Breaches, the post-punk duo from Wellington, New Zealand, is composed of Hayden Ellis and Matt McGuiness.

Following their recent performance opening for Ville Valo (formerly of HIM) in Auckland, the band has been actively releasing new music. Their latest singles, “Twist the Knife” and “Left Behind,” have set the tone for their sound.

They now also unveiled a video for “Twist the Knife,” a track that holds significant meaning for the band. According to Hayden Ellis, “’Twist the Knife’ was the first song we wrote together, and it really defined our direction as a band. The song deals with the feeling of being lost in an unfamiliar place and is dedicated to the memory of a late friend who was always searching for an escape.”

With new music coming in the months ahead, Breaches will support Attrition (UK) in Wellington in November.

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.

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Swedish post-punk outfit Then Comes Silence has kicked off a string of European tour dates in support of their seventh album “Trickery” (out now via Metropolis Records), also presenting “Ghost House” featuring tandem vocals by Emma Nylen (Emmon). You can check the track below.

Formed in Stockholm in 2012, Then Comes Silence is made up of frontman Alex Svenson, drummer Jonas Fransson and guitarist Hugo Zombie (Los Carniceros del Norte). The new album is the follow-up to their 2022 album “Hunger”, released via Nexilis Records / Schubert Music (Europe) and Metropolis Records (North America).

The 13-track record features guest appearances by Gözde Duzer of Aux Animaux, Emma Nylén (Emmon), Jörgen Wall of Whale, Thåström and Dusty Gannon of Vision Video.

Recorded by Jörgen Wall (Jay-Jay Johanson, The Hellacopters) over three days at Stockholm’s Kapsylen Studio and mixed by Tom van Heesch (Rammstein, Apocalyptica, Backyard Babies), the album was mastered by Svante Forsbäck / Chartmakers (Rammstein, Amaranthe, Ville Valo, The Rasmus, Apocalyptica).

Then Comes Silence Europe Tour Dates

• Jul 27, Cologne DE 🇩🇪
• Aug 23, Ostend BE 🇧🇪
• Sep 15, Berlin DE 🇩🇪
• Sep 19, Oberhausen DE 🇩🇪
• Sep 20, Liege BE (sold out) 🇧🇪
• Sep 21, Rouen FR 🇫🇷
• Sep 22, Paris FR 🇫🇷
• Sep 23, Toulouse FR 🇫🇷
• Sep 24, Nantes FR 🇫🇷
• Sep 25, Marseille FR 🇫🇷
• Sep 26, Liege BE 🇧🇪
• Sep 27, Frankfurt DE 🇩🇪
• Sep 28, Skurup SE 🇸🇪
• Nov 1, London UK 🇬🇧
• Nov 2, Whitby UK 🇬🇧
• Nov 15, Gothenburg SE 🇸🇪
• Nov 16, Copenhagen SE 🇩🇰
• Dec 5, TBA ES 🇪🇸
• Dec 6, Bilbao ES 🇪🇸
• Dec 7, Zaragoza ES 🇪🇸
• Dec 8, TBA ES 🇪🇸

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.

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Stockholm- based post-punk act Then Comes Silence returns with the “Like a Hammer” single, following the lead track “Ride or Die”. Their seventh album “Trickery” is out April 5 via Metropolis Records following up their 2022 album “Hunger”. “Like a Hammer” was the first song written for this album just over a year ago.

“There is a tradition based on an inside joke when I write and we record. Every album has an ABBA moment and a Ramones moment or a Judas Priest moment. A melody, a riff, a drum beat or a whole part that has something familiar with the mentioned artists,” frontman Alex Svenson. And he adds, “We celebrate the community we live and work in. It’s like a garden with plants, flowers and trees. Don’t forget to water it in dry season.”

Recorded by Jörgen Wall (Jay-Jay Johanson, The Hellacopters) over three days at Stockholm’s Kapsylen Studio and mixed by Tom van Heesch (Rammstein, Apocalyptica, Backyard Babies), this album was mastered by Svante Forsbäck / Chartmakers (Rammstein, Amaranthe, Ville Valo, The Rasmus, Apocalyptica).

This is the video for the new single.

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.

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Then Comes Silence is set to unveil their new single “Ride or Die” on March 1. They now have offered a glimpse into their upcoming seventh album, “Trickery”, with a video teaser which you can view below.

With a lineup featuring Alex Svenson, Jonas Fransson, and Hugo Zombie, the Stockholm-based group channels a blend of post-punk and gothic influences, complemented by their connections to the horror genre and the occult.

The single heralds their recent partnership with Metropolis Records and precedes the full album launch on April 5. The album was recorded by Jorgen Wall (known for his work with Jay-Jay Johanson and The Hellacopters) and mixed by Tom Van Heesch (who has worked with Rammstein, Apocalyptica, Backyard Babies). Mastering was completed by Svante Forsback at Chartmakers, known for his work with Rammstein, Amaranthe, Ville Valo, The Rasmus, and Apocalyptica.

Check the video teaser of “Ride or Die”.

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.

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Metropolis Records announces the signing of Swedish post-punk outfit Then Comes Silence for the release of their seventh album, “Trickery”. The first single, “Ride or Die”, will be released on March 1. The full album will be released on vinyl, CD and digitally on April 5.

“Metropolis Records is thrilled to announce the return of Then Comes Silence. The new album ‘Trickery’ will be the band’s first worldwide release with us. It’s a fantastic album and we are excited to get to share it with you. It’s a refinement of the band’s signature sound, a focused distillation of everything TCS has released to date,” says Jim Smith of Metropolis Records.

The new album was recorded by Jörgen Wall (Jay-Jay Johanson, The Hellacopters) over three days at Stockholm’s Kapsylen Studio and mixed by Tom van Heesch (Rammstein, Apocalyptica, Backyard Babies). The mastering was in the hands of Svante Forsbäck / Chartmakers (Rammstein, Amaranthe, Ville Valo, The Rasmus, Apocalyptica).

Then Comes Silence is Alex Svenson, Jonas Fransson and Hugo Zombie. Formed in Stockholm in 2012, this project was originally inspired by frequent touring with A Place To Bury Strangers and an attraction to horror and the occult. After debuting with their eponymous album in 2012, Then Comes Silence put out two more albums before releasing “Blood” via Nuclear Blast in 2016. Their subsequent “Machine” album was jointly released via Oblivion/SPV and Metropolis Records in 2020.

In March and April, Then Comes Silence will be touring North America extensively with Vision Video (tour dates will be announced soon).

Then Comes Silence videos

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.

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Finnish goth rock act HIM is calling it quits. To end in beauty the band has announced a farewell tour, closing the final chapter on their 26 year career, four years after the release of their last studio album “Tears On Tape”. Their farewell tour will bring them to 14 countries across 35 shows.

Here’s what frontman Ville Valo has to say about the split: “After quarter of a century of Love and Metal intertwined we sincerely feel HIM has run its unnatural course and adieus must be said in order to make way for sights, scents and sounds yet unexplored. We completed the pattern, solved the puzzle and turned the key. Thank you.”

HIM was formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo, guitarist Mikko “Linde” Lindström and bassist Mikko “Migé” Paananen under the name His Infernal Majesty and broke up for the first time in 1993. The band was reformed in 1995 by Valo and guitarist Mikko “Linde” Lindström and renamed to HIM. Although the band confirmed they were to record new material in 2015 and 2016, no new material was released.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Gothic-rock.

Background/Info: Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams (both ex-Sisters Of Mercy) set up The Mission in 1985. They rapidly became an established and famous gothic formation, which throughout the years got closer to rock music. The band split, but rapidly struck back. Thirty one years after their debut this new album has been introduced by frontman Wayne Hussey as ‘the lost link between The Sisters Of Mercy “First And Last And Always” and The Mission’s “God’s Own Medicine”. I would dare to say that it all sounds like a very ambitious challenge!

Content: The album takes off with the title song and the first notes directly reminds me of the legendary “Emma” from The Sisters Of Mercy. It indeed feels a bit like awakening in the late 80s. Hussey is right when he refers to a ‘lost link’ although the composition also features the dark-rock approach of The Mission.

I got more the feeling that this album is a sonic bridge between early- and later The Mission. The guitar parts remain one of the main strengths of the production and Wayne Hussey already sings with passion and rage. Some passages have a kind of bewitching and even somewhat ritual intonation, but other songs are more into ballads and melancholia.

The album was produced by Wayne Hussey and Tim Palmer and features guest backing vocals from Gary Numan, Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Ville Valo (HIM), Julianne Regan (All About Eve) and Evi Vine.

+ + + : The album definitely sounds as a ‘back to the roots’ and that’s an interesting move in the long history of this band. There’re many great songs on this album revealing the magic emerging from the guitar playing and the passion from the vocals. There also is a twist between harder cuts and deep, melancholic songs.

– – – : Even the ‘best’ album also features at least one forgettable song. “Never’s Longer Than Forever” is that song from this album, is that song from this album, which sounds like a lovely ballad, but without the typical spirit of The Mission.

Conclusion: This album is an interesting work, which sounds like a message that you never have to forget the sources of your work. The Mission mainly found their inspiration for this album in their early years while the result still sounds contemporary. It’s not their best work in history, but it’s a damned great opus!

Best songs: “Tyranny Of Secrets”, “Within The Deepest Darkness (Fearful)”, “Met-Amor-Phosis”, “Only You And You Alone”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.themissionuk.com / www.facebook.com/themissionuk

Label: www.eyeswideshutrecordings.com / www.facebook.com/eyeswideshutrecordings

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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Out on a few weeks is “Another Fall From Grace”, a brand new The Mission album. It was produced by Wayne Hussey and Tim Palmer, who already produced the band’s 1986 debut album “God’s own Medicine” and 1990’s “Carved in Sand”.

The album features guest backing vocals from Gary Numan, Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Ville Valo (HIM), Julianne Regan (All About Eve) and Evi Vine and will be released as a CD (available here), a 2CD + DVD set (available here) and as a 2LP vinyl set (available here).

Here’s what Wayne Hussey has to say about the new album: “For me, this new Mission album is the long lost missing link between The Sisters Of Mercy’s First & Last & Always and The Mission’s God’s Own Medicine, both albums of course that I was heavily involved in making. I set out this time with the intention of making an album that sounds like 1985.”

The deluxe version of the album contains the full album on CD, a bonus-CD with instrumental version of the album with the additional bonus remix track “Met-Amor-Phosis” (of which you can preview the original below) and a 93 minute DVD featuring never before seen footage from 1987 of The Mission performing at Elland Road, Leeds, supporting U2 at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre as The Metal Gurus and The Royal Court in Liverpool for the Hillsborough benefit gig, both from 1989, producer Tim Palmer’s home footage of the recording of “Carved in Sand”/”Butterfly on a Wheel” video, and the promo video for the new single “Met-Amor-Phosis”.

Below you can listen to the first single from the album: “Met-amor-phosis” featuring Ville Valo (HIM).

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.

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Here’s a release which should please many gothic rock fans. Out in Summer, but available in pre-order now is the solo debut album of Mark Gemini Thwaite. That name will ring a bell with many readers as Mark Gemini Thwaite (aka MGT) has recorded and performed with a large variety of goth rock acts over the years.

The list includes a long tenure with UK gothic rock act The Mission, Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), 3 albums and various tours with trip hop musician Tricky and Gary Numan next to collaborations with Ministry, P.J. Harvey, Combichrist, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Revolting Co*ks, Young Gods, Prong, Primitive Race, etc..

On “Volumes” you’ll find a bunch of collaborations including Ville Valo of Finnish Love Metallers HIM (on cover-version of the Abba Hit “Knowing Me Knowing You” – see the video below), Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls (The Wonderstuff), Ricky Warwick (Thin Lizzy), Raymond Watts (PIG/KMFDM), Saffron (Republica), Julianne Regan (All About Eve) and goth legend Andi Sex Gang, Ashton Nyte (The Awakening), Carlo Van Putten (Dead Guitars).

In short it features the who-is-who from the gothic rock scene. The CD can now be ordered right here.

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.

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