✦✦✧✧ More than anyone or anything I can think of, the latest from Northlane really erodes the barrier between djent and dubstep, for good or for ill. I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would, although the music flirts with nu metal more often than I’m comfortable with.

✦✧✧✧ Why is everyone trying to go industrial in 2019?! I mean, I get that cultural trends come back every 15-20 years, but why not bring back early Mastodon or Slipknot? Considering the greatness of the band’s previous album, the post-djent masterpiece “Mesmer,” this feels like a step backward when considering any criterion imaginable.

✦✦✦✧ Djentcore lives on! Equal parts Periphery, Karnivool, Linkin Park, and Bring Me The Horizon. Sadly, it takes the band at least half an album to really find their footing, so if you’re particularly sensitive to awkward sequencing (or just wanna get to the really good stuff), focus on the last four tracks for ultimate justice.