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DWI104 End of a Year "You Are Beneath Me" Format: CD, LP, Digital Your favorite band’s favorite band, Cohoes New York’s End of a Year enjoys a distinct renown within the punk community. Well-respected and critically lauded but difficult and idiosyncratic, the band has done things their way almost to a fault. Eschewing sing-alongs and easy anthems in favor of personal lyrics, End of a Year stands apart from their contemporaries in punk and hardcore. Their strangely tense guitar-work framed within otherwise hook laden songs lends the band an unmistakable sound. Opting to be heavy in emotional rather than heavy in sound. After first gaining attention through a full-length on seminal hardcore label Revelation Records, End of a Year took to the 7”EP format with a rare zeal. The result was EP’s and splits from a dozen labels in half-a-dozen countries. Genuinely uninterested in genres and expectations, End of a Year released these records on a wide variety of labels while touring the world over. Building on the post everything sound they’ve continued to pioneer, End of a Year returns to the full-length format with boundless creative energy. “You Are Beneath Me” is the band’s most focused work to date. Expanding greatly on the recent 7"EP material they’ve built their name on. Dense and anxiety-ridden, “You Are Beneath Me” approaches punk in a hyper-personal and singularly artistic manner. Not afraid to be confrontational, honest, and pure in every way. Proving that End of a Year continue to be a true breath of fresh air in today's independent music world. First press 300 - Opaque Yellow 700 - Opaque Cyan 1000 - Opaque Magenta
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DWI80 United Nations "Nevermind The Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures" Format: 7"EP, Digital Shipping now from the DW Estore, order now!!! United Nations is a frantic and frenetic hardcore/punk band. Originally rumored to be a project founded by veterans from Thursday, GlassJaw, Converge and more, United Nations' existence and subsequent recordings have been cloaked in confusion since their rumored inception. On the heels of the release of their debut full length on the Eyeball label in 2008, the United Nations Organization (UNO) shut down the band's pages on Social networking sites worldwide. The band was also forced to alter their debut album's cover, sighting retail stores refusal to carry the title with controversial artwork. This informational blackout further added to the aura of mystery surrounding the band, allowing them to grow stronger amidst the chaos. 2010 brings the release of "Nevermind The Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures", the second alleged release from the band. "Nevermind..." is a spastic and violent four song explosion that brings to mind the bygone days of the mid-1990's "screamo" sub-genre. A poignant musical missile meant to sink today's safe and predictable musical establishment. First Press 300 - White 700 - Pink 1000 - Yellow
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DWI101 Starkweather "This Sheltering Night" Format: CD, LP, Digital Starkweather was formed in 1989 with founders Todd Forkin on guitar, Harry Rosa on drums, and Rennie Resmini on vocals. Even in their embryonic stage their unique collective vision was lethal. Starkweather's progressive metal precision, Hardcore grit, and Avante Garde experimentalism coalesced into one awe inspiring musical force. After releasing a demo cassette through the then fledging tape trading circuit, Starkweather unleashed their 1991 debut album "Crossbearer" onto the masses. The release became an instant crossover classic, exerting far reaching influence over the hardcore/metal world of the day. "Crossbearer" paved the way for the hardcore/metal hybrids that dominate today's music community, ultimately changing the course of heavy music as we know it. Throughout the nineties, sporadic live shows and hard to find 7"EP/Split releases and compilation appearances only added to their ever growing mysterious aura. All of it fuel to the flames of fanaticism for their followers. In 1995, Starkweather surfaced again to release their "Into The Wire" album on the Edison Recording label (also early home to Coalesce, Overcast, Converge, and more). The release once again cemented the band's reputation as visionaries, delving deeper musically and lyrically than any bands before them. Soon after they released a sought after split 7"EP with Season To Risk, and even contributed a track to the celebrated "Definitely Not The Majors" compilation before entering into a hibernation, or so it seemed... For nearly a decade, Starkweather flew just below the radar. More importantly they flew below the metallic hardcore explosion that was taking place on the grid. Not interested in running with any pack or being part of any scene, Starkweather veered and ventured out into the darkness, alone. Like the animal they are, Starkweather would still need to feed. The band made occasional live show and festival appearances before unleashing their stunning "Croatoan" album on the Candlelight and Hypertension labels in 2006. The album was ultimately celebrated by fans of all sub-genres of heavy music and considered one of the best of 2006 by countless critics worldwide. Now after four long years, Starkweather have emerged from the darkness to bring you their latest full length opus "This Sheltering Night". "This Sheltering Night" is a dizzying eleven song journey of unimaginable metallic twists and turns, Featuring mesmerizing soundscapes from Sophia Perennis and Oktopus (dalek) alongside traditional Starkweather efforts, "This Sheltering Night" is as brutal and as dynamic as aggressive music can be. Songs like "Broken From Inside" roll and mutate from crushing metallic riffs and into the serene. While songs like "Epiphany" and "Martyring" show a band as a giant at the height of their complex musical and lyrical power. Without question, after 20 years of progression and isolation, Starkweather stand alone as the heavy music world's true apex predator. First Press 300 - Blue & White mix 700 - Opaque Blue 1000 - White
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DWI107 Narrows / Heiress "Split" Format: 7"EP, Digital Narrows and Heiress team up to bring you a split 7"EP of catastrophic proportions. Narrows offer up two brand new songs, the perfect brutal follow up to their highly celebrated "New Distances" album. These songs show the band progressing passed their project stages, finding their stride along side the other elite level aggressive bands out there today. Heiress offer their own brand of intensity and feature longtime hardcore/metal vocalist John Pettibone (Himsa, Botch, Undertow) at the helm. Their approach is nothing short of monstrous. A metal/hardcore hybrid that is dark, discordant and uniquely unpredictable. The perfect creative new chapter for some of Seattle's most interesting and dedicated artists. First press: 115 - Opaque Pink 125 - Opaque Green 541 - Clear
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DWI76 Integrity "The Blackest Curse" Format: CD, LP, Digital Integrity have been surrounded by myth, controversy, and legend for much of their almost 20 year existence. Along with fellow Cleveland monsters Ringworm, they are responsible for laying the foundation for metallic hardcore as we know it. Not only dictating, but literally defining the wave of musical darkness that continuously influences those at the forefront of the aggressive music scene. You can hear their direct influence in bands like Rot In Hell, Rise And Fall, Converge, Hatebreed, and more. After releasing classic albums on other labels, Integrity triumphantly returned to the spotlight in 2003 with their "To Die For" CD on Deathwish. "To Die For" recording was a true reclamation of the throne for the band. Produced and engineered by Ben Schigel (Ringworm, Mushroomhead), the collection of eight blood boiling songs served as a musical progression, all the while embracing the approach of their influential past. After the release of "To Die For", Integrity toured Europe and the United States, eventually falling into a sort of restless hibernation. From that point on they only surfaced for the occasional festival or "one-off" show appearance. All of that changed two years later when Dwid Hellion assembled his new incarnation of the band featuring both Jochum brothers (Mike now being joined by Nate on drums), as well as "To Die For" era bassist Steve Rochourst (Ringworm, etc.). Soon Integrity began crafting ideas for what was to become "The Blackest Curse". The process was methodical and slow going, with members being divided between two continents. However after years on end of refining the material, the fiends convened in Belgium and began laying down tracks for the album. Though these initial sessions were a creative success for Integrity, due to time limitations they were left incomplete, forcing the material to lay dormant. Fast forward to 2008; Integrity once again woke from their slumber, this time to tour Europe alongside longtime friends Converge, and Coliseum. This tour introduced the band to a whole new generation of aggressive music listeners. Following this momentum, the band then released their "Walpurgisnacht" 7"EP on A389/Magic Bullet Records. As importantly, this stirring also rekindled the fire under "The Blackest Curse" project, with vocalist Dwid Hellion recording the final vocals for the album in his home studio. And now almost five years later, the curse has finally been cast..."The Blackest Curse" is the new album from legends, Integrity. A ten headed beast of an album, "The Blackest Curse" is arguably the most cohesive Integrity release of the last fifteen years. With the first crushing chords of "Process of Illumination" it's apparent that Integrity are back in true form, following the metal/hardcore hybrid blueprint they forged themselves over two decades ago. The blitzkrieg bombardment of songs like "Learn To Love The Lie" and "Through The Shadows of Forever" is unrelenting, while speed demons like "Simulacra" and "Spiderwoven" are as uniquely frenzied as a metallic hardcore can get. It's not all aural brutality though, as "The Blackest Curse" proves that the root of their evil can morph into all shapes and sizes. Songs like "Before The World Was Young" and "Take Hold of Forever" showcase Integrity's trademark melodious moments as well as their dark experimental tendencies. With "The Blackest Curse" Integrity never stray from their chosen artistic path. And like the few other legacy bands in existence (Motorhead, etc.), they don't ever need to. Their formulaic cohesive vision is why "The Blackest Curse" is truly another brilliant album, adding to their intriguing and bizarre legacy. A reign that still, after over twenty years, continues to demand a cult like devotion that is "Holy Terror" to the very core. First Press 300 - Transparent Red 700 - White 1000 - Clear
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DWI72 Converge "Jane Doe" Format: Deluxe Gatefold 2XLP Originally released during the turbulent times in September 2001, "Jane Doe" was one of the darkest, bleakest, and most punishing acts of musical emoting ever committed to tape. "Jane Doe" took Converge's musical aggression, creativity and penchant for artistic nihilism-as-therapy to unparalleled emotional depths. While unmistakably Converge in sound, it reached harsher and more emotionally draining levels of abuse, relenting on, but not entirely abandoning, technical precision to focus on emotional upheavals and an all-or-nothing buffeting. In the end, aggressive music would never be the same, as this 12-step conceptual journey of despair and loss, raised the bar musically and visually for the genre forever. Later this year, Deathwish (under exclusive license from EVR) will reissue the classic "Jane Doe" album on vinyl format. Available or the first time in over 6 years, this 2XLP will be specially packaged in a Deluxe Gatefold sleeve and will be accompanied by a stunning 28 page full size booklet. The release will also feature a variety of vinyl color variations, appealing to collectors and audiophiles alike. First Press 150 - Red / Gold Swirl 440 - Clear Gold 1305 - Clear Red 2000 - White 550 - Clear Gold / White Swirl (Exclusive band color) 560 - Clear Green (Exclusive Equal Vision color)
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DWI97 Acid Tiger "Self Titled" Format: CD, LP, Digital Acid Tiger are a Brooklyn based progressive rock/punk hybrid, featuring Converge/United Nations drummer Ben Koller, and guitarist Lukas Previn (United Nations, Thursday, The A.K.A.s) among their ranks. With an energetic sway and swagger Acid Tiger effortlessly meld together a wide variety of tested influences into one truly unique and awesome animal. Recorded and engineered by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios, Acid Tiger's self titled debut is about as eclectic and vibrant as they come. Drive Like Jehu/Hot Snakes vocal sass, All/Descendents influenced fretboard gymnastics and drumming, and the soulful darkness of The Cult and Murder City Devils are all apparent in their collective roar. All of it executed with a passion and fervor that is inspiring, captivating, and dare we say, fun? First Press 100 - Transparent Blue 400 - Blue & Purple mix 500 - Black
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