Spencer Sotelo is the new SKRILLEX [mall screamo is BACK, bb]
U can pretend that u were always into obscure underground metal all u want, but we all know that is a lie. If u were a teen with low self-esteem in the early-to-mid 2000s, u probably remember SKRILLEX for his previous job as the singer of mall-screamo legends FROM FIRST TO LAST. After Sonny left, they put out another album or two that nobody really cared about, then broke up for a while. Everybody kind of assumed that they suffered the same fate as post-Anthony Green SAOSIN until last year when they announced that they were back, with the unlikely addition of new vocalist Spencer Sotelo of THE PERIPHERYS! Here is a sample of their new album on Sumerian, which basically sounds like one of the PERIPHERY songs that is just ok and u skip over it so u can listen to “Icarus Lives” again:
u might think this is just kind of a lulzy moment in musical history (“lol remember when the guy from that djent band was in FROM FIRST 2 LAST??”), but i think it’s more than that. I am going on record right now with a prediction: the ‘mid-00s mall screamo revival’ is real, and it will be The Next Big Thing (like how 90s death metal-revival was the big thing in 2012-13). Supporting data points:
- “10 year anniversary” tours from HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, EMERY, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, and SILVERSTEIN among others
- b-level mall screamo bands like FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, ATREYU, FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES, and POISON THE WELL are playing shows again and ppl take them srsly this time
- HASTE THE DAY raised $139,000 for their new album on Indiegogo
- SAOSIN are back with Anthony Green and releasing a new album (also on Sumerian)
- Bands like FINCH, YELLOWCARD, BAYSIDE and SENSES FAIL are more relevant than ever, and have rebranded themselves as ‘Real Music’
It’s not just the old bands coming back/sticking around either– there are lots of newer bands coming up in the ‘mall screamo’ style such as BRIGADES (on Pure Noise), and the new album from Billboard top-10 band SLEEPING WITH SIRENS might as well be THE USED:
https://youtu.be/1SW7t8GkvZg
With that said, it is time for u to choose a side. Will u embrace the future and welcome the MALL SCREAMO REVIVAL with open arms, or will u be that angry old guy who is like ‘how can u listen to this screamo crap?? back in my day we listened to REAL music’ *plays LAMB OF GOD on his 512mb Zune*
