In March of 2024, the very awesome Gouge Away returned after a prolonged hiatus with their album Deep Sage. From the moment that album was released it has not left my rotation. It’s a superb album that hits all the right notes of hardcore, punk, emo, and then some. If anything Deep Sage is a modern post hardcore masterpiece. Now a couple years have passed and the craving for new Gouge Away has been tamed for the moment with the release of their new single, “Figurine.” This new song is a blast of ferocious energy and hits you in the feels quite hard. “Figurine” is more in the realm of punk than hardcore with the bite of both. Gouge Away recently signed with Run For Cover records and are gearing up for quite a year of shows including being handpicked by Foo Fighters to open a few of their shows later in 2026. I’m very much looking forward to new Gouge Away. Please let there be a headlining Los Angeles show in the near future!!! Enjoy “Figurine”!!!
AFI has long been a band that evolves a bit more with each album. For many albums now, AFI have been adding more and more goth elements to the music and on this new album (studio album number 12), Silver Bleed The Black Sun, they have just gone full on with it and the end result is absolutely splendid. This album leans all the way into the post-punk influences of bands like The Cure, Joy Division, Sisters Of Mercy, Bauhaus and more.
While the album is short in time with ten songs and clocking in at 35 minutes, there isn’t one ounce of filler or out of place anything on Silver Bleeds The Black Sun. What you have is one of their most cohesive albums since Burials (which is one hell of a great album). Each song evokes a certain mood and vibe making this a grand listening experience. From the way the album opens with the haunting “The Bird Of Prey” all the way through the very punk “NOONEUNDERGROUND,” it’s a non stop ride. The twists and turns found throughout make it chock full of ear candy and sweet surprises. There’s a really fun 80’s vibe throughout the album too that tinges on new wave without taking away the darkness. While the lyrics are of a contemplative and dark nature as they would be courtesy of Davey Havok, musically Jade Puget, Hunter Burgan and Adam Carson have pushed past any preconceived notions of what they’ve done before and brought a very invigorating sound that is vibrant and alive while at the same time eerie and full of bite.
I could have gone track by track but I truly believe that takes away from the listening experience. Instead, put this album on and let it just take you where it needs to go. A band like AFI is quite interesting in that they never want to stay in one place for too long and get complacent. One of the things I’ve genuinely loved about this band is their willingness to take chances and explore all that they enjoy. I’ve said to people many times over the years that AFI is one of those bands that you should give a chance to even if it isn’t your normal cup of tea. Silver Bleeds The Black Sun is one of the best albums of 2025.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Stand Out Tracks: Blasphemy & Excess, Spear Of Truth, A World Unmade, NOONEUNDERGROUND
After 5 long years, A.F.I. have returned with their first new release. “Behind The Clock” is the first single from their upcoming twelfth studio (that’s right 12 full length studio albums), Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…, which comes out October 3rd via Run For Cover Records! This new song feels like it falls in the Sing The Sorrow/Burials era which to me is awesome since those are my two favorite A.F.I. albums.
As for the rest of the album, the band as stated “‘The goal of ‘Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…‘ was to make an album with a singular mood, something dreamy and ethereal, and the band members found themselves diving headfirst into influences that had always been deeply embedded in AFI’s musical core, but now were being brought to the forefront. The result is an album that feels out of time, at once familiar and fresh, drawing on classic sounds and reinterpreting them through a modern lens. ‘Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…‘ is dark and otherworldly, but also grandiose and stately, biting and beautiful in equal measure—in other words, it’s very AFI, yet not quite like any version of the band you’ve ever heard before.’ So with that in mind, I’m quite eager to hear what they have coming up. It really feels like the gents in A.F.I. have laid it all out on this record.
Back in 2021 when I went to see Quicksand, there was a band called Narrow Head that opened up for them that caught my attention. They had this really cool vibe the mixed 90’s alternative rock and shoegaze together in a way that felt fresh while at the same time paid homage to those that came before them (Swervedriver and Siamese Dream era Pumpkins to name a couple). Since then, I’ve been following them to see where they would go next. Their latest single “Caroline” from their upcoming new album, Moments Of Clarity (out February 10, 2023), is one of those songs that sways with a melodic sensibility while driven with a sheen of distortion that gives a tension to the song that is emotional on one end and revelatory on the other. Speaking on the song “I’ve always thought Caroline was such a singable name,” frontman Jacob Duarte admits. “I’ve written dozens of songs using that name but never really brought them to life. I guess Caroline is a pseudo name I use for lyrics. Just rolls off the tongue. So when people listen to this and think to themselves ‘who’s Caroline?’ I don’t think I know who they are either.”
I for one am anticipating this album as one of the albums to look out for in 2023. Narrow Head have a strong grasp on their influences and are inspired by them, thus creating a sound that while nostalgic, it feels right and fresh for the time. Be on the lookout for Narrow Head when they come through town on their upcoming tour!
Narrow Head- Caroline:
Narrow Head- Gearhead:
Narrow Head- Moments Of Clarity:
Narrow Head Tour Dates:
Feb 04: Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s Live Feb 05: Birmingham, AL – The Firehouse Feb 06: Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man Records Feb 07: Lexington, KY – The Burl ~ Feb 09: Indianapolis, IN – The Hi-Fi ~ Feb 10: Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall ~ Feb 11: St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall ~ Feb 13: Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Studio ~ Feb 14: Austin, TX – Scoot Inn ~ Feb 15: Dallas, TX – Granada Theater ~ Feb 17: Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad ~ Feb 18: Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom ~ Feb 19: San Diego, CA – Music Box ~ Feb 21: Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre ~ Feb 22: San Francisco, CA – August Hall ~ Feb 24: Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre ~ Feb 25: Seattle, WA – The Crocodile ~ Feb 26: Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre ~ May 13: Las Vegas, NV – Sick New World Fest May 15: Denver, CO – Hi-Dive May 16: Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge May 17: Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry May 18: Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club May 19: Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall May 20: Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s May 22: New York, NY – Mercury Lounge May 23: Brooklyn, NY – TV Eye May 24: Boston, MA – The Sinclair May 25: Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s May 26: Baltimore, MD – Ottobar May 27: Durham, NC – The Pinhook May 28: Atlanta, GA – Masquerade Purgatory May 30: Miami, FL – Gramps May 31: Orlando, FL – The Abbey Jun 01: Tampa, FL – The Crowbar Jun 02: Pensacola, FL – The Handlebar Jun 03: New Orleans, LA – Santos
