✦✦✧✧ This is a marked improvement over the band’s last album, “Savage Gold.” It’s more mature, and the band are more self-assured in their exploration of black metal (laced with metalcore elements). And it’s heavy, thanks to a delightfully prominent bass. Worth a listen? Sure. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ This album is as subtle as a root canal. But that’s what you want from these Belgian death metal masters. So what if nothing here really stands out as an instant classic? Your knuckles may wind up bloody nevertheless. There are notable cameos on “Retrogore” (from the likes of Revocation and Origin), but that’s like putting a parsley garnish on a flambé. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Apparently, Layne Staley faked his own death, moved to Southern California, and fronted this doomrock band. So they’ve got that going for them. But in addition, this is some interesting and catchy swagger, reminiscent of QOTSA and 36CF. Come for the crooning, stay for the dooming! See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ This instrumental power trio’s latest album weaves a nasty web of psychedelic trance mayhem, best described as an intersection between Boris, Don Caballero, Pallbearer, and Gojira. It’s purely of-the-moment, which makes for a compelling and effective forced meditation, albeit difficult to remember. And it’s really meant to be listened to all in one go, which makes it a workout for the listener (not to mention for the band themselves). See the rest here
✦✧✧✧ The album starts with Otep yelling, “I don’t give a fuck!” That makes two of us, throughout this thoroughly derivative Soulfly-meets-Coal-Chamber-meets-Slipknot hour. You’re going to want to hear their cover of Lorde’s “Royals,” but probably not for the reason that the band intended. See the rest here
✦✦✦✦ This is more like it! The album reaffirms the role of its predecessor, Das Seelenbrechen, as a lateral digression, and is more of an logical and spiritual successor to Eremita… but Arktis blows it away in its scope, ambition, and effectiveness. I could mention the handful of notable guest musicians on this record, but the real star here is the varied approaches to songwriting. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Well, this is certainly a surprise from AHC: the nu-metal also-rans make a retro-industrial inspired departure from formula, wielding a sound that’s more Stabbing Westward than Mushroomhead. If anything, this is more Deftones than Deftones anymore, but with a strong Mike Pattonesque vocal performance from Cameron Heacock. And the rest of the band is pleasingly snarly, for the most part. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Deftones continue their descent into becoming a post-metal Team Sleep/††† soundscape band. Very boring, by all measures (even the usually stellar Abe Cunningham lets his drums fade back on this album). The closest you’ll get to satisfaction on here is the track “Doomed User,” but otherwise the best thing I can see is that is probably a great album with which to test stadium sound systems. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ This is an enjoyable warts-and-all throwback of an album, redolent of the 80s that were Lita’s playground, and full of entertaining cameos from times long gone (Cheap Trick! Billy Sheehan on bass! Dave Navarro on mandolin!). You get a real sense that this was worked on in a garage, and that’s a strength here. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ This is sludge that I can get behind! This is a highly regarded black metal band who haven’t released anything in about seven years; unfortunately, that’s how long the album feels. This album has been universally praised, and I get why (I really dig the early-Tool-meets-Aaron-Turner aesthetic here)… but it’s a bit of work to get through. See the rest here
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