Set Your Goals have entered the studio with producer Brian McTernan to begin work on their second album for Epitaph Records. This will be McTernan’s first album with the band, having previously produced albums from Strike Anywhere, Darkest Hour, From Autumn to Ashes, The Loved Ones, Senses Fail and more.
Last Call with Carson Daly put together a feature on Screeching Weasel focusing on frontman Ben Weasel as well as the band’s reunion shows. Ben speaks candidly about his anxiety problems and panic attacks which he has suffered his whole life as well as agoraphobia. He talks about how he has little trouble on stage, but the affliction affects other, less public parts of his life.
Toronto’s Junior Battles have announced tour dates leading down to The Fest in Gainesville, Florida with O Pioneers. They’ve also released a video for the song ‘Basements’ which appeared on their self-titled 7″, which was released last year (and can currently be streamed on their Punknews profile page).
Topshelf Records will be releasing the vinyl for the debut full length from Talons. The album is due out November 23rd and titled Hollow Realm. The band is an instrumental six-piece, who call the Hereford their home. The label said this:
Forging the explosive energy of hardcore, the subtleties of post-rock and the complexities associated with math-rock, Talons possess a fascinating sense of urgency and drive, with a sound that both soothes and savages in equal measure. Comprised of eight brand new tracks, Hollow Realm was written as a single piece of music.
What is it about mixing punk and heavy metal that can be so volatile? When it’s good, baby it’s good. There’s nothing like the crushing power of the Cro-Mags, the pure energy of D.R.I., or the brute comedy of Carnivore. But, when it’s bad, it’s bad. For instance… well… we don’t need to name names. Interestingly, Corrosion of Conformity mastered merging the two with their landmark second album Animosity, but they always seemed to get more notice in metal circles than punk ones, even though the manic energy and looseness of hardcore is seeped in their sound.
But, now that Corrosion of Conformity is touring in their classic three piece formation, which includes Bassist/Vocalist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman, and drummer Reed Mullin, they’re giving us punks a second chance to check out their unique punk/metal hybrid. Since Corrosion of Conformity has recently hit the road playing Animosity and has released a new 7″ with their three piece line up, Punknews interviewer John Gentile sat down with Mike Dean to learn what he thinks about the term “Crossover,” the best way to mix punk and metal, and how the three piece unification came about.
In a new interview with AMP Magazine, The Aquabats frontman Christian Jacobs (MC Bat Commander) discussed the band’s new album(s), their label situation and the status of their television show. The band had recently announced plans to independently release their yet-unnamed fifth studio album on November 9, but have since negotiated a distribution deal with Fearless Records, pushing the release date to 2011:
We’re probably going to put it out on FEARLESS, but here’s the kicker: they want some time to promote it. So, on November 9th we’re going to release an EP, which will be a single from the record and then the record will come out in January. We have been relying a lot more on the keyboards and there’s a lot more electronic stuff in there, but I think kids will be surprised that there are some songs that sound a lot like old school AQUABATS!. It just kind of comes full circle, ya know? Right after Charge!! we got really into electronics and using keyboards and stuff like that, but it’s been so long since the record came out that we’ve kind of gone full circle again and we’re back to ska sounding stuff. There’s more stripped down punk kind of sounds, and even the themes of the songs are just kind of silly and stupid like old school Aquabats.