Usurp Synapse music + Venus Twins 12"s!!!

April 18, 2024 by David Norman

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

April 16, 2024 by David Norman

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

April 12, 2024 by David Norman

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

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!!!

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)

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

from CA$14.00

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:

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.

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$15.00

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:

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

2024 - 04 - 08 /// Gxllium! released!!!

April 08, 2024 by David Norman

Gxllium! tapes released! Get’em before they’re gone, cuz they’ll be gone soon, I reckon.

Not Fading Away Like The Rest Of Them is the new podcast with Josh Jakubowski and CanaDave! Josh played in Neil Perry, Hot Cross, The Now, Joshua Fit For Battle, etc. and in these podcasts he will bring an older album while I bring a new record, and we listen to two songs from each release and discuss. This first episode features two incredible bands, Instil and Nuvolascura <3 Episode two has already been filmed and just needs editing which we’ll premiere in late April.

LETTINGTHEINTRUSIVETHOUGHTSWIN features Riley of Gxllium! and their debut EP +1 extra song go live on Tomb Tree this Wednesday April 10th! You can jam a song in the most recent Operation X-Ray episode, during which they also played a new Terry Green jam!

Burial Etiquette is almost out! Remaining distribution of copies:
US 25 cornetto / quad sold out
Canada 9 cornetto / quad sold out
Bandcamp 5 cornetto / 1 quad

Crossed’s new EP ‘Vida Quieta’ got an early review from This Noise Is Ours. The full 12” releases April 20th! Check out the review by clicking on the pic above or this text and jam a jam below! See'em at ZBR Fest 2024!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: THE DOG INDIANA = This semi-local band blew me away at the most recent Life In Vacuum show! Noisy, screamy, rockin’ stuff.

2024 - 04 - 05 /// Gxllium! promo pics

April 05, 2024 by David Norman

First and foremost, it’s Bandcamp Friday. Please consider supporting us so we can keep making records <3

.22LR released their self-titled debut earlier this week and it fucking rocks. Fans of Frail Body, Gil Cerrone, Youth Funeral, and Othiel should give this a whirl…I think you’ll dig it hard. Tapes linked to our stores directly through the Tomb Tree Bandcamp below :)

Terry Green premiered their new jam “Full Lip” from the upcoming ‘Provisional Living’ 12”LP. First album in a fucking decade and yes, it’s worth the wait. Even better than their debut!

Gxllium! promo pics have surfaced with the debut album releasing on ZBR this Monday April 8th at 9am EST / 11am CST / 12pm EST!!! Some very sick variants, not many made, as we’ll only have 70. Is that metal on the green tape, David? Why, yes. Yes it is. Bad-fucking-ass. CanaDave spoke with them a few weeks back which you can listen to below.

Hawak released some of the best screamo ever then called it a day. CanaDave finally got off his ass and did another Out Past the Rings, this time for ‘Nuoc’, arguably one of the best things we’ve ever released. Co-released with Left Hand Label, not Dog Knights. I got one copy in this store and one on Bandcamp!!!

Lower Automation was featured on Brooklyn Vegan’s “New Song Roundup”. The tapes arrived for this new EP yesterday so I’m already dipping away. Full release May 20th! Click on the pic above or this text to go to the article.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: KOMAROV = New live video from our UK besties!