a-tota-so – Masks (self-released)
Fusing grunge, mathrock and post hardcore a-tota-so are heading toward new album I Told You So with release of a third single from it, Masks
Artist: a-tota-so
Track: Masks
Label: Self released
Released: 27 July 2026
Find it: Bandcamp
Now heading toward the release of their third album and having worked with nearly 100 guest vocalists across their live shows, alt rock supremos a-tota-so share latest single Masks.
With their signature blend of emotion-infused heaviness there’s the math rock and post hardcore sound you’d expect from them but as ever, that sound is pushed forward and their own boundaries nudged at.
Marty Toner (vocals and guitar) said of the track, “Masks is about the pressures of having to pretend everything is okay, even when you’re struggling inside and what it’s like to carry those feelings while trying to hide them from the people around you. It’s a song for anyone who has ever put on a brave face while dealing with their own battles. It’s a song of two halves so be sure to stick around for the heavy ending.”
And that second half of Masks really does come at you hard. Vocally we get a hardcore snarl of ‘wipe that smirk right off your face’ after the more straightly delivered vocals of the first half. As the song plays out you can’t evade the relentless rhythmical punch due to the swarm of guitar. It’s all sharp-edged, but multi-layered, a big, raw, but honed sound from the three-piece.
Following singles Death Rattle and Form of Mass, Masks, leads us toward the September release of long player I Told You So. The band’s third album (after 2018’s self-titled debut and 2022’s Lights Out) it promises to be both an evolution and true to their heavy alt-rock sound.
Masks by a-tota-so is out now digitally. Album I Told You So is out digitally as well as vinyl and CD on 4 September 2026.
Find a-tota-so: Bandcamp | Instagram | Threads | Facebook
Live dates:
- 9 August – The Rainbow, Birmingham
- 4 September – The Harlequin, Sheffield
- 5 September – Mangata Festival
- 24 September – Aatma, Manchester
- 25 September – The Carousel, Nottingham
- 26 September – Wharf Chambers, Leeds
- 27 September – The Old Blue Last, London
- 3 October – 1in12 Club, Bradford
Image: Damien Sayell
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Sarah Lay
A long-standing music journalist she's also co-founder of independent record label Reckless Yes, an author of novels, and when not messing around with words and music, a digital strategist.
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