Looks like a tour to me. North Carolina-based trio Ape Vermin are set to head out May 17 in the company of Mean Green for a run that will take them through Texas en route to the West Coast before they loop back through the Rocky Mountains and head home. Unlike a lot of the variably-sized lists of shows I might post on a given day, this one hits Wyoming, which is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, and with some shows still to fill in, they’ll top it off with a gig in Asheville on June 12, having spent the better part of a month on the road. It’s the kind of stint where everyone’s either best friends afterward or they never speak to each other again. Here’s hoping for the former. You can help probably by giving them a place to sleep and maybe some food, should they be in your vicinity.

Ape Vermin released their Arctic Noise EP in 2021 and you can stream that below. Mean Green‘s self-titled debut arrived last year. Am I crazy for thinking a split wouldn’t be the worst idea here? Maybe it’s just the two logos together on the David Paul Seymour poster below, but either way, the thing is a thing and it’s happening.

Here’s the thing:

We’ll be embarking the Riders of the Damned tour with our brothers in Mean Green starting 5/17! Come witness this onslaught of absolute metal.

5/17 Spartanburg, S.C – Ground Zero
5/19 Tampa, FL – Brass Mug
5/21 New Orleans, LA – The Goat
5/22 Houston, TX – Black Magic Social Club
5/23 Dallas, TX – Haltom Theatre
5/24 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
5/25 Laredo, TX – Cold Brew Rock Bar
5/26 Austin, TX – Valhalla
5/29 Tucson, AZ – The Rock
5/30 Phoenix, AZ – Blooze Bar
6/1 Richmond, CA – Baltic Kiss
6/2 Reno, NV – Alturus Bar
6/4 Salt Lake City, UT – International Bar
6/5 Casper, WY – The Gaslight Social
6/7 Ridgeway, CO – The Sherbino
6/8 Denver, CO – Hermans Hideaway
6/12 Asheville, N.C – The Odditorium

***More dates to be added***

Artwork by: David Paul Seymour

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDoom
https://www.instagram.com/ape_vermin_official/
https://apevermin.bandcamp.com/

Ape Vermin, Arctic Noise (2021)

Early in 2022, Iowan two-piece Twin Wizard revisited their 2020 initial offering, Glacial Gods (review here), by presenting a (new version of the record) featuring the band’s then-newly-acquired guitarist/vocalist Matt Larson. Larson came aboard in place of Brad Van (also of Wisconsin’s Droids Attack), and fair enough to have another edition of the album to coincide. The lead presence in a duo, even if drummer Anthony Dreyer (ex-Telekinetic Yeti) is the founder, is not a minor change to make once a release is out, and if you’re trying to make an impression with a new band who’s going to be touring as Twin Wizard have, then you probably want a recording on hand that represents that.

So, Glacial Gods (Purple) — so named for the color of the sky on the cover art, which was originally red — is streaming below, and Twin Wizard will continue to support the cause as we move into 2023, with a healthy stretch of winter tour dates lined up that includes shows with King Buffalo, Greenbeard and a stint with North Carolina’s Ape Vermin, who released their Arctic Noise EP in 2021. As both groups have shows on either side of the tour together, you’ll find them listed separately below, which sounds a little confusing at first since obviously there’s overlap and that’s the point, but I believe in you and know you can handle it. In any case, RIFFS.

Here you have it:

TWIN WIZARD – Winter Tour 2023

Twin Wizard is thrilled to announce they are hitting the road this winter and joining forces with the mighty APE VERMIN! Twin Wizard is touring in support of their re-released record “Glacial Gods Purple”. Other dates will include bands such as King Buffalo and Greenbeard. Come party with us and Ape Vermin, see you all soon!

Twin Wizard’s Dates

Jan 14 Romeoville, IL @ Metal Monkey Brewing
Jan 17 Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s w/ King Buffalo
Jan 20 Rock Island, IL @ Ribco
Jan 25 Cedar Falls, IA @ Octopus College Hill
Jan 26 Kansas City, MO @ Farewell
Jan 27 Oklahoma City, OK @ Blue Note w/ Greenbeard
Jan 28 Wichita Falls, TX @ The Iron Horse w/ Greenbeard
Jan 29 Amarillo, TX @ Leftwoods w/ Greenbeard
Jan 31 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
Feb 1 El Paso, TX @ The Rockhouse *
Feb 2 Tucson, AZ @ House Of Bards *
Feb 3 Phoenix, AZ @ Blooze Bar *
Feb 4 San Diego, CA @ Til Two Club *
Feb 5 Palmdale, CA @ Transplants Brewery *
Feb 6 Santa Cruz, CA @ Blue Lagoon *
Feb 7 San Francisco, CA @ TBA *
Feb 8 Santa Rosa, CA @ TBA *
Feb 10 Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse *
Feb 11 Portland, OR @ The Six *
Feb 12 Spokane, WA @ Mootsy’s *
Feb 13 Boise, ID @ The Shredder *
Feb 15 Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon *
Feb 17 Cheyenne, WY @ Ernie November *
Feb 18 Colorado Springs, CO @ The Six Two *
* = With Ape Vermin

Ape Vermin’s Dates

Jan 27 Atlanta, GA @ Sabbath Brewing
Jan 28 New Orleans, LA @ Sydney’s Saloon
Jan 29 Houston, TX @ The Acadia
Jan 31 Dallas, TX @ Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio
Feb 1 El Paso, TX @ The Rockhouse *
Feb 2 Tucson, AZ @ House Of Bards *
Feb 3 Phoenix, AZ @ Blooze Bar *
Feb 4 San Diego, CA @ Til Two Club *
Feb 5 Palmdale, CA @ Transplants Brewery *
Feb 6 Santa Cruz, CA @ Blue Lagoon *
Feb 7 San Francisco, CA @ TBA *
Feb 8 Santa Rosa, CA @ TBA *
Feb 10 Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse *
Feb 11 Portland, OR @ The Six *
Feb 12 Spokane, WA @ Mootsy’s *
Feb 13 Boise, ID @ The Shredder *
Feb 15 Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon *
Feb 17 Cheyenne, WY @ Ernie November *
Feb 18 Colorado Springs, CO @ The Six Two *
Feb 19 Kansas City, MO @ The Flesh Pit
Feb 21 St Louis, MO @ TBA
Feb 22 Cincinnati, OH @ Legends Bar
Feb 23 Louisville, KY @ Mag Bar
Feb 24 Nashville, TN @ Springwater Supper Club
Feb 25 Asheville, NC @ Fleetwoods
*= With Twin Wizard

TWIN WIZARD is :
Anthony Dreyer – Drums
Matt Larson – Guitar/Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/twinwizardband
https://www.instagram.com/twinwizard/
https://twinwizard.bandcamp.com/

Twin Wizard, Glacial Gods (Purple) (2022)

Ape Vermin, Arctic Noise (2021)