German metalcore band RISING INSANE has re-signed with Long Branch Records and is launching a new album alongside their longtime partner. The collaboration’s first single is entitled “Reign” and is a first taste of the new studio album which is scheduled for release this summer!
“When people hide their true selves for fear of rejection and hatred, they get into an unsolvable conflict with themselves, to the detriment of their mental health. With ‘Reign‘, we want to encourage people to stand up for themselves and let go of what drags them down.”
Watch the Music Video for “Reign”
With over 20 million streamsworldwide and top placements on some of the most influential playlists, including Kickass Metal, New Core, and All New Metal, RISING
INSANE has recently created quite a buzz. Numerous tour dates sit on the near horizon, and 2024 is set to be a big year for the band!
In the ever-evolving landscape of metalcore, Finnish band Beyond Awareness stands as a beacon of innovation and emotional depth. Their latest single, “Nightfall”, explores themes of nightmares, insomnia, and the existential dread that often accompanies the quiet of the night.
Drawing from their own battles with stress and anxiety, Beyond Awareness crafts a narrative in “Nightfall” that resonates on a deeply personal level. “We were inspired by our own personal experiences with insomnia, stress, and anxiety, which have led to vivid and disturbing nightmares,” the band reveals. The track employs the chilling metaphor of sleep paralysis to depict the feeling of entrapment in one’s own fears, using a fusion of dark, heavy sounds and evocative lyrics to paint a vivid picture of night-time terror.
“Nightfall” not only delves into the shadows of the mind but also signifies a pivotal moment in Beyond Awareness’s musical evolution. The band reflects on their growth, stating, “We have experimented with different sounds and influences… We have also become more confident and honest in our expression.” This track showcases their unique blend of rock, metal, and electronic elements, marking a bold step forward in their creative journey.
Following the viral success of their single “Crime”, with over 1 million streams, Beyond Awareness is optimistic about “Nightfall”‘s reception among their expanding fanbase. “We think that ‘Nightfall’ will resonate with them because it shows our range and diversity as a band,” they comment, highlighting the track’s universal themes of fear, anxiety, and the search for hope amidst despair.
“Nightfall” is not just a single but a harbinger of what’s to come in Beyond Awareness’s much-anticipated debut album slated for release in 2024. The band views the track as a reflection of their vision and identity, promising an album that will explore various facets of their musical and personal journey, challenging the conventions of their genre.
Beyond Awareness hopes that “Nightfall” will offer listeners a sense of inspiration and empowerment. They aspire for their audience to find solace in the shared experience of overcoming life’s trials, encouraging a message of resilience and self-discovery. “We hope that they will realize that they are not alone in their challenges,” the band states, echoing their commitment to using music as a means to confront and master their darkest thoughts.
“Nightfall” is a gripping exploration of the nocturnal fears that haunt us, set against the backdrop of Beyond Awareness’s dynamic sound. With its compelling narrative and intricate musicality, the single promises to be a milestone for the band and a beacon for fans navigating their own nightfalls.
All instrumental tracks from their debut album are now ready, and the band is now diving into perfecting the vocals before they hit the studio.
On You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, Knocked Loose have honed in on a diverse, cohesive and savagely aggressive album that sums up the massive strides they’ve taken during their decade as a band, and asserts their boundless potential going forward. Internally, there was the need to challenge themselves as songwriters while retaining the merciless intensity and unflinching honesty that have always been their calling cards. Externally, there was a whole new set of eyes on the hard-touring Louisville quintet, following a banner year on the road, during which they’d brought their underground-seasoned sound to some of the world’s biggest stages.
From the start, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To plunges listeners into a cauldron of mental and spiritual anguish. But the album’s title contains a note of reassurance amid the turmoil. The phrase originates from an experience that frontman Bryan Garris, who suffers from what he calls a “borderline phobia of flying,” had during a particularly trying flight. As he battled his nerves during takeoff, the vocalist found himself talking to a woman seated next to him. When he confided in her about his anxiety, she assured, “You won’t go before you’re supposed to.”
But glossing over negative emotions isn’t what Knocked Loose are about. The new songs find them plumbing through new depths of loathing — directed both inward and outward. Their raging lead single “Blinding Faith” skillfully wields whiplash tempo changes in service of a scathing indictment of religious groupthink, and the hypocrisy that can sometimes accompany an outwardly pious life.
“It was just hilarious how many people showed up to church that I knew were rude, horrible, selfish people,”guitarist Isaac Hale reflects of attending church with his mother in his younger years. “They knew that it made them seem like a better person — or if they said the words, it would redeem them of any negative quality just because they showed face.”
“Blinding Faith” is available today alongside a video directed by Kevin Lombardo. Watch below.
Across 10 tracks and 27 gripping minutes, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To leans into Knocked Loose’s most extreme impulses, from blastbeat-driven fury, chaotic turbulence and seismic breakdowns, while seasoning the mix with ear-catching auxiliary percussion, evocative samples and shout-along hooks, all interwoven to perfection by Grammy-nominated, pop-savy producer Drew “WZRD BLD” Fulk.
You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To is filled with boundary-pushing textures and samples the band has collected over the years. On “Suffocate,” Garris teams up with pop-meets-metal trailblazer Poppy, for an effort that contrasts an oppressive heaviness befitting the title with a dance-y, syncopated groove and the most concussive reggaeton rhythm you’ve ever heard. Samples of what sounds like meditative singing bowls open the album to “Take Me Home,” with its spoken-word intro, ear-catching auxiliary percussion and brief yet evocative concluding country-song snippet. Elements like these only make the breakneck blur of a track like “Moss Covers All,” a song that Garris says deals with his ever-present longing for the comfort of home, feel that much more urgent.
“On this album, we go the fastest we’ve ever gone; we go the scariest we’ve ever gone. We also go the catchiest and the most melodic that we’ve ever gone, and that’s the point,” Hale says. “Instead of branching off into a specific direction, we want to encompass ALL directions.”
There’s no ceiling for hardcore in 2024 — even an outfit as uncompromising as Knocked Loose can turn up in mainstream-adjacent spaces and win over new fans (see 2023’s viral Coachella and Bonnaroo sets). But there’s a center to what they do that will never change: uncompromising heaviness, both sonically and thematically. What is evolving is their drive to find new ways to convey that heaviness, and add tasteful variety that only highlights their undiminished ferocity. Everywhere Knocked Loose have been is here on this record — but so is everywhere they may yet go.
Knocked Loose are currently wrapping a sold out EU/UK run and hit the road again late April on a headlining North American tour. The run hits both coasts and includes two sold out nights in New York City at Brooklyn Steel and Terminal 5 plus sold out shows at Austin’s Stubb’s Amphitheater, The Shrine in Los Angeles and more. Show Me The Body, Loathe and Speed will support. See below for a full list of dates. Tickets are available here.
You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To Track Listing:
1 – Thirst 2 – Piece By Piece 3 – Suffocate (ft. Poppy) 4 – Don’t Reach For Me 5 – Moss Covers All 6 – Take Me Home 7 – Slaughterhouse 2 (ft. Chris Motionless) 8 – The Calm That Keeps You Awake 9 – Blinding Faith 10 – Sit & Mourn
Feb 27: Hamburg , Germany – Grosse Freiheit 36 Feb 28: Berlin, Germany – Huxleys Feb 29: Leipzig, Germany – Conne Island (SOLD OUT) Mar 02: Antwerp, Belgium – Trix (SOLD OUT) Mar 04: Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute Mar 05: Glasgow, UK – SWG3 (SOLD OUT) Mar 06: Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy (SOLD OUT) Mar 07: Bristol, UK – SWX (SOLD OUT) Mar 09: Leeds, UK – Project House (SOLD OUT) Mar 10: London, UK – O2 Forum Apr 27: Las Vegas, NV – Sick New World Apr 29: Detroit, MI – Russell Industrial Center May 01: Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works (SOLD OUT) May 03: Lawrence, KS – Granada May 04: Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion May 05: Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum May 06: Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater (SOLD OUT) May 07: Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (SOLD OUT) May 10: Phoenix, AZ – The Marquee May 11: Los Angeles, CA – The Shrine (SOLD OUT) May 12: San Francisco, CA – The Warfield May 14: Seattle, WA – Showbox Sodo (SOLD OUT) May 15: Portland, OR – Roseland Theater (SOLD OUT) May 17: Boise, ID – Knitting Factory (SOLD OUT) May 18: Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex May 19: Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom May 21: St. Louis, MO – The Pageant May 22: Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore (SOLD OUT) May 23: Chicago, IL – Salt Shed (SOLD OUT) May 24: Newport, KY – Megacorp Pavilion May 25: Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater (SOLD OUT) May 28: Pittsburgh, PA – Stage Age May 29: Silver Spring, MD – The FIllmore (SOLD OUT) May 30: Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel (SOLD OUT) May 31: New York, NY – Terminal 5 (SOLD OUT) Jun 01: Boston, MA – Roadrunner (SOLD OUT) Jun 03: Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall Jun 04: Montreal, QC – Olympia Jun 05: Toronto, ON – History (SOLD OUT) Jun 07: Raleigh, NC – The Ritz (SOLD OUT) Jun 08: Atlanta, GA – The Eastern (SOLD OUT) Jun 09: St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live (SOLD OUT)
Apr 29 – Jun 9 w/ Show Me The Body, Loathe and Speed
“The EP, which acts as an emotional roller coaster, ends as it began. Burdens hits hard like Waste of Life and takes you to the final stop. The song tells the story of those who have witnessed suicide and self-destruction. The road back is long and rocky; through anger and forgiveness, introspection and acceptance, we can find solace.”
HANABIE., the unique and fast-rising metalcore band out of Tokyo, delivers the goods at two very different gigs, during their first overseas tour since the group formed in 2015: as openers in an intimate rock venue in a small southern city, and as headliners at a sold-out show in New York.
Written by Jonathan Lane
Following eight dates in Europe and the UK – a mix of festivals and concerts – the self-labeled “Harajuku-core” group continues with gigs across the US. This label signifies a blend of the sensibilities of Harajuku, Tokyo’s home for “kawaii (cuteness)” culture and fashion, and the band’s metalcore thrust.
At the down-to-earth rock ‘n’ roll club, Ground Zero, in Spartanburg, SC HANABIE. opens for Galactic Empire, the Star Wars-themed metal band. An informal survey of fans indicates about half have shown up from near and far to see HANABIE..
HANABIE. strides onstage to a wildly enthusiastic reception that seems to surprise even them – drummer Chika, front woman Yukina, and guitarist Matsuri each takes her bows. Bassist Hettsu hobbles onto the stage wearing a protective boot. She injured herself the night before in Greensboro, NC. She sets herself up on a stool, plugs in, cheerfully waves to the crowd, receiving warm props for her “can-do” attitude. Hettsu rocks out despite the handicap, providing solid bottom to the kickass music. The band gets right down to business with “Hyperdimension Galaxy“, the first track on their 2023 album, “Reborn Superstar!” and continues to blast the room with their special brand of beautifully crafted metal chaos. It’s a fully satisfying sampling of 8 hits from 2021-2023, including breakthrough music and video hits “We Love Sweets” and the 2023 trilogy of “Pardon Me, I Have To Go Now”, “TOUSOU (Run Away)”, and “Be the GAL~Early Summer ver.~”.
This was an intimate, mesmerizing and head banging performance. HANABIE. quickly won over the half of the crowd that didn’t already know them – interaction with the crowd was warm and friendly. There was moshing.
The band hits another half dozen southern cities together with Galactic Empire, and then switches over to “headliner” mode, hitting cities from New York to L.A., with support from metal band Fox Lake, as well as Dropout Kings on some dates.
At Gramercy Theatre, where other fast-rising Japanese bands (Band-Maid and Nemophila, for example) have had smashing New York debuts in recent years, HANABIE. is up to the task. The band looks right at home on the more expansive stage and thrills the big-city crowd with a 13-song set, including an encore, 2019’s “L.C.G.”
With seven US shows under their belts since Spartanburg, all four members seem to enjoy themselves even more. A very animated Hettsu is back on her feet, Chika shakes the hall with her in-the-pocket drumming, Matsuri’s clean vocals and riffage are both hard and sweet, and Yukina owns the stage, which she leaves briefly for a little crowd surfing. She seems elated as she wraps herself in the Japanese flag a fan has given her, filled with autographs of musicians the fan has copiously collected in the US.
The music perfectly fills these quite different venues, and begs the question, how will this band sound and perform in an arena?
Based on these two slices of HANABIE.’s first overseas tour – the quality of performance, the confidence and stage presence, and crowd enthusiasm – it shouldn’t be long before we’ll have a chance to answer that question.
HANABIE. will be turning Australia upside-down on December 1, 2, and 3 to finish up what looks to be a very successful overseas tour on three continents.
As is customary for We Came As Romans, they finished off their first tour of 2023 in Detroit, MI. They were out promoting their newest release, Darkbloom. In their first tour of the year they brought along ERRA and Brand of Sacrifice.
Written by Jessica Trail
The first band of the night was Brand of Sacrifice. They are a deathcore band with a dash of technical metal from Toronto and Manhattan, New York. They started out their brutal seven-song set with “Dawn” from their album Lifeblood. They are made-up of Kyle Anderson on harsh and clean vocals, Liam Beeson on guitar, Andrew Kim on bass, and Mike Caputo on drums. They continued playing songs from the 2021 album and then stirred up the already enthusiastic crowd with the 2022 single “Exodus.” They closed out the set with opening track from their 2018 album The Interstice. This was a great ending to a ferocious set.
Up next was the metalcore band, ERRA, from Birmingham, Alabama. They started the night with the very popular single, “Pull from the Ghost.” The moshing and crowd-surfing starting as soon as they started playing. By the time their second song, “House of Glass” started there was a steady stream of crowd surfers pouring over the barricade. To say that the crowd was into ERRA would me a massive understatement.
ERRA is made up of JT Cavey on harsh vocals, Jesse Cash on lead guitar and clean vocals, Conor Hesse on bass, Clint Tustin on rhythm guitar, and Alex Ballew on drums. These guys have a big year ahead of them still with heading out on their own headlining Europe tour just 6 days after ending the tour with We Came As Romans. They will then head out with Bad Omens to support their Will We Both Go Home Alive tour starting in May.
After a short pause for changeover, it was time for the headliner, We Came As Romans, to take the stage. After 23 shows in 31 days the band, from Troy, Michigan, had finally made it to their hometown for the last show of the tour. They started the night with three songs from their newest album, Darkbloom. They continued with “Lost in the Moment” from the 2017 album, Cold Like War. Before starting in on “Wasted Ages” from the same album they took a pause to talk to the audience. “Somewhere along the way on that record, we lost track of who we were as a band…. We reached out to people who we knew we could trust. People who had been there for us since day one… for a band that is our fan base. You guys helped us start to put the pieces back together… I just wanted to say thank you for that!”
Before starting “Tracing Back Roots” from the album of the same name, they let the audience know that they opened up an online poll for the audience to pick a song for the set. After that song and “Hope,” from the Tracing Back Roots album singer, Dave Stephens announced that “Fade Away” won the poll. He continued with saying, “this song goes out to my mom. It is her favorite.” They then continued the night with one more song from Cold Like War. They then closed out the main portion of the set with “Darkbloom” before coming back out with Brand of Sacrifice to perform “Darkbloom” again as an encore before ending the night and tour with “Black Hole.”
With this US tour over the changes to see them this year are not over. In May We Came As Romans returns to the road with the first show of the Europe tour starting in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
“‘Memories’ is a song that I’ve been wanting to write ever since my grandfather passed in 2017.
He was a really big inspiration to me growing up, living in the same house as him my whole life.
He was truly a second father to me & the song speaks volumes on my memories throughout the good & the bad. Just how I wanted to be like him and reflecting back on memories that will never be forgotten.” – Johnny Iadevaio
About Psycho Hill:
New York/Florida based Metalcore band, PSYCHO HILL was founded in 2017 by Songwriter/Guitarist Johnny Iadevaio and Lead Vocalist Tim Curtin. With the addition of childhood friend and 2nd Guitarist Rick Devita, and newest member Shawn Gerace on Drums, Psycho Hill have found the perfect symbiotic combination!
Psycho Hill have released 2 EP’s: Wasted Youth (2017) & Composure (2020). The singles “June” (Composure) and “Dying Day” made a strong impact on Rock Radio. “June” hit #25 on Billboard’s Rock Indicator Chart, and “Dying Day” climbed even higher to #21, prompting Psycho Hill to include the song on the New Release!
Psycho Hill‘s self-titled LP is set to drop on February 3rd, 2023. “We decided to really focus on what inspires and excites us, and more importantly, our FANS in regard to our sound on this LP” states Guitarist Johnny Iadevaio. “The LP has a blended vibe of the metalcore and post-hardcore genres”
Psycho Hill has been described as “A Band with driving Guitar riffs, melodic choruses and heavy, dynamic breakdowns” and will continue that intensity with the NEW LP.
Psycho Hill, with their line-up complete, LP scheduled for release, and Tour in the making, plan to make 2023 the next level in their successful rise!!!
After ten and a half weeks on the road the “True Power Tour” made its final stop in Detroit for two back-to-back sold out shows at The Fillmore Detroit. The first leg of the tour included special guests Pierce the Veil, Fit For A King, and Yours Truly. The second leg of the tour included special guests Pierce the Veil, Fit For A King, and Stand Atlantic.
Written by Jessica Trail
The Australian pop-punk band Stand Atlantic started the evening off on the right foot. The four-piece band from Sydney is made up of lead singer/guitarist Bonnie Fraser, David Potter on guitar, Miki Rich on bass, and drummer Jonno Panichi. They started the set with “Hate Me (Sometimes)” from the 2020 Pink Elephant. Singer Bonnie was a very energetic singer who was able to easily draw energy from the crowd and project that energy back into the crowd to make for a fun and lively show. After several songs there was a break for the band to partake in the Australian tradition of drinking from a shoe, known as doing a shoey. It was a great set, and they said they were grateful to join the three other bands for night one and let the crowd known the first night was their last night on the tour.
Up next was Texas metalcore band, Fit for a King, who ensured that the growing crowd was wide-awake on the Tuesday night. They started their set with “Eyes Roll Back” from their brand-new album The Hell We Create. The crowd was excited to see the new music live. The band’s lineup has changed drastically over the last fifteen years but that hasn’t changed the energy and enthusiasm that they bring to the stage. The band’s current lineup is fronted by Ryan Kirby who brings the growling vocals, Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary who plays bass and provides clean vocals, Daniel Gailey on guitar and provides backup vocals, and Trey Celaya on drums. During the set they took a pause to hype up the crowd for Pierce the Veil and express their excitement to be on the tour with Ryan telling the crowd, “we’re excited to be part of such a huge tour!” They ended the night with the heavy and powerful song “God of Fire” from the 2020 album The Path.
Pierce the Veil was up next. They are a pop-punk/metalcore band from San Diego, California. Their front man Vic Fuentes started the band in 2006. Shortly after the band started Tony Perry on lead guitar and Jamie Preciado on bass joined the band. For the tour they were accompanied by Lionel Robinson on drums. This tour was a long run and even included two stops in Las Vegas for the epic “When We Were Young Festival” on October 23rd and 29th. (Sidebar: Pierce the Veil’s set was the first one I caught of the day at the Sunday date of the festival, and they were simply amazing to put it mildly!)
They started out the night in Detroit with “May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight” from Collide with the Sky and the crowd was loving it from the moment it started. They continued with “Hell Above” also from Collide with the Sky. The third song was “Pass the Nirvana” from their upcoming 2023 release The Jaws of Life. As the song ended, they had to take a long break to ensure someone got the medical attention. They continued the set with “Bulls in the Bronx” once everyone was ok. The crowd was very appreciative of the band’s willingness to stop and check on the crowd when needed. This amped up the crowd to finish out the set. They ended the night with “King for a Day”.
If there is one thing to know about, I Prevail it is that Michigan and specifically metro Detroit is their hometown show; they made sure to make special call outs to the venues and fans who come out to support them. The five-piece band consists of Eric Vanlerberghe on growl vocals, Brian Burkheiser with clean vocals, Dylan Bowman on rhythm guitar, Steve Menoian on lead guitar, and Gabe Helguera on drums. They also played the “When We Were Young Festival” on October 23rd and 29th. Their set was later in the evening for those dates and played their hearts out on the Stripes Stage.
After being on the road from early September until late November they still brough a solid performance to The Fillmore Detroit that in no way indicated they were at the end of 10-and-a-half-week tour. They came out swinging with their newest single, “Fear of Letting Go” from their 2022 release True Power. The next song up was “Body Bag”, a fast-paced song with a lot of harsh vocals that make it worthy of all the headbanging and moshing that had picked up by this point. As they continued, they started playing the opening riffs of “Raining Blood” by Slayer before going into “Judgement Day”. The next two songs, “Breaking Down” and “Paranoid” were notably slower than the rest of the set. These songs were very well received as it shows the band’s great versatility.
Singer Eric took a pause to shout out to Stand Atlantic for their last night on the tour and wanted to “send them out with a fucking bang.” And wished them “much luck and success on their ventures” He also asked the crowd to “make some noise for our good friends in Fit for a King.” Then he continued with “last and certainly not least make some noise for those handsome motherfuckers in Pierce the Veil!” He then welcomed anyone who had never seen I Prevail before to the family.
The band continued to play three more songs from True Power including “Choke”, “Fake”, and “FWYTYK”. Eric then took a pause to address the crowd again saying “Goddamn, it’s good to be home!” and mentioning how they grew up coming to shows at the venue and showing love for the Midwest and especially Michigan. They ended the main portion of the set with “Come and Get It” from the 2016 album, Lifelines. They left the stage and came back out for an encore of heavy hitters and “Gasoline” and ended the evening with “Bow Down which the whole crowd sang and growled along with. It was really a great ending to an amazing evening of a seemingly perfect blend of metalcore and pop-punk music.
