Stream Zegema Beach Records’ Gargantuan New Comp Zampler #17: We Must Understand The BugsStream Zegema Beach Records’ Gargantuan New Comp Zampler #17: We Must Understand The Bugs

One parallel between me and the World’s Most Interesting Man: I don’t always listen to heavy music, but when I do, it’s often released on Zegema Beach Records. The British Columbia record label — self-described as “a community rooted in promoting honest / passionate / inspiring music — usually with screaming” — may be my favorite Bandcamp subscription. Every month, without fail, the Zegema account serves up several incendiary screamo-adjacent releases, both new stuff from around the world and archival drops presenting some band’s full discography. There’s a fairly wide aesthetic range at work, everything from burly death metal to spindly post-hardcore, but if Zegema puts it out you can be certain it crushes.

The label’s offerings are well represented on their 17th Zampler, out today. Titled We Must Understand The Bugs, it spans 37 tracks, including previously unreleased tracks from Apostles Of Eris, Demersal, Letterbombs, Lower Automation, Portreit, Reverie, Snag, To Be Gentle and new remasters from Motel Bible and Ruhaeda. There is also music from releases we’ve recently heralded around these parts, from such acts as Crowning, Nuvolascura, Orphan Donor, Mouthing, Lacrima, Amu Daria, Coma Regalia, and Piet Onthel. If you are into violently emotive music, you’ve hit upon a goldmine here.

A run of 125 hand-decorated CD-Rs with art by Karl Liesky, featuring 36 of the 37 songs, are free with any purchase from the Zegema Beach Records store until they run out. But Zampler #17 is also up now on Bandcamp, and you can immerse yourself in it below.