156/Silence

156/Silence have released a new video for "Swept From Under (Call Of The Void)." The track appears on the Pittsburgh metalcore outfit's upcoming album, From A Distance, which is due out September 4th through Pure No...

Metal News: 156/Silence Premiere New Single & Music Video 'Swept From Under (Call Of The Void)' From Upcoming New Album 'From A Distance'

Get swept up in their forthcoming new album "From A Distance".

Ferret Music are continuing their return with new videos from Bore and Wounded Touch.Bore have shared a black-and-white performance video for "Feed," framed through a television screen motif. The track centers on al...

It’s just about time for the annual Inkcarceration Music Tattoo Festival to take over the historic Ohio State Reformatory grounds in Mansfield, Ohio. And as you may expect by now, the organizers have once again curated a lineup celebrating all things heavy. Set to host more than 65 artists between July 17th-19th, the latest iteration of Inkcarceration has massive headlining sets from nu-metal vets Disturbed and Limp Bizkit, as well as modern metal heavyweights Bad Omens. On top of that, you’ve got big-time appearances on deck from Gojira, Ice Nine Kills, Lorna Shore, Poppy, Papa Roach, Motionless in White and many more. It’s a murderer’s row of heavy hitters, but don’t forget that each day also features a number of up-and-comers taking a swing at becoming your new favorite band. Ahead of the fest, Revolver is spotlighting the rising stars bringing danger, groove and harmony to the Ohio State Reformatory this year. 156/Silence Hard work pays off, because after more than 10 years in the game, long-running Pennsylvania metalcore outfit 156/Silence are having a major moment in 2026. Their rise has not gone unnoticed by Revolver or our readers, who voted the band one of the breakout acts of the year so far. 156/Silence built some serious steam while out on the road as one of the opening acts on Thornhill’s “Mercia Tour,” and they’ve kept the momentum going with the two bombastically heavy and melodic previews of their forthcoming sixth album, From a Distance. In other words: It’s been a momentous 2026 for 156/Silence to date, but we see even bigger things for them in the not-so-distant future. Fox Lake Denver-made hardcore rap-rockers Fox Lake will definitely be cranking up the intensity during their Inkcarceration appearance. The fiery sound of last year’s New World Heat is full of all-terrain breakdowns and braggadocios, Bizkit-esque swagger raps. Songs like the nu-bruised “Cold Hard Truth” and “Freestyle” have made waves in the scene and beyond — whether packing out pits on their recent tour with Thornhill, or causing a TiKTok trend while kids replicated Nathan Johnson’s dagger-eyed mosh calls. Expect to get pummeled by Fox Lake’s adrenalized, “all gas, no brakes” energy. Guilt Trip There’s going to be a ton of tough decisions to make while cruising between the various Inkcarceration stages, and the truth is you may not end up seeing every single band on the bill. Might we suggest, though, that you may feel some shame over missing Mancunian metallic-hardcore quintet Guilt Trip. The group are crossing the pond to pound the ground with the ten-ton hammering sound of their Armour of Angels album, which specializes in Machine Head-esque harmonics, Monster Energy-powered beatdown grooves and in-your-face vocals. If you hadn t already, it s time to get down in the dirt with Guilt Trip, who are likewise touring North America all summer long with Dying Wish. Killstreak We got gamercore outfit Killstreak’s Inkcarceration set before Grand Theft Auto 6. Killstreak’s homestate performance is primed to turn Mansfield into Vice City right about the time they speed into their recent, GTA-saluting “S.O.L.” track — a franchise-builder full of big brees, curb-stomped moshes and AR-grade double-kicks. They’ve also unlocked the cheat code for gaming-themed heaviness while riffing on Dead Space, Dungeon Keeper 2 and the Legend of Zelda. Turn off the console, put the controller down and get in the pit for Killstreak, who perform on the final day of Inkcarceration. Static Dress Static Dress suggested that “nostalgia kills” when they teamed-up with Underoath for their collaborative single of the same name. It’s a credo the U.K. quartet abide by throughout their newly delivered and forward-thinking injury episode album, a record that certainly dishes out its fair share of scream-heavy post-hardcore, while also fleshing out Static Dress’ sound with glossy pop hooks, numb-skullish metal groove, screamo sass, and maybe even a slice of subversive ska upstroking. It’s made them a creative force to be reckoned with, and fans all over the world have already started to cling tight to Static Dress’ chameleon-esque aesthetic. Grab a hold and enjoy the ride.

Boston post-metal quintet Junius have said that Sotera, their first album in nearly a decade, was inspired by the “divine feminine,” its songs informed by the power of Greek goddesses like Hecate, or mythological figures like Medea. On another level, it’s also the album where the long-running project learned to trust in the full-band process again. Vocalist-guitarist Joseph E. Martinez confesses that 2017’s Eternal Rituals was almost entirely produced by himself and co-founding drummer Dana Filoon. But the past handful of years have found the group, formed in 2003, rejuggling its lineup to now include bassist Orion Wainer and guitarists Eoghan McCarthy and Matthew Vincenty, top-tier collaborators brought on to co-author, per Martinez, the most collaborative Junius release since their 2009 debut album, The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist. “While the core songwriting is still mostly me, I had three new members in the band who are far more competent players than I, [who] could help bring ideas to life in ways I simply couldn t on my own,” Martinez tells Revolver. “For most of our existence, members lived in different states, so writing happened through emails,” he continues. “This was the first album in a long time where we could regularly get into a room together and work through ideas in real time. Hearing songs come alive every week changed the entire process.” “In my opinion, there s a new fire burning in this band,” adds drummer Filloon. “We have new blood that has sparked a tremendous amount of creativity and excitement. From the writing process to recording and finally releasing it, the entire experience has been incredibly rewarding and has given me a renewed desire to keep going.” Speaking with Revolver, Junius further weigh in on mythology, the band’s “spiritual shift,” recording gaps and more. You ve described Sotera as a rebirth for the band. Was there a specific moment during the writing or recording process when you realized this album was becoming something fundamentally different from what came before?Joseph E. Martinez I think the moment it really clicked for me was when I d send the guys demos I d written, we d get together at the practice space, and they d not only play the parts effortlessly, but start adding little nuances and ideas that I never would have thought of on my own. That s when I realized this version of Junius was different. For the first time, I could write beyond my own limitations as a player. Instead of worrying about whether I could physically perform every part while singing, I could focus on making the most impactful version of the song possible. On previous records, there were often layers upon layers of guitars, textures, and arrangements that helped create the atmosphere we were after. We always found ways to translate those songs to the stage, but with five members we have way more flexibility. As a result, the live show feels larger, fuller, and more dynamic than anything we ve done before. Orion Wainer Yeah, totally agree with Joe. It feels like we can translate the vision without compromise now. Less clutter, more impact. I’ve known Joe and Dana for 25 years, since before Junius was called Junius. All of their music has always resonated with me. I’m so stoked and grateful to be part of the new chapter, helping shape the new sound and sonic delivery alongside some of my most beloved friends. There’s a palpably rad energy in the group right now. The addition of Matt and Eoghan has been perfect. Love those dudes. Everyone shows up for the band and we work tremendously well together. The album draws heavily from figures like Hekate, Medea, the Oracle and the Initiatrix. What drew you toward the concept of the divine feminine as the central thread connecting these stories?Martinez I was watching an interview with philologist Dr. Ammon Hillman when he started discussing the possibility that the first Christ was a woman named Medea who may have existed nearly a thousand years before Jesus. I was hooked. I was immediately captivated by the image of a female healer standing at the foundation of ideas we often associate with later religious traditions. It completely reframed how I was thinking about mythology and history. The more I explored those ideas, the more I began to see Sotera taking shape. Hekate, Medea, the Oracle, Initiatrix, they all became different expressions of the same force. To me, one of the great imbalances of the modern world is that we ve spent thousands of years elevating masculine spiritual archetypes while largely forgetting or marginalizing their feminine counterparts. If Sotera has a central mission, it s to push back against that imbalance. The title itself means female savior. The album is an invocation. It s a call to bring her back. Previous Junius records often explored existential or cosmic themes. Sotera seems more spiritual and devotional in nature. Did that shift happen consciously, or did it emerge naturally from where you were personally during the band s hiatus?Martinez It emerged very naturally, but there was definitely a turning point. Our real hiatus was probably from 2017 to 2021. During that time, I wasn t really writing at all. COVID kind of took the wind out of my sails, creatively. I had friends who were incredibly productive during that period, but I wasn t one of them. Junius was largely dormant. Once things started opening up again, we began working with the new members and getting together regularly. We wrote some great music, but I still felt like something was missing. Most of it leaned more toward post-rock than metal, and I didn t really have a concept tying it all together. I was still searching. Then, about two years ago, I heard that interview with Dr. Hillman and then suddenly everything clicked. I scrapped most of the material we had been working on and started over. What s strange is that once I found the concept, the music seemed to arrive all at once. New songs came quickly, but so did old ideas that had been sitting dormant for years. So while Sotera is certainly more spiritual and devotional than our previous records, I don t think that shift was calculated. It came from finding an idea that genuinely inspired me. Initiatrix introduces the idea of someone beginning a rite or transformation. Do you see the album itself as a kind of initiation — for the listener, for the band or both?Martinez Both. The album is built around transformation, and transformation only works if there is participation. The listener is entering the rite alongside us. A lot of the record is centered on the idea of remembering something that has been forgotten. Through these songs we re trying to create a space where those ideas can live again. We re trying to bring her back into the world. What s really cool is that some of these ideas have been waiting for years to emerge. The chorus of Initiatrix was originally written nearly fifteen years ago, but it never fit anything I was working on. It just sat there, dormant — waiting for the right moment. As soon as Sotera began taking shape, I immediately remembered it. It feels like that song was waiting for this album long before I realized the album existed. The songs released so far suggest a balance between Junius trademark heaviness and a more expansive, almost meditative atmosphere. How did you approach that tension between aggression, ambience and melody on this record?Martinez That s always been the challenge with Junius. We never want heaviness for its own sake. The heavy moments only matter if they re contrasted by beauty. On Sotera, we pushed both ends further than we ever have before. Matthew Vincenty We love dynamics. When you have contrast it tends to make each of the elements more impactful. We all love records that are heavy the entire way through, or even ambient the entire way through, but if you’ve got a record that combines these sounds, each of them hits harder. The heavy parts feel heavier; the spacey parts are from a different galaxy. Everyone brings their own experiences into the creative process, I may interpret a part as a heavy headbanging riff, but Eoghan could hear it as a melodic passage. The best collaborations are when you can do both. A good example on the record is the very end of “Initiatrix” where the band was locked in with this heavy chug, but Eoghan adds that melodic lift and contrast. Many artists returning after a long absence feel pressure to reconnect with their past. Did you ever find yourselves resisting nostalgia while making Sotera, or were there aspects of the classic Junius sound you intentionally wanted to reclaim?Martinez Honestly, the only pressure I felt was making sure every song was fucking good. I figured if we disappeared for nearly a decade and came back with something mediocre, we d deserve whatever criticism came our way. Between family, life and COVID, we had already lost years of momentum. At that point, what was another year or two if it meant making the best record we could? So, I wasn t really interested in reclaiming a particular era of Junius, or recreating something we d done before. There was no checklist of classic Junius elements that needed to be included. The only thing I wanted to reclaim was the standard we set for ourselves. If Sotera connects to earlier records, I think it s because we re still the same people chasing the same feeling. But nostalgia wasn t the goal. Quality was. Eoghan McCarthy I’m in the unique position of having been a fan of the band before joining a few years ago, so that was an interesting experience. There’s definitely a “Junius” sound/style, but that’s a natural result of Joe and Dana’s writing style. My goal is always to make music that I enjoy with the highest quality I can. We were focused on making sick riffs and heavy music, and then refining that until we were happy. The Oracle is portrayed as a loving but ignored prophet. Were there historic or fictional parallels you had in mind when developing that character?Martinez Yes. The primary inspiration were the Oracles of ancient Greece. What fascinates me is that before many of the religious and political structures we recognize today, there were female prophets whose wisdom was sought by rulers. They occupied a unique place in society. Even the story of Socrates is inseparable from the Oracle at Delphi. It was the Pythia who famously declared that no one was wiser than Socrates, a proclamation that helped shape one of the most influential philosophical traditions in human history. They weren t simply priests or advisors, they were seen as intermediaries between this world and the next. Their words carried the weight of the Gods. In Sotera, the Oracle represents that forgotten wisdom. She s a loving prophet — not because she s soft, but because she s trying to guide us toward balance. The tragedy is that no one is listening. We live in a time of unprecedented information, yet we often seem disconnected from wisdom. We ve become obsessed with consumption and self-interest. To me, the Oracle is watching all of this unfold. She s still calling to us, still offering guidance, but her voice is ignored. She calls for us to cull the herd, to rid us of the greed that stains our civilization. More than any individual character on the album, the Oracle represents something I believe we ve lost: reverence for the feminine voices that once helped shape civilization. In many ways, she s the heart of Sotera. Junius has always excelled at creating a cinematic sense of scale. When you think about Sotera, do you picture it more as a collection of songs, a narrative, or almost a sensory experience meant to be absorbed as a whole?Martinez With the exception of our first EP, Junius have always written albums with the intention of creating a world you can live in. I ve never really been the type of songwriter who sits down and writes 10 unrelated songs and then figures out how they fit together later. Usually, I ll write a riff, a progression or a melody and almost immediately know whether it belongs in the record. If it does, I can often tell whether it s an opening track, a centerpiece, or something that belongs near the end of the album. The larger world of the album tends to reveal itself very early. What s interesting about Sotera is that it s the first time I ve intentionally resisted building a strict narrative. Previous records were much more linear in their construction. The songs existed to serve a larger story. With Sotera, I wanted something looser and more relaxed. The songs all inhabit the same world and explore the same themes, but they re not dependent on a specific sequence. Sotera is less of a narrative than previous albums. It s a collection of rituals, invocations, and perspectives that all orbit the same central idea. The songs speak to one another, but they aren t chapters in a book, it’s probably the most open-ended record we ve ever made. Looking back on the nine-year gap now that Sotera is complete, is there anything on this album that simply couldn t have existed had you released another record two or three years after the last one?Martinez Absolutely. The ideas that became Sotera simply weren t part of my life yet. I wasn t the same person I was in 2017, and neither was the band. Over those nine years we lived a lot of life. We got older, started families, endured a pandemic, welcomed new members into the band and experienced all the things that naturally change your perspective over time. I don t think you can go through all of that and come out writing the same record. Ironically, I think the absence helped. There was never a conscious decision to wait nine years between albums, but by the time we started working on Sotera, there was a lot built up inside of us. There were ideas that had been simmering for years, melodies that had been sitting dormant and a renewed appreciation for what it means to create music together. Had we released another album two or three years after Eternal Rituals, it probably would have been a continuation of that era. Dana Filloon There is no way this record could have happened without the lineup we have now. This is truly a collaborative record, and it feels great to be writing with my friends again, on our own terms. This is how it should be — the result of years of evolution, blending new influences with old ideas and creating something that feels both familiar and fresh. What does the future look like? Do you expect to make more new Junius music sooner than another 9 years from now?Martinez I certainly hope so! [Laughs] We still have those shelved songs we were working on before Sotera. One of them is honestly one of my favorite things we ve ever written, so at the very least I d love to see those songs released someday. If Sotera does well enough, I think Junius can exist for quite a while longer. The biggest difference now is that we re a band again. We re rehearsing regularly, we re excited, and there are five people actively contributing to the world of Junius, which wasn t the case for a long time. So no, I definitely don t see another nine-year gap happening. The creative momentum is there. Filloon I m looking into the future with a lot of optimism. I m ready to write. I am ready to play and bring this music to whoever chooses to experience it. I think the rest of Junius feels the same way, and we have a lot more music in us.

Though 2026 has provided plenty of headbanging hits from the biggest names in heavy music, fans are also excited over the fresh sounds that have been coming out of a new generation of noisemakers. After asking our readers to highlight their standout picks for the top albums and songs of the year thus far, we reached out last week to find out who’s truly on the come-up in 2026. From adventurous heavy hybridists to boldly polka-dotted duos, these were the names they shouted out the loudest vianova You can’t keep vianova down. While the band have been faced with some exhausting challenges throughout their current tour cycle behind breakthrough album HIT IT! — including two separate drummer hospitalizations in June alone — the Berlin-bred outfit continue to give it their all to the crowds with their fusion-freaked fervor. Whether sliding into cocoa-butter soul-jazz or djent-demonic metalcore, vianova are impressing the masses — and inspiring them to hit their local haberdasher to don something similar to Alexander Kerski’s now-iconic fur hat. Angine de Poitrine Few acts have captured the collective imagination in 2026 quite like papier-mâché-masked and prolifically polka-dotted microtonal funk-rockers, Angine de Poitrine — and this fascination with the anonymous Quebecois duo extends to Revolver readers, too. Though their first album came out in 2024, the group went absolutely supernova earlier in the year over their KEXP in-studio performance (clocking in at more than 20 million views and counting). They look as if Slipknot, a Mardi Gras float and Dusty Rhoads’ WWF singlet got sprayed out of a soda bottle. The skronked-and-swerved sonic aesthetic suggests flavors of King Gizzard, Seventies prog and perhaps even Primus at their soupiest. And all of it has made guitarist-bassist Khn de Poitrine and drummer Klek de Poitrine the talk of the town — selling out dates all over the world and even inspiring Russian knockoff bands to capitalize on their anonymity. 156/Silence Revolver readers were hardly holding their tongues when it came to telling us about how much they’re feeling the new 156/Silence songs. Though the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, natives have been going strong for a decade plus, the Steel City wrecking crew have been on a tear since delivering 2024’s People Watching, and countless eyes are on ‘em en route to this September’s eagerly anticipated follow-up, From a Distance. They impressed as part of the stacked lineup of Thornhill’s “Mercia Tour,” and fans have been plenty vocal in our comments over their love of the new record’s “Blind”-recalling grooves (“No Arms”) and storm-clouded metalcore (“Proxy Idols”). sace6 sace6 built up plenty of hype in the lead-up to this spring’s brutalist album, a record that hypnotized listeners though its complex layering of R B production swirls, jagged-edge metalcore riffage and guitar pedal-exploding sonic glitch-outs. On top of all that, you’ve got an alluring vocal dynamic being maintained between Swarovski-crystal crooner sace and gravel-spittin ragemaxxer Noah Thomas. The band hit the road to support Dayseeker earlier this spring. sace6 fans have been showing up en masse in the comments, suggesting it may not be long before the act position themselves at the top of the marquee. Vana Earlier this year, the fans voted New Zealand metalcore-expander Vana as the artist to watch in 2026. This week, they doubled-down on this assertion, crowning the “In Your Name” singer the No. 1 breakout star in the contemporary heavy-music scene so far this year. Her following is only growing. She recently took on massive crowds while opening for Linkin Park, and likewise mounted her successful first U.S. tour. Vana’s climb to the top has, in part, been steered by her goal to “bring back catchy choruses,” That she’s done so while incorporating elements of metal, industrial and R B — not to mention while adding the occasional dragonfire-furious scream — has only sealed the deal for her devoted fans.

Containing Loathe, Like Moths To Flames, Fuming Mouth and more.

The rise of the machine was unexpected. vianova vocalist Alexander Kerski is explaining to Revolver that he just wrapped a bizarre string of European shows with his metal, jazz and R B-fusing outfit. The German group just had four drummers weave in and out of their lineup over the past few weeks. Odder still: they were a few limbs and a human heart short of what you might expect out of a quartet of timekeepers — the one that got them out of their biggest jam this June was actually a laptop loaded with backing tracks. When the band showed up to Hamburg, Germany’s Fabrik venue earlier this month, they did so without their full-time drummer, Paul Vogelgesang. This honestly wasn’t a surprise, as the longtime skinsman had booked time off to undergo hernia surgery. Here’s where things went sideways: Vogelgesang’s intended replacement, Nick Oberhäuser, also had to bow out from the show after an undisclosed illness forced him off the kit. “It was a cursed week, to say the least,” Kerski says from his home in Berlin, further reflecting on Oberhäuser’s absence, “We were sure he would smash it, but then he had the bad luck of getting really, really sick to the point where he also had to be hospitalized a day before the show.” vianova were due to open up for mosh-country hog handlers Bilmuri. A big-time appearance at the Download Festival in Donington, U.K., was days away. Most pressingly, vianova didn’t want to disappoint their growing base of passionate fans — some of whom now coming to shows wearing the same fluffy hat and sunglasses Kerski dons onstage. In lieu of their Plan B percussionist, vianova hooked their computer up to the venue’s soundboard, pressed play, held their breath and gave it their all without live drums. While it wasn’t a total catastrophe, Kerski is adamant he never wants to do this again. “I ll be honest, it didn t feel great. I felt really awkward onstage without the drums in the back,” he says. “A big part of the impact is the drummer hitting stuff behind you — you feel a certain energy and excitement if you have somebody behind you drumming. Also, it was very bright in the venue. I felt naked and exposed, not gonna lie.” The conditions were not ideal. Kerski, guitarist Felix Vogelgesang and bassist Raoul Zillani were feeling especially vulnerable, being a man down and forced into using backing tracks as an act of desperation. Curiously, what the set seemed to expose most is vianova s determination to endure. “The feedback from the people in front of the stage was good, Kerski says. And people came up after and told us they enjoyed it, and that they respected the decision of us pulling through.” Nevertheless, following the one-off performance with the laptop, vianova booted their digital drummer out of the lineup in favor of someone who knew the catalog pretty well: Leon Schmidt, the music producer behind the band’s 2025 LP, HIT IT! “He had some time to air drum in the car,” Kerski confirms. “He pretty much learned the set in three days… and then at Download, he joined us and was able to save the day.” Truthfully, that vianova stuck the landing in Hamburg may not be that big a surprise after all. With HIT IT!, the outfit bound through hybridized feats of strength that should not work on paper — whether it’s swinging from lush and sophisticated neo-soul towards demonic breakdowns on “Uh Yaya,” merging glowstick electronics with progressive djent-pop on “Melanchronic,” or Kerski rocket-launching his sinewy tenor through skies-cracking key changes on nu-gospel hybrid “Oh No (Believer).” Yet it s exactly those bewilderingly acrobatic displays that have brought vianova into the heavy-music limelight, recent milestones including a coveted opening spot on Thornhill’s recent “Mercia Tour” — where they also played alongside fellow modern heavy-hitters 156/Silence and Fox Lake. This is all to say: vianova have become a must-see metal act, no matter the lineup. In his conversation with Revolver, Kerski relives the highlights of the recent stateside trek, talks up his iconic headwear and discusses when vianova might hit us with more new music. What were your takeaways from vianova’s first trip to the U.S.?ALEXANDER KERSKI Honestly, now that I had some time to sit with it, the tour was a huge success for us. I would even go as far as saying that we could not have imagined a better first U.S. tour experience, for several reasons. First of all, all of the bands were amazing. Thornhill were the sweetest guys. 156/Silence are really good. Fox Lake are also cool guys. We noticed a lot of sold-out shows, big venues. And the crossover between the fans was really good. We always had a full crowd, even as the opener. We had pits. People were singing along. That continued the whole evening. So, the spirit was there the whole time. There are some things that suck, though — like being away from home for so long or getting sick on tour. Also, sleeping on the bus was new for us. However, hearing what U.S. bands have to go through — touring in a shitty car, or sleeping in a van for five weeks — and not even playing these caps…. We entered at a very high standard, which was obviously granted to us by the main bands — it s not like it was our tour. We re very grateful for that. It didn t happen every night, but you got to perform ‘Nerv’ onstage with Thornhill during that tour. How was it sharing the mic with Jacob Charlton?It s not that deep, getting a guest spot. It s just a fun thing, you know? You get to learn the song, you re kind of nervous about it, and then you go onstage. It wasn t a feeling of, “Wow, I get to [share] the stage with this band.” It just felt like playing another song. But it’s a fun thing. Like, the song s cool! I enjoyed doing the part, and I think the lyrics and the patterns are really sick. It was really cool to get deeper into that and see Jacob do his rhyme schemes. Did anyone on the tour hop on for a guest spot during a vianova set?Not exactly. But Joel Adams, the front of house who mixes Thornhill, also did our audio on this tour, and he’s a vocalist. We tried to get him to do a track on the very last set we did in Seattle. He has a talkback microphone, which he uses to communicate with us through our in-ear monitoring. [The audience usually] can t hear it. However, for the last gig he turned himself up in the main speakers and made comments. He would do an intro like, “Here comes the worst jazz band you have ever seen!” We have this jazzy soul intro [before we play], and he s like, “If you like what you re hearing right now, you will hate the next 25 minutes.” [Laughs] Really funny stuff, because he s a very funny guy. Honestly, when he did that people got very hyped. We were like, “Damn, we should have done that for the whole tour,” just because it was so hilarious and fun. You caught a sinus infection during the U.S. tour, which would have affected your vocal performance. Since you’ve got a lot of range, between those super high notes and your screams, what side of your voice did that affect the most?One thing I have to mention is I have a cyst in my sinuses, which I have to get removed after all the touring [behind HIT IT!] is done. So, I m dealing with chronic inflammation, which I can usually deal with, as long as the inflammation doesn t slip down to the throat. However, on this tour a lot of people got sick. I think there was something going around, because there were multiple people complaining about the same thing, like a runny nose. There was one day where I noticed my throat being a little rough. Usually [your vocal cords] are smooth and vibrate easily. You can feel [an infection affecting] your whole range. It feels like you have a thin layer of dryness on top of everything, and that is something that really messes with your higher register. I just had to try and not put as much force into it as I usually could, because that would make my voice break very easily. One thing that you don t want to do in these states is put more stress than needed on your vocal cords. What s the toughest vianova song to perform, even on your best days?Oof… I would definitely say “Oh No (Believer).” It’s the third song each night, after we play two songs back-to-back. It has a lot of words, the chorus is very high — and then when we have the chorus [come back the] second time, [the key] gets even higher. When I got sick, I was like, “Goddamn, it sucks that I have to sing that song.” [Laughs] I still managed to do it somehow, but I m dreading the day where I wake up and feel even worse, and I have to sing that song [but] won t be able to do it. I’m almost expecting that to happen at one point. The last time you spoke with Revolver, you were telling us about how fans were showing up to shows wearing the same white suits that the band wear onstage. On the U.S. tour people were also wearing the same kind of plush hat that you wear. How does it feel to see those people out in the crowd?It’s very cool, because you can recognize which people are into your band. Every time we play a new city, we don t know what to expect. I want to go onstage and be like, “Do people know us?” Are they aware of the band? Do we have to sway them? Do we have to put in more work? However, if I see a few people with a hat in the crowd, I m like, “OK, I guess we have a few fans here.” Apart from that, it s cool to see people connect with the album and the art direction. Every time I see people that are into it, I feel like I’ve been proven right, in a way. Two years ago, I made this decision of “Hey, I think this is cool,” and then two years later you see people rocking the hat. Maybe that’s a bit surface level, but that s what it is. What are the origins of the hat?For this era, I wanted the band to look really cool and congruent, you know what I mean? Before this, getting everyone to wear something that matched was a struggle. That s why I wanted us to have one coherent band look. I made a mood board — my girlfriend also helped me out with this, I have to give credit to her, too. And for the singer figure, I wanted to [wear] something iconic that stood out. I saw a friend of mine wearing a similar hat in the winter, and I liked it. Then I saw this at a flea market. It s kind of similar to the Jamiroquai fur hat that [their vocalist Jay] also used to wear. We get a lot of comparisons to that — I think it s cool, but it wasn t intentional. It’s just a string of coincidences and inspiration that led us to this place. Kind of like the fans wearing the same style of hat as you, were you ever inspired to try and emulate someone?The album art direction was inspired by Tyler, the Creator. However, it s not that we wanted to rip it off. It’s also about the musical inspiration [from Tyler, the Creator], because there’s a lot of soul and jazz influence there — and also some Bruno Mars and Silk Sonic stuff that I liked. The bigger picture [is] the soul and jazz influences and the whole Seventies and Eighties [fashion aesthetic]. I was looking up the fashion of that time… I guess we were inspired by all of that, but I wouldn t go as far as to pinpoint a single person. It’s just the general vibe. You’re deep into promoting HIT IT!, but are you making any new music behind the scenes? Any new fusions on the horizon?We have a cool concept for what we want to do next. However, with all of the touring that we re doing, we haven t really had any time to properly hit the studio. Like, we have half a demo of something. People ask us all the time at the merch table, “Hey guys, are you working on your music? I hope you are!” However, we re touring heavily. And even if we re at home, we have to work day-job stuff so we can pay rent. We re not at a point where we can be full-time musicians — that would make it easier. And with the way we re touring, it s not like we re in this big, fancy bus where everybody s hanging in a lounge area with their laptops, working on music. We re crammed in a tiny car where we can t do anything. So, right now we don t really have the luxury of working on stuff — which is probably bad, because there are bands that put out an album and also have the next album halfway finished already. We re not that band! That s just what it is. This interview has been edited and condensed for flow and clarity.

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