Paleface Swiss

Switzerland's Finest Cheese Factory.

Buy Merch and CDs at www.palefaceswiss.com

PALEFACE is:

Marc (Zelli) - Vocals

Yannick - Guitar

Tommy - Bass

Cassi - Drums

Wu Tang Clan

One of the most revolutionary hip-hop acts, Wu-Tang Clan helped prove rap to be an art form, establishing a hip-hop enterprise in the process whilst delivering their uncompromising, dark sound and hard-hitting, intelligent wordplay.

Underoath

Underoath has been a formative voice in progressive, heavy rock for almost two decades. Today, they share their blistering new single “Damn Excuses” out on Fearless Records. This release marks the first new music from Underoath since 2018’s Grammy-nominated full-length, Erase Me, and launches a brand new chapter in the band’s career. “Damn Excuses” was completely self-recorded and produced at guitarist Tim McTague’s studio, Feral Sound, in Tampa, Florida. It evokes the beautiful chaos that so many fans have found special about Underoath for years while still managing to break through new sonic and emotional boundaries.

This far into their storied career, Underoath has unsurprisingly faced their fair share of adversity. Through the trials and tribulations, a commitment to their craft and a sense of accountability rooted in mutual respect for each other has ensured that each new chapter for the band continues to mold their legacy in a positive fashion. With their shared history of remarkable accolades and trying hardships continuing to shape who the individual members are as people, Underoath is still just scratching the surface of what they can accomplish as a band. There are few acts in the annals of rock history that can say their best work is still ahead of them almost two decades into their career. Fortunately, Underoath falls into that category. As the world opens back up in 2021, the band is deeply committed to living up to the high expectations that fans (and themselves) have come to expect for anything associated with the project. It will undoubtedly be something special to witness as this next chapter in the Underoath story manifests.

Drowning Pool

Drowning Pool is a hard rock/nu metal band from Dallas, Texas that rose to prominence while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during Ozzfest. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner, was certified platinum within six months and the video for its first single "Bodies" was frequently aired on various music video channels. After the September 11th attacks the song "Bodies" was infrequently heard on many radio stations due to the sensitivity of those families' loved ones who jumped from the towers. In August 2002 the lead singer of the band, Dave Williams, died in his tour bus of heart failure.

After Williams' death, the band decided to carry on and began searching for a new singer. Kelly Schaefer of Neurotica tried out but failed. Ben Schiegel of Sw1tched said he was turned down, but the band denied that report. The band asked Machine Head vocalist Robert Flynn if he wanted to join, but he politely declined, not being a fan of Drowning Pool to begin with. Rob Zombie contributed vocals to their song "The Man Without Fear", from the Daredevil soundtrack, but he was never in line to be their new vocalist.

In 2003, the band found a new singer in Jason 'Gong' Jones who took place of Dave Williams in the wake of his untimely death. They released the album Desensitized in 2004.

Jason's departure from Drowning Pool was publically announced on June 14, 2005, due to irreconcilable differences. Jones would later join the christian rock band A.M. Conspiracy. Almost immediately, rumours started swirling concerning the new singer's identity, most of them pointing to former SOiL singer Ryan McCombs. Drowning Pool announced that the singer would be formally announced August 25 at the Ozzfest date in Dallas, Texas, where Drowning Pool will do a one off performance on the main stage. On July 20th, website SMNNews received word from close sources that McCombs was indeed the new singer, and that fact was confirmed by McCombs and Drowning Pool alike the next week.

In spring of 2006, Drowning Pool announced that they had parted ways with Wind-Up Records. As of June 30th, Wind-Up's website has been updated to confirm this.

In October 2006, a new song called No More was announced to be released on the Saw III soundtrack, their first track (besides the second version of Rise Up) with Ryan McCombs on vocals.

On February 26, 2007, it was announced that the band has signed a new deal with Eleven Seven Music, after receiving offers from Century Media and Sanctuary Records.[1] It was also confirmed that Drowning Pool will have a new management company, Tenth Street Entertainment, following the group's departure with Paul Bassman of Bass Management.

The band's newest album is, "Full Circle" and was released on July 24th, 2007 nationwide. 2 songs on the album were being produced by Funny Farm Records, owned by Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx and former Beautiful Creatures guitarist DJ Ashba. The remaining tracks have been recorded with Producer Ben Schigel at the Dallas based January Studios.

In January 2008, the band announced that they would be heading out on a North American tour as special guests of Saliva.

Current members

Ryan McCombs - Vocals (2005-Present)

C.J. Pierce - Lead Guitar

Stevie Benton - Bass Guitar

Mike Luce - Drums

Former Members

Dave "Stage" Williams - Vocals (2000-2002)

Jason "Gong" Jones - Vocals (2003-2005)

Jasen Moreno - Vocals (2012-2023)

2) The other Drowning Pool is a diverse ethereal/psychadelic/world/industrial/post-punk act from 1987-1989, which changed its name in 1990 to "Mumbles" and then ceased to exist.

Coheed and Cambria

Ten albums in, something changed for Coheed and Cambria. As singer, guitarist, and master storyteller Claudio Sanchez began plotting out the sci-fi-inspired New York prog legends’ latest, The Father of Make Believe, he found himself writing more directly about his life and, especially, his career. Amid the wailing guitars, cracking drums, and Sanchez’ powerful voice — centering listeners throughout moments placid and pinwheeling — Coheed devotees will still find plenty of character work and references to the lore. But if you’re new here, there’s no homework required to feel our host’s hopes, fears, battles, and triumphs. Of course, you may get drawn in anyway. Coheed — which includes Travis Stever (lead guitar), Josh Eppard (drums), and Zach Cooper (bass) — emerged in the early 2000s wedged between an emo renaissance and a metal revival. While their peers broke hearts and banged heads, they crafted Game of Thrones-level fantasies around their Amory Wars storyline, which unfurls across 78 planets known as Heaven’s Fence. Eight of the band’s albums thus far (plus a small galaxy of comics and novels) live in this space and so does The Father of Make Believe. It’s just that the sky is cracking, revealing the hand behind the scene. In the past, says Sanchez, “I’ve kept the struggles of my life private. When I can’t express myself in words, I express in worlds.” And yet, as he assumes the role of main character, Coheed are yet again finding new ways to bring us into their universe.

$UICIDEBOY$

One look at the underground rap duo known as Suicideboys (styled $UICIDEBOY$) and you won’t’ be surprised that they’re from New Orleans.

Atreyu

Named after the lead character in the fantasy novel “NeverEnding Story”, Atreyu is a metalcore band based in Orange County, California, US, noted for crossing intense screamo stylistics with strong pop sensibilities.

Senses Fail

Senses Fail is an American rock band whose sound encroaches on genre variants ranging from post-hardcore, emo, screamo, and punk. They cite influences that encompass introspective and emotionally bare indie acts like The Promise Ring as well as brazen non-authoritative punk rockers like The Nation of Ulysses.

P.O.D.

Sonny Sandoval (Vocals)

Marcos Curiel (Guitar)

Traa Daniels (Bass)

Wuv Bernardo (Drums)

More than two decades into their career, P.O.D. enjoy the kind of popularity most rock bands would envy. The San Diego quartet continue to be a rock radio staple, with newer songs "Lost in Forever" and "Beautiful" drawing the kind of airplay the band's early hits "Alive," "Youth of the Nation" and "Boom" once did. On the touring front, P.O.D. have performed at the best festivals around the world—to name a few, Download Festival, Hellfest, Rock on the Range, River City Rockfest, Carolina Rebellion, and Aftershock Festival—and have done shows with In This Moment, Prophets of Rage, ShineDown, and Five Finger Death Punch.

However, P.O.D. has built this successful career by never letting themselves be pigeonholed. "If you listen to all of our songs side by side, we don't focus on one style of music," says frontman Sonny Sandoval. "We have reggae songs; we have punk rock songs. We've done jazzy songs. We've mixed in loops and DJs, and we've experimented."

P.O.D.'s tenth studio album, Circles, marks another leap forward. The band members decided to shake up their creative process by collaborating with an L.A.-based production duo called the Heavy, who provided behind-the-scenes musical tweaks, and served as a sounding board for vocal and melodic ideas.

"We started with guitar riffs—more of a core P.O.D sound—and on some of these songs, the Heavy would add ambient stuff to it that just really brightened up the songs," Sandoval said. "Or maybe we changed up a heavy riff and made it more catchy and more hooky. Vocally, there's also a lot of stuff that's going on—even some three-part harmonies, four-part harmonies in certain choruses or verses."

The results are contemporary-sounding without losing any of the band's core sonic signifiers. "Rockin' With The Best" is described by Sandoval as having an "old-school P.O.D. sound, very rap-driven and Beastie Boys-ish" vibe; the reggae-inflected rocker "Always Southern California" has a massive sing-along chorus; and the groove-heavy "Soundboy Killa" is the kind of chugging hip-hop/metal hybrid at which the band excels.

Other songs find P.O.D. pushing themselves into slightly new territory. The midtempo "Dreaming" mixes snaky blues guitar with glacial digital programming, while the Linkin Park-reminiscent "Circles" shows off P.O.D.'s command of dynamics: Moody electronic flourishes, glassy piano and laid-back rapping verses give way to a bridge that explodes with chugging guitars and ferocious drumming.

"This time, we're like, 'Let it sound fresh,'" Sandoval says. "If we have to get these samples, or if we have to bring in an extra keyboard player that can do some loops, we'll figure it out. We decided not to hold back just because we're trying to be so old-school and raw."

Sandoval's long-time collaborators in P.O.D.— lead guitarist Marcos Curiel, bassist Traa Daniels and drummer Wuv Bernardo—were fully on board with this forward progress. "They're some of the most underrated musicians in our genre," Sandoval says of his bandmates. "They're all self-taught musicians. If you listen from demos 26 years ago to now, they just continue to get better and better. They continue to get more creative. My guys are players. They jam, they hear the music, they feel the music. They're musicians first."

This versatility was a big plus on Circles, since P.O.D. didn't have any preconceived notions about what the new music should sound like. But as it turns out, working with the Heavy brought out the best in the band, and gave them a new perspective on their own work. "We've always been so stubborn about writing with people, and we never have," Sandoval says. "This really was us going in a little bit vulnerable. We had an open mindset. But they let us do our thing."

From a lyrical standpoint P.O.D. kept a similar open mind. As per usual, Sandoval didn't scribble ideas in a journal or notebook in advance, with plans to write songs around a set theme. Instead, he let inspiration come to him as the music evolved.

"I'm always writing in the moment," he says. "I don't write down my thoughts and say, 'One day, I'm gonna put this to music.' It's always the music that digs deep and brings out the lyrics and the melody and all that comes with it."

In many cases, Circles turns to optimism for inspiration. The title track addresses trying to get out of an unhealthy cycle in which someone feels stuck, while "Dreaming" envisions seeking out a brighter future even if the present day is tough. Other songs grapple with how to navigate life's biggest challenges. "Home" emerged after Sandoval suddenly lost a close friend who was more like a brother to him. "Fly Away," meanwhile, acknowledges that all of us sometimes struggle, and need to rely on others for help.

"We're looking for answers—and we're going to people to help us get through things—but at the same time, no one's perfect," Sandoval says. "Everybody's going through stuff, and we're all kind of on this same level and the same journey of experience and just trying to figure out our course of life."

Above all, Sandoval always wants P.O.D.'s songs to resonate with listeners on a deeper emotional level, and make people see their lives—or challenges—in a positive light.

"Whatever I happen to be going through at the time, or maybe what the band is going through, or even the public climate at the time, issues come through," he says. "Our ultimate goal is that we can either shed light on these, or we can turn your upside down frown into a smile, or make you laugh, or make you feel good or approach them in a different way."

Being open to new experiences and sounds is just one more way P.O.D. has continued to thrive and reach new fans, even as they keep challenging themselves to become better musicians.

"On Circles, we didn't limit ourselves and say, 'Hey, we need to please the metal crowd, or the hardcore crowd, or the punk crowd,'" Sandoval says. "We just wanted to play and write songs that we hope are relevant and catchy to a new audience—while, at the same time, still being true to ourselves.

"We are touring and making music because it still means something to the people that are coming out to see us, and people that are still listening to our music," he adds. "We're humbled, we're grateful, and we're thankful for people that still enjoy what we're doing."

Alesana

Alesana are a band hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S who formed in 2004. They are famous for their blend of modern day post-hardcore with influences from classic rock bands from The Beatles to Iron Maiden, and they have released four studio albums since their debut E.P in 2005.

Cradle of Filth

This is the official Alcest Bandsintown profile.

Insane Clown Posse

Hallowicked 2024 Tickets On Sale Now!

🔗 https://is.gd/hw24tickets 🎟

https://linktr.ee/insaneclownposse

The Black Dahlia Murder

The Black Dahlia Murder is an American metal band from Waterford, Michigan, formed in 2000 and currently consists of Trevor Strand, Brian Eschbach, Ryan Knight, Max Lavelle and Alan Cassidy.

Alexisonfire

Public Enemy

Three 6 Mafia

Dethklok

Dethklok is a virtual death metal band created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha for the television show Metalocalypse. The band is sometimes cited as an example of "comedy rock" on par with bands such as GWAR or Spinal Tap, though the overtly comedic aspects of the band are usually reserved for show episodes. Dethklok released their first album in 2007, and the music itself is relatively straightforward deth metal. The band's less common typeset moniker, Dëthkløk, includes the heavy metal umlaut. Their debut album, released September 25, 2007, was entitled The Dethalbum. Creator Brendon Small wrote the lyrics and music and also performed the guitar, bass, and vocals; former Death/Dark Angel/Devin Townsend/Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan performed drums on the album. The album debuted at #21 on the Billboard Top 200 list, making it the highest charting death metal album ever. In the summer of 2008, Dethklok, the animated band from Adult Swim's Metalocalypse, hits the road on a 28-city headlining tour kicking off June 2 in Portland, Or. Tommy Blacha (Toki, Murderface) does not participate in the (onstage) band. It's Brendon Small and Mike Keneally (Of Zappa fame) on guitars, Bryan Beller on bass (tours with Steve Vai) and Mean Gene Hoglan (Zimmer's Hole, Strapping Young Lad, The Devin Townsend Band) on drums. On record, Brendon laid down all the guitars and bass

Slaughter To Prevail

Slaughter To Prevail is pushing heavy music to new extremes, delivering unapologetically hard modern metal while smashing expectations, and becoming one of the most talked about bands in heavy music in the process. With over one million monthly Spotify listeners, STP are arguably the highest streaming band in extreme music, a fact further reflected in their live shows. Packing out sizeable venues on their headline shows, the band also draw huge crowds at their festival appearances, and led a record-breaking wall-of-death at last summer’s HELLFEST OPEN AIR.

Slaughter To Prevail’s journey began in the most unlikely of ways—two musicians from completely different worlds. Alex Terrible, forging his monstrous vocals from a small bedroom in the cold, rural Russian city of Yekaterinburg, crossed paths online with guitarist Jack Simmons, who sharpened his craft in a quiet town on the outskirts of Essex, UK. What started as a distant collaboration quickly turned into a brotherhood, as their exchanges of ideas took shape, songs were formed and it became apparent to Jack and Alex that they were on to something special.

When they’re not commanding festival crowds, frontman Alex Terrible is proving his fighting spirit beyond his musical career. Fresh off a brutal 37-second knockout in Russia’s RCC Bare Knuckle—a promotion known for its savage, no-nonsense fights, Alex is in training to sharpen his skills for a bout with Top Dog Bare Knuckle in May, while discussions continue regarding his American debut with Bare Knuckle FC. Whether wrestling bears in Siberia, preparing for fights in the deep South, or bleeding on stage across the rest of the world, Alex thrives in the most unforgiving environments.

With the summer packed with main stage festival performances across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, 2025 is already shaping up to be a career-defining year for Slaughter To Prevail. Their logo now sits high on the world’s biggest festival posters, a reflection of their rapid ascent. This summer, the band will unveil a brand-new live show, reimagining their already punishing performances with a harder-hitting, more visceral production—an experience designed to pull fans deeper into the chaos, making every moment feel explosive and unpredictable.

All of this momentum leads to “Grizzly”, their most anticipated release yet. Featuring the already released singles 'Conflict,' 'Viking,' '1984,' 'Behelit,' and 'Kid of Darkness,' the album is a relentless assault, balancing raw aggression with massive, unforgettable catchiness, with the next single, 'Russian Grizzly In America,' set to be a heavy metal anthem, packed with hooks strong enough to hang a bear from.

This is Slaughter To Prevail’s moment. “Grizzly” is the culmination of everything they have built, a defining record that cements their place at the top of modern heavy music.

Eyes Set To Kill

Eyes Set to Kill have taken the hardcore community by storm with an intense live show and a crushing EP. They unleash a whirlwind of melodic guitar riffs that violently flood into the ears of listeners, emotionally capturing screams, and hypnotizing melodic vocal hooks that seethe with emotion. Originally conceived by as the two piece of consisting of Alexia Rodriguez (Lead Guitar, Vocals), and Anissa Rodriguez (Bass Guitar), this Phoenix, AZ screamo outfit attempted to create a unique sound that would combine the soft, melodic feel of female vocals and gut-wrenching screaming, backed up by powerful instrumentals with a post-hardcore influence. “Having a screamer and a melodic singer has just always been our vision. We wanted to try something different because we didn’t want to be the typical screamo band,” said former singer Lindsey Vogt. “We didn’t try to make our songs a certain sound. We play what we feel.” Searching the local area for talented and dedicated musicians to create this sound the group was frequently ignored and turned down by sexist musicians, despite their obvious talent and potential. The girls were classified, stereotyped, and rejected by the ignorant music scene before their demo was given a mere listen. “People just assumed we were going to be just another chick band that has no musical talent," Vogt said. "Since we were girls, no one took us seriously and assumed that we couldn’t play and write good songs.” After struggling to be heard for what seemed an eternity, the girls found their missing pieces in early 2006 with the addition of Greg Kerwin, (Guitar), Brandon Anderson (Vocals), and Caleb Clifton(Drums) to an already blistering line-up. From there the band would shared stages with the likes of Chiodos, Blessthefall, Goodbye Tomorrow, My American Heart, and Greeley Estates and even did a stint on the Warped Tour. "We booked our first tour this summer completely through MySpace," says Screamer Brandon Anderson about the young band embracing a ‘do it yourself’ work ethic. "The band operates our own MySpace; reply to all comments, messages, and friend requests and does a lot promoting. Our manager made our DVD, music videos and live videos. We do everything on our own and don’t wait around for anyone."

Kublai Khan TX

Texas Metalcore. ‘Exhibition of Prowess’ out now: https://kktx.lnk.to/ExhibitionOfProwess

Finch (US)

Psychostick

Powerglove are a video game metal band from Arlington, Massachusetts. They are an unsigned band currently with two releases, the "Total Pwnage EP" and the "Metal Kombat for the Mortal Man" album. The band plays a variety of heavy metal/speed metal covers of popular video game music such as "Tetris" and "Power Rangers". The band's name comes from the name of a Nintendo product which was worn as a glove to control video games.

Nekrogoblikon

Rivers Of Nihil

Rivers of Nihil have never fit neatly into a box, but with 2018’s Where Owls Know My Name, they transcended all labels applied to them. Returning in 2021 with The Work, they forged further into new territory, once again upending any expectations fans had placed on them. And now, following a new series of singles recorded in early 2023, the band returns with their self-titled album, out May 30 via Metal Blade, a triumphant statement that has once again shattered the ceiling of how far they are willing to go in search of new sonic terrain.

The Reading, Pennsylvania-based progressive death metallers spent 2021 and 2022 burning the candle at both ends with a frenzied tour schedule including headline runs of the U.S. and Europe, a jaunt on the European festival circuit and two runs in support of The Black Dahlia Murder and The Contortionist in North America. But once the latter tour wrapped up, they were short a band member.

For personal reasons, founding member and lead vocalist Jake Dieffenbach and the band went their separate ways. The split took place just three days after the recording of a live video and audio session for Audiotree’s new 'From Nothing' series, which was released on April 20, 2023. And while initially the band wasn't sure how to approach the release with the departure of a founding member and lead singer — or whether to release it at all — they decided to move forward with it to honor Dieffenbach's contributions to the group over the years and mark the beginning of a new chapter.

In March 2023, Rivers of Nihil wrapped up a recording session that saw the now four-piece band birth a considerable amount of new music featuring their previous bassist/backup vocalist Adam Biggs as the new lead vocalist/bassist. This recording session also marked the first appearance of new guitarist Andy Thomas (ex-Black Crown Initiate), whose vocals also play prominently in the music, as a member of Rivers of Nihil. These new singles are the first to showcase the band’s new lineup in full-on collaboration, and demonstrates that while this is a new, brave sound with tons of potential, it also carries the band's classic energy.

Released across all digital platforms on June 15, “The Sub-Orbital Blues,” the first single from those sessions, is about the dichotomy of living in a 21st century society rife with scientific and technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and ever more sophisticated space travel, while also dealing with the increasing threat of old world problems like out of control governments and the looming threat of world war.

The remaining three singles from the April 2023 recording session will be released leading up to the release of the band’s next full-length studio album, which the band is eager to begin work on.

Previous Releases:

2023: Audiotree From Nothing Sessions EP

2021: The Work

2018: Where Owls Know My Name

2015: Monarchy

2013: The Conscious Seed of Light

Find Rivers of Nihil at:

http://www.facebook.com/riversofnihil

http://www.youtube.com/Riversofnihilpa

https://www.instagram.com/riversofnihil/

http://www.twitter.com/riversofnihil

Bodysnatcher

Debut album "Death Of Me" available 11.10.17 via Stay Sick Recordings

Spite

spite.

Haarper

Drain

Anyone who’s seen Drain live has felt it. The electricity coming off of the stage. The communal energy of the fans singing upfront. The primal thrills of fists flying in the moshpit. The uninhibited joy emanating from every banging head, screaming lung, and airborne foot in that room. There’s nothing like a Drain show. There’s no other hardcore band like Drain. The Santa Cruz band is an institution in their genre and an affable neighbor to their adjacent ones. Punks love Drain. Metalheads love Drain. Haters can’t help but love Drain. Drain is for everyone. Well, venue security guards might not love Drain. But to everyone else: Drain…Is Your Friend.

Drain -- frontman Sammy Ciaramitaro, guitarist Cody Chavez, and drummer Tim Flegal -- formed back in 2014 and cut their teeth in Santa Cruz’s fertile DIY hardcore scene. COVID lockdown couldn’t stop their 2020 debut, California Cursed, from making waves, and their 2023 follow-up, Living Proof, hit the hardcore scene like a Cali beach during hurricane season -- a torrential classic. Since then, Drain have blazed through hundreds of shows worldwide: headlining festivals, taking their friends and heroes on tour, and even playing arenas with Blink-182. Regardless of whether they're opening for pop-punk jukeboxes like Neck Deep or grabbing the stage-dive torch from Terror, Drain’s only goal is to make the crowd go buckwild.

“We call the shots for these 30 minutes,” Ciaramitaro beams excitedly while describing Drain’s nightly ritual. “I’m the boss and I’m gonna turn this place into a warzone. We’re ripping shit up, we’re breaking shit, but it’s coming from a good place in our hearts. People are feeling alive and we’re sharing this energy back and forth.”

With their third full-length album and second for Epitaph Records, …Is Your Friend, Drain had two primary goals in mind: to capture their quintessential live essence on recording, and to write new songs that’ll make their next shows even crazier. Their previous albums were written before Drain were on the road all year, and they spent the last few hundred nights onstage making note of which songs their fans respond best to. …Is Your Friend is designed to maximize their audience’s shit-losing abilities. Its 10-song tracklist includes the heaviest mosh parts, the catchiest choruses, the tastiest thrash riffs, and the most scream-able lyrics Drain have ever written. Producer Jon Markson (The Story So Far, Drug Church, One Step Closer) tracked the whole album live -- 100% real-time drums, no metronome, no programmed bullshit. It sounds the way Drain were always meant to: crisp, serrated, animated.

“There are a few moments that we call the Drain push and pull,” says Ciaramitaro, who played bass on this record for the first time in Drain’s history. “I’m pretty sure every one of these songs gets a little faster before the chorus. Just because we’re feeling it, it’s fucking happening right now. It feels alive.”

Drain are a group of best friends playing at the top of their game, and …Is Your Friend flexes their instinctive chemistry. Therefore, it made sense for Ciaramitaro to take a similar approach while writing the album’s lyrics. Instead of intently scribbling his words into a notepad like on previous Drain records, the frontman put the pen down and freestyled many of the album’s subjects off the dome. The words flowed easily because so much has happened to Ciaramitaro since California Cursed, both within the band and on a personal level. Ciaramatiro got married. Drain became a full-time touring machine. So many of their wildest dreams became everyday occurrences. However, every coin has its flipside, and Drain’s success hasn’t come without its disadvantages. The trio are spending less time at home with family, losing touch with longtime friends, and occasionally feeling weird energy from people who treat them like they’ve changed just because their band has grown.

…Is Your Friend takes stock of both the good and the bad. In the bouncy banger “Nights Like These,” Ciaramatiro pauses to cherish the lifelong goals that have become Drain’s average Tuesday: leveling a 1,000-capacity room, hopping in the van with their dearest pals, and motoring off to the next city while commencing their version of a rowdy night on tour. “Basically, it’s like a seventh grade sleepover, but we’re 30-year-old men,” Ciaramitaro quips. In the thrashy “Nothing But Love,” Ciaramitaro gives Drain’s fairweather friends the middle finger while simultaneously taking the high road: “There’s room for all of us to win/just worry about yourself and stop watching my fucking pockets,” he barks.

”I want to be a good person,” Ciaramitaro says. “But sometimes I’m like, ‘you know what? Fuck these guys!’”

There couldn’t be a better visual representation of that thematic dichotomy than …Is Your Friend’s cover art. The visual depicts the band’s iconic kewpie mascot lounging back on a beach chair, grinning into the sunlight while an angel and a devil hover above each shoulder, taunting Drain’s cartoon protagonist with two opposing paths. “That little kewpie character is exactly where I personally want to be,” Ciaramitaro says. “There’s good, there’s bad, and then there's me in the middle just tuning out all the bullshit, listening to music and trying to vibe exactly where I am. Also, the art is just sick, dude. Devils, angels -- kind of badass.”

The cover art also illustrates where Drain see themselves on a macro level. Not on either side of the punk/metal spectrum; not entirely posi-core nor one-dimensionally brooding; not just for scene newbies and not just for grizzled pit veterans. But right at the center of it all. For anyone who’s ever felt it, for everyone who wants to.

“My favorite thing right now is for someone to say, ‘I’ve never heard of you but I’m excited to see you play,’” Ciaramitro says. “This band is for everybody. We’re not different from you, we’re not going to treat anybody different than us. I’m gonna give the same respect to the kid at his first show as I will to the dude from the really cool band in that city. No one’s too cool at the Drain show.”

The title puts a bow on it. …Is Your Friend is a slogan that Drain have been printing on merch since they were playing to 15 people on a floor. Over the years, Drain have gotten bigger, their crowds have gotten more diverse, and their music has become more eclectic. But Ciaramitaro underscores what this album makes abundantly clear: their founding ethos remains unchanged. “Drain is your friend, Drain was your friend, Drain will forever be your friend.”

PeelingFlesh

Silly Goose

Paleface Swiss

Flytjendur