Photo Credit: Jan Season

German dark rock quintet Scarlet Dorn have released a video for their new single 'Meteor'. The power ballad is the fourth single from their upcoming third album, Queen of Broken Dreams, due for release on 30th September via SPV Recordings.

Check out the video for 'Meteor' here: https://youtu.be/go2eC0Iu_Q8

Stream 'Meteor' and pre-order Queen of Broken Dreams here: https://scarletdorn.lnk.to/queenofbrokendreams

Scarlet Dorn combine the elegance of darkness with the catchiness of pop. Free of genre boundaries, vocalist Scarlet sings herself directly into the heart of the listener. With industrial sounds, rock ballads and electronic beats, the band takes the listener on a journey through complex human abysses, the world of hope and sorrow, but also directly into the arms of life in all its glory. With her captivating voice, Scarlet exudes a variety of emotions ranging from gentle and tender to menacing and sombre.

Scarlet Dorn was founded in 2016 by producers Chris Harms and Benjamin Lawrenz, together with vocalist Scarlet Dorn. Not only through the release of the albums Lack Of Light and Blood Red Bouquet, but also through tireless touring with Within Temptation, Joachim Witt, Letzte Instanz, Lord Of The Lost among others, the band have already made a name for themselves in the dark music scene in those six short years.

Watch Scarlet Dorn live (w/ Lord Of The Lost)

06.10.22 DE – Nuremberg / Hirsch
07.10.22 DE – Stuttgart / LKA-Longhorn
08.10.22 DE – Cologne / Essigfabrik
12.10.22 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra
14.10.22 AT – Vienna / Szene
15.10.22 DE – Munich / Backstage
20.10.22 DE – Frankfurt / Batschkapp
21.10.22 DE – Leipzig / Täubchenthal
22.10.22 DE – Hanover / Pavillon
27.10.22 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater
28.10.22 CZ – Prague / Club Storm
29.10.22 PL – Warsaw / Hydrozagadka
02.11.22 DE – Bochum / Zeche
03.11.22 FR – Paris / Petit Bain
04.11.22 FR – Lyon / CCO
05.11.22 ES – Barcelona / Salamandra
06.11.22 ES – Madrid / Mon
09.11.22 IT – Milan / Legend Club
10.11.22 CH – Pratteln / Z7
11.11.22 DE – Kaiserslautern / Kammgarn
12.11.22 DE – Herford / X

Scarlet Dorn are:
Scarlet Dorn - Vocals
Bengt Jaeschke - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Benjamin Mundigler - Bass, Backing Vocals
Gared Dirge - Piano
Henrik Petschull - Drums

For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/scarletdornofficial
https://www.instagram.com/scarletdorn_official

Queen of Broken Dreams Tracklisting:
1. Falling
2. Born to Suffer
3. Queen of Broken Dreams
4. Your Highness
5. A Light That Blinds the Truth
6. Meteor
7. Unstill Life
8. When You See Me Again
9. Love Wasn't Made For Me
10. What Are We To Do
11. Tonight
12. A Million Miles Away

Baltimore-based quartet Cherie Amour have released their new single and video 'Letting Go', which will appear on their new album Spiritual Ascension due out 4th November on Rude Records / Equal Vision Records.

Watch the video to 'Letting Go' here: https://youtu.be/tWk0zo9tS5g

Pre-order and pre-save the album here: https://cherieamour.lnk.to/SpiritualAscension

'Letting Go' is Cherie Amour's third single of the year and serves as an impressive statement on the groups self described “nu-punk” sound, expertly combining elements of pop-punk, post-hardcore, RnB, hip hop and metal. Produced by Alan Day (Four Year Strong), the track is a tour de force of hard hitting production with a radio-friendly veneer. Not content to rest on their alternative laurels, the band mixes in an undercurrent of mainstream hip-hop and pop swagger that elevates the track into unique sonic territory. While 'Letting Go' will appeal to a wide range of music lovers, it is anything but formulaic - instead, it serves as a reminder that Cherie Amour have a musical perspective totally their own. The accompanying music video (directed by Casey Reid) adds an engaging visual component that builds a dramatic narrative centred around vocalist Trey Miler.

Vocalist Trey Miller commented: "This was one of the first demos we did that I knew had to be on the album. When Ronnie and I were living together in Baltimore last year, he actually made the initial beat on Ableton and played it for me later that night while we were out on the balcony chiefing and I immediately got to writing. It was that point in the pandemic when I was getting really tired of not being able to go out dancing so I wrote the lyrics from the perspective of being inside one of my favorite bars in Baltimore called 'The Charles'. Me and one of my best friends would go there almost weekly.”

Cherie Amour are both an established act and a new band. Its members - vocalist Trey Miller, guitarists Casey Reid and Brendan Willis and drummer Ronnie Sherman - had been playing together as One Life To Lead, but felt that name didn’t suit their evolving musical style. As a result, they renamed themselves Cherie Amour, and it’s with this moniker that the self-styled "nu-punk" outfit have truly found their sound. The four-piece have done so by mixing together a killer blend of genres that, on paper, make for odd bedfellows, but in the band’s capable hands sound like they’re meant to be together. “It was amongst our goals to not try to prescribe to a certain genre,” says Allen. “We wanted it to be all-encompassing so that you can get out of it what you want and need, and we felt that nu-punk was the best way to describe that simply."

Their latest singles 'Letting Go', 'Love's Not Your Thing' and 'Sin City' serve as follow-ups to acclaimed 2021 debut EP Internal Discussions, both produced by Alan Day (Four Year Strong) and released through Rude Records / Equal Vision Records. Their newest tracks are catchy, hook-laden, emotion-laced journeys through the band's pop-punk foundations mixed with heavy breakdowns and an unapologetic undercurrent of hip-hop inspired pop. A self aware, existential lyrical edge adds an element that confidently breaks down genre barriers and makes all three tracks truly unforgettable experiences for the listener.

The band will join In Her Own Words, Capstan and Shallow Pools on a month long North American tour starting 18th November.

Track listing:

1. Welcome
2. On Deck
3. Sin City
4. Low n Lean
5. Letting Go
6. Mind's Eye
7. Love's Not Your Thing
8. God Be A Woman
9. Spiritual Ascension
10. Losing Control
11. In My Head

Photo Credit: Rich Lester

UK genre-defying quartet Borders have released their new single / video 'Godless', featuring Elijah Witt of Cane Hill. They have also announced the release of new album Bloom Season on 18th November via Arising Empire.

Watch the video to 'Godless' here: https://youtu.be/CE_PMNBKI58

Pre-order Bloom Season on CD, limited coloured vinyl and merch at the Arising Empire shop: https://arisingempire.com/bloomseason

On the single, the band comment: "'Godless' is about questioning your faith during your darkest hour. I wrote it when one of my close family members fell ill, I thought to myself if there was a God why would they allow such thing to happen. Coming from a religious background, I wrote this in anger and frustration. It should be normal to question your faith, especially when faith is the problem - and that's what 'Godless' is all about."

Borders combine ferocious, hard-hitting metalcore with elements of hip-hop, grime, hardcore and alternative metal, completed with a dash of introspection and brazen, no-holds-barred atmosphere. The quartet are a young but driven collective hellbent on taking the heavy music community by storm with an onslaught of thought-provoking, sinister and brutally aggressive tracks. Built around an impetus that obliterates any notion of single-genre classification in favour of an immersive yet punishingly heavy experience, Borders continually push the limits of what's expected from any band in the metalcore circuit.

From taking the UK’s live music scene by storm supporting legendary deathcore act Martyr Defiled on their last run to their immersive, conceptual and thought-provoking 2019 debut full length release Purify, the band are well on their way to making themselves a staple in the underground heavy music community - a goal sure to be achieved with their addition to Arising Empire’s ever-growing roster.

Bloom Season track listing:

01. FADE TO BLACK
02. FIX THISS
03. SUFFER
04. NWWM feat. Dropout Kings
05. I GET HIGH
06. GASLIGHT
07. GODLESS feat. Cane Hill
08. CUT THE ROPE
09. MDM

Borders are:
Jordan Olifent | vocals
Gavin Burton | guitar & vocals
Tom Britton | bass
Dan Hodson | drums

Borders online:
https://www.instagram.com/bordersbanduk
https://www.facebook.com/bordersbanduk
https://www.tiktok.com/@bordersbanduk
https://twitter.com/bordersbanduk
https://bordersbanduk.com/

Photo Credit: Jonathan Vahid

Metallic hardcore/grindcore group Escuela Grind have released their barnstorming new single 'Forced Collective Introspection', from their forthcoming album Memory Theater, set for release on 30 September via the band's new label home of MNRK Heavy.

Watch the video for 'Forced Collective Introspection' here: https://youtu.be/9bNU938oYtw

Pre-order Memory Theater now here: https://escuelagrind.ffm.to/memorytheater

Directed by Michael Jari Davidson (Alice in Chains), the barn-burning video is an ode to the 1971 science fiction film, THX 1138, a work of sociological commentary set in a dystopian world where individuality and love are forbidden.

"We again teamed up with director Michael Jari Davidson to create the video for 'Forced Collective Introspection', says Escuela Grind vocalist Katerina Economou. "The video references 1971's anti-authoritarian movie THX 1138, where the band is held in a white void by masked guards, and reduced to objectified numbers. Harassed in prison cells, the band makes their escape in a Shawshank fashion. The theme of the video runs throughout all of our music: we must resist and attempt to escape their control to regain our humanity."

Produced by Converge guitarist/ God City producer Kurt Ballou, Escuela Grind's Memory Theater features nine tracks of sharp, scorching underground music that rage and rip in equal measure. Escuela Grind excel at stitching together a new metallic hardcore monster, borne from the rotten corpses of grind and power violence and littered with gleefully unhinged blasts of percussive bombast and chaos.

The music might be terrifying, but the overwhelming spirit behind Escuela Grind is a message of empowerment. As it destroys musical boundaries, the quartet attack the idea of “gatekeeping” with equal ferocity. Any time Katerina Economou (vocals), Jesse Fuentes (drums), Kris Morash (guitar), and Tom Sifuentes (bass, touring) convene, an aural apocalypse will ensue.

Memory Theater, Escuela Grind's sophomore album, is seven minutes shorter than Slayer’s Reign in Blood, but with a few songs running past the three-minute mark, it’s downright epic by grindcore norms. Delivering on the promise of several split records, a handful of EPs (including GGRRIINNDDCCOORREE and PPOOWWEERRVVIIOOLLEENNCCEE, both released in 2020), and the full-length, Indoctrination, the nine songs on Memory Theater offer a near-psychedelic trip to the genre’s soul. The album title references a specific historical concept, constructing a “space” from one’s internal ideas, knowledge, and perception. An architect by trade, Economou explores philosophy, politics, and experiential experimentation, building a kind of structure amidst the band's musical cacophony.

Escuela Grind, who performed as one of the featured acts at the 2022 Psycho Las Vegas festival, are currently in the midst of a U.S. headlining tour. The 23-city Forced Collective Introspection" tour launched on September 3 in Salem, MA and includes performances at New England's RPM Fest, Illinois' Full Terror Assault Open Air, and Cleveland's Hacked Up for BBQ death fest.

For more information on Escuela Grind:
Facebook || Website || Twitter || Instagram || MNRK Heavy

Track listing:

1. Endowed With Windows
2. My Heart, My Hands
3. Cliffhanger
4. Strange Creature
5. Faulty Blueprints
6. All Is Forgiven
7. Forced Collective Introspection
8. The Feed
9. Memory Theater

About MNRK Music Group

MNRK Music Group is one of the largest independent music companies in the world, with recording, music publishing, and management divisions operating in every major music market. MNRK is committed to discovering and guiding top music creators and artists and works with some of the greatest musical talent including The Lumineers and Pitbull, the music publishing catalog of Chuck Berry, plus premier music companies Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang. The company’s music department services Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producers. Its catalog across divisions consists of 54,000 music tracks, including multiple GRAMMY winners and platinum-selling hits.To learn more visit mnrk.com.

Photo Credit: Marcus Marino

Floridian thrashers Rhythm of Fear have unleashed their sobering new single / video 'Insidious System', taken from new album Fatal Horizons, due for release on 14th October 2022 via MNRK Music Group.

Check out the video for 'Insidious System' here: https://youtu.be/Fss-d739ZG8

Pre-order Fatal Horizons here: http://www.fatalhorizons.com

The band comment on 'Insidious System': "'Insidious System' is about the corrupt system that we have appointed to protect us. A system that should serve and protect but instead enforces and collects. A system that thrives off of fear and manipulation. A system that infringes on our basic human rights. It’s been going on for so long and we can only hope that the more people realize how poisonous it all is the better chance there is for change.”

Rhythm of Fear worship at the alter of thrash metal and crossover. Summoned from the sadistic swamps of Jacksonville, in Florida's heavy-metal rich soil, the masters of gargantuan groove conjured a reverence unrivalled by their peers. Committed to the unrelenting riffage, Rhythm of Fear gleefully reinvigorates the timeless collision of speed, musicianship, and attitude.

Unapologetic bangers like 'Dark Energy' and 'Ten Theories' quickly became underground classics to a growing legion of like-minded supporters who snapped up the band's 2011 demo, The Mass Illusion EP (2015), and full-length debut Maze of Confusion (2016). The appetite for devastation only intensified with the Ritual Dementia EP (2019), featuring 'Vortex of Torment' and the impassioned 'Over And Out'; a deep cut from the early power metal years of Pantera.

Now, the band threatens to conquer the hearts and minds of all in metal, with the vitriolic, thrashtastic, cirle-pit-inciting Fatal Horizons, their sophomore slab of cleverly crafted crossover. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Joey Jones (Royal Thunder, Cloak), with sci-fi/horror artwork from Mario Lopez (Toxik, Skeletal Remains, Evil Invaders), Fatal Horizons' thirteen-tracks are richly thematic and devilishly accessible in equal measure.

Rather than simply rehash the past, Rhythm of Fear absorb and examine metal history's greatest strengths, reassembling the parts into a fresh Frankenstein forged by the band's unique identity and experience. This is straight forward and in your face.

“On Fatal Horizons, we’ve come even more into our own,” notes vocalist Jay Santiago. “Maze Of Confusion was very thrash metal and very hardcore driven. Aside from our lead guitar player, all of us grew up in the hardcore scene. We established ourselves as a true crossover band, with fast metal parts and funky hardcore grooves. There’s still a bit of groovy flavor, but Fatal Horizons is even thrashier.”

Thematically, Fatal Horizons delves deeper into the human psyche with relatable themes of depression, addiction, and anger. Alien abduction, magic rituals, and the occult pepper their songs with personality and spirit while the justice system and politics are targets within the framework of broader fantasy metaphors.

Album opener 'Obsolescence' confronts addiction. 'Alien Synthesis' is about the aftermath of the abduction. The title track puts the listener at the centre of a black hole. 'Parasomniac' details Santiago’s struggles with the sleep disorder EHS, aka Exploding Head Syndrome, which awakens sufferers with imagined sounds. The simulation hypothesis is at the heart of 'Simulated Times,' inspired by one of Santiago’s dreams. There are instrumental interludes throughout Fatal Horizons, synergising the cosmic themes of mortality. 'Ceremony Of Sacrifice' closes it all with an exploration of Mayan and Aztec mythology.

Rhythm of Fear are:
Jay Santiago - vocals
Cody James - guitars
Justin Styron - Bass
Logan Miano - drums

For more information:
http://www.facebook.com/rhythmoffear
http://www.instagram.com/rhythmoffear
http://www.twitter.com/rhythmoffear

Fatal Horizons Tracklisting:
1. Obsolescence
2. Alien Synthesis
3. Disintegration Of Reality
4. Fatal Horizon
5. Atrocities Beyond The Structures Of The Mind
6. Parasomniac
7. Insidious System
8. Self Destructive Brain
9. Dissolution Of Time In Space
10. Simulated Times
11. Tears of Ecstasy
12. Oath Made In Hell
13. Ceremony Of Sacrifice

Photo Credit: Daniel Dorta

Toronto-based alt-rock band BRKN LOVE have released their new single 'Under The Knife'. The track features on their upcoming Vol. 2 EP, due for release on 23rd September via Spinefarm Records. 

Check out 'Under The Knife' and pre-save Vol. 2 here: https://brknlove.lnk.to/Vol2

After the success of their Vol.1 EP, which featured singles 'Dead Weight' and 'Like A Drug', and the recent release of 'Forever’s Enough' off their upcoming Vol.2 EP, 'Under The Knife' once again showcases how well songwriter/frontman Justin Benlolo uses all the tools in his arsenal to firmly position BRKN LOVE in the young, modern rock revolution.

Benlolo comments:

“'Under The Knife' is our most daring single yet. This song takes everything that people have been familiar with before, injects it with a shot of adrenaline, makes it listen to its older brother’s hardcore records and kicks it into a high-speed chase down the highway at 155mph. Needless to say, it’s an absolute rager.

"Lyrically, the song details a toxic relationship in which the people are actually enjoying the pain it brings them. The main character’s perspective is one I’ve never written from before. The character actively admits that the scrutiny and torture is something that is giving his life purpose, and throughout the song it results in him doing anything he can to continue this terrible situation. I felt like although this wasn’t a particularly happy subject, it was something different and relatable in many ways.

"I hope you enjoy the song! Make sure you turn it up LOUD! Thank you.”

BRKN LOVE are gearing up to play a number of shows across North America in support of Dead Poet Society and The Blue Stones, while also playing some of their first US headline dates along the way.

Benlolo adds: 

“We cannot wait to hit the road with our friends, Dead Poet Society and The Blue Stones, this Fall! These shows will truly be ones to remember. It’s been a minute since we’ve gone across Canada and we’re beyond excited to be with friends. On top of that, we are also playing our very first batch of headlining shows plus dates across the USA with more friends! All these shows will truly be ones to remember and the likelihood of them being off the rails is very high.
 
"In conjunction with this tour, we will also be releasing our second LP Black Box, which will make this super special and you can expect lots of new material to be played! It’s not every day that you get great, young, upcoming rock bands playing together like this, so you better come out and party with us!”

For full dates head to the BRKN LOVE website: https://www.brknlove.com/

For more information:
https://www.brknlove.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BRKNLOVEMUSIC/
https://twitter.com/BRKNLOVEMUSIC/
https://www.instagram.com/brknlovemusic/

About BRKN LOVE:

Fronted by the compelling Justin Benlolo, BRKN LOVE have been creating quite the stir since the release of their self-titled debut album. Picking up over 253 million streams to date, with their Spotify monthly listeners peaking at 580k, single 'Shot Down' landed at #15 in US Active Rock radio charts and #5 in the Canadian equivalent, whilst 'Crush' reached #5 in Canada’s Active Rock radio charts.
Additionally, the band's cover of Bishop Briggs' 'River' has become something of a viral sensation. Recorded specifically for a special deluxe version of their debut record, it currently has over 50,000 unique TikTok videos featuring the track, boasting over 1.9 billion total views across all user and professionally-generated content platforms.

Previous single 'Deadweight', the first new track to follow the band's debut album, went straight in the Top 15 on Canadian Active Rock radio and has seen the hype carry overseas, with BBC Radio One presenters Dan P. Carter and Jack Saunders both giving the song airtime. Saunders called it “The new age of rock and roll” on his BBC Radio One Future Artists show.

Meanwhile, amongst all this early success, Justin Benlolo has been picked up by Gibson Guitars to promote the new line of Gibson Guitar Strings.

Californian sludge metal crew Armed For Apocalypse have released their tortured new single, 'Live Through The Storm', ahead of their third album release, Ritual Violence, which debuts on 7th October via Candlelight Records.

Check out third single, ‘Live Through The Storm’ here: https://youtu.be/a2hfB7l4WCY
Pre-order the album here: https://armedforapocalypse.lnk.to/RitualViolence

Vocalist Nate Burman comments on the caustic new single: “At the time that I wrote this I was in a pretty dark place in life and found myself being wildly self-destructive. It was right at the peak of the pandemic so I was also pretty isolated from everyone which really started getting to me. I remember finding myself just trying to drink through the boredom and depression night after night. That’s also partially where the album title comes from. It felt like every night was a ritual of self destruction. It’s a vicious cycle that’s hard to break."

Forthcoming new album Ritual Violence is an uncompromising aural onslaught and sees the band at their most aggressive. Both a product and expression of their never-die attitude, it’s the album Armed for Apocalypse always wanted to make, with the engineer they wanted to make it Kurt Ballou, God City (Converge, High On Fire, Every Time I Die ) and the label they wanted to partner with, Candlelight Records. Featuring guest appearances from Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) on track 'Foredoomed' and Trevor Phipps (Unearth) on 'Suffer For A Living', it is Armed for Apocalypse refined to its purest form: 0 percent frills,100 percent heavy riffs.

Forming in California in the aughts, Armed for Apocalypse quickly released 2009’s Defeat (Ironclad Recordings). That’s where they laid out their mission statement: we are going to tune low, play riffs, and make heavy metal that makes you bang your fucking head. Real amps turned up, real drums hit hard, no bullshit. 2013’s The Road Will End (Ironclad) complicated their thesis, the band experimenting with new structures and incorporating a broader sonic palette. But member changes and new life directions led to a challenging five years before their next release, 2018’s Palm Reader EP. Now, in 2022, they return more focused than ever with their most potent and unwavering album to date. Ritual Violence is eleven tracks of bludgeoning skullf*ckery; a record from a band who are confident in who they are, and what they want to do. And who won’t let anything get in the way of that. Not the years. Not the heartache. Not an industry that devalues its creators. Nothing.

Armed for Apocalypse has never done it the easy way. But on this latest record is a statement and a promise: they will do it their way.

Armed for Apocalypse are:
Nate Burman - Vocals / Guitar
Cayle Hunter - Guitar
Charlie Fischer - Bass
Nick Harris - Drums

Armed for Apocalypse online:
Facebook || Twitter || Instagram

Candlelight Records online:
Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Youtube

Tracklisting:
01: Under My Shame
02: Frail
03: Full Of Phlegm
04: Hourglass
05: Lifeless
06: Live Through The Storm
07: Foredoomed
08: Thieves Of Existence
09: Suffer For A Living

10: Flesh And Blood
11: Eternally Broken

Photo Credit: William "Wombat" Felch

Metal quintet For The Fallen Dreams have released a video for their new single 'RE-Animate', out now via Arising Empire. The track, which follows previous singles 'Sulfate' and 'What If', was produced by Jonathan Dolese at Konkrete Studios (Cane Hill).

Check out the video for 'RE-Animate' here: https://youtu.be/zN7CGzjllsU

Stream/purchase 'RE-Animate' here: https://arisingempire.com/reanimate

Vocalist Chad Ruhlig comments:

“'RE-Animate' was a blast writing with the team. At first listen it’s obviously one of the heavier tracks of the three we’ve released, but I tried to give the chorus a 90’s grunge feel in the vein of a heavier Soundgarden track. Experimenting with all types of writing and vocal styles gave us the freedom to try whatever fit the song best and 'RE-Animate' is undoubtedly one of our personal favorites.”

What’s that old saying? “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” When it comes to Michigan-based metal outfit For The Fallen Dreams, perhaps a more fitting - but just as timeless - adage would be “change is the only constant.”

For The Fallen Dreams' career is defined by constant progression and a dedication to refining and rejuvenating their unique brand of aggressive, passionate metal. The five-piece have consistently demonstrated an ability to adapt and evolve their sound and dynamic, despite overwhelming adversity, all without sacrificing the core components of their sound.

Built around explosive breakdowns, gut-wrenching grooves and lyricism that touches on everything from an introspective glimpse into the human condition to brotherhood and camaraderie, these Midwestern masters of metal have made themselves a staple within the international heavy music community.

For The Fallen Dreams formed in 2003, but their story starts in earnest with the release of 2008's Changes - a record that would greatly impact the footprint of heavy music. Following Changes, For The Fallen Dreams went on to release five more remarkable full-length records, from the atmospheric and moody Relentless to chart-topping comeback record Heavy Hearts, which landed at #162 on the Billboard Top 200 and #3 on Billboard Heatseekers lists. Six saw the band venture into more metallic territory, with over 20 million views on YouTube and tens of millions of streams across various streaming platforms.

While For The Fallen Dreams have been through their fair share of changes, one thing has remained constant: their dedication to growth while never failing to deliver primal-yet-emotional music, which has made them a staple in modern metal.

For The Fallen Dreams are:

Chad Ruhlig | vocals
Jim Hocking | guitar & vocals
Damon Tate | guitar
Kalan Blehm | bass
Marc Esses | drums

For more information:
https://www.instagram.com/ftfdband
https://www.facebook.com/forthefallendreams
https://www.tiktok.com/@ftfdband
https://twitter.com/ftfdband
https://ftfdltd.com/

Hotly-tipped electro-punks CLT DRP have streamed the new video for their astounding single 'Aftermath'.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/qBRRoTviKz4

Aftermath will be released as a 7'' single on 7th October via Small Pond Records, with a B-side cover of the same song by Mercury Prize-nominated indie rockers The Big Moon.

Pre-order the 7'' here: https://cltdrp.bandcamp.com/album/aftermath

'Aftermath' is centred on themes of sexual assault and gendered violence, and the internalised guilt and frustration that can follow in the wake of sexual assault.

CLT DRP's Annie comments:

"Generational grief’s discourse within feminism is something that I don’t believe gets paid much attention to. There’s been so much progress culturally around the education of sexual health, consent and intersectional feminism while I’ve been growing up. Unfortunately even within that progress - it feels as though a lot of disconnect surrounding the victim blaming narrative has stayed the same. The onus continues to remain on the women to solve the problem of sexual assault / gendered violence and I notice that there is still a slight trace of resentment clashing between generations. There are all these conversations around how lucky my generation is that culturally, these topics are being spoken about and normalised in our lifetime. The reality surrounding that is most of these women and victims of sexual assault have carried this generational trauma and grief and passed it down. Men are learning about power dynamics and trying to be better but the women in this world have been left to pick up the pieces. More emotional labour, more time forgiving their perpetrators than themselves. Shame, that’s never been erased from family tree to family tree. Trauma that’s never been paid for and then becomes recycled on to our children.

'Aftermath' was a way to process how I felt about the conversation around sexual assault. I’ve been a bystander before because I was too scared to speak up, I’ve second guessed accusations because it was too painful to believe the truth or blocked out my own experiences because I didn’t want to admit that I was a victim. When you pride yourself on independence it’s really hard to paint yourself in that light, as not in control. When someone starts sharing their story it almost holds a mirror to you and your experiences that you’ve managed to bury, it’s triggering and so many women I know were never taught how to deal with that conversation or that trauma. I used to be so jarred by women my mother’s age in how little they spoke about their trauma and how little empathy they had sometimes for women/LGBTQ+ individuals younger than them. I soon realised that that’s how they processed their experiences and who was I to judge or ask of them to be anything more than okay with how they chose to deal with it at the time. If anything, I admire them now in a way I never used to. It fills me with more love and empathy than I could have imagined having when I carried so much anger and judgement."

On their collaboration, The Big Moon comment:

“We’re lucky to be both friends and fans of Annie and CLT DRP, so we were really glad to be asked to be part of this release. 'Aftermath' is such a powerful song - so personal yet universal - the weight of that really hit us and we feel grateful to have been part of the song’s life in some small way.”

CLT DRP will be releasing a zine to accompany Aftermath - a visual lyric book with perspectives from the band on the wake and reality of dealing with sexual assault. It touches on victim-blaming, gendered violence, and notions of responsibility. Confronting the sense of self-reflection that trauma instils in victims, the song and zine are a vital moment from a truly special trio.

Pronounced 'CLIT DRIP' for those confused or too shy to ask, CLT DRP have been turning heads since 2017. The genre-bending trio's non-apologetic and yet playful approach has seen them garner praise from TheLineOfBestFit, Gigwise, and plenty more. Their music gets you moving, invites you in with power, and makes you question your environment and yourself.

In their time, CLT DRP have already supported Nova Twins, Warmduscher, among others, and performed at 2000trees and ArcTanGent festivals.

CLT DRP will be touring with De Staat shortly. Dates as follows:

14/10 Manchester, UK, Academy 3
15/10 Dublin, IE, Grand social
16/10 Glasgow, UK, King Tut's
18/10 Birmingham, UK, Mama Roux
19/10 Leeds, UK, Brudenell
20/10 Bristol, UK, Thekla
04/11 Cluji, RO, Form Space
05/11 Bucharest, RO, Club Control
06/11 Sofia, BG, Terminal 1
08/11 Budapest, HU, Turbuina
09/11 Vienna, AT, Arena
10/11 München, DE, Strom
11/11 Oberhausen, DE, Resonanzwerk
13/11 Zürich, CH, Plaza

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