The duo from NJ that doesn't fit anyone's shoebox, which is why we like them, Riversend - has released their self-titled album AND their leading single "Withering" (the violin, oh wow!). With pleasure we present one of the best bands for 2024!
Explore @Riversend's official socials, latest music, merch, tour dates and more. Everything they do, all in one place on Linktree.
Horizon Theory, the Michigan-based hard rock band, has released their latest single "NOWHERE TO GO" and it's a must-listen for anyone who enjoys meaningful lyrics and a heavy-hard rock music jam. The song, according to lead vocalist Josh Harrington, is about battling various struggles and the impact it has on the relationships with the ones you love.
The band's talent is evident as Horizon Theory continues to dole out notable variations and levels of hard rock with each single they release. "Nowhere To Go" leads with fresh expressive vocals, deep connecting bass, and dispatches solid riding drum beats throughout. A combination that tells a story and rocks solidly.
With Chris Black on guitars, Luen Murr on bass, Josh Harrington on vocals, and Jeff Hafer on drums you don't want to miss out on this significant and blazing single.
"NOWHERE TO GO" is now available for streaming on all
Release Cathartic Post-Punk Single 'The 7 Stages Of Grief'
Single Out February 16
Fueled with passion and pain, Melbourne Midwest-Emo/ post-punk outfit Gypsy Road move through shock and denial to acceptance and hope with their new single, 'The 7 Stages Of Grief', on Friday, February 16. The release also comes with the announcement of their debut Album 'Letters To A Friend, From Interstate' set to be released by mid-2024.
Formed in 2017, Gypsy Road have three EPs under their belts, played sold-out shows around Melbourne and have supported bands like The Smith Street Band, Private Function and The Bennies. Now, working towards the release of the debut album, they come with waves of emotion with a growling and snarling plea in 'The 7 Stages Of Grief'.
Exploring the intense feelings when navigating a breakup, 'The 7 Stages Of Grief' manages to stir that head-spinning, shell-shocked sensation through a barrage of impassioned Aussie emo, post-punk.
Like facing each of the seven stages in a three-minute meltdown, the track moves through pensive, pattern-picked, overdriven guitar sections, hopeful melodies, smashing anthemic choruses and despairing walls of coarse and roaring vocals from frontman Alex Centofanti backed by female vocalist Peony Cain. Despite its moderate tempo, this hits hard and lingers long after.
Alex Centofanti speaks more on the meaning behind the track:
"This one is about mourning a breakup and feeling like someone you've loved has died. For the first time ever, we decided to include female vocals and screams, which was a new experience for us. I feel like it adds more depth to the intensity and passion."
Work through all of those emotions on Friday, February 16, when Gypsy Road release 'The 7 Stages Of Grief', and brace for the release of the debut Album 'Letters To A Friend, From Interstate' later this year.
HOW THE BEAUTIFUL DECAY TRACK LISTING:
"Hellscape"
"First Light"
"A Bastard's Shame"
"Burn Scar"
"Evergreen"
"Mea Culpa"
"Unmaker"
"Blurred Vision"
"Rusted Crown"
"How the Beautiful Decay"
LIGHTWORKER ON TOUR:
WITH EYES SET TO KILL:
3/8 — Sacramento, CA — Goldfields
3/9 — Fresno, CA — Full Circle Brewing
3/10 — West Hollywood, CA — Whisky A Go Go
3/21 — Albuquerque, NM — Launchpad
3/22 — Denver, CO — HQ
3/23 — Grand Junction, CO — Mesa Theater
3/24 — Las Vegas, NV — SINWAVE
Horizon Theory, the Michigan-based hard rock band, has released their latest single "NOWHERE TO GO" and it's a must-listen for anyone who enjoys meaningful lyrics and a heavy-hard rock music jam. The song, according to lead vocalist Josh Harrington, is about battling various struggles and the impact it has on the relationships with the ones you love.
The band's talent is evident as Horizon Theory continues to dole out notable variations and levels of hard rock with each single they release. "Nowhere To Go" leads with fresh expressive vocals, deep connecting bass, and dispatches solid riding drum beats throughout. A combination that tells a story and rocks solidly.
With Chris Black on guitars, Luen Murr on bass, Josh Harrington on vocals, and Jeff Hafer on drums you don't want to miss out on this significant and blazing single.
Interview with John Snell - Founder and Guitarist of LiveKill
STRATA: Looking back over these last three releases - tell us how the story or thread of their connection came about.
John Snell: A themed connection between the songs isn’t something that happens too often. "The Crown" starts the journey with loss and despair. "New Plague" is an observation that humans may not have been put here by something benevolent, but by some unknown entity spreading death and chaos. "Scum of My Life" is about the grip that this entropic force can get on people, and our destiny to break free from those chains. Connecting the songs with a common theme of our protagonist's struggle with despair and transforming into empowerment and finally overcoming pain and struggle is the positive message we are sharing.
STRATA: Your current single "Scum of my Life" we have been hearing some comparing it to a style similar to Slipknot. Is there an influence in your music from them?
John Snell: I love Jim Root's style and I noticed his writing style and mine are very similar. I would watch some of Root's videos and his fingers and moments were a lot of what I was doing. Seems natural some of our music would be on par with theirs.
STRATA: How is the metal scene overall in Florida? Is there room for more metal music?
John Snell: We have played with bands from all over and we all assume it’s better somewhere else. When we hear they go through the same struggles and challenges we do, it drives us to work harder to stand out.
The metal music community is strong and no matter where you go in the world; when you meet someone that likes the same music you instantly have a bond and a connection that I don’t feel you get with any other genre of music. So there is always room for more bands that are writing original music.
STRATA: Is there a new breed of metal coming from the area?
John Snell: LiveKill’s music I would feel is its own breed of metal. It’s not thrash, or death or deathcore - yet we touch a bit on all those genres. I also see a cross between Metalcore/Hardcore and Deathcore starting to emerge as its own form that has tons of younger kids going to shows. They call it Hardcore but it’s really its own thing.
STRATA: Reading over your press, it seems LiveKill is looking to bring a new metal sound forward. Can you tell us more about your direction and goals?
John Snell: I hear a lot of bands say they want to be like Hatebreed or Slayer for example. You will never top what they have done. It’s been done already and they are the best at it. So for Livekill, I try to write something that hasn’t been done yet.
STRATA: Festival season will soon be upon us again. Is there any festival that LiveKill would consider the "DREAM" festival to play a stage on?
John Snell: Everyone says they want Festivals to play, but honestly they are very stressful. Tons of bands the same day and usually there are tons of issues. Just look at what happened with “Blue Ridge” this past year. but, “Wacken Open Air” in Germany is one of those we all dream for and so do we.
STRATA: For your listeners and your growing platform - what is LiveKill presenting in 2024?
John Snell: Our new full length is complete and we have released (4) singles off the LP to date. The full album release and touring in 2024 is our main goal.
We (Bad Pony, that is) are growing up. I don’t know how it happened and I sure as hell don’t know when it happened, but all of a sudden there’s babies and weight gain and acid reflux. In many ways it’s a real drag - the tours that were once brought to you by fast food, booze and bad decisions are now brought to you by balanced meals, early nights and male pattern baldness.
With that being said, it’s not all bad. Hell, it’s actually kind of awesome. As we are getting older we are (unbelievably) growing wiser. One fortunate side effect of this is that Jarred Young, our fearless singer, has developed an uncanny capacity for reflection and introspection with a clarity that I find simply astounding.
This is where his latest contribution, 21, finds us…
21 tells us the complicated story of an old flame. This was a relationship that came to Jarred at a vulnerable time. I know, I was there, and he was a little bit of a mess afterwards. In many ways the trajectory of this relationship mirrored an experience that I think most (if not all) young men go through (those that don’t go through it tend to become dangerous narcissists and usually end up in real estate, but that’s another story altogether).
There is this strange period of transition between the blind and unfounded confidence of your late teens/early twenties to a mindset that is more sane, less selfish and generally tethered to reality. In Bad Pony we playfully refer to this period as the time where you are “humbled by the world”.
Jarred was sprung on this person, and in his typical fashion he launched himself fully into the relationship - trying to connect, be cool and impress this person. Whilst they most certainly had some kind of romantic relationship, time would tell that this was perhaps more one-sided than Jarred had hoped. When the relationship unceremoniously ended, he found himself humbled by the world. I don’t mean to trivialise the situation, the guy was heartbroken.
15 years and a not insignificant amount of therapy later, Jarred turns his gaze back on that period of time with a sense of closure and resolution, and a degree of compassion for his past self.
Perhaps it wasn’t so much that she was way too cool and he was a big dork. Perhaps she didn’t know everything because she was a few years older.
Mark C. Daniel recently released his new single "Lucky One"
STRATA: Your music seems to hold some vibe back to those Hall & Oates and Bryan Adams days. Is that the era your musical influences came from?
Mark C.Daniel: Thank you STRATA for your interest! Not necessarily.... coincidentally, my drummer Mickey Curry is the drummer for both Bryan Adams & Hall and Oates, lol .. I’m a 90’s kid so I was most impressionable during the grunge/90’s alternative rock era. I really don’t pull from one era in particular at this point or at any recent points in my life. In short .. I love great songs and passionate playing .. any era and any genre.
STRATA: "Lucky One" video development has a theatrical feel to it. How did the idea for the video come about? How do you feel it fits the lyrical content of your song?
Mark C. Daniel: The video was development & choreographed by Alison Cook-Beatty and performed by her dance company Alison-Cook-Beatty Dance. I’ve known Alison ever since we were kids in grade school, we went to High School together followed by her attending Boston Conservatory while I attended Berklee College of Music, which are across the street from each other. I’ve wanted to work with Alison for ages and when I received the first mix of the song, I called her. I sent a copy and a few weeks later she invited me to a dance studio. I was absolutely stunned when she played the song and the dance started to take form. I then contacted an incredibly talented director I work with, Tim O’Hanlon and voila.. here we are! I’m forever grateful to Allison and her extraordinary dancers as well as Tim and his team. I’m overjoyed with the result!
STRATA: How is the music scene where you perform most often?
Mark C. Daniel: Great!! There are many talented artists and musicians in Connecticut..full of inspiration !!
STRATA: Will rock and pop music always reach back to what it knows, or is rock possibly developing a new sound?
Mark C. Daniel: good question .. I’m not very good at predicting the future however it would be nice to think all genres could continue an amalgamation toward something newer. Takes courage for artists to do this …Songs and songwriting are the vehicles.
STRATA: What part do you think producers will continue to play in music development?
Mark C. Daniel: depends on a genre.. some genre are highly dependent on Producers.. today, the term Producer could mean anything from “Big studio budget” Producer to “Bedroom, living in your parent’s house” Producer.. both of which can be highly successful both artistically and commercially.
STRATA: Reading over your press, it seems your direction is to release new music about twice a year. Do you write and release music for yourself or for your listeners or for the sake of both?
Mark C. Daniel: Music like all the finest things in life is always best shared. It does indeed come from a personal space, even a narrative, but we as humans require “a witness” someone or “someone’s” to share it with.
STRATA: For your listeners and your growing platform - what is Mark C. Daniel presenting in 2024?
Mark C. Daniel: the best songs I can write along with playing to serve the song… and perhaps a little “monkeying around”, Lol !
Thank you again STRATA!
Directed by Tim O'Hanlon Director of Photography: JT WhiteChoreography: Alison Cook-Beatty Artistic Director: Alison Cook-Beatty Dance@ACBDa
After attending Berklee College of Music, Mark toured the US and supported a wide range of artists such as Steve Vai, members of Pearl Jam/Blind Melon (Unified Theory), Everclear, Buckcherry, Eric Gales, Vertical Horizon, Disturbed, Corrosion of Conformity, Living Colour and more.
Performing Coast to Coast USA, appearing on multiple festival bills and iconic venues such as The Viper Room in West Hollywood, Mark constantly refines his Hard Rock/Blues inspired sound around his Songwriting.
He met Mickey Curry-Drums (Hall & Oates, The Cult, Bryan Adams) through a mutual Producer friend, Vic Steffens, and they began recording and collaborating. To complete the sound he brought in Bassist extraordinaire and close Berklee friend Marc Hickox.
BETHLEHEM, PA. - DEATH THRASH METAL BAND DISSENTIENCE NEW SINGLE/VIDEO
"CLINICAL PSYCHOSIS"
IS NOW AVAILABLE!
"Bethelem, PA-based crushers Dissentience is now streaming their new single "Clinical Psychosis." Equal parts groovy thrash metal and furious death metal, Dissentience has a few ways to kick your ass clean into next week." - Metal Injection
Though the forges of Bethlehem Steel have long been extinguished, Dissentience is here to prove that the steel town still has plenty of metal to offer. Since its inception, the four-piece death-thrash act has set out to bring their unique blend of speed, groove, and unfiltered aggression to the masses across the tri-state area and the northeast U.S. The release of the band’s 2018 EP Mask of Pretense brought forth praise both from fans and critics alike, with Decibel Magazine calling it “relentless, technical and melodic.” An explosive showcase of energy and precision, Dissentience’s live performance took them to the Viper Room after winning the East Coast leg of the Wacken Metal Battle USA in 2019. Entering the scene with unmatched intensity and a sound that already screams “unique,” the take-no-prisoners attitude of Dissentience is indisputable and made even more apparent on their upcoming album.