New Music Report – Mar 6, 2020
I’ll start off by saying, there haven’t really been any releases this week that I was really excited about, which is fine, not every week is going to have a personal AOTY contender. That said, there are definitely albums that are worth talking about that I think others will really enjoy, including a single that I really feel in love with.
Silverstein – There’s a lot to be said for bands that have been at it as long as Silverstein and are still able to crank out consistently good albums. They have been able to build on a progression of a slowly maturing version of their original selves, and their last album was a perfect example of that. This one, however, is a bit off the course. It’s a bit poppier, a bit overproduced, a bit too far off of what I fell in love with Silverstein for. It’s still a pretty good album, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as their last album, and I think this was a softening of their remarkable progression over the years.
Body Count – Ice T’s hardcore band, featuring a few tracks with cool features like Amy Lee and Jamey Jasta. At this point, you probably know if Body Count is your thing or not. Personally, it’s not really mine, but I can still appreciate what’s going on here. Overall, this album goes super hard, and the aforementioned feature tracks are really good.
My Dying Bride – This is classic doom metal right here, which is basically what you expect from MDB, but it’s a bit more accessible than usual, And not to sound like an elitist, but it kind of suffers because of it. Their grand, long songs are a little repetitive, the production is a bit too clean, etc. It’s not bad, just not really remarkable.
Singles
Captives – God, this is so good. I love this band so much, and I really feel like they’re the UK’s best kept secret in post hardcore right now. They put out an incredible EP last year, and hopefully this is the first single from an upcoming full-length, but we’ll see. This is a really great example of modern, progressive post-hardcore, like what Hands Like Houses would sound like if they went the more progressive direction after Ground Dweller. I highly, highly recommend this single to anybody into post hardcore, as well as their EP from last year.
Saosin – This song is actually about 15 years old. I can remember jamming to the demo of this track back in high school and thinking it was just one of the best Saosin songs ever, even though it objectively sounded like shit – minus Anthony Green’s INCREDIBLE, but very raw vocals. Well, they finally re-recorded the instrumentals using the original vocal track and man, I feel like I just got closure on something I’ve been waiting on for half my life. This might be the best Saosin song ever, and they finally did it justice.
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New Music Report – Feb 28, 2020
Now that we’re full swing into the new year, we’re starting to get out of the dead space and see releases starting to ramp up for spring. Which is honestly pretty wild to think about cause during that “dead” time we got incredible albums like the new Polaris, Lorna Shore, Caspian, etc. But anyway, here’s what’s new and exciting this week. We’ve actually got a lot of variety too; last week was very metalcore-heavy, but this week we’ve got a little of everything.
Four Year Strong – I gotta say, this is definitely heavier than I was expecting it to be. I mean, they’re still the kings of easycore, so it’s pretty chill, but it’s definitely bigger and more mature sounding than I was expecting. I really enjoyed this; very fun album. This is my favorite FYS album in years.
The Acacia Strain – So this was a cool surprise. It’s a back to business as usual for TAS after their last sludgy EP (which I happened to LOVE and still listen to all the time). This release is only two tracks, but it’s DUMB heavy, I love it; absolutely brutal EP. We’ll see how they string this together with other releases this year. I’ve heard theories about a series of EPs that spell out DEATH (this is D), but I have no idea.
Beneath the Massacre – I’m not sure how anyone can come out of an 8 year hiatus and put out something this fucking bonkers, but I love it. This album is absolutely filthy, super technical, and doesn’t let up for a single second. While all the albums that I’m highlighting here have been incredible, this is the one I’ve found myself returning to the most. It’s just an absolute onslaught and I can’t get enough of it.
Toundra – Toundra are one of the most consistently tight and impressive post rock bands in the world. This album is pretty neat, it’s basically a reimagined “soundtrack” for the 100 year old silent horror film, “Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari”. So, it plays like an old school film score, so keep that in mind while listening to it, but it’s brilliant.
Intronaut –These guys are always technically very impressive, and their new drummer is just insane, but that’s what you get with jazz-infused progressive metal. The vocals can be hit or miss (See: prog metal), they’re good they just aren’t to everyone’s tastes. Overall, this is really good though.
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New Music Report – Feb 21, 2020
I made a goal for myself to make one of these posts every week, and while I’m especially busy today, I missed last week, and I really don’t want to get too far behind. Also, there has been some really incredible music coming out these past few weeks that I feel is absolutely worth talking about. So, excuse the rushed nature of this post, but hopefully this gets everything back up to speed.
Polaris – If this is how things are getting started in 2020, metalcore is going to have a hell of a year. The Mortal Coil was an amazing record, but could, at times, feel a little monotonous. This isn’t like that at all, you can immediately feel a strong progression, with a much more captivating and dynamic sound. It’s a very interesting, well written album, with brutally heavy moments alongside instantly catchy hooks. I’m a huge fan of this album. Polaris really knocked this one out of the park. I’d say it would be hard to beat, but with the albums coming out later this year, who knows.
The Amity Affliction – Ehhhhhhh… I’m not feeling this one. I want to say it’s ok for incredibly uninspired and generic metalcore, but it really isn’t. It’s a boring album that’s simply unfulfilling. I’ve never gotten worse breakdown blue balls than I did listening to this album. Especially juxtaposed alongside the new Polaris, it’s just a forgettable album, unfortunately.
Previous weeks (2/7 & 2/14)
The Wonder Years (Acoustic EP) – Alright let’s face it, it’s The Wonder Years, so it’s good. That said, I think I prefer the first Burst & Decay as a whole package, but there are some brilliant moments on this EP.
Envy – Envy, for those unaware, is the renowned Japanese screamo band that have broken down language barriers by making powerful and emotional music. All their music is in Japanese, so I think it’s fair to assume most of us won’t understand them, but you can still feel them, and man, is there a lot to feel. Furthermore, this album might just be their best yet, I’m incredibly blown away by this one. This is definitely one worth experiencing.
Loathe – This album came out of nowhere but it’s incredible. It’s definitely metalcore but calling it just that is doing the album a major disservice. It’s combined with a lot of ambient elements and more to make it a deeply complex album. It’s kind of what happens when a metalcore band listens to a lot of Deftones; very heavy but still melodic and ethereal. Check this out, definitely.
Sylosis – The lead singer/guitarist has been playing with Architects for the past few years and that’s really the best way to describe it. It’s like that but more calculated and technical, and with fewer bleghs haha. It’s very good, I was really impressed.
Singles
Currents, Silent Planet, Polaris, Invent Animate, Bury Tomorrow, and Alazka all put out singles in the past two weeks. M E T A L C O R E 2 0 2 0.
New Music Report – Jan 31, 2020
New Music Report – Jan 24, 2020
New Albums
Silent Planet – Guys, this band is incredible. They’re so god damn good. I really cannot say enough good things about Silent Planet. Not only are they one of the most talented, unique, and powerful bands in metalcore right now, they’re also the most wholesome dudes in the world and absolutely deserve everyone’s support. This is a re-recorded version of their absolute masterpiece of a first record, and I honestly thought they couldn’t improve upon that, but here we are. Listen to this album.
Caspian – Caspian is one of the landmark bands of post rock, and this (personally) highly anticipated album is their first since 2015’s Dust & Disquiet, which was really nothing short of a masterpiece. But for those that find it, this is a fantastic album and was absolutely worth the wait. Much like what we’ve come to expect from Caspian, it’s absolutely packed full of emotionally dense, complex, and dynamic songs that take the listen on an incredible journey. It’s been a long five years, but it was certainly worth the wait.
Novelists FR – Not gonna lie, these guys lost me with their latest single, but man, this album is good. Trending more towards a post hardcore sound with this one, they’ve done a really great job of combining melodic, clean vocals with some super technical riffs and heavy breakdowns. Very dynamically diverse, definitely worth a listen.
Singles
Invent, Animate – Objectively, these guys are very good, but I’ve always felt I should enjoy this band more than I do. They’re technically incredible, but for a few reasons they failed to have that special something that makes a band stand out to me. This single hits super hard though, I have hope that this new album can help me change my mind.
Monuments – Insanely talented progressive metalcore band. Great vocals with incredible range and a very catchy chorus; the new vocalist is fitting in nicely. I’m looking forward to more from them, but in the meantime, this is definitely worth checking out.
The Word Alive – Unfortunately, these guys have gotten a little bit stale. Verses are a bit low effort and too much emphasis is put on the chorus. They’re definitely heading into a more alt-rock/post hardcore direction. Super meh, I miss old TWA.
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