New Music Report – February 25, 2022
We still aren’t QUTE in full swing yet, or at least not seeing the regularity of releases you get in late spring or the fall, but there are still some really cool hidden gems like we have this week, and as I’ve said before, a lot of very cool singles foreshadowing some big things for later in the year. Honestly, this week my highlight was the Limbs and Static Dress singles, so be sure to check those out. Limbs is a very good metalcore/post-hardcore hybrid, and Static Dress sounds like 2003 era post-hardcore like Funeral for a Friend or, probably not coincidentally, A Static Lullaby.
Corpsegrinder – Now, after about three decades worth of material from Cannibal Corpse, I don’t think anyone is really going to be surprised with what they hear from Corpsegrinder’s solo album. In fact, the biggest surprise is probably that a solo album is so damn good, it’s usually hard for artists with such established bands to stand on their own with solo albums as any more than a novelty, but this album rips.
Singles/Albums – Limbs (Metalcore), Static Dress (Post-Hardcore), Erra (Muse Cover, Metalcore), Bad Omens (LP, Metalcore), Wolves at the Gate (Post-Hardcore), Stray From the Path (Hardcore), Silverstein (Post-Hardcore), Crowbar (Sludge), Mouthbreather (Mathcore, Primus Cover), Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Post-Hardcore, Feat. Lil Lotus),
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New Music Report – February 18, 2022
This is another one of those fun weeks where I get to cover a band that I know, but I’m not necessarily very familiar with. I’ve seen these guys live, actually, I saw them with Russian Circles like 6 years ago, but I just didn’t follow them, and that’s really why I do these in the first place.
…And So I Watched You From Afar – I’m starting to think I’ve really been overlooking a gem here. This album is incredibly cinematic and beautiful, but not in a Lights & Motion sort of way, but like, it would be the soundtrack to a Wes Anderson movie, with some bonus spoken word features from Emma Ruth Rundle and Neil Fallon from Clutch. It’s about as weirdly cinematic as post rock can get, and all just beautifully arranged. Well worth a listen.
Singles/Albums – Converge (Redux, Hardcore), Vein.fm (Nu-Metalcore), LANDMVRKS (Metalcore), Undeath (Death Metal), Bodysnatcher (Deathcore), Animals as Leader (Djent), Simple Plan (Emo/Pop Punk), Hot Water Music (Post Hardcore) Memphis May Fire (Metalcore)
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New Music Report – February 11, 2022
Fully chugging along with new releases now, and lots of exciting singles coming out foreshadowing some huge releases that will be coming out later in the year. We’re already into some really huge releases for the year, including a big one this week from Cult of Luna.
Cult of Luna – I LOVE Cult of Luna. I have to say though, I didn’t quite feel the hype going into this album, I didn’t pay much attention to the singles, it just sort of showed up one day. And I almost like it more because of that. Cult of Luna albums are best digested as a whole and being able to hear this piece of music as a single cohesive piece, as intended, was kind of incredible. This is a perfect next step to A Dawn to Fear, and honestly just as remarkable.
Zeal & Ardor – This is just an incredible band, there aren’t many bands out there pushing the boundaries of metal, activism, and honestly just music in general quite like Zeal & Ardor. It’s a very eccentric mix of black metal, blues, hardcore, soul, and basically everything you can imagine, wrapping around lyrical content that make Rage Against the Machine look like Rush Limbaugh.
Singles/Albums – In Hearts Wake (EP, Metalcore), Once Human (LP, Metalcore), Trentemoller (LP, Electronic), Dark Funeral (Black Metal), Wolves at the Gate (Post Hardcore), Dayshell (Post Hardcore), Spite (Hardcore)
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New Music Report – February 4, 2022
A few really great, and often overlooked artists to cover this week, along with a long list of really, really amazing singles. If this is any indicator this early on, 2022 is going to be a big year for music, and I’m hoping I can spend more time looking at artists like these, ones that I know I like but definitely need to pay more attention to.
Rolo Tomassi – Rolo Tomassi is an amazing, well loved, but often overlooked band in metalcore. Everyone I talk to always has nothing but glowing things to say about this band, but aside from the odd reference, they’re hardly a hot topic. But there is really nobody that does the whole atmospheric clean vocal/harsh breakdown dichotomy than this band. Being able to blend those two so effortless and maintain such a high level of technical mastery is insanely difficult, and these guys deserve way more credit than they get.
Lights & Motion – I found Lights & Motion completely by accident about 7 years ago after he put out his debut album and I was absolutely blown away by what this dude from Sweden was able to put together in his bedroom with his cinematic post rock. Since then, he’s gone on to write scores for several films, had music appear in trailers, etc. He’s truly an incredible musician that can really paint a picture with his notes, and this new album is no exception.
Singles/Albums – The Devil Wears Prada (Metalcore), Venom Prison (LP, Death Metal), D.R.U.G.S (Post-Hardcore), Pupil Slicer (Mathcore), Black Matter Device (Mathcore), Knuckle Puck (EP, Pop Punk), Loathe feat. Sleep Token (Metalcore), Kill the Lights (Metalcore), Korn (LP, Nu-Metal), Oh Hiroshima (Post Rock), Monuments (Djent)
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New Music Report – January 28, 2022
Short one this week, not a ton to cover, but that’s not necessarily irregular for this time of the year. Yet more deathcore, not that I’m complaining, but it looks like we’re getting some metalcore next week, to change things up ever so slightly.
Last Ten Seconds of Life – This album is pretty cool. I know it’s still early, but man, we’ve been absolutely inundated with deathcore so far this year. They’ve all had their own flavor, but this one is probably the most different of the bunch, this has slow, grinding, sludgey elements that I really appreciate. I mean, it’s not my favorite (that’s still Enterprise Earth), but it’s a nice change.
Singles/Albums – Angelmaker (Deathcore), Northlane (Nu-Metalcore), Greyhaven (Southern Metalcore), Vein.fm (Nu-Metalcore), Meshuggah (Progressive Metal), Carpenter Brut Feat. Greg Puciato (Darksynth), Thornhill (Progressive Metalcore)
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