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.