Nonpoint, a band I personally consider one of the pioneers of nu metal, has announced The Million Watts Tour 2024. Featuring support from fellow nu metal acts (Hed) P.E. and Dropout Kings, this spring run encompasses 26 dates ranging from April 11th to May 18th. You can grab your tickets and VIP at nonpoint.com! (Tickets are also available on the other bands’ official sites.)
4/11 – Minot, ND – The Original
4/12 – Fargo, ND – Fargo Brewing Company
4/13 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
4/15 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater*
4/16 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
4/17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell
4/19 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre*
4/21 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon*
4/23 – Sparks, NV – The Ranch House
4/24 – Fresno, CA – Strummer’s
4/26 – Garden Grove, CA – Garden Grove AMP
4/27 – Las Vegas, NV – Sick New World Festival 2024+
4/28 – Tucson, AZ – The Rock
4/30 – El Paso, TX – RockHouse Bar & Grill
5/1 – Lubbock, TX – Jake’s Sports Cafe
5/3 – San Antonio, TX – The Rock Box
5/4 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar (New date!)
5/5 – Dallas, TX – Trees (New date!)
5/6 – Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock
5/7 – Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s Live
5/8 – Destin, FL – Club LA#
5/9 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2024^
5/10 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2024+
5/12 – Jacksonville, NC – Hooligans Music Hall
5/13 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room: 28 Liberty Lane
5/14 – Knoxville, TN – The Concourse
5/16 – Fredericksburg, VA – Hard Times Cafe
5/17 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Festival 2024+
5/18 – Lansing, MI – Rock Lansing 2024+
* Nonpoint/(Hed) P.E. only
+ Nonpoint only
^ (Hed) PE only
# Nonpoint, Taproot, (Hed) P.E., and Liliac; no Dropout Kings
Six Scars is a one-man metal project hailing from southwest Virginia. Heavily influenced by the many subgenres of rock and metal, Six Scars began his journey by exploring the more melodic and ethereal realms of shoegaze on his debut album, To Wilt and to Bloom. He has played with other subgenres, such as nu metal and alt-rock, in the intervening years, yet now, in 2024, he has returned to his roots.
The Silence and the Withering, the latest EP from Six Scars, was released on February 16, 2024. Driven by introspection, this record offers six hauntingly beautiful songs, written with self-reflection and painted in sounds.
The EP opens with “Another Scar,” a track lamenting wasted time and a life not lived. “Another scar, another excuse to not get off your ass and move/There’s a whole world waiting, but you already died,” the chorus erupts in frustration, and how often is this the case? How many times have we had plans, goals, dreams, that we were too afraid to pursue, and then suddenly, we’re looking back on the years that have passed with regret? “I wanna rewind, I wanna live my life,” our narrator says in conclusion, but that is an impossibility.
The next four songs – “Damaged From the Start,” “Dead Nothing,” “Dionysius,” and “Mausoleum” – are a tableau dedicated to the one thing none of us are immune from: love. Six Scars pendulums from the depths of heartbreak to a seemingly idyllic representation of that endlessly discussed emotion. For instance, in “Damaged From the Start,” he writes, “I owned you, you owned me, this orgasmic catastrophe,” hinting at a mutually toxic relationship.
“Dead Nothing” ventures a step further, diving into the depths of manipulation and torment the narrator experiences – and the resulting desire for vengeance. “You played me like a puppet, dancing to your every whim/But not the tables have turned, and it’s your turn to face this sin.”
We are then taken back to when the love was new, pure, perfect, though there is still an acknowledgment that it was tainted from the start. In “Dionysius,” the narrator fondly reminisces on the past. “My Dionysius, my odyssey…we’d fly away into the ether, never knowing what we were leaving/And the cosmos united for us when we retreated…” However, he soon admits that he lost himself to his lover and their shared addictions, including what could be the most damaging one – each other.
The lovers’ tale ends with “Mausoleum,” and despite the title, it is not as dark as one would assume. “Holding onto each other’s energy to feel the grip of love, a burning desire to become one/Holding onto each other’s energy to feel the grip of love/A burning desire to fill this mausoleum.” In the throes of passion, perhaps our narrator finds himself so happy he could die? Their union is still referred to as “unholy,” the underlying awareness that they are not meant to be ever-present, yet it is easy to overlook when “I’m dreaming, I’m feeling alive for the first time/I’m holding onto you.”
The Silence and the Withering closes with “My Finale,” a song that seems to tie together the opening and the four-part tableau. He mentions wanting there to be “no regrets about the life that I have led,” then says “Leaving ever-after, I’ll see your face again one day.” This could be a reference to any number of people in his life, but I perceived it to be aimed at his lover. Interestingly, his final line is “I, the villain, close the curtain.” Was our narrator truly his own worst enemy?
This EP is an unflinching study of the storyteller, and there are parts that will universally resonate with listeners. We have all wasted time, feared rejection, dragged our heels when we should have been chasing dreams. We have all fallen in love, romantically or otherwise, and been burned for our efforts. And we have all, by necessity, played the villain at some point in our own story.
The Silence and the Withering is available to stream everywhere now!
Metal band A Killer’s Confession, fronted by ex-Mushroomhead member Waylon Reavis, has announced a spring run with special guest Mike’s Dead. The 19-date tour kicks off in Joliet, Illinois, and draws to its conclusion at the band’s home base, Cleveland, Ohio. Tickets and VIP are available at akcglobalrecords.com!
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!
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)
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!
Carbonstone is releasing a new song, “White Noise,” on February 17, 2024, and this is one you don’t wanna miss! I was given an early listen of the forthcoming release, and it is certainly a standout track in the Carbonstone library.
“White Noise” has an edge, musically revisiting the band’s heavier side. The aggressiveness of the guitars, carried by the combination of a driving drum beat and rapid-fire bass line, are the perfect foundation for a song that is thematically dark.
Front man Corey James utilizes his voice to evoke a visceral reaction from his listeners. The melodic delivery of the verses offers an audibly interesting contrast to the music; the clear intonation, almost a croon, lends beauty to the tale of heartache: “You poison everything, like you did to me…” Both the lyrics and the vocal performance speak of disappointment, a resignation to the situation our narrator finds himself in. “Somewhere I can’t be found, and now this wavelength is severed/We’re nothing but white noise.”
However, as the track progresses, anger and frustration leak through, raw growls woven intricately throughout until the breakdown, when they crescendo into a lengthy scream of catharsis. “Suffocating, close to breaking, you left me buried alive,” Corey snarls, and a strong sense of breaking free seems to be implied. Perhaps the struggle is not yet over, but the light at the end of the tunnel has been seen.
“White Noise” is a song that deals with the complexities of our relationships, romantic and otherwise, and does so in a way with which we all can connect. This is a must-hear, so head to Spotify, presave it, and get ready for Friday!
Alternative/trap metal artist Seethe surprised his followers by abruptly releasing an EP, entitled Cavalier Dualities, to Bandcamp on January 29th. (It has since gone live on all major streaming platforms.) Staying true to the glitchy, yet melodic, sound that I have come to associate with Seethe, this trilogy of tracks is an eight minute, thirty-four second emotional purge – for both artist and listener.
Cavalier Dualities is a brief glimpse into the repeating cycle of various mental health issues, depression prevalent among them. Seethe never backs down from addressing darker subject matter, and this is again apparent in all three songs.
“Medicate” is the beginning phase. Whatever the struggle is with – mental health, addiction, etc. – this track references the attempt to best it, to medicate and cope and hopefully ascend from the depths, maybe even defeat it one day.
This is followed by “Smile.” In Seethe’s own words, “Smile” is about how, in life, sometimes all one can do is smile and move forward. Throughout the fight with one’s own personal demons is the occasional necessity to fake it ’til you make it, as they say.
The EP concludes with “In Two,” a heart-rending song in which our narrator realizes (s)he is back in the hole, that (s)he had a brief moment in the light but has yet again fallen into the rut. This brings us back to the start, the need to medicate, and the cycle continues.
The discordant music and vocal stylings seems to reflect the frustration and hopelessness that colors the whole sordid tale, a cry of “I’ve been here before and failed, but I have to keep trying.” And while Cavalier Dualities may be a story borne from the artist’s own battles, it is relatable to anyone who has ever persevered through a private, often unseen, war with oneself.
You can listen to Cavalier Dualities on your favorite streaming service! And once you’ve checked out the EP, ready yourself for Seethe’s next release: the new single, “Away,” which is dropping on Valentine’s Day!
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