New Music Report – July 16, 2021
So, this week is an interesting one, but like, not in a good way. There were a bunch of good singles this week, including the best Underoath song since Lost in the Sound of Separation came out, but the albums I covered were largely disappointing. Not bad, mind you, just disappointing. So you know, check em out, draw your own conclusion, but definitely check out the singles.
Times of Grace – So, this name may sound familiar to like, two of you. This band is presumably named after one of my favorite albums of all time, Times of Grace by Neurosis. So, they’re off to a good start already. You may have heard of the members too, they play in this little metalcore band called Killswitch Engage, plus the drummer from Envy of the Coast who is quite possibly the most underrated and overlooked drummer of all time. If you don’t believe me, check out Lucy Grey. Anyway, onto the album, how is it? Well, it’s alright, it verges on forgettable, and doesn’t really stack up to either its namesake, or the member’s work in Killswitch, but both of those are incredibly lofty bars. It’s kind of just a more radio friendly Killswitch Lite. So, you know, it’s not bad, it just feels like you can get more substance from the latest Killswitch album, which was fantastic. Still worth a listen if you’re a big Jesse Leach and Adam D fan, though.
Bulb (Misha Mansoor) – This is actually pretty good timing cause I’ve been on a huge Periphery kick lately. Now, it’s important to note that this is definitely not a Periphery album, but it’s still always cool to get new music from Misha. Obviously, it’s technically incredible, this man is a hell of a guitarist and a great producer as well. But I suppose on the opposite side of the spectrum, this kinda feels like the sort of thing that is going to be covered by amateur djent guitarists on YouTube until the end of time. It also sort of felt like one big ad for Misha’s guitar pedals and sample packs. But despite all that, it’s still fucking awesome. It’s not like anything this dude writes is every bad, but this really was an enjoyable listen. He played around with melodies, technical proficiency, and truly interesting production enough to make it really seem like a genuine album. So for anyone that wants a super shreddy but also very interesting instrumental album, this is worth checking out.
Singles/Albums – Memphis May Fire (Metalcore), Crystal Lake (Metalcore), We Came as Romans (Metalcore), Underoath (THEY’RE BACK BABY), LLNN (Post-Metal), Opeth (Blackwater Park 20th Anniversary Reissue), Imminence (Post-Hardcore), Fit For a King/August Burns Red (Collab Track), Crippled Black Phoenix (Post-Rock)