Prolific five-piece Magnolia Park reveal plans to release their new album ’Halloween Mixtape II’ on October 27th via Epitaph Records. The follow-up to 2022’s debut record ’Baku’s Revenge’ and spiritual counterpart to 2021’s ’Halloween Mixtape I,’ their kaleidoscopic fusion of sound is on display more than ever as they experiment and expand upon the hardened edge underlying their trademark catchy hooks and memorable melodies.
Nowhere is their unique sonic mesh more apparent than on the lead single and accompanying music video for ’Animal’ – The guttural, industrial-meets-nu-metal blast features rapper Ethan Ross and dark-pop singer PLVTINUM, showcasing Joshua Roberts’ Chester Bennington-esque vocal howl.
“The song came together organically because we did it in only a couple of hours,” guitarist/songwriter Tristan Torres says. “It’s such a weird collaboration, but it works so well and sounds so cool. We got to do the video all together too – we all flew out to LA and we got to hang out and make this really cool, nu-metal-style video”.
Tapping longtime collaborators and ’Baku’s Revenge’ producers Andrew Wade (A Day To Remember, Wage War) and Andy Karpovck, the band updates their aesthetic with a contemporary fusion of magnetic pop, punk, nu-metal, hip-hop, phonk and 2000s theater-emo. Creating a versatile soundscape to support the many worlds that Magnolia Park’s music lies in, the band’s strengths stem from its individual members who all play a major role in the blend of genres they seamlessly combine.
“Vince comes from a pop-leaning world, Freddie comes from a math rock and experimental world, and I’m very hip-hop-oriented,” Torres explains. “You can hear that in our sound – all these worlds colliding. We’re not selfish about our sounds, we like it when we all mix together. Josh’s amazing voice is the nail in the coffin, and Joe is such an amazing drummer.”
Taking inspiration from a variety of pop culture juggernauts – the legendary virtual rockers Gorillaz, anime, and Tim Burton’s ’Nightmare Before Christmas’, ’Halloween Mixtape II’ further develops the narratives built around Magnolia Park’s fictional universe and its characters: Baku, Heart Eater, SoulEater, Dream Eater, MoonEater, Pumpkin Eater, and the Reaper. “We just want to create soundtracks for our characters,” comments Torres.
As summer cools into fall, let Magnolia Park’s genre-rich, hook-packed album be the perfect soundtrack to whatever you have in store this October. Whether it’s cuddling under a blanket to a horror movie classic or building out a killer costume, Magnolia Park’s characters will be right there with you in their ever-expanding universe.
’Halloween Mixtape II’ tracklist:
01. The End: Emo Nite Rhapsody
02. Antidote feat. Kailee Morgue
03. Breathing feat. nothing,nowhere.
04. Do Or Die feat. Ethan Ross
05. Dreams (Ft. iamjakehill & VYPER 깨물다)
06. Halloween Tip 1
07. Haunted House
08. Candles
09. Dead on Arrival
10. Halloween Tip 2
11. Animal
12. Loved by You
13. Halloween Tip 3
14. Life in the USA
15. Manic
16. Halloween Tip 4
17. Fell in Love on Halloween