Juniper Smile released and September schedule

August 31, 2026 by David Norman

Hey y’all! Large happenings are on the horizon!!! First off we’ve got Big Stuff Thing #7 going down on Friday September 11th that will include Concealer 12”s, Sear wax mage, a bunch of test presses, and more.

Second, Tomb Tree releases All That’s Left Of You’s debut self-titled EP on September 4th which is this Friday (Bandcamp Friday, no less). This thing is absolutely badass and I’m dipping those tapes right now.

Third, there’s the Monterey 12”LP release on September 18th for ‘it always passes over me’ which features members of Concealer and Rosemary Nods Upon The Grave!

Fourth, after that we have a supergroup release in late September from Ghola but I’ll give you more info on that soon.

Lastly, in the meantime please scope that Rainmaking x Senza split 12” and the Nuvolascura ‘As We Suffer From Memory and Imagination’ 12”LP repress as well as the Juniper Smile tapes released on Softseed a little futher down.

Juniper Smile released their posthumous, self-titled album today on Softseed Music. This band features Griffin on drums who plays in Cadere with ZBR Dave and played a very playful mixture of punk, indie, emo, and shoegaze. I made 29 cassettes but the band has more than half so I only have 3-5 of each variant and then they’re gone and won’t be repressed, so snag it now!!!

Wollruss played Victoria last week alongside Manitoba’s Leavesliketinyflames and additional local support from Treewell and Csilla’s Star Is Gone. Twas a fucking blast and honestly insane for a Thursday show. Check out the full recap below with a song from each band. No future dates are booked for Wollruss or Cadere until late November at the earliest.

What the fuck is going on, I shouldn’t have a Majorel cassette still. This is one of the best EPs ZBR has ever put out and this is a rare test edition. Seriously go jam that opening track and tell me this isn’t incredible. This is today’s Last Fucking Copy. Shan’t be repressed cuz that band is long dead. Act now or forever hold your peace.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: GET A FUCKING LIFE = Absolutely bonkers album from Hunter of Terror Cell and Charger Port!

2026 - 8 - 27 /// Rainmaking x Senza 12"s released!

August 27, 2026 by David Norman

The Rainmaking x Senza split 12” is out! These songs are phenomenal and dare I say we knocked it out of the park with those etched b-sides and sick blue/black color scheme and glitter variants! There are a few tests presses still up too (but I sold half of those already).

Wollruss is playing this show tonight. Please come out if you are on the island (it’s in Victoria). I’ll have the ZBR distro. Here’s the last song I’ll post from the pre-show.

First, Coup D’etat’s new EP was reviewed by This Noise Is Ours. 7” lathes are still available (although we’re almost sold out) and info on them is below. Click on the pic above or this text for the review, listen/buy below.

should arrive late September as the box that shipped out June 11th was in limbo from June 18th in Illinois until a few days ago when the pressing plant received the returned box. They are shipping it out again alongside another release so they should ship mid-September for me to ship to you a week or two afterward. Thanks for you patience on this one!

Orphan Donor were interviewed by Nine Circles after releasing the spectacular ‘Ailments’ full length a few months back via cd on ZBR. This band has always been amazing but this new release is some next level shit. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the interview. Jam/buy below!

Oh shit somehow I still have an extra Excrucis tape of their debut album on Tomb Tree! It’s in an opaque white swirled case aka a test dip /5, which is crazy cuz those usually sell first. Buy it below, listen above, thus making it today’s Last Fucking Copy. Act now or forever hold your peace.

EXCRUCIS - Excrucis (cassette)

from CA$10.00

EXCRUCIS ‘Excrucis’ cassette LP (TT099)

For fans of: Dianacrawls, I Hate Sex, Oathbreaker, and These Arms Are Snakes.

Born from Nouveau (IL), Not For You (IL), Wrestle Crow (VT), and Yail (CO), this experimental Chicago four-piece is turning screamo on it’s head. This nine track debut full length delivers visceral screamy/shouted vocals, incredible drums, shockwaving bass, and extremely playful guitars that’ll have you simultaneously scratching your head whilst dancing…it’s a weird move to behold you silly dancer. Focusing on social crises, economic exploitation, climate denial, and all the other shit that’s been piled on top of the younger generations’ plates.

Tapes /151, 100 white, 25 on orange swirl, 21 random swirl, and 5 test dips, all w/jcard and download code. 9 songs.

Listen here:
https://tombtreetapes.bandcamp.com/album/excrucis

Colour:

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: MORAL BOMBING = Wicked stuff from Germany.

2026 - 8 - 22 /// Rainmaking x Senza 12"s on Monday!!!

August 22, 2026 by David Norman

The Rainmaking x Senza split 12” with etched b-side releases in full and goes on sale on Monday August 2t4th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST!!! We did 125 on Insomnia splatter and 125 on Black Ice glitter as well as a few tests presses that will also go up for sale. This release has been in the works for a long time so I’m hella stoked to get this out to you!

By the way Senza’s ‘Celestial Body’ has seven copies left! Get’em before they’re gone (linked through Bandcamp below), cuz they look and sound incredible. We’ll have the split 12” in the U.S. store (linked below) upon release but you can snag a buncha other stuff there now if you’d like.

ZBR U.S. store linked here

Wollruss has their first show since ZBR Fest’s preshow back on May 1st, and we’ve got no other shows currently lined up. Please come out if you can, there’s a buncha sick screamo bands playing and I’ll have the ZBR distro. We hope to record in the winter.

For my 200th OMSB podcast I was able to talk to Cozy St. Jean, whom I’ve been following for years - so I was stoked to hear about new material and her first (upcoming) show! For the full premiere click on the pic above or this text. To just listen to it, I’ve embedded it below.

Operation X-Ray played a buncha bangers including our very own Empathetic and Nuvolascura. Snag the former below and the latter by clicking on this text.

Today Last Fucking Copy goes to the Crocus discography cassette. This single and rare variant was in a box but not listed online…but now it is! Wicked Euro screamo from over a decade ago! Snag it below now or forever hold your peace.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: CHRRYZ = Cool stuff from Japan, kinda Tetola93.

2026 - 8 - 17 /// U.S. store open + Nuvolascura repress!

August 17, 2026 by David Norman

The new US ZBR store is open! Persistent Vision Records has partnered with us to be the new US home. Currently they are stocking 12”s from Nuvolascura, Blue Youth, Carrion Spring, Sear, Vibora, Adobe Homes, Closet Witch, Joliette, Anna Sage, New Forms, and Serrate. I’ll update you again before more stuff goes up…but as of Monday they will have the Senza x Rainmaking split 12”! That sucker releases on Monday August 24th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST. 125 black ice glitter and 125 insomnia splatter with an etched b-side! This is a ZBR-only release.

ZBR U.S. store linked here

A reminder that last Friday we repressed Nuvolascura’s ‘As We Suffer From Memory and Imagination’ on 12” over two variants with our friends Dog Knights. 293 on splatter and 215 on merge, these should ship by the end of the month!

Hillsboro had a cool 11-minute live video come out of eSpot. Check it out and snag the new album ‘A Party In Your Name’ below, as Softseed Music released that sucker on cassette!

I Y Ezine reviewed Orphan Donor’s ‘Ailments’ cdLP that we released a few months back. It’s a great review of a truly exceptional album. Click on the pic above or this text to go there. Jam/buy below. Here’s an excerpt:
“Orphan Donor's work represents an emotional confusion that we can honestly call our own, capable of breaking the linear passage of time to build an alternative one, in which everything loses meaning and is rewritten and redirected, aiming to settle the chaos and bring peace to our lives.”

Wollruss has a show coming up on August 27th with a buncha sick screamo bands. ZBR distro will be in hand - if you want something specific feel free to message me and I’ll bring it. You can scope a new live song from the 2026 ZBR Fest pre-show below.

I thought I had posted the finished Constrain tapes but alas, I did not! Well here you go. I got a few extra tapes so I made three sick test dips and a transparent yellow /1

I did a Valatie song premiere on OMSB so you should scope that. Members of sick bands. Rad song. Album comes out on the 21st if memory serves correct. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the full premiere, just jam the song below.

Today Last Fucking Copy goes to the one and only Shoganai EP cassette! I didn’t know I had one left but I was amalgamating boxes and noticed it in there. Variant above! Buy below! Snag it now or forever hold your peace.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: DEAR DIARY, THIS IS FROM MY TEENAGE ANGST TO MY FUTURE SELF = Ooooo three new song remixes!

2026 - 8 - 10 /// Empathetic's 'The Room Collapses Quietly' released!

August 10, 2026 by David Norman

Vancouver’s Empathetic released their long awaited debut EP ‘The Room Collapses Quietly’ last Friday to an overwhelming barrage of support. This is likely the band’s only release as at least one member has moved to another province, but we can all hope that they continue or start another new project because this thing is phenomenal. Part Beau Navire and Brahm, part Crowning and Frail Body, it’s both intense as fuck and gorgeous. CDs /100 and already almost half gone!

Nuvolascura’s ‘As We Suffer From Memory and Imagination’ has a second pressing and it releases on Friday August 14th at 5am PST / 7am CST / 8am CST! Two variants, 215 on A/B merge and 293 on clear splatter. This is a co-release with Dog Knights.

I finally got and finished all of the Constrain variants for ‘1999’. They look pretty sick and they’re already more than half gone without anyone seeing the pics! I love it!!! By the way I got a few extra copies so I made 3 test dips and an /1 transparent yellow.

Protest The Hero’s new album released a few weeks back and Idioteq.com did a feature on it. Remember, I got release all the earlier LPs with the exception of the new one and the first EP! Last copies are below, article linked above and via this text.

PROTEST THE HERO - Pacific Myth (cassette)

CA$10.00

ZBR099

PROTEST THE HERO - 'Pacific Myth' cassette
released October 2017

For fans of: Coheed And Cambria, Thrice and Mastadon

Experimenting with the process leading to, and including, the recording, PROTEST have written six prodigious anthems that take their songwriting to new, epic heights.

300 blue tapes with j-card in a plastic shell. 6 songs.

PROTEST THE HERO - Volition (cassette)

CA$10.00

ZBR098

PROTEST THE HERO - 'Volition' cassette
released October 2017

For fans of: Coheed And Cambria, Thrice and Mastadon

Completely fan funded, this album sparked a resurgence in the band's roots and is a remarkable record. The 11 songs jump all over the map, but generally emphasize insane melodies amidst mass shredding. Rarer than days in a year!

300 green tapes with j-card in a plastic shell. 11 songs.

Letterstoyou got some well deserved coverage from This Noise Is Ours. This release is gettin’ pretty dang low, and there’s only one of the ZBR Fest variant left! Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review, jam/buy below.

Operation X-Ray played an Empathetic song from their new album so here is another reminder to pick that shit up, as it’s easily one of the best EPs of 2026. Features Hayden from Thank You Driver on bass. For fans of: Beau Navire, Brahm, Frail Body, Monterey, Crowning and early Eyelet.

EMPATHETIC - The Room Collapses Quietly (cd)

CA$11.00

EMPATHETIC ‘The Room Collapses Quietly‘ cd (ZBR403)

For fans of: Beau Navire, Brahm, and Monterey.

In true screamo fashion, Vancouver’s EMPATHETIC played a few shows, recorded this EP and then went on hiatus. Their six song EP ‘The Room Collapses Quietly’ shows a band who immediately embraced their best possible trajectory and did so to perfection. The sound found primarily on this is mathy, jarring, heavy-yet-beautiful emo-violence not unlike Beau Navire and Brahm, Tracks like “Culminate”, “Volatile”, and “Yield“ take blasts of grindy screamo and inject some jazzy, gorgeous interludes that lead back to more chaos. Honestly this EP is fucking incredible and will easily be one of the best things to come out of 2026. Features a member of Thank You Driver.

CDs /100 in a slip-sleeve housed in a resealable plastic bag w/insert. 6 tracks.

Listen here:
https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-room-collapses-quietly

Crossed got some late but very accurate kind words from Crossed Letters. I’d link you to our store but as I stated once we released it…it’s gonna sell out. And yep, it sold out. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam/download those digitals below if you’re hella late to the party.

AMITIÉ - Don't//Try//Let//Die (cassette)

AMITIÉ - Don't//Try//Let//Die (cassette)

from CA$7.00

For fans of: D’Amore, Sweetheart and Emma Goldman.

Part emo and part emo-violence, the concoction is both jarring and amazing. Featuring members of Worst Days, Terror Eyes, etc. with one helluva debut LP. Released on Tomb Tree Tapes.

Tapes /50, 25 silver w/sparkle j-card, 20 on swirl and 5 on swirl w/gold injection. Comes with download code. 9 songs.

Listen here:
https://tombtreetapes.bandcamp.com/album/dont-try-let-die

Colour:

Today Last Fucking Copy goes to Amitie’s arguably best release ‘Don't//Try//Let//Die’. The final copy is the /5 gold injection swirl and it’s embedded above. Listen below. This will not be made again so snag it now or forever hold your peace!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: COMA REGALIA = Yoooo new Coma album is the best thing since ‘The Mirror’, says I! P.S. we have some copies of ‘The Mirror’ above!