★★★☆ This is a gorgeously nihilistic EP with hints of The Ocean’s “Pelagial”, Chino Moreno’s side project †††, and even Death Cab For Cutie when they’re not aiming for accessibility. It sounds like a bunch of things all at once, and at the same time it sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard before. See the rest here
★☆☆☆ This is a joke. Oh, I know that they don’t think it’s a joke. The album is painfully self-serious. But you can’t tell me this doesn’t remind you of Spinal Tap. See the rest here
★★☆☆ This is a conflicting album. On the one hand, you get the sense that it does an excellent job executing on whatever kind of music it’s trying to be. On the other hand, it’s not quite outlandish or groundbreaking enough to be notable. Combined, it comes across as a high-water mark of self-informed nonreferential music that’s equal parts doom, sludge, and Southern rock. See the rest here
★★☆☆ This album is as good as Behemoth gets. And that there is mixed praise. It is relatively expansive, and more mature than you’d suspect. But it’s also a bit tired and unexciting. Still, it’s a bit of an improvement over Evangelion. See the rest here
★★★☆ This album is pretty frickin’ sweet! It’s one long excuse for unbridled shredding. And battleaxes. I mean, I could draw all kinds of comparisons to this one — Racer X, Manowar, Revocation, even DragonForce — but that’s just me talking to your brain, when in fact your heart is going to want to hear this. See the rest here
★☆☆☆ This album is a bit of a mess. Part djent, part tweenaged metalcore, with a smidge of EDM sensibility thrown in. I can’t say that I liked it very much, although there were a few moments that elicited genuine headswaying. See the rest here
★★☆☆ The debut album from this talented instrumental supergroup is turgid with virtuosic excellence, letting loose an unfettered stream of steaming self-indulgence. Analogies to pissing notwithstanding, it’s definitely an entertaining ride, but almost impossible to remember once the ride is over. See the rest here
★★☆☆ Delightfully uncomplicated thrash, with a hint of Slayeresque sensibilities. This isn’t going to make it to the New York Times Book Review, but it is going to get your head to bob. See the rest here
★★☆☆ This album is a bit of a headscratcher. When it’s working, it’s a fairly interesting bit of jazz metal. Other times, it sounds like a djenty Papa Roach. See the rest here
★★★☆ I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Imagine black metal done by Opeth, and you wouldn’t be far off the mark. There’s just enough progressiveness to keep things interesting, but also enough doom to haunt your nightmares. Absolutely a must-listen, especially if you’re not a dyed-in-the-wool lover of black metal. See the rest here
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