News

This will be their first full-length to feature drummer Chris Maggio, formerly of Coliseum. The band has also launched a new blog where they will be documenting the recording process and, ultimately, the touring cycle around this as-yet-untitled album. Expect new entries, photos and videos regularly at wecraftindarkness.com.

Vocalist Ryan McKenny commented: "Next week, and for the rest of September, we get knee deep in the shit. This record has been a long time coming. It's the first, what we consider, proper LP as a full, solid band. Brian and Chris have been hard at work sweating bullets down in Louisville, loading them up in a death-punk black talon and preparing to fire at will.

"This will be our fifth visit to Godcity with Kurt Ballou, who was, naturally, the most obvious choice. We've always had a great relationship with him, and there is a certain chemistry between our music and his talent as a producer that puts each session at ease.

"To sum it up, there was a certain potential the members of this band felt had not yet been met. On this record, that potential has been fully realized. Get heavy, motherfuckers."

"The band, known for their narrative writing style and avant-garde take on hardcore, began the recording process last week for their second full-length album. This new album (title TBA) will follow the same conceptual format as their prior releases, 2008's Travels and 2009's Lost Ground EP, and will be another musically precise album that will redefine the term "forward-thinking music." Vocalist Derek Archambault said, "While I can't give up all of the details on the storyline quite yet, let's just say that this new album will incorporate themes and characters that the listener has been introduced to already, in addition to bringing some new stuff into the mix. The writing process thus far has been very personally gratifying and I can't wait to have another chapter of Defeater's story out for the world to hear."

The band will spend the next month holed up at Getaway Recording Studio in Wakefield, MA, interestingly enough with their guitarist, Jay Maas, at the helm recording/producing. Maas owns and operates that studio, and has recorded bands like Bane, Cruel Hand, Soul Control and many others there. Maas commented, "The scope of this record is likely the biggest undertaking I've done for any band I've engineered. The combination of being in Defeater and recording Defeater is great - I feel like my talents as an engineer have developed to a very professional place, as have my skills as a songwriter." Musically, Defeater's new material will "…sound like Defeater. Like Lost Ground, we don't want to be afraid of trying something new and writing something that ‘doesn't sound like us'", said Maas. Archaumbault continued, "Having Jay on board working on the record in addition to being in the band is great and gives us creative control over all facets of the record from start to finish. I'm already really happy with where we are at thus far in the writing and recording process and I can't wait to announce the surprises we have in store for this album."

With two releases already under their belt and tours across the globe with bands like Polar Bear Club, Comeback Kid and Make Do and Mend, 2011 is sure to be the biggest and best year in Defeater's career thus far. And while something called "a new artistic peak for hardcore" (Punknews.org) and "the perfect definition of modern hardcore" (Lambgoat.com) will be hard to top, this second full-length effort is sure to do it. Look for this yet-to-be-titled album to hit shelves in early 2011 and stay tuned for upcoming tour announcements for Defeater in North America and abroad."

"GIGAN is set to enter the studio this fall to record their second full-length album entitled Quasi-Hallucinogenic Sonic Landscapes. The recording will once again take place in Chicago, IL at Semaphore studios with engineer Sanford Parker (Nachtmystium, Minsk, Buried at Sea). Some early song titles include "Mountains Perched Like Beasts Awaiting the Attack," "Suspended In Cubes of Torment" and "In the Tentacled Grasp of a Buried Behemoth." The album will be available on both vinyl LP and CD, allowing the listener to fully appreciate the subtle nuances of the GIGAN Universe. Featuring the same boundary-pushing extremity but also some new elements, instruments and approaches to delivery, Quasi-Hallucinogenic Sonic Landscapes will surprise and delight both new and original GIGAN devotees.

Main songwriter/lyricist Eric Hersemann offers his comments: "Signing with Willowtip marks a new era within the GIGAN Universe! Willowtip has the right idea when it comes to Metal and they understand and support the lofty creative goals I have with GIGAN. With all the hard work and touring the band has done over the past two years in support of The Order of the False Eye, GIGAN is definitely ready to overtake the mortal universe with our next offering! I have taken extra time to craft a mesmerizing work that pushes the boundaries of extreme music, songwriting and imagination. This is my best work to date and all of us in GIGAN look forward to another run of tours to showcase this new vision!"

GIGAN will be hitting the road again in late Winter/early Spring 2011. Tour dates as well as the official street date and cover art will be released in the coming months."