SORCERER
RECORD: Devotion
RELEASED: 04|19|2024
LABEL: Frozen Records
COLOUR | EDITION: Clear With Turquoise Splatter | Limited to 150
FAVORITE TRACKS: Badlands / Devotion / In The Arms Of Mortality / Fortress / The Bell Jar
PURCHASED: Former EU Deathwish Shop – now Force Majeur
BAND DISCOVERED
Once again, Deathwish’s promotion did the trick. The Paris-based band Sorcerer originally released their debut album Devotion through Delivrance Records, with subsequent pressings handled by Frozen Records. Both the announcement and the visually striking cover immediately caught my attention. The band’s blend of modern heavy hardcore, old-school metalcore, and deeply emotional emo influences completely sealed the deal and made the purchase an easy decision. The result is an absolutely crushing and outstanding record.
BESIDES THAT
The album also features guest appearances from members of Guilt Trip and Glassbone. It was produced by Amaury Sauvé, whose impressive résumé also includes work with Birds in Row.
WISH
Hopefully, my wish to see this band live will come true soon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they’ll be booked for Revolution Rising Festival 2027 in Eindhoven.
MILITARIE GUN
Live performance at Elevator Music – premiered in July 2026.
00:00 Intro
00:07 Kick
03:31 God Owes Me Money
06:56 B A D I D E A
08:51 Thought You Were Waving
11:55 Throw Me Away
GRIDIRON
RECORD: Poetry From Pain
RELEASED: 05|30|2025
LABEL: Blue Grape Music
COLOUR | EDITION: Magenta Canary Yellow/Black | Limited Edition (pressing quantity unknown)
FAVORITE TRACKS: Mascot / Best Served Cold / Tombstone / Poetry From Pain / Roses / Talk Real
PURCHASED: Underdog Recordstore
BAND DISCOVERED
Gridiron had crossed my radar a few times before – mostly through social media and occasional festival lineups. But I never really took the time to check them out. That changed almost by accident at Outbreak Festival in Manchester. During a break between other bands, we wandered over to catch Gridiron. Boom! The Pennsylvania outfit’s rap-infused hardcore hit like a freight train. The grooves were crushing, the rhythms pounded straight to the core, and it was an absolute blast from start to finish. The same goes for their latest full-length album, Poetry From Pain, released in 2025. It’s groovy from start to finish, packed with crushing riffs and infectious rhythms. Their most recent release, the single/EP Lights Out, is just as impressive – if anything, it’s even a touch more accessible without sacrificing any of the band’s trademark heaviness.
BESIDES THAT
Now I just need to track down their 2022 debut, No Good at Goodbyes. Right now, though, it looks like I’ll have to hope for a repress.
Where Is My Tape Deck? – Volume 2
–> Link for 90min Playlist – Mixtape Volume 2
This is the second playlist in an occasional series that pays tribute to the days when I used to sit in front of the stereo making mixtapes. Like the first one, it brings together a selection of artists and bands featured on this blog, compiled with a small nostalgic touch.
That is, after all, the story behind the name „WHERE IS MY TAPE DECK?“.
thistle.
RECORD: backflip
RELEASED: 05|29|2026
LABEL: REX RECS
COLOUR | EDITION: Transparent Cloudy White | Limited to 300
FAVORITE TRACKS: Pylon / Tied / Mean Eye / City, Name
PURCHASED: Merch table at Outbreak Fest 2026
BAND DISCOVERED
After discovering and falling in love with thistle.’s debut EP, I was even more excited when the band was announced for this year’s Outbreak Festival in Manchester. Perfectly timed for the festival in June, they released their new EP, backflip, packed with more immersive, grungy tracks. From start to finish, it’s an incredibly engaging record, striking a great balance between melodic songwriting and crushing riffs. That made buying the EP directly from the band’s merch table pretty much mandatory. I managed to grab a copy just in time – about five minutes before they packed everything up and headed off to their next show.
BESIDES THAT
Apparently, my wishes were heard. When I wrote about their debut EP it’s nice to see you, stranger, I hoped they’d eventually announce some tour dates outside the UK. Just kidding, of course. Either way, that wish has now come true: this November, they’ll be playing a string of shows across Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, and France as the opening act for Wilt. Sometimes, buying a concert ticket for the support band alone is absolutely worth it. So, thanks for the brief chat at the merch table, Cameron. See you in Cologne.
SEKO
BAND DISCOVERED
Most likely thanks to the whole Milly bubble, I stumbled upon the band Seko. A bittersweet consolation, considering that Milly recently called it quits. Milly singer Brendan Dyer plays drums in Seko, and the sound of the band around Justice Vaughn Ott treads similar ground to Milly. The trio is completed by bassist Marlon Mara LeNoble. The newly released EP Seko 1000 sounds absolutely spot-on to my ears. Extended riffs, a grunge attitude, and a shoegazing touch – the band’s style and the sound simply fit my listening habits perfectly.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
fuzzy | raw | introspective
BESIDES THAT
The band has pressed an initial run of just 200 copies on vinyl. One of the best things about small bands is how easy and personal the communication is. Right now, I’m in touch with Justice to figure out how we can get a copy of the record over to Germany. Fingers crossed that we can make it happen.
WISH
More attention, more success, and even more records. And someday, a tour with a stop in Cologne – joking. But all wishful thinking aside: I simply hope the band gets seen.
