We Speak Rock

TRASHALANCHE, the New Duo of Joby J. Ford and Atom Willard, Announce Debut Album Negative Space

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

Atom Willard of TRASHALANCHE playing drums live in black and white

The Bronx’s Joby J. Ford and drummer Atom Willard have joined forces as TRASHALANCHE, announcing their debut album Negative Space for February 19, 2027.

Trashalanche, the brand new rock superduo featuring multi-instrumentalist and graphic designer Joby J. Ford (The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx, The Drips, Pounded By The Surf) and drummer Atom Willard (Angels & Airwaves, Rocket From The Crypt, Alkaline Trio) are excited to announce the Friday, February 19, 2027 release of Negative Space, the band’s debut full-length album. Recorded with Eric Loomis (Carrie Underwood, Jelly Roll, Goose) at Frame Audio Archiving, mixed by Marc Hudson (Taking Back Sunday, AWOLNATION, Sunny Day Real Estate) at Rancho Recordo, and mastered by GRAMMY recipient Pete Lyman of Infrasonic Sound, Negative Space is an 11-song noise-rock sonic boom where low-stakes details take on absurd proportions.

Willard and Ford spent the early part of 2026 sending music back and forth before recording in the rolling hills of rural Tennessee later that year. Two five-day sessions yielded a fast, angular, and dryly humorous 11-song heater built from the DNA of some of punk and alt-rock’s most respected bands. Pre-save, pre-add and pre-order Negative Space on all platforms. Vinyl pre-orders are available now via Citizen Vinyl.

Leading the collection is “Fresh Velcro,” a pummeling track that presents itself as the album’s mission statement. “This sonic blast starts off the album by kicking your lame ass,” the band says. “A play-by-play (of sorts) when we roll through your town.” Additionally, the band offers up “Negative Space,” a song about the daily grind wearing you down — and spending your days in a space. Watch the music video for “Negative Space” on YouTube and stream “Fresh Velcro”. Stream both tracks on all digital platforms.

Joby J. Ford’s career in graphic design — including album cover work for The Killers, Paul Westerberg, and Charley Crockett — finds its way into every nook and cranny of the album, not just its title. In the negative space is where these songs live. Atom Willard’s drum loops provide the spark and scaffolding for the music. Ford builds around them with Dean Hubbard-style dispatches on the twain of rap and country, garbage-fueled catastrophe, and the limitations of subpar pets while Willard pounds his drums into the ground. The two-piece describes its songwriting process simply as “backweirds.” Negative Space brings the background to the foreground.

Negative Space album art. Download hi-res image.

Negative Space track listing:

Fresh Velcro
Negative Space
Man of the Year
Rap Tapes
Cruise Radical
House Money
Dirty Mouth
Cop Logic
Goodersville
Wide Wright
D’Spot

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.