U.S. store open + Nuvolascura repress!

August 17, 2026 by David Norman

The new US ZBR store is open! Persistent Vision Records has partnered with us to be the new US home. Currently they are stocking 12”s from Nuvolascura, Blue Youth, Carrion Spring, Sear, Vibora, Adobe Homes, Closet Witch, Joliette, Anna Sage, New Forms, and Serrate. I’ll update you again before more stuff goes up…but as of Friday they will have the Senza x Rainmaking split 12”! That sucker releases on Friday August 24th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST. 125 black ice glitter and 125 insomnia splatter with an etched b-side! This is a ZBR-only release.

ZBR U.S. store linked here

A reminder that last Friday we repressed Nuvolascura’s ‘As We Suffer From Memory and Imagination’ on 12” over two variants with our friends Dog Knights. 293 on splatter and 215 on merge, these should ship by the end of the month!

Hillsboro had a cool 11-minute live video come out of eSpot. Check it out and snag the new album ‘A Party In Your Name’ below, as Softseed Music released that sucker on cassette!

I Y Ezine reviewed Orphan Donor’s ‘Ailments’ cdLP that we released a few months back. It’s a great review of a truly exceptional album. Click on the pic above or this text to go there. Jam/buy below. Here’s an excerpt:
“Orphan Donor's work represents an emotional confusion that we can honestly call our own, capable of breaking the linear passage of time to build an alternative one, in which everything loses meaning and is rewritten and redirected, aiming to settle the chaos and bring peace to our lives.”

Wollruss has a show coming up on August 27th with a buncha sick screamo bands. ZBR distro will be in hand - if you want something specific feel free to message me and I’ll bring it. You can scope a new live song from the 2026 ZBR Fest pre-show below.

I thought I had posted the finished Constrain tapes but alas, I did not! Well here you go. I got a few extra tapes so I made three sick test dips and a transparent yellow /1

I did a Valatie song premiere on OMSB so you should scope that. Members of sick bands. Rad song. Album comes out on the 21st if memory serves correct. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the full premiere, just jam the song below.

Today Last Fucking Copy goes to the one and only Shoganai EP cassette! I didn’t know I had one left but I was amalgamating boxes and noticed it in there. Variant above! Buy below! Snag it now or forever hold your peace.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: DEAR DIARY, THIS IS FROM MY TEENAGE ANGST TO MY FUTURE SELF = Ooooo three new song remixes!

2026 - 8 - 10 /// Empathetic's 'The Room Collapses Quietly' released!

August 10, 2026 by David Norman

Vancouver’s Empathetic released their long awaited debut EP ‘The Room Collapses Quietly’ last Friday to an overwhelming barrage of support. This is likely the band’s only release as at least one member has moved to another province, but we can all hope that they continue or start another new project because this thing is phenomenal. Part Beau Navire and Brahm, part Crowning and Frail Body, it’s both intense as fuck and gorgeous. CDs /100 and already almost half gone!

Nuvolascura’s ‘As We Suffer From Memory and Imagination’ has a second pressing and it releases on Friday August 14th at 5am PST / 7am CST / 8am CST! Two variants, 215 on A/B merge and 293 on clear splatter. This is a co-release with Dog Knights.

I finally got and finished all of the Constrain variants for ‘1999’. They look pretty sick and they’re already more than half gone without anyone seeing the pics! I love it!!! By the way I got a few extra copies so I made 3 test dips and an /1 transparent yellow.

Protest The Hero’s new album released a few weeks back and Idioteq.com did a feature on it. Remember, I got release all the earlier LPs with the exception of the new one and the first EP! Last copies are below, article linked above and via this text.

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.

Letterstoyou got some well deserved coverage from This Noise Is Ours. This release is gettin’ pretty dang low, and there’s only one of the ZBR Fest variant left! Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review, jam/buy below.

Operation X-Ray played an Empathetic song from their new album so here is another reminder to pick that shit up, as it’s easily one of the best EPs of 2026. Features Hayden from Thank You Driver on bass. For fans of: Beau Navire, Brahm, Frail Body, Monterey, Crowning and early Eyelet.

EMPATHETIC - The Room Collapses Quietly (cd)

CA$11.00

EMPATHETIC ‘The Room Collapses Quietly‘ cd (ZBR403)

For fans of: Beau Navire, Brahm, and Monterey.

In true screamo fashion, Vancouver’s EMPATHETIC played a few shows, recorded this EP and then went on hiatus. Their six song EP ‘The Room Collapses Quietly’ shows a band who immediately embraced their best possible trajectory and did so to perfection. The sound found primarily on this is mathy, jarring, heavy-yet-beautiful emo-violence not unlike Beau Navire and Brahm, Tracks like “Culminate”, “Volatile”, and “Yield“ take blasts of grindy screamo and inject some jazzy, gorgeous interludes that lead back to more chaos. Honestly this EP is fucking incredible and will easily be one of the best things to come out of 2026. Features a member of Thank You Driver.

CDs /100 in a slip-sleeve housed in a resealable plastic bag w/insert. 6 tracks.

Listen here:
https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-room-collapses-quietly

Crossed got some late but very accurate kind words from Crossed Letters. I’d link you to our store but as I stated once we released it…it’s gonna sell out. And yep, it sold out. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam/download those digitals below if you’re hella late to the party.

AMITIÉ - Don't//Try//Let//Die (cassette)

AMITIÉ - Don't//Try//Let//Die (cassette)

from CA$7.00

For fans of: D’Amore, Sweetheart and Emma Goldman.

Part emo and part emo-violence, the concoction is both jarring and amazing. Featuring members of Worst Days, Terror Eyes, etc. with one helluva debut LP. Released on Tomb Tree Tapes.

Tapes /50, 25 silver w/sparkle j-card, 20 on swirl and 5 on swirl w/gold injection. Comes with download code. 9 songs.

Listen here:
https://tombtreetapes.bandcamp.com/album/dont-try-let-die

Colour:

Today Last Fucking Copy goes to Amitie’s arguably best release ‘Don't//Try//Let//Die’. The final copy is the /5 gold injection swirl and it’s embedded above. Listen below. This will not be made again so snag it now or forever hold your peace!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: COMA REGALIA = Yoooo new Coma album is the best thing since ‘The Mirror’, says I! P.S. we have some copies of ‘The Mirror’ above!

2026 - 8 - 05 /// I'm back + Empathetic cds on Fri!

August 05, 2026 by David Norman

Alright, I’m back! Ontario was awesome but I’m very happy to be home and back at this. A few notes:
- all shipping will be finished today except for Coup D’etat orders and Constrain orders
- EU shipping to those 12 countries that introduced tariffs are still fucked and I cannot ship anything to you until it gets sorted between our governments/postal services
- Coup D’etat 7”s are currently MIA as our package has had no updates since July 18th so I’m just twiddling my thumbs until it gets updated, or better yet, they arrive
- Constrain tapes are in hand and pretty much done, I’m just waiting for the swirl paints to dry then I gotta stamp them, those will be shipped off by Monday
- Empathetic cds release on Friday (which is also Bandcamp Friday so please consider picking up extra stuff and/or getting some digital albums
- ZBR U.S.A. opens up later this month, news incoming

The next ZBR release is in a mere two days and it’s the one and only Empathetic release, their debut/post-mortem EP ‘The Room Collapses Quietly’ on 100 cds. There are two current singles from the past two Zamplers that you can jam above and below - they’re very Beau Navire meets Brahm and it’s fucking incredible. Features a member of Thank You Driver too!!!

Aron from Clay Birds interviewed me for a school project a few months back and I saw it yesterday and was reminded how good the questions were, so I asked if I could share it as I think every answer I gave was new. It’s about 30 minutes in length.

Today Last Fucking Copy goes to my final copy of Brahm’s second EP from 2022 ‘i try to rage against it’. I just sold the second last one last night so this extremely rare gold swirl /13 is officially the final copy! Lathes are also sold out!!! I don’t expect this to be repressed. Snag it below or forever hold your peace!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: CIENFUEGOS = My friend Jacopo from Joliette introduced me to this band at New Friends Fest 2026 and they blew my mind. Incredible Chilean screamo not unlike Ostraca and A Recorded Dawn. New LP imminent.

2026 - 7 - 24 /// 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

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

2026 - 7 - 20 /// Beau Navire 10"s in stock x Constrain EP released!

July 20, 2026 by David Norman

First things first, 12 or so EU countries have a new tariff implemented but Canada Post hasn’t had time to prepare to charge for it (or something like that) so I cannot ship a few orders until the postal service catches up and fixes it. I might need to hit people up for a measly $3 or whatever the tariff ends up being, but you can just place another order if you want and I can refund your shipping (minus the tariff fee) if that’s easier. I’ll give you more news when I get it!

Second things…second I guess. I am going on vacation to see my family in Ontario from July 24th-August 3rd so obviously nothing will get shipped in the that timeframe, and hopefully the EU stuff is smoothed out by the time I get back.

Third things…fourth…right? I mean…The Names Of Our Friends x Poetry Of Torch split releases this Friday! It’ll go up at a stupid time (cuz I’ll be going to the airport at like 4am PST) so half the copies will go up on Bandcamp at that time and the rest will go up in this store at our regular 9am PST.

Beau Navire 10”s for their ‘Demo 2009’ release are back in stock! This is still the OG pressing from Clue #2 that was stashed away for over a decade - so once this pressing is gonezo you’ll have to pay stupid amounts on Discogs - but you can get them now for just $30USD including shipping! Snag below.

BEAU NAVIRE - 2009 Demo (10")

CA$25.00

For fans of: Loma Prieta, Iwrotehaikusaboutcanniblaisminyouryearbook, and Carrion Spring.

This early demo from the immortal Cali band mixes the softer/jazzy stuff from Iwrotehaikus with their later and heavier sound. I wicked snapshot in time. We bought these off Clue #2 Records a few months ago and they moved in a day, so we picked up another 50 copies and this is the only place to get’em!!! Hella rare/awesome find! Thanks Hieg <3

10” on black vinyl with lyric insert. 6 songs.

Listen here:
https://youtu.be/QN4SyRc3XnU

Constrain’s new EP ‘1999’ was released last week and I moved more than half of the cassettes already. The sassy metalcore is less sass and more metal than the previous EP but still intertwines them and hits like a fucking truck. The tapes arrive at my house next week and will start shipping in early August.

Hillsboro tapes for ‘A Party in Your Name’ are officially done and ready to ship! This album is a wicked collection of songs that fall somewhere in the indie/emo/shoegaze category and features my good bud Nima from Wollruss on vocals/guitar.

Orphan Donor’s ‘Ailments’ got some love from This Noise Is Ours. Check the review out by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam and buy cds below.

Operation X-Ray played some Coup D’etat as well as the new Hauzu song from the Zampler. Check it out above! Jam the Zampler below.

In conjunction with our Johnny’s Reco-mmendations is our good friends Snag. We released their split cassette with Swallows Nest (one left above!), their debut 12”LP, and their sophomore 12”LP (one left below!), which makes them Today’s Last Fucking Copy so snag it now or forever hold your peace!

SNAG - Death Doula (12"LP/shirt)

from CA$25.00

SNAG ‘Death Doula‘ 12"LP (ZB242)

For fans of: Funeral Diner, Coma Regalia and Eyes Of Verotika

Milwaukee’s SNAG is back for more environmentally/socially/politically conscious screamo. Records start shipping July 2nd, 2021. If you order a t-shirt please indicate if you would like a brown or black one. If you order a long-sleeve shirt they ONLY come in black.

12” vinyl /300, 150 on clear, 50 on clear w/silkscreen b-side, 50 on black, and 50 on black w/silkscreen b-side. Download code included. 7 songs.

Listen here:
https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/death-doula-pre-order

Variant:

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: SNAG = This band has been kickin’ it forever and has a split with Dave’s New Zealand band Swallows Nest (a copy of their split is here) and ZBR released their first and second (aka two previous) full lengths (we have one left in stock and it’s above!)