These artists join previously announced Orchid (reunion), Burning Love (reunion), Emma Ruth Rundle, 40 Watt Sun. Liturgy, Mike Scheidt (of Yob), Tomb Mold, KEN Mode, Dreamwell, Mares of Thrace, Marissa Nadler, Odonis Odonis, Planning for Burial, RAGANA (performing Desolation’s Flower), Sunrot, Terminal Nation, Thantifaxath, Uniform, Yellow Eyes (performing Immersion Trench Reverie), Forn, Tribunal, Vile Creature, and more.

Prepare the Ground is a new community focused arts & heavy music festival taking place May 31 – June 2, 2024 across multiple venues in Toronto, Ontario – the first of its kind in the city. The festival was founded by two lifelong friends, Denholm Whale of independent concert promoter Transmit Presents and KW Campol of music management company Mythos & the Perpetual Flame Ministries record label & art house.

Drawing inspiration from European festival stalwarts like Roadburn, Sonicboom, and Amplifest, Prepare the Ground is focused on heavy music as an ethos of collective catharsis more than a dedication to one specific metal subgenre. From burgeoning artists, to favorites you never thought would reunite, to one-off full album sets, a heavily curated and meticulously planned lineup is the festival’s key component.

SIngle day passes and lineups are now available as well as a small final allotment of Three day passes. In addition to those passes there are also 200 passes available solely for the Saturday, June 1 Orchid reunion show which allows a person to only go to that show.

Check out the full list of artists below the poster below….

Full list of artists playing Prepare the Ground:
ORCHID (reunion)
EMMA RUTH RUNDLE
BURNING LOVE (reunion / final show)
LITURGY
KONTRAVOID
40 WATT SUN (SOLO)
KEN MODE
MARISSA NADLER
DEAD TIRED
UNIFORM
PLANNING FOR BURIAL
ODONIS ODONIS
VILE CREATURE
PLACK BLAGUE
THANTIFAXATH
RAGANA (performing Desolation’s Flower)
YELLOW EYES (performing Immersion Trench Reverie)
THIS IS HELL
MIKE SCHEIDT (of Yob)
TOMB MOLD
BODY VOID
SUNROT
VOLUR
MARES OF THRACE
TRIBUNAL
CONCAVITY
DREAMWELL
OBROA-SKAI
JETSAM
WITCHING
TERMINAL NATION
VYVA MELINKOLYA
UNWELL (Chris Colohan of Cursed / Burning Love solo debut)
THEY GRIEVE
GREBER
DROWSE
SKIN
DEATH KNEEL
MOSS HARVEST
BOTFLY
HELLISH REBUKE
SEA
EXTINCTION A.D.
CINDER WELL
FORN
AMULETS
DISMAL AURA
MINUSCULE
DBOY
ADA ROOK
CHAINED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN
RESPIRE
TUNIC
MAGGOT HEART
BLEEDING OUT
AMARIOR
NORTH OF AMERICA
SHREWD
MAT BALL

Important Links

Weekend Pass & Single Day DICE.FM
Official Website www.preparetheground.com
Instagram @preparethegroundtoronto
Twitter @ptgtoronto
Facebook @preparethegroundtoronto

TOUR DATES

March 20 – Los Angeles
March 21/22 – Portland (March Into Fantasy)
March 23 – Seattle
March 24 – Chicago
March 25 – Pittsburgh
March 26 – Philadelphia
March 27 – NYC
March 29/30 – Worcester (Northeast Dungeon Siege)

Follow Quest Master on Bandcamp.

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From the fest:

Prepare the Ground is a new community focused arts & heavy music festival taking place May 31 – June 2 2024 across multiple venues in Toronto, Ontario – the first of its kind in the city. The festival was founded by two lifelong friends, Denholm Whale of independent concert promoter Transmit Presents and KW Campol of music management company Mythos & the Perpetual Flame Ministries record label & art house. Drawing inspiration from European festival stalwarts like Roadburn, Sonicboom, and Amplifest, Prepare the Ground is focused on heavy music as an ethos of collective catharsis more than a dedication to one specific metal subgenre. From burgeoning artists, to favorites you never thought would reunite, to one-off full album sets, a heavily curated and meticulously planned lineup is the festival’s key component.  Over 60 acts will descend on downtown Toronto’s core, taking place in 5 venues over 3 days, including Phoenix Theatre, Lee’s Palace, the Garrison, the Baby G, and Bar Orwell. The initial lineup announcement includes sets from 40 Watt Sun, Emma Ruth Rundle, Ragana (performing Desolation’s Flower), Planning for Burial, & the reunion / final show of Toronto’s own Burning Love. Three day passes will allow for access to every show at every venue, capacity permitting, while single day tickets will allow full access for that specific day.  Early bird weekend passes are on sale now priced at $128.03 CAD (Taxes & Fees Incl), with the three day pass price set to rise with our second announcement in December & single day tickets available in January 2024. We cannot wait to see you in downtown Toronto May 31 weekend.

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Early Bird Weekend Pass DICE.FM

Official Website www.preparetheground.com

Instagram @preparethegroundtoronto

Twitter
@ptgtoronto

Facebook
@preparethegroundtoronto

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TOUR DATES:

September 1 – Scorched Tundra, Chicago, IL*

September 19 – No Class, Cleveland, OH

September 20 – Grim Wizard, Pittsburgh, PA

September 21 – Brimminghorn Meadery, Milton, DE

September 22 – O‘Briens, Boston, MA

September 23 – Genos, Portland, ME

September 24 – Rosen Krown, Rochester, NY

*without Vintergrav

Way before Maryland Deathfest and other U.S. metal festival that have popped up in recent years, Milwaukee Metal Fest was a gathering place for metalheads who got to witness now-legendary lineups in the unlikely location of Wisconsin. Started in the late 80s by Jack Koshick, the fest went down in flames in the mid 2000s, but is now back thanks to Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta who acquired the rights from Jack last year (Jamey has said that the idea came during a conversation he had with the late Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder, another passionate music fan.)

MMF officially happens across four indoor & outdoor stages on May 26-28 at The Rave / Eagles Club (in Milwaukee, duh). The lineup recently solidified and includes The Black Dahlia Murder who are now playing as a tribute to Trevor. Crowbar is on the lineup celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 1993 self-titled album, and Lamb of God headline the Sunday playing a special set to celebrate 20 years of their third LP, As the Palaces Burn.

Other names on the lineup include Dark Angel, Napalm Death, Dying Fetus, Goatwhore, Midnight, Defeated Sanity, Obituary, Immolation, Corrosion of Conformity, Suicidal Tendencies, Shadows Fall, Fear Factory, Machine Head, Cephalic Carnage, Gatecreeper, Jungle Rot, Frozen Soul and so much more. Biohazard headline Friday (5/26), playing their first US show back with their classic lineup. Anthrax headlines Saturday (5/27). Check out the full lineup in the poster below, and get your ticket.

Other names on the poster include Vio-lence, Khemmis, Deeds of Flesh, Warbringer, Putrid Pile, Morbid Saint, Imperial Triumphant, Impaler, Allegaeon, Misfire, Toxic Ruin, Disinter, GOST, Age of the Fallen, Squidhammer, Mantra of Morta, Terror, Raven, Misery Index, Macabre, Frozen Soul, Undeath, Ripper, Blood Incantation, Malignancy, Swollen Teeth, Micawber, Rose Funeral, Phobophilic, Ingrown, Vermillion, Aftermath, Engineered Society Project, MRSA, After the Burial, The Halo Effect, Broken Hope, , Unearth, Sanguisugabogg, Bodysnatcher, Vended, Dying Wish, Dead to Fall, Pissing Razors, Angelus Apatrida, High Command, Morta Skuld, Casket Robbery, Fuming Mouth, Molder, Hath, Repentance, Thrown Into Exile, Gates To Hell, and more.

And they say:

This will be an indoor/outdoor event utilizing three stages in The Rave/Eagles Club, and our Eagles Craft Beer Garden outside with half a dozen food trucks, craft beers and liquor, merch tents, and patio tables. Grab a bite, a drink and a seat between bands, and then head back in for your next band. We’ll add a site map of the beer garden once we get closer to the event.

Food truck lineup so far: (more to be added)
Pig Tailz (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), Marco Pollo (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), Jalisco’s (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), Roll MKE (Saturday, Sunday)

Ticket options include three-day, two-day (Fri and Sat, Fri and Sun, or Sat and Sun), and single day passes, as well as VIP options. The three-day Ultimate VIP pass includes a premium reserved VIP balcony seat at the main stage for all three days; a VIP merch package with a t-shirt, collector’s cup, 11×17 poster, lanyard, and sch,wag bag; early entry for all three days; a signed 18×24 color poster; a signed Milwaukee Metal Fest compilation CD; a wall flag; a guided behind the scenes tour; a daily 4-pack of Milwaukee Metal Brew Commemorative craft beer; limited in and out privileges; admission to an exclusive pre-party; and an onsite VIP host.

There are also upgrade packages: the first features early entry for 3-day and 2-day pass customers, a limited edition festival t-shirt, an 11-17 poster, and a guitar pick. The second has all of that and a collectors cup; the third has everything from the second, and a schwag bag. Head to the fest’s website for more info.

Austin-based heavy rock trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol released a fascinatingly loud, abrasive, and yet entrancing record last year. At the time, I noted that Doom Wop achieved “a weird sweet spot of harshness and catchiness that goes down like a greasy, gut-busting bad decision,” and that remains my opinion now. My additional observations after writing that and further listens boil down to a single point: damn, I should see this band live.

For our United States readers, your chance to do so may have arrived-the band has just announced their live dates for the summer of 2023, which span a good amount of the continental states and hits staple venues like Chicago’s The Empty Bottle, NYC’s Saint Vitus, and Kung Fu Necktie in Philly. All places that–in my expert opinion–would be some great goddamn spots to see this band level the audience.

–Ted Nubel

Tour dates and streaming links follow below:

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RBBP LIVE 2023:

04/21 Houston, TX – Black Magic Social Club
04/22 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
04/29 Denton, TX – Thin Line Fest
05/06 Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival
05/07 Nashville, TN – The 5 Spot
05/09 Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
05/10 Washington, DC – Quarry House Tavern
05/11 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs
05/12 Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus
0/513 Philadelphia, PA: Kung Fu Necktie
05/14 Pittsburgh, PA – The Funhouse at Mr. Small’s
05/15 Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle
05/17 Oklahoma City, OK – The Blue Note
06/09 Los Angeles, CA – Permanent Records Roadhouse
06/10 San Francisco, CA – The Kilowatt
06/13 Seattle, WA – Substation
06/14 Portland, OR – High Water Mark
06/16 Salt Lake City, UT – Aces High Saloon
06/17 Denver, CO: Hi-Dive

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Doom Wop is available on CD and download, released on September 23rd, 2022. Vinyl LP coming in May 2023.

ZBR Fest (presented by Invisible Oranges and Kickstand Productions) is soon upon us–from May 5th through 7th, the finest in current and legacy screamo and post-hardcore will descend upon Empty Bliss and SubTerranean in Chicago. Want to attend? There are a couple ways you can do this.

First off: ticket orders!

WEEKEND PASS: here

SATURDAY: here

SUNDAY: here

OR

You can win a pair of weekend passes from us! Thanks to Zegema Beach Records and Kickstand Productions for making this happen. How can you win? Email us your answer to the following question with your name to [email protected]:

Which classic screamo band famously didn’t use a microphone when playing live?

You have until Friday night at 7:30 PM CST (8:30 PM EST/5:30 PM PST), after which we will use a randomizer to pick a winner!

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LINEUP:

Jeromes Dream
The Sawtooth Grin
Gillian Carter
Blind Girls
Closet Witch
Vientre
Euclid C Finder!
Eyelet
Crowning
Meth.
Hawak
Carrion Spring
Orphan Donor
Malevich
Coma Regalia
Massa Nera
Dreamwell
Nerver
Terry Green
Rainmaking
Mouthing
Rotting in Dirt
Amitie
Scenario
Encarsia
Victor Shores
Venus Twins

PRE-SHOW (available to those who get weekend passes–at Empty Bliss)

Crowning/Eyelet Battle Set
New Forms
Apostles of Eris
Gossip

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Invisible Oranges is proud to announce that we will be presenting this year’s installment of ZBR Fest, to be held May 6th and 7th at SubTerranean (and also on the 5th for a special prefest show at Empty Bliss) in Chicago. Featuring bands like Jeromes Dream, Sawtooth Grin’s first show in 15 years, Meth., and countless other acts, ZBR Fest is a celebration of all things screamo and post-hardcore. Read our interview with Zegema Beach Records founder and ZBR Fest curator Dave Norman and find out how to get your own tickets below.

LINEUP:

Jeromes Dream
The Sawtooth Grin
Gillian Carter
Blind Girls
Closet Witch
Vientre
Euclid C Finder!
Eyelet
Crowning
Meth.
Hawak
Carrion Spring
Orphan Donor
Malevich
Coma Regalia
Massa Nera
Dreamwell
Nerver
Terry Green
Rainmaking
Mouthing
Rotting in Dirt
Amitie
Scenario
Encarsia
Victor Shores
Venus Twins

PRE-SHOW:

Crowning/Eyelet Battle Set
New Forms
Apostles of Eris
Gossip

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You’ve put on festivals in the US and Canada, and while I do know your other half Dave Cullen is in Chicago, what was it about Chicago that made ZBR fest return here?

It was a very different experience in the best possible way. Vancouver in particular was really hard and we didn’t have many attendees so 2021 was planned as the first one but obviously it was canceled for covid in Chicago. Then after it went down in 2022 it was literally the greatest experience. So I think I’m over doing fests in Canada. Too hard. New Friends Fest in Toronto has it down pat so I’ll leave it to them! I can provide specific examples but generally just amazingness in Chicago.

What went into putting such a huge fest lineup together?

It seemed just like the other years at first. So a few weeks after the 2022 fest I began hitting people up because I was so excited. It’s mostly me and Cullen (ZBR USA and Crowning) asking bands we loved. Seb from Kickstand Productions (Meth and Virgin Mother) also helps us in Chicago as we go through Kickstand and is also friends with us. So like 90% of it is just sending emails/messages to bands I’m already friends with. It ends up being quite easy in that regard. Seb got Sawtooth and JD though and when he told me I kinda flipped out lol

Do you feel it’s gotten easier to get these lineups together over time and iterations of the fest?

As of this year it officially became easy. Essentially we usually ask round 1 and then have a bunch of yes/nos and maybes. This year our round 1 pretty much everyone said yes. So when we put our first wave we had a few slots open to give to the 5-10 bands that usually ask after the poster is released. Then we released the poster and the fest just blew up, and we were inundated with over 50 requests, most of them from very legit bands. So for the first time I had to divvy out like 30 nos to bands that I really wanted to see. It was weirdly stressful to send out all the “sorry” messages cuz I usually didn’t have to do that. But it was also very affirming.

You mentioned Seb Alvarez securing Sawtooth Grin and Jeromes Dream as pretty big moments for the lineup, but do you have any other standout favorites?

Oh for sure, there are always some unknown bands that I’m salivating over. This year I am beyond ecstatic for Encarsia who I did a split with through a project I play in called Apostles Of Eris. I’m also a huge Victor Shores and Venus Twins fan so the “less heavy” bands were definitely because of my influence lol. I’ve been waiting years to see Closet Witch too. Last year it was Heavenly Blue, but that band has definitely gained momentum since and I wouldn’t call them pretty unknown now.

What can we expect from ZBR Fest 2023?

This is the first year we’ve had a venue with two floors so it’s jam-packed with almost twice as many bands as before. This is the first year we’ll start our annual pre-show battle set, this year with Crowning vs. Eyelet. A battle set is when two bands set up to play at the same time but instead alternate playing a song each. We’ll have some very decent merch tables for the bands, ZBR, and some friends including Wax Vessel. We’ll be filming it again and a fest recap/documentary will follow. SAWTOOTH GRIN! First show in like 15 years. If that doesn’t get you pumped, nothing at this fest will. Oh, and my silly project will play for the first time at the pre-show.

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ZBR Fest tickets are available here.

So there might not be a big superficial connection between Canadian technical death metal blasters Archspire and the Netherlands’ obscure dance music practitioners Laster, but as it turns out, Laster guitarist and vocalist Nicky H. is a massive Archspire fan. When Archspire guitarist and YouTuber extraordinaire Dean Lamb reached out regarding their upcoming European tour (more on that later), I knew I had to connect them. We don’t do artist vs. artist interviews super often here like we used to, but Nicky and Dean ended up having a really interesting conversation, which you can read below.

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While Archspire is preparing for a European headliner tour and a U.S. tour supporting WhiteChapel, Invisible Oranges asked me, of all people, to talk to the band’s guitarist Dean Lamb. It’s a weird proposal, honestly. On the one hand, I love Relentless Mutation and Bleed The Future. On the other, I’m the least knowledgeable person when it comes to technical death metal. Therefore, in this interview, I shall forcefully avoid any tech-death-related questions. The public ought not to know that I’ve only listened to Necrophagist twice.

Well hey, I appreciate you taking the time! I think starting with Necrophagist would be a great introduction to the genre, however they unfortunately set the standard so damned high!

And yes! We’ll be through Europe March 2023, with some amazing support bands. Tickets are available now, but plenty of those markets will soon be selling out, so grab tickets quickly!

Let’s talk about the video for Drone Corpse Aviator! It appears to be jam-packed with (pop)cultural references. I’m counting 50 Cent’s In Da Club, The Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Gorillaz, A Clockwork Orange, Battle Royale, and Indiana Jones. Maybe even Braindead? Am I mistaken? How many references did you manage to cram in there? (Let’s also talk about the upcoming video)

Absolutely! Plenty of Cronenberg in there. Our director, Rob Zawistowsky, really wore his influences on his sleeve, which we love. I think with such a short amount of time to work with (the length of an Archspire track,) it’s important to be obvious with your concepts. There’s little time for subtlety; it’s all or nothing.

Our upcoming video is being produced by mostly the same group of talented individuals. We decided that, instead of working within the same tight budget, let’s make what is essentially a Hollywood style music video. We wanted to involve more practical effects, more digital effects, hire stunt actors, film on location, and essentially blow the last video out of the water. With the footage I’ve seen so far: I think we’re going to do that.

The intro of A.U.M. always cracks me up. Is it an actually received voice message? And what would it mean to “bring back the fucking danger to the music”? Are we talking about Yamantaka Eye-like danger music here? Or would it concern elements like production, composition, and artwork to evoke a sense of danger in certain audiences?

That voice message was sent to our drummer Spencer, courtesy of an old friend who is notorious for his elitism. He showed us this insane voice message at a writing session one day, and we figured it’d be the perfect intro to the fastest, most aggressive track on the album.

In terms of what exactly he meant by “bring back the danger,” I haven’t the faintest idea. I think he might be referring to over-producing bands, and how it sucks the life out of the music, but really it’s up for interpretation. We hope the listener feels that we brought back “the danger,” although we made sure to wear proper safety protection during the recording process, as all bands should. Hard hats and safety glasses.

In a previous Invisible Oranges interview, black metal band Doldrum talked about the importance of irony and self-awareness in art. Given the two questions above, there is plenty of space in Archspire for both. Are these elements that you craftily and carefully interweave into your works, or does it come out much more spontaneously?

It’s really just part of our collective mentality. We take ourselves very seriously when it comes to writing music, and that portion of our creative output will always be that way. However, our on-stage personas, our music videos, song intros, and even press releases are filled with stuff that just makes us laugh. We want this band to be fun to experience; there’s plenty of bands that demand you to take them seriously, but we’re not interested in that. We want people to come to an Archspire show and have fun.

Besides humor and musical technicalities, sci-fi themes seem to fully center Archspire’s oeuvre. Personally, I adore the imaginative, Cronenburgian lyrics that Oliver blasts forward. How does sci-fi – in its various forms – play a role in the band’s daily life? Are you vivid readers? Movie buffs? And how do you think the genre relates to the type of music you produce?

You’ll find most of us stuck in the ’80s and ’90s when it comes to the media we consume, which is a result of our upbringing. We spent our childhoods renting VHS tapes and watching horror movies on a big CRT TV in our parents’ basements, marveling at the practical effects, and fully recorded orchestral OSTs of our favorite films. I think most of us romanticize that era, although our music is essentially the antithesis of it. Where films of the past have rough edges and the occasional out-of-focus frame, our recorded music is razor sharp and perfected in the studio. We attempt to reach that sharpness live every night on tour; an impossible task but we do our best.

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TECH TREK EUROPE 2023
ARCHSPIRE
with support:
Psycroptic
Benighted
Entheos

Tickets: here

03.03.23 Germany Essen @ Turock
04.03.23 Netherlands Nijmegen @ Doornroosje
05.03.23 Belgium Brussels @ Botanique
06.03.23 UK Bristol @ The Fleece
07.03.23 UK Glasgow @ Cathouse
08.03.23 UK Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms
09.03.23 Ireland Dublin @ Whelans
10.03.23 UK Manchester @ Rebellion
11.03.23 UK London @ The Dome
12.03.23 France Paris @ La Machine du Moulin Rouge
13.03.23 France Lyon @ CCO
15.03.23 Spain Madrid @ Nazca
16.03.23 Spain Barcelona @ Bóveda
17.03.23 France Montpellier @ Secret Place
18.03.23 Switzerland Aarau @ Kiff
19.03.23 Italy Milan @ Legend Club
20.03.23 Germany München @ Backstage
21.03.23 Austria Vienna @ Arena
22.03.23 Slovakia Kosice @ Collosseum
23.03.23 Hungary Budapest @ Analóg Music Hall
24.03.23 Czech Rep Prague @ Futurum
25.03.23 Poland Warsaw @ Hydrozagadka
26.03.23 Germany Berlin @ SO36
28.03.23 Sweden Gothenburg @ Brewhouse
29.03.23 Sweden Stockholm @ Slaktkyrkan
30.03.23 Denmark Fredericia @ Eksercerhuset
31.03.23 Germany Hannover @ Faust

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