New Music Report – September 3, 2021
Things were slightly slower this week, some good singles, a few good releases, but some quality heavy music. And when I say heavy, I mean HEAVY. The two bands I talk about this week are absolutely pounding, and they both killed it with these releases. Not to mention some very interesting singles that are hinting at some very promising releases coming a little later in the season.
Earth Groans – Earth Groans were one of my favorite underground finds of 2020, they put out a really incredible hardcore-leaning metalcore EP last year and I was absolutely blown away by the songwriting talent of these guys, and it turns out that’s exactly what they did again in 2021. This new release is a bit more structured than their last EP, while still leaning a bit on their mathcore influences that made their last EP so special. That isn’t to say they’ve taken the edge off themselves, it’s more like they’re maturing gracefully into something still heavy and chaotic, but a bit more coherent. This is still the same incredibly groovy yet aggressive hardcore that I feel for when I found these guys last year. These guys have an absolutely insane amount of potential and I’m so glad we’re consistently getting new music from them and getting to experience their growth in real time. I can’t wait for the next one, hopefully it’s a full length, but I’ll take whatever I can get.
Carnifex – These guys were basically proto-deathcore. Putting out deathcore records before it was ever really a thing and before anybody knew what to call it. So, in that sense, they’re definitely pioneers in the genre, but as with many pioneers, they were sort of eclipsed by the next generations of talent that innovated on the original idea and really cemented the genre as what we know it to be today. After they, they kinda hung around and just became a little gimmicky and cheesy, if I’m honest. I still respect these guys, it just didn’t do it for me. That is no longer the case. Do not get it twisted, there is nothing outdated or gimmicky about this new record. Sure, it may not be the most innovative thing out there, but it is very, very good at what it set out to be: really heavy, straightforward deathcore. And I’m kinda loving it. It’s set up a new precedent for the band and path forward into something fresh and exciting, and I’m here for it.
Singles/Albums – Bilmuri (Post-Hardcore), Whitechapel (Metalcore/Deathcore), Portrayal of Guilt (Blackened Hardcore), Zeal & Ardor (Avant Garde Metal), Animals as Leaders (Instrumental Djent), Eskimo Callboy (Electronicore), Imminence (Metalcore/Post-Hardcore), Archspire (Progressive Metalcore)