2024 - 04 - 22 /// Usurp Synapse EP + Venus Twins LP

We stoked to officially announce that we’re helping Usurp Synapse release their brand spankin’ new EP on limited edition cassette May 3rd, 2024!!! This coincides with their pre-show ZBR Fest performance alongside Meth., We Weren’t Invited, Godseyes, and Colacon. Jam a jam below!

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Venus Twins 12” vinyl for their almighty ‘RAXIS’ full length are officially out and in both ZBR stores! This band is hot so don’t expect them to stick around for long. Plus they’ve got a tour with Whores coming up and a split with Heavenly Blue so you’ll be seeing lots more of them! Click on this text to go to the Softseed Music Bandcamp page to jam/buy, or just go to either ZBR store!

VENUS TWINS - RAXIS (cassette/12")

from CA$15.00

For fans of: Death From Above, Big Dick, Raw Grip, and Lightning Bolt.

The new 10-track behemoth of an album that is ‘RAXIS’ is a prodigious leap forward for the New York two-piece. The brothers play drums and bass/vocals with serious noise rock nods to other killer bands such as Death From Above and Big Dick (hmmm…both Canadian) but add a serious dose of experimentation. Be it the undeniable grooves on “Return to Dust“, “Angel 32:35“, or “Light Catches the Rats“, the eerie and awkward “Agony Sludge Infinite“ and “seeS recnepS“, or the long and epic “God’s Machines“ and “In a Smashed Mirror“, this album covers a serious amount of ground and is one of the best noise rock albums of 2022. Oh, and the tapes look stellar. What’s that? Vinyl too? Fuck yes.

12” vinyl /250: 125 tri-merge, 125 clear w/blue trip button, and 5 test presses, all with lyric insert. Cassettes /80, 40 on purple swirl, 28 on clear blue swirl, 5 on pearl swirl, 5 on varnished swirl, and 2 test dips w/matching swirl case, all in a plastic case with j-card and download code. 10 songs.

Listen here:
https://softseedmusic.bandcamp.com/album/raxis

Colour:

Select Colour 12" tri-merge (/125)clear w/blue triple button (/125)test press + variant spread (/3)purple swirl (/40)blue swirl (/28)pearl swirl (/5)varnished swirl (/5)test dip w/matching swirl case (/2)

12" tri-merge (/125) clear w/blue triple button (/125) test press + variant spread (/3) purple swirl (/40) blue swirl (/28) pearl swirl (/5) varnished swirl (/5) test dip w/matching swirl case (/2)

Quantity:

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Party Hats podcast has a Terry Green premiere! Holy shit!!! Click on this text to go to the full post or just listen away below. Party Hats are playing ZBR Fest and just had a split 4-way come out on Larry Records. The Terry Green album ‘Provisional Living’ releases on ZBR June 3rd.

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Godseyes have been added to the pre-show (goodbye Iwan) and that should 100% solidify our lineup. Schedule below, tickets available on the clickthrough.

Click to go to the site for more info/buy tickets!

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CanaDave is leaving in 10 days so the ZBR Fest bug is coursing through his veins, so let’s look back on a very awesome but poorly attended Fest in Vancouver in the summer of 2019. After the fest was when Joliette got banned from the U.S.A. for 5 years :( Check out a short recap video below and if you want more info/links/videos just click on the full 3-day review linked by clicking on this text.

Day 1: Diva Plavalaguna, Elle, Nuvolascura, Joliette, and Senza.

Day 2: Malevich, Lytic, Valtiel, Terrifying Girl’s High School, None But Equals, Double Standards, and La Sonora Clandestina.

Day 3: Massa Nera, Reveries, Obroa-skai, Emma Goldman, Friolento, and Miriam.

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Click here for the full review!

Basque got some seriously positive/honest things said by Borderline Fuckup! Check it out and snag a tape before they gone, which you can find linked through our Bandcamp page or just snag one below. Click on the pic above to go to the review and click on this text to go to said Bandcamp page.

BASQUE - Pain Without Hope of Healing (cassette)

from CA$13.50

BASQUE ‘Pain Without Hope of Healing’ cassette (TT114)

For fans of: Lord Snow, Excrucis, and Karloff.

After essentially beginning their show career touring with Blind Girls, you know this has to be good. An uncategorizable debut, these first seven songs show a band ridiculously mature for a debut release, as rampant freakouts amidst sections of intense, tight, discordant instrumentals weave in and out of every anxiety-inducing track. Catch them at New Friends Fest 2024! Tomb Tree variants include some striking swirl and a much labored-over/stamp-happy limited flower edition.

Cassettes /32, 17x ‘The Colors of Pain’ swirl, 10x ‘Flower Garden’, and 5x test dip w/matching swirl case, all w/two-sided j-cards. 7 songs.

Listen here:
https://tombtreetapes.bandcamp.com/album/pain-without-hope-of-healing

Variant:

Select Variant 'The Colors of Pain' swirl (/17)'Flower Garden' (/10)test dip w/matching swirl case (/5)

'The Colors of Pain' swirl (/17) 'Flower Garden' (/10) test dip w/matching swirl case (/5)

Quantity:

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Operation X-Ray continues their stellar coverage of many-a-genre, including our Vow, Colacon, and Crossed releases.

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Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: GODSEYES = Hopefully our last change to the fest was Iwan (out) and Godseyes (in), so check out their newest endeavor - it slaps!!!

2024 - 04 - 20 /// It must be 4:20

Entwife surprise 4/20 release! 100 cds on Tomb Tree, 50 with us, 50 with the band. LOTR-themed stoner/sludge/doom metal with lotsa screaming. Featuring Robbie from Eyelet and mnwa! CDs are only $4.20 today then they’ll do up at least a buck.

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Click to buy from our U.S. store.

Crossed’s ‘Vida Queita’ 12”EP is out! We’ve said it before, but we’ve never had stock for this band last more than a month…and they play ZBR Fest in 2 weeks! Pick one up now before you have no choice but wallow in self-pity.

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A reminder that we had a massive distro update that included Moment Of Collapse releases (most notably Cranial, Meraine, and Black Table) and all of the Ostraca 12” releases. Check the full stock in the U.S.A. store here and the Canada/International store here. A few select things that CanaDave is pumped about are embedded below:

MERAINE - Meraine (12")

CA$20.00

For fans of: Pianos Become The Teeth and Past.

Driving German hardcore with enough melody to catapult them into post-hardcore territory. Never heard of them until this debut, very sick!

12” comes in gatefold jacket on ocean blue. 9 songs.

Listen here:
https://meraine.bandcamp.com/album/meraine

Quantity:

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CRANIAL - Dark Towers / Bright Lights (12")

CA$25.00

For fans of: Omega Massif and (early) The Baroness.

Ex-Omega Massif! Oh my god I loved that band so finding out this is similar made my fucking day. Epic as fuck blackened post-metal. Released on Moment Of Collapse.

Black 12” comes in a gatefold jacket w/download code. 4 songs.

Listen here:
https://cranialband.bandcamp.com/album/dark-towers-bright-lights

Add To Cart

KADDISH - What World Was Still (12")

CA$25.00

For fans of: Daitro and Massa Nera.

Scotland’s gods of screamo’s newest release and first time in our stores, only 2 copies in this store!!!

12” on black vinyl with lyric insert. 10 songs.

Listen here:
https://kaddishuk.bandcamp.com/album/what-world-was-still

Quantity:

Add To Cart

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Vibora’s ‘Zaldi Beltza’ and it’s beautiful second press is out! Clear with blue blob, and we’ve only got 50 in North America. Also, this band will be killin’ it at ZBR Fest 2024!!! There are also some pins and patches available, embedded below the digitals.

VIBORA - Scythe'n'Tears (pin)

CA$6.00

Color:

Select Color WhiteBlack

White Black

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VIBORA - Scythe'n'Tears (patch)

CA$6.00

Quantity:

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CanaDave continues to reminisce about ZBR Fest, this time it’s the very first fest we did, and we did it back in Toronto in 2017 over three days. Pre-show day, poorly attended (cuz we were contending with Daughters) but it was sick. Day 1, exceeded all expectations and was awesome. Day 2, repeat. One of the most gratifying and incredible experiences/surprises of my lifetime. Check out a short recap video below and if you want more info/links/videos just click on the full day link above each recap video.

Pre-show: An Ant And An Atom, Nanette, Terrible As The Dawn, Worst Days, and Hiera. = https://openmindsaturatedbrain.blogspot.com/2017/06/zegema-beach-records-fest-pre-show.html

Day 1: Growing Fins, Sarin, Communovere, The Ultimate Screamo Band, Terry Green, Massa Nera, and Respire. = https://openmindsaturatedbrain.blogspot.com/2017/07/zegema-beach-records-fest-day-1.html

Day 2: Fraera, Lessener, People’s Temple Project, Crowning, What Of Us, The World That Summer, and Foxmoulder. = https://openmindsaturatedbrain.blogspot.com/2017/08/zegema-beach-records-fest-day-2.html

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Burial Etiquette’s 12”LP is almost gone. I’m not gonna remind you again (okay maybe 1-2 more times) but I will definitely bump this sick Everything Is Noise review of it. Click on the pic above or this text to go there.

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Click for the full review!

This Noise Is Ours continues their ZBR Roster Review series with the Curtains + New Ruins split cassette. Click on the pic above or this text for the read, or listen below for the pummeling.

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Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: KIOWA = Jesus, add another sick-ass band to Cali’s roster. This debut fucks.

2024 - 04 - 18 /// Usurp Synapse music + Venus Twins 12"s!!!

Venus Twins 12”s release on Monday via Softseed Music. The band has a bunch of copies, Softseed will have about 20 of each variant, the US ZBR store 10 of each variant, and this store 5 of each variant.

FRIDAY: 11am CST Crossed 12”EP releases / Distro update

SATURDAY: 4:20pm CST Entwife cd releases on Tomb Tree

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There’s new Usurp Synapse material! A new video was just premiered over at the (((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain)))) blogspot. Remember the band is playing our May 3rd ZBR Fest pre-show!!! Tickets available here.

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Double feature! First, Vibora’s ‘Zaldi Beltza’ has their 2nd pressing that we’ll upchuck in our stores this Friday alongside the distro update and Crossed release. Second, Hiding In The Outpost is back! We’ve been so busy with other stuff that I just didn’t have time for it…well now I’m makin’ time! Right in time for the aforementioned second pressing of their acclaimed and highly awesome ‘Zaldi Beltza’ I happened across a single copy of the first press! Snag it from our bandcamp below.

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ZBR Fest 2024 is right around the corder (May 3rd-5th, to be exact) so it’s high time for me to start reminiscing about the other fests that we’ve put on over the last decade. It started in 2014 with this Hamilton-based and poorly attended mini-fest. It featured the likes of Respire, Edhochuli, Old Soul, Black Love, Terry Green, and more! You can click on this text for the full recap with tons of extra videos and links. Below is a Love Lost But Not Forgotten cover played by Old Soul.

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CanaDave’s new band Mourn Recif is having their first show on April 27th on Vancouver Island in Duncan at The Space Time Continuum (send us a msg for exact location). Poster below. They’ve also got Facebook and Instagram pages now so click on the respective name to go to said Mourn Recif page. First recordings happen in a month or two. 7 songs down.

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Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: OPPOSITION DOLLS = Very cool stuff from Florida that sounds like I Hate Sex, Roman Candle, and a chilled-out Blind Girls.

2024 - 04 - 16 /// Vow is out, Distro update + Crossed is next

Hey hey! Here’s a quick/updated weekly schedule for ya.

WEDNESDAY: Venus Twins news

THURSDAY: Venus Twins variants (probably helps you infer what news the day prior is)

FRIDAY: Crossed 12”EP releases / Distro update

SATURDAY: Entwife cd releases on Tomb Tree

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Vow released today on Tomb Tree and it’s arguably the heaviest thing they’ve ever released, which is saying something cuz they released Orphaned! Wicked late 90s metallic hardcore meets 2000s metalcore with some death crossover. Stores are linked through the bandcamp below.

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Click for the full review!

With such a stellar release, it only makes sense that people are giving the new self-titled .22LR reviews. Case in point (((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))). Tapes didn’t sell out immediately but they’ve been moving steadily since the release as people are catching on that this is one of the best EPs of 2024. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review, jam/buy below.

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Click here for the full review!

Widowdusk was reviewed by the always truthful Borderline Fuckup who gave this release an “underappreciated” tag which we agree with. Sure it got some hype, but jamming through that thing is heavenly. Tapes are arriving this week so we will have a ZBR Fest exclusive variant and likely release right before the fest. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam/buy the digitals below.

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Operation X-Ray slinging the good shit including Tomb Tree’s Lettingtheintrusivethoughtswin (which we’re almost sold out of, by the way) and a plethora of other heavenly jams.

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Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: HEAVENLY BLUE = Easily contender for album of the year. Ex-Youth Novel and hella homies <3 <3 <3

2024 - 04 - 12 /// Weekender

We were pretty dang busy this week so here’s a recap/look ahead at last week and next week.

MONDAY: 4-way split premiere (pictured above) happening at (((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))) around 12pm EST

TUESDAY: Vow EP releases on Tomb Tree

WEDNESDAY: Venus Twins news

THURSDAY: Venus Twins variants (probably helps you infer what news the day prior is)

FRIDAY: Crossed reminder

SATURDAY: Crossed 12”EP releases + Entwife cd releases on Tomb Tree

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We released that Constrain split with Loose Teeth last year, and while that release put the Hamilton band on our radar, we quickly jumped at releasing their next endeavor. That endeavor is almost here, with tapes of the new EP already ordered and a music video for a new jam recently released. Check that fire below!!!

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Lettingtheintrusivethoughtswin features Riley from Gxllium! and we sold most of our 27 copies first day. There’s a handful left in this store which I’ll embed below. Remember, Canadian pricing in this store is CHEAPER than the U.S. bandcamp prices!!!

LETTINGTHEINTRUSIVETHOUGHTSWIN - it's lonely out here in the woods... (cassette)

from CA$13.00

LETTINGTHEINTRUSIVETHOUGHTSWIN ‘it’s lonely out here in the woods…’ cassette (TT110)

For fans of: Serpent Column, Theophilos, and Sawtooth Grin.

Riley from Gxllium! started this project as a solo act, but has since added more members, so this rare cassette includes that first solo EP with an additional track on the b-side. Wild, untamed, and abrasive, this debut features nasty/dark vocals slathered over jarring, dissonant instrumentals. Think Serpent Column with more rock/screamo and less metal/black metal. Released on Tomb Tree.

Cassettes /27, 10 white swirl in metallic bag (1 is a gold bag, randomly switched out for a silver bag), 10 orange in pillow box, 5 orange swirl in manila envelope, and 2 test dips w/matching swirl case, all w/insert and download code. 4 songs.

Listen here:
https://tombtreetapes.bandcamp.com/album/its-lonely-out-here-in-the-woods

Variant:

Select Variant white swirl in metallic bag (/10)orange in pillow box (/10)orange swirl in manila envelope (/5)test dip w/matching swirl case (/2)

white swirl in metallic bag (/10) orange in pillow box (/10) orange swirl in manila envelope (/5) test dip w/matching swirl case (/2)

Quantity:

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Click here for the full premiere post!

Vow features Andy from Me, The Hideous Freak (among other things) doing the exact opposite and laying waste to the listener in their new band. Debut ‘Demo’ 4-song cassette EP releases on the 16th via Tomb Tree! Click on the pic above or this text to go to the premiere, or just jam “Die Silent” below.

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Gxllium! tapes are getting very low so the last few copies are up in this store and the U.S. store, with all Bandcamp copies already selling out.

GXLLIUM! - Gxllium 1 (tape)

from CA$10.00

GXLLIUM! ‘Gxllium 1‘ tape (ZB356)

For fans of: .gif from god, Hayworth, and Me And Him Call It Us

This Cali powerhouse’s debut album features 8 songs of pummeling, staggering hardcore/emo-violence/metal/grind that’ll have you disoriented and bleeding. Combining their cathartic, dark, and downright abrasive music with internet audio clips takes the unsettling nature of the band and amplifies it to a distorted level of comedic self-deprecation. This short run o’tapes will go quickly but fret not they’ll be at ZBR Fest 2024 to lay waste to Chicago. Cassettes on swirl or fuckin’ metal cases.

Cassettes /102: 42 VHS swirl, 35 atomic mass swirl, 20 green w/so fucking metal case, and 5 test dips w/matching cases, each with double-sided j-card. 8 songs.

Listen here:
https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gxllium-1

Variant:

Select Variant VHS swirl (/42)atomic mass swirl (/35)green w/so fucking metal case (/20)test dip w/matching swirl case (/5)

VHS swirl (/42) atomic mass swirl (/35) green w/so fucking metal case (/20) test dip w/matching swirl case (/5)

Quantity:

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Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: BECAUSEWECOULDNOTSTOPEVENFORDEATH = Great new Texan demo. Screamo/emo-violence. 4 tracks.