✦✧✧✧ You might hope for some radical departures from form, when getting into a double album. Not so with HSB, who just give you a double helping of fairly formulaic metalcore. Also, hey, bands: STOP PUTTING OUT DOUBLE ALBUMS. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Like other Australian prog bands that I happen to love, C-Horse deliver a fascinating suite of tunes that are heavy yet dynamic, with captivating vocals, unusual riffs, and tasty shredding throughout. This reminds me a lot of what I love about Leprous and Textures. I don’t know that it’d go on heavy rotation, but it’s a worthwhile listen if you get a chance. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Be careful what you wish for: Seminar IX does indeed have less noise-filler and more musical content, but the songs here are not as solid as the ones on Seminar IX. It also feels less like OMG and more like, well, Mutoid Man or Cave-In, frankly. I can respect the band’s commitment to underdeveloped song ideas; it’s just not for me. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Seemingly reusing the same template that they used for The Ape Of God, OMG released a pair of companion EPs last week. Seminar VIII (the first of the pair) is both surprisingly listenable and excruciatingly tedious, with winsome songs bookended unnecessarily by noise that doesn’t seem particularly connected to the music. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ I did not expect this. Oranssi Pazuzu’s latest album is a blend of their previous black metal excellence, plus Nine Inch Nails? plus Steve Reich?! Also, why hadn’t I really considered how well black metal and industrial sensibilities would blend together before now? It’s potent and methodical and devastating. Run, don’t walk, to your headphones! See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Tasty and super inventive riffs adorn this latest from this British prog melodeath band (if that’s even a thing). More memorable than their 2015 album “Dormant Heart,” this is also mroe cohesive. And did I mention those riffs yet? Impressive to hear this kind of uniqueness coming consistently on track after track, like they have this creativity in a firehose. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Fairly standard fare for this deathcore outfit. If you were already into them, you should be relieved to know that this is a marked improvement from their previous album. If you’re not already into them, I doubt this would sway you, though. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Another blistering onslaught of crisp death metal from TBDM. There aren’t any instant-classic tunes on here, but plenty of meat on the bone. It almost grooves in places, too! Strong stuff; highly recommended! See the rest here
✦✧✧✧ This one squeaks through with one star, barely. How did Converge pull off this major disappointment? By releasing a single, 31-minute track, that is literally just noisy soundscaping. Nice prank, Converge. Next time, give us some songs. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ I was prepared to thoroughly hate this, give FFDP’s most recent missteps. But this groove metal album is the least offensive thing the band has made in years! It’s too manicured to evoke real rage, but it’s appropriately big and epic, albeit overlong. Give it a shot, I say; you might be surprised! See the rest here
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