New Music Report – September 10, 2021
Man, I’m way behind on these things at this point haha. Thankfully, this past week was a slow one so it gave me a chance to get everything out of the way. I want to get this all done cause this coming Friday, the 17th, is absolutely HUGE. Since I packaged all three of the past weeks together though, there’s still tons of new music for everyone to check out. There have been a lot of quality releases over the past few weeks, so please take the time to work your way back a bit and check these out.
Trophy Scars – While this band may not be unfamiliar to those of you that have been around the post-hardcore scene forever, seeing it pop up in this context certainly will be. These guys have been around the block for quite some time in a number of different iterations, from their New Jersey post-hardcore beginnings, to the experimental blues rock they play today. I know that’s quite the leap, even to make over the course of 20 years and 5+ albums, but holy shit, did they execute it perfectly. Admittedly though, it’s hard to figure this band out, they’ve made a career out of staying independent or on small labels to afford them the flexibility to do whatever weird shit they want to, and it’s worked out really well for them, even if it isn’t always accessible to the listener. As a result, however, not nearly enough people out there are going to hear this album. But if you’re one of the lucky few that finds it, you’re in for a brilliant, but extremely out there and challenging masterpiece. Give this one a shot, it may not be your thing, but it’s undeniably fantastic.
Singles/Albums – Emma Ruth Rundle (Dark Folk), Frontierer (Mathcore), Invent Animate (Metalcore), ten56 (Nu-Metalcore), Andrew WK (LP, Party Metal), Signs of the Swarm (Deathcore), The Plot in You (Post-Hardcore), Ice Nine Kills (Hot Topic core)
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New Music Report – September 3, 2021
Things were slightly slower this week, some good singles, a few good releases, but some quality heavy music. And when I say heavy, I mean HEAVY. The two bands I talk about this week are absolutely pounding, and they both killed it with these releases. Not to mention some very interesting singles that are hinting at some very promising releases coming a little later in the season.
Earth Groans – Earth Groans were one of my favorite underground finds of 2020, they put out a really incredible hardcore-leaning metalcore EP last year and I was absolutely blown away by the songwriting talent of these guys, and it turns out that’s exactly what they did again in 2021. This new release is a bit more structured than their last EP, while still leaning a bit on their mathcore influences that made their last EP so special. That isn’t to say they’ve taken the edge off themselves, it’s more like they’re maturing gracefully into something still heavy and chaotic, but a bit more coherent. This is still the same incredibly groovy yet aggressive hardcore that I feel for when I found these guys last year. These guys have an absolutely insane amount of potential and I’m so glad we’re consistently getting new music from them and getting to experience their growth in real time. I can’t wait for the next one, hopefully it’s a full length, but I’ll take whatever I can get.
Carnifex – These guys were basically proto-deathcore. Putting out deathcore records before it was ever really a thing and before anybody knew what to call it. So, in that sense, they’re definitely pioneers in the genre, but as with many pioneers, they were sort of eclipsed by the next generations of talent that innovated on the original idea and really cemented the genre as what we know it to be today. After they, they kinda hung around and just became a little gimmicky and cheesy, if I’m honest. I still respect these guys, it just didn’t do it for me. That is no longer the case. Do not get it twisted, there is nothing outdated or gimmicky about this new record. Sure, it may not be the most innovative thing out there, but it is very, very good at what it set out to be: really heavy, straightforward deathcore. And I’m kinda loving it. It’s set up a new precedent for the band and path forward into something fresh and exciting, and I’m here for it.
Singles/Albums – Bilmuri (Post-Hardcore), Whitechapel (Metalcore/Deathcore), Portrayal of Guilt (Blackened Hardcore), Zeal & Ardor (Avant Garde Metal), Animals as Leaders (Instrumental Djent), Eskimo Callboy (Electronicore), Imminence (Metalcore/Post-Hardcore), Archspire (Progressive Metalcore)
New Music Report – August 27, 2021
We’re getting into the good part of the year now. I know new releases tend to come in waves, but late-summer all through fall is always a very busy time for new music and I have to say, I’m super stoked about some of the stuff on the horizon. Including a few of this week’s releases. Phinehas and Turnstile are both two bands absolutely at the top of their game and keeping the heavy music scene really interesting and fun. I’m not loving everything I talk about this week, but again, that’s all just personal opinion, it’s all certainly worth checking out.
Phinehas – There has been a lot of really good metalcore coming out over the past few years, and I have to say it’s easy to take it all for granted. The genre is pushing itself to new heights with bands raising the bar seemingly week by week. But on the other hand, I suppose it’s probably kind of easy to desensitized by all this good music. I know I’ve written off perfectly good albums because they were like 8/10 but the standard these days is at least a 9/10 or better. It’s kind of wild, actually. That said, Phinehas is at least a 9/10, good god, what a record. It’s got the technicality of the last Invent, Animate record, the vocal hooks of the last Polaris album, and the breakdowns of the last ABR album. But it still sounds like its own unique piece of music, which I think is the real challenge here. They did a phenomenal job standing out in what is, frankly, a very crowded room.
Turnstile – Turnstile is such a cool band. First off, they’re Baltimore locals, so they already get bonus points for that. But they’re also going through a similar arc that Knocked Loose went through a few years ago, where they’re championing this somewhat new hybrid sound of old school heavy genres that has absolutely no business gaining any sort of mainstream success on a larger scale, but here we are. Turnstile have managed to make (intentionally) poorly recorded, upbeat 90’s New York hardcore into something undeniably infectious and honestly just so much fun. The hype for them, while somewhat surprising, is 100% deserved. I know this was a fairly big week for releases, but now that some time has passed, the only album I still see continually mentioned as something people have on repeat is one, and I have to say, I completely understand. It’s not every day that hardcore can be this fun, but Turnstile absolutely nailed it.
Jinjer – Ok, this is gonna be a controversial one and some of you all aren’t gonna like this but that’s ok. I understand what Jinjer is trying to do and I’m glad they’re getting so much attention for it. They’re all incredibly talented musicians, and Tatiana an incredible voice. But man, these guys aren’t for me. It’s hard to explain, it all feels a little too much like a simulation of what metal is supposed to look and sound like; it feels a little generic and two-dimensional. It also feels a little bit dated, if this came out in like 2004 it would be insane, but now it just feels like we can do more with this sound. I don’t know, like I said, I know this isn’t going to be a popular opinion, but this one didn’t do it for me. I’m sure a lot of people will like this one, so as always, I encourage people to listen for themselves and form their own opinion, that’s why I’m still taking the time to write about it, but I’m not super into this one.
Singles/Albums – The Bronx (LP, Punk), Wage War (Metalcore), Rebreather & Frayle (Post-Metal/Doom), Shadow of Intent (Lamb of God cover, Deathcore), Memphis May Fire (Metalcore)
New Music Report – August 20, 2021
This has been another absolutely stacked week, holy shit. New albums aside, new singles from ETID, Silent Planet, Phinehas, Spiritbox, Volumes, and Rolo Tomassi is HUGE, like, how does that all even happen in the same week? And all at the same time as new BTBAM and WITTR. I’m not gonna lie, most of the summer was pretty slow for new music but man, these past few weeks have been absolutely insane. Hopefully this keeps up through the end of the year, but with all these new announcements for fall releases starting to roll out, it seems like that’s going to be the case.
Between the Buried and Me – This album is fucking insane. Like, I know as a musician of over two decades I could literally never aspire to be good enough to play in BTBAM, that’s fine, I’ve made friends with that fact, but just the memory these guys must have to remember these huge, sprawling, complex songs is absolutely beyond me. I can’t remember the last time I felt dumber listening to an album. But man, was it worth it. For what it’s worth, I’ve kinda fallen off BTBAM in the past few years, they’re an incredible band, of course, but they got a little too proggy for me. I was hopefully that Colors 2 – billed as the spiritual successor to their absolute ripper of an album, Colors – would bring back some of their old metal flair, and boy, did it. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this album. It’s got just incredible musicianship, song writing, diversity, complexity… I could go on. This is a full-on masterclass not only in progressive metal, but in what it means to be a musician playing at the absolute top of your game. Listen to this album, please.
Wolves in the Throne Room – This is a completely different side of the coin. Not to say WITTR aren’t talented musicians, but this is all about the atmosphere and the feel of the song. And they manage to create some of the bleakest, darkest soundscapes I’ve heard in ages, and yet they do so beautifully. These guys have been setting the scene for post-black metal for years now. People have been crediting Deafheaven for setting the genre on fire, but WITTR have really helped propel it forward with wonderfully crafted and deeply thoughtful albums. This is one of those albums that really takes a while to digest, when you listen to it, it’s just so easy to get lost in it, only to surface about 45 minutes later with the album starting over again. You felt the whole thing, but it was hard to really catch all the details. As such, I’m still digesting this one. But on first impression, I’m not entirely sure it’s quite as good as their last album though very close. But that was a masterpiece, so it’s almost an unfair benchmark. I’m still incredibly fond of this album and look forward to spending a lot of time with it.
Singles/Albums – Every Time I Die (GOAT Metalcore), Silent Planet (Also GOAT Metalcore), Rolo Tomassi (Progressive Metalcore), Deafheaven (LP, Shoegaze), The Plot in You (Post-Hardcore), Volumes (Djent), Everyone Dies in Utah (Metalcore), Spiritbox (Metalcore), Turnstile (Hardcore), Vildhjarta (Progressive Metal), Phinehas (Metalcore), Senses Fail (feat. Spencer from Ice Nine Kills, Post-Hardcore), Obscura (Death Metal)
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New Music Report – August 13, 2021
I know I’ve been kinda behind on these recently and this is a stacked week with a lot of music to cover at once, but honestly, I’m just so damn excited about every one of these releases, I can’t wait to talk about them. You know a week is packed when legendary bands like Sepultura and Quicksand are stuck in the honorable mention section. Speaking of, the Mouthbreather (mathcore) album I was talking about a few months ago finally dropped today but I didn’t have space to cover it, so please check that out too. Also, The Killers have a new album out and they did a song with Phoebe Bridgers? Ok, so I’m getting carried away already, I’m not actually going to waste any more time, I’m just gonna get straight into it.
Lorna Shore – We all remember “To the Hellfire”, I’ve never actually seen a deathcore song gain so much universal hype, so quickly. And honestly, it was completely deserved. Aside from being unspeakably heavy, it was incredibly complex, well written, technical, and just a very well-done song by a band that is incredibly talented but has seen its fair share of setbacks. It was an amazing return to form, and I’ve been so excited for this EP ever since. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I stayed up late on a Thursday night to listen to an album right as it dropped. I know it’s only three songs long, but holy shit, what a fucking album. I was expecting “To the Hellfire” to be the centerpiece and the rest to just sort of be filler to hype up the main single, but every second of this EP is just incredible. Again, it’s more than just heavy, it’s got captivating composition, novel blends of synths and choirs that are the most well-done example I’ve heard in blackened deathcore, ripping guitar solos, and Will Ramos vocal work is second to none. They hit it out of the park with this EP and I can’t wait for a full length.
Captives – I’ve been championing this band for years now. I came across the first EP they put out in 2019 as a small, unknown British band with next to zero fanbase in the United States. I can’t remember the last time I heard a band go from 0 to 100 so quickly and break out onto the scene, completely unknown, with such an incredibly well written debut album. Since then, I’ve been watching these guys build themselves up through the UK and Europe waiting for their shot in the States. But after they signed with Sharptone, I got to see them garner the attention they deserve nearly overnight with more well written post-hardcore in an era where, unless you’re associated with Dance Gavin Dance, it’s getting hard to break through in the genre. And I couldn’t be happier for these guys, not only because they’re getting the chance they deserve, but they’re getting the resources to put out more incredible music and get it in front of more people that are sure to love it. If you’re a fan of the cleaner and more technical post-hardcore like early Hands Like Houses, this is the band for you, please check out this album.
If I Die First – This is one of my favorite new bands that I’ve discovered this year, and in the oddest way, the best thing about them is that they don’t sound new at all. This is the new-ish project from Travis Richter and Derek Bloom of From First to Last, with a few younger musicians like Lil Lotus. And the result is a perfect blend of early-00s era screamo/emocore/post-hardcore, combined with a fresh take on what the genre is capable of with help from the younger generation. The result is honestly fucking brilliant. I love this band so much. I’ve never had something bring me squarely back to my high school days while still managing to sound new and fresh. This isn’t purely a nostalgia trip, and that’s a very important point here. When you’re very clearly trying to emulate or reimagine a specific sound, it’s easy to get labeled as a novelty act, trying to recapture a moment long past. But that isn’t the case here at all, and I think that has a lot to do with the blend of fresh new voices combined with some of the experts that shaped the genre years ago, and they execute it perfectly.
Slaughter to Prevail – Honestly, the fact the deathcore is becoming a semi-mainstream thing now is so weird to me. It’s even weirder that this movement is, at least in part, lead by a Russian deathcore band who are leading the charge through YouTube? I don’t know, 2021 is weird. I’m glad such extreme genres are starting to get some more recognition though. And honestly, this isn’t strictly deathcore, it’s more like… nu-deathcore? Which is a new word, I’m pretty sure. I can’t say I enjoy these guys as much as Lorna Shore or some of the other incredible deathcore bands out there like Shadow of Intent and so on, but they are crushingly heavy, I’ll give them that. I know there’s a lot of hype behind these guys, and I can’t really tell if that’s the social media hypetrain making them too gimmicky or if they are genuinely a really good band. But I do know that I enjoyed this album, even if it’s only in a fairly superficial way, I know there isn’t a lot of depth or even really creativity going on here, but sometimes you just want meathead breakdowns and chugging caveman riffs, and that’s exactly what you get with Slaughter to Prevail.
Fawn Limbs – The rest of these bands have honestly been pretty easy to describe. I know exactly what they are, I know what they sound like, and what they’re trying to do. This one, however, is a complete mindfuck. And that’s precisely why I love it. This album is so, so strange, it’s this weird mix of super chaotic mathcore and like, experimental ambient, post metal, and some sludge. It’s really cool, but also really hard to picture. Those two sides are basically polar opposites on the metal spectrum and it’s kind of hard to imagine how the two could go together, but it’s the diversity that makes it so special. It’s supposed to be jarring, it’s supposed to be challenging, and it is. It’s kind of perfect. Like, last night I went out for dinner and had watermelon wrapped in some salted, cured ham. That sounds like a challenging taste, right? Such polarizing taste profiles competing for the same bite. But the breadth of the taste spectrum that I was experiencing is what made it so special. And that’s kind of exactly what’s going on here, this is watermelon wrapped in ham. If that makes sense.
Singles/Albums – Unreqvited (LP, Blackgaze), Mouthbreather (LP, Mathcore), Sepultura (LP, GENRE), Quicksand (LP, Post-Hardcore), Spiritbreaker (LP, Metalcore), Ice Nine Kills (Hot-Topic-Core), The Zenith Passage (Tech Death, feat. Members of The Faceless), Earth Groans (Metalcore), Hawthorne Heights (Post-Hardcore), Eidola (Post-Hardcore), Trivium (Metalcore), Crown the Empire (Metalcore, feat. Courtney LaPlante), War of Ages (Metalcore), The Killers (LP, Rock), Adventure Club feat. Rory from Dayseeker (EDM)
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