- Lacks the immediate pulsing sensation of much of their earlier but the song works itself into a nice groove by the end. Neck of the Woods is out on May 8th.

- In light of the TOTAL CHAOS review I wrote a couple of nights ago, which referenced the word “riot” at least 20 times, here’s the always impressive speed metal band RIOT with their song “Riot”. Alright, I’m done…

Things you can count on with a new TOTAL CHAOS album: (1) song about punks and cops; (2) song about political oppression; (3) song(s) about hooligans, massacres, riots, the system, the other system, Nazis, squatters, and freedom (from the system). Fifteen year old me was enamored with TOTAL CHAOS, (what better way to smash the [...]

The Coathangers – Go Away from J Trav on Vimeo.

- Intense, tremendously gripping four song, 51 minute(!) release of screamo/post-rock from Rennes, France. The recording quality is top notch too. A CD is available from Tokyo Jupiter Records. More info about the band here.

From the inbox:

With a writhing beast of a new album waiting in the wings, North Carolina hard rock misfits TO SPEAK OF WOLVES are giving fans a taste of the ferocity to come with the release of the first single, “Stand Alone Complex.”

Careening off the rails with frantic snare blasts and caterwauling riffage, “Stand Alone Complex” is not only the first track released from the forthcoming Find Your Worth, Come Home – available online and in stores everywhere May 22 via Solid State Records – but it also serves as the first sample of the unhinged vocals of new TO SPEAK OF WOLVES frontman Gage Speas, the spark plug driving this band into wild new territories with an album they never dreamed they could make.

“Musically, we feel this song is a great first look into the new record,” says drummer and founding member Phil Chamberlain. “It’s a fast and intense song, a good mix stylistically from the new album as a whole. The song features guest vocals by Micah Kinard from OH, SLEEPER on the bridge and has one of our favorite guitar riffs as a climatic ending.”

Stream: TO SPEAK OF WOLVES – “Stand Alone Complex” (Facebook)

- Released a few weeks ago, ENERGY’s latest EP takes its “doo wop hardcore” style to the next level. I wasn’t a fan of the band’s material that initially took a sharp turn from its melodic hardcore/punk beginnings, but if this EP is the realization of the band’s concept for bigger and better things, I can definitely jump on board with that. “I’m Going to Kill You” has movie soundtrack written all over it.

From the inbox:

You can now stream the first single from PERFECT TEETH, entitled “Perfect Match,” on AbsolutePunk.net.

Perfect Teeth is a vampire band that makes it big after getting signed to a major record label… or so goes the story in a graphic novel that goes by the name Perfect Teeth as well. In the novel, the band’s big single is called “Perfect Match.”

LESS THAN JAKE drummer/lyricist and Paper + Plastick Records owner Vinnie Fiorello wrote the graphic novel and decided to write a real-life “Perfect Match” as well. So after writing the lyrics, he enlisted Stephen Egerton of the DESCENDENTS to write and record guitars, bass and drums, and Jon Snodgrass of DRAG THE RIVER to provide vocals and some additional guitars. The result is an actual audio representation of the song from the comic book.

You can stream the song over at AbsolutePunk and download the graphic novel in the Paper + Plastick Records webstore for free. The song will be made available for free digital download later this week.

- This is one of those press releases that when you read it for the first time, you find yourself going, “Hmm, OK, that’s interesting. What the hell is a vampire band? Oh wow, Stephen Egerton is involved… and Jon Snodgrass is singing?!?! And the graphic novel is FREE?!?”