New Music Report – Apr 10, 2020
There are a few notable releases this week that are either very, very cool, very impressive, or some combination of the two. Nothing quite as remarkable as last week, but still some albums that are absolutely worth paying attention to.
Azusa – This is a cool one. This is a “supergroup” of sorts, featuring the bassist from The Dillinger Escape Plan, former members of Extol, and the singer of a German indie pop duo called Sea + Air. Turns out she also used to play in a punk band and has a pretty gnarly scream. While it may seem like an odd grouping, bands like Dillinger and Extol have never really let themselves be restrained by any boundaries, so it really just makes sense. But how could an indie pop singer hang with members of two of the most aggressive bands of all time? Well, turns out she can hang just fine. Her juxtaposition of energetic clean vocals and absolutely brutal, grating, tension-filled screams is incredible. The whole band just exudes this massive energy that’s really fascinating to listen to.
Sparta – Yes, THE Sparta. The Jim Ward Sparta. The other piece that fractured off of At The Drive-In after their split that lead to The Mars Volta. It’s been 14 years since their last album, and at the time – while they were never quite as ground-breaking as The Mars Volta – they left an indelible mark on the post-hardcore scene with an incredibly clean, artistic sound. Now, as I said, it’s been 14 years; musicians grow, sounds change, etc. so this isn’t quite the same thing as Wiretap Scars, but it’s still a wonderful nostalgic trip with one of the most underrated post hardcore bands of all time.
Dream On Dreamer – This is kind of a tough one. These guys have always been a pretty good band, but unfortunately, they had a very clear high point, and haven’t quite been able to live up to that since. A couple months ago, they announced that this would be their farewell album, and with that you always hope they are able to end of a high point, leaving you wanting more, like The Dillinger Escape Plan or The Chariot, but instead we get a decent album that feels a bit rushed, and definitely feels like the end of a band with not much else to say.
Rotting Out – This album goes hard. The first release from Rotting Out in 7 years proves they’ve still got plenty of energy and aggression left, and honestly, that’s really all want from a good, old SoCal hardcore band. The music itself hits super hard and the lyrics are generally thoughtful and always catchy, with its fair share of gang vocals cause every good hardcore album needs gang vocals. This is a fun, hard-hitting, rowdy ass album that’s a really exciting addition to this week’s releases.