Category: New Releases

Artist: Hence Confetti
Title: Duress
Format: CD, Digital
Label: Bird’s Robe Records
Distribution: MGM
Genre: Alternative Metal
Release Date: 05/09/2025

Australian alternative metal project Hence Confetti have announced their second record Duress through Bird’s Robe Records.

Formed by former Mish frontman Rowland Hines, the project began as an outlet for Hines to express his post-Mish and post-fatherhood emotions, as he relocated from Sydney to his hometown of Bathurst, before settling in Warnervale, NSW.

Fans of the legendary underground metal records produced by Mish will recognise Hines’ impassioned vocal delivery, as well as the brooding undertones that often accompanied their music. But Hence Confetti paints a broader palette and uses different colours to communicate.

The band says: “Duress focuses on strengthening resilience through introspection. With an emphasis on embracing change for personal growth, for the benefit of family and future generations. A foreboding warning of a need for adaptability in a fast changing world while examining the dystopian consequences of unchecked technological advancement. Together we risk a loss of humanity in a cybernetic apocalypse.“

The single Duress might be as heavy as it gets, but there’s a lot to explore in the dynamic sound of this new project.

Citing influences from classic bands like Botch, The Devin Townsend Project, Today Is The Day, Puscifer, Lo!, Mastodon, COG and Conjurer, the band wear their love for emotional heavy music proudly on their sleeve.

Tracklist
1. Duress 
2. Promise 
3. Shang Tsung
4. The Road Is Thinning
5. Void
6. Onslaught

Links
Bandcamp: https://henceconfetti.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/henceconfetti
Facebook: https://facebook.com/HenceConfettitheband
Label: https://birdsrobe.com

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Artist: Bingo Crowd
Title: Manners
Format: LP, CD, Digital 
Label: Crispin Glover Records
Distribution: Stickman Records
Genre: Synth Rock
Release Date: 12/09/2025

The first thing to know about Bingo Crowd is that this is a band who do things intheir own time. Which doesn’t always correspond to the Julian calendar tha tmost of us rely on for our perspectives, and which tells us it’s been 17 years since their debut album Sinecure came out. Let’s just call the decision-making process within Bingo Crowd “deliberate” and leave it at that – this is a band that, having abandoned their original moniker Bitch Cassidy, but retaining an affection for the initials B.C., spent several years – years! – deciding on a new name.

Suffice it to say, Bingo Crowd is not like most bands. “The overall sound reminded me of the early Mute/Factory Records records that I loved and grew up on,” says Moulder of his decision to get involved, despite the constant demands made on his time by acts like Nine Inch Nails, Interpol and Queens of the Stone Age. “But,” he adds, “they added their own thing that made it current and I like that.”

“Current” does a lot of work in this particular sentence, given Bingo Crowd’s reluctance to engage with conventional notions of chronological time. The references to Mute and Factory might also induce chuckles within the band itself, as they were blissfully ignorant of the Manchester scene until well into adulthood, if not middle age.

The three men that make up Bingo Crowd = Andreas Elvenes, Svein Segtnan & Eivind Brønstad, grew up deep in the woods of Snåsa, a small community in one of the most sparsely populated areas of Norway, where the local economy inevitably centers on logging and forestry. Growing up in the pre digital age, popular music mainly found its way here through mix-tape cassettes played at the local railroad café – and the Mute/ Factory Records phenomenon Moulder refers to, never made it this far off the beaten path.

Instead, what we now know as Bingo Crowd began life as a hard and heavy Norwegian Metal trio built on massive guitar riffs, which is what rock music meant in Snåsa back then. All well and good, until guitarist Svein Segtnan happened to hear a piece of electronic music by Brian Eno, and grew intrigued enough to acquire a analog synthesizer. Entirely unfamiliar with the synth-centric pop music of the 1980s, Bingo Crowd proceeded to create a parallell musical universe of their own. Marching to their own beat, they eventually recorded a single, which became the very first release on Crispin Glover Records back in 2006. (After an inevitable delay, partly due to their inability to decide on a name, thus settling into a career-defining pattern.) (Also worth noting is the fact that Crispin Glover Records was started in order to put out music by Bingo Crowd. In other words, this is rather personal to us.)

The band themselves have on occasion described their music as “depressive disco”, which seems rather insufficient and flippant to our ears. The songs on Manners invoke a far more nuanced and splendiferous range of emotions, although a baseline of vague anxiety seems ever present. A promotor in Iceland once called it “Nügoth”, and certainly Bingo Crowd should sound appropriate in any setting that’s familiar with umlauts. Or, as Moulder puts it, “There is a darkness to the music that drew me in.” (Moulder, noted for his decades-long contributions to Trent Reznor’s catalogue, knows a thing or two about darkness.)

Tempting as it is to employ fancy academic and philosophical concepts in foreign languages – “Sui generis”, “Ding an sich” and such – in an attempt to convey the rich, moody mysteries of Manners, it probably doesn’t make more sense than trying to figure out the equally mysterious decision- making process behind some of the song titles herein. (We’ll let you figure out what “Litjtaltj” might mean on your own. Go ahead – we dare you.)

Regardless, somewhere within the Bingo Crowd head/space continuum, time and decisions have yielded exquisitely crafted music, as deliberate as it is surprising. Tension builds and is released, majestic choruses erupt – seemingly out of nowhere – while hypnotic loops abound, and intricate melodies soar and swirl before your ears and eyes. And it all seems to unfold with what the band itself refers to as “the logic of dreams”. Which is as logical and predictable as Bingo Crowd is ever going to get.

Tracklist
01. Observatory   
02. Voloop   
03. Priority Mail   
04. Nitro My Shield   
05. Mapmaker’s Dream   
06. Litljtatlj   
07. Nature Guy   
08. Weekend House   
09. Pyramide   
10. Portamento Mori

Links
Bandcamp: https://bingocrowd.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bingo.crowd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Bingo-Crowd-61559649422788/
Label: https://www.cgrshop.no

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Artist: We Lost The Sea
Title: A Single Flower
Format: 2xLP, CD, Digital
Label: Bird’s Robe Records/ dunk!records/ Translation Loss Records/ New Noise
Distribution: MGM
Genre: Post-Rock
Release Date: 04/07/2025 and 22/08/2025 (LP international)

Australian post-rock legends We Lost The Sea return with their new album  A Single Flower, a suspenseful masterpiece that will leave you on the edge of your seat for its whole chilling progression.

A Single Flower follows six years after their fourth album Triumph & Disaster  (2019) which was released just ahead of the pandemic and seemed to foreshadow the era of intensity which followed. It reached the Top 50 charts in Australia upon its released, and the band’s eventual tour in support of the record saw them sell out shows across Europe, the UK, Australia & Asia.

About the new album the band has to say: “The world lay wrecked before us, a quiet ruin of things lost and things that never were. The mornings came like the grinding of old gears, a slow turning toward some unknowable purpose. And yet, in the stillness of despair, the nameless rose. Not for hope, nor for meaning, but because something in the marrow of our bones whispered that to rise was the only rebellion left.“

The band’s breakout record was their critically-acclaimed 2015 album Departure Songs (2015) which featured the standout track A Gallant Gentleman (featured in the Ricky Gervais series ‘Afterlife’). Departure Songs has amassed millions of streams worldwide and sold over 10,000 copies in physical formats.

New album A Single Flower is out July 4th through Bird’s Robe Records, dunk!records, Translation Loss Records & New Noise.

Tracklist
1. If They Had Hearts
2. A Dance with Death
3. Everything Here Is Black and Blinding
4. Bloom (Murmurations at First Light)
5. The Gloaming
6. Blood Will Have Blood

Links
Official: https://welostthesea.com
Bandcamp: https://welostthesea.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/welostthesea
Facebook: https://facebook.com/welostthesea  
Label: https://birdsrobe.com     

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Artist: Automatism 
Title: Sörmland
Format: LP, Digital
Label: Tonzonen Records
Distribution: Cargo
Genre: Instrumental/ Psychedelic Rock
Release Date: 22/08/2025

It’s been five years since the release of previous album Immersion. This hiatus was not all together voluntary, so when the band got together again in September of 2023 to start playing and recording, it felt like a special occasion.

New album Sörmland was recorded over a few weekends in the countryside of Sörmland in a beautiful-sounding room that was once a chapel. The building has a very high ceiling and open atmosphere, which somehow helped set the tone for the music on this album. Outside the tall windows we could see the green landscapes of Sörmland; all of which is why, in the end, we decided to name the album after this part of Sweden.

The band tells us about each song on Sörmland:

Video
Gustav Nygren, guitar: “This song derives from a riff that I made up while sitting with my guitar in my wife’s small fishing cottage by the sea on Orust, an island on the Swedish west coast. I fell in love with the melody and recorded it – my unamplified electric guitar straight into my cell phone camera – so I wouldn’t forget it. When we collected song ideas and demos for the album, I simply uploaded the idea titled ”Video”. Hence, the title of the album’s opening track.“

Honey Trap
Mikael Tuominen, bass: “When we recorded this song we had just had a wonderful dinner courtesy of Jonas, and it was the first night of recording. All the microphones weren’t even rigged yet, we just started improvising. Luckily, I pressed the record button. What came out was one of those rare, completely elevated moments of musical bliss. Somehow it felt like we almost accidentally stepped into a new realm that very much set the tone for the album, a way of playing in synchronization with the room and ambience rather than just playing ”our music” the way we always do, regardless of the surroundings.”

Laura Palmer’s Theme
Hans Hjelm, guitar: “All band members are big fans of David Lynch, and of Twin Peaks in particular. I got caught up completely when the show first aired on Swedish television in 1990 and have rewatched it countless times. Music is such an important part of that show and each time I hear the music it takes me back to Twin Peaks, but of course also back to 1990. I had been planning to record Laura Palmer’s Theme for a long time, and when I talked to Mikael about it, he suggested we record it for this album. It is our tribute to the now late masters David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti.“

Neon Lights
Mikael Tuominen, bass:  “Another one of those occasions when the best stuff comes out when you stop trying. We had been working on a version of Neon Lights for a while, even played it live, that was much closer to the original in feel and tempo. We did a couple of recordings of that version and they were okay. Then, without deciding anything, we just fell into playing the theme really slowly and softly, and again, luckily enough I hit the red button. First it was almost as if we didn’t take it seriously, but soon we entered the zone, and listening to the versions back to back there was no question of which one to choose.”

Sörmland
Hans Hjelm, guitar: “This being the title track, we feel it represents the essence of the album. It is based on an improvisation again, with bits of the melody added in later. In the old chapel where we recorded, there is a grand piano and we all agreed that would be the perfect sound for this melody. The last thing you hear in this song and on this album is Mikael releasing the foot pedal of the piano, after finishing the melody.”

Tracklist
1. Video   
2. Honey Trap   
3. Laura Palmer’s Theme   
4. Neon Lights   
5. Sörmland

Links
Bandcamp: https://automatismband.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/automatismband
Facebook: https://facebook.com/automatismband
Label: https://tonzonen.de

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Artist: The Soundbyte
Title: Still Quiet
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Voices Of Wonder
Distribution: Plastic Head
Genre: Post/ Alternative Metal
Release Date: 30/05/2025

Introducing Still Quiet, the latest sonic exploration from The Soundbyte, the innovative project of guitarist and composer Trond Engum from the legendary The 3rd and The Mortal. 

The album Still Quiet transcends musical boundaries, seamlessly blending Norwegian folk traditions with electroacoustic textures and metal influences, creating a sound that defies conventional categorization. Central to the experience are Trond Engum’s distinctive guitar style and Rune Hoemsnes’ (The 3rd and The Mortal, Manes) signature drumming. They are joined by a carefully chosen ensemble of renowned musicians whose contributions complement the captivating vocal performances of Kirsti Huke and Andreas Elvenes.

The album weaves together unsettling rhythms, innovative guitar work, haunting soundscapes, and strong melodic lines—each track forming part of a greater whole. The music captures the fragile tension between stability and uncertainty, shifting effortlessly from quiet melancholy to uncompromising rawness and intensity.

Still Quiet invites listeners into a moving and immersive sonic experience, challenging musical norms and rewarding those who revisit it again and again. With this album, The Soundbyte deliver their most compelling and ambitious work yet.

Tracklist
1. Floating at Distance
2. Still Quiet
3. Fall of Illusions
4. Will You Follow
5. When All Is Gone
6. Can You See Me Now
7. Will You Find a Way

Links
Official: https://thesoundbyte.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_soundbyte
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheSoundbyteOfficial
Bandcamp: https://thesoundbyte.bandcamp.com
Label: https://vme.no

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Artist: Mauvais Sang
Title: La Faune
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Daaganda Records
Distribution: The Orchard
Genre: Noisy Rock/ Pop
Release Date: 16/05/2025

Mauvais Sang is a French noise-pop band hailing from Haute-Savoie, composed of Mathis Saunier (guitarist and composer), Léo Simond (singer and lyricist), Antoine Vercellotti (drummer), Florent Rigot (bassist), Anouck Bizon (singer and harpist), and Anastasia Egorova (singer and violinist). Their latest EP, La Flore, released in November 2024, was particularly well received by the press: Rock N Folk France wrote that the EP “surprises with its bold sonic approach, bridging chanson and noise, rock and electro: with its haunting melodies punctuated by heavy guitars, it plays on contrasts and even tends to push them to the extreme.”

Following La Flore, now Mauvais Sang returns with La Faune, an album that’s more instinctive, raw, and visceral. Where last EP La Flore was rooted in ambivalence and reflection, La Faune dives into animality, movement, and struggle.

Blending noise-pop textures, socially conscious poetry, and organic rhythms, La Faune traces a journey that is both deeply personal and universally resonant—a portrayal of a world in flux, of humanity on the brink, torn between the urge to escape and the pull of its roots. It explores contemporary society, the tensions between the individual and the collective, and the challenges of modernity, inviting a collective awakening.

True to its name, La Faune expresses deep reverence for the natural world while highlighting the fragility of ecosystems in the face of human impact. The compositions evoke the raw beauty of nature and call for a renewed harmony between humanity and its environment.

Some tracks on the album unravel like feverish whirlwinds, where intoxication and escape blur into one another. “Nuit Venin” dives into moments of surrender, where music and alcohol drown out doubt and regret, where fleeting encounters bloom and fade under blurry neon lights. “Modèle” and “La Peau” explore the images we project and the social masks we craft, caught between seduction and constant performance.

La Faune also captures moments of desire, emerging love, and bodies in fusion. “Sybille” is both sensual and haunting—a dreamlike, uneasy reverie where love and ruin blur beneath a burning sky. “Dernier Acte” portrays a feverish clash between two beings, somewhere between ecstasy and farewell.

Darker in tone, La Faune also paints a portrait of humanity on the edge of collapse, forced to flee or adapt in a crumbling world. “La Danse du Feu”depicts a crowd staring at the apocalypse, ignoring the ground crumbling beneath them, while “La Nouvelle Ère” imagines an escape—an exodus from an abandoned Earth to a new planet, perhaps the one dreamt of in “Là-bas (Le Monde)”.

Beyond its ecological message, La Faune also questions what we have left to pass on. “Loin” reflects on the passage of time, the promises made to future generations, and the illusions of a better tomorrow. The minimalist and disillusioned “L’Enfant” poses two simple yet profound questions: have we truly learned from our experiences, and will our children be able to learn from our mistakes?

Tracklist
01. La Peau   
02. La Danse du Feu   
03. L’Enfant   
04. Modèle   
05. Nouvelle ère   
06. Nuit venin   
07. Dernier Acte 
08. Là-bas le Monde   
09. Sur la Plage   
10. Sybille   
11. Loin   
12. Loin (Radio cut)

Links 
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mauvaissang__
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mauvaissang__
Facebook: https://facebook.com/MauvaisSangOfficiel
Bandcamp: https://mauvaissangprojet.bandcamp.com
Label: https://daaganda.com

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Artist: Cotoba 
Title: Sin Swims
Format: CD, Digital
Label:  self-released 
Distribution: n/a
Genre: Post-Rock
Release Date: 25/04/2025

“God takes my form and swims.”

A lone figure moves through water, lost in thought.
 What meaning does all of this hold?
 Deep inside, they carry a seed—an existence that takes form on its own.
 The seed drinks in the water, growing in proportion to the weight of his sins.
 That weight becomes his momentum, his reason for moving forward.
 Feeding on his sins, he becomes a god of his own.

Step into the captivating world of Cotoba, a band from Seoul, South Korea, destined to stir the depths of your soul. Like a poem that seems nonsensical when read conventionally, cotoba offers to untangle loss through revealing a profound empathy in their music. With their enchanting blend of clean guitar tones, captivating vocal, mesmerizing bass lines, and syncopated drums, they weave a tapestry of wordless emotions that resonate with the essence of loss.

Cotoba‘s music is a language unto itself, a primal scream of desires, much like a newborn child entering this chaotic world. Through their raw and electrifying live performances, they articulate the unspoken, connecting on a profound level with their audience. Their stage transcends mere sounds, capturing the very essence of human existence, and beckoning you to immerse yourself in their profound musical journey.

In a society burdened by social obligations and the weight of expectations, Cotoba becomes a guiding light, extending a helping hand to those adrift in the mundane. Their melodies flow like crystal-clear streams, carrying the weight of emotion, while intricate time signatures add layers of complexity to their sonic landscapes.

The band toured more than 40 cities including main stages at numerous music festivals and sold out shows. This year, Cotoba is more than ready to spread their wings out to the world with their energy-filled members DyoN Joo, Dafne, and Hyerim, through their language : music.

The first track on Cotoba‘s new record Sin Swim is Syhi: bursting with charisma and an electrifying sense of speed. Second song Ice Sea, a refreshing yet melancholic track, where intense energy erupts through the stillness. The next track 今t合 (Contigo) is a haunting song with lyrics weaving English, Spanish, and Japanese into a tapestry of solitude. Forth track Away Home is a sorrowful composition, written in a single breath after reading the children’s book Son of the Polar Bear. On the last track, Sin, the band again shows their playful yet experimental side, the track is culminating in a soaring, explosive guitar solo.

Tracklist
1. Syhi   
2. Ice Sea   
3. 今t合 (Contigo)   
4. Away Home   
5. Sin

Links  
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bandcotoba
Bandcamp: https://cotoba.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bandcotoba
Facebook: https://facebook.com/bandcotoba
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@bandcotoba

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Artist: Michel Fernandez Quintet
Title: Live au Hot Club de Lyon
Format: CD, Digital 
Labels: Atypeek Music/ Hot Club de Lyon
Distribution: The Orchard (digital)/ Socadisc (CD)
Genre: Experimental Jazz
Release Date: 18/04/2025 (EU)

Michel Fernandez, a nomadic saxophonist and composer, delivers vibrant music that awakens both body and mind. Between enchanting grooves and intoxicating trances, he draws from the roots of jazz to revive the connection with the earth and the soul of the sublime. From the embers of free jazz, which he helped shape, to the blues he has explored, through the influences of Caribbean, African, and Brazilian cultures, Michel Fernandez releases a primordial energy in every breath, with the desire to share these intense musical worlds. A key figure in jazz for over 50 years, he finds in the Magnetic Orchestra, with François Gallix on double bass, Nicolas Serret on drums, Benoît Thévenot on piano, and Julien Chignier, the latest member of the group, the perfect synergy. Together, they form an explosive quintet where the saxophones rise and intertwine in transcendental harmony, blending rhythmic power with harmonic depth. This all comes to life in their latest album Live at the Hot Club de Lyon.

Michel Fernandez, the Lyon-based saxophonist and composer, presents his new album Live at the Hot Club de Lyon, recorded by Ludwig Laisné, the club’s president. This album marks his evolution towards a quintet with two saxophonists, a direction initiated on his previous album Global Warning (2022). Alongside Benoît Thévenot (piano), François Gallix (double bass), and Nicolas Serret (drums), Julien Chignier (alto and baritone saxophone) completes the group, with Michel Fernandez on soprano and tenor saxophones.

The setlist includes standout tracks from recent albums as well as new compositions. Among them, La forêt de Bougarabou (a traditional song from Casamance), reinterpreted with Chignier’s saxophones, and Archie, a composition by Gallix, featuring the saxophones in the spirit of Archie Shepp. The title track Global Warning, with its powerful saxophones and bright piano, delivers a message of hope.

Drummer Nicolas Serret offers Chromatisme crânien, a dynamic composition, while Diminutions (Fernandez) highlights the interplay between the saxophones. For Ludwig L. is a tenor saxophone solo dedicated to the director of the Hot Club de Lyon. Founded in 1948, the Hot Club de Lyon is the oldest active jazz club in Europe. Xongly (Pierre Dorge), becomes a central piece in this concert, with powerful saxophones and brilliant piano. The final track, High Life (originally from the 2019 album Mélanges de Rages), closes the album with an upbeat calypso.

This album, with its excellent sound quality and ambitious compositions, confirms Michel Fernandez‘s success in transitioning to the quintet format, offering an unmissable musical experience.

Tracklist
1. La forêt de Bougarabou (Live) 
2. Archie (Live) 
3. Global Warning (Live) 
4. Chromatisme crânien (Live) 
5. Diminutions (Live) 
6. For Ludwig L. (Live) 
7. Xongly (Live) 
8. High Life (Live)

Links 
Streaming: https://orcd.co/gqbmex1
Official: https://michel-fernandez.com
Bandcamp: https://michelfernandez.bandcamp.com
Label: https://atypeekmusic.com

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Artist: Lars Fredrik Frøislie 
Title: Gamle Mester
Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Karisma Records
Distribution: Plastic Head Distribution
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release Date: 09/05/2025

On his second solo album, Gamle Mester (Old Master), Lars Fredrik Frøislie pays homage to the greats of the past. Drawing inspiration not only from the pioneers of progressive rock but also from art, literature, and mythology, the album reflects on timeless acts of creativity that still resonate today. The title is derived from the ancient oak tree “Den Gamle Mester“, found at Krødsherad Prestegård, which also inspired a poem of the same name by Jørgen Moe. This symbolic tree serves as a unifying theme throughout the album, representing wisdom, endurance, and the passage of time.

Opening with Demring (Dawn), the album embarks on a dynamic journey filled with masterful instrumentation and some of Frøislie’s most compelling songwriting to date. Jakten på det Kalydonske Villsvin (The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar) launches with a striking harpsichord riff before unfolding into an epic musical retelling of Rubens’ famous depiction of the myth. The piece narrates the tale of King Oeneus, who, after neglecting to honour the goddess Artemis, incurs her wrath in the form of a monstrous boar sent to devastate his lands.

The title track, Gamle Mester, is a captivating instrumental/choral piece, driven by a central keyboard motif that weaves together grandeur and melodic precision. From there, listeners are cast adrift on Medusas Flåte (The Raft of the Medusa). This evocative composition opens with a theme that captures the ocean’s vast majesty and peril, narrating the harrowing fate of the 150 souls left adrift after the wreck of the French frigate Medusa. Over 13 days, only 15 survived, enduring starvation, dehydration, and ultimately, cannibalism, a grim tale immortalized in Géricault‘s iconic painting.

The album reaches its crescendo with De tre gratier (The Three Graces), named after the daughters of Zeus. Spanning 12 minutes, this final opus encapsulates everything that makes Gamle Mester a triumph. Shifting between light and dark, the track is a treasure trove of rich keyboard textures, soaring flute melodies, dynamic percussion, and the virtuosic bass work of Nikolai Hængsle.

With Gamle Mester, Lars Fredrik Frøislie delivers an album steeped in history, mythology, and musical brilliance. A must-have for progressive rock enthusiasts and collectors alike.

Tracklist
1. Demring (Dawn)   
2. Jakten På Det Kalydonske Villsvin (The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar)
3. Gamle Mester (Old Master)
4. Medusas Flåte (The Raft of the Medusa)
5. De Tre Gratier (The Three Graces)
6. Skumring (Dusk)

Links
Bandcamp: https://lffstudios.bandcamp.com 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/larsfredrikfroislie 
Facebook: https://facebook.com/larsfredrikfroislie
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@fredfroi
Label: https://karismarecords.no

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Artist: Agabas
Title: Hard Anger
Format: LP, Digital
Label:  self-released
Distribution: n/a
Genre: Deathjazz/ Mathcore/ Progressive Metal
Release Date: 13/06/2025

Agabas’ highly anticipated third studio album Hard Anger, recorded in a small fjord cabin in Hardanger, Norway is set for release on the 13th of June. Expect brutally downtuned breakdowns mixed with ferocious jazz saxophone, blast beats for days, thundering bass tones, and the beautiful poetic sound of the Norwegian language aggressively spat in your face.

Agabas has already been pushing boundaries on their previous releases with their signature ‘deathjazz’ style, but this album pushes everything further by a landslide. Saxophones ran through fuzz pedals, intensely fast paced jazz solos cutting through dissonant chugs of double dropped guitars – this is deathjazz. Faster, heavier, crazier, and more brutal than ever.

Hard Anger features guest performances by blackjazz veterans Shining on the track Jævla menneske and New York subway legend Michael Wilbur on Vis meg alt. 

Agabas are renowned for their live energy and presence, a feat they’ve recently showcased on a support tour with Kvelertak in the fall of 2024. Translating this energy into a studio performance is no easy task, but the raging sounds of Hard Anger shows that it is possible. According to the band, there is something about the idyllic tranquility of the beautiful Hardanger fjords that really does bring out the most aggressive musical tendencies you can imagine. And that’s not the only influence of the crisp Hardanger nature on the album – during their time there, the band walked around recording samples of the natural sounds of the local area to use in the music. Calming waterfalls, creaking stairs of 800 year old houses, and eerie church bells struck by century old swords, all scattered across the songs of the album, layered in heaps of distortion of course.

The band documented their recording sessions on a series of Instagram reels, gathering over 1,6 million views and 35.000 new followers. On a mission to show the world that jazz can indeed be brutally heavy, Agabas is winning over metal fans with their charming sense of humor and self irony, as well as a dead serious devotion to their craft. As is blatantly apparent when listening to the bands music, these guys know how to play their instruments, and they treat both the metal influences and jazz influences in their music with the highest respect.

The 36-something minutes of Hard Anger takes you on a journey of death metal, hardcore, progressive metal, jazz, black metal, and at times even some punk. All sewn together masterfully and thoughtfully, without ever compromising on the pure chaos and energy of the music. Give this album a spin if you’ve ever wondered if jazz and metal could mix, or if you simply want to listen to a really good, really heavy record.

Tracklist
01. Kjærlighet for alle   
02. Jævla menneske (feat. Shining)   
03. En vakker himmel   
04. La blodet flomme   
05. Se det for deg   
06. Vis meg alt (feat. Michael Wilbur)   
07. Råte   
08. En enkel sjel   
09. Arv   
10. På åpent hav

Links  
Official: https://agabas.no
Bandcamp: https://agabas.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/agabas.band
Facebook: https://facebook.com/agabasband
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@agabastheband
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@agabas.band
Shop: http://agashop.no

Download press assets here