98KUPD Presents UFEST 2022

If ever there was a perfect time for a new album from the outspoken, socially-conscious, multi-Gold and Platinum punk rock band Rise Against, it’s right now. Nowhere Generation, due out June 4 on Loma Vista Recordings, is blazing and aggressive, fusing old-school punk attitude with post-hardcore fury. Lyrically, the eleven songs were influenced by input from the band’s vocalist/lyricist Tim McIlrath’s two young daughters, and the band’s community of fans, and point an enormous spotlight at the social and economic deck that has been stacked against younger generation’s pursuit of The American Dream. Today, there is the promise of The American Dream, and then there is the reality of The American Dream. America’s “historical norm” that “the next generation will be better off than the one that came before” has been diminished by an era of mass social, economic, and political instability, and a sell-out of the Middle Class. The brass ring that was promised by hard work and dedication no longer exists for everyone, and as was the case with the counterculture of the 1960s, disruption becomes the only answer for the Nowhere Generation. Nowhere Generation was recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO under the tutelage of Jason Livermore, Andrew Berlin, Chris Beeble and long-time producer/engineer Bill Stevenson who has worked with the band on nearly all of their acclaimed releases since their sophomore effort, 2003’s Revolutions Per Minute.

It’s been over two years since Coheed and Cambria’s 2015 album, The Color Before the Sun, was released as the band’s first “non-concept” album over the span of their 15-year career. The album left the sci-fi universe of “The Amory Wars” and instead focused on frontman Claudio Sanchez’s personal life, including the birth of his first child. With 2018 upon us, and a major summer tour now announced, the volume of fans’ chatter for a new album and whether or not it will return to the band’s fictional concept arc will surely reach new heights.

Coheed and Cambria is a rare band whose music is able to transcend “scenes” and effortlessly cross genres of rock – from indie to progressive, to metal and pop-punk to classic rock. The band is frequently compared to progressive, operatic rock bands of the ‘70s, ala Queen, Supertramp or Rush due to their thrilling concept albums that take you on a grand journey of sounds and often clock-in around 10 mins, but still somehow include sugary pop-laden hooks.

The group’s following has grown steadily every album, partly due to their ferocious live show that brings fans to their knees with an equally expansive light show. This summer, the band will be performing songs from their expansive catalog, and we can only imagine they’ll pull a few new tricks from up their sleeves.

Few bands have endured with as much demonstrably California-encompassing vibrancy as the Hermosa Beach, CA institution that is Pennywise. They reign unchallenged, outside the margins of the mainstream, a staple on the SoCal radio airwaves and worldwide festival circuit revered and championed by generations of fans filling theaters and clubs.

Pennywise possess the power to merge the subversive with the celebratory. Each Pennywise record is chock full of fast-paced anthems expertly engineered to inspire radical change, personal empowerment, relentless hijinks, and reckless fast times. On paper it may read like a mess of contradictions, but on record, it sounds like California.

At this point, three decades since the band’s DIY beginnings, Pennywise classics like “Same Old Story,” “Fuck Authority,” “Alien,” “Homesick,” and “Bro Hymn” are as fundamental to punk rock and hardcore as stage dives and guitars.

The defiantly titled Never Gonna Die is the first full album of brand new songs with singer Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, drummer Byron McMackin, and bassist Randy Bradbury in over ten years. It’s as timely as it is timeless, charging head first into the chaos of the current climate of the world with the tried-and-true determined sound the Pennywise faithful demand. Never Gonna Die was forged in the same space where the band penned classic songs with late bassist Jason Thirsk and produced once again by rock producer and close collaborator Cameron Webb.

A muscular, hard-hitting power rock outfit in the vein of Queens of the Stone Age, Band of Skulls, and Royal Blood, Brooklyn’s Highly Suspect rode a series of indie EPs and years of touring to a pair of Grammy nominations for their 2015 debut. A year later, their follow-up delivered another hit in the Grammy-nominated single “My Name Is Human,” setting high expectations for their third outing, 2019’s genre-hopping MCID.

The band formed in Cape Cod in 2009 around the talents of Johnny Stevens (guitar, vocals, synths) and twin siblings Ryan (drums, vocals) and Rich (bass, vocals) Meyer. After working regionally as a cover band, they relocated to Brooklyn and began recording original material, resulting in a pair of EPs, First Offense (2009) and The Gang Lion (2010). They continued to establish themselves with one more EP, The Worst Humans, in 2012 before heading into the studio with producer Joel Hamilton (Black Keys, Elvis Costello) to record their debut long-player. The resulting Mister Asylum, which featured the fiery single “Lydia,” was released via 300 Entertainment in 2015. Their debut received critical praise and two unexpected Grammy nominations, leading to an extensive supporting tour. Off the road by early 2016, they immediately returned to the studio to record a second full-length, The Boy Who Died Wolf, which saw release in November of that year. The album’s lead single, “My Name Is Human,” topped Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and earned Highly Suspect another Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song. As early as November 2018, they began teasing information about their next album which they later revealed would be called MCID. A pair of singles, “Upperdrugs” and “16,” were released in August of that year, with the eclectic, hip-hop-infused MCID, which featured guest spots from Young Thug, Gojira, Tee Grizzley, and Nothing But Thieves‘ Conor Mason, arriving in November 2019. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi

Emerging from Southern California during the rap-metal explosion around the turn of the century, Atreyu crafted a hardcore sound much closer to Agnostic Front or Hatebreed. Their warped, detuned guitars were matched by pounding drums and acidic vocals, which gave the material a distinct metalcore edge. Originally operating under the moniker Retribution, the band eventually changed their name to Atreyu, after a character from the Michael Ende-penned fantasy book The Neverending Story, and released their debut album, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, in 2002 on Victory Records. They continued to refine their punitive but melodic post-hardcore sound on career best-of offerings like Lead Sails Paper Anchor (2007) and Congregation of the Damned (2009), before going on hiatus in 2011. They reconvened four years later and released their sixth studio effort, Long Live, with In Our Wake following in 2018. After a change in vocalists, the band reintroduced themselves with 2021’s Baptize.

The quintet was formed in Orange County by Brandon Saller (drums/vocals), Dan Jacobs (guitar), Chris Thomson (bass), Travis Miguel (guitar), and Alex Varkatzas (vocals). Atreyu released various demos, including the seven-song EP Visions, in the late ’90s before commercially debuting with the Fractures in the Facade of Your Porcelain Beauty EP on Tribunal in late 2001; the full-length Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses appeared the next year on Victory. Touring almost nonstop in support of the record, the group faced lineup changes as bassist Marc McKnight replaced Thomson before the recording of their follow-up. Atreyu’s second full-length, The Curse, surfaced in June 2004 and went on to sell over 300,000 copies; it was re-released with an accompanying DVD a year later. The band hit the road hard, playing 2004’s Ozzfest and 2005’s Warped Tour, in addition to headlining their own successful world tour. They contributed a track to 2006’s soundtrack to Underworld: Evolution and were near the top of the billing for the year’s Taste of Chaos tour alongside the Deftones and Thrice. Their next effort, A Death Grip on Yesterday, was issued in late March 2006 and hit number nine on the Billboard charts. Following a summer spent headlining the second stage at the year’s Ozzfest, Atreyu jumped into the major-label waters over at Hollywood Records, leaving an early 2007 best-of collection as their Victory farewell. Their Hollywood debut, Lead Sails Paper Anchor, followed later in the year. In 2008 the album was re-released with bonus materials, including a concert film. Atreyu didn’t waste any time, and in late 2009 they released their fifth studio album, the critically acclaimed Congregation of the Damned. The album would be their last for some time, as the band went on hiatus the following year to focus on family matters and various other musical pursuits. They reconvened in 2015 with the Destroy/Spinefarm Records-issued Long Live, which featured 12 new hard-hitting tracks, including the blistering title cut and first single. In September 2018, the band issued a trio of singles ahead of the release of their eighth studio long-player, In Our Wake, which arrived later that October. Once promotion for that album concluded, the band hit the road to celebrate two decades on the scene.

In 2020, Atreyu announced the departure of founding vocalist Varkatzas. Brandon Saller stepped up to take on clean vocals while McKnight handled the dirty. They also recruited drummer Kyle Rosa. The new unit issued “Save Us” later that year; the track would appear on their eighth set, 2021’s Baptize. The single “Warrior” with Travis Barker was also featured on the album. ~ Bradley Torreano, Rovi

DED has been turning heads as one of rock’s most promising newcomers since the release of their 2017 debut album Mis-An-Thrope.Originating from Phoenix, AZ, DED embodies elements of rock, alternative and metal, with pop melodies, hooks and choruses, cloaked in some of the densest, most histrionic, headbanging music on the planet. But when you dig beneath the aggressive surface, DED’s unexpectedly soulful music is about bringing hope, relief and self-awareness of the things we consume and the way we act so that we can strive to be the best we can be for ourselves and others. Helmed by powerhouse rock producer Kevin Churko (Five Finger Death Punch, Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed), the new music takes on the fury of their debut and deepens the emotions with a compassion for humanity and a thought-provoking consciousness. DED is building a community by offering comfort in times of despair, positivity by exposing negativity, and clarity through suffering. DED, who are quickly becoming one of rock’s most exciting torchbearers, blaze their own trail as they cathartically stare down various beasts – both existential and innate – proving that there’s a way to live through the struggle and come out stronger, happier, and more aware of how we look after ourselves and each other.

PLUSH is composed of four talented women, under 21, whose accomplishments and talent eclipse their age. This female rock force is fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Moriah Formica. Drummer Brooke Colucci, guitarist Bella Perron and bassist Ashley Suppa round out the lineup. The mission of PLUSH is to bring the heart of rock back to the mainstream with a new fresh spin on the sounds you already love. PLUSH hopes to inspire young women everywhere to follow their dreams, regardless of whatever challenges may lie in the way.

Dropout Kings are a generational evolution of rap infused rock bands such as Linkin Park, fusing together heavy metal sounds with the progressive rhythms of hip hop and trap music. Dubbing it as ‘Trap Metal’, DOK prides themselves on pioneering and molding the genre, crafting unique soundscapes that feel familiar yet fresh and innovative. Songs like ‘Scratch & Claw’ feature impactful and introspective rap lyrics and haunting yet passionate vocals over polished, metal inspired, instrumentation, while ‘Going Rogue’ pushes the creative threshold of what a band can excel to be. Dropout Kings, formed in 2016, have already garnered millions of streams from their debut album, AudioDope, which was released August 10th, 2018 through Napalm Records. The group signed to the label before they even performed their first concert, confirming the band’s raw talent and creative fortitude. AudioDope went on to receive rave reviews, being herald for it’s refreshing yet nostalgic sound while blurring the lines between rock and hip hop. In 2019, Dropout Kings signed to Stay Sick Recordings and released the GlitchGang EP. In 2021, DOK signed with Suburban Noize Records and re-released the GlitchGang EP, only further cementing them as a force to be reckoned with. Dropout Kings are on a quest to make the world hear their story.
 (US) ashley@mac.agency (EUR) thorsten.harm@napalm-events.com (MGMT) larry@regimemusicgroup.com