- German hardcore/punk band on Belgium’s I For Us Records. Only two songs, but plenty of substance, and the bass playing has thick, spearing vibe going on. FFO: VERSE, SUICIDE FILE, KILLING THE DREAM.

- A fine six song slab of melodic punk rock from this Astoria, Queens trio. What first caught my ear was a pretty obvious BAD RELIGION / DOWN BY LAW influence, and we all know how rare that is to hear from ‘modern’ bands. If you can only listen to one song, make it “E.S.F.”.

- New song from the band’s upcoming Mylene Shealth full-length A Healthy Fear. The band also has the new song “Cherry” streaming on Absolutepunk.net. Wound-up sonic fury and fight. This album is going to be a monster.

- Two songs of monolithic, plodding/ambient post-hardcore with gutted out vocals. It’s loud and it will push right through you.

- Four song EP from this two-piece hardcore band (I’m gonna guess that they do things a little different live). The songs sequentially build from short bursts of fury into involved, jarring efforts with stop/start/stomp moments.

- Ever since the new issue of Decibel came this week with Jacob Bannon on the cover, I’ve been a serious CONVERGE bender. “You Fail Me” is one of those rare title tracks that is also a full-length’s epic standout. The chaotic heaviness of the song is unshakable, with the song hitting with the fury of a day-old stomach infection.

- (1) For a three song EP, isn’t the title a bit much? (2) Musically, TONGUE are an interesting concoction, clearly in the vein of that stoner/metal/punk hybrid, but not overdoing the genre; I definitely get a FU MANCHU influence on “Spark of Light”; (3) I don’t know if “Bosko” is a common Serbian name, but I like it (their bassist is named Bosko Mijuskovic).

From the inbox:

One of the most avant-garde acts in metal’s history is Chicago’s YAKUZA. The band continuously pushes the boundaries of metal and has earned serious acclaim from fans, press and their peers. Now, YAKUZA returns with one of their most impressive outings yet, Beyul, which will be the band’s second release on Profound Lore Records. Beyul will be released on October 16 on CD and digitally with a vinyl version arriving the following month via Gravedancer Records.

Beyul was produced by longtime YAKUZA cohort Sanford Parker (Nachtmystium, Minsk, Twilight). The first taste of Beyul is available now exclusively via Pitchfork. Click the link to check out “The Last Day”, which features guest musicians Helen Money on cello, Tim Remus from SWEET COBRA on vocals, and Angela Mullenhour from SYBRIS on vocals as well.

 - That’s some mournful cello right there…