New Music Report – April 1, 2022
I know I should be more excited about the Meshuggah album than I am, but it really does feel like they’re getting a bit tired. The good news, is that because of bands like Meshuggah, we get some of the bands that put out crazy singles this week like The Callous Daoboys and Mothman, so I guess things will carry on.
Meshuggah – These guys basically invented the sound that like 70% of the bands that I listen to these days stick so closely to. Every progressive metalcore band, mathcore band, hardcore, everything, was basically borne out of the intro to “Bleed”. This new album has been interesting though, it seems a bit more streamlined and easier to digest while still being incredibly complicated. They’re displaying their maturity in an excellent way with another killer album.
Kublai Khan EP – On the other side of the musical spectrum, we have the cave man chugging breakdowns from Kublai Khan. There’s a lot to be said for technically proficient, progressive music, but sometimes you just want straight up ignorant beat down hardcore and dumbass breakdowns, and this is exactly that. Not to badmouth Kublai Khan, those are all good things, but man, what a gnarly record.
Singles/Albums – Callous Daoboys (Mathcore), Mothman (Mathcore), Dead Rabbits (LP, Metalcore), Memphis May Fire (Metalcore), Ice Nine Kills (Metalcore), Nekrogoblikon (LP, Weird Metal), Novelists (Progressive Metalcore)
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New Music Report – March 25, 2022
Two surprise albums two weeks in a row. I don’t know how I didn’t hear about Absent in Body until today, but man, I sure am glad that I caught it, what a cool supergroup. Not to mention, Animals as Leaders, which is just huge. Honestly, they’re a little too cold and proggy for me, but I realize how big the release is.
Absent in Body – Honestly, all I need to say about this band is where its members come from. Absent in Body is a four-piece featuring Scott Kelly from Neurosis, Colin Van Eeckhout and Mathieu Vandekerckhove from Amenra, and Igor Cavalera from Sepultura. Anybody that is even remotely into post or sludge metal already knows how significant this album is, but the result doesn’t feel super-groupy, it feels like an individual piece, and it’s absolutely colossal, I love it.
Animals as Leaders – Have you ever seen a really difficult math problem and your brain just starts tripping over itself trying to figure things out? Like there are too many numbers and variables floating around in your head that your mind short circuits and you’re further away from the answer than you were when you started? This is what the music version of that is.
Singles/Albums – Northlane (Nu-Metalcore), Bodysnatcher (Deathcore), Bury Tomorrow (Metalcore), Dayseeker (Metalcore), ten56 (Nu-Metalcore), Ibakari (Progressive Metal/Black Metal), Windwaker (Metalcore)
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New Music Report – March 18, 2022
This week marks my first big surprise album of the year. They’re usually from bands that I don’t know about though, not bands that have been around for 30 years now, but I guess the surprise is part of the fun.
Converge EP – This isn’t technically new music, this a remaster of super old school, pre-Jane Doe Converge, and honestly it sounds fantastic. I’m always weary about bands remixing old albums with really rough production because it sometimes ruins the magic of the album and makes it feel foreign but not really in a good way. But this one was actually very well done, It’s still a big departure from today’s Converge but very good.
Hot Water Music – This album really took me by surprise. I know Hot Water Music is a staple of the scene for literally decades, but let’s be real, it’s been a while. I wasn’t expecting this album to be as good as it was. For a band that’s been at it and been so consistent for so long, it’s hard to put out such an endlessly listenable album, but Hot Water Music nailed it. And I guess that’s exactly how you can get away with being a band for nearly 30 years.
Singles/Albums – Movements (feat Mick Gordon) (Post-Hardcore), Scary Kids Scaring Kids (feat. Spencer Charnas) (Post-Hardcore), Crosses (Chino Moreno side project), Dragged Under (Hardcore), Holy Fawn (Post-Rock)
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New Music Report – March 11, 2022
Lots of really cool singles this week. If I’m honest, they actually far outweigh the full lengths. Of course, we’ve got the huge return of Alexisonfire, who may sound different these days but it is still equally exciting. Then of course, Greyhaven, who is another big favorite of mine, so lots of cool stuff coming up.
Wolves at the Gate – I really loved the last Wolves at the Gate album. They’re a really perfect combination of metalcore guitars with post-hardcore vocals, and the last album came together perfectly. I’m not entirely sure I like this one as much, maybe I’ll have to give it a few more listens. The same formula is there though, so it’s worth checking out if you’re into metalcore with clean vocals.
Angelmaker – This band is fucking dirty. Really, really heavy traditional deathcore that departs from the more melodic or blackened stuff that we’re hearing throughout the genre these days. It’s honestly just an absolute beatdown for the sake of being heavy. And honestly, that’s a pretty refreshing change.
Singles/Albums – Greyhaven (Metalcore), Darko (Deathcore), Be Well (Punk), Aviana (Metalcore), D.R.U.G.S. (Post-Hardcore), Miss May I (Metalcore), Alexisonfire (Post-Hardcore), Terror (Hardcore), Drug Church (LP, Grunge), Palisades (Metalcore)
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New Music Report – March 4, 2022
These two releases this week could not possibly be any more different, but they’re both put out by incredible bands. Vein is done in a flash, and hits for every single second along the way, but Oh Hiroshima is much more of an in-depth experience. And it’s this type of diversity that I absolutely love in music.
Vein – Vein came onto the scene hot as one of the brightest new names in metalcore a few years ago, helping to semi-pioneer a refreshed, nu-metalcore sound. This new album is an extension of that, for sure, but it’s also a bit more of a foray into something much, much heavier, and it’s somehow even better. What a fucking onslaught of an album, these guys are going to be a name to follow for a while.
Oh, Hiroshima – On the complete opposite side of the coin, Oh, Hiroshima are a dark, beautiful post rock band that I’ve been following for some time now and I was a bit concerned about how good this one would be, they lost an integral member of their band leading into this release, but the two remaining members really pulled it together and absolutely killed it. It’s incredibly cinematic, heavy, and just as grand as they’ve always been.
Singles/Albums – Crowbar (LP, Sludge) Amenra (Portishead Cover, Post-Metal), Kublai Khan (Hardcore), Earth Groans (Comeback Kid Cover, Metalcore), Wind Waker (Metalcore), Convictions (Metalcore), Gravemind (Metalcore), Bleed from Within (Metalcore), Bearings (Pop Punk)
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