Author & Punisher — Krüller
✦✦✧✧ Successfully moody, but fairly boring neo-industrial. It’s more Front Line Assembly than I remember A&P ever being in the past. A small step down from Tristan Shone’s recent work. See the rest here
First Listens With Two-Star Ratings
Voivod — Synchro Anarchy
✦✦✧✧ This is quite literally a continuation of 2018’s The Wake, mostly for the good. The pacing is curious: it feels like a long album, but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t intrigued the whole time. Even the potential complaint of having heard this kind of thing from Voivod before isn’t much of a criticism here, as the songs are all such great exemplars of the Voivod sound. See the rest here
Earthless — Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons
✦✦✧✧ Three tracks; 62 minutes! But don’t let that scare you off: this is a compelling trip. It’s also totally stoney as fuck. But it works for me! Also, where are my pants? See the rest here
Steve Vai — Inviolate
✦✦✧✧ Look at this three-necked instrument! This guy is still a shredding maniac. The album is definitely worth checking out for its unpredictable creativity and alien imagination, even if it is hardly rock, let alone metal. I’d describe it as a modern instrumental Zappa-like exploration, and I mean that as nicely as I can. See the rest here
Underoath — Voyeurist
✦✦✧✧ Kudos for this postcore band trying to push the envelope, even if the results are not particularly compelling. Album closer “Pneumonia” does feel like something special, though, offering a taste of metal that’s both emotive and updated for a newer digital-ready generation. See the rest here
Dream Theater — A View From The Top Of The World
✦✦✧✧ The band is clearly done experimenting with brevity, as heard in their previous Distance Over Time. Too bad. Fun fact: James LaBrie has been in this band for thirty years. I still don’t like his voice very much, but this is some of his least offensive vocals, so there’s that. See the rest here
Omnium Gatherum — Origin
✦✦✧✧ This is a slightly groovier and more midtempo offering from these melodeath stalwarts, a refinement that suits the band quite nicely. OG have always made a virtue of cleanliness and polish, and this album is no exception, but what is new is a greater sense of laidback self-possession. The album is also a great showcase of the band’s maturity, cohesion, and evolution, which is all the more impressive when you consider that it’s the debut of a brand new rhythm section. See the rest here
Wolves In The Throne Room — Primordial Arcana
✦✦✧✧ This is everything I’ve come to expect from American black metal, for good and for ill. I will say that these songs tend toward brevity, which is a very good thing. See the rest here
At The Gates — The Nightmare Of Being
✦✦✧✧ The good news: Jonas Björler’s songwriting is interesting and ambitious without losing the main thread of their ethos. Coupled with their customary crisp production, this album sounds like ATG has been listening to a lot of Opeth lately.
The bad news: what is up with Tomas Lindberg’s vocals? Also, this album is maybe 5 or 10 minutes too long. See the rest here
Architects — For Those That Wish To Exist
✦✦✧✧ Djenty metalcore at its finest, for what it’s worth. See the rest here
