Of Mice & Men - bringing the thunder

In the organizer's words:

Few hard rock albums are as intimate as the modern work of OF MICE & MEN. Their songs may have the rhythmic punch and anthemic bombast that wows festival-goers, but the confessional lyrics and haunting melodies are at the heart of their work. The Southern California quartet took all creative matters into their own hands and self-produced every song on Tether, their astonishing eighth album. Frontman Aaron Pauley mixed and mastered the album, while drummer Valentino Arteaga designed and painted the album's artwork. Guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby, Aaron and Tino, as expected by a legion of loyal listeners around the world, poured their heart and soul into every note, creating another sonic document of their lives.

"With this album, we didn't focus so much on how it sounds as how it feels," explains Pauley. "And that's a strange thing when you're just working with sounds. But that was really the goal. And we came away from the production feeling that we'd achieved that."

OM&M take a sobering look at depression, anxiety, loneliness and existential angst, providing strength in the darkness and emphasizing the importance of creativity as a balm for mental health.

Of Mice & Men combine the uplifting eloquence of modern active rock with the atmospheric dissonance of experimental post-rock to create an impressive sonic storm. The band first emerged as part of a vanguard of future aggressive rock hitmakers. Over the years, they have distinguished themselves through their musicality, creative ambition and resilient determination.

With songs like the GOLD-certified "SECOND & SEBRING", "Would You Still Be There" and "Obsolete" from 2021's "Echo", OM&M put themselves at the forefront of hard rock and post-hardcore music.