Pariah

Pariah are a five-piece hardcore/black metal band from South Korea that formed in 2012. They put out a demo the same year, and now in 2016, we've got their first official release, One. It's a dark, pummelling experience that drags you through track after track of assaulting double kick drums and vocals that switch from a growl to a scream. Any fan of blackened hardcore will immediately click with this thing, it's absolutely worth a listen. Enjoy.

Demo 2012 (2012)

1. Intro

2. I Want To Believe

3. Good Kill Fuck You

4. Killing Field

5. Untouchable

One (2016)

1. Hypocrites

2. Lukas

3. Cemetary

4. Chosen One

5. Good Neighbor

6. Hermit

7. Novelist

8. Material God

9. Good Kill Fuck You

10. Killing Field (Feat.Jake8888)

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Bandcamp

Date Rape

Date Rape were a five-piece screamo/punk band from Kiev, Ukraine that formed in 2011. I'm not sure if they're still active, but they haven't put out anything since 2013, so I assume they've broken up. Fans of European screamo will dig this, their LP Разрывает Сердца (translated: Heart Breaks), is a great listen, they're like a mix of Raein and Daitro. Sugar Coated Violence is a compilation of their early EP's, which is also worth the entire listen. Enjoy.

Summer Tape (2011)

1. The Clinique Poem

2. They Sat There, Those Two... (a poem of Henrik Ibsen)

3. About Storefronts Lights

4. Wires And Telegrams

Date Rape (2011)

1. Après Nous le Déluge

2. Anywhere But Here

3. Put Out My Flames with Gasoline

4. Incomplete (a poem of Vladimir Mayakovsky)

5. A Sentimental Affair

6. The Art of Disclosing

7. Tear the Ribbons

Sugar Coated Violence (2011)

1. Après Nous le Déluge

2. Anywhere But Here

3. Put Out My Flames with Gasoline

4. Incomplete (a poem of Vladimir Mayakovsky)

5. A Sentimental Affair

6. The Art of Disclosing

7. Tear the Ribbons

8. A Clinique Poem

9. They Sat There, Those Two (a poem of Kenrik Ibsen)

10. About Storefront Lights

11. Wires & Telegrams

12. A Clinique Poem (demo)

13, I Hate Girls in Leather Jackets

14. Fedor, Put your Knife In! I Wanna Become a Zombie

15. Blackthorn Cult

16. S.N.P. (Suicidal Nerd Party)

Stoned Jesus/Date Rape (2013)

1. Date Rape - Drunk And Horny (Stoned Jesus cover)
2. Stoned Jesus - A Clinique Poem (Date Rape cover)

Разрывает Сердца (2013)

1. Время

2. Сон

3. На память

4. В бой!

5. Пока

6. Небрит и молод

7. Письмо к женщине

8. Все сначала

9. Птицы

Bandcamp

Pygmy Lush

I can't deny this one is LONG overdue. As you may know, Pygmy Lush are a folk/experimental band based out of Sterling, Virginia that formed in 2004 in the wake of pg.99's demise. 4 out of 5 of the guys in this band appeared on Document #8, to put it in perspective. Thus, Pygmy Lush are the true heir to pg.99's throne as the greatest band of all time, though they took a radically different approach to their sound. Like I said earlier, Pygmy Lush experimented heavily with folk influence, often creating long, drawn-out and melancholic acoustic pieces with breathy vocals and somber tones. On occasion though, they still would break into their old frenzies, particularly on their debut album Bitter River. But for the most part, they're more "my blood barely flooooooows" than "FUCK YOU JESUS".  And just as a disclaimer, I don't mean to continually emphasis the relation to a certain other band, Pygmy Lush are certainly their own project and have established a ton of amazing material and a dedicated following on their own, separate of what its members had been active in prior.

If you're familiar with the pg.99 family then you're definitely already familiar with this band, and if you're a fan of dark, acoustic-based music you will definitely dig this band. They craft some incredibly music as haunting as it is beautiful that you'll have a tough time turning off. Enjoy.

Bitter River (2007)

1. Nonsensical Tremor

2. Hurt Everything

3. Universal Order At 0mph

4. Slave To A Teenager

5. Big Black River

6. Send Bombs

7. Headless

8. Foul Mouth Mother

9. Red Room Blues

10. Malady Savvy

11. Hurt Everything

12. The Baptism Of Isa Lee

13. Send Bombs

14 .The Boys Of Sweet Creek Reservoir

15. Untitled

16. Throw The Jockey

Mount Hope (2008)

1. Asphalt

2. No Feeling

3. Dead Don't Pass

4. God Condition

5. Red Room Blues

6. Mount Hope

7. Frozen Man

8. Hard To Swallow

9. Concrete Mountain

10. Dreams Are Class

11. Butch's Dream

12. Tumor

Untitled (2008)

1. Asphalt

2. Dead Don't Pass

3. Throw The Jockey

4. Headless

5. No Feeling

6. Butch's Dream

7. Hard To Swallow

8. Untitled

9. The Lonely Waltz Of Leonard Cohen (pg.99 cover)
10. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (The Ramones cover)

Pygmy Lush/Turboslut (2009)

1. Pygmy Lush - White Oblivion

2. Pygmy Lush - Proud King Of The Doomed

3. Pygmy Lush - Affluence At The Altar

4. Pygmy Lush - Rut Gluttony

5. Pygmy Lush - It's A Good Day To Hide

6. Pygmy Lush - Black Liver Blues

7. Pygmy Lush - November Song

8. Turboslut - Speed

9. Turboslut - Exorcism

10. Turboslut - Roadkill

11. Turboslut - Eulogy

12. Turboslut - Invoking

Cold World / Guilt (2011)

1. Cold World

2. Guilt

Old Friends (2011)

1. Yellow Hall

2. Chance

3. Good Dirt

4. In A Well

5. Night At The Johnstown Flood

6. I'll Wait With You

7. Penny On My Deathbed

8. A Weird Glow

9. Admit

10. Old Friends

11. January Song

12. Pals

In Utero, In Tribute, In Entirety (2014)

1. Serve The Servants (Nirvana cover)

Whatever Nevermind (2015)

8. On a Plain (Nirvana cover)

Facebook

Bandcamp (contains old demos)

nothing,nowhere.

nothing,nowhere. are an indie/emo/cloud rap? project from somewhere I don't know. I can't seem to dig much up about them/him, except that they're going on tour with Thrice and La Dispute later in the year. They've got a handful of releases out though, and a steady slew of phenomenal videos on the YouTubes. In terms of sound, imagine a very ambient and atmospheric sound, tinged by reverb and some slight delay, now top that with some clean, arpeggiated guitar parts, and on top of that some self-deprecating and vulnerable lyrics somberly croaked. Besides being one hell of a run-on sentence, it's also a damn good sound. What really sets them apart is the "cloud rap" aspect, which as stupid of a term as that sounds, kind of applies. A drum machine is used to give these songs an actual beat, not to mention the vocals actually break out into rapped sections. It's a unique blend of sounds, but it works. I'm sure a lot of people will find it intriguing, so check them out. Enjoy.

the nothing,nowhere. lp (2015)

1. death sentence

2. guest room (n,n. x mou$etrap)

3. still

4. cement

5. dont mind me

6. bedhead

7. lay me in the reservoir (n,n. x ʎpoqou)

8. knives

9. eastern highways

10. poor posture

bummer (2015)

1. lost in the darkness (an intro by unforseen)

2. lake house ft. Mikey the Magician

3. I've been doing well

4. time out!

5. full color (n,n. x oilcolor)

6. choke slam

7. you were young (n,n. x ʎpoqou)

nothing,nowhere. & oilcolor - who are you? (2016)

1. weight of the wind (prod. oilcolor)

2. get over it (prod. oilcolor)

3. gutter

4. everything (prod. oilcolor)

5. stranger (prod. oilcolor)

6. [bonus] fair trade (prod. oilcolor & nobloodnotears)

Reaper (2017)

1. Houdini

2. Clarity In Kerosene

3. Funeral Fantasy

4. REM (feat. Lil West)

5. Black Heart

6. Marykate

7. Hopes Up (feat. Dashboard Confessional)

8. Skully

9. Nevermore

ruiner (2018)

1. outsider

2. reminiscer

3. better

4. sinker

5. hammer

6. rejecter

7. ruiner

8. sayer

9. vacanter

10. changer

11. waster

 Bandcamp

Facebook

Trash Boat

Yesyesyes, calm the fuck down, I see the requests, haha. This one's quick and easy to do, so I simply can't refuse. Trash Boat are a five-piece pop punk band from St. Albans, England, UK that formed in 2014. They've gone a far way in a small amount of time, with them already being signed to Hopeless Records, and their debut LP just came out last month. In terms of sound, think of other modern UK pop punk bands like Neck Deep or ROAM, but with a hint of Taking Back Sunday influence, or something like that. I have to admit it's a sound as a whole I get kind of jaded about, but I can see the appeal with Trash Boat. They've got some solid musicianship and some memorable songs to match it. They're showing some real progression which is a welcome change in a relatively stagnant genre. Check out what they've already done, and I'm definitely looking forward to see where they're going, because they're definitely going far. Enjoy.

Look Alive (2014)

1. Cluttered Sign

2. Boneless

3. Gnarmalade

4. Lock-In

Brainwork (2015)

1. Taylor

2. Saving Face

3. Perspective

4. As Seen On Screen

5. Eleven

Nothing I Write You Can Change What You've Been Through (2016)

1. Strangers (feat. Dan Campbell)

2. How Selfish I Seem

3. Tring Quarry

4. Brave Face

5. Eleven

6. Pangaea

7. Second Wind

8. Catharsis

9. Things We Leave Behind

10. The Guise Of A Mother

11. You Know, You Know, You Know

Crown Shyness (2018)

1. Inside Out

2. Shade

3. Nothing New

4. Old Soul

5. Controlled Burn

6. Don't Open Your Eyes

7. Crown Shyness

8. Silence

9. Undermine

10. Love, Hate, React, Relate

Bandcamp

Facebook

Ittō

Ittō are a five-piece screamo band from Chicago, Illinois that formed in 2011. Starting out with a self-titled EP, they followed it up with an appearance on a four-way split with some other phenomenal bands, which were Calculator, Innards, and Capacities. All of them, including Ittō, are highly recommended, and some of the best modern screamo you are going to ever hear, no doubt. Now in 2016, we have their debut full-length, Pursuant. It continues their progressive approach to the genre, featuring dissonant, off-kilter rhythms that might loosely recall a band like Capsule. If you're in the skramz market in 2016, Pursuant is a must-buy. Enjoy.

Ittō (2012)

1. Gift Horse

2. Hex Keys

3. Traditions

4. Kaleidoscope

The Sound of Young America (2014)

1. Calculator - Only The Winds Home

2. Calculator - You Say It, We Play It

3. Calculator - Victoria

4. Innards - July 5th

5. Innards - Slow And Repeat

6. Capacities - This Man's Navy

7. Capacities - The Art Of Excuses

8. Capacities - Advice From Tyrion

9. Capacities - Condolences

10. Ittō - Death Frenzy

11. Ittō - Daigoro

Pursuant (2016)

1. Animus

2. Ego Death

3. M.I.S.C.

4. Mayfly

5. Sunburst

6. Void Walker

7. Impermanence

8. Death Frenzy

9. Daigoro

10. No Diversity On East Diversey

11. Pursuant

12. Samsara

Bandcamp

Facebook

Welcome The Plague Year

Welcome The Plague Year were a screamo band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that formed in 2003 and broke up in 2005. They were formed by members of some legendary acts, namely Neil Perry, Joshua Fit For Battle, and Makara. If you're ever feeling devoid of enough material from those bands, Welcome The Plague Year is the rebound to your loss. They share a lot of the same characteristics their previous bands did, most notably the intense, distorted and dissonant guitars paired with some incredibly shredded vocals, though this project definitely expanded their palette to include more experimental aspects. Just check out some of their longer tracks like "Into Twilight" or "Doomsday Parade" and you'll see what I mean. They also happen to be some of their best work. This is some classic and essential screamo, so get on this immediately. Enjoy.

Demo (2003)

1. Into Twilight

2. Craft Messenger

3. Quiet. Still. Dead

Welcome The Plague Year/Funeral Diner (2004)

1. Welcome The Plague Year - We Had Hoped For So Much More...

2. Funeral Diner - Yeah, You Remember That...

Quiet. Still. Dead. (2004)

1. Quiet. Still. Dead.

Welcome The Plague Year (2004)

1. Behold A Pale Horse

2. Humming To A Dead Song

3. Going Peacefully

4. Craft Messenger

5. Doomsday Parade

6. Interlude

7. Graveyard Planet

8. Into Twilight

9. Of The Bridges

10. Improv 1. Take 1.

Ampere/Welcome The Plague Year (2005)

1. Ampere - Away From The Bright Lights/Your Still Life

2. Welcome The Plague Year - You Are My Economic Rival And I  Hate You

Diet Cig

Diet Cig are a two-piece indie rock/pop punk band from New Paltz, New York that started in 2014. As far as I know, vocalist/guitarist Alex Luciano had never played guitar or been in a band prior to forming Diet Cig, though drummer Noah Bowman had been active in a few bands before. One of which is Earl Boykins I believe, who were posted on this blog way back in its early days. Check 'em out.

Diet Cig play a fun, catchy brand of indie pop that focuses on bright chords and energetic drumming, matched with some quaint songs about the relatively mundane yet somehow dramatic life of a twenty-something. These songs will get stuck in your head no doubt, and fans of bands like P.S. Eliot will find them irresistible. Definitely recommended, enjoy.

Over Easy (2015)

1. Breathless

2. Pool Boyz

3. Scene Sick

4. Cardboard

5. Harvard

Sleep Talk/Dinner Date (2015)

1. Sleep Talk

2. Dinner Date

Swear I'm Good At This (2017)

1. Sixteen

2. Bite Back

3. Link In Bio

4. Maid Of The Mist

5. Leo

6. Apricots

7. Barf Day

8. Bath Bomb

9. Blob Zombie

10. Road Trip

11. I Don't Know Her

12. Tummy Ache

Bandcamp

Facebook

Justice

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Justice (not the French electronic duo). Four-piece hardcore band. Belgium. Formed in 2003, broke up in 2008. Brief reunion in 2013. NYHC-inspired. All the classics, Bad Brains, Cro-Mags, you name it. Good shit. Get into it. Enjoy.

Look Alive + Demo (2004)

1. Every Inch

2. On Thin Ice

3. Some People

4. A Light In The Dark

5. Look Alive

6. Another Way

7. Intro/Justice

8. Breakout

9. Desperate Fight

10. Give It Up

11. Right And Wrong

Justice (2005)

1. Elephant Skin

2. Confrontations

3. Without Face

4. Light In The Dark

5. Fish On A Hook

6. Outside Looking In

7. Lose Control

8. Every Inch

9. Born To Lose

10. Activate

11. Peace Of Mind

Up And Down (2006)

1. Up And Down

2. Push It To The Edge

3. Endtro

Pre-Order CD (2007)

1. Intro - Blacklisted (Breakdown)

2. From Now On (Underdog)

3. What If? (Supertouch)

4. House Of Suffering (Bad Brains)

Escapades (2007)

1. I Need Air

2. See Me Glow

3. Don't Tell Anyone

4. Unsure

5. Up And Down

6. Coming Down

7. Guilty In The Eye Of The Beholder

8. To Remind Me

9. Do You Know

10. Push It To The Edge

11. Oh How We Laughed

Live And Learn (2008)

1. Lived And Learned

2. A Quiet Pail

3. Meaningless

4. What Have We Become

5. Down And Under