Gridlink — Longhena
★★☆☆ Jazzier than your usual grindcore fare, but just as typical in its brevity, this 22-minute EP is a fun enough hit-and-run that you’ll nevertheless have a hard time remembering past the first few tracks. See the rest here
First Listens With Two-Star Ratings
Austrian Death Machine — Triple Brutal
★★☆☆ This album has some truly great moments, surrounded by truly unremarkable stretches. The Ahnold schtick has never sounded more tired, but the unavoidable skits are quickly forgotten in the face of all the different shredz. And yet, never has 46 minutes felt so long. Triple Brutal is worth a listen, if you are man enough to make it all the way through. See the rest here
Cynic — Kindly Bent to Free Us
★★☆☆ This is very interesting and enjoyable. This is also about as hardcore as Mahavishnu Orchestra. It actually sounds a lot like UK in places. So I give it enthusiastic praise for modern jazz fusion, but it’s a complete waste from a metal perspective. See the rest here
Mayan — Antagonise
★★☆☆ This sophomore album from Epica-by-another-name is chock full of the hallmarks of any good symphonic death metal recording: lush arrangements, over the top drama, and quietly excellent guitarwork. However, this album has a bit of an identity crisis on its hands, at times evoking Soilwork, Ludovico Einaudi, and prog rock. See the rest here
Throwdown — Intolerance
★★☆☆ It’s hard to care about this thrash-meets-hardcore album. Oh, it’s meaty and metallic enough, but it’s also a bit unconvincing. Take half a listen and tell me if you disagree. See the rest here
Lay Down Rotten — Deathspell Catharsis
★★☆☆ There’s some decent shredding going on here, but there’s also an embarrassing datedness to the album, from its lyrics and Eastern-bloc vocals, to its lazy thrashy meanderings. And then there are the drums. The drums are often really shockingly sloppy in passages on virtually every track on the album (especially the double-pedal work). See the rest here
Ringworm — Hammer Of The Witch
★★☆☆ What I really like about these hardcore veterans is that they’ve peppered this album with interesting and atypical riffs. What I really dislike about them is that those interesting riffs are just plugged into the same old tired song format. Also, the vocals are 100% screamed at 100% intensity without rest. See the rest here
Conan — Blood Eagle
★★☆☆ This album is really heavy. And really moody. And unrelenting. And a bit boring, honestly. Then again, I don’t smoke dope, so what do I know. See the rest here
Carnifex — Die Without Hope
★★☆☆ This album is caught halfway between deathgrind and technodeath, between sounding like The Black Dahlia Murder and The Acacia Strain. While that sounds great, the problem is that the shifts between modes happen too quickly to really seat the listener in either. It’s still a well-done bit of nastiness, though, with a nice assortment of riffs and leads. See the rest here
Prostitute Disfigurement — From Crotch To Crown
★★☆☆ Very technical death metal, on a par with Gorguts or Disincarnate. Impressive, furious, but a little dated by now. By the way, I can’t say that I’m in love with the band’s gratuitously misogynistic tone. I get the need to be shocking, but c’mon. See the rest here
