Brighton indie punks GENDER ROLES have postponed their upcoming UK tour due to the coronavirus outbreak. The tour, which was set to take place across March and April, was going to be their biggest UK headline run to date, in support of their highly successful debut album PRANG which came out last summer via Big Scary Monsters. 

The band have released the following statement:

"Hey lovelies. In efforts to keep everyone safe, we’re postponing (not cancelling) our upcoming UK tour. Tickets that have already been purchased will be valid for the rescheduled dates (which are are working on literally right this second). We’re hoping you understand and to make up for it, we’re going to do something v.special that you can access from home.

Love you all. See you in a pit soon and I guess we’ll just crack on writing album 2 eh?"

The upcoming tour would have followed GENDER ROLES' mostly sold-out 2019 headline run, Boston Manor support tour and recent European headline tour. The band are still set to appear at Live At Leeds and Download Festival this summer. 

GENDER ROLES recently released their latest single 'Always' taken from PRANG, check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZgyEfWfzDXZL6gA9SAKbU

The trio have enjoyed strong support from the likes of Annie Mac, Radio 1 Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter, Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq, Radio X's John Kennedy, Kerrang! Radio's Alex Baker, Amazing Radio and more. The band also entered Maida Vale Studios in November 2019 to play a 'Live Gig' session on BBC Radio 1's Future Sounds with Annie Mac.

PRANG has not been short of praise from the press with Kerrang! calling it "an album packed with unskipable delights" and DIY stating that GENDER ROLES are "the UK's most vibrant young punk prospects". 

Forming after a chance initial meeting at drummer Jordan Lilford’s Brighton Pride party in 2015, GENDER ROLES, also consisting of guitarist/vocalist Tom Bennett and bassist Jared Tomkins, found that Brighton’s DIY scene was the ideal hub to cut their teeth and allow themselves to grow as a band. The inspiration and ethos they could draw on in those early days has been integral to the act they’ve become.

While the coastal city remains the band’s home, it cannot be said to have contained them. Gigging throughout Europe and the States, packing out tents at festivals such as 2000 Trees, and sharing the stage with heroes from Jamie Lenman to Touche Amore and Pup, GENDER ROLES have built on those early foundations to amass a growing fanbase, drawn to their melodic grunge/punk and dry, candid sense of humour.

Documenting that growth have been the band’s two EPs released so far, 2017’s Planet X-Ray and 2018’s Lazer Rush. While the theme for those EPs was “overcoming the past and looking forward to the future together”, the new, debut album, PRANG, focuses on much more immediate issues, even if it did come from a particularly happy place for GENDER ROLES.

Purchase PRANG here: https://bsm.rocks/prangout 

For more information:

https://www.facebook.com/genderrolesuk
https://www.instagram.com/genderrolesuk
https://twitter.com/genderrolesuk

Norwegian punk quintet LÜT have streamed their triumphant new single 'We Will Save Scandirock' from their forthcoming new LP Mersmak, set for release 25th September via Indie Recordings.

Stream 'We Will Save Scandirock', and pre-order Mersmak here: https://orcd.co/mersmaklut

'We Will Save Scandirock' continues LÜT's no-holds-barred, no-frills approach to modern rock. The album, Mersmak, roughly translates as 'Taste for more / Wanting more', a fitting title for this infectiously raucous group. Elements of Turbonegro, Blood Command, Kvelertak and more combine to exhilarating and beguiling effect, and cements the band's rising status as ones to watch following their critically acclaimed debut Pandion (2017).

In the words of the band: "'We Will Save Scandirock' is a rock n roll tribute to the great guitar riffs and melodies of the Scandirock era. It's a song about breaking free, and not following the guidelines of the A4 society."

Ever since their foundation, LÜT have been a band that have captivated rock audiences, making a name for themselves in Norway. With their debut album, LÜT were nominated for 'New Band of the Year' in both the Norwegian Grammys Spellemannprisen and the Norwegian Radio award show P3 Gull. They have also found a fan in Lars Ulrich, who praised them on his podcast 'It’s Electric'. The band have also recently played at Summer Breeze Open Air, Reeperbahn, Øya and Tons Of Rock, as well as several other Norwegian festivals.
 
"We went through highs and lows writing this album, and it was definitely a learning process which made the band stronger as a whole. As such; making this album has been a type of contemplation. We’re excited to have finished the ‘difficult second album’ and couldn’t have hoped for a better result. It’s great to finally be able to show the world what we’ve been working on,” says vocalist Markus Danjord.
 
The band have made some changes to the line-up in the last year, as guitarist Mads Ystmark (Heave Blood and Die) has replaced former members Hans Marius Mikkelsen and Viljar Ratama Dunderovic. Following this change, LÜT spent their months in Norway and abroad, finishing their second album.

Mersmak was mixed by Mike Schuppan (Paramore, M83, Jimmy Eat World), mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Converge, Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein Stranger Things Soundtracks), and recorded in Giske and Tromsø, Norway, and Bronson Island in Los Angeles, USA.
 
From February to June, LÜT will release a new single every month before the album hits in September. The band are eager to show the world what they have been working on these last two years.

For more:

https://www.lutband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bandlut/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0883sihqyDtxTAYgF0fVJb

Texan technical death metal band I AM DESTRUCTION have unveiled new track 'Consequent Forfeiture', taken from their debut full length Nascency, released 24th April via Unique Leader.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/peD74WF4fmw

Calling to mind the slamming heaviness of Devourment as well as the pulverising onslaught of bands such as Hate Eternal and Aborted, Nascency is an unrelentingly crushing exercise in sonic violence. The massively destructive 10 track album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Russell Hollar Music with artwork coming from Par Olofsson (The Faceless, Aborted, Deeds of Flesh). I AM DESTRUCTION are set to establish themselves as one of the most extreme voices in death metal. 

Pre-order Nascency here: http://bit.ly/IADIndieMerch 
and here 

Formed in 2013 as a one-man project by guitarist and vocalist Stephen Mashburn, Dallas based I AM DESTRUCTION exploded onto the Texas scene with their unrelentingly extreme take on technical death metal. The group immediately set to work pursuing their vision of limitless sonic violence and tirelessly pushed themselves further and further into the realm of punishing brutality.

Over the next several years I AM DESTRUCTION honed their skills and song craft with dozens of shows across the Southwest that saw them eviscerating crowds and opening for the likes of Archspire, Cattle Decapitation, and Arkaik. The end result of their continuous effort was their debut EP Violence Devours, which was released oN 19th March 2018.

The group quickly began upping the intensity of their performance schedule, which included a stint of dates opening for Ingested and a well-received performance at Bay Area Death Fest in 2018. It wasn’t long before I AM DESTRUCTION caught the attention of Unique Leader Records who will release their earth-shattering debut full length Nascency on 24th April.

Line-up: 
Stephen Mashburn - Vocals, Guitars
Paul Dundas - Guitars
Buddy Griffin - Drums
Richie Pennington – Bass

More info:
https://www.facebook.com/IAmDestructionTX
https://www.instagram.com/iadtxdm/
https://iamdestruction.bandcamp.com/

New Jersey based brutal death metal act COGNITIVE have released a video to the track ‘Fragmented Perception’, taken from their third album Matricide, out now via Unique Leader.

Premiered via Decibel, check out ‘Fragmented Perception’ here: https://youtu.be/e79dUoMntH0

A pummelling, brutal chunk of death metal, ‘Fragmented Perception’ lyrically tackles the dark subject of mental illness and suicide.

Vocalist Shane Jost told Decibel: “I wrote ‘Fragmented Perception’ when I was in a dark place mentally. I felt trapped in a cycle of mundanity. Wake up, go to a job I despise, come home with no energy left to do things I actually care about. That stagnant life style eventually boiled over into a midnight surge of adrenaline and panic. I wrote the lyrics to the song in that frenzied state, while my mind was still racing.”

Released October 2018, Matricide shows the band pushing their blistering, chaotic technicality, pummeling brutality, and devastating groove far beyond anything they have done before. Following its release, the band have toured the US and Europe extensively, playing with The Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus, Origin, Ingested and more.

Guitarist Rob Wharton commented on Matricide, "The band really took a lot of time with making sure this album was different than our last album Deformity. We were extremely happy with the way that album was received, but wanted to try and offer something different this time around. This album pushed all of us on our instruments, but while being hard to play, we wanted to make sure the songs were fun and catchy. We incorporated a ton of new things into this album, while still making sure it sounded like us. We wanted to be more in your face, while still having some abstract passages in the songs."

The massively heavy 10 track effort was recorded by AJ Viana at Sylar Sound Studios, mixed and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (Six Feet Under, Hate Eternal, Revocation), and features artwork by the incredible Pedro Sena (Ingested, Analepsy). 

Purchase for Matricide here: https://www.indiemerch.com/uniqueleader

More info:
https://www.facebook.com/Cognitivenj/
https://www.instagram.com/cognitive_nj/
https://twitter.com/cognitive_nj
https://www.facebook.com/UniqueLeaderRecords/
https://uniqueleader.com

UK rock newcomers THE CROOKED 45 have announced their debut EP Heathens, due for release on 10th April 2020. To coincide with the announcement, the trio have released 'Future Scholars', which follows previous singles 'Voices On The Radio' and 'Kitchen Sink Drama'. Brash and bold, THE CROOKED 45 deliver their message with big riffs, smart, relatable lyrics and catchy choruses.

"'Future Scholars' trading knowledge for followers," the band comment. "This song is about the negative impact social media can have on many of our youth."

Check out the video for 'Future Scholars' here: https://youtu.be/zS-KzWNTcRI

Pre-save Heathens on Spotify here: https://ffm.to/x58r1k3.opr

THE CROOKED 45 have also announced live dates in support of the EP, including a show hosted by BBC Introducing and an EP release show in Shoreditch, London.

08.04.2020 - Reading, Purple Turtle (BBC Introducing)
10.04.2020 - London, The Slaughtered Lamb (EP Release Show)
26.04.2020 - Brighton, Prince Albert

Based in Reading, THE CROOKED 45 are made up of ex-members of Attention Thieves, Alex Green and James Harris, with singer-songwriter Sam C Harris. Whilst the band take influence from Arctic Monkeys and Royal Blood, lyrically the band's message, attitude and energy aligns with politically astute punk bands including The Clash and The Sex Pistols. 

THE CROOKED 45 have already had strong support from BBC Introducing and previous single 'Voices On The Radio' was featured in Louder's 'Tracks Of The Week'. The band recently embarked on their first string of shows, impressively selling out their second ever show at The Underbelly in Shoreditch, London.  

For more information:
http://www.thecrooked45.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thecrooked45/
https://www.instagram.com/thecrooked45/

Greece's largest rock band of the last decade, 1000mods, have released their first single from forthcoming LP Youth of Dissent (1st May (UK) and 24th April (RoW) release).

Stream and purchase 'Pearl' here: https://1000mods.com/yodpearl/

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCZNlMUgJfY

Youth of Dissent is available to preorder on special edition vinyl, standard vinyl, and CD here: https://1000mods.bandcamp.com

Produced by Matt Bayles (Isis, Mastodon, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Botch and many more), and recorded at Litho Studio (owned by Stone Gossard, founding member of Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog) and London Bridge Studio (where Pearl Jam’s Ten was recorded), Youth of Dissent is 1000mods' most mature record to date.

The band will be undertaking a European and UK tour in support of the record. Watch them at this year's Desertfest London (second support to Graveyard, with Pissed Jeans) and Desertfest Berlin (headlining Friday with Witchcraft).

Dates:

01.05.20 - Berlin, Desertfest
02.05.20 - Nijmegen, Sonic Whip Nijmegen
03.05.20 - London, Desertfest
04.05.20 - Amsterdam, Melkweg
05.05.20 - Strasbourg, La Laiterie
06.05.20 - Pratteln, Z7
07.05.20 - Brussels, Les Nuits Botanique
08.05.20 - Cologne, Live Music Hall
09.05.20 - Paris, La Machine
11.05.20 - Stuttgart, Universum
12.05.20 - Leipzig, Werk 2
13.05.20 - Hamburg, Markthalle
14.05.20 - Copenhagen, Vega
15.05.20 - Oslo, Youngs
16.05.20 - Göteborg, Valand
17.05.20 - Rostock, Mau Club
19.05.20 - Vienna, Arena
20.05.20 - Salzburg, Rockhouse
21.05.20 - Graz, PPC
22.05.20 - Budapest, A38
23.05.20 - Zagreb, Mochvara

Having risen from smoky basements to packed arenas, 1000mods can be considered no less than the most successful Greek rock band of the past decade.

Deriving equally from the glorious 90's and the 70's (not only songwriting-wise but also due to their love for vintage equipment and analogue sound), 1000mods have never hesitated to blend all their influences. Retro, hard, doom, and space rock melded with grunge and alternative create a recipe of explosive heavy music that’s impossible to imitate.

1000mods offer inspired, powerful and uniquely fresh heavy tunes, satisfying everyone from stoners to metalheads, for over a decade. Their debut Super Van Vacation (2011) is now considered a classic in European heavy rock, as well as a game-changer for Greek rock music, selling tens of thousands of copies.

Praised by fans and press throughout the globe, the band's previous release Repeated exposure to... (2016) affirmed their place within European heavy rock and roll. The band went on to tour the US in February-March 2018, following that with a sold-out tour of Australia. 

Boasting millions of streams and fans worldwide, 1000mods are stepping up with Youth of Dissent, a fearsome blend of taut songwriting, hard-hitting riffs, haunting melodies and hefty psychedelia.

For more information:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1000mods
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1000mods
• Website: https://1000mods.com

UK rock trio BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE share their brand new single / video 'Winter Keeps Us Warm', the second track taken from the new studio album Semaphore coming 12th June, 2020 via Long Branch Records. 

Watch the video for 'Winter Keeps Us Warm' here: https://youtu.be/emCp69AMfAI

Semaphore is available for pre-order here: blackorchidempire.lnk.to/semaphore

BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE guitarist / singer Paul Visser commented: "'Winter Keeps Us Warm' is a huge song for us. We wanted to do something super melodic that still maintained the complexity and heaviness we love. Balancing the two helped us craft a track that is so much fun to play. Lyrically it continues exploring the Sci-Fi ideas shared by all the songs on Semaphore. 'Winter Keeps Us Warm' is about the captain of a crippled ship setting course for what he hopes will be a friendly outpost, and committing totally to his path. He and his crew submit to hibernation knowing that either their desperate signal will be received and they’ll be saved, or they’ll drift forever in deep space and die. The title is inspired by a line from T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland, a poem that also gives us the titles of two books by my favourite author Iain M Banks – Look to Windward and Consider Phlebas.
 
"The video, again the brainchild of our friend Alina Gordienco, is an amazing sequence showing a female astronaut trying to escape a maze of tunnels. It was shot in the catacombs of Odessa, which served as bomb shelters during the Second World War. It’s truly beautiful. We filmed the band shots in London with the brilliant Jay Hillyer – he really smashed it."

The band have announced a co-headline tour with UK tech-metallers Exist Immortal and will also be making appearances at Tech Fest and 7Fest. Catch them on the following dates:

With Exist Immortal:

03.06 - Bournemouth, The Anvil
04.06 - London, 229 The Venue
05.06 - Bristol, The Old England 
06.06 - Exeter, The Cavern 
07.06 - Brighton, The Hope & Ruin 

Festivals: 

12.07 - 7 Fest, East Coast Showground
04-07.07  Tech Fest, Newwark Showground

More dates for the summer to be announced soon.

BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE are:

Paul Visser - Vocals, Guitar
David Ferguson - Bass, Vocals
Billy Freedom - Drums 

Danish heavyweights CABAL have released their new single 'Death March', taken from their forthcoming new LP, Drag Me Down, released 3rd April on Long Branch Records.

Watch the video for 'Death March' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osltk8uoM5s

Pre-order: https://cabal.lnk.to/DragMeDown

CABAL about the song:

“’Death March’ is an up-tempo wrecking ball of a track that aims to batter the listener with both a sonic assault and also a very urgent warning of not letting history repeat itself.”  

Drag Me Down also contains guest vocals of Matt Heafy (Trivium), Jamie Hails (Polaris), and  Kim Song Sternkopf (Møl) and will be available as exclusive bundles, LP, CD and digital. Beyond this, the band's acclaimed debut album Mark Of Rot will be released on vinyl for the first time on 3rd April.

CABAL have just completed a USA-wide tour with Ingested, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life and others - the band's first time in the country.

CABAL are one of the most brutal and promising heavy acts hailing from Denmark, creating a visceral and doom-laden atmosphere throughout both their music and visual expression. The production is crystal clear, whilst the songs draw inspiration from black and death metal to djent, hardcore and more.

Since the release of their debut LP Mark Of Rot (2018) the band have made a name for themselves in both Denmark and the rest of the world by playing renowned festivals like Copenhell, Roskilde Festival, Euroblast Festival and Complexity Fest as well as touring Europe, Japan and North America.

CABAL are now ready with their second full-length: Drag Me Down is a dark descent into a personal hell brought to life by crushing instrumentals, an oppressive atmosphere and dark personal lyrics delivered with a relentless intensity, while still leaving room for experimentation and expansion of CABAL’s signature sound.

Add to this guest appearances from metal titans Trivium’s Matt Heafy, rising metalcore stars Polaris’ Jamie Hails and Denmark’s Blackgaze darlings Møl’s Kim Song Sternkopf and there is no doubt that this a release worth keeping your eyes and ears peeled for.

American Texas Death act I AM have announced a tour supporting hardcore punk legends Kublai Khan across UK and EU. They will be joined by Justice For The Damned and Antagonist AD.

Dates:

04.09.20 Germany Bochum @ Matrix
05.09.20 Netherlands Haarlem @ Patronaat
06.09.20 Germany Hamburg @ Hafenklang
07.09.20 Sweden Gothenburg @ Fangelset
08.09.20Denmark Søborg @ Richter
09.09.20 Germany Berlin @ Cassiopeia
10.09.20 Germany Hannover @ Mephisto
11.09.20 Germany Leipzig @ Conne Island
12.09.20 Czech Rep Prague @ 007
13.09.20 Germany Nürnberg @ Z-Bau
14.09.20 Austria Vienna @ Arena
15.09.20 Germany Munich @ Backstage
17.09.20 Switzerland Aarau @ Kiff
18.09.20 Germany Wiesbaden @ Schlachthof
19.09.20 France Paris @ Gibus
20.09.20 UK Bristol @ The Exchange
21.09.20 UK Manchester @ Rebellion
22.09.20 UK Glasgow @ G2
23.09.20 UK Leeds @ Key Club
24.09.20 UK London @ Underworld
25.09.20 UK Brighton @ Bash At The Beach
26.09.20 Belgium Aarschot @ De Klinker

This follows the news of I AM recently signing a worldwide deal with Entertainment One ("eOne"), with plans to release a new LP later this year.

Check out latest single 'Paid in Sin' here: https://youtu.be/IT3b8ciQ530

The group have recently finished a full European tour with Thy Art Is Murder, Carnifex, Fit For An Autopsy and Rivers of Nihil. 

I AM have come to embody the sub-genre known as "Texas Death," and they have no qualms about saying so. While the band takes influence from "The Big Four," their homage to artists like Pantera, Power Trip, and Cro-Mags is undeniable. Their signature style of dive-bomb guitars and guitar-driven riffs has come to define the genre. 

Started by vocalist Andrew Hileman in 2011, I AM quickly gained recognition in the great state of Texas of being a band that was meant for bigger things. After paying their dues and touring relentlessly, solidifying Texas Death across North America on tour with bands like The Acacia Strain, For The Fallen Dreams, and Kublai Khan, I AM released their debut album, Life Through Torment in February of 2017. 

In 2018 the band began recording the new album with Randy Lebeouf at Graphic Nature Audio (Kublai Khan, Left Behind, Great American Ghost) with a vision of capturing their chaotic live performance and power they'd become known for. The new album Hard 2 Kill was released in November of 2018 to some serious critical acclaim.

Decibel Magazine declared, "I AM know how to write songs that make you want to move." KERRANG! plainly stated, "Devoid of pretension and brimming with tangible anger, the band's music is an angry headbanger's dream."

I AM online: 
https://www.facebook.com/iamtxmusic/
https://twitter.com/iamtxmusic
https://www.instagram.com/iamtxmusic/
https://iamtxmusic.bandcamp.com/