★★★☆ I’m not entirely sure how this band did it, but they’ve created a rough and rugged album of deathy noisy hardcore that doesn’t feel exhausting or derivative, no matter how much those words might objectively apply. There’s a cleverness and freshness to their onslaught, even while never straying very far from their Cannibal-Corpse-meets-Kurt-Ballou ethic. See the rest here
★★☆☆ So much of this album sounds like a conscious expansion (best case) or plagiarizing (worst case) of Queens Of The Stone Age, Radiohead, Deftones, with recognizable motifs extruded rustily through an art-house mesh. But rather than being annoying or easy (as if anyone could call Boris “derivative”), these touchstones of listenability help to orient you throughout the course of the album. See the rest here
★★☆☆ There’s a lot going for this bizarre math-/prog-/post-metal opus. It’s got ambition and precision and energy when it wants to use it, and once again here’s a band that outmastodons Mastodon. And in particular, the two “Choose Again” tracks that more or less bookend the album are worth a few listens. See the rest here
★★☆☆ Catchy aggressive sludge (with a smidge of noisecore thrown in for good measure), but the utter sameness and duration of the songs make this a hard album to get into. See the rest here
★★★☆ Long live Overkill Incorporated! Their latest product is just as ferocious as any before it. The songwriting on this album aims less for coherent songwriting and more for fun thrashy moments… and the trade-off works remarkably well. Also, of particular note to me: D.D. Verni’s bass tone is just as coppery as ever, but the way that the mix has dialed in his mids and low end is gonna be hard to improve upon. See the rest here
★★☆☆ Yep, this is a Priest album, alright. It’s fun, though. Not super special or an instant classic, but I’m not facepalming either. (Although, does it sound to you like Rob’s pipes are a little tired, or is that just me?) Okay then! See the rest here
★★★★ For a band who made their bones with a solid reputation for technical death metal, this album is more firmly grounded in an ethereal territory that sounds more like Cynic than anything else. What makes that notion remarkable is just how successfully and frequently that intricacy is mated with shredding and screams. See the rest here
★☆☆☆ This album is very good for what it is… which is to say, not in the least bit metal. I think I heard a guitar somewhere around minute 22 of this Vangelis-of-the-damned soundscape. Otherwise, you’re left with the feeling like this is an interlude that somehow got loose and pushed out all the dirgy doom that was the mainstay of the band’s previous album. See the rest here
★☆☆☆ This sounds like the product of the more discordant parts of Refused, QOTSA, Glassjaw, and Fantômas… after being chewed up by a food processor. What’s so interesting about this album is how unconcerned it is with song structure or pacing. That’s also what makes it so trying. See the rest here
★★★☆ Now this is some tasty doom! This sounds like a cross between Candlemass, Ihsahn, and Tom G. Warrior. Heavy to be sure, but also interesting just when the relentless pressure starts to get a bit repetitive. Shreddy riffs all over the place. Also, Finnish has got to be one of the uglier languages to scream. See the rest here
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