From the inbox:

Jump Start Records has posted the newest volume in their live series. Volume 5 includes five songs by ASPIGA. The live EP is available for free on the Jump Start Records Live Bandcamp page. The release also includes original artwork.

If I have anything bad to say about Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me, it is that I miss choruses or any repeating line on the disc. Those repeating bits were what helped guide me through the wilds of …To The Beat Of A Dead Horse and without them, Parting The Sea… is hard [...]

From the inbox:

Starting today, the popular metal portal MetalSucks is hosting the worldwide exclusive premiere of the upcoming JOB FOR A COWBOY  EP Gloom. The Gloom EP will be available digitally and physically via mail-order only on June 7th. Fans wanting a physical copy of the Gloom EP should act quickly, though, as it is a limited edition run of only 2,500 copies. The EP features four new tracks of fine-tuned, visceral death metal featuring the re-invigorated lineup of Jonny Davy, Jon “Charn” Rice, Al Glassman and new guitarist Tony Sannicandro. The Gloom EP cover features new artwork from Ruination artist Brent Elliott White.

Listen to Gloom here.

From the inbox:

H2O has been a mainstay in hardcore and punk since their inception back in 1995 and have had many influences along the way. The band is thrilled to pay homage to those influential artists by covering their songs on the forthcoming album, Don’t Forget Your Roots. H2O will tip their hats to bands like The Ramones, Dag Nasty, Madball, Rancid, Circle Jerks, Descendents, Cro-Mags, Bad Brains, The Clash, Government Issue, Verbal Assault, Gorilla Biscuits, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, 7 Seconds, Embrace, Social Distortion, Sick of It All and Warzone on this release. H2O vocalist Toby Morse commented, “This album is extremely important to us. These are bands that inspired us to start a band and who have inspired our personal lives. Also with so many young kids getting into hardcore every day, it’s good to always keep exposing them to the ROOTS of this music and getting them into some of the originators of hardcore/punk. We have all gotten to see this bands play live when we were young so covering their songs that made us happy and inspired as kids feels amazing and we feel honored.”

H2O comes from humble roots themselves, and have worked their way to help define the term “melodic hardcore”. The band formed back in the mid-90’s and have released five full-length albums with over 300,000 copies sold collectively. They’ve toured the world with the likes of AFI, the Misfits, toured the Warped Tour circuit and more, and they’ve established themselves as a household name and inspired countless others in their wake. H2O is happy to give back to those that have helped shape them on Don’t Forget Your Roots, coming this Fall from Bridge Nine Records. Full track list to be announced soon!

- Beyond excited for this release. H2O and covers have been a natural fit for a long time. A RANCID cover is intriguing – I can’t think of an obvious choice for H2O on this… any guesses?

I saw a post about this band on a message board – the write-up mentioned 90s Revelation Records post-hardcore, plus 108, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and SNAPCASE. Attention grabbed! Listen to these guys yourself and see if that description holds up.

• FIREWORKS – Gospel
• THE FIRE APES – A Life In Letters
• INTO IT. OVER IT. / SUCH GOLD – Split EP
• THE STORY CHANGES – This Is Your Moment
• DAVID BAZAN – Strange Negotiations
• BORIS – Heavy Rocks
• BORIS – Attention Please
• SUPERCHUNK – Here’s Where The Strings Come In (Reissue)

From the inbox. Despite having all of this material except for the demo, this just seems like a really cool release to own. It reminds me a lot of the TURNING POINT discography that Jade Tree put out a decade ago which showed the band starting out in total youth crew form and moving towards a much more melodic realm by the band’s end. Fortunately HOSTAGE CALM are still plenty active.

HOSTAGE CALM – Discography: Self-Titled and Before

This discography documents the progression of the American group from their melodic hardcore punk roots, to the groundbreaking power-pop that has garnered them a reputation as one of the most creative bands in American punk today. The discography features their current Self-Titled LP, plus their Run for Cover Single 7-inch, the Lens LP and their demo.

• 1. A Mistrust Earned
• 2. Rebel Fatigues
• 3. Affidavit
• 4. Where the Waters Call Home
• 5. Ballots/Stones
• 6. Marine Transgressions
• 7. Young Professionals
• 8. Overstayed
• 9. Wither on the Vine
• 10.Victory Lap
• 11. Jerry Rumspringer
• 12. War on the Feeling
• 13. Donna Lee
• 14. War on a Feeling (Single Version)
• 15. In So Many Words…
• 16. Audible
• 17. Gaslighting
• 18. Nosebleed Section
• 19. (I’m Left with All These) Holes
• 20. Interchangeable Parts
• 21. 400,000
• 22. Lacuna (Where Certainty Sleep)
• 23. Shattering Mirrors
• 24. Grayscale
• 25. Pushing the Paradigm
• 26. One Face
• 27. Grayscale
• 28. 400,000
• 29. Weighed Down

From the inbox:

BURY YOUR DEAD has made a new song titled “Slaughterhouse Five” available on their Facebook page, located here. (‘Like’ required). The track comes from the band’s new album Mosh N’ Roll, which is set to be released on August 2nd through Mediaskare Records.

“I’m so glad this song is finally out, so I’m not the only one who knows the words anymore,” commented vocalist Mat Bruso. “I’m excited as hell to play shows this summer and see kids injure somebody to this one.” Adding “I hope everyone is practicing the part they want the mic for ’cause I’m out of shape now, I can’t do it all on my own.”

BURY YOUR DEAD will headline the Over The Limit II Tour, with support from Evergreen Terrace, For The Fallen Dreams, In The Midst Of Lions, Thick As Blood, Hundredth, Betrayal, and Murder Death Kill. Dates and venues are set to be announced shortly.

Following the Over The Limit II Tour, BURY YOUR DEAD will head overseas for a European run with For The Fallen Dreams and Betrayal.

- Quality quotes in this press email…makes me think of the lyrics to CAPITAL’s song “Mosh Parts” and that might not be a good thing…