Today IMPERIAL TIDE — Landon Hill, vocals; William Barber, guitar; Keene Dadian, guitar; Tanner Galambas, bass; and Russel Schoenbeck, drums — release their new EP, Existence in Crisis. To accompany it they have revealed the video for “King of the Gutter” which you can watch HERE. Talking about the song they say; “As the opening track of our EP, “King Of The Gutter” erupts into the energy we brought throughout the entire project; aggressive, relentless and uncompromising. The lyrics throughout describe the lasting feelings of isolation & the inner dialogue that comes from being left alone within the darkness of our emotions.” Talking about the video they add; “Every little detail in this video was intentional. We wanted to let the music & visual encapsulate a moment within this dark, corrupt world we describe throughout the EP. Birthed from the collaboration with our director Chaz Dray, the music video is meant to give a visual dialogue that interprets the sentiment brought throughout the song.” As for the EP, the band shares, “Existence in Crisis is the reflection of the world around us, and our space we create in. The songs are a breath of fresh air without re-writing the history of the band. We put the songs together over a period of time that was filled with unrest, personally and socially. We had to say something about what we were seeing and the issues that were so blatantly present. At our core we aren’t afraid to ask questions or push back on the things we don’t agree with. The EP is our first step into pushing ‘Tide in a way that separates us from the standard product that our genre seems to revert to.” Existence In Crisis, the Las Vegas, Nevada, and Los Angeles, California-based band’s debut EP for Mascot Records, is an exercise in bombastic creative freedom. They have previously released the videos for “Slip” and “Off the Leash.” IMPERIAL TIDE follow that lineage with a metallic hardcore-punk assault untethered to genre conventions and ready to smash preconceptions. “We came from the hardcore and metalcore scenes,” charismatic frontman Hill explains. “And Las Vegas is different than anywhere else. The city gave us a hustle mindset. You can go there and get lost in the sauce, or you can find your own voice.” The band of five childhood friends, who now call both Las Vegas and Los Angeles home, brandish a hyper-charged, relentless, and adrenalized style. They combine the exuberance of bands like Knocked Loose, the versatility and uncompromising creativity of Code Orange, and the heady depths of Gojira. Like Turnstile, they’re masters of melodic perseverance. And their breakdowns are harrowing AF. From screen-printing their own merch to shooting and editing unique visual components, Imperial Tide built themselves in the hardcore-punk DIY tradition. “We have so many influences when it comes to music and just the different kinds of people we are as individuals,” notes Schoenbeck. “We pull from all those things and put ourselves into the music and energy we express.” A “no rules” attitude informs their songwriting process. Sometimes Schoenbeck may start with programmed, hip-hop-style beats, or they’ll key in samples. The goal is to make something nostalgic and familiar to audiences, equally inspired, fresh, and distinct from what everyone else is doing. |