Year Of The Knife Release Surprise EP, ‘Dust To Dust’

YEAR OF THE KNIFE (YOTK) have surprise released a stunning new EP ‘Dust To Dust’ today, Thursday 2nd February, via the ever excellent Pure Noise Records (Knocked Loose, State Champs, Drug Church).

The EP is the bands first new music since the release of their hugely received album ‘Internal Incarceration’ that was released in August 2020.

The three-song EP, ‘Dust To Dust‘, was produced and engineered by, Taylor Young, (Nails, God’s Hate, Twitching Tongues) clocking in at a blistering seven minutes, and it finds YOTK continuing to push their huge, abrasive and unapologetically hard hitting sound forward, tapping into new corners of the heavy music landscape while not losing an ounce of the ferocity that’s endeared them to a legion of underground listeners.

“Being straight edge is something that has always connected and driven the band, and that is still heavily present,” vocalist Madison Watkins explains. “Building from that thematic foundation, my lyrics are through the lens of my own experiences and demons.”

Speaking about the new EP, Madison explains, “The Dust to Dust EP is a product of everything we’ve been inspired by since our last record. We used the unexpected downtime to focus all of our energy on writing, and wanted to combine our existing sound with these new influences to push our boundaries and make our most pissed songs yet. This EP is an evolution in the direction of our sound while staying true to the core of our inspiration and values. We recorded with Taylor Young at the Pit in Van Nuys, CA. Everyone clicked right away and found that we had the same direction in mind for the production of the songs. Taylor was incredible to work with, and after admiring so many of his projects (Nails, Twitching Tongues, and Ruckus to name a few), it was great to work with him and hear his input on our music.”

Going into bit more detail on the tracks on ‘Dust To Dust’, Madison breaks down some of their lyrical meaning, “Ctrl+C is about societal pressure to be perfect, and chasing an unattainable goal that is sold by the media. I wrote on my experiences of feeling that I had to sacrifice my body and mind in order to fit what was desired or expected. The lyrics describe the decision to break from those pressures and find yourself whether people like you for it or not. ‘Victim’ is about people that can’t see past themselves and their own problems and pain to empathise with others. We can’t help the hand we are dealt in life, but we can decide what we do with those cards. Some people use their circumstances as an excuse to mistreat and manipulate others, and to garner pity. I wrote the lyrics to ‘Victim’ while listening to a lot of Irate. ‘Dust to Dust’ is about the frustration and pain of loving someone who struggles with addiction, but doesn’t want to get better. This is an agony that can be difficult to understand unless you’ve felt it first hand. It was really heavy to write these lyrics, because there is a lot of guilt associated with the anger I feel. More than anything I empathise and sympathise with addicts, but that understanding doesn’t stop the pain that’s been inflicted either. It’s the first song that we wrote since Internal Incarceration. Aaron had been listening to a lot of Dystopia and crust punk, which drove the fast, aggressive direction of the song.”

YOTK are set to play two UK shows this April with Unearth and Misery Index.

2023

6th April – Corporation, Sheffield, UK
7th April – The Warehouse,Leeds, UK
8th April – Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK

Check out ‘Dust To Dust’ below.

Thoughtcrimes Release ‘The Drowning Man’ Via Pure Noise Records

Long Island-based hardcore group Thoughtcrimes have released a new song: “The Drowning Man” via Pure Noise Records.

“My intention was to create a song with no boundaries of influence,” explains guitar player Russ Savarese, with singer Rick Pepa adding: “In a series of unfortunate events, personal and otherwise, ‘The Drowning Man’ is a tongue-in-cheek reflection. An ode to back luck.”

Check out ‘The Drowning Man’ below.

In October, the band re-issued their Tap Night EP. Two bonus tracks were included on the now six-song EP, with videos for the two additional tracks: the stunning, animated video for “Misery’s A Muse” and the live performance clip for “Wedlock Waltz”. The EP is available digitally and physically HERE. 

Red City Radio Announce Live Record, ‘Live At Gothic Theatre’

Red City Radio have announced their new live record ‘Live At Gothic Theatre’out on the 6th May via Pure Noise Records.

Speaking about In The Shadows guitarist Ryan Donovan said “One of our favorite to perform live as it’s filled with peaks and valleys accompanied by a great story that lends to immediate imagery. The cello feature on this track also made this a standout for the live stream. This song is usually in our live setlist on tour as it’s a crowd favorite off of our SkyTigers EP.”

Ryan also spoke about the live album and why it was so important to them “I really pushed for us to do the live show because RCR has always been a very fan engaged/accessible band, and after almost two years away ( due to covid) it was important for us to give our fans a little love – especially after 7 months of silence following the release of our new album “Paradise”. We are spread out over North America – Oklahoma, California, and Canada – so we were at the mercy of travel restrictions or else we would have done a live stream sooner. We felt it was worth the effort and ultimately glad it was able to come together when it did – even if we were a little late to the live stream party when it officially streamed in June 2021.”

Check out the Cover Art and Tracklisting the Live Record as well as video for ‘In the Shadows’ as well as ‘Love A Liar’ below.

1. Where Does The Time Go (Live)
2. Baby of the Year (Live)
3. Electricity (Live)
4. Two out of Three Ain’t Rad (Live)
5. Gutterland (Live)
6. Rebels (Live)
7. 100,000 Candles (Live)
8. Paradise (Live)
9. In The Meantime… (Live)
10. Apocalypse, Please! (Live)
111. Love a Liar (Live)
12. In The Shadows (Live)

Pre-orders are available via the following link.

Moon Tooth Release New Single, ‘Carry Me Home’

Moon Tooth, the Long Island-based four-piece who have wowed fans and critics alike, leading Rolling Stone to say: “not since the early days of the Mars Volta has a rock band managed to sound so wildly adventurous,” return with one of the year’s most eagerly-awaited rock albums: Phototroph (13th May, Pure Noise Records).

“The theme of plants growing towards the light was just something I kept coming back to in different songs,” explains Moon Tooth singer John Carbone on the impetus for the album title. “Our previous record, Crux, was like a crossroads and was dealing with a lot of negative shit. Phototroph is about walking from the middle and picking a road that goes onward and upward on a brighter path.”

News of the Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God, Quicksand, Dillinger Escape Plan) produced album is accompanied by the release of “Carry Me Home” and a hilariously, campy Tom Flynn-directed video. Guitar player Nick Lee provides insight into the track: “I really wanted to go all the way Allman Brothers or Hendrix on a Moon Tooth song. We’ve definitely flirted with those sounds on songs in the past but it felt really good to just go all the way bluesy-country and unabashedly old school rock and roll. I think this song is a testament to the fearlessness with which Moon Tooth writes music. We will flirt with any genres we want and it will still sound like us.”

Check out the video for ‘Carry Me Home’ below. Pre-orders for the bands upcoming record, ‘Phototriph’ is available via the following link.

Belmont Announce New Record, ‘Aftermath’ Via Pure Noise Records

Progressive-punk quartet, Belmont, have announced their new album Aftermath, which is out the 4th March 2022 via Pure Noise Records.  First single “Parasitic” serves as a darker and heavier take on Belmont’s boisterous sound.

The opening strains of album kick-off “Fully Sent” – trilling trap drums buoyed by a distorted vocal sample – will leave listeners wondering if they in fact chose the right record, before all doubts are calmed as the band careen into punishing breakdowns, biting vocals and intricate guitar leads.The ethereal pop-punk bounce of “What I Lack” recalls their earliest material, now updated with a sleeker sheen. These electronic-heavy moments bubbled over on the band’s 2021 Bowser’s Mixtape EP (featuring the nu-metal mosher “Pain Now” and Chicago drill-influenced “Bowser’s Castle,” both of which appear here) and are now set to serve up AFTERMATH’s 12 tracks as a blueprint for other forward-thinking acts.

And then there’s “Country Girl,” certainly the most un-Belmont song to date, sure to turn heads among new and established listeners alike with its unapologetically pop-meets-metal-meets-country identity and in-character storytelling.

“I started writing it as a meme, thinking ‘F!@K it. Who cares what other people think?’” Johnson remembers with a laugh. “I thought everyone would hate it, but Andrew Wade took a big interest in it. He’s actually big into folk and country music, so he was super stoked to finally put banjo on a song.”

In a way, it’s the joyous absurdity of a song like this that serves as the truest representation of where Belmont are as artists in 2021, completely uninterested in doing anything but what moves them. The songs on AFTERMATH aren’t jokes – at times they’re deathly serious – but they’re all underwritten with a spirit of excitement that ultimately makes the album as much of a blast to listen to as it was for the trio to create it.

“There’s a lot of serious stuff on this album … it’s personal and vulnerable and hopefully people can relate to it. But at the same time, the process of making it taught us to remember to have fun,” says Johnson. 

“All our influences are here, and we put them into one big melting pot,” Lada adds. “More than anything, I just hope this album inspires people to give less of a fuck and instead do whatever they want.”

Check out the Cover Art, Tracklisting, Music Video for ‘Parasitic’ and Pre-order options below.

1. Fully Sent
2. Parasitic
3. Bowser’s Castle
4. Pain Now
5. In My Skin
6. Country Girl
7. Top Gun (From The Top)
8. 4am // Disappear
9. Never Found
10. Guilt Trip
11. What I Lack
12. Advanced Darkness 

Pre-order options for Aftermath are available via the following link.

No Bragging Rights Announce Self-Titled EP Set To Be Released December 2021

California based hardcore outfit No Bragging Rights announce their self-titled EP with the release of their adrenaline fulled new track ‘Breaking Point’. After an extended hiatus the band has returned with the first new music released since 2014’s acclaimed album ’The Concrete Wall’. 

The new self-titled EP will be released on 3rd December 2021 through Pure Noise Records. Fans can find more information as well as pre-order limited bundles HERE.

No Bragging Rights’ latest offering shines a light on Intimate Partner Violence, toxic relationships and finding the power within to rise above, and overcome. Speaking on the single’s themes, vocalist Mike Perez comments:

“Intimate Partner Violence is what is portrayed in the lyrics but the song could have just as easily been a job, a career, a family crisis, or an existential crisis. We have people, things, or situations in our lives that make us feel powerless or dependent. The fear of failure or embarrassment can keep us feeling trapped and helpless.” Perez reflects adding “Even when we are knocked to our knees, we do not have to stay there. We can leave an abusive relationship. We can find fulfilling work. We can work to improve whatever difficult situation we find ourselves in.” 

Are you experiencing Domestic abuse? You are not alone.

National Domestic Violence Hotline
USA: 1-800-799-SAFE(7233)
UK: 0808 2000 247

Now comprised of vocalist Mike Perez, who started the band in 1999, Martin Alcedo(drums/vocals), Daniel Garrow (guitar/vocals) and Anthony ‘Tron’ Laur (guitar), the four-piece produced these seven songs themselves. Recorded between Laur’s home studio and Decade Sound Studio, both in Tacoma, WA, it’s an invigorating blast of melodic hardcore that pays homage to their past while also bringing them into the present.

“Daniel and I would write these songs,” says Laur, who also engineered the record, “and give Mike and Martin blanket ideas – like ‘This one is kind of triumphant but has no resolve to it, so I don’t know what that means to you but you should aim your writing towards that’ to help curate the attitude and personality of each song.”

“When we were first brainstorming ideas,” says Alcedo, “we all agreed we wanted it to sound nostalgic, so people know they’re still listening to No Bragging Rights, but we also wanted to elevate it to the best of our ability. It’s got some of our heaviest stuff, some of our most emotional stuff and some of the most technically challenging stuff, but it’s still classic No Bragging Rights.”

Indeed, one of the most recognisable No Bragging Rights traits is in full force here – that trademark attitude of resilience and defiance that has defined the band from the very beginning. That manifests itself both in the way these surging, energising melodies combine crunching riffs and soaring guitars, the clean and unclean vocals battling each other across a blistering sonic soundscape, but also with the lyrics, which dive deeper than ever before into the world of mental health. Partly, that’s the band emphatically doubling down on their identity for this re-introduction to the world, but it’s also representative of changes that have occurred since the last album came out. In Perez’s case, he was in his final year of an undergraduate degree to become a social worker when making this record, which shaped his lyrics.

“I’m still writing for myself so I can connect,” he says, “but I do have others in mind as well. I feel like I try to ask questions – not just for myself but questions that other people may have. If I have answers, I try to put them in, but I’m more about asking questions.”

“I know I’m in the band, but I’ve listened to our records to help myself,” says Alcedo. “And if they can do that for me, then hopefully this record will be able to help whoever wants to listen to it.”

From the moment the pummelling assault of “Strength’s Perspective” kicks off, it’s clear these songs are a crutch for anyone who listens. Whether they’re addressing struggles with addiction (“Walking Blind”), abusive relationships (“Breaking Point”) totally gut-wrenching (“Stages”) or just the past (“Regret”), these songs are so viscerally powerful that you feel them as much as you hear them. 

Don’t call it a comeback, but – despite having lives and jobs and families – No Bragging Rights are back, and they plan to stay that way.

‘No Bragging Rights’ is set for release 3rd December 2021 via Pure Noise Records.

Check out the Cover Art and Tracklisting for the EP below.

1. Strengths Perspective
2. Walking Blind
3. Breaking Point
4. Stages
5. The Weight
6. Regret
7. Unapologetic

The Seafloor Cinema Release New Single, ‘If You Deserve It, You Deserve It’

Sacramento, California based band THE SEAFLOOR CINEMA release MIB inspired new video for their latest single “IF YOU DESERVE IT, YOU DESERVE IT”. The track is taken from the forthcoming album “In Cinemascope With Stereophonic Sound” set for release 12th November 2021 via PURE NOISE RECORDS. 

Vocalist/bassist Justin Murry speaks on how their latest single came to be:

“While recording with our producer he randomly whipped out a skeleton of this song and said,‘I want you to write to this, have something by the end of the week.’ Each of us faced anxiety and crippling self doubt as we struggled to write parts that he was happy with, until one day it all clicked and we found ourselves collaborating closer than ever before.” Talking on his inspiration behind his lyrics, Murry adds “I read an article about constructing terrifying looking structures on top of nuclear waste facilities… so people 10,000 years from now would be too scared to make their way into them. All I could think was, what good bits of humanity could possibly be left of us in 10,000 years? What if all we leave to scar the earth with is fear and waste?”

Check out the video for ‘If You Deserve It, You Deserve It’ below.

Can’t Swim Release New Single, ‘To Heal At All, You Have To Feel It All’

Can’t Swim have dropped their latest single and video, ‘To Heal At All, You Have To Feel It All’.

The latest cut is off the the band’s upcoming record ‘Change Of Plans’, set to be released on 22nd October via Pure Noise Records.

“‘To Heal at All You, Have to Feel it All’ is a song about being haunted by the ghosts of your past,” says singer Chris LoPorto. “I wrote the entire thing on an airplane because I was having these awful nightmares. The progression is a six times signature where the drums are in four four. 

“When I presented the demo to Will Putney, he thought the chorus felt a little better with the drums also and six going into the recording process actually thought this song was one of the weakest part of the 12, but wound up being one of the strongest and that’s why we decided to use it for the single.”

Check out the new track below.

Just Friends Presents JF CREW VOL 3 EP Via Pure Noise Records

Just Friends has grown pretty accustomed to people not getting it, but that’s never stopped them. Over the last year, they’ve been releasing a series of mini-EPs, each featuring two new songs + one complimentary cover, meant to put their variety of influence and range on full blast. VOL 2, released earlier this spring, was an all-the-way-turnt-up love letter to life in California, complete with acrobatic riffage and even a feature from Lil B. 

But it’s time for a totally different side of Just Friends, and it’s softer and sweeter than ever. Out everywhere today, JF CREW VOL 3 is an incredibly promising and unexpected display from the group based out of the East Bay. Featuring two new songs––including the Fleetwood-y singalong “Sunflower” and the smooth-talking vibes of “OTIS”––and a surprising cover of a Toro Y Moi favourite, VOL 3 sets the stage for this crew to have the brightest future they can imagine.

Check out the video for ‘Sunflower’ below.

Real Friends Sign To Pure Noise Records, Release Two New Singles

Illinois-based quintet Real Friends are turning the page on a new chapter with new singles“Nervous Wreck” and “Storyteller.” Released today along with the announcement of their signing to Pure Noise Records, these two new singles also welcome a new face to the band with new singer Cody Muraro.

“Nervous Wreck was inspired by the isolation I’ve experienced over the last year,” shares Bassist Kyle Fasel. “Before COVID hit, I was making strides to get out of my introverted ways. All of those strides were quickly erased when the world flipped upside down. I’ve often been so introverted that some people take it the wrong way, like I’m mean or something. When in reality, I’ve just developed some social anxiety as I get older. The lyrics of the song point to me being out of my own skin when around other people, and even feeling out of place when I’m by myself. There’s not really a resolution to the song. It’s very much about being in the midst of all those complicated feelings. Having a new singer in the mix can be a hard challenge to overcome, but Nervous Wreck still fully embodies the spirit of Real Friends. It fits Cody’s voice perfectly. I remember recording it and thinking this is exactly what Real Friends is. This track is very special to me.”

Check out ‘Storyteller’ via the following link and watch the music video for ‘Nervous Wreck’ below.

For as much as the world has changed since Real Friends first emerged in 2010, the band’s mission hasn’t. They continue to bleed without apology and write songs that make it okay to feel everything: the ups, the downs, and anything else in between. Rather than shy away from emotion, the group run right towards it with distortion cranked and hearts opened, tightening their careful distillation of pop and punk on each subsequent release. 

The Spill Canvas Release New Video For Their Track, ‘Darkside’

The Spill Canvas have released a new track, ‘Darkside’, which is the third to come off their upcoming release, ‘Conduit’.

Frontman Nick Thomas had this to say of the track.

“I feel this third single from ‘Conduit’ is the most suitable song to demonstrate our concerted effort to make the most dynamically vast rock album we could. Mining the lyrical content from several old demos, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome-a cohesive portrait of a wildly toxic relationship from my past; wrought with infidelity and jealousy on both sides. Merging with the minor key, up-tempo groove, there’s an attitude of darkness the title references that we sought to adequately represent on this new record.”

You can check out the video for ‘Darkside’ below.

‘Conduit’, the bands upcoming sixth record is set to be released on March 5th 2021 via Pure Noise Records. You can pre-order the record via the label’s webstore.

The Spill Canvas Sign to Pure Noise Records, Announce First Record In Nine Years

The Spill Canvas are well and truly back!

They’ve got a new record company in the form of Pure Noise Records and announced their first record in nine years.

‘Conduit’ is set to be released on March 5th 2021.

On the signing and record, Nick Thomas (Vocals) says:

“We’re so incredibly excited to join the Pure Noise family! It’s a true honor to be a part of such an amazing roster of talent on a label that puts their artists first.

“It’s been 9 years since our last full length album was released. That said-we’re beyond ready to present our 6th LP, Conduit, to the world. Created in the rural woods of Pennsylvania over the span of a couple years, we feel it’s our most comprehensive work to date,”

Check out the Cover Art, Tracklisting, Stream their latest track, ‘Firestorm’ as well as Pre-Order options below.

1. Architecture
2. Firestorm
3. Darkside
4. Calendars
5. Blueprints
6. Cost (feat. Nathan Hussey)
7. Gallon
8. Akathisia
9. Molecules (feat. Sherri Dupree-Bemis)
10. Conduit

On the track, ‘Firestorm’, Thomas says:

“We knew pretty early on in creating the new album that “Firestorm” would be the perfect first single to reintroduce the band and begin our new chapter. Aside from overall vibe, the juxtaposition between the gospel singers and the lyrical context on desire make this tune among one of our favorites.”

Pre-Orders are available via Pure Noise Records Webstore.