Welcome to Four Records! Each episode, we feature one guest as they go over four records at four different times in their life. This week, Forrest and Karina speak with Jonathan Baylis, the creator of the comic So… Buttons. So… Buttons is a slice of life anthology comic written by Jonathan about his life and drawn by various artists. Each story is tailored to the style of the artist and each issue has a theme. Jonathan just finished a Kickstarter for his fifteenth issue titled, “Who Is My Daddy and What Does He Do?” If superhero comics aren’t your thing, give So… Buttons a chance. Check out his latest and past issues here:
Jonathan Baylis’s Four Records:
0-10: Leonard Bernstein – West Side Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Teenage: Leonard Slatkin St. Louis Symphony Orchestra – Shostakovich’s 5th
Bring Me The Horizon kicked off their US tour last night (April 23) in Los Angeles, where they played 2024 track ‘YOUtopia’ live for the first time.
The track was originally released on the band’s seventh album ‘Post Human: Nex Gen’, and got its live debut around the midway point of their show at the Hollywood Palladium.
Take a look at some fan footage of that moment below:
It wasn’t the only surprise for those lucky LA fans though, as ‘House Of Wolves’ found its way back into the setlist after a few years out of circulation. A fan was also brought onstage to sing with the band during ‘Antivist’.
Check out their full list of upcoming US dates below:
APRIL
28 Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 29 Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
MAY
1 Worcester, MA – DCU Center 2 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 4 Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena 5 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena 7 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena 9 Daytona, FL – Welcome To Rockville Festival 11 St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Arena 12 Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Arena 13 St. Paul, MN – Grand Casino Arena 15 Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena 16 Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Festival
“Gone for 6 weeks starting real soon. We have routing dates on the way to Chaos & Carnage w/ Bodysnatcher, 200 Stab Wounds, and Bodybox. Then we all meet up with Thy Art Is Murder, Carnifex, and Ingestef for the Chaos And Carnage Tour, then a few more routing shows on the way home.”
“All dates below that we are playing. Follow our linktree if you haven’t picked up tickets yet.” https://linktr.ee/gatestohell
The Road to Carnage Dates April 27 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea Live April 28 – Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock April 29 – Ft. Worth, TX @ Tulips FTW April 30– Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s Sports Cafe
Chaos & Carnage Dates May 2 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren May 3 – Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey May 5 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center May 6 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues May 8 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl May 12 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore May 13 – Baltimore, MD @ Nevermore Hall May 15 – Reading, PA @ Reverb May 16 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium May 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch May 19 – Chicago, IL @ Ramova Theatre May 20 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom May 22 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater May 23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Rockwell May 24 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall May 26 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo May 27 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater May 29 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre May 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern May 31 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
Road to Carnage Return Dates June 3 – Tulsa, OK @ Vanguard June 4 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall June 5 – Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall June 6 – Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Theatre
Trying to pigeonhole Portrayal Of Guilt’s sound has always been a fruitless task. The Austin threepiece have been releasing their own brand of twisted darkness for nearly a decade now, effortlessly fusing influences as broad as black metal, death metal and noise rock to create their own avant-garde, nihilistic noise. On LP number four, ‘…The Beginning Of The End’, they broaden their palette even further, incorporating elements of early nu-metal, trip-hop and 90s industrial into their idiosyncratic sound. What’s impressive is how seamlessly they blend these elements into their existing identity, both bursting with new ideas whilst remaining distinctively Portrayal of Guilt in sound and feel.
Opening with the spooky licks and tight grooves of all-too-short instrumental ‘Backstabber’, the album launches proper with the pulsating, twisted ‘Human Terror’. The filthiest bass tone you’ll hear this year paves way for a twirling, hypnotic nu-metalesque guitar riff before Matt King’s ferocious snarl takes centre stage. Bolstered further by a hip-hop flavoured groove courtesy of powerhouse sticksman James Beveridge, ‘Human Terror’ is disarmingly catchy, and sets the murky, unnerving tone for what lies ahead.
‘Heaven’s Gate’, finds the band in more familiar Portrayal Of Guilt territory (if there is such a thing), with a lo-fi, claustrophobic feel to the barrage of guitar and frantic blast beats. Similarly, ‘Under Siege’ is an all out assault on the senses, as caustic and raw as Portrayal Of Guilt get, with an undercurrent of industrial elements creeping in. The dirt ridden bass tone returns on the dancy ‘Ecstasy’, a creepy and unnervingly catchy little number that sounds like a death metal spin on the 90s trip-hop inspired output of Beck.
Elsewhere, the band dial up the evil and nasty even further. ‘God Will Never Hear Me’ is one of the bleakest pieces of music the band have recorded. A waking nightmare set to music, a discordant riff rings out over a threatening pulsating bass, bringing to mind ‘The Fragile’ era Nine Inch Nails with its swirling malevolent riffs and threatening vocal passages. Similarly the threatening aura of ‘Object Of Pain’, carves a similar path that Crippling Alcoholism did last year on ‘Camgirl’, as post-punk inspired riffs, industrial noise and sinister vocals are propelled along on by an addictive laidback beat and air of unease.
King gets to flex his guitar chops and vocal prowess even further on the choppy and savage ‘Total Black’, whilst ‘Chamber of Misery Pt. IV’ finds the band embracing the hip-hop influences further with a guest spot from Slim Guerilla. Closing the record is the brutal, Primitive Man-recalling oppression of ‘The Last Judgement’; a colossal, pummelling track that ends with King’s most visceral and blood curdling scream echoing out over the album’s final moments.
With ‘…The Beginning Of The End’, Portrayal of Guilt have created their most accessible, diverse and darkest set of songs to date. A band that have always carved their own path, by embracing more melodic, but no less dark, elements into their sound the Austin trio have managed to paint a more nuanced picture with varying shades of black. Bleak yet catchy, oppressive yet danceable, varied yet cohesive ‘…The Beginning Of The End’ is Portrayal Of Guilt’s most sophisticated and immersive album to date, and one of the most rewarding listens you’ll hear this year.
As December Falls have shared another taste of their next era, and it’s a sign to expect big things.
The track is titled ‘Teeth’, and it comes just before the trio head out on a US tour with Black Veil Brides.
Taken from the band’s as-yet-unannounced fifth album, it follows the release of driving single ‘Anymore’ earlier this year, which introduced us to the world that the record will exist within.
Speaking about what ‘Teeth’ adds to the story, vocalist Bethany Hunter has shared:
“Teeth explores how parasocial relationships can blur into something more unsettling. When people form a connection with you from a distance, it can feel real, even safe, but there’s a version of you they’ll never fully see. The song plays with that idea, that if you dig too deep into someone you’ve only imagined, you might not like what you find. It’s also the heaviest song we’ve written and we’re loving exploring new genres on this record.”
Take a listen below:
This week, As December Falls are set to hit the road across the US with Black Veil Brides. Later this year, they’ll be back in the UK for some headline shows and a run of dates with Dance Gavin Dance.
Check out their full list of dates below:
MAY
(w/ Black Veil Brides)
01 – DENVER Fillmore 02 – OMAHA ASTRO 04 – DALLAS House of Blues 05 – HOUSTON House of Blues 06 – SAN ANTONIO The Aztec 08 – ATLANTA Tabernacle 11 – GREENSBORO Piedmont Hall 12 – NORFOLK The Norva 14 – PHILADELPHIA Fillmore 15 – PITTSBURGH Stage AE 17 – DETROIT The Fillmore 19 – INDIANAPOLIS Egyptian Room 21 – MINNEAPOLIS The Fillmore 22 – CHICAGO Ramova Theatre 23 – MADISON The Sylvee 25 – TORONTO History 26 – MONTREAL M-Telus 28 – NEW YORK Palladium Times Square 29 – SILVER SPRING Fillmore 30 – WORCESTER The Palladium
JUNE
02 – STOKE-ON-TRENT The Sugarmill 03 – NORWICH The Adrian Flux Waterfront 04 – SOUTHEND-ON-SEA Chinnerys 05 – PORTSMOUTH Kola
JULY
30 – LE GARRIC Xtreme Festival
AUGUST
15 – CHEPSTOW Chepstow Castle
SEPTEMBER
(w/ Dance Gavin Dance)
02 – PARIS Trabendo 03 – BERLIN Columbia Theatre 04 – COLOGNE Kantine 06 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy 08 – GLASGOW SWG3 09 – MANCHESTER Academy 11 – BRISTOL The Prospect Building 12 – LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town
Swedish heavy metal band Avatar played night two of their 26-date Don’t Go in the Forest Tour in Los Angeles on Friday, and it was beyond all expectations. Avatar is always a great show, and people that see them once tend to see them again and again. Their fanbase is extremely loyal, and for those lucky enough to attend, the show at The Novo in the L.A. Live complex in downtown Los Angeles was all a diehard fan or someone new to the band could wish for.
Avatar
The current tour is in support of 2025’s Don’t Go in the Forest album, and the evening’s set featured six songs off the new record. The crowd seemed to know them all, and was in a state of bliss throughout the evening.
Vocalist Johannes Eckerström talked about two things from the stage. The first came about halfway through the show – despite running and jumping all over the stage to that point, he admitted that he’d broken two toes just before leaving Europe for the tour by dropping a weight plate on his foot. He then thanked free European healthcare and lamented what we must go through to receive and pay for healthcare in this country. He said that we should organize to get better care, and that he was rooting for us. The second remark was that it was night two of the tour, which meant that “It is the first night of us sounding great.”, and sound great they did.
There was a unique element that I haven’t seen anywhere else – the stage was designed with rails embedded in the floor going side to side and front to back. During the intro to the opening song “Captain Goat”, a riser with Johannes, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, and bassist Henrik Sandelin seemed to float towards the crowd, while Johannes held a lantern in his hand next to his face. In addition, throughout the show, the drum riser moved between songs, and in some cases, half of the set went left, while the other half rolled right, allowing the band to walk through the middle of the drum set and out the upstage circus tent curtain to change instruments or take a breather out of sight.
The band was dressed in matching black leather wardrobe with the exception of Johannes, who wore his own version of it, while donning his customary dark, theatrical clown makeup. While each member provided their own individual attributes to bring their personalities into the fold, the stage gear unified them and drove home that they are a band united.
Formed in 2001, Avatar knows how to put on a show. I started listening to them in 2012 when “Smells Like a Freakshow” started gaining traction on Sirius/XM’s Octane, and have seen them multiple times, in settings ranging from 1000 seat theaters to tens of thousands cheering them on at festivals, and they simply know how to entertain regardless of the setting. There is something for everyone at their show – if you want to mosh, there’s a pit. If you want to crowd surf, someone will lift you up, and if you simply want to vibe and enjoy the show, that is encouraged too. Fans seem to be more inclusive than other heavy shows, and it makes perfect sense that their audience loves and remains loyal to them throughout their 10 album, 25-year career. They are one of the most fun bands to see live, and Friday night was no exception.
Setlist:
1) Captain Goat
2) Silence in the Age of Apes
3) The Eagle Has Landed
4) In the Airwaves
5) Bloody Angel
6) Death and Glitz
7) A Secret Door
8) The Dirt I'm Buried In
9) Colossus
10) Torn Apart
11) Howling at the Waves
12) Legend of the King
13) Let It Burn
14) Tonight We Must Be Warriors
Encore:
15) Don’t Go in the Forest
16) Smells Like a Freakshow
17) Hail the Apocalypse
Avatar is:
Jonas "Kungen" Jarlsby – Guitar
John Alfredsson – Drums
Johannes Eckerström – Vocals
Tim Öhrström – Guitar
Henrik Sandelin – Bass
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Operatic vocalist Veronica Bordacchini seemed to appear out of nowhere with an Italian flag by her side as the lights came up and Italian symphonic death metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse launched into their set with “Ode to Art (de' Sepolcri)”. A massive wall of sound exploded out of the PA system – a truly unique alchemy of blast-beats, opera style vocals, and orchestral arrangements. Dressed as though from the Renaissance period, Fleshgod Apocalypse was distinctive in every regard – visually, vocally, and musically, and the enthusiastic crowd responded appropriately.
Fleshgod Apocalypse is:
Veronica Bordacchini – Vocals –
Fabio Bartoletti – Guitar
Eugene Ryabchenko – Drums
Francesco Paoli – Guitar/Vocals
Francesco Ferrini – Keyboards
Frozen Soul
Dallas Texas death metal band Frozen Soul is touring in support of their upcoming album No Place of Warmth which comes out in three weeks. Vocalist Chad Green recently described the sound this way: “The best way I can put it is that it sounds like a fucking blizzard with razor sharp ice cutting through you.” That description sounded about right. Five of the eight songs played were from the new album and the audience seemed to love it. People showed up early for Frozen Soul’s 7:15pm start – the venue was mostly full by the time they hit the stage, and fans let them know how they felt about the music by happily moshing and crowd surfing throughout.
In a complete surprise to fans, Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance showed up to sing on the new record’s title track “No Place of Warmth”, which resulted in a massive roar of amazed approval from the crowd. Frozen Soul’s set was unrelenting, and a great way to kick off a fun and hard-hitting night of live music.
Frozen Soul is:
Chad Green – Vocals
Michael Munday – Guitar
Samantha Mobley – Bass
Matt Dennard – Drums
Chris Bonner – Guitar
Brooks RobinsonPhotographer & Writer
Brooks Robinson is an LA-based concert photographer, and 30+ year freelance camera operator for film, television, and music videos. He has photographed some of the largest film/TV projects in history, and hundreds of music videos in MTV's heyday.
