Chicago collective The Joy Thieves have released the single “The Wrong End of Your Rifle“, the first preview of the full-length album “Apocalypse Pending”, due June 5, 2026 via Armalyte Industries. The track features Chris Connellynext to Dan Milligan and James Scott.

Lyrically, the song targets corporate impunity, state violence, and public desensitisation. Connelly says it is a response to a moment when “the billionaires are accountable for nothing”, adding that “we can’t argue or reason with bullets.”

Milligan said the album was built to “blend the existing Joy Thieves’ sound with elements of the golden age of hip hop”. He also explained that “The Wrong End of Your Rifle” began with a reworked version of “Ashley’s Roachclip” by The Soul Searchers, which became the foundation of the track.

The accompanying video was created by Joel Lopez at Lumbra Productions.

About The Joy Thieves

The Joy Thieves began in Chicago in December 2017, when drummer and musician Dan Milligan started assembling contributors for a new industrial rock recording project. The project, built around Milligan and James Scott, later on expanded into a roster of more than 80 contributors.

The group signed with Armalyte Industries ahead of its first release and issued the debut EP “This Will Kill That” in June 2019. That was followed by the “Cities In Dust” EP in October 2019 and the “A Blue Girl” EP in March 2020.

In May 2020 the band issued the standalone single “Genocide Love Song”. The first full-length, “American Parasite”, followed in July 2021, with all lead vocals performed by Chris Connelly. Later releases included the “Nemesis” single in September 2021, the “6 To 3” EP in November 2022, “Dissent-ertainment: 6 To 3 Remixed” in June 2023, “The Heart of the Worm” and “Return To Needle Park” in 2024, and the second full-length “Spilt Milk” in June 2024.

“Apocalypse Pending” is the band’s third full-length album.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out now via Distortion Productions is the latest single and video by the Washington, D.C.-based act Amulet.

The single, “When Winter Comes”, comes along with the original mix next to remixes supplied by William Faith (Faith and the Muse, The Bellwether Syndicate), Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves), Rob Early (11 Grams) along with Amulet’s own MJ Parr.

Amulet was founded by bassist MJ Phoenix and vocalist Stephanie Stryker. The band’s lineup is rounded out by guitarists Bob Carr and Mark Schramm, keyboardist Alison Frane, and drummer Thomas Grothe.

You can download the single via Bandcamp or check it on all other platforms.

Here is the video.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The industrial rock band, Unhappily Ever Now has just announced their first new single, “Pleading (The Haunting of Scars)”, since their 2021 self-titled debut EP. Unhappily Ever Now is available on all major streaming platforms including Bandcamp.

Unhappily Ever Now is composed of songwriter, Stephen Watson (Cleopatra Records, Green Jelly), lead performer and songwriter, Maria V (vocals, lyrics, and melodies) and drummer, Dan Milligan. The release was mixed and mastered by Joy Thieves Productions.

Stephen Watson explains that “Pleading (The Haunting of Scars)” explores “the self-doubt experienced when personal growth comes from great loss and trauma. Dark, gritty, melodic and emotional, yet unique.” Forthcoming remixes of the single include collaborations with JP Anderson of Rabbit Junk and Walter Flakus of Stabbing Westward.

The video that accompanies the single release was produced and directed by Joel Lopez of Lumbra Productions and filmed onsite predominantly at Haunted White Hill Mansion in New Jersey.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The industrial rock band Unhappily Ever Now has just announced their first new single since their 2021 self-titled debut EP. “Pleading (The Haunting of Scars)” explores the self-doubt experienced when personal growth comes from great loss and trauma. The material was mixed and mastered by Joy Thieves Productions.

Unhappily Ever Now is composed of songwriter, Stephen Watson (Cleopatra Records, Green Jelly), lead performer and songwriter, Maria V (vocals, lyrics, and melodies) and drummer, Dan Milligan.

Forthcoming remixes of the single include collaborations with JP Anderson of Rabbit Junk and Walter Flakus of Stabbing Westward.

The video that accompanies the single release was produced and directed by Joel Lopez of Lumbra Productions and filmed onsite predominantly at Haunted White Hill Mansion in New Jersey.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Electro, Ambient, Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Set up in 2017 by Chris Shortt (Verin) and Roland Zwaga (Acidrodent, Construct) Krate has already released a few productions. For their new work they got joined by contributors Anatoly Grinberg (Dead Voices On Air), drummer Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves) plus members of Bow Ever Down, Slighter, Liquid Black Goo and Numbered Men.

Content: The work is diversified and hard to label. Every single song sounds a bit like a new sonic exploration; the common threat might be the atmospheric dimension of the songs which is now carried by D’n’B patterns, then by a kind of Ambient-Pop approach and next a very evasive sensation.

+ + + : What I mostly like is the poignant dark sphere supporting the songs. It sounds a bit like announcing a nearby disaster which is mainly emerging at “Horizon Sinking” and “The Needle”. I also want to mention the passages featuring ghost-like vocals which are accentuating the obscure touch of the work.

– – – : Despite of their efforts and multiple contributors the work is however missing a true climax.

Conclusion: I think there’s more potential hidden in this band than what came out here.

Best songs: at “Horizon Sinking”, “The Needle”.

Rate: 6.

Artist: www.facebook.com/KrateBand Read the news on ‘It’s The Hope That Kills You’.

About Krate

Krate is a Dutch electro-industrial project formed in 2017 by Chris Shortt (Verin) and Roland Zwaga (Acidrodent, Construct). The pair originally set out to build a dark ambient project, then added a rhythmic element that pushed the sound toward dark electro and industrial beats. “It’s The Hope That Kills You”, released in 2022, is the project’s fourth release, a five-track EP featuring Anatoly Grinberg (Dead Voices On Air) and drummer Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves) on the title track, with other tracks featuring members of Bow Ever Down, Slighter, Liquid Black Goo and Numbered Men.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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The Dutch electro-industrial band Krate (Chris Shortt from VERIN and Roland Zwaga from Acidrodent and Construct) is back with their fourth release, the 5-track release “It’s The Hope That Kills You”.

On the title track we find Anatoly Grinberg (Dead Voices On Air) and drummer Dan Milligan (The Joy Thieves). Other tracks feature members of Bow Ever Down, Slighter, Liquid Black Goo and Numbered Men.

The initial concept of the band was to compose a dark ambient project. They both quickly agreed that a rhythmic element would be required to augment the sounds thus far created, leading to the abandonment of the original ambient goal and the introduction of dark electro/industrial beats.

Here’s the video for “And All The Prayers Lost” featuring Anatoly ‘Tokee’ Grinberg and Dan Milligan. Read the review of ‘It’s The Hope That Kills You’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out now is the all new album “Aerial Human” by Sapphira Vee. This is already the 5th album by Sapphira Vee and her second release on the Distortion Productions label. You can expect a darkwave / trip-hop sound evoking 4AD acts like Lush . You will equally hear EBM touches recalling classic Chris & Cosey on for instance the first single “What Is This”.

For the album Sapphira joined forces with Houston hip-hop artist Pee Wee P on “Fools”, Blue Eyed Christ’s John Norten on “Let the Arrow Break”, and Veronica Tam on the opening “White Aura” which was written by Jean-Marc Ledermen of The Weathermen. Also included are the three original tracks from last year’s “Duet” EP, featuring Chris Connelly (Ministry / Pigface / Revolting Cocks / Cocksure, etc.), Mike Reidy (W.O.R.M. / The Joy Thieves /Dogtablet), and Jim Semonik (Jimmy Semtex / Red Lokust / Rein(Forced) / creator of Electronic Saviors). In addition, Roger Ebner (Roger Ebner Band / Bitter Elixir / Yeti Rain) played the saxophone on “This Gift Was Not Meant For Me”.

New York native Sapphira Vee has been active since 2018.

You can check out the full album right below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The Chicago, Illinois based electro project Sys Machine has a brand new video. The Joy Thieves did a mix of the track “Drowning in the Past” taken off the Sys Machine album “Graceful Isolation” (out on December 3rd as download and on a limited edition CD). That mix is now available as a lyric video on YouTube.

The story behind the track is one of sobriety. Dave McAnally explains: “Early in 2021 I made a decision to quit drinking after 25 years of hitting it pretty hard. I have no rock bottom moments or anything life-shattering that led to it. Just a general sense that it was time to put it down and move on to other things. Anyone who’s given up something like that knows it’s a decision you kind of build up to. You worry about whether you’ll enjoy the things you used to, if your friends will want to be around you anymore, if life will just get really boring etc.. After I had a few months of sobriety in, I saw that life actually was better and all the things I worried about simply never occurred. I wrote this track as sort of a letter to my pre-quit drinking self. If anyone out there is in the shoes I was in, I highly recommend Alan Karr’s book on how to quit drinking. It worked really well for me and a few of my friends.”

Watch “Drowning in the Past” below.

And here’s the full album “Graceful Isolation” ready to check out on Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out now is the brand new COP International Records compilation “Broken Hearts & Robot Parts II” featuring contributions from Stoneburner, Joy Thieves, I Ya Toyah, Silverwalks and Sick Jokes. COP artists Stabbing Westward and Black Needle Noise also contribute remixes. This is the second edition of the label’s regular album compilation series.

“Unlike most label compilations that are fairly hefty volumes, we are going for a concept that opts for a much smaller selection of artists. This allows for a larger spotlight on the selected few and gives us the opportunity to quickly build the series out. Our scene is bursting with creativity and talent and we are honored to present our latest selection to you with snapshots of a vibrant community,” says COP International Records founder Christian Petke.

The Broken Hearts & Robot Parts II tracklisting includes 5 tracks and can be purchased on Bandcamp below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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