Frank The Baptist + Whispers In The Shadow + Telegram Frank // Urban Spree, Berlin

Frank the Baptist, a genre-crossing rock/post-punk band, emerged from the southern California dark alternative scene in the late-nineties, an unpredictable and refreshing voice that was soon embraced by the goth scene. Founder Frank Vollmann, originally hailing from New Jersey, brought a vitality and immediacy to his music, indicative of the energetic punk and early alternative that molded his youth. 2003 saw the release of the band's first full-length album, "Different Degrees of Empty", cementing their notion that the dark music world should be a place of kicker boots, cranked amps, and skewed top hats as much as a refuge for poet shirts and ethereal echoes. By 2006 the group was based in Berlin, Germany and international concerts had become commonplace. Several albums and multiple European tours later, Frank the Baptist stands as a band the counterculture can count on. They don't belong to a fad. They didn't ride a single wave of fashion. They don't mind which way the future turns. Theirs is an easy confidence that comes from making something we'll always need: a timeless beat, an eternal vocal, rising above the mess of bands that live and die away below, in the maelstrom. In 2024, the 20th anniversary remastered version of "Different Degrees of Empty" (with bonus tracks) was released as double-LP on vinyl via aufnahme + wiedergabe - with new artwork by Disturbanity Graphics! Celebrated gothic rock visionaries Whispers in the Shadow return with their 12th studio album: Rapture. A haunting journey through the intertwined themes of religion, LOVE, death, and spirituality. The album explores the boundaries of faith and doubt. It’s safe to say in their 29 year of existence, Whispers in the Shadow are far from slowing down and taking it easy. Following the critically acclaimed album Ghosts from 2023, Rapture reaffirms Whispers in the Shadow’s place as sonic storytellers in the dark alternative scene. Their unique style is characterized by the courage to break new musical ground time and again. Driven by frontman Ashley Dayour’s signature vocals and a band at their best, Rapture seamlessly blends elements of post-punk, gothic rock, and mysticism. Mixed by Martin Gutmann the musical sound is lush yet crisp – swirling between heavy and atmospheric guitars, pulsing basslines and drums shifting from tribalistic to explosive. The melancholic melodies rise into cathartic crescendos, echoing the album’s central themes of inner conflict and ecstatic release.