Mind Burns Alive finds Pallbearer navigating the space between disquiet and serenity with a singular intensity. At times poetic and blistering, their fifth full length is a heartfelt meditation on isolation, trauma and mental breakdown, framed by the possibility of redemption and the quiet, aching beauty of escape.

Musically and lyrically stripped bare and vulnerable, Mind Burns Alive deals in universal themes of loneliness and the feeling of emotionally drowning in a world turning upside down. Bassist/vocalist Joseph D. Rowland describes the album as “an exploration of fate; when you are deceived by your own instincts and internal voice.” Guitarist / vocalist Brett Campbell furthers, “These songs are vignettes which tell the stories of people who deal with myriad sicknesses of the spirit. These are illnesses communicated by the world we live in, and the subjects are the symptoms of its disease.” 

While the band’s earlier catalog leaned on walls of guitar, massive distortion and piercing vocals, they achieve more on Mind Burns Alive by stripping everything back. These six songs offer a singular perspective into the pain that lies at the heart of everyday experience. Mind Burns Alive is not simply an exposition on those complex feelings. It is the musical intersection where struggle collides with the will to carry on.

Formed in early 2013 by drummer/vocalist Rae Amitay (Thrawsunblat, Errant) and studio guitarist/arranger Evan Berry (Wilderun), Immortal Bird released their debut EP, Akrasia, in December 2013. The band quickly garnered a hometown following as well, with the Chicago Reader calling it “sick and greasy black metal that does an admirable job inventing the sound of a mind tearing itself apart.” The band recorded their debut full-length, Empress/Abscess in February 2015 with Pete Grossmann at Bricktop Recording Studio where it was then mixed and mastered by Colin Marston (Gorguts, Krallice, Artificial Brain). The album was released on July 14, 2015 and featured a guest vocal performance from John Hoffman of the renowned powerviolence/grind band Weekend Nachos.

Immortal Bird is currently signed to 20 Buck Spin and released their second full-length LP, Thrive on Neglect on July 5, 2019. It was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage) and features artwork by Kikyz1313. In June 2019, Kerrang! Magazine named Immortal Bird #23 on their list of the 50 Best American Metal Bands of the Last Decade, and NPR said with the new material, “Immortal Bird nails that skin-crawling claustrophobia with metallic madness, but spaces out its relentlessly sliding grind with prowling hardcore riffs.” Dave Adelson of 20 Buck Spin had this to say about the new record: “Thrive on Neglect is a blistering statement of intent from a band ascending into full bloom.”

With riffs and lyrics as bleak and crushing as a Michigan winter, Blackened Doom outfit Temple of the Fuzz Witch bring a unique take on the genre. The Detroit three piece blend multiple styles and influences into a sound completely their own.