Canadian punks PUP are building up to the release of their new album, Morbid Stuff in quite an interesting way. Prior to the release of the second single on the album, “Free At Last”, the band posted the chords and lyrics online and asked fans to cover the song without having ever heard it before.
253 different versions of the song were submitted, and PUP mashed them up into one hilariously amazing video. Skip to 1:25 if you want to get straight to the PUP version of the song, otherwise enjoy the various takes other people had on it!
You might have heard of the active rock band, It Lives, It Breathes, in the last six years or so. You probably won’t be hearing much more of them, though; the band recently announced a new name, DAMN NATION, and dropped their first single, “Apocalypse“. The anthemic song ushers in a new era for the East-Coast based quartet, and I’m looking forward to hearing more. I hope you enjoy the song as much as I have!
RMP favorites Model Depose are back! Their new song Bombs Are Falling dropped last month, and we’re pleased to be able to share the video with you.
The band takes a bit of a departure from their big, lush sound with thick vocals to a dryer, more Placebo-like sound. That being said, they still keep the same roots in their sound, and I think any Model Depose fan will appreciate the fresh sound!
Kissing The Klepto is a rad Pop-punk band from Delco! They have a new song called “Northern Philadelphia“. I love everything about this because it has that classic Pop-punk sound that you can’t turn away from.
HAVVK is back with a new song called “Birds On A Wire”! As I listened to the song it felt chilling yet soothing once I got farther into the song. For those who are unfamiliar with HAVVK, they are an alternative band from London.
Brisbane hardcore act Oldtown want you to join the riff club. “The Swindler” is a hard hitting track full of riffs, and their whole EP is available as a free download on their Bandcamp page.
If you like classic hardcore with a new-school twist like early Gallows, you’ll love Oldtown. Check them out now, and give their Facebook page a like!
You wouldn’t know it based on the sound ALESTI sends blasting through your speakers, but the “band” is actually a solo project! Created by Stian Alsaker, a Norwegian songwriter and producer, ALESTI is entirely his own creation. “House of Glass” is a heavy hitting song featuring James DeBerg of Thousand Below. Check out the song, you’ll love it!
Hailing from Irwin, PA (near Pittsburgh), Fubar is a band that plays both reggae/rock and punk. They’ve submitted “Junk” from their latest LP, The Hunt for Inspiration. The song is a classic punk banger reminiscent of the 90s and early 2000s. You can find out more about the band on their Facebook, and listen to the full album on Bandcamp!
South Florida natives Amongst The Giants wrote “Too Late” in protest of the nation’s unwillingness to change and desensitization to gun violence after the Parkland shootings in early 2018. Such a powerful song from a great up-and-coming band won’t go unnoticed for long!
Last month AFI released a surprise single, “Get Dark“, on their unsuspecting fans. With it, came the announcement of The Missing Man, the band’s first EP since 2002’s 336. Though there have been five full-length albums in the interim, it seemed like the days of the EP were ghosts upon the stage for AFI.
The Missing Man will be released digitally on December 7th, and on vinyl December 21st and is now available for pre-order.
The second single, “Trash Bat“, drops tomorrow, November 30th — one week before the EP’s official release.
But enough of the information. What does this EP sound like, and what do I think of it?
Trash Bat
This short, energetic song is somewhat atypical for a lead-off song as AFI usually build up the energy over time with dark, moody, swelling sounds. “Trash Bat”, on the other hand, starts off with a drum fill and heads right into the first verse of the song. Stylistically, it reminds me very much of the band’s work on Burials. The drums, in particular, remind me of “Wild” from that record, and the guitars and vocals in general seem era-appropriate. At first listen, I wasn’t such a fan of this song but it is growing on me slowly! It clocks in at a short, but sweet, 2 minutes and 8 seconds and is the shortest track on the EP.
Break Angels
Another song that begins with drums (no complaints here, Adam Carson does a great job behind the kit). Sonically, it reminds me of a blend between the band’s sounds on Burials and their self-titled album (aka The Blood Album). It is at this point where I start to realize that Davey Havok’s vocals seem to be at their strongest point in years. The driving beat throughout the choruses of the song really pounds the energy in, and won’t let you forget the song.
Back Into the Sun
Personally, I think the intro and the first verse of this song aren’t amazing… But once the solo kicks in around the two-minute mark, the energy builds. Then things get thinned out for a quick acoustic bridge section before jumping into the last chorus. Great production and execution by the band’s guitarist, Jade Puget.
Get Dark
By now you’ve heard this song, so I won’t go into much detail. Or if you haven’t yet, find the video for it below. The one thing I will mention, I love that Hunter Burgan’s basslines are highlighted in the verses of the song. It’s nice when he isn’t buried in the mix!
The Missing Man
This is where the EP gets real. It’s by far my favorite track on the release, and it explores entirely new directions for AFI. The dark and mysterious guitar in the intro is nothing new for the band, but the eastern-inspired vocals in the background add a nice touch to the darkness of the song. The dark, brooding feeling of the song is one of the reasons I fell in love with AFI’s music over a decade ago, and I’m very excited that AFI can explore new sounds while still maintaining one of the things that makes them so special.
Once we get to the bridge, there are some more international influences with hand drums and guitar styles that AFI hasn’t really explored in the past. It’s difficult to put into words how good and unique this song is, and I’m really saddened that it wasn’t one of the singles on the EP – but then again, it may just be too different and a bit of a shock.
One last thing to note, the band is self-releasing the EP on Ex Noctem Nacimur (roughly translated, “we are born of the night” — thanks Google), which has been their publishing company for roughly two decades. The status of the music industry in 2018 shows just how easy it has become for well-known artists to release without the support of a major label, and I think it’s a great change for the future of music.
