Blow The Scene’s Senior Photographer Dante Torrieri, from our exclusive Mayhem Fest 2012 Gallery.

The annual celebration of all things metal, The Metal Alliance Tour, hit Philly for the first time in its 3-year history with a sold out TLA crowd more than ready for Anthrax, Exodus, Municipal Waste, Shadows Fall, and Holy Grail.

We were bummed to have missed the openers, Holy Grail, who are supporting a ripping new effort on Prosthetic Records. If you’ve never checked out these Judas Priest riff-worshipers, Holy Grail just dropped a new music video for the title track, “Ride The Void,” from their current LP. We got inside just in time for Shadows Fall who continue to support its 2012 release Fire From the Sky via Razor & Tie Records. Interesting side note- Shadows Fall were kind enough to offer up guitarist Jon Donais, who stepped for Anthrax on this tour and pulled double-duty.

Things got truly wild as Richmond thrash masters, Municipal Waste, put the fire back under asses with a smoking set showing no signs of road weariness with this being the third to last date of a long tour. Municipal Waste are continuing to support their Nuclear Blast debut, and sixth overall full-length The Fatal Feast, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Charts last summer. The band continues its legacy as one of the most fun and energetic thrash bands on the planet. Always a do-not-miss when they hit your town.

Thrash mainstays, Exodus were next and they brought the roof down, dirty old-school style. The band touched on many a crowd favorite spanning their impressive 30+ year career. Exodus will be swinging through Europe for some festival dates this summer including Resurrection Fest in Spain Aug 1st-3rd, as the band reportedly continues work on an unnamed forthcoming studio effort.

Anthrax had the honors of closing this year’s tour with the venue so tight, it could lift you right off your feet. Mayhem ensued all the way from the pit to the masses of bodies crashing over the barricade in constant waves. Anthrax performed Among The Living in its entirety and long time fans couldn’t have been happier, singing along with the TLA’s brand new sound system that was being used for the first time. And might we say, it was well worth the investment, the new sound system kicks you the chest as the tunes rage through.

Enjoy a massive set of photos by Blow The Scene Senior Photographer, Dante Torrieri (Useless Rebel Imaging)

Shadows Fall

Municipal Waste

Exodus

Anthrax

Young And In The Way are a blackened metal/crust hybrid from the shadows of North Carolina. Over the last three years, Young And In The Way have evolved through multiple releases from vicious monster to multi-headed beast. With each offering melding a vicious metal speed and hypnotic atmospherics with a bleak hardcore/punk spirit.

Soon, Young And In The Way will be releasing their latest full length When Life Comes to Death on Deathwish.
More news on this highly anticipated releases will be posted soon.

Listen to YAITW “Psychopathy” taken from their recent Split 7″EP w/ Withdrawal below.

It’s that time of year in Philadelphia- The world-renowned celebration of all things hardcore music, This Is Hardcore Fest, (running August 8th through 11th at The Electric Factory) has just dropped 2013′s band breakdown. The announcement came earlier this afternoon via TIHC founder Joe Hardcore McKay and his Philly Hardcore Shows booking team. Stay tuned for more announcements.

Thursday August 8

Kid Dynamite
????
Black Train Jack
Boy Sets Fire
Cold World
????
Suburban Scum
Stick Together
Truth

Friday August 9

Modern Life Is War
????
Panic
Tragedy
Bane
Rotting Out
Xibalba
Incendiary
Enabler
Rock Bottom

Saturday August 10

????
7 Seconds
H2O
Ceremony
????
Ringworm
Killing Time
Nails
Rival Mob
Defeater
Wisdom In Chains
Mindset
Maximum Penalty
Absolution
Turnstile
World War 4
Beware
Things We Say
Caught In A Crowd

August 11 Sunday

Gwar
Sick Of It All
Trapped Under Ice
Suicide File
Negative Approach
100 Demons
????
No Redeeming Social Value
Code Orange Kids
Strength For A Reason
Colin of Arabia
Clenched Fist
Pride Kills
Relentless

Thisishardcorefest.com
facebook.com/thisishardcorefest
@TIHCfest

Founding member of Slayer, and Grammy-winning guitarist Jeff Hanneman, died earlier today of liver failure in Southern California.

He was 49.

The band released the following statement via Slayer.net;

Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning near his Southern California home. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.

Billboard has reported;

Born in Oakland, Calif., and a devoted Raiders fan, Hanneman was raised primarily in Long Beach and became fascinated with wars and military campaigns — themes he’d bring to Slayer’s music — via his father, a World War II veteran, and brothers who served in Vietnam. He met King in 1981 and decided to form their own band, mixing heavy metal and punk influences and signing with Metal Blade Records for Slayer’s first two albums, “Show No Mercy” in 1983 and “Hell Awaits” in 1985. The group made an eyebrow-raising move to the hip-hop label Def Jam in 1986 for the covers album “Undisputed Attitude and the classic “Reign in Blood.”..

Hanneman has been off the road since early 2011, when he contracted necrotizing fasciitis — most likely from a spider bite — a quick-progressing disease that literally eats away at the flesh from deep layers of skin and tissue. Exodus’ Gary Holt stood in for Hanneman starting in February of 2011, while Pat O’Brien joined the band when Holt returned to Exodus during 2011.

It’s not known what role the disease played in Hanneman’s liver failure.

Photo courtesy of tvrphotography

SLAYER – Raining Blood / Silent Scream Live 88

Deafheaven have just dropped the first song from the forthcoming new album Sunbather, titled “Dream House”, now on NPR.org.

Sunbather, recorded and engineered by Jack Shirley (Funeral Diner, Comadre) and designed by Nick Steinhardt (Touche Amore), deals with the profound sadness found in the quest for one’s personal perfection, serving as an artistic lucid dream of warmth despite the stinging pain of life’s cruel idealism.

With opener “Dream House”, George Clarke‘s tortured vocals familiarly intertwine with Kerry McCoy‘s hypnotic guitar work before crashing into a wash of post-everything melody. This leads to the moving instrumental “Irresistible”, a track that carries a twisted indie-like sensibility buried beneath glittery layers of guitar and piano. However, it is in the title track and beyond where the maturation and growth of Deafheaven brightly shines. On Sunbather, they explore sonic peaks and valleys created by superb percussionist Daniel Tracy (new to the band for this recording). Daniel’s inclusion brings new dynamics to light as an urgent pulse to the swirling musical chaos, pushing bleak epic “Vertigo” and the dark emotional closer “The Pecan Tree” to new, awe-inducing heights. Without question Sunbather is Deafheaven at the peak of their creative strength and vision of their young existence; a 7-song, masterfully crafted work of art that will be renowned for years to come.

Sunbather Track List (Available June 11, 2013 on Deathwish Inc)
1. Dream House
2. Irresistible
3. Sunbather
4. Please Remember
5. Vertigo
6. Windows
7. The Pecan Tree

DEAFHEAVEN – ON TOUR
01.05.13 Norway Oslo @ Revolver w/ The Secret
02.05.13 Sweden Stockholm @ IOGT-huset i Skarpnäck w/ The Secret
03.05.13 Germany Rostock @ Alte Zuckerfabrik w/ The Secret
04.05.13 Holland Arnhem @ Willemeen w/ The Secret
06.05.13 UK Nottingham @ Rock City Basement w/ The Secret
07.05.13 UK Glasgow @ Ivory Blacks w/ The Secret
08.05.13 UK Leeds @ The Library w/ The Secret
09.05.13 UK London @ Borderline w/ The Secret
10.05.13 Germany Köln @ MTC w/ The Secret
13.05.13 Russia Moscow @ Plan B
14.05.13 Russia St. Petersburg @ Arktika
5.22.13 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Shop
5.23.13 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
5.24.13 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex