Artist

French sludge/doom outfit Monarch have a new full-length on the way. Never Forever, the follow-up to 2014's Sabbracadaver LP (and 2015's covers EP Sacrifice Your Parents, Satan Wants You To), arrives September 22 via Profound Lore. As evidenced by the haunting first single "Song to the Void," the band's latest album finds them tempering an already infernal racket with churning, turgid dream pop. Bandleader Emilie Bresson's eerie vocals remain foreboding and shadow-steeped, and they possess an ethereal, delicate quality heretofore unexplored in Monarch's broader body of work, more reminiscent of Chelsea Wolfe than Noothgrush.

The same can be said for the song's surrealistic, stop-motion video, which doubles as an album trailer. The black-and-white visual mixes the cheery with the morbid, juxtaposing images of fields and butterflies with dark rituals and creepy ruins. To further illustrate the schism, Bresson starts off the video clutching a balloon, and ends up holding a noose. Check it out below.

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" fans are undoubtedly familiar with the Dayman, a hero born from the deranged, spray-paint clouded mind of one Charlie Kelly. Legend has it that the Dayman (who may or may not be Kelly himself) developed some strange and remarkable powers, as a result of a strange (and very problematic) encounter with the Nightman, his archnemesis. One day, Kelly decided to turn the story into a song; Together with his drinking buddy Dennis Reynolds, the two formed a band called Electric Dream Machine and took the legend to the big stage.

The audience at Paddy's Pub came away from the performance relatively unmoved – there was a fair bit of heckling, due in no small part to the duo's ridiculous outfits – but YouTuber and "Always Sunny" fan Brian Nichols walked away with knowledge of "Dayman"'s true power: with its good-versus-evil storyline and über-dramatic arrangement, the song's as cvlt as it gets. Naturally, then, he's adapted Electric Dream Machine's classic into a Trivium-esque banger. Check out the "Dayman" metal cover below. Charlie would be proud.

Here's the original performance, in all its glory:

As this summer's concert tours go, you won't find one more deliciously dark, devastating and demonic than the triple bill of Slayer, Lamb of God and Behemoth, which makes landfall July 12th at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minnesota, and will spend the next six weeks laying waste to arenas and amphitheaters across North America.

Slayer, still the thrashiest of the original "Big Four" American thrash bands that minted the genre back in the 1980s, have already logged over 150 live dates since the release of their most recent album, Repentless, in September 2015. But guitarist and co-founder Kerry King tells Revolver that he can't wait to get out and do it again this summer with their comrades in metal from Virginia and Poland. When we caught up with him at home, a week before the tour, King gave us the lowdown about what we can expect from Slayer's set lists this time out, as well as how he prepares for the shows and what he listens to during his downtime.

REVOLVER Slayer, Lamb of God and Behemoth on the same tour — that's a pretty sick bill, isn't it?
KERRY KING Yeah, I'm excited. We haven't played with Lamb of God since at least 2006, though I may have my year wrong. It's hard to put a good metal tour together; it's hard for everybody to get their time freed up at the same time. So I'm glad this worked out. I can't wait for it to happen — if I was a metal fan, I'd be stoked. I mean, I am a metal fan, but you know what I'm saying! [Laughs]

Will the Slayer set lists for this tour be pretty similar to the shows you guys were recently doing in Europe?
Um, I haven't done much homework on it, yet. I just looked at the set list from the last time we played Vegas, which was roughly a year and a half ago. I want to go back and look at the rest of them, because I know on that particular tour our set list morphed a bit. I just like to make sure we're playing some things that we haven't played the last couple times through; you know, there's a ton of things we have to play every time we come through, so it gets harder to fill the random void, I guess you'd say. I know we're playing a new song off the new record that we haven't played before. That's one cool thing, but there will be some other stuff, some historical stuff that we haven't done in five, six years. Like I said, I'm still researching it.

Is that pretty typical for you before a tour — you'll look at what you played on previous dates in the same region, and construct the new set lists accordingly?
Yeah, and I'll take random cities, too — because sometimes you'll hit 'em on an A tour run, or sometimes you'll hit 'em on a B tour run, so… I put a little effort into it, and hopefully the fans appreciate that. I try to make it as good an experience as they can have.

You guys pulled out "Necrophiliac" [from 1985's Hell Awaits] when you played in Milan, Italy in June…
Did we? We hadn't played that one in a while! [Laughs]

Yeah, and you played "Die by the Sword" [from 1983's Show No Mercy] a handful of times on the European tour. How do you decide to throw something like that into the set? Is it a spur-of-the-moment thing?
It's funny — if you were sitting next to me, you'd see that I've still got my travel bag with me, and it's got thirteen or fourteen papers in there, all my European set list homework. It's a mess, for sure, with all the scribblings, all the set lists I actually wrote down and compared. I probably knew going into Italy that we were going to try "Necrophiliac," and at soundcheck we probably ran through it before we threw it in the set somewhere. It's preconceived, for sure.

What's the unplayed song from Repentless that you'll be doing on this tour?
We should have "Cast the First Stone" in there, which we've rehearsed a number of times. I think Tom's finally prepared to do it live — and we've got a rehearsal day the day before the first show, so I'm pretty sure that'll be in there from day one.

"Repentless," "When the Stillness Comes" and "You Against You" are the Repentless songs you've been playing most often. Do they just feel the best to play live, or are those the ones from the album that have gotten the best crowd response?
"Stillness" is an outstanding live song. The only time we've taken it out of the European set lists was if it was a daytime show, because then the vibe ain't the same. [Laughs] And "You Against You" — those two songs really work well together, because you've got the moodiest song on the record followed by the punkiest song on the record. I might have to separate them, though, because we've been doing it that way for quite a while now. But I'd like to have those songs still in the set; we'll see what happens. We're just trying to make the best set list — not for us. I mean, of course there are songs that I like to play, but fortunately most of the fans seem to like those songs too, so it's not like I'm constructing set lists just for my benefit.

What are some of your absolute favorite songs to play these days?
Absolute favorites to play? You know, I like to play "Raining Blood," I like to play "Hate Worldwide," I like to play "Disciple." [Laughs] I play in a band I would definitely be a fan of!

Does how you prepare for a show differ at all now from the way you'd prepare for one ten, twenty or thirty years ago?
Nah, I probably just stretch more. I've always played guitar for roughly an hour before going onstage. But I make sure my back and my neck are stretched out, because to throw that out at this point in the game would not be good! [Laughs]

What music do you listen to during your downtime on tour?
Basically, there are two times I listen to music on tour. One is in the gym, because when you're doing cardio you've gotta listen to something, or you'll just bore yourself to tears with whatever shit is on TV. In that case, it'll be something that I've known for a long, long time — I've got two Priest go-tos, which are Stained Class and Defenders [of the Faith]. I mean, I might play other ones, but with those, everything on the entire album is good. Could be Long Live Rock 'n' Roll by Rainbow; could be any of the old Sabbath stuff, even the old Sabbath stuff with Dio — that's great stuff. Sometimes I'll throw in Doomsday Machine by Arch Enemy; I love that album.

If we've been out drinking, and I don't want to get caught up in a Netflix series that I've been paying attention to — because if I've been out drinking, I'm not going to remember it — at that point in the night, I go to YouTube and just have rock and roll party night. I pick out videos that I love, or I haven't seen, and check it out.

Are there any plans in place to begin working on a follow-up to Repentless?
Funny thing is, Repentless isn't even two years old yet, though it seems like it is. But from that session, there are six or eight songs that are recorded — some with vocals, some with leads, but all with keeper guitar, drums and bass. So when those songs get finished lyrically, if the lyrics don't change the songs, they'll be ready to be on the next record. So we already have more than half a record complete, if those songs make it. This is actually the most prepared we've ever been for the next record in our history; there's no reason to not do more work, because it's already more than halfway done. Just write four or five new songs, and give the others some attention, and we'll be good to go. If we get a down period of time, which I know is coming at the end of this year, maybe we'll focus on that and get to it.

So it's conceivable that we could see a new Slayer record next year?
It's conceivable — but I'm certainly not gonna promise it, because every time I do, I make a liar of myself! [Laughs]

The Gestalt prayer has been used time and time again as a mantra for the artist — a rallying cry for following your muse and going on instinct. Published close to 70 years ago by psychotherapist Fritz Perls, who knew that words like this could be applicable to a gang of street-tough kids like Trapped Under Ice:

I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
And you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I,
and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.

Baltimore's favorite hardcore sons manifest these expressions on their new LP, Heatwave, which clocks in at a lean 14 minutes and takes a sharp left turn away from previous efforts. The strictly straining, bulging neck-vein vocals that marked efforts like 2011's Big Kiss Goodnight are gone and replaced by a mix of muscular hardcore and melodic vocals. Madball-style New York hardcore-isms are merged with a wide range of influences: from punk rock and pop to funk and even the Washington, D.C. musical phenomenon go-go. To say that Trapped Under Ice are going their own way with Heatwave is an understatement. But in case you're worried they've gone off the deep end, don't be: it all works in the end.

The group's latest track from Heatwave, "Oblivion" — which you can hear for the first time ever below — is, by their own admission, the closest in style to their approach from yesteryear. That said, it's still wholly indicative of their new direction. Fans will recognize the band's command of the d-beat into the half-speed chorus into the start-stop rhythms of the finale. But the brevity of it all is very much Trapped Under Ice of 2017: immediately hooking you in and leaving you wanting more.

Heatwave is slated to street on July 21 via Pop Wig Records, but you can stream "Oblivion" below now, and read our chat with Trapped Under Ice vocalist Justice Tripp, in which we ask him about the band's new approach, and how he finds the balance between pleasing his fans and following inspiration.

REVOLVER What can you tell us about the single "Oblivion," and how it sits within the rest of the new material on Heatwave? 
JUSTICE TRIPP In my head, "Oblivion" is the most "Trapped Under Ice" song on the record. Maybe I'm wrong, but when I hear it I think, Oh, that sounds like I think what people expect of Trapped Under Ice, which isn't a bad thing at all. I love where Trapped Under Ice comes from and where it is going. It's definitely fun and different, but hints at TUI of the past.

One thing about the record that I immediately noticed is your vocal approach. On those first two LPs, it sounded like you were going to have an embolism at any moment, just screaming your lungs out. Another thing is that this is a hardcore record, but you guys definitely take risks on it. Hardcore isn't suited for a party atmosphere, but this almost feels like a party record: it's fun and ridiculous in the best of ways. Were you trying to make something more fun this time around?
I wouldn't say there was a conscious goal. We definitely didn't sit down to be like, "Let's write a party record," you know? But at the same time, it's like what you said about the first few records and how I sound like I'm about to have an embolism... That's just who I was at that point in my life. Sitting on the edge of a panic attack, just ready to freak out. I have issues with anxiety. At that point in my life I was in a dark place and I still have normal struggles like anybody else. Maybe it's part of getting older.

When you're young, you don't recognize the kind of influence you have on other young people. Being at a show, I would run into someone every night that would say, "If you play this, I'm gonna fucking kill somebody. I'm gonna fuck this whole place up!" I really don't want to see that. I really just don't want to see some small, younger person get spin-kicked in the nose. But people were just feeding off of the way I felt. I get that I created and projected that, and I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, I love being in a small venue and watching a band while my homies are just beating the shit out of each other. I have that meathead nature in me to go crazy on my friends. But that's with my friends and in an environment where everybody knows everybody and you know what you're getting into. You know it's going to be turnt up. I just wanted to create a less dangerous environment for Trapped Under Ice. It's hard to be that every single night on tour and witness that every single night on tour and not have some kind of regret overall.

Do you harbor guilt about it?
Yeah. It got a little dark for me. It was hard for me to swallow a little bit. It's not anything that I ever anticipated or intended. I'm not hard on myself about it; I just don't love it. I don't love that that was part of what we did, unintentionally.

Let's talk about the approach to the new record. One of the things that I'm most curious about is, as much as punk and hardcore comes from a place of progressive ideas, it's pretty conservative. Heatwave is hardcore and it's punk, but it kind of rewrites the rules and does its own thing. What are your thoughts on that? Trying to stay within the "rules."
I genuinely believe that the way I feel and the way that other people in the band feel is like a complete disregard for those rules. Obviously, there are things that we like that like tie us to those titles, being hardcore or punk. But I don't — and I know Brendan [Yates] and Sam [Trapkin] don't — go into it with any goal to stay within a certain lane. Whatever feels good. I genuinely just get off on rubbing people the wrong way.

At the same time, it feels good to be appreciated and when people have a positive response to the record. When we premiered a song, we knew that we would get some kind of backlash because ultimately that's what we want. I wanna hear that. I wanna hear people say "What the fuck is this?" because I think anything that's going to be cool or innovative is never gonna be accepted easily. Anything worth doing that I've done in my life was met with loud resistance.

So, this record is 11 songs in 14 minutes. A lot of people are going to say "14 minutes... Is that an LP?" What's your response to that?
That's a Pop Wig LP. Hardcore records weren't meant to be super long records. I have a short attention span and I think the average human being does too. That's why social media and cell phones and technology is advanced as it is. Heatwave is everything I want in a record. After that 14 minutes is over, I feel like I got everything I need out of it. I don't want to put any bullshit in there to appease the industry standard of what an LP is. Industry standard doesn't really mean anything to us.

Are there any bands that you look up to who have reinvented themselves and made it work?
On a smaller scale, it would be Ceremony. I think they're the coolest band in the world for that reason, whether you like this record or that record. Everybody has their favorite record and it's usually different. It's great watching how they could stay the same band and still recreate themselves every record. I remember when they put out Rohnert Park, I texted Anthony [Anzaldo] from Ceremony and said "You literally just changed the whole way I perceive hardcore and punk music with this record. With the way that your band just stays evolving and changing, without fear of what people are gonna think about it." Very brave and exciting to me.

Did you have any of that mentality when you were doing the record, like just let the chips fall where they may kind of a thing?
Where the chips fall, for sure. I think that's pretty much the same with everybody in the band. You just get older and you become more confident in what you like. Doing something that we thought people would think is cool, never once has that equated to success. Never once has that paid off for Trapped Under Ice or any creative endeavor I've been involved in. I feel like during any era of Trapped Under Ice, that's what separated us and what people valued about us. We're just kind of doing our own thing. And I feel like every release we've done, every era was met with that same resistance and it all just proves to pay off in the end.  So let the chips fall where they will, what feels good. There are certain conscious things that you wanna create, like a more positive atmosphere that isn't welcoming to bullies. But as far as the creative aspect of it, let the chips fall.

Obviously, you're involved in hardcore and punk with Pop Wig, but outside of that is hardcore part of your musical world? You know, when you go home do you put on modern hardcore to chill?
I wouldn't say I chill out with it. [Laughs] Around the house for sure. And I'm always pursuing and listening to new music in any form of punk rock. A band that is pretty cool for me, being from Baltimore and watching them blossom, is Queensway. They just played Sound of Fury with us, and they did an EP or a short LP that I listen to a lot on Spotify. That's something that I listen to, unravel and pick apart. That said, you can't just listen to heavy Baltimore and New York hardcore influenced stuff all day long, but it definitely is something that I visit very frequently.

There are tracks on this record that fly very close to Angel Du$t and Turnstile material. Do you feel like your other bands are creeping into TUI?
I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I think that's cool. I think like me and Brendan stepping away from each other and doing bands separately kind of helps to define what we like as far as writing songs. And the funny thing is a few songs here were originally written as TUI songs around the time we stopped playing shows. There's elements of that when we were starting to write Angel Du$t songs.

In the end though, I'm not trying to hide the fact that I'm the guy from Angel Du$t. I'm Justice, the guy from Pop Wig who plays in all these bands. I don't think there's any need to hide that Brendan is in the band either. If it feels like Turnstile, that's because the guy from Turnstile is in the band.

What's something surprising that you listen to that could have creeped its way onto Heatwave?
I don't think anything should surprise people but sometimes when I'm wearing a band t-shirt, the internet will be like "Oh, why's he wearing this shirt?" I don't know, it's crazy people are still one-dimensional. Do they think I just sit in my room and play my own band all day long? [Laughs] But a lot of stuff very consciously creeps into the record. I think one thing, some of the faster elements and shooting for chaotic elements, that is definitely influenced by Gauze, the Japanese hardcore punk band. I don't think that's something that people would obviously see, and it's not something I'm saying the record sounds like, but it's there in our way.

Pop music is one thing that shines through everything in our circle. In Brendan's band, Sam's band or Brad [Hyra] and Jared [Carman's] band, there is a subtle pop influence. There's songs that we wrote where I remember listening to Prince and being like damn, I can't believe this element of songwriting. This is a feeling that I wanna imitate and recreate in a hardcore song.

Do you attribute the stylistic shift on Heatwave to a long time away and a focus on other projects?
Definitely. Time away is a big factor and I don't think it's a bad thing. I think it's really cool that was partly an effect of the decision to stop playing shows and see the band from a different perspective. And definitely doing other bands, I think we each learned what we want as songwriters individually — doing different projects makes you a better songwriter. If anything, it made the vision for Trapped Under Ice clearer for exactly what we wanted.

River Black are a new band helmed by four old masters from the East Coast. Vocalist Mike Olender, guitarist John Adubato and drummer Dave Witte previously played in Burnt By The Sun, a critically-acclaimed, sorely-missed metalcore outfit from New Jersey who shared stages with the likes of Mastodon and Dillinger Escape Plan before parting ways 2009. They're joined by Brett Bamberger, best known as the bassist for Boston crossover-thrash outfit Revocation. River Black (whose name pays homage to Burnt by the Sun's final record Heart of Darkness, and by extension, Joseph Conrad's novel of the same name) are set to release their eponymous debut album tomorrow, July 7, via Southern Lord. No need to wait until then to listen to it, though: Today, the band are streaming the 12-track effort in its entirety. Check out River Black below, and pre-order it here.

In an interview with Revolver last month, Witte cast aside any lingering characterizations of River Black as his former band with a new name: "We didn't want it to be Burnt by the Sun," he insisted – and characterized the self-titled's sonics as "a little darker, a little heavier, with less emphasis on speed and more on grooves, impact, and heaviness." In addition to old-school barnstormers like "Boat" and "Sink", River Black includes "Haunt," a collaboration with Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor (the band's longtime friend, as well as one of their biggest admirers).

Surprisingly for a band with an album on the way, River Black have no current plans to tour behind the album. "The days of going out, hopping in a cargo van, and grinding it out show to show are pretty much over," Olender told Revolver, adding, "We have the ability to choose what we want to do, because none of us need to do this band. We're doing it because we want to do it." 

Before they signed to Prosthetic, won a Metal Hammer Golden God award or played Download Festival, Venom Prison were just five friends from South Wales laying waste to their local hardcore scene. Three years after their 2014 formation, the five-piece have amassed a reputation as some of death metal's most promising upstarts, due in no small part to last year's excellent debut LP, Animus. 

Nevertheless, Venom Prison remain staunch DIY disciples, as evidenced by their action-packed "Perpetrator Emasculation" video. The band's latest visual, which collects Ashley Bea Photography's footage of a secret show the band held in their hometown, doubles as Venom Prison's show of solidarity with underground music communities worldwide. Watch below.

"Venom Prison grew from a grassroots hardcore scene, and have no intention of forgetting where we have come from," vocalist Larissa Stupar says of her band's new clip, adding, "Living in a time where music venues close down or just aren't affordable for underground promoters and bands, supporting your local scene is very important, as it helps expanding musical boundaries and help to evolve the bands involved in it. Hopefully this footage from 'Perpetrator Emasculation' spreads word that shows like this are going on all over the world in DIY spaces."

Venom Prison are set to hit the road with Australian death-metal outfit Aversions Crown for a European tour in early August. Their upcoming itinerary also includes a series of dates opening for Gorguts, plus appearances at Belgium's Ieper Festival and Germany's Void Fest.

Aug. 05 – London, UK – Boston Music Room *
Aug. 06 – Birmingham, UK – The Flapper *
Aug. 07 – Glasgow, UK – Audio *
Aug. 08 – Manchester, UK – Satan's Hollow *
Aug. 09 – Exeter, UK – Cavern Club *
Aug. 10 – Bournemouth, UK – The Anvil
Aug. 11 – Ieper, Belgium – Ieper Festival
Aug. 12 – Hamburg, DE – Menschenzoo ^
Aug. 13 – Potsdam, DE – Archiv ^
Aug. 14 – Wiesbaden, DE – Schlachthof $
Aug. 15 – Leipzig, DE – Naummanns $
Aug. 16 – Rotterdam, NL – Baroeg $
Aug. 17 – Oberhausen, DE – Kulttempel $
Aug. 18 – Zinzendorf, DE – Void Fest 2017

* w/ Aversions Crown
^ w/ Without Human Trait
$ w/ Gorguts, Revocation, Fallujah, Havok

Decapitated's new album Anticult is out tomorrow (July 7) via Nuclear Blast. The Polish oufit have offered two previews of the upcoming record so far: lead scorcher "Never," as well as the thunderous "Earth Scar" (which just got an occult-inspired music video). With the LP's release imminent, the band is letting go of another new track. This one's called "One Eyed Nation," and you can stream it below.

Speaking with Alternative Press today, Decapitated guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka described "One Eyed Nation" as a song inspired by his lifelong love of grooves from across the musical spectrum. "I'm a big fan of Lauryn Hill; it's not metal, of course, it's more soul music, but the groove the musicians have on their albums is unbelievable," he said, "but if I talk about my inspiration for making groovy riffs, I would say that Pantera was the band — they were the most heavy, groovy band on the planet for me, always." 

As previously reported, Decapitated will tour behind Anticult this fall. That North American trek, which begins August 20 in Pittsburgh, features support from Thy Art Is Murder, Fallujah and Ghost Bath.

Aug. 20 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater
Aug. 21 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
Aug. 22 – Greensboro, NC – Blind Tiger
Aug. 23 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
Aug. 24 – New Orleans, LA – Southport Hall
Aug. 25 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
Aug. 26 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
Aug. 27 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Live
Aug. 29 – Denver, CO – The Summit Music Hall
Aug. 30 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
Aug. 31 – Spokane, WA – The Pin
Sep. 01 – Portland. OR – Hawthorne Theater
Sep. 02 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
Sep. 03 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
Sep. 05 – Reno, NV – Jub Jub's
Sep. 06 – San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
Sep. 07 – Hollywood, CA – The Roxy Theatre
Sep. 08 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
Sep. 09 – Mesa, AZ – Club Red
Sep. 10 – El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls
Sep. 11 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Sep. 13 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
Sep. 14 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
Sep. 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
Sep. 16 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House
Sep. 17 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
Sep. 18 – Ottawa, ON – Brass Monkey
Sep. 19 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Sep. 20 – Syracuse, NY – The Lost Horizon
Sep. 21 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
Sep. 22 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of Living Arts
Sep. 23 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Sep. 24 – Columbus, OH – Park Street

This fall, Mastodon will headline a benefit concert in Chicago to support suicide prevention and mental health education. All proceeds from the September 9th event, to be held at Metro, will go directly to Hope for the Day, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides outreach and mental health education through creative platforms. They'll be supported by experimental trio Brain Tentacles and speed-metal mainstays Powermad, the latter of whom have tapped Anthrax's Charlie Benante to sit in on drums. Tickets for the event can be purchased here, starting Friday, July 7th. VIP and Meet & Greet Packages will go on sale at the same time.

September's benefit marks Mastodon's first Metro show since 2009, when they were touring behind Crack the Skye. The band has a deeply personal connection to this cause; Brann Dailor has described that album as a tribute to his sister, Skye Dailor, who took her own life at age 14. 

For this special event, Munster, Indiana, microbrewery 3 Floyds' Brewing Co. will be serving its Crack the Skye beer (which hits shelves the day after the concert), and Dark Matter Coffee will be re-releasing its Crack the Skye blend. 

Mastodon released their seventh full-length, Emperor of Sand, this March. The Atlanta sludge outfit are currently on the road in Europe, touring behind the record; In late September, they'll return stateside for another set of North American dates alongside Eagles of Death Metal and Russian Circles, with a U.K. trek to follow in December. Check here for a full list of dates.
 

Knoxville's Will to Die might need therapy. They sure are angry enough. Mixing dark hardcore aesthetics (in the vein of Cleveland's Ringworm, Integrity, In Cold Blood, etc.) with modern metal flair, the five-piece band attacks with a subtle melodicism that is rarely found among the chugga-chugga set. That's right, Will to Die is hummable ... while you're clobbering your neighbor in the closest mosh pit.

Will to Die have been bouncing around the U.S. for some time now — touring with everyone from Bitter End to Harm's Way — and they're about to drop a killer new LP, Twist of the Knife, via Bad Ground Records on July 21. Below, take a first listen to the bloodthirsty title track, which is filled with a multitude of staccato open-string riffs (that will please anyone looking to pick up change) and unique textural guitar parts. It's atonal yet melodic, vitriolic without being one-note, but overall it's one big starter log sure to cause an inferno of brutality at your nearest hardcore gig.