3 New Releases on Sorry State: Whatever Brains, Tørsö, and Bandages

Sorry State is stoked, after the interminable wait that accompanies pressing vinyl these days, to have three new releases. Here's the skinny:

First of all, we are proud to present the fourth and final full-length from one of Sorry State's longest-running bands, Raleigh's Whatever Brains:

On this, the Whatever Brains' fourth and final full-length, the band continues tilting at the windmills of punk’s aesthetic myopia and the United States’ gradual political unraveling, and it’s as musically and lyrically brilliant as ever. The Brains continue to exploit their knack for combining rhythmic complexity with big, melodic hooks, but the vibe here is less frantic than their previous releases. They are now able to ride an EDM-influenced groove or wallow in a sax-drenched psych jam for much longer than the ADD-addled songwriting style of their earlier records would have allowed. There’s no small degree of provocation in the fact that the Brains take their most ambitious work and plaster the word “PUNK” across it in giant letters. I still haven’t figured out whether this gesture is an homage or an indictment, but forcing myself to square my definition of punk with Whatever Brains’ combination of lyrical sincerity and musical nihilism has been one of the chief pleasures of following this band.

Oh, and don't forget about Whatever Brains' single, "An Object," that was just released a couple of months ago.

Next up we have the debut LP from Bay Area hardcore punks Tørsö:
Tørsö caught our attention with their debut 7”, Community Psychosis, but when we heard Sono Pronta A Morire we really flipped out. Originally a project band started by a group of worldwide hardcore all-stars, Tørsö adopts the best parts of members’ previous projects--the energy of Neo-Cons, the precision of Punch, the heaviness of Holy and the ferocity of Ritual Control—while simultaneously breaking new ground. Easily one of the tightest and most explosive bands in hardcore today, on their debut LP Tørsö combine the catchy, crusty riffs and rhythms of Swedish hardcore like Totalitär and Herätys with pit-clearing mid-paced parts, wrapping it up in a bruisingly thick recording that doesn’t skimp on the bottom end. While they’re very much fast, loud, and hard, Tørsö are a comfortable fit with Sorry State’s pattern of releasing thoughtful, well-developed, and well-written hardcore.
 
First press: 400 black vinyl, 100 coke bottle clear vinyl.




Finally, we have the debut 7" from Raleigh's Bandages:



The fourth entry in Sorry State’s North Carolina singles series is the debut single from Bandages. A Raleigh supergroup of sorts, Bandages includes members from bands like Double Negative, Shoxx (NYC), Future Binds, and many, many others. Of those bands, Double Negative and Shoxx are probably the closest points of comparison as the huge, metallic sound and general attitude of misanthropy and ugliness carries over from those bands. However, Bandages aren’t your standard hardcore band, but rather a twisting, writhing, heavy, yet agile beast with a sound all their own. Arrestingly original, this is a band made for fans of heavy music that are too smart for their own good but too dumb to quit. Limited to 300 copies.