We Speak Rock

Quicksand Bring “Get To It” to Life With New Apple Music Sessions Performance

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2026

The three members of Quicksand standing together in a studio, with guitars and amplifiers around them and a drum kit behind them

Quicksand. Photo by Annette Rodriguez.

New York post-hardcore legends Quicksand are marking a new era with a live performance that bridges their nineties roots and their present sound, pairing a standout from their new album with a classic from Manic Compression.

Iconic New York City post-hardcore band Quicksand is pleased to present Apple Music Sessions, its brand new, live, two-song release recorded on The Zane Lowe Show. Captured at Apple Music’s Los Angeles studio, the band performs “Get To It” from its critically acclaimed new album, Bring On The Psychics, and “Brown Gargantuan,” a song lifted from the band’s classic 1995 album, Manic Compression. Stream and watch Quicksand’s Apple Music Sessions via Apple Music. Watch the live performance of “Get To It” on YouTube.

“A powerful blast of musical immediacy that stands as some of the group’s best work.” — NPR

“The ’90s post-hardcore heroes are back with a blistering new album full of anthemic ear candy guaranteed to have you craving a return to the mosh pit.” — Entertainment Weekly

Marking an entirely new era for the storied three-piece — guitarist/vocalist Walter Schreifels, bassist/vocalist Sergio Vega and drummer Alan Cage — Bring On The Psychics serves as the sonic bridge between the band’s heavy and influential Nineties sound and the ambitious, experimental output contained within its more recent era. Produced and mixed by Jon Markson (Drug Church, Drain) across 10 days, Bring On The Psychics once again finds Quicksand reinventing the sound they helped pioneer. Stream and purchase Bring On The Psychics on all platforms.

It’s impossible to overstate the influence that Quicksand have on the hardcore scene. Formed in New York City in 1990 out of the ashes of Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Burn and Bold, the band took the aggression of hardcore and added a more groove-driven crunch to it, unintentionally inventing the genre known today as a post-hardcore. After releasing two major-label masterpieces in the Nineties — 1993’s Slip and 1995’s Manic Compression — the band split up at the peak of their powers, only to reunite in 2012 and release Interiors and Distant Populations.

Inspired by a quote from scientist Carl Sagan, Bring On The Psychics, Quicksand’s first album in five years and Equal Vision Records debut, sees guitarist/vocalist Walter Schreifels examining his past through his present reality. From the hook-driven heaviness of the opener “Get To It” to the shoegaze splendor of “Crystallize,” the band cover a lot of sonic ground on the album, but it always sounds like Quicksand. Its technical virtuosity is on full display here as well, from bassist/vocalist Sergio Vega’s locked-in bass grooves on “Cool Guy” to Alan Cage’s dynamic drumming on the album’s title track.

Bring On The Psychics sees the band encapsulating their creative vision in a fully, more integrated manner. “I’m really psyched to play these songs live,” Schreifels summarizes. “I feel really fortunate to still be playing music with these guys and be able to take it to different places.”

Quicksand will be making the following appearances in 2027. Dates below with more to be added soon.

JANUARY 2027
22 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom (w/ Thursday, Titus Andronicus)

FEBRUARY 2027
05 — Shibuya City, JP — Shibuya Dive
06 — Shibuya City, JP — Shibuya Dive
11 — Sydney, AU — Crowbar Sydney
12 — Brisbane, AU — Crowbar Brisbane
13 — Melbourne, AU — The Leadbeater Hotel
19 — Auckland, NZ — Double Whammy
20 — Wellington, NZ — San Fran

Quicksand Apple Music Sessions track listing:
Get To It (Apple Music Sessions)
Brown Gargantuan (Apple Music Sessions)
Get To It (Apple Music Sessions) [VIDEO]

EMPATH, Built From Volbeat, Rising And Anti-Ritual Members, Drop Their Self-Titled Debut Album

Published

17 hours ago

November 14, 2026

We Speak Media

EMPATH's four members in a black and white portrait against a dark background

Copenhagen has a new heavy rock band with serious pedigree. EMPATH, formed by members of Volbeat, Rising and Anti-Ritual, have released their self-titled debut album today, November 13th, on Indisciplinarian — a dark and dreamy take on heavy rock built on atmosphere, melody and crushing dynamics.

EMPATH is the sound of a new, dark and dreamy heavy rock band from Copenhagen, Denmark — one that revolves around atmosphere, presence and empathy. The constellation may be new, but the four members carry solid experience from bands such as Volbeat, Rising and Anti-Ritual.

In a digital and efficiency-driven age, where humanity is increasingly giving way to mechanical coldness, EMPATH — as the name suggests — is about presence, empathy and humanity. This ethos runs like a common thread through the band’s self-titled debut album, released today, November 13th, 2026, on LP, CD, cassette and digital formats via Indisciplinarian.

Across nine songs, EMPATH blends elements of progressive metal, doom, sludge and post-rock into a sound that is as dreamy and melodic as it is heavy and riff-driven. The music was recorded live with producer Lasse Ballade (Halshug, Slægt, Eyes) at Ballade Studios in Copenhagen, with vocals tracked at Grapehouse Studios by Morten Grønnegaard. Ballade also handled mix and mastering, while the artwork was created by illustrator Jon Gotlev (Nohr).

The album was first introduced by the single “Waves,” followed by “Vessel,” both pointing toward the band’s balance of melodic clarity and dense, riff-driven weight. EMPATH plays its debut show on December 11th at Hotel Cecil in Copenhagen.

EMPATH Track Listing

1. In Absence
2. Waves
3. Vessel
4. In Formation
5. In Bloom
6. In Thought
7. In Dissent
8. In Memory
9. In Return

Before forming EMPATH, guitarist/vocalist Morten Grønnegaard played with Volbeat on the albums Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies and Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie. Bassist Christian Qvortrup played in the epic doom metal band Rising, while drummer Jakob Krogholt toured and recorded with Anti-Ritual.