The Names Of Our Friends x Poetry Of Torch released!

July 24, 2026 by David Norman

So I’m posting this as I leave for the airport as I’ll be in Ontario until August 3rd, so things will be kinda sporadic and nothing will be shipped until I get back. If you are attending New Friends Fest on Friday and/or Saturday please come say hi to me, and if you say “Take It Out Easy, Cadet” to me I’ll give you a Zampler. I only have four left so the sooner you do it the better!

The Names Of Our Friends x Poetry Of Torch split released. Bandcamp copies are up, copies at this store go up at the scheduled time 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST as I am on an airplane currently.

I had Paul from Persistent Vision on the OMSB Podcast. More big news coming…maybe you have already guessed what that is. Exciting!!! Click on this text to go to the full post with links, etc.

Alternative Radio did a cool little article on Screamo in a very essay/encyclopedic manner. Check it out by clicking on pic above or this text.

Operation X-Ray played Constrain, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow, and Limbs on the newest episode! Stream it above, jam the albums below.

I did a premiere for Horse Funeral on my blog, and as I don’t share it anywhere I’ll start putting all the OMSB blog posts here. I don’t do as many as I used to but I still post 3-6x per month and hopefully in the future I’ll be doing more. This one is a song premiere that sassy/mathy/screamy fans will be all over. I listed Usurp Synapse, Missouri Executive Order 44, Aim Of Conrad and Lower Automation in the for fans of section. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the premiere or just jam the song below.

Today Last Fucking Copy goes to an early Tomb Tree release that features members of Thumbscrew. This one is in the o-card. Won’t be repressed. Snag it below or forever hold your peace!

DSGNS - Ceremony (cassette)

from CA$10.00

For fans of: Narrows, I Am A Curse & Botch.

Featuring members from a vast array of highly influential projects (Thumbscrew, End Of The Universe, Spitfire, Project 208, etc.) Austin, Texas’ DSGNS have revamped themselves for the 2020s and the sound couldn’t be more complete. Rabid, ferocious vocals. Dark, twisted guitars. Death bass. Savage drums. This six-song EP is brutal and one of the forerunners for best EP of 2020. And holy shit those swirl tapes look un-the-fuck-real. Released on Tomb Tree Tapes.

Tapes /60, 40 white in O-card and 20 swirl in clear case w/jcard. 6 songs.

Listen here:
https://tombtreetapes.bandcamp.com/album/ceremony

Colour:

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: PROTEST THE HERO = Yaaaay a new album and I’ve still got a few copies of Pacific Myth and Volition on cassette (which is a ZBR release!!!) below.

PROTEST THE HERO - Pacific Myth (cassette)

CA$10.00

ZBR099

PROTEST THE HERO - 'Pacific Myth' cassette
released October 2017

For fans of: Coheed And Cambria, Thrice and Mastadon

Experimenting with the process leading to, and including, the recording, PROTEST have written six prodigious anthems that take their songwriting to new, epic heights.

300 blue tapes with j-card in a plastic shell. 6 songs.

PROTEST THE HERO - Volition (cassette)

CA$10.00

ZBR098

PROTEST THE HERO - 'Volition' cassette
released October 2017

For fans of: Coheed And Cambria, Thrice and Mastadon

Completely fan funded, this album sparked a resurgence in the band's roots and is a remarkable record. The 11 songs jump all over the map, but generally emphasize insane melodies amidst mass shredding. Rarer than days in a year!

300 green tapes with j-card in a plastic shell. 11 songs.

2026 - 7 - 03 /// Zampler released + final shirt sale!

July 03, 2026 by David Norman

ZAMPLER #27 released on June 30th! 'Take It Out Easy, Cadet' houses 25 songs including a bunch of previously unreleased stuff from Senza, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow, Poetry Of Torch, Coup D'etat, The Names Of Our Friends, Hauzu, Empathetic, and Mourn Recif. All bandcamp donations in the first 30 days for this go to the artist, shoutout Sinco from Constrain <3

All orders placed from June 30th-July 6th will include a Zampler cd for free. I heard their might be a golden ticket in there somewhere!!!

Oh shit yo the final T-shirts etc. sale just went up so I’m all outta shirts for sale. I cut down my personal collection from almost 200 to just over 50 so there’s some insanely rare/awesome shit in there. Some cheap…some not so much lol. Click on this text to go to the Shirts section of the store. Remember, each order by July 6th gets a free Zampler #27!!!

Everything Is Noise included the new Mal Criado album ‘Ni Todo La Tierra Entera’ that was released a month ago on Tomb Tree in their monthly blast! Click on the pic above or this text to go there, jam/buy below!

Gus (bass/vocals) from Ostraca joined me on the most recent OMSB Podcast! Check it out, we talked about a bunch of stuff including their sick new record (embedded below), bands that helped form him, his musical journey, and more! Click on this text for the full blog post or just listen/download the podcast above.

Today’s Last Fucking Copy goes to another CanaDave (now just Dave) release, as I am down to the final Apostles Of Eris x Encarsia split cassette. Arguably some of the best AOE material and pretty much the only proper release from the prog skramz gods Encarsia. This will not be made again. Snag it now below or forever hold your peace.

APOSTLES OF ERIS + ENCARSIA - Split (cassette)

APOSTLES OF ERIS + ENCARSIA - Split (cassette)

from CA$10.00

APOSTLES OF ERIS + ENCARSIA ‘Split‘ tape (ZB276)

For fans of: Via Fondo, Majorel, Edhochuli, and Leer

After CanaDave heard the early Encarsia material he flipped his lid and asked the band to do a split with Jesse Mowery and their Apostles Of Eris project. The result is a six-song blast through mega riffage, soaring solos, and shrieky screams supplied by both bands. Imagine Via Fondo meets Cease Upon The Capitol for AOE (also featuring Sammy from Warren Of Ohms on vocals!) and anything mathy/amazing for Encarsia. Art by Joshua Criss @robotarmart.

Cassettes /110 breakdown:
Golden Afterburner Swirl (/70)
Currency of God aka Shit Brick (/25)
Test Dip w/matching swirl case (/5)

All tapes come with two-sided j-card. 3 songs by each band.

Listen here:
https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/split-14

Variant:

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: MIEKE = This Kiwi all-star just released another new jam, and I have 12”LP for ‘Frau Eva’ on Softseed Music so you can snag it directly from this store!

MIEKE - Frau Eva (12")

CA$40.00

For fans of: Smush, Julie, Bok Suna, and Mage Tears.

I am beyond stoked to announce the pressing of one of my favourite 2025 releases, New Zealand's MIEKE (pronounced "ME-kah") and her genre-bending 'frau eva' full length. This sophomore full length houses 15 songs that range from experimental ("Intro: the garage splits in two") to shoegaze ("Nuclear") to ethereal beauty ("Forest"). The art for this is incredible and includes a full-color inner-sleeve with lyrics. Easily one of the most exciting artists releasing today! And you can catch her at ZBR Fest 2026 in Vancouver as well as her band Wallflower!!!

12”s /243 on clear with six-colour splatter + 5 test presses, includes new art with printed inner sleeve and download code.

Listen here:
https://softseedmusic.bandcamp.com/album/frau-eva

2025 - 11 - 28 /// CanaDave's SkramzCave tomorrow, Sine Nomine now!

November 28, 2025 by David Norman

After nearly 22 hours of work CanaDave’s SkramzCave finally goes live tomorrow at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST. This is comprised of a vast number of personal items that I just don’t need anymore and would live better lives in homes that have the space and time to appreciate them. A few more key items are pictured in the gallery below, but the two product tabs will house about 300 products!!! Oh, and remember to check back on Monday for the Mercy Necromancy reveal!

Sine Nomine’s first release in a decade is out and ‘The Sunder Veil’ is a fucking trip. Whether it be the unsettling noise, massive riffs, unhinged vocals, or almost Helmet-esque dabbling in grunge/noise rock, something here is sure to pique your interest. For fans of Eyes, Deftones, (early) Blcklstrs, etc.

Emma Goldman’s ‘all you are is we’ made Exclaim’s Best Albums of 2025, beating out some serious heavy hitters. Check out their list by clicking on the pic above or this text. Go jam the album below and snag a tape before they’re gone too.

Crossed’s ‘Realismo ausente’ 12”LP ranked in the top 30 Metal Albums of 2025! Hell fucking yeah, this band and this album in particular are fucking incredible. Click on the pic above or this text for the full list, jam/buy this beast below before we sell out of it like we did their first two LPs.

Coup D’etat got a wicked write-up via Broc Nelson from Everything Is Noise. This band owns Vancouver Island, check it out by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam/buy below!

Hetta’s new album ‘Acetate’ has been all over my feeds the past week, and with just reason! Their debut LP is bursting with righteous jams that land somewhere between The Blood Brothers and The Locust. Check out the Glam Magazine review by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam/buy below - the pics for the tapes will go up on Monday as I just have to stamp those suckers then snap their beauty shots.

This Noise Is Ours gave the new Hoari EP two thumbs in their most recent review. We released this stellar 2024 EP in 2025 cuz it needed more love - and now here we are! Review linked to the pic above and this text, jam/buy the last few copies below!

Another tape that was just in limbo as it wasn’t in stock anywhere but I gotz one left! I just put the first Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow cassette EP 2nd run mystery swirl /10 up in the store but the product is embedded below for your convenience on our Bandcamp, making it Today’s Last Fucking Copy. Snag now or forever hold your peace!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: MONDRARY = Phenomenal album. Just wicked stuff.

2025 - 11 - 12 /// Adobe Homes released!

November 11, 2025 by David Norman

Important updates here first, the Usurp Synapse box bound for Canada arrives on Friday so 100% of the those stragglers will be shipped off next week, missing our official deadline by like a week. Not too shabby, I must say.

Next, the US store sells A LOT of mystery items and we realized it was 100% out of stock…well, problem solved! Restocked and includes test presses!!! You can access that sucker by clicking on this text.

We did it! Adobe Homes is out! After a decade of silence the band returns with a new 12-track album that dips between dark interludes and noodley screamo. The packaging on this is amazing and you’ve got to hold one to really grasp how sick the screen-printed covers are.

Hetta’s new release and first full length ‘Acetate’ drops November 21st on Tomb Tree! The music video for their new “Plainclothes Man” is above, and somehow we have two copies left of their debut EP (which is incredible btw) embedded below on the bandcamp page. The new material is crazy wonky, bringing to mind The Locust, Usurp Synapse, and Missouri Executive Order 44.

Another music video, this is the last Twins single and music video for “Presence”. 12” LP full release on November 21st (records probably won’t be in hand yet) but we only got 30 copies for ZBR and we’ve moved more than 20 already! Buy links in the embedded bandcamp below.

Eklektik Rock reviewed the Lucidity x Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow split and gave it high praise. If you like your emo-violence unrelenting or beautiful, this split has you covered. Arguably the best split we’ll release in 2025. 7” copies /100 remain below. Go to the review by clicking on this text or the pic above.

A live studio video of Avery Friedman’s “Finger Painting” was released and you should def check it out. Easily one of my favourites from ‘New Thing’, this Brooklyn-based artist released her phenomenal debut earlier this year and Softseed is the only place to get those sweet, sweet, stupid fancies.

Today’s Last Fucking Copy goes to Lorne Malvo’s first self-titled EP. We actually sold out of these initially but I realized I kept one back in case of a shipping mishap, so this has been sitting around for a bit and we def aren’t making more. If you want it you can grab it from our Bandcamp page embedded below. Snag now or forever hold your peace!

Operation X-Ray’s 204th episode features the incredible Lucertulas as well as our very own Jota, Inosuke, and Hetta!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: MIRA CORPORA = Yeah this slaps.

2025 - 10 - 10 /// Usurp Synapse releases on Monday!

October 10, 2025 by David Norman

Usurp Synapse’s ‘Disinformation Fix’ releases on 2x12” and cd this Monday October 13th! This has been in the works for quite some time so it’s exciting to finally get these beauts out in the world. We are very, very humbled to have been asked to put out this seminal compilation on wax for the first time ever. Don’t forget the different colored hand-poured vinyl come in a 13-hole laser cut gatefold jacket. The vinyl is /500 and cd is /200. Check out the promo pics above and live video of their Vancouver show below.

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Dollie Rot released her first two EPs ‘Survivor’s Guilt’ and ‘Mercy of the Gutter’ on cassette via Softseed Music. This is the first time her material has ended up on physical media and I couldn’t be more stoked on it. Should have some more stuff in the works shortly! You can snag these from the ZBR stores for less than we’re charging on Bandcamp (cuz of the fees).

Congratulations played a reunion show last month and Public Seating took a multi-camera video of the entire set! This band was at the heart of the early ZBR scene in Ontario alongside Foxmoulder and Terry Green. We still have some straggler 12” copies, but the mage and nebula are long sold out.

Click here for the full feature/interview!

Bok Suna received a glowing feature and interview that gestates in the mind like a warm hug. 12”s and tapes available in all stores. A truly awesome bedroom/shoegaze combo unlike no other. Read the interview by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam/buy below!

An exceptional quote from the interview

Pain has a way of consuming space, but once you transmute it into music, it shifts—it becomes less about what hurt and more about what you did with the hurt. The act of writing reclaims power. It says: this pain didn’t end me, I bent it into sound. That’s the resilience. The song may carry sorrow, but it also carries the proof that I lived through it.

Demersal got some love from Rockambula so check that shit out. Unfortunately the plant miffed the tests so it’ll be more like Nov/Dec until we have our 30 copies. We’ll keep you posted though. Click on the pic above or this text for the review. Jam/buy below.

Operation X-Ray played some Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow and Naufraage on this particular episode. The 200th episode is next! Lotta premieres going up on that one.

Okay I think this is the final ZBR Fest video from 2025, and it’s Clay Birds! I’ve got like 1-2 copies left of their ‘A Separation of Vanity’ cassette (and one is an /1!!!). Access that below and watch them kill it live above.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: NICOLE DOLLANGANGER = Yesterday a 10-year anniversary edition of ‘Natural Born Losers’ was released for pre-order over 72 hours by Vertigo Vinyl. This album changed my life and has led to Softseed Music searching for this style of music almost exclusively, so this is the hardest of recommends.