- Five song EP featuring fierce, technical metalcore with mid-tempo slowgroove activity and a hail core of bass bombs. If you can only listen to one song, go with track 3, “Black Sheep”.

- Five song EP of guitar-driven emo/indie rock, with an emphasis on rock. The dual male/female vocals are likable, not corny. There’s a richness to the music that readily reminds me of THE ANNIVERSARY (before they went all hippie and stuff…).

- First ‘single’ from the band’s upcoming new full-length, The Parallax II: Future Sequence, out on Metal Blade, October 9th. More head-spinning material from the one of the best…

- 13 song sampler featuring songs by label artists ABSOLUTE MONARCHS, SANDRIDER, MONOGAMY PARTY, DEADKILL, DOG SHREDDER, BROKAW, RABBITS, and GAYTHIEST. Solid mix of punk, metal, grunge and noisy rock.

- Finally got around to listening to this six song split EP, which came out in late 2011 on Pure Noise Records. Exuberant pop-punk from both, with HANDGUNS making the bigger impression with their tasteful, lightly-implemented hardcore influences.

- MANNERS recently re-released this EP with their Escapism release, plus two new bonus tracks, on MorseCode Records. The Apparitions portion was remastered. The Connecticut hardcore band plays a compelling mix of screamy hardcore that reminds me a bit of early INDECISION and an old Long Island band called IRONY OF LIGHTFOOT. You can pick up the new LP from MorseCode’s Limited Run store.

From the inbox:

Nuclear Blast Records has issued the following statement regarding Oakland California based extreme metal band, ALL SHALL PERISH, and the labels current lawsuit with BitTorrent network:

“Nuclear Blast and SKP Enforcement UG, who are experienced in tracking illegal downloads and the file sharing of music, recently decided to cooperate with World Digital Rights to fight against file sharing piracy in the USA. In the United States, the providers are obligated by law to hand out the IP addresses of the computers from which the downloads / file shares were generated. By collecting this information these companies are also acting in the interest of our artists, which is essential to the future of both our bands and the label.

To be able to recoup the investments both parties have made, is crucial in order to produce new music and to survive in this business. Nuclear Blast, SKP Enforcement, and World Digital Rights want people to be aware that the peer-to-peer file sharing is illegal and hurts the bands and record companies they love.

That said, Nuclear Blast also respects bands such as ALL SHALL PERISH that do not wish to pursue file sharers. ALL SHALL PERISH was not consulted about this course of action and did not wish to participate in it whatsoever. When they learned about it, they immediately asked us to cease all legal action against their fans, file traders or otherwise, as soon as they learned this action had been taken in their name. Therefore Nuclear Blast and World Digital Rights decided recently to stop legal actions against the file sharing with songs from the band ALL SHALL PERISH.

In all other cases, the parties involved pursue those violating copyright laws to avoid the financial loss they incur and to protect the value of their copyrights.

Nuclear Blast counts on the loyal fans which have been supporting the label and our bands for over 20 years now. Every sale helps support metal and the people that work hard to bring metal to the masses. For those that continue to buy music legally, that is something every loyal fan can be proud of.”

- (1) Did you catch the part where the label essentially goes “But all of the rest of the bands on our roster are totally cool with it”? (2) this press release would have been a good time to plug all of the label’s titles being available on Rdio or Spotify, both of which have shown themselves to be in part, successful alternatives in directing people away from procuring music via file sharing; (3) and just look at that promo photo! Perhaps they simply want to take measures of justice into their own hands…

- Two new songs of that instant-feelgood garage/mod punk that these guys do oh-so-well. The hand claps are the embodiment of smiles.