✦✦✦✧ Unrelenting tech death… you can really feel that Long Island rage! More than ever, this album has something old and something new for you. New vocalist Ricky Myers does a fantastic job filling Frank Mullen’s nasty shoes. There aren’t that many earwormy hooks on this album… but honestly I’m just saying that because I can’t think of anything else to criticize here. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ On this EP, Spiritbox wheel between ridiculously heavy djent and radio-friendly metalcore. The real standout track is “The Void,” in which the band successfully marries aggression and catchiness. Solid and eminently relistenable. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ This is BAN at their most discordant, most troubling, and ultimately most successful. Sure, their brand of avant-garde music is by now reliably atmospheric, but on this album they seem to really gotten much closer to the crawling chaos than ever before. Catchy, this is not, but I don’t think you want this nightmare fuel rattling in your head any more than the runtime requires. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Gorgeous, shreddy, and downright proggy instrumental post-metal. Think of a more exciting and interesting Intronaut (or a less obnoxious Polyphia) and you won’t be far from the mark. Stick around for the cameo from Tool’s Justin Chancellor in the closing track! See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Surprisingly accessible, as far as avant-garde black metal goes. The album’s experimentation comes at you as curveballs without warning; while not every bet pays off, there are definite rewards here if you’re patient enough to receive them. Vicotnik’s vocals are a conspicuous letdown when compared to the lush production, instrumentation, and expansive songwriting. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ This is fucking ridiculously blistering post-grindcore that feels more like speed metal than anything else. Note that this is technically a double album, with the second half dedicated to “karaoke” versions of the 11 songs. Also note that, even doubled up, the album is less than 40 minutes long. Also also note that, even listening solely to the trve 19-minute core album will leave you exhausted. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ This is Tomb Mold’s most confusing work to date: a wild and uneven album, full of masterful shredding and conspicuous mistunings, jazzy interludes and unpredicted pummelings. It’s still solidly old school death metal, but proggier than ever. Imagine if Cynic went through puberty. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ A two-man side project offshoot of Scottish noise rock band Biffy Clyro, with guest drummer Dave Lombardo? Brace yourself for something in the neighborhood of Cave In, Fantômas, Glassjaw, and Old Man Gloom. Ferocious and unique! See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ It doesn’t get more hardcore than this, Capra’s second album. This album may have a runtime of 31 minutes, but you definitely get your money’s worth here. Anyway, it’s hard to criticize anything on here, without feeling the guilt of spending time outside of the swirling circle pit that this music requires. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Mein gott… this is some furious, nasty, grindy techdeath! The riffs come fast and furious, are really interesting and unique, and at times could even be described as “catchy.” Fans of Carcass, Archspire, and Gorguts will love this; anyone else will be too scared to complain. Ya gotta hear this at least once, and I do mean all the way through, but don’t think the 33-minute runtime means an easy listen. See the rest here
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