Post-hardcore/prog rock band Skies of Terra is back with a new single entitled “Invincibility Codes,” which features alternative/trap metal artist Seethe. The track is now available to stream everywhere!
Hard-hitting from start to finish, “Invincibility Codes” is sure to satiate the tastes of even the most discerning heavy music fan. When asked about the story behind the song, vocalist/instrumentalist Euclides Polanco had this to say:
“‘Invincibility Codes’ is about the anxiety-driven feeling of falling. [In this case] ‘falling’ could be used as running out of time, losing sight, close to giving up, and negative contemplations. Phrases like ‘leave the lights on, I’m on my way home’ are calls to the ones the main character is speaking to before deciding…to leave this life. There is a lot of talk about confusion and being driven off the deep end while trying to hide behind a fake smile each day.”
The frustration and hopelessness behind living this way is expressed through music, vocals, and lyrics, all knitted together into a piece that is relatable to anyone who has had to put on a brave front in their day-to-day life. The verses are host to a rapid-fire beat, matched by a driving riff, all topped by Euclides’ clean vocals. “Am I alive? Or barely just breathing?/This isn’t living or existing, behind a malignant smile/And I cannot break free!”
This combination climbs to the bridge and chorus, during which, conversely, the music is more rhythmic while vocalist Justin Townsend unleashes a tidal wave of pent-up rage. “Falling from the sky/Above my head, you are watching me from a vengeful drone/I’m falling fast/The darkness spreads/Leave the lights on, I’m on my way home!”
As the second bridge reaches its close, Euclides announces “Wait, we’re not quite finished yet!” and we are launched into the final breakdown, penned and delivered by Seethe. The story of this collaboration makes it seem as if it were always meant to be.
“Skies of Terra and myself, we’re from the Pittsburgh scene,” explains Seethe. “In 2019, my band signed to a label called Brutal Business Entertainment, but going into 2020 [when Covid happened], the owner wanted to step down. He essentially gave me the label to run. Skies of Terra was one of the first bands that I personally signed.”
“Seethe showed us love very early on,” Euclides recalls. “I had written the demo for ‘Invincibility Codes’ in January 2020. It was originally written for the EP, The Party is Over, but it didn’t fit the narrative and vibe. It just wasn’t ready. Seethe had written a section that sounded pretty sweet, but we left the track alone until fall of 2022. [That’s when] I re-wrote it and sent it to Seethe to work on. He’s the one that ended up creating a big foundation for how things were articulated throughout the album. ‘Invincibility Codes’ has very important motifs that are revisited in other tracks.”
“Clides brought [‘Invincibility Codes’] to me, and he was like, ‘I really want you on this outro’,” Seethe says. “The track was kinda the same as it is now, but a lot of the kinks weren’t worked out. We went back and forth about it, then we shelved it. Out of nowhere, [in 2022], Clides gave me the music and they had me write my breakdown for the end.”
“It was nerve-wracking,” Seethe adds. “They gave me a blank slate at the end to do whatever I wanted. I felt the pressure, because Clides and Justin are both great vocalists, so without knowing what they were gonna do ahead of time, I had to make sure I sent the track out on a high note.”
True to his aim, Seethe does conclude “Invincibility Codes” on a high note. He grants the listener a final eruption of anger, an audible picture of hitting the breaking point. “Push it to the brink/Push, push/I’m coming!/I’m coming home!”
Stream “Invincibility Codes” now, and check out the lyric video below!
Follow Skies of Terra on all their socials so you never miss anything!
Nothing More and Wage War are teaming up this spring for a North American tour, and they’re bringing along special guests Veil of Maya and Sleep Theory. You can get tickets and VIP at nothingmore.net and/or wagewarband.com!
4/16 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
4/17 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewery
4/18 – New Orleans, LA – Fillmore New Orleans
4/20 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater*
4/22 – Grand Junction, CO – Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park
4/24 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Auditorium
4/27 – Las Vegas, NV – Sick New World Festival 2024^
4/28 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment Center
4/30 – Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theater
5/1 – West Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom
5/3 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center
5/4 – East Moline, IL – The Rust Belt
5/5 – Omaha, NE – The Rose Theater
5/7 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
5/8 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe*
5/10 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center*
5/14 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
5/15 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
5/17 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
Two dynamic female-fronted bands have recently released new singles. Hard rockers CloZure shared “The Devil Effect” on February 9th, while alt-rock outfit Modern Mimes served up “Roses in Ruins” one week later, on February 16th.
CloZure on the set of the video for “The Devil Effect”
Formed in Enterprise, Alabama, CloZure boasts a take-no-prisoners approach in their latest track, “The Devil Effect.” This is the band’s first release to feature new frontwoman Elizabeth Nikollaj. A song dealing with the emotional topics of betrayal and overcoming the anger and hatred it inspires, “The Devil Effect” showcases the renewed energy with which CloZure entered 2024. Featuring a stunning vocal performance from Elizabeth and some seriously wicked guitar work, the track understandably broke iTunes top alternative chart twice, as well as iTunes rock top 20, and it ranked at #3 on the iTunes metal charts. It also hit #1 on Amazon’s new alt-rock releases and #2 on the alt-rock best seller list.
Modern Mimes, who hail from the depths of Florida, are as velveteen and sultry as the summer nights in their homestate, and their latest single, “Roses in Ruins,” is a testament to that. According to the band, the song is about battling your inner demons, in whatever form they may take, and conquering that which poisons your roots. The track is as dark and heavy as its subject matter, and singer Adi Hernandez’s intonations soar to ever-greater heights, goosebump-inducing in their strength and clarity. “Roses in Ruins” is available for streaming on all major platforms. Modern Mimes also recently welcomed drummer Harley Mitchell to the lineup, so stay tuned for a new era in 2024!
The Androgen is an industrial black metal project based in southern California. They have released two EPs thus far, both in 2020 – Insomnia and Words Are Knives – and are preparing to drop a new album entitled The Cave in 2024.
I was given the chance to have a conversation with front man Vincent Thorn. We discussed the project’s history, influences, writing/recording process, and more!
***
Mostly Music: First and foremost, tell me about the formation of The Androgen.
Vincent Thorn: The formation of The Androgen is a long and drawn out story, with many twists and turns. But, to sum it up, the band has gone through three main stages thus far. Originally, the band was just me, then we had the introduction of its second permanent member, Angel Nightmare, and we cycle in other members for live performance.
The long story – When I lived in Culver City, California, I would do vocal covers in my room every day on a shitty little PA system. I had been doing that since I was thirteen. I am thirty-one now. One day, far in my past, I came across a song called “I Am Halloween,” by Midnight Nightmare. The vocalist, Angel, had a YouTube channel, and I watched some of his stuff. Time flew by…
Then in 2018, I bumped into him at the Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood. He had just moved out to L.A. Crazy!!!
A year later, I was trying to put together a small underground show in Northridge, and I contacted my friend who I used to practice with when I was on the streets of L.A. (a whole other story). It was a crazy coincidence – he was in Midnight Nightmare, doing keyboards, and the band performed at the event.
After beers and many war stories, Angel would wind up helping me produce Insomnia, Words Are Knives, and the long-awaited third album, The Cave, and playing live guitar in the band.
MM: It sounds like lucky coincidences brought y’all together. That’s definitely one of the better stories I’ve heard behind a band’s formation. What’s the story behind the name “The Androgen”?
VT: The story behind the name is, an androgen is a human hormone in everyone, responsible for aggression, sexual behavior, and masculine and feminine traits. The point being a philosophical take on the humanity of the band and the reflection we provide of the public as a whole.
MM: Who are the band’s biggest influences?
VT: We at The Androgen listen to a lot of international music, mostly jazz, black metal, and aggrotech/industrial. There are too many bands to mention, but a few include Shining, Dark Fortress, Dir En Grey, Dissection, and Rose Funeral.
MM: And for you, personally, what was it that made you want to pursue a career in music? Was there any specific moment, such as hearing a certain song or discovering a particular artist/band, that made you think “That is what I want to do”?
VT: Well, I wouldn’t call it a “career” in music. Most artists work multiple 9 to 5 jobs to be able to afford the luxury of taking the stage and sharing their art. It is a struggle to get shows, but I enjoy every second onstage.
If there was one moment that made me want to do this, that is a hard one… a genuine hard one…
I wouldn’t say there was a certain song, but just like everyone else, I found an album at a low time in my life – Rose Funeral, The Resting Sonata, 2009 – and I decided to try to do that type of music as an outlet for severe anger that needed to be channelled from within myself.
MM: I know these types of things aren’t always explainable in words, but can you tell me why you think The Resting Sonata resonated so deeply with you?
VT: At the time I was sleeping on a park bench, and I used to go into the public library to listen to CDs on their computers. I eventually found an old CD player at a donation place to listen to it on repeat. The reason it resonated with me was, it was a challenging piece of art and I liked that. It was a new language musically that I had to learn, and it was like a gateway to a whole other genre of music.
MM: Switching gears just a bit, what is the writing process for The Androgen? From where do you draw most of your inspiration? (I know you mentioned channeling emotion, so I imagine that answer might be “from within.”)
VT: For Insomnia, I drew most of the lyrical writing from my experience living in Culver City, California. The EP alludes to fatalistic and defeatist ideals, referring to the city’s penchant for hedonism and overworking. The name of the EP refers to the way in which the city seems to never sleep, and I myself didn’t seem to get much sleep while living there. The guitars, synths, and drums are brainstormed in the studio by me and Angel. A typical song is usually created with a foundation of synth and guitar, followed by vocals and then finally drums and bass.
Words Are Knives was written at the very beginning of the lockdown, and was the band trying to push itself farther and is higher quality than what we had done before. The songs were more philosophical than anything else. The writing process remained the same, but we wanted to bring more polish.
The Cave is a testament to the band’s/my struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, depression, ostracization, homelessness, adoption, and disassociation. The name of the album is drawn from a sewer tunnel that between the years of 2011 and 2014 was the residence of myself and many others. Most of the lyrics, if not all, were written on random pieces of paper while living in those conditions that survived up until now.
The writing process is about the same as before with the instruments, but the mix is completely different and the mastering process is also more drawn out, using upgraded technology compared to the previous works.
The date of the release of The Cave is TBA at the moment.
MM: With the varied inspirations and approaches, do you have a track you’ve written that is your favorite? I almost hate asking that, since I imagine viewing your own art objectively might be a difficult thing. Lol.
VT: Yes. But the track is not released yet… It’s off the unreleased The Cave album. Stay tuned.
MM: You mentioned how much you love being onstage. What is your favorite thing about live shows?
VT: Overall, the best thing about live shows is that it is a rare opportunity to drop the mask of pragmatism and be more authentic; while performing I fancy myself an actor, so depending on how you look at it– jumping into another character, or dropping the mask and being myself. At least, I find, if done right.
MM: Piggybacking off that, what would be your dream tour lineup (that includes The Androgen, of course)?
VT: Dream lineup would be (in no particular order) – Dog Fashion Disco, That Handsome Devil, Igorrr, Pensées Noctournes, Watain, Shining, and Rose Funeral. And, obviously, The Androgen. I would love to open the show.
MM: In your dream lineup, The Androgen would open? I feel like that’s unusual; most artists want to be headliners. But I can see the benefit to playing first. (Now that I’m in my late 30s, the openers get all my energy. Lol.)
VT: As a band that has not paid their dues, as the other acts that I mentioned have, being able to play on the same stage, in this theoretical scenario, would be awesome for us. I’d love to be an opening act for a show with that lineup, and being an opener allows for the ability to watch all the other acts without the stress of having to prepare for your act.
MM: That makes sense. So I guess we’re nearing the end of our chat. I just have to ask, what are the band’s plans for 2024?
VT: We have a new single, “Awaiting the Apocalypse,” that is available for streaming, and a music video for it on YouTube as well. [We will release] the album, The Cave, but the date is still TBA. We also have multiple shows in September, and are working with various other bands in our industry to possibly bring more shows before then.
Thank you for the interview, it has been quite refreshing to have such a professional interview. And thank you for your time, and god speed in your future endeavors.
MM: Thank you so much for your time and patience! I look forward to all that is coming from The Androgen!
***
Check out the latest single from The Androgen, “Awaiting the Apocalypse,” and be sure to follow them on all their socials so you never miss an update!
Aggrotech/industrial metal band Combichrist is touring this spring with Dead Animal Assembly Plant and Esoterik. They also have a revolving assortment of special guests, which includes Curse, Unitcode: Machine, Treasvre, and Cultus Black. Tickets and VIP are available at dsolprod.com!
3/14 – Anaheim, CA – The Parish at House of Blues*%
3/16 – Los Angeles, CA – Whisky A Go Go*%
3/17 – San Francisco, CA – Neck of the Woods*@
3/18 – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall*%
3/19 – Portland, OR – Star Theater*%
3/20 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon*%
3/22 – Idaho Falls, ID – The Gem*
3/23 – Salt Lake City, UT – Leatherheads*@
3/24 – Denver, CO – Kulture Music Hall*@
3/26 – St. Louis, MO – Red Flag*@
3/27 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater*@
3/29 – Madison, WI – Annex*@
3/30 – Chicago, IL – Distro Music Hall*@
3/31 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace*@
4/2 – Detroit, MI – Magic Bag*@
4/3 – Albany, NY – Empire Underground*@
4/4 – Montreal, QC – Foufounes Electriques*@
4/5 – Providence, RI – Fete Hall*@
4/6 – Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s*@
4/7 – Philadelphia, PA – Warehouse on Watts*@
4/8 – New York City, NY – Brooklyn Made*@
4/9 – Pittsburgh, PA – Preserving Underground*@
4/10 – Columbus, OH – King of Clubs*@
4/11 – Piedmont, SC – Tribbles*
4/12 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Hell)*
4/13 – Tampa, FL – Crowbar*
4/14 – Orlando, FL – Conduit*
4/15 – Miami, FL – Gramps*
4/18 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar#
4/19 – Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live#
4/21 – Dallas, TX – Haltom Theater#
4/23 – El Paso, TX – Rockhouse#
4/24 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge#
4/25 – Albuquerque, NM – Inside/Out#
4/27 – Las Vegas, NV – Sick New World Fest 2024 (Combichrist only)
I think these shows are considered part of the spring Breaking Benjamin/Daughtry tour, but Catch Your Breath not being there makes me wonder if there are more dates coming that are going to technically be a different leg of the same tour.
Industrial/metal/glam/death pop outfit Orgy is celebrating 25 years of their debut album, Candyass. The band is hitting the road in North America this spring with Cold and special guests Horizon Theory and I Ya Toyah. You can get tickets and VIP packages at orgymusic.com and coldarmy.com!
4/11 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
4/12 – Flint, MI – Machine Shop
4/13 – Des Moines, IA – Lefty’s
4/14 – Sioux City, IA – The Marquee
4/16 – Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep
4/17 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
4/19 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
4/20 – Portland, OR – Bossanova Ballroom
4/22 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s
4/23 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go
4/24 – Fresno, CA – Fulton 55
4/25 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory
4/26 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
4/27 – Scottsdale, AZ – Pub Rock
4/28 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
4/30 – Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live
5/1 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
5/2 – Dallas, TX – Trees
5/3 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
5/4 – Shreveport, LA – Strange Brew
5/6 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
5/7 – Tallahassee, FL – Legacy
5/8 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live
5/9 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2024*
Asking Alexandria has announced their All My Friends North American Tour. The 27-date run features special guests Memphis May Fire, The Word Alive, and Nerv. You can grab your tickets and VIP packages now at askingalexandria.com!
Hard rockers Clutch are hitting the road this spring with special guests Blacktop Mojo and The Native Howl. The New World Samurai Tour kicks off April 26th in Richmond, Virginia, and wraps on May 19th in Columbus, Ohio. Tickets are available at clutchmerch.com!
4/26 – Richmond, VA – The National
4/27 – Wilmington, DE – The Queen
4/29 – Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre
5/1 – Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep
5/2 – Estes Park, CO – The Stanley Hotel Concert Hall
5/3 – Estes Park, CO – The Stanley Hotel Concert Hall
5/4 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen
5/5 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
5/7 – Lubbock, TX – The Garden
5/9 – Pelham, TN – The Caverns
5/10 – Columbia, SC – The Senate
5/11 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2024*
Mostly Music 