✦✧✧✧ The final chapter in a trilogy of blackened death metal albums about World War I, this album features music that feels as dated and overwrought as that description. At times, this feels closer to DETHKLOK than Behemoth. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ The latest album from this grindcore supergroup (featuring members of Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Cradle Of Filth, and Criminal) dishes out meaty if unsurprising fare. What it lacks in originality, this album more than makes up for in terms of remorseless and nasty speed. Nick Barker’s drumming is most notable, and propels the listener and the rest of the band through a tour of different styles and staples. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ A grungier version of LOA than I remember from back in the day; the CBGB/Biohazard sensibilities of the band’s original form has completely given way to a frozen-in-time Alice In Chainsness that I can’t say I hate. A big part of that comparison comes courtesy of Mina Caputo, whose vocals (while certainly the strongest of her career) at times bears a resemblance to Layne Staley’s. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Griiiiiiiiiindcoorrrrrrrrreblech. (Halfway between AC, Carcass, and Converge. Tasty.) See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ So much swagger! The band have expanded their already unique sonic palette since 2014’s “Heavy Fruit” (although it’s still hard to avoid thinking about modern-era Alice In Chains). The result is more surefooted, more convincingly emotional, and at times far more metallic than anything they’ve done before. Also, holy crap: they’ve got a song called “Fritz The Dog“! See the rest here
✦✦✦✦ This album is batshit insane. I’d never even heard of this dude until two weeks ago. Then I popped on the first track, and after about a minute, I was all, “Is that… James Labrie?!” Then I checked out the personnel listing on this album. Eleven vocalists! I’m not entirely sure how this blatantly disjointed approach to guest musicianship avoids devolving into a modern prog version of Spinal Tap’s “Break Like The Wind”. See the rest here
✦✧✧✧ Nu-metalcore through and through. Every formulaic ploy (breakdowns, cleansingings, background keyboards, etc.) falls at least a little short, and the riffs are universally lackluster and tired. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Beerhall power metal served up with a heaping dollup of 80s nostalgia thrown in. It starts off well, but loses its cohesion about halfway through. It’s just not as good as I’ve heard from Battle Beast before. But at least you’ll still have fun losing count of all the callbacks to Heart, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, etc See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ A surprisingly listenable EP from an artist who generally revels in artisanally industrial filth. But don’t worry; A&P’s brand of corroded doom is still in the mix, merely leavened. This reminds me of NIN’s song for the game Quake… or Fredrik Thordendal’s song for Wolfenstein: The New Order… These are probably not favorable comparisons, but they accurately hint at a halfheartedness that dogs this release. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Pleasing instrumental post-metal in the vein of Russian Circles or even Godspeed at their most sinister. They’re not pushing the envelope very hard here, but they are delivering solid and dramatic shoegaze. Nota bene: they’ve got two drummers, although not really using that dynamic to its fullest potential, if you ask me. See the rest here
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