Drug Church - Prude
febuary - February
Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead are a three-piece screamo/emoviolence band from Vancouver, British Columbia that formed in 2022. Following up their demo last year, their debut "full-length" (clocking in at an exquiste 18 minutes) came out earlier this month, and it hits hard. Its blend of noisy dissonance, breakneck rhythms, octave chord shredding, and occasional exercise in control makes for a chaotically pulverizing but impressively executed listen. If you're into bands like One Eyed God Prophecy, Union Of Uranus, Jeromes Dream, Orchid, and Ostraca, this is not to be missed. Enjoy.
Ogbert The Nerd are a four-piece punk/emo band from New Brunswick, New Jersey that formed in 2018. They dropped an EP the following year, their debut full-length in 2020, and their sophomore effort, What You Want back in July of this year, which is what first caught my attention. This is the good shit right here. The band plays a punchier, more frenetic version of emo revival, with doubled vocals that demand every line be shouted along with. These songs are catchy, their lyrics poignant, and the energy unbridled, all telltale signs of a solid emo/punk release. If you're a fan of bands such as Snowing, Algernon Cadwallader, Glocca Morra, and Spraynard, with Joyce Manor and Jeff Rosenstock leanings, this is the band you've been waiting for. Enjoy.
Rainmaker are a four-piece screamo/post-hardcore band from Eslöv, Sweden that formed in 2012. Though not officially disbanded, they haven't been particularly active since 2018. Their discography is quite small, consisting of just a demo, a full-length (put out by Dog Knights Productions), and a split with the excellent Italian band Øjne. Sonically, they fuse the forlorn catharsis of screamo with the more hard-hitting and technical elements of post-hardcore, with passages indebted to post-rock (with guitars awash in reverb and delay). This band is incredibly dynamic, going through a litany of sound and emotion in the span of just 8 tracks on their LP, and a single fantastic contribution to their split. I wish we got more output from them because this is legitamately great stuff, but for now we're lucky to have just this. Enjoy.
Vs Self are a three-piece screamo/emo band from Apple Valley, California that formed in 2018. I know I'm late to the game with this band, since they've garnered a pretty strong following within the past few years. Their skeletal approach of drums, one guitar, and two vocals really works in their favour, as there's this melancholic, atmospheric spaciousness amidst the instrumental noodling that makes these songs stand out, with lyrics that really cut straight to the point. Their sadly relatable and anthemic, suited for both bedroom and live show scream-alongs. I'm sure most are at least tangentially aware of this band by now, but if not, enjoy.