1. Frog Mallet - S/T (EP) (Boston, Massachusetts)
Genre: Bullfrog Beatdown Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3MX0KcRjEAzsLK5mtx8bie?si=JKoZaC5CSxCm0oMFGkj7Cg
Ribbit
2. Mothica - Nocturnal (lofi beats to fall asleep to) (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Genre: Lo-Fi Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/6k41xqUY8JEazYP4qRnKao?si=_6iGjomvQCWL73d_vjK8yg
Growing up in Oklahoma, MOTHICA found openly talking about mental health struggles to be taboo and looked to the internet for a sense of community. Though MOTHICA has been writing music since she was a kid, she did not begin pursuing music until she was 18, producing and releasing her songs independently online. Embarking on a journey of self-expression and exploration through music, MOTHICA has since released a handful of EPs, countless singles, and her 2020 debut record Blue Hour, which charted No. 3 in the US on iTunes the week of its release.
Making catchy alt-pop about difficult subject matters, MOTHICA has racked up 200M global streams and has collaborated with artists like nothing,nowhere., Royal & the Serpent, and MEMBA. She has built a passionate fanbase that connects with her openness on past traumas, battle with depression, and sobriety. MOTHICA seeks to challenge stigmas surrounding mental health with her inspiring message, using music as an outlet to depict a shared experience that anyone could relate to.
3. Julia Jacklin - PRE PLEASURE (Sydney, Australia)
Genre: Indie/Pop/Rock/Folk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/12fRkVfO2fUsz1QHgDAG3g?si=xRhEI20HSTqagBQQ19zBHA
Since releasing her debut album Don’t Let the Kids Win in 2016, Melbourne’s Julia Jacklin has carved out a fearsome reputation as a direct lyricist, willing to excavate the parameters of intimacy and agency in songs both stark and raw, loose, and playful. If her debut announced those intentions, and the startling 2019 follow-up Crushing drew in listeners uncomfortably close, PRE PLEASURE is the sound of Jacklin gently loosening her grip. Stirring piano-led opener ‘Lydia Wears A Cross’ channels the underage confusion of being told religion is profound, despite only feeling it during the spectacle of its pageantry. The gentle pulse of ‘Love, Try Not To Let Go’ and dreamy strings of ‘Ignore Tenderness’ betray an interrogation of consent and emotional injury. The stark ‘Less Of A Stranger’ picks at the generational thread of a mother/daughter relationship, while the hymnal ‘Too In Love To Die’ and loose jam of ‘Be Careful With Yourself’ equate true love with the fear of losing it. Recorded in Montreal with co-producer Marcus Paquin (The Weather Station, The National), PRE PLEASURE finds Jacklin teamed with her Canada-based touring band, bassist Ben Whiteley, guitarist Will Kidman, and drummer Laurie Torres. PRE PLEASURE presents Jacklin as her most authentic self; an uncompromising and masterful lyricist, always willing to mine the depths of her own life experience, and singular in translating it into deeply personal, timeless songs.
4. Teen Suicide - honeybee table at the butterfly feast (Baltimore, Maryland)
Genre: Indie/Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2cAvReLDmjFQtCJFDJbHBU?si=syWg0jPOSwm8YZGnYr-k8Q 
5. Pianos Become The Teeth - Drift (Baltimore, Maryland)
Genre: Indie/Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gbwngeG3dwS4ARmtgud9C?si=GKemy5PoSY2-UuR6PdUAHA
The opening couplet on Pianos Become The Teeth’s fifth full-length album Drift is as captivating as it is haunting, a statement which can also be said of the album as a whole. “For me, this record feels like one long night,” frontman Kyle Durfey explains. “Out Of Sight'' parallels that feeling musically via layered vocals, atmospheric instrumentation and percussion accents that sound like a crackling fire before the song carefully crescendos into a hypnotic blend of distorted bass and melodic guitar line that’s strangely satisfying and completely unexpected. But Pianos Become The Teeth have never been the type of act to follow conventions. The Baltimore, D.C., five-piece—which also features guitarists Mike York and Chad McDonald, bassist Zac Sewell and drummer David Haik—originally started out as a screamo band and gained an enthusiastic fanbase via 2009’s Old Pride and 2011’s The Lack Long After. However shortly afterward Durfey stopped screaming and the band transitioned into a post-rock act who expanded their sound on 2014’s Keep You and 2018’s Wait For Love. Drift is the culmination of the band’s penchant for redefining and transcending their sound and it does so in a way that stays true to their artistic and aesthetic vision.
6. Have Mercy - S/T (Baltimore, Maryland)
Genre: Indie/Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2UvzehEVGcYTPKNwJSZ2kM?si=18YoIhVkRqm8sjBqk2a4dQ
Baltimore emo band Have Mercy had initially said that their 2020 tour -- which followed the death of founding drummer Aaron Alt -- would be their last, but COVID cut that tour short, and a lot changed for frontman Brian Swindle over the past couple years. He got sober, got engaged, and started writing new material, and he eventually decided to reunite Have Mercy's mid 2010s lineup -- Brian, guitarist Andrew Johnson, bassist Nick Woolford, and drummer Todd Wallace.
7. Becoming The Archetype - Children of the Great Extinction (Atlanta, Georgia)
Genre: Progressive/Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2lt0aSPzPngGw8KsfLYRyF?si=Zq28OBJeS_CL3F1KXTcLzA
10 years since their last release, Becoming The Archetype realize their most expansive, entrancing, and engaging vision yet on their sixth full-length offering, Children of the Great Extinction [Solid State Records]. The core trio—Jason Wisdom [vocals/bass], Seth Hecox [guitar/keyboard/vocals], and Brent “Duck” Duckett [drums]—focus their intensity into a cinematic trip bolstered by soaring clean vocals, technically proficient instrumentation, and a fascinating sci-fi concept. In 2005, Becoming The Archetype landed with the force of a tsunami on Terminate Damnation. Presenting an inimitable hybrid of tech, death, and progressive metal underpinned by deep themes, they captivated fans with The Physics of Fire in 2007. For Dichotomy a year later, they teamed up with the legendary Devin Townsend [Strapping Young Lad] behind-the-board as producer and served up anthems like the title track featuring Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter. Along the way, they packed shows touring with legendary bands like Parkway Drive, August Burns Red, Demon Hunter, Zao, The Chariot, and more. In 2011 the band partnered with producer Matt Goldman (Underoath, The Chariot) to unleash their most progressive album, Celestial Completion—the last album to feature Jason and “Duck”—until now. After building a devout fan base through a series of seminal records, they fulfill their potential at the highest level with a blockbuster story now on Children of the Great Extinction.
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1. Holding Absence & Alpha Wolf - The Lost & The Longing (Split EP)
Genre: Metalcore & Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/7ixPK6qVgw0AMX3OsFf2eW?si=cwiA4_yCSba5-cdFgZVxHw
"Holding Absence and Alpha Wolf have just released a new collaborative split EP called 'The Lost & The Longing'.
As much a celebration of each band's music as it is a celebration of the strength and state of the scene at the moment, both bands coming out swinging with some of the most bruising, vital, ethereal and huge material to date, as well as allowing the other to encourage further exploration and innovation along the way.
It's a benchmark in its own right for not just the bands involved but for all of their peers, and shows just how exciting the future is set to be." - JACK ROGERS at Rocksound.tv
2. Sun Is Poison - Dark Cloud Unhand Me (Ballston Spa, New York)
Genre: Indie/Rock/Folk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6z8QxGgkqFIkubQA3rCjZt?si=fTlQ3WGtSXqV7t8WLXDEFg
Bedroom Project
3. Russian Circles - Gnosis (Chicago, Illinois)
Genre: Instrumental/Atmospheric/Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0AZ3VR0YbFcS0Kgei7L2QF?si=VW-7XDXySUmv_6h6HI_itw
Russian Circles is an American instrumental band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was originally formed by childhood friends Mike Sullivan and Dave Turncrantz after their previous musical projects dissolved. After parting ways with their original bass player Colin DeKuiper in 2007, the trio was rounded out by Brian Cook. The band has gained widespread recognition based on a series of critically acclaimed albums and extensive international touring. Their name is taken from a drill exercise used in ice hockey, a sport Sullivan and Turncrantz grew up playing in their original hometown of St. Louis.
4. The Chats - Get Fucked (Queensland, Australia)
Genre: Punk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1aQ7P3HtKOQFW16ebjiks1?si=a1fVrkvhQ-OQE1jL2_gkyQ
The Chats are a pub-punk shed-rock band from Queensland, Australia. They began playing together in high school, releasing their debut self titled EP a month away from graduating. About nine months out of high school, The Chats went back into the studio to record their follow up EP, "Get This In Ya". The second EP sat online for half a year until the band had a viral hit with the music video for their song "Smoko", which racked in millions of views on Youtube in a couple of days. Since then, The Chats have become notorious for their loud and chaotic live shows and their zero fucks attitude. The Chats have sold out shows in Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, and Europe. They've toured with Australian punk legends Cosmic Psychos, US rock heavyweights Queens of the Stone Age, and fellow pisswrecks Pist Idiots. With a debut album in the works, as well as national and international tours, The Chats aren't showing any signs of slowing down soon.
5. Orthodox - Learning to Dissolve (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0DkKBTgWxBnvYsOXDaoTVP?si=ATBFMdSPTD-250IR7Rfmew 
6. Spite - Dedication To Flesh (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
Genre: Deathcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2DynE7m1BMVl4hQMvCXXq0?si=MHA1hBmwRTKaZXt4aFqKqA
SPITE CULT
7. Hive - Spiritual Poverty (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Genre: Punk/Hardcore/Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Z5NPiT8J9qO4efnCzMQCM?si=pymwMRqaT5mLXRPmXKkCrg
Minneapolis’ HIVE have no doubts about who they are or what they want to do. Featuring members of veteran hardcore bands such as BOSNIA and DISEMBODIED, the constituent parts of this four-piece had all been around the block a few times before they settled on this project’s largely singular vision of destruction back in 2014. Helping themselves to overlapping dollops of D-beat, crust and hardcore, their methods may be somewhat familiar, but they’re also thoroughly effective. Their latest effort, Spiritual Poverty, is out this Friday via the invariably consistent Translation Loss Records. True to form, it’s a razor sharp offering that proudly flies the flag for the legendary Twin Cities scene.
With the band clearly uninterested in reinventing the wheel, Spiritual Poverty mostly gets by on fury alone. Early impressions of the record are essentially a whirlwind of blistering D-beats, crunchy riffs, squealing guitars and invariably pissed vocals. It hits the ground running with opener With Roots In Hell, the band doing away with any kind of ominous intro or slow-build and instead launching arguably far more impactfully into a scuzz-caked rager. Second track So It Is Done only ups the ante from there, again avoiding any particular frills or fancies in favour of a feral exploration of “the relationship between master and slave in the American political system”. By its end, you should already have a good idea of what to expect from the record to follow, and it doesn’t disappoint from there. - Ellis Heasley at distortedsoundmag
8. Morbid Evils - Supernaturals (Turku, Finland)
Genre: Doom Metal/Death Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/30xCXjo1sNV0694Mya7QCm?si=s7bbkAZoTiWJ1MMyiyhCdQ
"Back in 2014, Finnish funeral sludge project Morbid Evils emerged with their first song. Founded by Keijo Niinimaa, it’s a wildly different beast than Niinimaa’s grinding output with Rotten Sound. During their 8 year tenure, Morbid Evils have displayed influences from old school death metal, crust, and the most misanthropic forms of doom. Five years since the release of Deceases, the band prepares to unleash their third LP. Supernaturals is an impenetrably heavy ode to misery with the band’s most sinister compositions to date. Decibel Magazine is psyched to exclusively share the record ahead of the album’s August 19th release from Transcending Obscurity Records.
Composed of four lengthy tracks spanning forty minutes, Supernaturals is an uncompromising journey through wastelands of the human psyche. An undercurrent of old school death carries “Fearless” to stomping segues between monolithic riffs. Dark psychedelia swirls into the bloodstream of “Anxious.” Like countrymen Hooded Menace, Morbid Evils imbue their sound with splashes of melody (“Tormented”) in the form of eerie and emotive guitar leads from Tuomas Varila. The final track is a churning nightmare of down-tuned death and caustic sludge that shapeshifts tempos across its eleven minute reign of terror. The result is a record that matches the hellish smudges of the album’s cover art by Dawid Figielek. It’s a dense and gnarled album that offers no sanctuary and no reprieve." - Sean Frasier at Decibel Magazine
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1. Thee Oh Sees - A Foul Form (San Francisco, California)
Genre: Indie/ Garage/ Punk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3qYfqdVwX0fil71onLpLkh?si=exAHSHZ6ReeV8UpW7q_vRw
Oh Sees (formerly ‘Thee Oh Sees’) are a band from San Francisco, California, USA. The group began as an outlet for John Dwyer to release his instrumental, experimental home recordings, and over the course of several albums evolved into a full band. The band is noted for both its prolific album releases, energetic live shows, and their whimsical visual aesthetic that juxtaposes cartoon imagery and horror. The band has changed its name several times, being known as Orinoka Crash Suite, OCS, Orange County Sound, and The Ohsees. Some say John Dwyer (of Coachwhips, Pink & Brown, OCS, Landed, Yikes, Burmese, The Hospitals, Sword & Sandals, Superpit, The Drums, The Trawgs, Zeigenbock Kopf and Dig That Body Up It’s Alive!) is in Thee Oh Sees and he seems to be making this band the most serious project. He’s done everything from noise to death metal to punk and now Thee Oh Sees. Thee Oh Sees are no doubt the lightest of his excursions, but in contrast to the rest of his resume one could surmise that there are significant reasons for the change.Thee Oh Sees have a lo-fi electric-acoustic sound that’s usually soaked in reverb, making it as if you can hear and see the exact room they recorded in. It creates a very distinct mood that seems to fit their style, lyrics, and melodies.
What most people focus on is that Mr. Dwyer is in the band. While it’s certainly a notable quality, the recent band members bring so much more to the table. The earliest recordings are Dwyer’s solo recordings, mostly single instrument/vocal ditties that you can hear him working out. They’re an intimate portrait of John, but without the recent material, the portrait would simply be incomplete.Thee Oh Sees don’t subscribe to any one style. With the addition of Brigid Dawson, Petey Dammit, and a rotating cast of drummers, the sound has grown into the landscape that one man couldn’t create alone. Brigid’s soprano voice brings an almost hauntingly sensitive aspect to the lyrics and melodies, while Petey and Mike’s pounding and insistent backline (and additional drums from Lars Finberg of The Intelligence on recent recordings) complete the frame in its entirety. Their energetic, sweat-laden shows coupled with their prolific recording schedule has garnered them a growing, dedicated fan base.
The catalog that this band has put together is growing and growing, albeit under several different monikers, and several different labels
2. Tobe Nwigwe - moMINTs (Houston, Texas)
Genre: Hip-Hop Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Qh89pgJeZq6d8uM1bTot3?si=s050qXEVReC57CPnOjBtKg
Tobe Nwigwe is an enigma. The lyrics and tone of his music tell the story of a difficult upbringing in Alief, TX. Like other rappers who grew up in the proverbial hood, Tobe’s autobiographical tracks conjure images of gang violence, drug deals, pimps and prostitution. The authenticity in his work is palpable. Still, the man is a beacon of positivity and graciousness. The same songs that describe shootouts and the loss of childhood friends also speak on the power of faith and the importance of purpose. Tobe has a singular goal in life: “to make purpose popular.” The first-generation-Nigerian kid from Alief (Houston, TX) who had a scholarship to play college ball and dreams of playing in the NFL, saw those dreams dashed by a career-ending foot injury his senior year. In his despair, he turned to his faith and found a new calling; he would teach others to “move through purpose.” Long before he ever put pen to paper and called himself a rapper, Tobe was speaking to rooms full of students through his self-started nonprofit foundation, TEAM GINI, educating them on the merits of a purpose-driven existence. Through tremendous consistency and execution, Tobe has attracted fans across the globe, including culture heavy-weights: Erykah Badu, Sway Calloway and Dave Chappelle.
3. Shuriken Cadaveric Entwinement - Constructing the Cataclysm (Gastonia, North Carolina)
Genre: Death metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7M4RGtLFp4kHV69ut36PKt?si=6UnWzKyQRDSkEea9UmqQpw
SCE is a brutal death metal band from North Carolina,US.The band is side project of Jay Barnes and Jordan Varela from 'Lust of Decay'.
4. Pale Waves - Unwanted (Manchester, United Kingdom)
Genre: Pop-punk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0wOej91SVqB1zcYkW6xUtA?si=nZ39gwkMSImwdv14yMiceg
Pale Waves are a four-piece band from Manchester made up of Heather Baron-Gracie, Ciara Doran, Hugo Silvani & Charlie Wood.
Their third studio album is a bold statement of reclamation – from the lyrics to the title itself. Unwanted reaches out into the community of misfits and LGBTQI fans, tapping into darker emotions than ever before while striking a fresh tone of defiance. Since their 2018 debut My Mind Makes Noises, the band has grown to embrace their queerness, with lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie writing more directly about her relationships with women. Meanwhile, drummer Ciára Doran has been posting updates about their transition over the last year, from starting testosterone to recovering from top surgery. These experiences have shaped Pale Waves’ music over the last few years, but they jump to the fore on Unwanted. Unwanted is 13 tracks of classic pop punk with an edge. Think Sum-41 by way of Veruca Salt; all the crunchy guitars and rhythmic drive of a 2000s pop punk classic with the rage of a 90s rock band. At the time of writing, Baron-Gracie was listening to a lot of Garbage, Paramore, Metric, Sky Ferreira and Blondie – artists that fed into her desire to pull Pale Waves out of the indie and synth-pop world they started out in, and towards a harder, more alternative sound. “Unwanted is in your face, and that's exactly what I wanted,” Baron-Gracie says resolutely. “I want Pale Waves to keep growing in this direction. Bigger, bolder, and more unapologetic.”
5. Norma Jean - Deathrattle Sing For Me (Douglasville, Georgia)
Genre: Metalcore/ Post-Hardcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/55b0Gfm53udtGBs8mmNXrH?si=9icdPj54QjG-q-3LwRaYDg
Norma Jean is an American progressive heavy rock band, originally from Atlanta, Georgia and currently based in Fort Smith, Arkansas. After nearly 20 years, the band identifies more as an artistic collective than a traditional band. To date, Norma Jean has released nine studio albums and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2006.
6. Of Virtue - Sinner EP (Lansing, Michigan)
Genre: Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4GnK2zRFtw1gBoiFORWHsA?si=diURGQAJSIi7OVyKr9Styw
Progression, or more generally, change, is a constant in music; in order to adapt and survive, you must grow and develop - and no band knows that more than Lansing, MI metal act Of Virtue. What began as a humble, promising metalcore act born from the blisteringly chill and barren fields of the Midwest has erupted into an internationally recognized and critically acclaimed alternative powerhouse. From reaching #28 on Billboard’s Current Hard Music charts to performing in over 30 countries across three continents, to accruing over a staggering 6.5 million plus streams on Spotify alone for their previous record “What Defines You” - Of Virtue’s growth is nothing short of jaw dropping. The band combines an eclectic taste of the melodic, catchy and ethereal with a foundation in heavy music and a penchant for punishing breakdowns and immolating riffs. All of this mixed in one helps define Of Virtue as a multifaceted, diverse, and engaging act that create something for just about any fan to fall in love with.Their brand new EP "Sinner" is out now via Arising Empire! Of Virtue is: Tyler Ennis - Vocals Damon Tate - Guitar / Vocals Michael Valadez - Guitar Ryan Trinh - Drums
7. Heart Of Gold - Beautiful Dangerous (United Kingdom)
Genre: Dreampop Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4hqo1pdNrZHfPmSmTtMvUZ?si=7ioxhkv3R-uHxhj8WjlRkA
Singer / songwriter michael mcgough is known for his work in rock-band being as an ocean as vocalist and guitarist, and now his latest project heart of gold. drawing influence more from ‘situations involving specific people and places’ he has captured a distinct sound not unlike that of mid-late 1980’s / early 90s pop. ‘i grew up between two households’ says michael. 'my mother brought in this incredible range of pop/rnb to my life. i’ve always been so drawn to dominant vocals in a song, accompanied by just the right chord progression that really makes you feel something. michael jackson, whitney houston and lisa stansfield in particular were the leaders of that. thats what i wanted to do. however, my fathers house was always filled with rock and roll music. the smiths, queen, thin lizzy and led zeppelin just to name a few. that brought in a wider range of inspiration of vocal ranges, and how the voice can really work when accompanying the right music
8. Been Stellar - S/T (Manhattan, New York)
Genre: Indie/ Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ep1YmatQ8L9UKCGYiJNBh?si=u__cLCp6Tqu4oTJ3UIh8rw
Been Stellar is what you get when you leave the youth alone in a metropolis; they grow up. They make noise. Their songs are formed and lived somewhere on Broadway, on Hester, on 34th, in Union Square, on the bridge, in the gutter, and under your shoe. The trivial street scenes lipsticked by well-loved decades are fully recognized in Been Stellar’s hail of guitar tones and insistent lyrical earnesty. Crackly, bright and distorted - stories of violence, love, and a new, un-glamorous, New York City. Hailing from metro-Detroit, the beaches of Los Angeles, and Brazil by way of Sydney, Nando Dale (guitar), Laila Wayans (drums), Sam Slocum (vocals), Nico Brunstein (bass) and Skyler St. Marx (guitar) have positioned themselves at the glimmering rotten center of tonight’s rock and roll. Each member so distinctly themselves, it must be assumed that such a diverse and unlikely gang were drawn tight together in their first year of university by nothing short of serendipitous fortune and a shared, waggish sense of humor. They are a band of friends - sharing, crying, fighting, and kissing- wreaking havoc together and laughing like how only the jaunty youth can afford to. Been Stellar’s arrangements come textured, swooping - pushing past you at a downtown pace and off to find a better night. The songs are of their own time and space, offering a New York City - Been Stellar’s New York City - the sounds of growing up young.
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As part of our mission to inspire the local art community, we created the Artist Endorsement Project. With this project, we work closely with artists of all types to create a customized endorsement package that meets the needs of our most valued clients.
1. Odium Rot - S/T (Tampa, Fl)
Genre: Death Metal/ Deathcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5eCyfRSpV8FRW6I7KZ8yT7?si=lKv7lIbZRFy8FF2GPF9A9w
AEP band Odium Rot is a up and coming 5-Piece Death-core act representing Tampa, Florida. Known for their harsh subject matter, hellacious speed, bone slamming breakdowns and unconventional chaotic riffs, they’ve built an underground following by playing a handful of shows throughout 2021 and releasing their debut EP In August 2022.
2. Epilogue - Hounds (Single) (Tampa, FL)
Genre: Deathcore/Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4TupkdT5xdlHt1FWD4K3nF?si=J0A_7yIiRwGR2Im9HMRWSA 
3. Pintglass - Blood, Sweat, and Stella (Guildford, United Kingdom)
Genre: Beatdown/Hardcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6b6QVdUlocAllySCrU4gQs?si=vrHnHkIjSn2wFj3_vekLXQ
01483 COMING FOR YOUR TEETH YOU SOPPY MUG. GU4 BLOKE CULT. PINTGLASS FROM THE GAFF TO THE CAF', THE ONE AND ONLY GEEZACORE DIVISION.
4. Silent Planet - :Signal: (Single) (Azusa, California)
Genre: Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0JGTiwfinlCuANGu4Gq2XU?si=9adrUZABQmKtv0YJwVqzsg
All creativity is a dialogue. Every song, painting, innovation, poem - is just the latest statement in a conversation that is as old as human civilization. And Silent Planet intends to add to this dialogue. Weaving together topics that range from historical injustice to the existential despair of modern life, Silent Planet has a message that burns with a hardcore indignation, while coupled with progressive instrumentation. Since the their inception in 2009, Silent Planet has never looked for handouts. Initially the band slowly gained traction playing local venues throughout California, subsequently expanding to DIY touring throughout the States. The band first gained prominence due to their vast array of intellectual influences, anchored by Russell’s masters degree in psychology and field experience as a mental health therapist. However, it is their remarkably intimate connection with their listeners (who they often refer to as “Lovers”, eschewing the term “fans”) that has become their trademark in the music scene. Perhaps no single event better speaks to their grassroots base than their surprise, underdog victory of “Underground Band of the Year” at the 2017 APMA awards. Hope doesn’t have to be an abstract concept. It can be an embodied reality.” Perhaps the band’s message is best summed up in their own words: “Trade your certainty for awe.”
5. I AM - Surrender To the Blade (Dallas, Texas)
Genre: Death Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7dQNPdkq99QGiUIMmRjqur?si=DV4kMeXxS9e1aLfRpbhbiw
Texas death unit I AM will release their Eternal Steel full-length September 9th via MNRK Heavy. Brandishing a unique blend of furious thrash and death metal like a weapon of mass destruction, I AM is purely no-nonsense in their patented “Texas Death” assault. Armed with riffs, speed, and overwhelming power, “I AM writes songs that make you want to move” (Decibel Magazine). Across three full-length slabs of bludgeoning intensity and snarling rage, I AM put a Southern stamp and revitalized swagger into deathcore, a subgenre rarely as raw, energized, and diverse as this band. In the spirit of fellow Southern icons Pantera and newer Texan heroes Power Trip, I AM channels discontent and anger into empowering anthems, as likely to inspire a grueling workout as to incite the pit. Reminiscent of the combination of death metal heaviness and thrash metal speed found in the early catalog of Sepultura, I AM mines the heaviness of Morbid Angel and the dexterity of the Big 4 to create something groundbreaking of their own. Vocalist Andrew Hileman — who started the band in 2011– guitarists Tom Reyes and Chris Burgess, bassist Erik Rodriguez, and drummer Brandon Busa deliver their Texas Death in clubs, theaters, and festivals, with bands like The Acacia Strain and Kublai Khan. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Randy Leboeuf & EQ.
6. Amon Amarth - The Great Heathen Army (Tumba, Sweden)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Viking Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pulcT2wt7FEG10lQlqDJL?si=U6QylX9iQAmyzGViZ3C60A
Amon Amarth is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba, formed in 1992. The band takes its name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Their lyrics mostly deal with Viking mythology and history, and so they have been sometimes erroneously labeled "Viking metal", although the band insists they play melodic death metal.
7. Psycroptic - Divine Council (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia)
Genre: Death Metal/ Black Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2O8ZayBAqBqoXujSAAx7pm?si=k-QVJb3bR32e0nwn3mRjyg
Hailing from the tiny, frosty, untamed and detached Australian state that is Tasmania, Psycroptic have become an unparalleled act in an enigmatic world wide movement commonly known as death metal. Many years have passed since their formation in 1999, the band having released 6 albums all which show an organic progression along a clandestine path from which they will never stray. Newer elements too can be expected when the new album is finally unleashed - more vocal variation, a heightened handle on instrumental melody, and an overwhelming sense that this act has truly mastered their craft.
8. Kal Marks - My Name Is Hell (Boston, Massachusetts)
Genre: Indie/Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Yv0Obn2mIOsryAqqXHP89?si=9RkzyvgvQiu3NLOIW7ZGAw
Considered veterans of the Boston DIY scene, Kal Marks has been going for over a decade, constantly pushing themselves and growing along the way. Their tireless work ethic keeps them out on the road, throughout the US and most recently their first tour of Europe and the UK. While many bands settle into a comfortable place, Kal Marks take pride in expanding their sound, contorting and reshaping the formula with every album they’ve released. They’ve challenged their audience over the years and its been met with adoration and critical acclaim from outlets like NPR, Pitchfork, Fader, and Stereogum. Known for being one of the loudest and heaviest “indie rock” bands out there, they’ve shared bills with Big Business, Black Midi, The Messthetics, METZ, True Widow, and more. Their explosive live show is built on feedback and cathartic aggression, an outlet to exorcise the weight of the world around us.
9. Demon Hunter - Heaven Don't Cry (Single) (Seattle, Washington)
Genre: Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6f3a43i1MJZwdjEpV1M0oH?si=HDlLVr7lQEmQoR3zcTnS4A
Demon Hunter is an American metal institution. The band embraces brazenly transcendent melodies, without apology, while maintaining a defiant heaviness reminiscent of the most timeless of metal music. For two decades, Demon Hunter has weathered the changing tides of rock subculture, proving ever resistant to trends, and ever resilient, making music as determined and resolute as the men within the band.Demon Hunter’s body of work is born from unwavering commitment, uncompromising creative determination, and stark recognition of the reality of an often-cold world, tempered in defiant hope. It’s made up of smartly constructed, confessional lyrics; heady and catchy melody; monster riffs; bottom heavy grooves; the collision of meticulous production and urgent raw power; bold imagery and bolder themes.The band's eleventh studio album, EXILE, is available everywhere on September 9, 2022.
10. Royal Hearts - Second & Sebring (OM&M Cover) (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Genre: Metalcore/ Post Hardcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5KUxUfHcwed6mQR9y0epiH?si=wYBwKEqRROymZs4m5iA9hg
“I spent the best years of my life, trying to fit in a thousand times,” Ryan Camuto. If there is a more relatable statement for thousands out there, Royal Hearts has yet to say it. Three years in the making, this emotive metalcore band has tied themselves to the idea of emotional honesty, combining personal lyricism with intense, melodic music. Nelson Tran (Bass), Ryan Camuto (Vocals), Michael Summers (Drums) Taking cues from formative core acts like The Ghost Inside, Silverstein, Counterparts and a litany of Hot Topic dominating mainstays, Royal Hearts defines themselves with the idea of being relatable but refreshing. Combining nostalgic riffs and breakdowns with a dual vocal approach (from vocalist Ryan and drummer Michael Summers) and high energy performances, AEP band Royal Hearts is keen on taking the very best of their influences and blending them together to peak nostalgia while offering a new shade of core music. Since their inception they have self released a ritual of 4 singles and in late 2020, their debut EP, Within Reach, with several tracks (Fairweather) being picked up by Spotify editorials and featured on content creators channels such as Rachelle Reacts and FYM. In that same time, they have performed across Florida extensively, sharing the stage with artists.
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