Presagers is dead. Long live Presagers.

The Vegas metallic hardcore quartet didn’t exactly call it quits. Rather, it shuffled members and shifted into second gear. Enter: Purity. This new iteration—consisting of veterans Jett Stotts (guitar) and A.J. Perez (vocals), with Austin, Texas-based newcomer Shane Michael Harris on bass—is more of an evolution than anything, and it clearly paves the way for a new band with a similar sound.

“Purity, as a whole, is our embodiment of honesty,” Stott says. “A.J. and I have been friends for over 10 years. It’s so easy to make music with someone you’ve been so close with for over a decade. We met Shane while he was touring through Vegas ... and connected right away.” It’ll be interesting to track the band’s trajectory, with one remote member.

The new outfit retains the dark, heavy elements of Presagers, but with a twist. “Writing songs that are directly relative to our day-to-day emotional responses to life is the most important dynamic to us as we create and evolve as a band,” Stotts says. “I think a lot of music out there is made in an attempt to make people forget about the negative aspects of their lives. We write music that focuses on those negative aspects.” Expect to hear new music within the coming months.

Wristmeetrazor

But what about Presagers bassist and founder Justin Fornof? He’s working on a screamo/skramz project called Wristmeetrazor, also boasting members in different states. Initially a solo project for Virginia guitarist Jonah Thorne, the project has evolved into a full band with Fornof on bass.

“I had only known Jonah online. He had done artwork for previous projects I was involved with,” Fornof says. “We function almost entirely through group text and conference phone calls. Jonah and I write the riffs and vocals, while Zach [Wilbourn], our drummer, will adjust the drums.”

Sonically, Wristmeetrazor is far more melodic than Presagers, and the band’s most recent release, I Talk to God…, draws heavily from the screamo genre, while expanding into metal, punk and even post-rock.

Though the two post-Presagers bands will rely on technology to keep them going, both have already hit the road as units. Purity recently wrapped a jaunt through Texas with hardcore heavyweights Trust Issues and Dwell, and Wristmeetrazor embarked on a three-show run in Texas and Florida. Both bands are planning further tours, with Vegas as a tentative stop.