Below are the best albums from another whirlwind year.

The best albums of 2023

Pop Wig

Angel Du$t – BRAND NEW SOUL

BRAND NEW SOUL sees a new chapter for Angel Du$t, and the group’s vocalist Justice Tripp. While Tripp’s other band, Trapped Under Ice, continue to delve further into the heavier side of hardcore, it’s clear that Angel Du$t have other intentions. Wading into the waters of the genre’s “modern melodic” side (see: Turnstile), Tripp faces the music and experiments, offering listeners duller edges, without compromising sound or insightful lyricism.

Transgressive

Arlo Parks – My Soft Machine

Nothing captures pandemic uncertainty, the despair of quarantine, and a generation of unyielding anxiety like Arlo Parks’ debut project, Collapsed In Sunbeams, which cocooned listeners with sleepy, lo-fi arrangements. Her second album, My Soft Machine, offers a bouncier, poppier take on her award-winning poetic lyricism and intimate storytelling, a risk-taking shift that particularly pays off with tracks “Weightless” and “Devotion.”

Sargent House

The Armed – Perfect Saviors

On their fifth studio album, Detroit’s the Armed are more introspective and experimental than ever. Defying the stale limitations of genre, the group shed their post-hardcore label (but not entirely) and play with unpredictability, weaving heavy punk sounds with subtle indie elements and poppy synths. Thoughtfully avant-garde, the record features an equally wide range of beloved artists, from Julien Baker to Josh Klinghoffer. Give it a taste with the tantalizing track “Everything’s Glitter.”

Warner

Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream

As one of the bigger-named metal bands to drop an album this year, Avenged Sevenfold took big risks in conceptualizing their newest project Life Is But a Dream, an experimental record that leaned into the unpredictability of pushing boundaries and bending genres. Subversive, dense, and deeply personal, Life Is But a Dream delivered unexpected tracks that felt fresh and intimate, all at once. 

BABYMETAL/Cooking Vinyl

BABYMETAL – THE OTHER ONE

BABYMETAL, the Japanese heavy-metal band making waves around the world, released their fourth album this year. Coined a “concept album,” THE OTHER ONE came after the group’s one-year hiatus, and around their 10-year anniversary. Though they claimed to have “sealed themselves from the world” during the year off, it’s clear they were entering many others — the 10-track album offers an eccentric exploration through alternate realities, with each song serving as a portal into a new world. It’s the metal version of falling into a weird and wonderful internet wormhole. Chaotic, strange, surreal, and certainly heavy — it’s equally hard to describe and hard to give directions through THE OTHER ONE’s universe. It’s also easily one of their best works yet.

Black Butter

Bakar – Halo

After making an eye-catching debut with last year’s Nobody’s Home, Bakar spent the better part of the year looking toward his second record, Halo. Here, he melds pop, hip-hop, electronics, and reverb into a head-spinning mix that illustrates his progression. Sometimes he uses bright melodies, like on the jangly “Alive!”; on other songs, he relies on reverb to sharpen his point (“All Night”). “Hate the Sun” is a standout, employing a mellowness that casts a blazing light on Bakar’s potent songwriting.

Columbia

blink-182 – One More Time…

We love Matt Skiba. However, there’s just something about the balance between Mark Hoppus’ buttery vocals and Tom DeLonge’s iconic vocal fry, not to mention the see-saw that has always been “Mark songs” versus “Tom songs” on blink’s earlier records, that can’t be beat. And if you agree, this year was a good one: DeLonge came back, and the band went on a triumphant reunion tour, which culminated in One More Time… The album is both nostalgic and fresh, with a slew of songs to satisfy the OG blink fan and beyond, featuring Travis Barker’s vocal debut and a Box Car Racer track from the vault.

section1

Blonde Redhead – Sit Down for Dinner

On Blonde Redhead’s first album in nine years, Sit Down for Dinner, the band are in top form. While a sense of dread lurks through the songs — a trademark of Joan Didion, whose 2005 memoir The Year of Magical Thinking inspired the record’s title — there’s also a great deal of optimism and encouragement to hold your dreams close. Most satisfying of all, you can hear their three-decade connection through a slinky groove, resulting in music that sounds warm, hypnotic, and unmissable.

Partisan

Blondshell – Blondshell

Through a series of frank and charismatic singles released over the last year, Sabrina Teitelbaum has made an introduction that’s completely spellbinding. Blondshell’s debut self-titled is a record lifted straight from the golden heyday of ’90s alt-rock, when explosive guitars, throat-catching lyrics, and the desire to be the next Nirvana dominated the culture. But she’s not Kurt Cobain making hair metal obsolete as much as she’s trying to reach catharsis by examining her past with a wry retrospection and finding a better way forward. (Besides, not every burgeoning artist can sing lines with the nonchalance of “Just look me in the eye when I’m about to finish.”)

Interscope

boygenius – the record

Almost immediately following its release, the record was met with unyielding critical acclaim. The debut album by “the boys,” aka the indie-rock supergroup made up of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus, stands out from many projects by supergroup outfits for its “democratic” sonic and lyrical approach, finding harmony and balance between each of the unique three artists involved.

Sub Pop

Bully – Lucky for You

Nashville’s Alicia Bognanno, otherwise known by her stage name Bully, gave us the gift of another deeply personal, beautifully rasping album this year. Diaristic and open without being depressing or falling into any indie tropes, Lucky for You maintains levity with bouncy, energetic drum parts and playful melodies, as well as Bully’s signature use of glitching feedback. It’s a balance between the heavy lyricism that feels, and sounds, like a real-life wave of human emotion. From sobriety to heartbreak, there is a relatability that intensifies as Bognanno shrewdly reveals more of herself to the audience, though with her addictive, brusque vocals, she proves that she is not here to blend in.

Warner

Carlie Hanson – Wisconsin

If you haven’t listened to Carlie Hanson, it’s time to change that. From the suburbs of Wisconsin, Hanson had her breakout moment at 16 years old when a cover of her singing ZAYN’s “PILLOWTALK” went viral, propelling her career forward with a forthcoming record deal and move to Los Angeles. Now she’s making undeniably great music that is worth attention. Wisconsin, her sophomore album, is a wistful project that showcases her burgeoning talent as a compelling lyricist, thoughtful songwriter, and evocative singer. Hanson blends indie-pop and pop punk into a sweet yet fierce package that is catchy as it is skilled.

Run for Cover

Citizen – Calling the Dogs

On their fifth studio album, Calling the Dogs, Citizen lean into the cathartic, guitar-driven songs that they do best and peel away expectations of what they should sound like. The LP marks their first time working with a producer in six years, as well as their initial outing writing with their newest members, Mason Mercer and Ben Russin. And from top to bottom, it’s clear Citizen are still having a blast writing tunes together.

Amusement/Island

Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

Based on this delectable debut album, Chappell Roan is well deserving of the “Midwestern Princess” title. She showcases incredible range, vocally and within the glittery pop space she explores. Track by track, Roan presents a playful celebration of queerness and femininity with quippy lyrics that read like a modern-day coming-of-age story. And with this snarky page-turner of a first album, we’re ready for the sequel.

Blue Grape Music

Code Orange – The Above

Code Orange are constantly changing forms and challenging what it means to be in a heavy band. That’s what makes their fifth studio album, The Above, so unique. Everything feels elevated as the band employ strong songwriting, mosh-worthy moments, and an extravagance that feels fit for the big screen. From moody trip-hop (“Mirror”) to Billy Corgan features (“Take Shape”), The Above is a sterling reminder that Code Orange remain innovative free-thinkers who aren’t afraid to make a left turn.

Columbia

Dominic Fike – Sunburn

With his second album, Sunburn, Dominic Fike comes home. Acting as a love letter to his native South Florida, Fike looks inward and comes through the other side with 15 songs that contend with heartbreak, addiction, and jealousy. “Think Fast,” which features Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, completes the circle, as someone influenced by the band growing up and having included “Say It Ain’t So” as part of a medley during his first North American tour. Through it all, it’s clear that Fike comes closer to who he is and embraces a future that’s twice as bright.

Epitaph

Drain – Living Proof

If one line could describe the high-octane, rebel-rousing spirit that is Santa Cruz hardcore outfit Drain, it would be “kill all the parts that you don’t love.” Track by track, the group’s sophomore LP balances acidic punk angst and PMA, spitting while urging listeners to embrace individuality. Full of slick, heavy riffs and Sammy Ciaramitaro’s snarling vocals, Drain definitely hit their stride on this album. And a cherry on top? The group’s impeccable cover of the Descendents classic “Good Good Things.”

Fueled by Ramen/Elektra

Fall Out Boy – So Much (For) Stardust

There’s a warm familiarity in Fall Out Boy’s eighth album as the Chicago band return to their roots. So Much (For) Stardust delivered early 2000s nostalgia with the sophistication of a band that have been around the block. Joining forces once again with former FOB producer Neal Avron, having signed back to Fueled by Ramen, FOB strip back their production to the basics. So Much (For) Stardust is a refined, angry, and classic work of pop-punk gold with smart lyrics, stirring instrumentals, and the head-banging rock that fans have been clamoring for.

Saddle Creek

feeble little horse – Girl With Fish

feeble little horse’s Girl With Fish ushers in a new era of shoegaze that is unpredictable, playful, and light. For their sophomore album, the Pittsburgh quartet lean into their humorous and curious spirit to produce a highly improvisational project that speaks to their closeness and shared trust. From the joys of improved riffs to the tightness of expert songwriting, feeble little horse created the kind of record that transports listeners into the studio with them.

Roswell/RCA

Foo Fighters – But Here We Are

If anyone can channel sorrow into a truly successful, selfless musical pursuit, it’s Foo Fighters. They did so with “My Hero,” the anthem argued to be “loosely” dedicated to Dave Grohl’s late bandmate Kurt Cobain. And they’ve done so again with But Here We Are, the first release since the passing of the band’s longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins as well as Grohl’s mother. With drum tracks nearly all recorded by Grohl himself, the album serves as an outpouring of emotion, translated into the language of rock ’n’ roll. Given the depth and weight of the experiences the band have gone through over the years, the grief and uncertainty, it is nothing short of miraculous in the sense and sound of mastery and of hope that can be heard from the top track to the very last note. It’s enough to give anyone goosebumps.

Convulse

GEL – Only Constant

If you haven’t caught the New Jersey hardcore outfit GEL’s live set yet, you should make a point to. However, there is another option — the group released their debut full-length this year, and it’s nearly as good as the real thing, which is a feat when it comes to the hardcore-punk genre. But GEL, as this album further confirms, haven’t ever played by the often rigid, toxically masculine genre’s rules — and in spite of this, the group have garnered massive respect and a growing fanbase in the hardcore scene. Their lyrics relay positive, personal messages of self-confidence and of the journey to sobriety, though as far as we know, they have yet to play a set that doesn’t get the sweatiest, hardest crowd really going. 

Ourness/AWAL

Genesis Owusu – Struggler

When it comes to Genesis Owusu’s goal, it is for the listener to experience a “roller coaster of emotions.” And if you’ve encountered the Ghanaian-Australian artist’s funky, rap-infused revelation in any form, then you’ve helped him reach that goal, without a doubt. On Struggler, Owusu’s sophomore album, the artist continues to play with discomfort, existentialism, and building an exciting sense of urgency with the unique sound and energy that was introduced on his debut LP.

Elektra

grandson – I Love You, I’m Trying

If grandson’s EP series A Modern Tragedy tapped into the political, then I Love You, I’m Trying is a foray into the personal. Interspersed with piano ballads, recordings of family members, and gritty production, the product is a deeply intimate look into the depths of grandson’s internal mind, especially in regard to loss. His gut-wrenching vocals match the intensity of the heavy subject matters he approaches. While this album may stray into his softer side, his punk influences will always remain present. “I Will Be Here When You’re Ready To Wake Up” was even co-produced by Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda.

Loma Vista

HEALTH – RAT WARS

HEALTH’s RAT WARS, their sixth studio album and best yet, is full of industrial brilliance, menacing gloom, and utterly danceable moments that could soundtrack the end of the world. From the crushing raver “HATEFUL” to the booming “SICKO,” which samples Godflesh’s “Like Rats,” HEALTH juxtapose a bold, ambitious artistic vision with a dismal outlook. Dive in and witness their “neo-industrial” noise reach powerful new heights.

Blue Note

Jenny Lewis – Joy’All

Prior to releasing her fifth solo album, Joy’All, Jenny Lewis underwent a spiritual transformation and came out the other end a more introspective, self-assured person. That shift is palpable on the record, with Lewis acting older and wiser but no less compelling. She carves out twangy grooves (“Apples and Oranges”) and endless charm (“I’m not a psycho/I’m just trying to get laid,” she asserts on “Psychos”), all while retaining the wit of someone who’s carefully watched her own bruises fade away. This is what it sounds like to choose joy.

Century Media

Jesus Piece – …So Unknown

Philadelphia’s music scene is a rock epicenter, and Jesus Piece are part of a group of bands at the heart of it. Their second album, …So Unknown, is a chaotic listen from start to end, brimming with metallic aggression, savage breakdowns, and smart songcraft. Through it all, it’s clear that Jesus Piece yearn to stretch the limits of what they can do by whatever means necessary, and as hardcore enters its next golden era, they could easily become a band that rises to the top.

Video Store/RCA

Kevin Abstract – Blanket

Blanket is a new beginning for Kevin Abstract. Though the inspired vulnerability and tenacity are the same, the artist we knew in his rap group-cum-boy band days with BROCKHAMPTON, or even in his previous solo projects, feels far away. Now, Abstract is showcasing impressive dexterity by leaning into rock and grunge, sliding from screeching, emotive vocals to tender, soft notes. Between moments where his inherent, addictive pop sensibility shines, he grounds the listener with gritty, punk bridges. Whether you’re a die-hard BROCKHAMPTON fan or a snob for ’90s alt, this album is worth your while.

Pure Noise

Koyo – Would You Miss It?

On Would You Miss It?, the debut album from Long Island crew Koyo, their heart-on-sleeve mix of emo, punk, and hardcore proves anthemic as hell. The group are clearly indebted to their hometown music scene’s rich past, tapping on elders like Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw (“Message Like a Bomb”), Vinnie Caruana of the Movielife (“What’s Left to Say”), and Michael Dubin. More than anything, Koyo represent a new era of Long Island artists who are ready to make their mark.

Interscope/Polydor

Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

Lana Del Rey’s ninth album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, is strange and lovable, possessing the aesthetic and structural looseness of an artist who defies genre and form. The core of Ocean Blvd is Del Rey’s lifelong search to understand herself better, this time through her family, as she sifts through stories of religion, marriage, trauma, and estranged relations. The blend of steamy trap, ’60s beat poetry, and tumbling piano ballads is a seemingly impossible task that only a renegade like Lana could pull off. 

Mexican Summer

L’Rain – I Killed Your Dog

L’Rain’s I Killed Your Dog remains a surprise all these weeks later. That’s the beauty of an album like this — parts of the rich textures, left-field ideas, and vulnerable songwriting can take a while to reveal themselves, but once you immerse yourself in their world proper, the brilliance shines eternal. I Killed Your Dog isn’t summarized easily but adds up to a hallucinatory headrush that employs humor, surrealism, and grave honesty, like pointing out the ubiquity of white rock bands and the erasure of Black ones.

Fueled by Ramen

Meet Me @ The Altar – Past // Present // Future

Meet Me @ The Altar are the future of pop punk — and it’s bright. Though it can often be easier to lean into darkness as a creative crutch, this group refuse to do things the easy way. With their debut album, Past // Present // Future, the band offered us a punk-infused, optimistic outlook that is peppered with guitar riffs and contains all the ingredients a great pop-punk album needs to succeed: catchy diss tracks, breakup ballads, and flirty hooks. 

Loma Vista

Militarie Gun – Life Under The Gun

Militarie Gun are one of the most determined, and fastest-rising, bands in hardcore right now. Their pop smarts have their fingerprints all over their debut album, Life Under The Gun, by way of soaring highs, tight arrangements, and catchy-as-hell melodies. Juxtaposed with frontman Ian Shelton’s gruff vocals, the band retain their punk edge and wind up with a combination that can’t lose. Their hooky hardcore could turn anyone into a fan, and it’s only a matter of time before the better part of the world catches onto their greatness.

Convulse

MSPAINT – Post-American

MSPAINT are freaks of nature. On their debut album, Post-American, the Hattiesburg, Mississippi crew give in to their wildest and most undefinable impulses as each member, after years of playing in different bands, switches gears and takes up a new position. The result is hugely fun and innovative, like the scream-along “Delete It” (feat. Militarie Gun) and the thrashy hypnotics of “Hardwired.” But for all of the catharsis that its 11 songs offer, experiencing their post-guitar oddity live feels like a total revelation.

Run for Cover

Narrow Head – Moments of Clarity

With their third album, Moments of Clarity, Narrow Head tap into the stark realities of daily life. Perhaps that’s why frontman Jacob Duarte sounds so haunted. Either way, the Houston outfit are in their bag here, employing thick distortion, renewed purpose, and all-consuming emotions to drive their message home. And like a lot of other great music, these 12 songs have the power to act as intensive therapy. You could call their music space rock or Southern shoegaze, but you don’t need to tag it to know that it really fucking rocks. 

Profound Lore

Object of Affection – Field of Appearances

Object of Affection initially began as more of a project than a proper band, composed of members of Fury, Death Bells, and Lock. Over the last few years, the group released a slew of singles while they perfected the formula they had so specifically in mind. Finally, this year they released their debut full-length: a dense and diligent body of work exploring post-hardcore and pushing the limits of pop-informed punk sounds that has left us eager to hear what they might have for us next.

Geffen

Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS

Best described as “devastatingly relatable,” Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS sees the young artist continue to grow up and into herself. Drawing from a darker palette of sounds, with references ranging from classic rock ’n’ roll to legendary riot grrrl acts, Rodrigo steps out with a slew of reactive, post-heartbreak anthems fit for teenage moments at any stage of life.

Atlantic

Paramore – This is Why

Though the beloved group had made an active departure from their Warp Tour days in both sound and aesthetic before This is Why, the album offers us another evolution of Paramore. Leaning into their own maturity — emotionally, physically, and musically — the album is anything but reserved. The band boldly and artfully dig into politics, discomfort, and mental health while finding a funkier, more complex musical canvas with which to explore and express themselves freely. Risks are taken, and they pay off.

Paris Texas

Paris Texas – MID AIR

Paris Texas thrive as one of hip-hop’s most unpredictable duos, and their debut full-length, MID AIR, captures their ascent in vivid color. “PANIC!!!” mirrors the energy of a packed warehouse show, whereas “Ain’t No High” slows down and tries a little tenderness. It’s reflective of the multiple worlds that they straddle, just as likely to attract King Krule fans as they are 03 Greedo devotees with rumbling beats, intense stamina, and absurd humor. Best get situated, as this is the sound of an indispensable duo who’ll “keep on doing this shit till it soak in.”

Fearless

Pierce the Veil – The Jaws of Life

Seven years since their last release, Pierce the Veil returned with new music, and a new perspective. While there’s enough nostalgic Pierce the Veil peppered throughout The Jaws of Life for die-hard Collide with the Sky fans, the band turn toward their humanity on this album, and don’t shy away from showing us that they’ve also grown up. Leaning into frontman Vic Fuentes’ impeccable vocal range with emotional hooks and tender bridges, though there are still classically heavy songs here, we see the band weaving in more alt-pop influences. The result? A truly catchy album, fit for elder emos and a new crop of fans alike.

Sumerian

Poppy – Zig

Poppy’s fifth album’s eponymous track, “When you zig, I zag,” says it all. Just when you think you’ve cracked the enigmatic artist’s code, Poppy has something new up her sleeve. And though her last two projects dove headfirst into heavier arenas, sampling rock, metal, and rough-edged shoegaze sounds, the bold and conceptual, electronica-infused Zig is truly a triumph.

Flatspot

Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine

Since Scowl’s 2021 debut album, How Flowers Grow, the Santa Cruz band have made a name for themselves as a raw and powerful presence in the hardcore scene. After two years of touring with big-name acts like Limp Bizkit and Destroy Boys, the second phase of Scowl
was eagerly awaited by critics and fans alike. Pushing their artistic boundaries on Psychic Dance Routine, the band dropped an undeniably fun and well-produced record — a delectable blend of hardcore punk and alt-rock that fans could devour whether they were head-banging in a basement or crowd surfing at Coachella. 

Spinefarm

Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden

Sleep Token, the mysterious masked band from the U.K., experienced an unlikely ascent this year. A slew of viral singles — “The Summoning,” “Granite,” and “Chokehold” — set the blaze and heralded their third record, Take Me Back to Eden. Stacked with thrilling riffs and spellbinding left turns, the shadowy crew proved both their strength and pop-metal smarts on their total headtrip of an album that inducted thousands into their cult.

Blue Grape Music

Spiritual Cramp – Spiritual Cramp

Though their polished aesthetic and post-hardcore sound set them apart, Spiritual Cramp have woven themselves seamlessly into the burgeoning contemporary California hardcore scene. Their debut full-length, the eponymous Spiritual Cramp, is a rousing blend of grunge, garage rock, and upbeat punk, peppered with reggae and ska sounds that easily satiates fans across the board, whether they’re stans of Scowl or the Replacements, White Reaper or High Vis.

Matador

Water from Your Eyes – Everyone’s Crushed

Water from Your Eyes, the indie-rock duo made up of Nate Amos and Rachel Brown, took their tongue-in-cheek creative approach to new heights for their latest album, Everyone’s Crushed. They have found an impeccable balance between leaning into their absurdist sense of humor while creating music that is not only easy to take seriously but is even easier to fall in love with. Wavering between art-rock and sparkly pop, this album is special, and one you’ll want to keep on a loop.

Fueled by Ramen

Waterparks – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Listening to Waterparks’ INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY is to experience pop music in a completely fresh way. The Houston trio use strange, diverse iterations of the genre to create something that feels truly unique to them. From hyperpop with its high-octane pulse to the wailing guitars of alt-rock and pop punk, the 11-track record catapults fans into new dimensions of pop, challenging the nature of what “pop music” really is.

Dead Oceans

Wednesday – Rat Saw God

Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman still remembers the time her friend got their stomach pumped after getting too stoned off Benadryl, the dresser laying on the side of the road, and the person drinking “piss-colored bright yellow Fanta.” Rat Saw God spills over with these types of details, rooted in the American South and the band’s time on the road. “Hot Rotten Grass Smell” conjures a distinctness from the jump, where the stench hits your nostrils just as quickly as the wailing guitars, and it’s easy to picture the “rain-rotted house” that appears in “Quarry.” You may know one just like it. It’s divine songwriting — the kind that places importance on the hazy, mundane moments as much as the formative ones.

Valencia House

Yeek – Future Reference

On Future Reference, Yeek explores desire, uncertain romance, and finding peace of mind overtop sleek, nocturnal pop that draws inspiration from early 2010s Tumblr. Collaboration is vital, as “ETA2,” featuring Paris Texas, is a freeway banger that conjures memories of muggy nights cruising around with time to kill. Meanwhile, “Searching For Yourself” is entirely produced by Erik Bodin of Little Dragon and includes a ghostly verse from Raveena, Bakar sounds just as fed up with a lover on “Care,” and the stirring piano comedown from George Moore on “Last Night in Town” ends the album on a high note.

Warp

Yves Tumor – Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)

Listening to a Yves Tumor song is frequently dizzying. You’re plagued by discomfort or filled with curiosity about what’s going to happen next — how will this track suddenly swerve left or bloom into a gorgeous chorus? With Praise a Lord, however, Tumor has created their most grand album yet. It’s a sheer pop thrill that continues to establish them as a new type of rock star, one who wields chaos and beauty in both hands. The power to make a sticky song that will be sung along to by thousands is simply too irresistible to ignore. It’s intoxicating, empowering you to relinquish yourself to the music completely and, primarily, feel just as free as the boundary-defying extraterrestrial behind the microphone.

Flatspot

Zulu – A New Tomorrow

Zulu are terrifying in their breadth, in a good way. Across their debut album, A New Tomorrow, their crushing hardcore morphs into tons of different shapes, from jazz-rap that feels like a lost cut from The Low End Theory (“We’re More Than This”) to blasts that make so many left turns, you’re left slack-jawed (“Who Jah Bless, No One Curse”). It’s a staggering effect, all while rarely exceeding two minutes per song. Their deep, guttural roars are bound to turn even more heads as they shoot toward the stars, yet there’s nothing but love in their pit.

Dog Show/Atlantic

100 gecs – 10,000 gecs

Four years after 100 gecs’ breakthrough album, 1000 gecs, the post-ironic, genre-bending hyperpop duo are back with 10,000 gecs, which is indeed 10 times more ludicrous than its precursor. Violently goofy, chronically online, and deliriously catchy, the newest project from Laura Les and Dylan Brady taps into their extensive handle of pop culture memes to create the raging moshpit of nü metal, cyberpop, emo-rap, ska, and punk that somehow wrestled mainstream critics onto their side of the joke.

Earlier this year, Avenged Sevenfold released their daring eighth studio album, Life Is But a Dream…, and now they’re back with a new song that’s stranger than anything on the record.

“We Love You Moar” is a reinvented take on “We Love You” that features a collaboration with Nadya Tolokonnikova of Russian punks Pussy Riot, who were initially slated to open A7X’s release shows earlier this summer before dropping from the bills. 

Read more: 10 most criminally underrated Avenged Sevenfold songs

“We Love You Moar” features the same basic song structure as “We Love You,” just with way more wonky vocal effects, synths, and bit-crushed production techniques. Plus, Tolokonnikova lends her vocals during the chanted chorus, giving the song a whole new feel. 

In addition to the song, A7X and Pussy Riot have also teamed up for a piece of balaclava merch. All proceeds go toward the SOS North Caucasus, an organization that helps LGBTQ people and their families escape persecution in North Caucasus, Russia. Get yours here.

Listen to “We Love You Moar” below.

This article was originally published on RevolverMag.com and has been edited by Alternative Press.

In a new interview on the Loudwire Nights podcast, frontman M. Shadows revealed that the band have ambitious plans for their ninth album, and he hopes that the band will be able to get into the studio “sooner than later” to start the process. 

Read more: Avenged Sevenfold have no fear

“There’s something vastly different in the works,” Shadows teased. “There were some avenues on this record that we really wanted to explore.” 

At this point, the interviewer brings up Nine Inch Nails’ evolution between The Downard Spiral and The Fragile.

“I appreciate that comparison because I love that record,” Shadows said. “There is so much chaos and then there’s beauty in the chaos. I think of [Weezer’s] Pinkerton, that’s another record that’s chaotic but so beautiful.”

“There are things that were left on the sides of [Life Is but a Dream…] that didn’t quite make it that can be explored [and] that I think will be incredible,” Shadows added of the band’s next release. “That will be a very cool, soothing sort of connection to this record.”

Listen to Shadows’ podcast appearance below. 

This article was originally published on RevolverMag.com and was edited by Alternative Press. 

It’s been seven years since Avenged Sevenfold’s last studio album. But with their new record, Life Is But A Dream…, the band have proved that great art is always worth the wait. Pulling inspiration from Albert Camus’ The Stranger, the desire to take risks and their own unbridled imagination, fans are in for a gripping journey. To get into it all, bandleader M. Shadows connected with his good friend Joel Madden to discuss its creation, but the duo end up in a deeper conversation about their own philosophies and the freedom of expression.

Read more: 10 most criminally underrated Avenged Sevenfold songs

Along the way, Shadows delves into the wider meaning behind the single “Nobody,” tapping designer Wes Lang (The Grateful Dead, Kanye West) for the album’s cover art and embracing the possibility of failure for the sake of art.

The new record is your best. It’s artistically ambitious and still has all the Avenged Sevenfold [elements I love], but it also has this modern sound that I have no idea how to describe. So before we get into the new record, Avenged Sevenfold is one of the few bands that is not dated right now. When you look behind the curtain, you’re still the same guys that are making records you want to make and going on tour. 

I feel some of that, but there are parts of the fanbase that really want one era of the band. I also think there’s a lot of people that didn’t necessarily like the band in those eras. If you look at both of those opinions, both of those date the band in a way that I don’t like because as humans, we’re moving forward, we’re growing, we’re trying new things.

We’re also writing with a modern sensibility. So that feels a little bit cheap when someone wants you to be something you were when you were 20. Those are hard things to break. You just gotta be grateful for what you have and then continue to walk the walk, and then you’ll make people believers or you won’t. It takes a lot for a band to stay front of mind for a lot of people because the time economy is so crazy now with all the things you can do besides follow a band.

The good thing about radio and MTV was it really was curating things and bringing the best stuff to the front. Meaning, we’re going to show you these things, and you’re going to have to hear them a few times on the radio. I think people would do well with getting exposed to more now. Right now, you have everything at your fingertips, and it’s just too hard to navigate. I’m one of those guys that’s excited about the future. It’s almost like there’s no rules right now, and you can do whatever you want. You’re not going to get traction on everything. In fact, you’re probably not going to get traction on much, but that’s OK. Keep trying things and doing things, and it gives you a lot of freedom. 

Avenged Sevenfold pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a metal rock band. It’s interesting because how the hell did a band that was essentially an Orange County hardcore band starting out go to the level that you’re at? You had a vision, and you executed it. Each record’s special. The fans want that record again, and you’re like, “No, we’re onto this.”

Every record, the bigger the band gets, the more that step is scary. Because it’s like, “OK, now we’re here. Do we do it again?” We wouldn’t even be able to write those records again. They were at the time the step that people didn’t want us to take, and they were exciting because of that. 

Almost unconscious — you’re just being artistic.

If you see a piece of art or you’re watching a movie or something just really sticks out to you, you want to capture that in audio form somehow, and that’s when you get these crazy transitions or key changes or weirdness or something moving forward. So to me, it’s imagination. You got to imagine something drastic happening, or you’re just going to be in a box. It’s got to be pulled from everywhere.

Then one thing culturally for us was bringing Wes [Lang] in to do the art on this record or redefining what it means to do stop-motion, like on the “Nobody” video. Not trying to make it look like the ’90s, but where is stop-motion now? After I saw that new Pinocchio movie, I called up Chris Hopewell, and he’s like, ‘I can do that.’ I don’t really want to see 41-year-old me jump around in a warehouse. The ideas are so grand that I don’t think it’s gonna be possible with music video budgets nowadays unless we did something like stop-motion.

It’s about being creative and figuring out how you’re going to get your vision across — and knowing when to cut your losses. Let’s put all the money into one video instead of chopping it into three. You got to do your own thing and live with the consequences. We’re all going to fail so many more times than we’re going to succeed. But it’s out in the world at that point, and let it do what it’s going to do. Because if it came from the right spot, then you should have no fear. 

I think you gain that insight over time in having a long career as you’ve had. You’re all still with it, and it’s interesting because you also meet people that don’t evolve. It’s like they’re stuck in a time where maybe it was the height of an era of success, and it feels like they don’t want to leave that time. 

Well, there’s that term called audience capture. Say you’re very right-leaning or left-leaning. When your identity is based around one sort of ideal and then you get all these followers, it’s very hard. It takes a very strong person to get more information and change their mind when they know that everything they’ve built up is about this sort of thing.

I think bands do that, too. They become audience captured. The audience somehow gets big enough to where you get stuck in the mud — unless you’re willing to go to war with everyone, including your fans, for your ideals. You have to constantly do it because then there’s going to be a bunch of people that love that next thing you did, and then they all want more of that. Then you got to push them all off again and go over here. So you’re constantly in this tug and pull. 

It’s the fans pushing you for what they think they want because of what you did before, and it’s you pushing back with, “No, trust me. This is what you want.” 

And you would have never got that if I didn’t push off these people from before. [Laughs.] 

I don’t, as a fan, want to get a record that the artist doesn’t bleed for, and I feel that on the new record. I feel like you are dying to get out of some cage and do something that you love. I think you nailed it. Effort over time equals results. The results are going to be what they’re going to be, and then we put more effort forward.

Whatever you’re doing, just enjoy the journey. Because even if you were to be Avenged Sevenfold, there’s a higher mountain. Even if you’re Metallica, you want to be U2 and the Rolling Stones. 

You’re always going to want to climb. 

There’s always something. But the lesson is that the destination never really comes. You have to enjoy what you’re doing.

I need to remember that more. I always get caught up on my next destination. 

We all do. But you got to sit there and observe what’s really happening instead of going, “OK, where’d I come from?” It’s all mindfulness. That’s what you meditate for, or you observe your own thoughts.

Do you meditate?

I practice mindfulness, or I wouldn’t have even come up with that. You find yourself in the rat race, and it’s continuing to think there’s some higher place to be. 

Like “here” isn’t good enough — I need to get there. 

“Here” is good enough. One thing about this band that I think that’s been great for us recently is that everybody’s got the mindset of, “If we’re going to be in the studio, we want to be there.” Don’t go in on the days that you don’t want to go. It’s nice to put little barriers on yourself and go, “OK, we’re going to get this done.” But at the same time, just do things you want to do and really put yourself into it and be happier there, or go do something else. 

You have to care about being there. Most people don’t get the opportunity to live that way because, a lot of times, I think people get trapped in cycles with jobs they don’t really love. I didn’t become aware of this until I was older. Like, “Oh, I should only do the things I really believe in. Then I’m going to do a better job.”

That mindset has bled into Avenged, as well. It’s twisting everything back to the way we think it should be, which is, “Why do you put out a record?” Well, you put out a record because you have to, meaning I have art in me. I have to get it down, and now what do we do with it? The music industry has turned it into, “When’s your next record?” Well, maybe I don’t have one. It has to go back to, “I have to put this out. This is so important to me. I have all these ideas, and I’m bursting at the seams.” OK, now that it’s done, what are we going to do? How are we going to get it to people? Then all of a sudden, it becomes, “Well, what are we really doing here?” You get this very streamlined version.

It even bleeds into the fans because it’s gotten so far to where the fans would rather just be handed some crap. How are you even grading music? It all has to be requestioned, in my opinion. It starts with bands that can be in a position like us to lead the way and do it like, “Well, we’re going to do things over here in blockchain, even if you’re mad. We’re going to put out records we want to put out. We’re going to put them out the way we want to put them out. We’re going to tour how we want to tour.” It’s nothing offensive. It is simply keeping ourselves sane and doing things in the name of art, not in the name of get it out quicker.

You had Wes do the album art. Knowing what I know about Wes, he’s not doing anything he doesn’t want to do, even if you’re his best friend. It’s why people love his art. To me, he’s like the rock ’n’ roll country Basquiat.

It’s a timeless culture that he’s created. I thought I would be able to convince Wes, and he said no multiple times. Then when I gave up, I didn’t talk to him about it for a year. One day he hits me up, and I’ve been sending him demos of the record, and he’s got like five things. He sends a picture, and he’s like, “Did this for the album.” Then he keeps sending them. He knocked them all out in two or three days.

Wes is a great example of someone who just does what he wants. I think you are, too, and I think that’s why you vibe. I also think getting a no from him didn’t offend you. I think it was like, “Well, I want it. I can see it. I’m going to keep trying.”

I respected it more. I think there’s a lot of evolutionary residue with human beings where we want to be a part of the tribe. If you stick out too much, there’s a lot of eyes on you and a lot of judgment. You feel like you’re out of the tribe, and you see that with music. Then there’s those people that march at their own beat. I respect those people immensely. I think that causes a lot of anxiety in society.

It’s sad to see, but if you look back 3,000 years and from what we know of human history, we’ve needed tribes to survive. Now that technology’s moving faster than our brains can catch up with, we’ve got all this ape brain that still fights us, and a lot of it is the social anxiety to think on our own, question things, go a certain route and know that you might be going it alone. That’s scary to people, but it’s OK. It’s good for art. It’s good to be free and think and be interested in things and try to get all the information and do what you feel is best.

What we put out as Avenged Sevenfold will be forgotten in 500, 400 years max. But the point is, it doesn’t really matter. So while you’re here, what’s going to bring you the most happiness? For me, I want to express myself to the fullest while I’m here. I’m here to enjoy putting that out and feeling like I got it off my chest. That’s all art is. It’s contributing to the conversation. But as long as it’s there, it exists now. Now it’s going to inspire someone to do something else and something even cooler and invent something or think about something in a different way. That’s how we as humans stand on the shoulders of each other as time goes on.

So I think art has a huge impact, but not if you’re going to suppress it and try to fit in. There’s new art that’s inspiring me. There’s records right now that I’ve been hearing lately that are blowing my mind. I’m like, “Oh, I want to get back in the studio. I’m hearing stuff that I’d never heard before.” 

What’s your latest favorite? 

100 gecs. I put that record on [10,000 gecs], and I was like, “This is like my brain on fireworks.” But it’s done so well. As somebody who puts music together, I’m like, “This is not what’s on the surface.” I felt the same way when I heard Yeezus. I felt the same way when I heard Pinkerton. So it made me want to get in there. Art is a part of the human discussion and a part of our evolution. 

People will listen to the music of the era, and they’ll be able to understand the fashion more, the way people talked, the way people interact with each other and what issues were important. It’s a time capsule. 

It is a time capsule. We’ve got pianists and composers from a certain era that are just on the edge now. They’re obviously very important to modern music, but before that, not much. I assume it’s going to keep funneling through. But these are all important stepping stones. That’s what’s so great about art. It’s important to be yourself. You have one shot at this, and it’s OK to fail every time. As long as you’re doing something and you feel good about it, it’s OK. No one is comfortable enough in their own skin that they can judge you.

That’s the lie we see on social media. We’re all a little bit of a mess in some way. I think people look to artists because we present well in one way or another, but there’s so much more. But the other side of that is I think people who haven’t learned that those are muscles we learn to express ourselves to have the confidence to dress how we want and be how we want. There are people who have never broken out of their shells and never express themselves. We take expression for granted sometimes.

Another lie is that we all start with the same cards. There’s genetics, there’s deep past, there’s a bigger discussion about free will and there’s a big discussion about the things you feel. If you have an urge to do something that’s considered wrong, you need to be able to forgive yourself and work on those things and do it in a way that you realize that the cards you were dealt are not the cards I was dealt. People and social media will make it look like, “Eh, you’re just bad.” There’s no bad, in my opinion. There’s circumstances, and there’s putting yourself in other people’s shoes and trying to have empathy for people in the way they act. If you don’t have the ambition to go do something, you need to forgive yourself first, realize you are what you are, and find the thing that makes you happy.

Every individual has their own potential. Finding something you enjoy is likely connected to your talent. As humans, we tend to want to be productive, so we’ll find a way to be productive. 

We want to be productive. This isn’t saying that you don’t need to make a living for yourself, but the thing is, we’ve put up a system that’s actually pretty toxic for what we consider a success. The people that are at the top, even though they don’t see themselves at the top, there’s always the next level. A lot of them are miserable. At the end of the day, we have to create our own purpose. There’s a lot of philosophers that say inherently there is no purpose, and that’s depressing to some people. But then there’s also people going, “Yeah, there’s no purpose, but if you find something you enjoy and you find joy in that, that’s your purpose. Go toward it.”

I was working three jobs while I was trying to make it, and I did it happily because it was fueling my life that I could do this band. We had to fund our life and make the band happen. It was really hard. But we loved it because we had a dream — the dream is what made us happy. 

I also think people need to find their dream. People are all dealt these different cards, and we’ll never be able to put ourselves in everyone’s shoes. We can only speak on what we know for ourselves and then be empathetic toward other people’s situations. That’s why empathy is so key as humans. What brought [me] to this? Well, I read a lot of books, started meditating years ago and, I hate this truth, but psychedelics. 

I think mushrooms are going to change the world. It does something to your brain that really feels helpful. Is there a book or two that you feel really opened your mind?

I really wanted to have a foundation scientifically because that’s where my brain instantly goes. So there’s a Brian Greene book called Until the End of Time that explains what we know from the Big Bang all the way to where we’re at and where we’re going. It plays into the philosophy of Albert Camus’ The Stranger. There is no purpose to life. Once you realize that, then you’ve unlocked all the doors because now you can do whatever you want. I don’t believe morals are given to us by a higher being. I believe people are inherently good, and I don’t need someone to tell me what’s right and wrong. I can feel it just by how I would want to be treated. 

You feel like it’s nature. So you’re not very religious? 

I’m not religious at all. But I find beauty in no purpose. I’ve found a lot of positivity in there being no purpose because I feel like that’s the ultimate freedom. I don’t want to be told what needs to happen. I want to have my own path. And for me, it’s all the simple things we all come back to. It’s all the things that religion would teach you. It’s love. It’s my family. It’s empathy. It’s trying to further the human conversation. But the difference here is I would say at the very end, the only reason it matters is because while you’re here, I don’t like to see suffering. I believe that if you look in a five billion-year time frame when Earth gets wiped out, I believe nothing will ever know you’re here. It doesn’t matter.

I think I’m pretty spiritual, borderline religious. I’m definitely a God person, but I don’t have an opinion on anyone else’s philosophy. I think we do make choices, but how I feel is how I feel. I always knew you were a science guy, but I think that’s a really interesting philosophy.

I look at deep history. But let’s say we have a Big Bang. So my question would be at what point did God start taking notice or care? When you want to know what you feel is the truth and you read as much as you can on it, there is a shock to the system, which makes me think it’s very much evolutionary because there are very few things that will make your body chill to the bone. The day I realized that God was not a feasible option for me, my whole body just shook in fear. And I know that is usually the spot where most people go, “OK, I’m going back.” 

I’m different. I think part of me is comforted by the size of how big God is that I don’t have to have the answer. I think there’s something about that that calms my mind from going down the rabbit holes that you go down and enjoy. I don’t know if I could handle that. 

A lot of the philosophy that I believe in is that there is no you. That’s what “Nobody” is about — there’s no you. You are one with the whole universe now. God might have his hands around the whole universe, but at that point, you’re in an ocean. So when I did 5-MeO-DMT, the point of it is to wipe away you. It’s ego death. It’s very scary. But one thing that it led me to was I have this friend Jeremiah, who’s become very religious as of late. We get whiskey and argue with each other. 

I believe that everyone’s having their own experience. They’re living the life that they were meant to live. I love someone feeling like they can tell me what they believe and not feel like they’re getting judged. 

When I did this 5-MeO, it’s called the “God molecule.” You lose yourself. You don’t exist when you’re on this. You actually come back, and you can’t even talk. But the next day I saw Jeremiah, and I said, “You were right all along. He exists.” I gave him a hug because I realized at that moment, it didn’t matter. What he believes in and what I experienced was the same thing. He puts a name on it, and I was just one with the universe and with every human that ever existed.

When you listen to “Nobody,” the lyric is “I’m a god, I’m awake/I’m the one in everything.” It’s because I’m taking those words, and I’m changing what you think they mean. I don’t think I’m up there making decisions. I just felt like I was. There’s an old Buddhist saying: Enlightenment is when the wave realizes it’s the ocean. It’s when you realize you’re one with everything, and you’re ebbing and flowing. When I realized that, I realized Jeremiah was right all along. What he believes in and what guides him in life, what he calls God, is just a technicality. It was all the same thing. It was actually an interesting way to come back around to everything.

Read more: 10 most criminally underrated Avenged Sevenfold songs

Before you dive into the new episode, we rounded up some takeaways from their conversation. Check them out below.

Avenged Sevenfold have a higher standard of music

Across eight studio albums, Avenged Sevenfold have stayed true to their own way of doing things — and creating their own timeline. Shadows believes artists should make a record because they’re “bursting at the seams” to put it out, rather than getting trapped into the mindset that it’s just what they should do when they get off tour. “It even bleeds into the fans because it’s gotten so far to where [they] would rather just be handed some crap. How are you even grading music? It all has to be requestioned, in my opinion. It starts with bands that can be in a position like us to lead the way,” he asserts. Whether it’s getting involved in blockchain or waiting years to release their next album, A7X have certainly set a good example.

Wes Lang designed the album cover for Life Is But A Dream… spontaneously

From creating the album artwork for the Grateful Dead’s box set Spring 1990 to designing Kanye West’s Yeezus tour merchandise, Shadows says Wes Lang has built a “timeliness culture.” So of course he wanted the acclaimed artist to craft the cover for Avenged Sevenfold’s new record. After asking Lang several times and getting turned down, Shadows stopped pressing him. “One day he hits me up — and I’ve been sending him demos of the record — and he’s got like five things. He sends a picture, and he’s like, ‘Did this for the album.’ Then he keeps sending them. He knocked them all out in two or three days,” Shadows recalls on the podcast.

100 gecs are Shadows’ latest favorite band

Shadows is constantly inspired by new music and says there are records that are “blowing [his] mind.” They’re even encouraging him to get back into the studio. His latest favorite? 10,000 gecs by hyperpop duo (and former AP cover stars) 100 gecs. “I put on [10,000 gecs], and I was like, ‘This is like my brain on fireworks.’ But it’s done so well. As somebody who puts music together, I’m like, ‘This is not what’s on the surface,’” he tells Madden. It evoked a similar feeling when he first heard Kanye West’s Yeezus and Weezer’s Pinkerton, as well.

Shadows remains a positive and empathetic person

Though he looks formidable from a distance, cast your judgments aside. Shadows is an incredibly friendly, positive, and empathetic person who thinks great art takes time, so don’t be too hard on yourself. “You have one shot at this, and it’s OK to fail every time. As long as you’re doing something and you feel good about it, it’s OK. No one is comfortable enough in their own skin where they can judge you,” he says on the podcast. He also has compassion for those who haven’t found their way yet. “If you don’t have the ambition to get up and go do something, you need to forgive yourself first, realize you are what you are, and then find the thing that makes you happy,” he urges.

He believes there’s no real purpose to life

Shadows has spent most of his life reading books, but one of the most impactful is Albert Camus’ 1942 novella The Stranger. Ultimately, he believes there’s no purpose to life — and that’s not a bad thing. “Once you realize that, then you’ve unlocked all the doors because now you can do whatever you want,” he explains on the podcast, reveling in the freedom of that philosophy. “I don’t believe morals are given to us by a higher being. I believe people are inherently good, and I don’t need someone to tell me what’s right and wrong. I can feel it just by how I would want to be treated.”

Avenged Sevenfold’s single “Nobody” is inspired by a DMT experience

Throughout the podcast episode, it’s clear that Shadows is driven by curiosity. So naturally, that’s led him to experiment with DMT — and the experience informed their new album’s lead single “Nobody.” “A lot of the philosophy that I believe in is that there is no you. That’s what ‘Nobody’ is about — there’s no you. You are one with the whole universe now. God might have his hands around the whole universe, but at that point, you’re in an ocean,” Shadows explains. While he says experiencing ego death was “scary,” it was clearly worth it, as it led to the creation of an epic first preview of their new record.

Avenged Sevenfold have been busy gearing up for the release of their long-awaited eighth studio album, Life Is But A Dream…, as well as a massive tour across North America. The band are also on the cover of Alternative Press’ summer issue, and you can read an excerpt from the story here.

Read more: 20 essential Avenged Sevenfold songs that will turn you into a fan

The Artist Friendly interview arrives on streaming wherever you listen to podcasts this Wednesday. Before it debuts, make sure you’re caught up on all the episodes of Artist Friendly here and continue checking Alternative Press for more announcements and exclusive content related to the podcast.

So you’re not very religious? 

I’m not religious at all. But I find beauty in no purpose. I’ve found a lot of positivity in there being no purpose because I feel like that’s the ultimate freedom. I don’t want to be told what needs to happen. I want to have my own path. And for me, it’s all the simple things we all come back to. It’s all the things that religion would teach you. It’s love. It’s my family. It’s empathy. It’s trying to further the human conversation. But the difference here is I would say at the very end, the only reason it matters is because while you’re here, I don’t like to see suffering. I believe that if you look in a five billion-year time frame when Earth gets wiped out, I believe nothing will ever know you’re here. It doesn’t matter.

Read more: 10 most criminally underrated Avenged Sevenfold songs

I think I’m pretty spiritual, borderline religious, but I don’t have an opinion on anyone else’s philosophy. I always knew you were a science guy, but I think that’s a really interesting philosophy.

I look at deep history. But let’s say we have a Big Bang. So my question would be at what point did God start taking notice or care? When you want to know what you feel is the truth and you read as much as you can on it, there is a shock to the system, which makes me think it’s very much evolutionary because there are very few things that will make your body chill to the bone. The day that I realized that God was not a feasible option for me, my whole body just shook in fear. And I know that is usually the spot where most people go, “OK, I’m going back.” 

I’m different. I think part of me is comforted by the size of how big God is that I don’t have to have the answer. There’s something about that that calms my mind from going down the rabbit holes that you go down and enjoy.

A lot of the philosophy that I believe in is that there is no you. That’s what “Nobody” is about — there’s no you. You are one with the whole universe now. God might have his hands around the whole universe, but at that point, you’re in an ocean. So when I did 5-MeO-DMT, the point of it is to wipe away you. It’s ego death. It’s very scary.

I believe that everyone’s having their own experience. They’re living the life that they were meant to live. I love someone feeling like they can tell me what they believe and not feel like they’re getting ever judged. 

When I did this 5-MeO, it’s called the “God molecule.” You lose yourself. You don’t exist when you’re on this. You actually come back, and you can’t even talk. I was just one with the universe and with every human that ever existed. When you listen to “Nobody,” the lyric is “I’m a god, I’m awake/I’m the one in everything.” It’s because I’m taking those words, and I’m changing what you think they mean. I don’t think I’m up there making decisions. I just felt like I was. There’s an old Buddhist saying: Enlightenment is when the wave realizes it’s the ocean. It’s when you realize you’re one with everything, and you’re ebbing and flowing.

In addition to Alexisonfire joining Avenged Sevenfold on the first leg of the tour and Falling In Reverse joining them on the second leg, Kim Dracula will also support the band. The trap metal/hardcore Australian artist will join both legs of the tour.

Read more: 20 essential Avenged Sevenfold songs that will turn you into a fan

The first leg of the tour is set to kick off in late July in Camden, New Jersey before wrapping up in Vancouver, British Columbia in August. It will then pick back up in September in West Palm Beach and run until mid-October when it concludes in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tickets for the tour, which supports A7X’s upcoming album Life is But A Dream… (due out June 2), are on sale now. You can get them here and check out the full slate of tour dates and their support below.

Read more: 20 greatest Fueled By Ramen bands

In celebration of the philanthropic label’s 30th birthday this year, we’ve drawn together the 20 greatest Hopeless signings, both past and present. 

Avenged Sevenfold

Try to imagine Avenged Sevenfold without their debut Sounding the Seventh Trumpet or their seminal sophomore album, Waking the Fallen. Having trouble? That speaks for the impact of A7X’s Hopeless output all the way back in 2001, a much simpler time for the metalcore scene and owners of infinitely baggy jeans. Listeners were introduced to the talents of Synyster Gates and Johnny Christ to the tune of “Unholy Confessions” and “I Won’t See You Tonight,” bracing fans for their now-traditional screaming guitar solos to frame their lyrical bangers. Avenged Sevenfold’s stint under the Hopeless umbrella may have been criminally brief but ultimately gave the promising Cali outfit a chance to make a giant leap into their bright future.

NOAHFINNCE

No offense, but if you’ve not yet discovered the musical wisdom of influencer-turned-pop-punk-upstart NOAHFINNCE, you need to get out more. Multitalented, energetic and mob-handed with a sharp tongue and an ear for a catchy hook, the British rising talent signed to Hopeless Records in 2020 and has since released two EPs charged with quickfire jibes on modern life, love and everything in between. The future of pop punk is safe in the hands of NOAHFINNCE and Hopeless’ eye for the genre’s next landmark artists.

Zeph

Bedroom alt-pop fueled by young adult angst has never sounded quite as bittersweet as it does in the hands of one-woman powerhouse Zephani Jong, or Zeph for short. One of Hopeless’ freshest signings, the Korean-American sensation well known for her hard-hitting lyrics that give listeners pause for thought at every turn joined the label in March and promises a moving new era judging by her latest single “like everyone else.” Listeners can expect a wild ride of emotions that may be uncomfortable to hear but nevertheless deserve a platform, soundtracked by the dulcet tones of Zeph’s vocal range.

Waterparks

In 2019, pop-punk sensations Waterparks sought the perfect outlet for a change of tact, bringing painfully self-aware lyricism to the table amid saccharine, electro-pop-infused singalongs. A simultaneous bold shift from their signature pop-punk jams but also a perfect transition toward their musical maturity as an outfit, Hopeless Records gave their 2019 album, FANDOM, a soapbox to freely express itself. The success of the venture proved that their sound progression was not only predicted but welcomed by listeners who also needed self-critical anthems to belt out in the car on a hot summer’s day. Even though their partnership was short-lived, as they only stuck with Hopeless for one record, Waterparks made their ultimate mission statement loud and clear.

New Found Glory

New Found Glory’s shift to Hopeless in 2014 in time for their eighth studio album, Resurrection, gifted the outfit with a chance to start again. A member reshuffle placed Chad Gilbert on rhythm guitars as well as lead, allowing for a more consistent tone on songs like “Selfless” and “Ready & Willing,” establishing a new status quo that would survive until NFG’s final Hopeless album, December’s Here. The Hopeless era gave the genre mainstays a golden opportunity to prove themselves all over again, and it paid off spectacularly.

Scene Queen

The TikTok generation needed a rebellious icon to call out the scene around them with an acid tongue, but it could never fully prepare itself enough for the storming presence of Scene Queen, the brutally honest outlet for songwriter Hannah Collins. Creating her own genre of self-branded “bimbocore” to explain the juxtaposition between her ultra-feminine aesthetics and relentless metalcore instrumentals, Scene Queen delights in challenging the scene’s deep-rooted issues through contagious heavy singalongs that you’ll hear on your For You Page all day long.

Neck Deep

Some partnerships are meant to be, particularly if they come together to create four phenomenal pop-punk records within a decade and consequently fire a Welsh band from the obscurity of the nonexistent Wrexham punk scene right up into the stratosphere. Neck Deep have enjoyed a fairytale journey through the ranks as payback for their hard work in crafting endlessly contagious summer anthems, standing to this day as a testament to Hopeless Records’ talent-picking flair.

Thrice

The tricky relationship between artist and sophomore record held true for Thrice, having received numerous rejections to release 2002’s The Illusion of Safety due to its unpredictable sound, varying from frenetic melodic hardcore to self-reflective post-hardcore. Luckily for the band, Hopeless imprint Sub City Records took a chance and consequently enabled the now-legendary emo trendsetters to unleash songs like “Deadbolt” upon an unsuspecting world grabbing its skinny jeans and studded belts in preparation for a breakthrough.

Pinkshift

Visceral punk instrumentals and gloriously slick, grunge-esque vocals meet in No Man’s Land at the hands of Pinkshift, Baltimore’s answer to No Doubt with a refreshing 2023 tinge. Scooped up by Hopeless just in time to drop their debut full-length, Love Me Forever, this trio of friends are looking to shake up the scene with teeth-baring, confrontational jams that sound as much fun to create as they are to hear. Pinkshift have their brightest days ahead of them with the continued support of a label synonymous with punk discoveries that push the boundaries of a genre designed for reinvention.

The Used

With their fifth record, Vulnerable, in 2012, emo mainstays the Used began fusing experimental electronic elements into their signature venomous and gloriously heavy anthems as if they always belonged there. Leaving the safety of Reprise Records for a new start with Hopeless, the transition into their newfound approach appeared pretty seamless. For the next three earworm-inducing eras, the band called Hopeless Records their home and produced some of the most emotionally stirring, evocative albums of their long career, from the confrontational Vulnerable and the politically enraged Imaginary Enemy to the grieving The Canyon.

illuminati hotties

illuminati hotties is newer to the Hopeless Records roster. The first release through the label was second studio album, Let Me Do One More, in 2021 which allowed the LA indie set to announce themselves to the mainstream. What started as an outlet for former production-engineer-turned-vocalist Sarah Tudzin’s talents soon became a completely unpredictable combination of punk, indie and whatever Tudzin feels like on any given day. illuminati hotties are a true aural experience that defies a large label name to encapsulate their success, and are still with Hopeless Records now.

DE’WAYNE

In a badass world, alternative music needs an equally badass representative for 2023. Case in point: DE’WAYNE. His slick combination of organized hip-hop chaos and reckless punk abandon has crafted relentlessly contagious singalongs that have earned the Hopeless seal of approval and consequently garnered the hype he fully deserves. Living his best life under the Hopeless umbrella since his debut album, STAINS, DE’WAYNE’s genre-fluid approach brings back echoes of nü metal’s glory days when the two genres coexisted harmoniously across the mainstream market. There is hope that the scene can rejuvenate its relationship with the polar opposite genre, and that hope falls into the hands of one Texas-born future icon.

Stand Atlantic

When you find a label that understands your goals, your journey toward them and how you plan on getting there, hold onto them. Stand Atlantic have settled neatly into the Hopeless family as if they always belonged there, signing for their debut full-length, Skinny Dipping, in 2018 and staying out well into their third album, F.E.A.R., last year. Distributing their own flavor of pop punk with blends of electronic twinkles, their tracks are worthy of endless replays, led by the versatile tones of vocalist Bonnie Fraser. The only way is up for the Sydney crew. 

Sum 41

Sum 41’s back catalog may well be the definition of All Killer No Filler, but the latest piece in the Ontario band’s jigsaw was a signing to Hopeless just in time for their 2016 album, 13 Voices. Introducing what was once a daunting step into the unknown for the noughties trendsetters, the crowd-funded effort 13 Voices also paved the way for a subtle fragility in Deryck Whibley’s lyricism to reflect his own health revelations while taking a bold step away from their pop-punk roots toward a heavier metal sound. Ever since, Sum 41 have consistently followed their musical instincts to the bitter end.

Taking Back Sunday

Taking Back Sunday’s innate reliability to produce an album chock-full of belters, earworms and tracks that arrogantly refuse to age has carried them long into their 25-year career. It comes as no surprise that their debut appearance in the Hopeless family was no different, bringing 2011’s Happiness Is as an opportunity to remind the world around them just why TBS are the alternative household name you can trust. Their second Hopeless outing, 2016’s Tidal Wave, would be founding guitarist Eddie Reyes’ last with the Long Island outfit and subsequently made a fitting end of an era.

PVRIS

PVRIS have shifted to the Cali label in time for their fourth album, EVERGREEN, to be released this July. Dominating the alternative scene since their 2014 debut album, White Noise, demonstrated their heavy chops, their sound has comfortably evolved into a theatrical form of electro-pop rock that fully showcases the complexity and versatility of frontwoman Lynn Gunn as a performer, songwriter and vocalist. The latest singles from EVERGREEN, “ANIMAL” and “GODDESS,” suggest that listeners are in for a wild ride with PVRIS this year. 

The Wonder Years

If you thought your favorite pop-punk bands would eventually outgrow their adolescent anxieties and youthful despairs, the Wonder Years have matured and grown into their own sound while still retaining the fist-clenching angst from their debut. Over a decade under the Hopeless umbrella since their third studio album has enabled the Wonder Years to truly explore their own identities both as a group and as individual artists. Signing with the label for 2011’s Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing and remaining with Hopeless ever since, the band have found the perfect outlet for their emotional grievances across five gut-wrenching albums.

Tonight Alive

Despite the musical future of Tonight Alive remaining largely uncertain, their signing to Hopeless for their latest album, Underworld, in 2018 supplied the world with their newfound artistic approach to their traditional alternative-rock sound. Never taking the most obvious path through the industry, the Sydney outfit branched into an empowering new era with the help of Hopeless. Although Underworld would prove to close a chapter of their history with the departure of founding lead guitarist Whak Taahi, and it may seem like this fourth album may be their last, the Australian rockers produced a fittingly beautiful end to a band that brought familial togetherness to every stage they have graced.

Silverstein

Victory Records’ loss is inevitably Hopeless’ gain, and the same goes for Silverstein back in 2011 on the cusp of releasing their fifth post-hardcore triumph, Rescue. It’s impossible to imagine this emo-forging outfit without songs like “Massachusetts” and “Burning Hearts.” Not to mention, the unexpected hit of the entire Short Songs album changed the way we consume the genre’s output altogether. For their dedication to their stylistic endeavors, Silverstein will always deserve to be up there with the emo trinity, as they’re masters of creating devastatingly catchy scream-alongs and heartbreak anthems that hit your feelings like no other.

We Are The In Crowd 

Without the resounding success of their partnership with Hopeless Records, it’s hard to imagine if We Are The In Crowd would ever have emerged from their local Poughkeepsie, New York scene, let alone become a huge name in their brief time together. What began as a MySpace post declaring that a former band member had hacked and deleted their page’s contacts and content later forged a bond with the minds behind Hopeless and would lead to releasing both of the outfit’s albums under the label. Although their last release dropped back in 2014 and their 2016 hiatus broke in 2019, the chance of new WATIC music is low but never zero.