New Music Report – April 9, 2021
This week’s music could not possibly be more diverse. And actually, that’s partly a warning for anyone that follows my spotify playlist, going from Balmorhea to Mouthbreather and We Were Sharks to Onchocerciasis Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is… Jarring. But I’m leaving it for effect. That said, I’m super impressed with everything I’ve heard this week. Zao and Balmorhea are both contenders for my top 10 Album of the Year list for very different reasons, and we’ve got a bunch of singles this week to give us a lot to be excited about, like that new AFI album which sounds like it’s gonna be very chill and very, very good. So yeah, enjoy the ride this week, there’s a lot of weird stuff in there.
Zao – This name may be a huge throwback to some of you. Zao were one of the underrated pioneers that laid the groundwork for what would be the second wave of metalcore alongside more household names like Poison the Well or Hopesfall. And while most bands from those days have faded away, Zao came back with one of the most impressive second winds that I’ve ever seen. I want to say that this album will feel familiar, in a way it does, it sounds like that incredibly nostalgic early-00s metalcore but manages to not feel dated and in fact feel fairly innovative by turning the tempo down and infusing some sludginess into the fuzzy, distorted vocals and absolutely relentless drums. And the result is explosive; this is an incredibly heavy and incredibly well written album. Zao truly is a band that aged beautifully, at no point does this take on a genre-gone-by sound immature, in fact it might be my favorite thing they’ve done in their 32-year run. And I simply cannot stress how impressive that statement is. This album is an absolute 10/10. One of my absolute favorite albums so far this year.
Balmorhea – Initially, when I sat down to listen to this album, I started comparing it to the Those Who Ride with Giants album from a few weeks ago. They’re both peaceful, beautiful, melancholy post rock, so it sorta made sense. And in that light, I felt like it didn’t really stack up, it wasn’t quite as grand or cinematic, it didn’t feel quite as full. But the more I revisited this album, the more I realized that was exactly what it was supposed to be. Where TWRWG ebbs and flows with great crescendos, Balmorhea gently unfolds. It doesn’t so much build a soundscape for the listener to experience, but it creates a space. It fills some of that space with quiet but stunning melodies and leaves the remainder for the listener to lose themselves in. it’s a very calm and restful experience; exquisitely beautiful in its execution, while being incredibly mindful of how the audience plays a part in their music and enjoys the same space as every single note does. In that sense, the music becomes whatever you want it to be, and every moment of that is wonderful.
Singles/Albums – Mouthbreather (Hardcore/Mathcore), Light the Torch (Metalcore), Silent Planet/Fit for a King (Crossover, Metalcore), AFI (Alt rock), Devil Sold His Soul (LP, Post-hardcore/Screamo), Red Fang (Stoner Metal), Crossfaith (Metalcore), We Were Sharks (Pop punk), Onchocerciasis Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (LP, Slam/Death metal), Termina (LP, Progressive metalcore), Osiah (Deathcore), Our Hollow, Our Home (Metalcore), Throne (LP, Blackened death metal), Carnifex (Deathcore), Left to Suffer (Deathcore)