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38 Baby 2, the 17-song sequel to the 2016 breakout mixtape, 38 Baby, from the still rising, Multi-Platinum rap superstar YoungBoy Never Broke Again and featuring the hit tracks ‘Ten Talk’, ‘Thug Of Spades (feat. DaBaby)’ & ‘Nawfside’, is out on vinyl on January 28th 2022.

With 76 total RIAA certifications and over 72.5M certified units under his belt thus far, YoungBoy Never Broke Again is without question among the landmark hip-hop artists of this or any era. 2020 and 2021 have both seen him become America’s #1 most video on demand streamed artist of any genre. His second studio Album, Top, is officially platinum certified after an explosive debut at #1 on the SoundScan/Billboard 200 upon its September 2020 release. YoungBoy was also last year’s #3 most audio on demand streamed artist industrywide and is currently #5 for 2021 thus far and it serves as a testament to his remarkable talent and versatility, showcasing the Baton Rouge, LA-native’s true heart & soul.

Combo Chimbita unleash a primal roar of catharsis on their latest album,
IRE, channeling a burning spiritual awakening blazing through the world
and in their hearts
Rapturous cumbia, ancestral drumming, free jazz, electronic distortion and
wordless chants abound throughout IRÉ; a testament to the ever expanding
scope of Combo Chimbita's sonic palette and acts of resistance in realms both
spiritual and terrestrial.
The New York City- based quartet are tracing their roots back to Colombia and
even further to the precolonial continent of Abya Yala. Often described as tropical
futurists for their ambitious melange of ancestral musical traditions and cutting
edge experimentation, the creative unity of Carolina Oliveros (vocals,
guacharaca), Niño Lento es Fuego (guitar), Prince of Queens (bass, synthesizers)
and Dilemastronauta (drums) transcends common concepts of time and
nationality. By identifying as Abya-yalistas, the ensemble takes yet another step
towards unshackling their essence from the cruelty of conquest and the stifing
oppression of land borders.

When Fred sent me the demos for his first release I remember being compelled to shut off all the lights and listen to them in complete darkness at full volume. I’m not sure why his music makes me want to do that but when he sent me this next batch I found myself needing to repeat the same process.

El Michels Affair follows up the massive success of their full length Yeti Season with The Abominable EP. A collection of unreleased tracks, alternate takes, and instrumentals from the Yeti Season recording sessions. EMA's blending their signature cinematic soul sound with influences from Turkis Funk and the grittiest of Bollywood soundtracks yielded an instant classic The Fader calls "a carnival of dusty funk and soul". The EP starts off with the unreleased gem "Messy Grass" whose synth intro, peppered with distant yeti cries, gives way to a tremendous backing track that Tamer Pinarbasi's Qanun dances over. On "Cham Cham" EMA invites Piya Malik to the microphone again to share her styled storytelling vocals over the instrumental track from Yeti Season's "Perfect Harmony". Where some of the tunes on the EP have vocals added, some of them have them removed letting the band take center stage; "Poison Song", "Uncut Gem", "Smoked", and "Progress" are all instrumental here giving them a wholly different energy than the vocal versions. The EP is being released with two different covers, each one has two paintings from different Ghanaian mobile cinema artists commissioned through Chicago's Deadly Prey Gallery and are interpretations of the original album artwork. One version is paintings by Stoger and Heavy J, who also contributed cover paintings to the Return To The 37th Chamber album. The other version of the cover is two paintings by Teshie and Farkira.

ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN was originally released in 1987 as a hand-made micro-edition of about 40 cassette tapes. It was only the third ever release on the short-lived now near legendary SDV label which had been established that same year by Konrad Kraft, Bernd Sevens and Dino Oon in Düsseldorf.

Finally finding a more substantial and appreciative audience on vinyl over 30 years after its original limited release, ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN is a strong testament to the explorative experiments of Detlef Funder a.k.a. Konrad Kraft, whose homebuilt studio sound attempted to bridge the clinical roughness of Severed Heads and the psychedelia of Coil with the density and force of industrial, post-punk and prototechno. Concurrent with his ever-expanding production skills, KONRAD KRAFT's sound work in the second half of the 80s stayed firmly rooted within a highly stylised underground spirit. Both his music and also the freshly launched SDV label first and foremost served as a medium for communication. The vital urgency of ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN underlines the record's core narrative which arguably sounds even more futuristic today than it did 30 years ago.

Hallmarks of ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN are an 8-track tape recorder, a Yamaha DX7 synth and a Roland 707 drum computer and the late 80s’ internationally ubiquitous shift from analogue to digital music production. Whilst its predecessor ARCTICA (another cassette-only release from 1986/87, previously reissued on TAL in 2018) was significantly more experimental and almost an in-between-states affair, ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN was the point at which Konrad Kraft really began to experiment with beat structures, sequenced synth pads and the framework of 'dance' music. However, the rhythmic elements are submerged so far beneath his expertly crafted drones it's almost impossible to label these sounds as “dancefloor oriented” work at all, as the tracks on the album joyfully disrespect the rules and boundaries of that or indeed any other genre.

ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN also epitomizes the decade's ending energy and sharp momentum with its successful merging of highly individual production and irresistible rhythm tracks.

The rich wealth of references is mirrored within the silhouettes and the graphics of the album’s unique artwork, which was created by Dino Oon. The new mastering has all sounds on ACCIDENT IN HEAVEN emerge in fresh shades and three dimensional plasticity, inviting the listener not to merely revisit the full palette of KONRAD KRAFT’s creation but offering an entirely new sound experience.

A banger of a kind with Guigoo in a new acid style !

Karma Sutra were an anarcho pacifist band from Luton, Bedfordshire who formed in the early 80’s after the demise of the legendary the Phallic Symbols. Karma Sutra only had one release at the time - an album self released in 1987 called Daydreams of a Production Line Worker which came towards the end of their lifetime. Sealed Records now release the earlier years of demos and compilation tracks on a 15 track round up. Be Cruel with Your Past and all Who Seek to Keep you There includes their first and primitive demo The New Economy Roast from 1983. It’s very basic and has a Bullshit Detector Compilation quality to it. A few years later came the second demo Shoppers Paradise which is the best material Karma Sutra recorded. Six tracks of well produced classic 80’s Anarcho punk with a driving sound. It’s passionate, tuneful and politically aware. How this wasn’t released at the time on vinyl, is a travesty. Also included is two tracks from the Mortarhate Compilations Who? What? Why? When? Where? and We Don't Want Your Fucking Law!. Finally the last three tracks were from the final line up of the band and were recorded with Spon from UK Decay adding more post punk elements to the sound. The LP comes with a 40 page booklet of Lyrics, handouts, fanzine interviews and statements. FFO: OMEGA TRIBE, CRASS, EXIT STANCE, ALTERNATIVE

Home Stories is Hainbach’s fourth release on Seil Records. It displays an uncompromising approach to sonic world building and explorative ambient music.

The majority of Home Stories was recorded in the Black Forest, the artist’s old home, but the album is far from a reflection on the past. It is about the changes this area has seen and more importantly, about transformation in general. As humans have always been changing the landscapes - for better or worse - Hainbach takes a tentative listen to what can be found in taking the well-known and changing it to the uncanny.

Thus the piano, that often serves as a compositional root sound and familiar element changes over the course of the tracks, is abstracted, re-synthesized, shaped into abstract forms and relocated to physically impossible places. The premise of this album is that transformation is possible. It frees the known to dare into the unknown.

Based out of Berlin, Germany, electro-acoustic music composer and performer Hainbach creates shifting audio landscapes, using esoteric synthesizers, nuclear test equipment, magnetic tape and a collection of idiophones. Hainbach has become known for his immersive live shows and an unique sound that is both abstract yet very much a corporal experience. Otherworldly and intimate, raw and heartfelt. On his wildly popular YouTube channel, Hainbach shares his love for experimental music techniques and his passion for forgotten machines with a wide audience. Inspiring over one hundred thousand each week to explore synthesis, electronics - and to leave beaten paths.

Tape

Home Stories is Hainbach’s fourth release on Seil Records. It displays an uncompromising approach to sonic world building and explorative ambient music.

The majority of Home Stories was recorded in the Black Forest, the artist’s old home, but the album is far from a reflection on the past. It is about the changes this area has seen and more importantly, about transformation in general. As humans have always been changing the landscapes - for better or worse - Hainbach takes a tentative listen to what can be found in taking the well-known and changing it to the uncanny.

Thus the piano, that often serves as a compositional root sound and familiar element changes over the course of the tracks, is abstracted, re-synthesized, shaped into abstract forms and relocated to physically impossible places. The premise of this album is that transformation is possible. It frees the known to dare into the unknown.

Based out of Berlin, Germany, electro-acoustic music composer and performer Hainbach creates shifting audio landscapes, using esoteric synthesizers, nuclear test equipment, magnetic tape and a collection of idiophones. Hainbach has become known for his immersive live shows and an unique sound that is both abstract yet very much a corporal experience. Otherworldly and intimate, raw and heartfelt. On his wildly popular YouTube channel, Hainbach shares his love for experimental music techniques and his passion for forgotten machines with a wide audience. Inspiring over one hundred thousand each week to explore synthesis, electronics - and to leave beaten paths.

Cardinal Fuzz / Acid Test are proud to present to you the debut LP from Black Holes Are Cannibals – ‘Surfacer’.

Formed around the uber talent of Chris Jude Watson (founder of ‘Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska’) who in BHAC found a band to take his vision to the outer most limits. BHAC are a collective with a varying line and each time they record all the music is improvised as they let their collective and innate abilities guide them, but what does bind them are the touchstones of Drone and Minimalism that runs through the music they create or just plain HEAVY. Call them Drone Metal or Psychedelic it matters not as the music created is an immersive, all consuming and thought-provoking transcendental listening experience that awaits those brave enough to take the ride with BHAC.

‘Surfacer’ was recorded at First Avenue Studios in Newcastle by the band using a TASCAM DR40 and is the embodiment of pent-up emotions gathered and endured during lockdown as they zap out every ounce of feeling and anguish into this recording.

‘Surfacer’ is not an album for the faint of heart with 2 long tracks of transcendence that will challenge and push you to lose yourself in the sonic experience of the timbre / vibrations of droning instruments and throat vocalisations as BHAC weave together mesmerizing waves of sonic texture.

‘Surfacer’ draws influence from bands like Neptunian Maximalism, Qujaku, Neurosis and the visual work of Andrei Tarkovsky, Kenneth Anger and Larisa Shepitko which influence the energy and darker sounds of the music while still taking influence from more traditional psychedelic sounds and experimental places like Taj Mahal Travellers, Suzuki Junzo, Pauline Oliveros, Vahvistusharha, and Tōru Takemitsu aurally and visual energies from occult works like Jodorowsky's 'Holy Mountain', Helena Blavatsky and Hilma Af Klint's Alterpieces 1-3.

As Terence McKenna might have said – BHAC are best experienced when listened to in complete solitude in a dark room while you are doing nothing else. To experience this album to the fullest, you must not have any distractions. Just sit down, relax, plug in, and let this album take you up into outer space.

‘Surfacer’ is pressed on Heavy Black Vinyl and presented in a 350gsm Outer Sleeve with artwork that perfectly matches the music drawn by James Watts (Inspiration coming to James from an article on beaked whales being "more surfacer than diver" before we had that jam and thats what inspired his drawing of an abstract beaked whale skull for the cover).

As the 21st century was born, so Kreator underwent what was nothing less than a seismic creative rebirth. By this time, the iconic German band had released nine studio albums in the 1980s and '90s, which had established them as one of the most important metal names of these decades.In the first period, they had helped to shape and pioneer the thrash scene through such releases as 'Pleasure To Kill' (1986), 'Terrible Certainty' ('87) and 'Extreme Aggression' ('89). During the following decade, the band had opened up exciting horizons of experimentation on albums like 'Coma Of Souls' (1990), 'Renewal' ('92) and 'Endorama' ('99).
Now, though, it was time to move into a fresh era, as vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza explains.
“During the 1990s, we were definitely experimenting with what the band were doing. But (drummer) Ventor and I decided that for this album – our first of the new millennium – we wanted to go back to the sort of sound that we had at the start of Kreator. In other words, to get back to the reason why we began the band in the first place.”

There was also new guitarist introduced, as Sami Yli-Sirniö (who had made his reputation with Finnish band Waltari) took over from Tommy Vetterli. The latter (also known as Tommy T. Baron) had joined in 1996 and played on the 'Oucast' (1997) and 'Endorama' albums.

The producer for this album was Andy Sneap, who was now making a name for himself as one of the pre-eminent masters of this art in the modern metal world.“I had known and liked Andy since the days he had been the guitarist in Sabbat, as they were signed to Noise Records as Kreator were on that label. He was our first choice to work on this new project. I liked what he'd done for Testament on their album 'The Gathering' (released in 1999). He had given them a sound they'd never had before, and that really was what we were after. It was natural and organic, and also very modern. I remember phoning him at his Backstage Studios in England (Ripley in Derbyshire). And Warrel Dane, the vocalist in Nevermore, answered. Andy was producing their new album at the time ('Dead Heart In A Dead World', 2000). And when I heard this, again I was very impressed. So, I was delighted when he agreed to produce the new Kreator album.”

The album title came from something Petrozza had read. “In a book I came across a comment that John F. Kennedy said (in 1962). This was: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”. I thought 'Violent Revolution' would make a good title for an album. So, I kept it in my mind for this record. I think 'Violent Revolution' is a title that makes a real impact.”

One interesting aspect of the track listing was that the 52 second instrumental 'The Patriarch' actually came after the opening song 'Reconquering The Throne'. Fans might have been expected that it would have opened the album. But for Petrozza, there was a logical reason for this not to happen. “We really wanted to lead off with a thrashing track, to show everyone what we were now doing musically. After 'Endorama', it was important that everyone should recognise this was a new era for Kreator.”

'Violent Revolution' is without question an excellent album. While in some ways it does hark back to the glories of the band's earlier days, nonetheless it does not sound at all nostalgic. The performances and production values are very much part of the contemporary era, and the strength of the compositions themselves are of the highest values. Rising to the challenge offered by a new generation of ambitious metal bands, Kreator proved they were far from being a spent force. Unlike so many of their peers, here was a band who still had so much creativity to offer, and were also clearly excited themselves by what they were doing. And when you hear the band themselves enjoying the entire process, then you know this is a bona fide revitalisation.

Apparel Tronic is proud to present you the new album by Artizhan called Breaks From The V.
The DJ and producer from Naples, who’s been a pivotal figure of the Italian Electronic music scene since a very young age, is not new to the Tronic catalogues with his newest moniker but this one is surely his most complete, heartfelt and anticipated work to date. Having been in the scene for more than 25 years allowed Franky B to experiment, improving his creative techniques with ninja-like dedication and always testing himself along the rapids of music production, DJing and scratching. Now he’s ready to emerge once again from the shadows with his new LP: a groundbreaking, powerful, cutting-edge work we’re all extremely proud to finally release and, most importantly, his most profound sonic confession so far. With ‘Breaks From The V’ (the title of which is a tribute to his homeland, where ‘V’ stands for Vesuvius), Artizhan narrates his life through his music and embodies the best version of himself displaying, through ten stunning tracks, great versatility as a producer, ranging from D&B and Jungle to abrasive beats and some masterly composed and very personal paraphrase of IDM. The LP is a massive showdown by the artist himself and his label, both united towards a single objective: telling Artizhan’s incredible story as effectively and efficiently as possible.

His partnership with the label has already resulted in a collaboration with Modern Heads, as well as one of the first entries in the Monad series, and now a fascinating new EP that showcases his talent for testing the limits of perception.
Alistair Wells is a producer whose current work is synonymous with a kind of benevolent intensity: he excels at sculpting tonally rich and percussively complex tracks that seem to both enlighten and confront. Under his most well-known alias as Perc, he has established a deep roster on his Perc Trax label to carry out a similar-minded program, and has built up a formidable arsenal of EPs and singles in the wake of enigmatic LPs like 2011's Wicker & Steel. His 'eclectic-yet disciplined' methodology practically guaranteed he would eventually come into the orbit of Stroboscopic Artefacts. His partnership with the label has already resulted in a collaboration with Modern Heads, as well as one of the first entries in the Monad series, and now a fascinating new EP that showcases his talent for testing the limits of perception.

The ominously titled opener "Death of Rebirth" - a title hinting at some form of hellish repetition - starts things off with a sense of dark premonition. Yet, in signature Perc style, that aura of uneasiness beckons listeners to explore further rather than to flee from it: in this context, the reliable 4/4 kick drum throb is the only means of orienting oneself or angling through a glassy and metallic labyrinth where foreign objects conspire to make previously unimagined percussive noises. "Negative Space" is a variation upon this theme of trying to maintain focus within a foreign environment bristling with strange enticements and potential dangers: with the kick pattern from the previous pice still acting as a trusty guide, new sound forms arise at every turn: a novel sort of hybridized piano / gamelan tone, a shuddering assembly line, and snaking delay feedbacks. Like dub music meant to be listened to in a hall of mirrors, "Negative Space" induces a heady feeling of multiplying realities.

The closing "Ma", if translated into Japanese, can mean "space / pause" and thus acts as a nice complement to "Negative Space." However, this massive, side-long audio force field dispenses with the previous tracks' steady pulse, and suggests a rigorous act of ritual contemplation taking place in the midst of phenomenal chaos and challenging blows to the body. "Ma" succeeds in modernizing the industrial-era rhythmic invocations of artists like Z'ev, achieving an almost classical solemnity without sacrificing Perc's usual love for cleverly maniuplated electricity. Altogeher, 'Ma' is an eye-opening, ear-infliltrating statement that will warp your understandings of time and space in a most exquisite way.

At the center of Dadub's SA020 lie the myths of the ancient Greek goddess Demeter - her search for daughter Persephone, the drink at the Eleusinian Mysteries ceremonies in her honour, and the fungus which gave the drink its psychoactive properties. The opening track is 'Mistresses March', a thumping narrative of Demeter's search for her abducted daughter Persephone. At the fundament lies a test of a new generation VST - 'Diachronic' - which is used to manage audio samples. The textures which merge during the near 12-minute march scrape and plummet, raining down upon the ominous marching band beat. This is an odyssey, unhappy and unflinching. Based on the handmade modular synth system from Nicola Buono and Lino Monaco, the representation of ceremony drink 'Kykeon' is on one hand a flowing narrative and on the other a demonstration of intense artistic scrutiny: a perfect, unremitting thud. There is, at five minutes, a subtle key pattern, light but not impermanent under the cacophony of chaos. This is indicative of the ceaseless self-examination. Little details, significant differences. Powered by a sound and groove generator invented by Daniele de Santis (Grün), 'Ergot Kernel' is a chemical cauldron. It's a beat continuously emerging from the undergrowth; an imperious column rising; a train ploughing on, coursing through an arid landscape. Conversely, the atmosphere is bright, full of electricity and warmth, with moisture descending. Dadub's SA020 is a journey through a Greek myth, with textural magnificence and technological innovation.

The Israeli producer Yotam Avni, though not one of the main players in the Stroboscopic Artefacts story to date, nevertheless shows that he is definitely here for a reason: having contributed with an entry in the Monad series back in July, he returns with a new set of tracks that fit perfectly into the label's overall aesthetic of evolving hyper-reality, while also being a strong personal statement. With both his S.A. debut and this new offering, Avni shows himself to be a truly 'progressive' musician: a creator whose musical techniques are informed by his creative disposition and not the other way around, an individual who seems to be using the richness and differentiation of human experience in order to let yet more of it arise.

The new record begins with the galloping rhythm of "Tehillim", bringing a whole inventory of struck wood and metal elements into play, and leading listeners on an adventurous voyage through liturgical chanting and volcanic eruptions of synthesizer magma, all the while being accented with nimble percussive fills that convey the improvisational feel of classic bebop drummers. The following "Orma," while more stripped down in terms of individual elements, continues down the same path with clever spatial arrangements, and with tonal and percussive elements that seem snatched out of their buys urban environments and placed under austere laboratory investigation: this holds true for the isolated bits of sax and vaguely middle-Eastern percussive accents that the improvisational feel of classic bebop drummers. The following "Orma," while more stripped down in terms of individual elements, continues down the same path with clever spatial arrangements, and with tonal and percussive elements that seem snatched out of their buys urban environments and placed under austere laboratory investigation: this holds true for the isolated bits of sax and vaguely middle-Eastern percussive accents that distinguish this track, and which leap out mischievously from their carefully controlled setting.

"Shlok" begins with a deep subterranean kick pattern and percolating bell tones that, while first bringing to mind recent efforts from Planetary Assault Systems, soon transform into something much unique to Avni's imagination - smooth arcing vocals and contrasting shades of nocturnal ambience turn this into a very sinuous and sultry piece of rhythmic music. Once the listener has been lured in by this siren song, the closer "Even" brings the EP's most forceful and demanding beat - though its heavy punch is tempered with a sense of contemplative sophistication. Once the insistent beat is overlaid by a shimmering latticework of piano, breezelike pads, and concentrated string plucks, it testifies to Avni's ability to create tracks that are loaded with emotional nuance and defy easy description.

Grace Cummings is an actor and musician from Melbourne, Australia. Grace
learned piano as a child and took up the guitar as a young adult, but only
began to write and perform music in 2018. She went from a debut gig at
Melbourne’s Old Bar to a breakthrough performance at Boogie Festival in the
space of six months, picking up support slots with J Mascis and Evan Dando
along the way.
 With buzz building around her powerhouse live show, Grace grabbed the
attention of Flightless Records (King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard), who
released her debut album, ‘Refuge Cove’, in late 2019. Refuge Cove won
praise from publications around the world, including Pitchfork and All Music,
and Grace was tapped for support slots with Weyes Blood, Cash Savage,
Teskey Brothers and Allah-Lahs.
 In 2020, Grace recorded the single ‘Sweet Matilda’ for Mexican Summer’s
‘Through the Looking Glass’ series before landing a worldwide deal with
indie powerhouse ATO Records (Alabama Shakes, My Morning Jacket, King
Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard). Her sophomore album, ‘Storm Queen’, is
now set for release.
 Available on CD and opaque white vinyl. (Once the coloured vinyl format has
sold out, a standard vinyl format - ATO0589LP - will be made available.)
 A graduate of the drama program at the Victorian College of the Arts, Grace
appeared in Elbow Room’s award-winning production ‘Prehistoric’, which
played to packed houses and widespread critical acclaim at the 2018
Edinburgh Fringe. In 2021, she made her debut with the Melbourne Theatre
Company in 2021, in Joanna Murray-Smith’s ‘Berlin’.
 “Cummings isn’t content to merely sing along to her melodies. She tears her
low, surging voice to shreds, braying like she’s beckoning you from the
opposite end of a crowded room. It adds an eerie, intense quality to her
music - a desperation behind the calm of her arrangements.” - Pitchfork
 “One of Melbourne’s hottest new talents... filled with raw power.” - Beat
Magazine
 “Cummings has a voice that demands to be heard, while her lyrics cut
through to the heart, leaving listeners gasping for air.” - Folk Radio UK
 “Like a combination of Sandy Denny, Odetta, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen
and Marianne Faithfull... as the last piano chord ends, you are left wanting
more.” - Your Music Radar
 “There’s a striking androgyny in her tone, it brings the power needed for
these songs to make you stop and listen...Her wit is very sharp and it bites
back with cunning rhetoric.” - Stomp and Stammer
 “Take notice of Cummings as a fresh new Australian talent.” - X-Press Mag

Italian musician, producer and DJ, Lorenzo Morresi, returns to his newly formed SuperEclectic imprint with a brand new album 'Music For Closed Airports' that swiftly follows up on his recent successful outings on 22a and Fly By Night Music. Across the 10 tracks on the album Lorenzo combines live compositions with electronic production, taking you on an expansive journey through jazz-funk, house, electronica and Italian library music.

DJ support

Tenderlonious, Emma Jeen Thackray, Daniele Baldelli, Dennis Ayler, Mr Redley, Delia Tesilianu, King Hippo (International Anthem)

Grey Marbled Vinyl
Mit unerschütterlicher Hartnäckigkeit hat die undurchdringliche Schwermetall-Hartkernfabrik HATEBREED eine weitere eiserne Guss- und Schallwaffe mit dem Gewicht des falschen Selbst hervorgebracht. Es ist keine Überraschung, dass ihr achtes, abendfüllendes Album das Ergebnis des üblichen Schweißes und Blutes ist, das HATEBREEDs einzigartige Nische in der Musikwelt seit über zwei Jahrzehnten zementiert hat. Bekannt für ihre Fähigkeit, ihren Fans eine intensive und kathartische Veröffentlichung zu bieten, haben HATEBREED ihren Schreibstil durch diesen Albumzyklus herausgefordert, um Material zu produzieren, das in einer zeitgenössischen Welt, die von Überreizung, emotionaler Dämpfung und mangelnder sozialer Geduld überflutet ist, außergewöhnlich gut zu vergleichen ist. "Weight Of The False Self' ist eine perfekte Darstellung von HATEBREED im Jahr 2020, ein frischer Ansturm von baldigen Klassikern mit all den Elementen, die Sie vom ersten Tag an hierher geführt haben", erklärt Gitarrist Frank Novinec. Fast jedes Individuum trägt ein metaphorisches Gewicht in Bezug auf sein emotionales Konstrukt. Unsere Erfahrungen prägen, wer wir werden, und im Laufe der Zeit entsteht allmählich eine schwere Last, die wir immer weiter mitschleppen. Für viele von uns wird die Last so groß, dass wir uns schwer tun, von unten herauszukommen, geschweige denn uns zu bewegen.

Es sind diese Kämpfe, die sich durch das Gewicht des falschen Selbst übersetzen lassen. "Ob man es sieht oder nicht, jeder trägt eine Last. Die Musik, die wir lieben, hilft uns, diese Last zu tragen", erklärt Sänger Jamey Jasta. Stücke wie "Cling To Life" liefern ein Wortspiel, das normalerweise bedeutet, sich verzweifelt an die letzten Atemzüge zu klammern, aber hier zeigen diese Worte, dass es nach wahrem Verlust und Trauer aufrichtige Erleichterung bringen kann, sich an die Idee von Glück und Zukunft zu klammern. Am anderen Ende des philosophischen Spektrums präsentiert die erste Single "Instinctive (Slaughterlust)" nicht nur ein neues Vokabular-Wort, sondern schreit auch nach der Kraft, die von unseren Verteidigungsmechanismen ausgeht, wenn wir in eine Ecke gedrängt werden. Wenn jemand von seiner Vergangenheit verfolgt wird, von einer anderen Person, oder wenn er nur sein eigenes Territorium verteidigt, ist es nur eine Frage der Zeit und der Entfernung, bis er zu einer wilden, ursprünglichen Bestie explodieren kann. "Es sollte verboten sein, ein so schweres Lied zu machen", beschreibt Bassist Chris Beattie. Das Lied "Wings Of The Vulture" ist eine Metapher für all die negativen Kräfte der Natur, des Schicksals und der Menschheit, die hoffen, uns in einigen unserer schwächsten Momente zu erbeuten, indem sie auf den Tod von etwas Sinnvollem warten. "A Stroke Of Red" berührt, entgegen dem, was auf den ersten Blick scheint, das Konzept, die Wahl zu haben, sich selbst oder anderen zu schaden. "Auge um Auge, aber das macht jeden blind. Wenn man einmal diesen dunklen, gewalttätigen Weg gegangen ist, gibt es kein Zurück mehr.

Dieses Lied ist eine dunkle Leinwand; ich verlasse meinen Körper, um schreckliche Dinge auf einer anderen Ebene zu tun, und komme zu mir selbst zurück, um daraus zu lernen, so dass man diesem dunklen, fleischlichen Verlangen niemals nachgibt", erklärt Jasta. Das Album-Artwork des renommierten Heavy-Metal-Künstlers Eliran Kantor zeigt einen Mann, der an der massiven Skulptur einer Steinbüste herummeißelt. In Kantors klassischem Malstil, der durch den Lehm von Aufruhr und Traurigkeit bricht, beginnt ein Licht durch den Fels zu scheinen, während der Bildhauer sein Gesicht von den blendenden Strahlen der Heilung abwendet. Das Bild kombiniert visuell die Themen des Albums, nämlich den emotionalen Kampf und die Überwindung des Schmerzes, nachdem Schichten von Depression, Angst, Verrat und Herzschmerz die Seele eines Menschen verhärtet haben. Im Laufe von mehr als 20 Jahren und 8 Alben ist der Schreibprozess für eine Band wie HATEBREED in ihren Wurzeln sicher geblieben, aber dennoch hat sie sich nach knackigen und überzeugenden Stücken mit progressivem Sound umgeschaut, die dem Mix hinzugefügt werden sollen. Es gibt Wellen von frischen Klängen, während das massive Fundament, auf dem HATEBREED stehen, weiterhin stark gehalten wird. "Auf diesem Album habe ich mich wirklich angestrengt und mich dazu gebracht, die Dinge umzuschreiben, bis sie besser waren, bis es klickte. Ich habe mich aus dieser Komfortzone herausgerissen. Im Zeitalter der Altlasten, in dem die Bands so viele Hits aus ihrem Katalog bei Shows spielen müssen, hören wir gerne, dass die Fans neue Songs verlangen, wenn wir live spielen", erklärt Jasta, "wir haben mit diesem Album wirklich unsere Stärken ausgenutzt". "An fleischigen Rippen und adrenalingeladenen Trommeln mangelt es auf dieser Platte nicht. Ich bin stolz darauf, dass wir durchweg einen Soundtrack liefern, zu dem man in seinem Wohnzimmer moshen und seine Wohnung zerstören kann", erklärt Schlagzeuger Matt Byrne. Bei der erneuten Aufnahme des Albums mit Hilfe von ZEUSS erlebte die Band ein Gefühl der Herausforderung und des Durchbruchs, das es ihr ermöglichte, eine neue Ebene des Klangs zu erreichen.

Nachdem er mehrere Jahre lang mit der Band gearbeitet hat und während er normalerweise seine Zeit mit Bands verbringt, die einen ziemlich anderen Sound haben, ist Zeuss in der Lage, HATEBREED zu testen und ihre bereits berüchtigte Schwingung zu erweitern. "Es war wirklich großartig, wieder mit Zeuss an diesem Projekt zu arbeiten. Ich liebe die Art und Weise, wie die Gitarren klingen", kommentiert Gitarrist Wayne Lozinak. Im Laufe der Zeit scheint die Qualität der Produktionstechnologie immer besser zu werden und ein sicheres und produktives Nest zu schaffen, in dem das Album

“I’m reeling, I’m restless,” sing Deep Throat Choir from the heart of their second album. That restlessness manifests in a set of tremendously abundant, original songs from the east London female and non-binary vocal collective, founded by Landshapes member Luisa Gerstein.

 Released via Bella Union, ‘In Order to Know You’ is a multi-layered assertion of freshly expansive range, driven by two core virtues: a sense of strength in unity and an open embrace of its singers’ personal experiences, shared through collective, supportive vocal expression.

 After 2017’s largely covers-based debut album, ‘Be OK’, the choir recognised the call to evolve. “Having been singing together for five-plus years, and having released an album of mostly covers, it felt like the logical next step to make our own music together,” says Gerstein. “This album is the alchemy of all the specific voices and players that make up the choir, and a collaborative process of writing and sharing music and ideas. Sonically, I wanted to move beyond just voices and percussion, to see what richness could be brought with acoustic instruments and electronics, and to transition from a choir that
does covers to a band with loads of vocalists.”

 ‘In Order to Know You’ heads towards its climax without seeming to touch the ground, from the title track’s devotional exhalation to the stealthy, smoky shimmer of ‘Unstitching’. Its lyrics drawn from a poem by Emma Cleave, the sublime ‘Field of Not Knowing’ closes the album in a vivid tapestry of folkgothic images (moon beams and pipistrelles) and serene-to-soaring arrangements, revelling in possibility: “It’s the place where I begin,” sing the choir.

 For Deep Throat Choir, the result is both an exquisite culmination of journeys taken so far and a lustrous, exquisite springboard for further adventures. Their travels began in 2013, when the collective took shape from a desire to strip music back to the basic elements of raw female voices and drums, united in a fashion that both honours and transmogrifies personal expression.

 A small group of four or five singers steadily expanded, with Zara Toppin’s drums providing a propulsive energy. Cathartic live shows and collaborations followed, ranging from team-ups with Peggy Sue, Stealing Sheep, Horse Meat Disco and Matthew E White, to performances at Green Man, Wilderness, the Southbank Centre’s WOW festival, London’s Scala and beyond. ‘Be OK’ provided a gutsy showcase for the band’s close, collective strengths, bolstered by weekly gatherings at a church in east London to blow
the roof off. A fruitful collaboration with techno-pop duo Simian Mobile Disco on the 2018 album ‘Murmurations’ followed: a testament to the choir’s alchemical abilities.