★★☆☆ Take heart: Alissa White-Gluz does a great job filling Angela Gossow’s formidable shoes in this, Arch Enemy’s latest album. And the musicianship is likewise bankably excellent from the rest of the band. But the songwriting is so slapdash and uneven that, at first, I was sorely tempted to give this album one star only. See the rest here
★★☆☆ This grindcore album isn’t bad per se, but it’s definitely hobbled. The good news is that the aggression is definitely in effect throughout, and several songs feature little flourishes that remind me of Brujeria, Slayer, even The Jesus Lizard and Suicidal Tendencies. The bad news is that a lot of this record is mired down by the same old Midas touch of Kurt Ballou, so much so that the tracks often boil down to an epic struggle between forgettable sameness and the band’s ability to rise to distinction. See the rest here
★★★☆ This album is brutal like an industrial accident. Something like a cross between Decapitated and Exodus, the thrashy death metal on here is unshy, well-produced, and above all punishing. For me, this rivals Vader’s last album “Welcome To The Morbid Reich” (if anything, that album has slightly more memorable moments, but the overall effect is better on “Tibi Et Igni.”) See the rest here
★☆☆☆ Ugh. Every time this album gives you something likable, it turns around and forces two lamenesses down your thought. For example, “Pray For Death” is a pretty sweet chunky thrasher, but then you get to “99 Problems BC” (and how did Jay-Z allow this to happen)? Much as I want to go along with the Body Count party, this is more delusion than delight. See the rest here
★☆☆☆ Boy is this ever sophomoric, even by doom metal’s standards. Small kudos for not being thoroughly unlistenable, piteous vocals notwitshanding… but this was a very long hour for me nevertheless. See the rest here
★★★☆ I’m not sure I’m in love with the lo-fi production ethic going on with this album. On the other hand, a case could be made that the metal herein is so fucking intense that mere mortals wouldn’t be able to cope otherwise. This is Enabler’s most ambitious release to date, a pyroclastic flow of hardcore violence that only the most jaded can resist. See the rest here
☆☆☆☆ Jesus. When did Hellyeah turn into Static X? See the rest here
★☆☆☆ Well, I’ll give them this much: “Dead Hymns” sure is unfriendly. Tiger Flowers sound like big fans of Dillinger and Glassjaw. Unfortunately, this album (while undeniably aggressive) is not nearly as interesting as anything I can expect from either of those other bands. See the rest here
★★☆☆ On the one hand, this is a step up for the band from their eponymous 2012 release. The songwriting is an evolution from their deathcore-by-the-numbers approach, at times evoking a Lamb Of God or even a latter-era Carcass. On the other hand, the band do still suffer a lot from large swaths of unmemorable flexing. See the rest here
Last night, I went to see Meshuggah live, on their minitour celebrating 25 years of music (with Between The Buried And Me as support). The bands were both in fine form, but it was an odd night, insofar as the band’s conceit of playing a set of material largely in chronological order led to pacing issues. See the rest here
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