Emma Goldman out, now it's ZBR Fest time!

April 29, 2025 by David Norman

Emma Goldman’s ‘all you are is we’ is officially out and ready to make you revolt, dance, scream, and have your mind blown all in the same instant. Easily a contender for screamo album of the year in the year of our Skramz 2025. 12 tracks of self-described “gabber skramz”, and hot damn that genre mash holds up nicely. Get absolutely ruined below and pick up either a transparent yellow w/red blob (/150) or opaque red (/150) 12” vinyl.

This is the last post before we buckle down for ZBR Fest 2025, so no shipping orders, updates here/facebook/Bluesky. Check out Instagram to stay up to date and this news page will be updated after the fest is over and the Daves get some sleep. Check out 2022 and 2023 recap videos of every band below, and snag the last of our tickets above. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you live in Chicago…cuz you’ll never know when we won’t be doing them there anymore. Click on this text for tickets. Check out 2023’s fest above and 2022 below.

Click here for the full premiere and interview!

Not Just A Phase just premiered the final Social Caterpillar release via their split 12” with Waunband. It releases on Softseed Music on May 2nd but as CanaDave will be a little busy with the fest and not in Canada, he will have it up upon his return May 8th. Jam it now though by clicking on this text or the picture above. Check out their final full length below (which we still have 12” copies of).

Click here for all the links you need and the podcast!

CanaDave did a podcast with Dan of Satsuma (and Suck City…and The Reptilian…aaaaaaand Seventeen Again) which you should check out by clicking on this text or the pic above. We’ve got a total of 3 tapes left for ‘this is my outside voice’ in the stores linked below (where you can also jam it).

No Depression gave the Avery Friedman album a lotta love so be sure to check that out and for science’s sake check out ‘New Thing’ if you haven’t already! Click on the pic above or this text for the review, jam/buy below.

Sutras has so many reviews it’s ridiculous, but I totally understand why. Here’s a new one from Punk Rock Mag which you can access by clicking the pic above or this text. Jam/buy below.

Operation X-Ray played brand new jams from Emma Goldman and Nuvolascura among countless others.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: ORPHANED = New album coming soon plus we still have tapes of their previous EP (embedded below). Wicked atmospheric black metal with great lyrics.

2025 - 04 - 25 /// Emma Goldman and Nuvolascura premiere!

April 25, 2025 by David Norman

CanaDave has been saying for a very, very long time that no one is prepared for the Emma Goldman 12”LP ‘all you are is we’, and you can finally weigh in on Monday when we release the beast. 12 tracks of violent-yet-sassy screamo/emo-violence that has beautiful moments and a helluva lotta precise, mathy, and intense ones. There are even some breakcore/rave interludes that are straight up incredible songs. Check out their full most recent performance at Red Gate below via YYJcore. We did 150 of each variant for a total of 300 12”s which is a ZBR-exclusive release. The band has 100 of these copies and has their record release show early May.

Click here for the full write-up and song premiere!

Nuvolascura revealed their first new song (pretty much) since their 2020 LP, and I can’t say enough incredible things about ‘how this all ends’ because it breaks down the barriers they previously set for themselves. They don’t push the envelope as a band, they torch it and find a completely new mode of delivery. You can listen to “and in the end, you threw it all away” below and get more info from Idioteq.com by clicking on this text or the pic above.

This year’s ZBR Fest will be very special but you won’t find out until after why it is so. And no it’s not the special stage setup with the Daves in tubes. Check out all of last year’s videos below with the documentary recap. If there’s a year you wanna see it in Chicago…this is THE year.

Sinema 12”s for ‘After the Flatline’ came and went in less than 12 hours but the band will have some copies at ZBR Fest! Check out the sick live set from the WKDU studio above as it’s made me even more stoked to see them perform at the fest.

Click here for the full podcast and links!

CanaDave did a podcast with Avery Friedman after the release of ‘New Thing’ which has had resounding compliments thrown at it for the last week, so many so that I can’t post them all lol. Regardless, 12”s are at the plant and should arrive in July. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the podcast and/or jam/buy below!

Click here for the full quarterly review!

Sutras got a shoutout from The Obelisk in their spring gathering of sweet releases. Check it out alongside heaps of other sick albums by clicking on the pic above or this text. Snag a tape below before we run out!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: LASTKISSTODIEOFVISCEROTH = LKTDOV is back with a new EP and it’s amazing!

2025 - 04 - 21 /// Sinema 12"s tomorrow!!!

April 21, 2025 by David Norman

Sinema is tomorrow. TOMORROW! These won’t last so this is your second-to-last reminder to get in the stores before 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST tomorrow April 22nd. ‘After the Flatline’ is /250 all on black 12”s. They also play ZBR Fest and I’m fucking so goddamned excited. Look at that new stage setup!!! (thanks Josh!)

Lastima is releasing on 12” on May 16th via Tomb Tree, and the band has recently released their first single “Al Cerro Ancón”. Tape/cd orders from Liminal Dread Productions open single vinyl releases with album. Wicked post-everything that dabbles in the waters of Respire’s early material with more flute and viola and less trumpet.

Operation X-Ray played heaps of bangers including Blue Youth’s “Defeatist” and Sinema’s “Stutter”. Glad your kid is doing better Andre <3

The amount of incredible press that Avery Friedman’s ‘New Thing’ has received is both prodigious and deserved. Her debut album is up for pre-order on Softseed Music as well as tape from Audio Anti-Hero. Expect a podcast with CanaDave next! Click on the pic above or this text for the full interview with The Line Of Best Fit.

Destroy//Exist did a little write-up for Blue Youth’s only single that can pretty much be applied to the rest of the album. Check it out by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam/buy the ‘Defeatist’ 12”LP below!

Idioteq.com interview/track-by-track with duo Sutras following their ‘The Crisis of Existence’ release on Tomb Tree. Check it out by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam/buy below, and remember it’s a low run of just 35 tapes!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: YA BUNAYYA = I only just heard ‘Beyond the Numeric Time’ by this incredible band. Can’t wait to see what they release next.

2025 - 04 - 18 /// Avery Friedman released, Sinema is next!

April 18, 2025 by David Norman

A (hopefully) final ZBR fest update for 2025 is the totally understandable withdrawal of Emma Goldman, Massa Nera, and Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead. At least two of the three should be playing our 2026 fest so don’t lose all hope. We did move up Bloom Dream to Sunday and Luca is going to take their place for the pre-show.

Sinema has arrived at ZBR USA headquarters! Full 12” drop for ‘After the Flatline’ is Tuesday April 22nd at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST and holy fucking hell don’t expect to be picking one up later cuz these will sell like the hotcakes they are. Shoutout hotcakes!

Blue Youth has been out for a few days and is ripping up the post-hardcore, noise rock, and screamo bandcamp charts. This release was half-a-decade in the making and totally lives up to the wait time. Fans of Frodus and Life In Vacuum will fucking love this. Co-released with The Ghost Is Clear and Grind Central Records.

Sutras tapes and digitals for ‘The Crisis of Existence’ are out and making the rounds on lotsa blogs which I’ll post in future news updates. For now just enjoy those promo pics and jam along below.

Crossed got the This Noise Is Ours treatment because it’s arguably the best screamo record to come out of 2025 thus far. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Snag a 12” before they’re gone and you’re angry for missing out.

Coma Of Eris was interviewed by Idioteq.com as Edie, Jesse, and Dave answered a few questions extremely honestly. Tapes have sold well and all the rarer variants seem to be gone. Pick up the primary swirl before we’re totally out! Click on the pic above or this text to go to the interview.

Lord Wrought had their full set recorded by YYJ which I would recommend checking out. We still got some tapes available but I reckon the band will sell out almost immediately and likely take our stock so I wouldn’t sleep for too long on this stellar band, especially if you like Portrayal Of Guilt, Crossed, and Crestfallen.

Avery Friedman’s ‘New Thing’ released today on Softseed Music! You can stream this debut in all its glory below and if you dig please pick up a 12” from the store. Glorious indie rock from Brooklyn and we’ve even got a stupid fancy variant. Vinyl should arrive in late June/July.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: OSTRACA = The new EP just dropped get the fuck on that!

2025 - 04 - 14 /// Blue Youth tomorrow, Sutras on Wednesday!

April 14, 2025 by David Norman

Nuvolascura has a new album coming out in July. We will be co-releasing alongside the always awesome Icorrupt Records in Europe. It’s their heaviest material to date and oh my god it’s incredible.

Blue Youth’s sophomore 12”LP ‘Defeatist’ releases this Tuesday April 15th! We made 300 copies of this one (their debut LP was /200 and it’s sold out) and put’em on green wax, with The Ghost Is Clear Records co-releasing with us cuz they love the band as much as we do. Their new album definitely gets heavier than their previous material but retains the band’s sassy, rockin’ foundation. You can scope their final premiere in the most recent Operation X-Ray episode linked below (you’ll also find Lord Wrought and Mahria in there) for “Patient Patient”. Full release is Tuesday at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST!!!

Bloom Dream tapes are down to the literal last copies of the 2nd run, Bandcamp has a white and gold injection, while this store has a random and gold injection. Then we mad out…again.

Demersal has a new EP releasing in the fall but they’ve dropped a music video now cuz why the hell not? This song shows the band’s maturity and expansion into new genres as it isn’t just screamo, it’s also got some gorgeous clean singing as well as the heaviest gutteral growls to date, showcasing their ability to traverse new terrain and doing it well. We still have 7” copies left of their previous LP but I think we’re totally sold out of their 2024 12”.

The final Sutras song premiere went up on Foxy Digitalis a few days back and I just took promo pics for the tape variants. There’s 20 swirl, 10 yellow, 5 brown, and 3 test dips. Wicked post-hardcore with shoegaze and indie elements. Click on the pic below or this text to go to the premiere!

Click here for the full song premiere article!

The ‘all you are is we’ 12”s have arrived at CanaDave’s house and by golly they look awesome. If you don’t like yellow or red you’re gonna get pissed, but for everyone else this color scheme fucking rocks. Includes lyrics insert and comes in a yellow inner jacket to really smack your senses. I also played with them last weekend and they destroyed. Their full set can be viewed above. Helluva time. Release show poster below

Crossed got some love from Heavy Blog Is Heavy, making it yet another blog to boast about how incredible this album is. We apologize about the wait on the 12”s, but they hath arrived! Pics incoming. Thanks for your patience! Click on the pic above or this text to go to the list, jam/buy below before we sell out.

Avery Friedman got some love via Klof Mag for her ‘New Thing’ 12”LP releasing April 18th on Softseed. I’m obsessed with this thing and even have an upcoming podcast with her that should release sometime before the album drops in full. Absolutely stellar stuff. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review and jam/buy below!

Adobe Homes released two new songs from the upcoming 12”LP that we’ll be helping release this summer/fall. This thing has been years in the works and it kicks so much ass. You can catch’em at ZBR Fest in May!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: LIFE = Oh shit there are two new EPs and they both kick ass. Hell yes.