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Screamo Legends Jeromes Dream Return With Powerful New Single

Underground legends Jeromes Dream have dropped a new track from their first album in 18 years.

Screamo Legends Jeromes Dream Return With Powerful New Single
WORDS:
Alex Brown

In gearing up for triumphantly returning with their first record in 18 years, Connecticut-based screamo frontrunners Jeromes Dream have just released the second track from the upcoming new LP.

Like the single before it (the abrasive, powerful Cataracts So Far), Drone Before Parlor Violence continues with the megaphone-like vocal approach that was seen on the band's last record, Presents. Abstract lyrics -- with lines like “Fog of breath from a sick a dog” and “Help us stay as sterile as sand” -- are layered over post-rock-infused instrumentals that showcase the modern screamo influence of bands like Envy and Touche Amore, as opposed to the absolute chaos of JD's earlier works. There’s even a bit of a lush, shoegaze-esque tint in the mix.

Production on the track is sparkly clean thanks to producer Jack Shirley, known for working with bands like Deafheaven and Gouge Away. All of the build-up leads to an absolutely gorgeous finale, as any good post-rock inspired track should. The video itself showcases colors that capture the track's vibe, with blue representing its more static moments; pinks and reds flourishing as it crescendos.

Check it out below:

Like the video above, the term "screamo" has evolved from its original state. In the early '90s, the genre’s sound was initially associated with bands like Rites of Spring and Moss Icon, mixed in with the aggression of acts like Infest and Dropdead. The term "emoviolence" -- coined by the group In/Humanity to describe this specific texture -- better represent the frenetic intensity of bands like pageninetynine and Orchid.

But dominating in the late '90s was Jeromes Dream, pulling off what no band ever had before: performing without microphones. What sounds like one of the most batshit ideas to ever come out of underground music proved incredibly helpful in developing a cult following for the band. In its 16-minute timespan, the trio’s debut record Seeing Means More Than Safety is easily one of the most intense and chaotic pieces of music released in the scene.

That the group went on to record a split with Orchid shortly after that only further cemented their legacy. However, rather than continue their a cappella screams on their sophomore effort, Presents, vocalist Jeff Smith instead opted for the "megaphone" style he now uses today. The album still contains some of the most impressive noise rock to come out of the early '00s.

Though Jeromes Dream disbanded shortly after that album's release in 2001, their two new singles prove that they haven't missed a beat in over 18 years:

Jeromes Dream’s self-released, untitled record drops July 19th, which you can preorder now. They will be touring with Touche Amore, Vein, and Loma Prieta throughout the year. All dates listed below:

July 2019
24 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom (with Loma Prieta)
25 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle (with Loma Prieta)
26 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus (with Loma Prieta)
27 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus (with Loma Prieta)
28 - Somerville, MA - Once Ballroom (with Loma Prieta)
29 - Montreal, Canada- Bar Le Ritz PDB (with Loma Prieta)
30 - Toronto, Canada - The Baby G (with Loma Prieta)
31 - Detriot, MI - Trumbullplex (with Loma Prieta)

August 2019
01 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen (with Loma Prieta)
04 - Indianapolis, IN - Pioneer (with Loma Prieta)
05 - Columbus, OH - The Summit
06 - Lakewood, OH - Mahall’s
07 - Pitsburgh, PA - Mr Roboto Project
08 - Washington, DC - DC9 Nightclub (with Vein)
09 - Richmond, VA - Gallery5 (with Vein)
12 - Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge (with Touche Amore)
13 - San Diego, CA - The Che Cafe (with Touche Amore)
15 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720 (with Touche Amore)
16 - Fresno, CA - Strummer’s (with Touche Amore)
17 - Berkeley, CA - 924 Gilman (with Touche Amore)
18 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver (with Touche Amore)

September 2019
26 - Atlanta, GA - The Bakery (with Loma Prieta)

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