(review) Riptides – ‘Riptides’ EP

Riptides are hailing from Italy and this is their first EP out now. This one contains four songs. The music of Riptides is so much more and more complicated than it could be explained in one sentence. This is basically progressive death metal. But here is also metalcore, even hardcore roots in the skeletons of songs themselves. Also, here is djent and progressive metal thrown into above all smart songwriting throughout the EP. Songs are not too long, like it often is a case with similar styled bands, quite the contrary. Songs are not long and interesting every second of listening. I am usually not an avid fan of such style of extreme music, but I really enjoyed every single second of this one. I love the interplay between brutal death metal growling and clean singing, with some really eerie melodies like in excellent ‘The Deepest Ocean’. The other of four songs that is my personal favorite is ‘Paranoia’ which struck me like a heavy hitter. This one is heavy, melodic and progressive. Go listen!

9/10

Bandcamp

(news – new single) FALLSTAR DROP NEW SINGLE, ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM!

Fallstar’s sixth studio album sees the band coming into their own, understanding the qualities of their previous records and how they relate to the band’s identity; all culminating in the control and authority displayed on Sacred Mirrors.

Most artists won’t admit that they set out to intentionally replicate a previous album, but Fallstar readily acknowledges it’s exactly what they meant to do with Sacred Mirrors. “We found formulas and voices that really work for us and we’re gonna refine that. Sunbreather set the standard for what we are as a band and we wanted to make that record again, but even better.” The songs are diverse, but the record as a whole is the most cohesive project the band has ever completed. “Picking singles was miserable because there are no clear winners. All the songs can stand on their own.”

Sacred Mirrors was written before the band’s most current Facedown album Sunbreather was even released, but recording for the album wasn’t begun until the winter of 2021. Musically, the goal for Sacred Mirrors was to hone the structure and style created on Sunbreather; lyrically the message is straightforward: “Self reflection is the sacred mirror.”

Sacred Mirrors will be released on July 14, 2023. The first single “Doomsayer” is out now.Listen: 
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon

Pre-Orders will be launching next month and include some amazing looking, very limited colored vinyl.  Keep an eye out for that.  

(news – new single) Chicago’s THE BELLWETHER SYNDICATE summon courage & resolve on ‘We All Rise’ single!

It is release day for ‘We All Rise’ by Chicago-based alternative post-punk outfit THE BELLWETHER SYNDICATE, the third single from their ‘Vestige & Vigil’ album, slated for release on April 28 via Sett Records (North America) and Nexilis Records / Schubert Music Europe (rest of world). A tale of hope and struggle, of audacity, inner grit and rage for what could be…

Formed by WILLIAM FAITH (of seminal goth acts Christian Death, Mephisto Walz and Shadow Project and co-founder of Faith & The Muse) and SARAH ROSE FAITH a.k.a. SCARY LADY SARAH (one of the scene’s most eminent DJs and club promoters and host of Nocturna, the longest-running goth event in North America), they are joined in The Bellwether Syndicate by PHILLY PEROXIDE, STEVYN GREY and COREY GREY. Faith notes, “’We All Rise’ is both an acknowledgement of and a call to the inner courage we all possess, which gives us the resolve and the strength to go against the prevailing system and try to build the world that lives in all of our hearts and minds”. 

Order the single  https://withkoji.com/@thebellwethersyndicate
Bandcamp  https://thebellwethersyndicate.bandcamp.com
Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/track/1ug1LGlsqtHnoNypxiF4v0
‘Beacons’  https://youtu.be/CRNdc-XJIMI
‘Dystopian Mirror’ (Official video)  https://youtu.be/c2MPiPgEHs4
‘Dystopian Mirror’ (Performance video)  https://youtu.be/XKTBCvkpNdc
‘Dystopian Mirror’ (Lyrics video)  https://youtu.be/IlpWwZ3jlbM
Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/artist/3B9I7zOlLeuj02Pft3B2nN
Tour tickets (with Clan of Xymox)  http://bit.ly/3lYoNYZ