#meatcubelabel

The debut EP by Kanazawa, Japan's own Role is finally up for preorder. The cassette will be shipping worldwide on Monday, May 18th! For a limited time, all preorders will also come with a role sticker! Preorder Cassette @ MeatCube Preorder Cassette @ Bandcamp This is the perfect release for all fans of Japanese screamo. Role truly distill the sound down to the essentials and then innovate the hell out of it. Through 30 minutes of passion and melody, they revitalize the screamo sound made popular by bands like envy and Heaven in Her Arms. Don't take my word for it, though. Stream the entire EP right now! HERETICS EP by role

The EP is also being released digitally through nearly all outlets, so get it there if that's more your flavor.

Buy on iTunes USA

Buy on iTunes Japan

In all truth, Record Store Day is one of the big reasons it now takes roughly four months for our records to be pressed. It's a blessing and a curse for the vinyl industry. It's hard to not feel a little "get off my lawn!" to major labels that are taking up the limited capacity of pressing plants. We couldn't offer special pressings of anything even if we wanted to, because it takes so long.

Anyways, if you want to support one of the little guys, I'll be doing 30% off all vinyl and free shipping for US orders over $50. Any money that comes in goes towards new releases, as if you didn't know. :-)

<p>(myincomplete)STUBBORN FATHER(collection)still missing earlier demos and compilations

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It should make sense that a record I sunk a crap-ton of cash into this year is the same that I loved the most. I've been watching Tetola93 since around 2011 when I first heard them, and I'm thankful that I was able to help get this out. This album is Tetola93's final output, re-recording some of their best songs and adding in a few new ones. From start to finish, it is breath-taking, with a focused originality that few bands have these days. Taking queues from German emo-violence bands and Japanese epic screamo bands, Tetola93 create a unique sound entirely their own. For that reason, I suspect that a lot of people won't truly get what they're doing. That's always the case with bands breaking new ground, I guess. Years later, people might actually appreciate or copy what they're doing, but for the present only a few of us will recognize the best album of the year for what it is.

Listen:

<a href="http://meatcubelabel.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled">self-titled by tetola93</a>

Buy:

MeatCubeLabel (USA)

Zegema Beach Records (Canada)

Zdzis Law's 2011 demo was a revelation. I hadn't heard a Japanese shock me so much since Tetola93 (not a long time, sure) and I listened to the 5 tracks over and over. Super tight emo-violence that rivaled anything coming out in the world. That's one of the main reasons I was so damn hyped for this split. New Zdzis Law tracks! Only 3 years later, haha.... Well, the Zdzis Law songs do not disappoint. Five tracks here that are impossibly fast and precise with tons of passion. They do take some liberties in the tracks to expand on their sound that I find a little out of place, but I wouldn't say it ruins any of the songs. Herlens is definitely a surprise on the last part of this split. From Osaka, I've heard their name for some time but somehow thought they were a pop punk band (not that there's anything wrong with that, John). Their 5 tracks here are definitely not pop punk. They're more of a mix of Japanese epic screamo and a tinge of emo-violence. It's hard to place them, but they definitely play solid, heavy screamo.

Listen:

<a href="http://zdzislawkyoto.bandcamp.com/album/untitled">untitled by zdzis law</a>

Buy: