JUST ANNOUNCED! August 9th and 10th at 529, A. Rippin' Production celebrates 5 years of strained necks, ringing ears, and almost 500 shows with a weekend birthday bash!

The world is waiting… It’s ready now… So are you ready?

HIGH SPIRITS wants to know! Because the band is more than ready to share with you its exhilarating new album “Motivator” set for release on 16th September 2016 via High Roller Records. Here’s one album you definitely should judge by the cover: “Motivator” is fast, colorful, uplifting, and going far! It also marks the 500th release in the High Roller Records catalog (HRR500), a sure indication that the band and label alike are proud of their hard work and shared success to date.

When asked about High Spirits’ popularity, founder Chris once joked, “I don’t know! I expected this to be a ‘demos-were-better’ band!” It’s true that the self-titled 2009 demos collection may have caused a minor sensation, originally self-released as a plain white-label LP and sold at the first High Spirits show, which was in August of 2009. A European vinyl release via High Roller Records followed a few months later, and the white-label version is of course a nice rarity nowadays. Occasional Hometown shows in Chicago plus DIY tours of the USA in 2010 and again in 2011 turned out to be a lot of fun indeed, and meanwhile the first studio album was underway.

The album was titled “Another Night”, and upon its August 2011 release, the response quickly built to a rousing cheer. High Spirits and High Roller had a fantastic surprise: everyone seemed to love this album! It felt really good! By 2012, demand was “high” to see the band live in Europe. In May of 2012, High Spirits made its European debut at Rock Hard Festival, followed by two exclusive club gigs in Germany and then Muskelrock Festival in Sweden. By 2013, the band’s word-of-mouth fanbase was growing rapidly. High Roller met the demand with successive pressings of “Another Night” LPs, and the band delivered another run of European gigs, culminating in the long-awaited finale at Keep It True Festival. High Spirits then capped 2013 with an explosive hometown show and began work on the follow-up studio album.

Released in April of 2014, “You Are Here” was a sharper batch of songs compared to the debut. It showcased the more commercial side of High Spirits’ songwriting and also incorporated the raw energy of its live show to a greater extent. Response from the press and the record-buying public was enthusiastic, and the band’s audience continued to grow. Airplay on National Public Radio (NPR) in the USA was once again a fantastic surprise: although High Spirits remained fully rooted in the DIY practices of the independent music world, its appeal (and recognition) had officially extended beyond those borders.

During 2014 and 2015, the band undertook its most intense touring schedule to date, visiting unexplored parts of Europe, Canada, and the USA, as well as returning to places where support was already strong. In 2015 alone, the band performed at seven festivals in six countries! It was an exciting year that left the band feeling very grateful and also wondering what new adventures the future would bring. Songwriting for a third album had begun as early as May of 2014, and with intermittent studio sessions between tours, High Spirits had a finished album in hand at the beginning of 2016.

“Motivator” features High Spirits at its highest-energy, fully-powered best. It’s an upbeat, athletic record, incorporating all of the band’s characteristic musical dynamics and pushing them to the limit. The sound design is authentic, organic, yet richly detailed. And when it comes to the lyrics, the listener will no doubt notice that the album is nearly autobiographical, inspired by the band’s experiences in recent years and offering a potent dose of motivation (of course) for the days, nights, and years to come. High Spirits has never sounded so accessible yet so removed from the norms of modern-day rock music.

“Motivator” will be preceded in August by the single “Take Me Home”, which the band describes as “one of the more atmospheric cuts”, followed by the full album release on 16th September. High Spirits then will be back on tour in October, driven by what just might be their liveliest batch of songs yet, happily headed wherever the road (and skies) take them next.

Are you on board? ‘Cause here we go!

Lazer/Wulf is an instrumental metal trio, which sometimes includes vocals. No, let's start over.

It's a funk group with thrash roots. Or a jazz trio with sludge issues. Whatever it is, it's not the easiest thing to describe, which makes it that much easier to love. Just ask the band's rabidly devoted following.

Formed in the diverse and devoted music scene of Athens, GA, where every possible genre not only exists but actively co-exists, Lazer/Wulf learned to disregard genre conventions for the sake of an compelling performance and honest songwriting. It's thrash, it's math-rock, it's fusion and crust punk and doom and funk in 7/8 – but the seams between them aren't just hidden; they're simply not there. The Wulves are an ongoing experiment in making stylistic conflict a non-conflicting listen, cooking diverse, often adverse, ingredients into an exhilarating whole.

Circumstantially, it's heavy as hell, and tends to unify audiences with how simply fun it all is, even as it toes the line between "challenging listen" and "utter alienation."

To put it another way; imagine a giant trampoline rigged to explode. It's fun for everybody, but likely to kill you at any moment.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I sat down to listen to Gunpowder Gray’s latest EP, Premonition, which I suppose is a bit ironic given the title. However, from the moment I pressed play I knew exactly what kind of music I was going to hear, and I couldn’t have been happier. This is unabashed rock and roll. Over five roaring tracks, Premonition touches on many of the classic themes of heavy metal — hell, blood, fire, Marshall stacks cranked to 11. The EP does not waste time with love ballads or emotional breakouts; instead, it immediately tosses the listener into the pits of hell and incessantly batters them with infectious hooks and massive riffs. The crushing guitars, violent drums, and soaring vocals are reminiscent of metal giants like Danzig and Motörhead, while the modern production keeps the EP feeling fresh and exciting. While some might see it is a weakness, the most refreshing part of Premonition is that Gunpowder Gray the band doesn’t try to re-envision the genre or break new ground. These guys understand their sources, they know the type of songs they want to write, and they absolutely knock it out of the park with seldom heard ferocity. In short, these are the kinds of songs that you’ll love to blast when you’re driving through the desert with a dozen cop cars trailing behind. It awakens the rebel inside of all of us, and that’s a pretty rare thing to find in modern music. Premonition is available now on cassette and digital via Boris Records. -Immersive Atlanta

Dedicated to honoring the spirit and fire of the original Maiden - performing songs solely from the DiAnno era

Deep within the Hyperborean mists there lies a pale blue light. It is the light of a flame whose embers have been smoldering long and low, awaiting the day when it will engulf the sky in brilliant and terrible cerulean Aurora. That day has come. Vimur is a black metal band from the American South. Despite its hot, humid origins, Vimur's sound has a layer of icy frost seemingly shipped straight from the Arctic circle. Vimur was founded in 2006 as the singular musical vision of Vaedis, who spent several years writing music and developing his ability on drums so he could execute the compositions forming in his mind. In 2009, the first full length was recorded solely by Vaedis but was scrapped after not measuring up to his elite standards. An extremely limited demo was released in the Fall of 2010. Over 2010-2011 Vaedis revisited the debut album and with honed instrumental chops was able to re-record the material at a much higher level of prowess. Vaedis waited to unleash this record until he could form a live ensemble who could truly capture its power
and atmosphere. Many auditioned, but none were worthy until Kiehüle joined as bassist/co-writer. Two years would pass before a drummer of the proper caliber could be recruited; Ætheøs brought the unstoppable thrust that Vimur's sound demanded. Shortly after, Australis joined the ranks on guitar and the live line-up was complete, allowing Vimur to begin playing captivating live performances. In 2014, Vimur released a second demo with two studio recordings from the full length and three live recordings featuring the full band. At the end of 2014, the debut full length "Traversing the Ethereal Current" finally saw official release on Shades of Nyx records, and Vimur immediately set out on tour over the Northeast and Midwest to support the album. In 2015 an exemplary live tape, featuring individually handpainted artwork, was released by Ritual Ugliness Productions. Vimur continues to write and perform nationally with imminent plans to return to the studio.