19 JULY 9-15, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | FIND MORE MUSIC COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/MUSIC Tune In DENVER DOOM VETS KHEMMIS HAVE A STELLAR NEW RECORD AMONGST THE LATEST PUNK, INDIE AND DEATH- METAL RELEASES THIS MONTH. BY JUSTIN CRIADO The fi rst full month of summer brought an array of new music by local musicians, in- cluding a long-awaited doom album and fresh debuts from up-and-coming indie acts. Here are our favorite picks from Colorado musicians this month: A Place For Owls “To Be Found” Denver emo group A Place For Owls teased its next EP, “All Thieves, Vol. 1” (September 25), by releasing fi rst single, “To Be Found,” on June 12 via banner Broom of Destruction. The acoustic slowcore song is a collab with Nashville lofi legend phoneswith- chords and showcases the band’s softer, more vulnerable side in an indie-folk tone. The upcoming release is a cooperative effort between several other artists A Place For Owls are fond of, so stay tuned. Crypts of Golgotha “Disembodied in the arms of Perdition” Up-and-coming Denver death dealers Crypts of Golgotha unleashed a debut album, “Disembodied In the Arms of Perdition,” on June 26 via San Diego underground label Return Trip Records. A blinding blend of OSDM, brutality and deathcore, the eight-song LP is a crushing tome of sick riffs, pinch harmonics, bass drops and blastbeats. Vocalist-guitarist Ga- briel Aragon, guitarist Dominik Dworak, drummer Joaquin Aragon and bassist Coo- per Jones go particularly crazy on “The Cross on Cavalry,” “Order to Comply” and “Elegy for a Forgotten God.” Horns! Dead Pioneers “Wagon Burner” Denver politico punks Dead Pioneers dropped a heater of an album, “Wagon Burner,” on June 26 via London independent label Hassle Records. The third record in six years, the fi ve-piece is never short on material to blast about, thanks to frontman Gregg Deal’s way of addressing the current ills befalling America through searing lyricism and blunt spoken word poetry (“Seeing Red” is the latest ex- ample of his Indigenous-informed writing). Dead Pioneers recruited Colorado Springs femmecore punkers Cheap Perfume for “Nazi Teeth,” and teamed up SoCal ska group The Interrupters on “Never Alone.” The message is getting louder. Entropist “The Vision” Demons and celestial be- ings battle on the preci- pice of the void on “The Vision,” the debut con- cept record from Denver prog-metallers Entropist, released independently on June 25. The origins of this nihilistic search for the meaning of life began over a decade ago, but Entro- pist only recently came to- gether to start formulating it all into a proper album. Across eight acts, vocalist Parker Kitching, guitarist- vocalist Solomon Smith, guitarist Will Vinson, drummer Matt Gleason and bassist Jeremy Smith take listeners to some un- likely sonic places – “The Ritual” and “Revelation” — through off-kilter post- metal and djent. Float Like a Buffalo “Get in the Van” Denver funk troupe Float Like a Buffalo offered up a breezy summer song, “Get in the Van,” which released independently on June 4. Carefree and upbeat, the jingle is an ode to wanderlust and fi lling your cup. “At its heart, the song is about saying yes,” says lyricist and trombone/keys player Cory “Beef” Meier. “It’s about getting out of your comfort zone, chasing something you care about and seeing where the road takes you. For us, that’s music. For somebody else, it might be a new city, a new opportunity or just one more adventure with friends.” Hooper “Carry Your Own Saints” Hooper reminded everyone that they’re still one of Denver’s best indie acts with new EP, “Carry Your Own Saints,” released on June 2 via local label Snappy Little Numbers. The fi ve songs are the trio’s fi rst since 2023 album “Swim The Races Nobody Wants” and continue to carry those nostal- gic notes that make Hooper feel like some long-lost band from the ’90s basement days, as can be heard, and felt, on such songs as “92U” and “Lurid Blue.” Khemmis “Khemmis” The fi rst Khemmis full-length in fi ve years lived up to the hype, and then some. The Denver doom lord’s latest self-titled, released June 6 via Nuclear Blast, is a powerful, pol- ished masterclass in modern epic metal led by the fi erce and crisp guitar work of Ben Hutcherson and Phil Pendergast. Duel- ing leads have become a Khemmis calling card, and the new record features some of the duo’s best work, particularly on tracks such as “Corpsebloom Garden” and “Carrion King.” All killer, no fi ller here. Matt Suave “My House” Denver house DJ Matt Suave celebrated Pride Month with a new dance single, “My House,” released on June 19 via his indepen- dent label PlayHaus. The founder of the local queer collec- tive PlayHaus, Suave is a global DJ known for his community-building and LGBTQ performances around the world. His latest track is infused with all of that. “Every groove, every infl uence I’d ab- sorbed on the dance fl oor, poured into a single track for the fi rst time,” he says. “The result is a vocal disco house cut with a classic piano breakdown in the second half that has since become one of my signature instru- ments in all my tracks.” Trouble’s Braids “Tarantula” Originally a duo between couple Emily Pennington and Oliver Franklin, Trouble’s Braids became a proper four-piece while working on sophomore EP, “Tarantula,” released independently on June 5. The four songs are Pennington and Frank- lin originals but brightened up with the addi- tion of drummer Ryan O’Malley and bassist Jordan Smith — both now full-time members of the folkish Boulder country band. “Lion’s Mouth,” Pennington’s cowpunk opener, and “Drug of Choice,” a Franklin indie-rock ode, bookend the record and showcase the Western range of the burgeoning project. Weapönizer “Victory” Denver speed-metal maniacs of Weap- önizer are fast and furious as ever on single “Victory,” which was released indepen- dently on June 6. It’s been a minute since the crew threw us freaks a bone, but the good news is that the latest rager is part of the band’s upcoming third album (release date TBD). But in the meantime, “Victory” and its message of crushing fascism should hold you over. “‘Victory’ is dedicated to those who fought fascism then — and a reminder that the fi ght never truly ends,” Weapönizer shares, pointing to the release date being the anniversary of WWII’s Operation Overlord and the landings at Normandy. Want your music to be included in our monthly roundup? Email it to [email protected]. Political punks Dead Pioneers dropped a rager of a record this month. MUSIC COURTESY DEREK BREMNER
