Ulcerate : "Cutting the Throat of God"

If you like dark and dissonant death metal I would assume this band from New Zealand doesn't need an introduction. They perfected their art form back in 2011 with "Destroyers of All", now with album seven, they are refining how melody works within their songwriting process. Does it sacrifice brutality? It depends on what you want from Death Metal. If you are looking for just a straightforward pounding, well Deicide just put out a new album. Not to say there are no moments of blasting, they are just used as a tool and not the primary function of the songs. In the broadest sense of the word, they are a tech death band, which is a term I normally do not like, as it means masturbatory time changes and excessive solos. There is a technical nature to how these compositions are assembled, but the math of it is different from what makes these songs. 

Things do get obscured in the blur of bludgeoning riffs that is "Further Opening the Wounds" so the band is not totally against the concept of being heavy for the sake of being heavy. "Transfiguration In and Out of  Worlds" finds the atmosphere creating more space that gives the illusion the song is more melodic than it is, though it sonically does not conform to the path most death metal follows. This is one of their strengths as a band. "To See Death Just Once" is dissonant as expected, but lumbers along the bounds of death metal that is not uncommon for these guys, perhaps even more so when the tempo picks up as more technical embellishments haunt the song. The blasting against the angular passages is not as compelling as what the album has already laid out before us. I prefer the mood created when the song breaks down five minutes in.  

"Undying as an Apparition" sounds like the title suggests. It feels like a ghost is haunting a normal death metal band. The song starts off like most death metal these days a storm of double bass and jagged guitar then gradually the haunting eerie touches of sonic nuance begin to take things for a darker turn. The title track closes the album with a throb that is more spectral than say Morbid Angel's but does not take as many chances as we heard earlier in the album. I will give this album a 9, the third act is more straightforward death metal, but they do offer more melodic experimentation this time around.Comes out June 14th on Debemur Morti Productions.  

Who Not to Miss At Sick New World 2024 ( a curated guide)

Lots of bands playing in one day at Sick New World, this means compressed set times and lots of options to choose from. We are going to help you be less overwhelmed and provide you with a guide to what the best options are to make the most of your time at the fest, After all, tickets and the trip out to Vegas are pricey enough, so you need to make this day worthwhile. I am not suggesting the most popular bands, so if you want to avoid the crowded stages this list is for you, but most of these suggestions are due to the fact I hate most radio rock, so we are going to be avoiding that. If your tastes in music are super vanilla then stick to the Gold stage. 

 Siren Stage-11:40 -Snow Strippers 

Sure they are competing with Kittie, but I saw Kittie back in the day and this band called Mudvayne who was opening blew them off the stage, Snow Strippers have a new album coming out, and are looking forward, not back.

Gold Stage-12:20 - Spirtbox 

Really the only band that is worthwhile in this slot

Diablo Stage-1:10- Gel

One of the best punk bands going today. 

Siren Stage-1:50-3TEETH

Surprised they are playing this early in the day as they are going to blow away half the bands that come after them

Siren- Stage 2;25- Combichrist 

Just stick around after 3Teeth, they are going to have to kill it to follow 3TEETH who is the better band. 

Siren Stage-3:00- She Past Away 

Not sure who booked this show and arranged the line-up but I am just working with what they are giving me, they are on the Siren stage right after to hammering industrial bands, but maybe their gothy take on post-punk will give your ears a rest. 

Siren Stage 3:35- Lords of Acid 

They are always fun live and less likely to dial it in than Primus. 

Diablo Stage-4:20 - Fleshwater

Melodic post-hardcore with a very 90s alternative slant. 

Siren Stage-4:45 Frontline Assembly 

If you missed them on their last run with Ministry they are a must-see. 

Siren Stage-5:20- Front 242 

One of the best industrial bands playing the fest worth sticking the Siren stage for. 

Siren Stage - 5:55- Nitzer Ebb 

Yet another classic industrial band, with these guys you gotta ask, how much longer are they going to be around?

Siren Stage-6:30 -Have a Nice Life

It was a tough call between these guys and Vein Fm, but these guys should be more interesting, whereas Vein FM is more likely to just come across like every other nu-metal-leaning hard-core band. 

Red Stage -7:10 - Danny Elfman 

I really want to see Code Orange, but there will be more chances to see Code Orange, However Danny Elfman rarely tours, so the chance of seeing him again is slimmer, and he is a legend, ya know he is the voice of Jack Skellington and the lead singer of Oingo Boingo so there is that. 

eat, piss, get stoned, or whatever you gotta do 

Siren Stage -9:40 -Slowdive 

One of the most important shoe-gaze bands, who is returning after a hiatus, missing Slipknot? I guess it depends on if you want quality of music or spectacle, but Corey Taylor brings his circus to town much more regularly 

Siren Stage - 10:45 -Swans 

I have seen System of a Down before. I have seen Swans more. It might not matter if you go see Swans or not because they are the loudest band I have ever seen, you can go see Sleep Token (if you are into pop music) you can see System of a Down but you will hear Swans regardless as they are the loudest band I have ever seen... and I have seen Slayer, Motorhead, Judas Priest and Pantera, Swans are louder. They are also the most musically interesting band, and the best one, more than likely all the musicians in the bands you like will be at Swans, as they will tell you they are the best band as well. Maynard will certainly be there as they were a huge influence on Tool, and industrial music would not exist without Swans either so those bands will be worshipping them as well. 

Darkthrone : "It Beckons Us All"

 

Thought of as one of the forefathers of second-wave black metal, it's been a minute since they conformed to any genre, and have been digging up the graves of 80s Celtic Frost for the past few albums which have done so with varying levels of nostalgia, Nordic atmosphere, and grimness. The first track makes it evident they have taken their time to dial these sounds in while still being true to who they are as a band.  The chords ring out with an eerie melancholy, though the main guitar line holds a palm-muted tension that works in equal measure. 

They have made their love for classic metal proudly and loudly known in the past, so it's not a surprise that "Eon 3" is a blatant Mercyful Fate tribute. That is without any attempts to go up into falsetto vocals, though the song is more sung than snarled. "Black Dawn Affiliate" moves things in a more aggressive Judas Preist meets Venom direction. It works more of its energy rather than the first two songs which had more depth in their arrangements. It works but I prefer the first two songs. There is a cool riff in the middle of the song, but my rule here is "cool riffs alone does not a good song make". 

They have worked harder on the vocals this time around. You have to admire them because this is album 20 for these guys, so you have to respect the fact they are continuing to hone their craft and not just dialing it in. The guitar playing is also much more melodic on this album as well. This fact really gets the spotlight on "And in That Moment I Knew the Answer". They go back into a heavier crunch for "the Bird People Of Nordland". This is a step back into the more Celtic Frosted direction.  The riff is pretty hooky and it induces head-banging so there is not much more to ask for. They do give more and speed up to more of a thrashing tempo, though it might come close enough to black metal to satisfy those who have not been happy post-Sardonic Wrath" 

"The Heavy Hand" lumbers forward on the momentum of its meaty riff.  This mid-tempo bruiser is simple but powerful.  The last song reminds me a little of Metallica, which is a positive for the band, as Metallica are great songwriters, and for these guys to tap into those kinds of massive riffs is a testament to their growth as songwriters. At a mammoth ten-minute sprawl, things grind down into a crusty chug that brings Cathedral to mind. The riff at the end of song is supposed to feel like Mercyful Fate but it sounds more like Ratt to me, however, the vocals help balance this out. However, if Darkthrone really wants to follow the footsteps of Celtic Frost a hair metal album would be the next logical step. I will go ahead and round this up to a 9.5, and see how it sits on me, I think it pulls off what they have been going for the past few albums in the most effective manner yet. 

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Deicide : "Banished By Sin"

 

13 albums into their existence and Glen Benton's wrecking machine is just as finely tuned as it was on "Once Upon the Cross".  The riffs are sharp and as catchy as something this hatefully aggressive is going to get. I was really on board for the band's first three albums, after that, it's been a mixed bag of inspiration. It feels like they are going into this re-energized. "Sever the Tongue" is a taunt attack of guitar and vocals that are masterfully accenting the raging riffage. Benton is one of the most purposeful death metal growlers in the business, and he makes every growl count.  The songwriting is blazing with the same fires of hell that ignited their first few albums. 

They get faster and more aggressive with "Faithless". It's almost too aggressive as it chugs past you. "Bury the Cross ...With Your Christ". The vocals are not as purposeful as the classic Deicide, but they work well nonetheless. 'Woke From God" is another song that moves at a blazing speed. Not the album's catchiest song, but still works more often than it does not. "Ritual Defiled" takes the thrashing hooks the band implemented in their earlier albums, and bolsters it with the better modern production values, as well as a more unrelenting attitude. The guitars who are the newest additions to the band, bring fresh blood to the proceedings. "Failures of Your Dying Lord" is another rapid-fire attack. The title track is a really strong song and shows what works best for the band in 2024. 

"A Trinity of None" falls into the hyper-aggressive mode of playing, which does not lend itself as well to the finer points of songwriting. Some fans of death metal do not care and only want their music in your face. The album's third act does rely on speed more, but there are some songs where they still bring enough nuance to the table. The last song is a great balance of this and leans more into the direction of hooky songwriting. I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me. It is really well produced and sounds great, but the needed aggressive tendencies are still in play. 

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Göden : "Vale of the Fallen"

 

Stephan Flam of Winter fame is back with a doomy industrial project that features Vas Kallas from Hanzel Und Gretyl. It took me listening to this album through headphones before I realized this was a woman snarling at me. The overall sound pounds in a manner not unlike Author & Punisher, though more organic in that this is not made by machines of their own creation. This is the project's second album and they have things dialed in where they want them here.  The first time we hear what sounds to me like a guitar is on "Urania". The song moves at a similar stomp to the one heard in the previous song. 

At times what is happening here reminds me of Samael. The darker and more deliberate crunch of " Black Vorte" highlights this fact. It grinds safely with already claimed as its sound. The synths are very effective at using the atmosphere to create the intent. "Death Magnus" is another weighty trudging over your eardrums. It does find its own groove. In some ways, this is sonically similar to Godflesh. A minute into "Zero" it feels like they are just droning on the one riff. 

"Manifestation IX" is more of an interlude than a song. "Requiem" is an ambient instrumental where the violin takes the spotlight. They close the album with "Majestic Symphony" which works off a burly bass line. The vocals take on more of a sing-song chant. I will give this an 8.5, it's not the most original thing I have heard, but it does occupy a space I appreciate.Drops May 17th on Svart Records. 

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Spaced : "This is All We Ever Get"

 New York has a hard-core legacy that can not be denied. However, Spaced wishes they were from Maryland. At first, this was not noticed, and I thought this was just a really well-produced old-school hardcore album. The second song and it all falls into place. These guys want to be Turnstille. I have nothing against writing catchy songs and fucking with the formula. But with a song like 'Big Picture" almost sounding like a Turnstille cover, that is where I draw the line. I am however willing to give the other songs a chance. It proves not to be as big of a problem for "Downfall" 

I am glad that Turnsstille encouraged punk bands to add more hooks and experiment a bit. But what I do not want are bands ripping their sound. "Rat Race" does have an almost nu-metal groove to it. The vocals have a purpose, the only problem I am hearing is the way the syncopation is used that drives too close to Turnstille's street. The big gang vocal chorus works well enough."'the Difference" is perhaps a little less of a Turnstile worshipper.I still hear the influence it is just not as pronounced. The breakdown groove is cool though. 

"Cosmic Groove" lives up to its name. It makes you bob your head, which works well enough for what they are going for and better than most hardcore bands are doing. The sung vocals on the last song, begin to cross back over into the front lawn of where Turnstille lives. At least just circle the block. The car is not in their driveway, but it is way too close at that moment. If Turnstill is your favorite band and you are like 16 years old, this might not matter much. They are good at what they do and the songs work when their true identity shines through so I will give this album an 8. 

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Nocturnus AD : "Unicursal"

Mike Browning from Morbid Angel returns with his other class band Nocturnus, now Nocturnus AD. I had to go back and listen to "The Key" again to see if I was just not remembering things right or if something was weirdly different. Things are weirdly different as "the Key" sounds just like I remembered it. By the song "Mesolithic" it sounds like the same band, the first couple of songs just take some getting used to as Browning is not getting any younger so his approach to things might have changed. His snarls are more spoken than not. While it helps him to narrate this HP Lovecraft-like yarn he is continuing with this album, it does create an odd cadence at times. It reminds me of Coroner to some extent. I am never sure about the drummer being the lead vocalist. 

The synths are similar to the sounds heard on "The Key" so that works for me. I know it sounds like I am pretending "Paradox" was not released. I gave "Paradox" a 9, but it's not the album they are going to be measured against. It is interesting going back to read that review, as I mentioned many of the same things I am noticing with the sound on this album The vocals really are the only glaring weak spot the rest of the music compensates for. Things are more progressive and less angular on this album. "Mission Malkuth" finds the vocal style more spoken, though this makes the lyrics stand out there is not a great deal of grit to it. The riffs are pretty awesome and balance it out like a more acrobatic version of Morbid Angel, though the album does not hold the same kind of crunchy production of a Morbid Angel album, leaving things to sound like a thrash version of Pestilence at times. 

"Yesod..." finds more of a death metal groove forming as the pace picks. Portals are a huge theme on this album. Which is fine with me, works as well as Satanic themes for me, and could be interchangeable. At times, even occult themes are thrown in with the sci-fi which is on brand for this project. The riffs really improve here. "Hod the Stellar Light" is yet another song referencing the Tree of Life, and finds Browning's drumming excelling. Though I have always thought Pete Sandoval was best for Morbid Angel. There is a more Morbid Angel-like mood at the onset of this song, though the cosmic ambiance does take over in places. The delivery of the vocals might find him spitting the lyrics out in the most awkward manner yet, but the music continues to compensate. 

"Netzah the Fire of Victory"  might slow down into a cool doomier riff, by the time we get to the song I can not shake the thought that Browning should have just stuck to drumming and gotten someone who could have growled the lyrics, which would have better served the songs. Yeah I know he has always been the vocalist for this band, but if you can't cut it, oh, well. `The instrumental outro works well enough for what it is, and that is perhaps for the best as the vocals had gotten on my nerves.  Due to the vocals, I will round this down to an 8.5, I recognize that I am picky about vocals and do not see them as a thought but my primary focus and I factored that in when taking things into consideration regarding this album, I have always felt these guys were the most underrated death metal band out of Tampa, but his delivery makes it hardly death metal this time around. The album drops May 17th thanks to Profound Lore and you can make up your own mind about it then. 

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Locusts & Honey : "Teach Me To Live That I Dread The Grave As Little As My Bed "

 Taking a break from what seems to be a death metal-heavy season and we are not even into June yet. Needed to switch it up so going for doom. This British band continues to remind me of what I love about Funeral Doom. Mournfully melodic, heavy sonically, though it slowly with depressive weight, the sound echoing out into caverns below. Not sure this song needs to be twelve minutes regardless of how slow they are playing. The vocals are a muffled mid-range rasp. The production is raw enough to give it personality, but you can still hear everything that is going on.  In fact, if cranked up this album sounds massive running into headphones.

The buzz of ambient noise the first song ended with bleeds over into the beginning of  "Confraternities of the Cord". It keeps a similar dripping speed as the previous song. It rings out with a more clanging reverb, It almost feels like the kind of atmospheric doom gazing early Jesu tapped into. "Beauty and Atrocity" is just an interlude of ambient noise, things do not get interesting until the sonic pound of "Traitor to Love". The vocals remain at a throat gasp. In some ways this song is more accessible, it moves at a deliberate and more flowing pace.   

Then just like that the album fades out on another wave of sound. It almost comes down to this being a single with two songs on it, as there are more instrumental ambient interludes than there is actual songs. I like the ideas that were being developed here, and they are capable of writing songs, think it would have been time better spent than how they cobbled this together. I will give the songs that are here an 8 Certainly a band to pay attention to, as I want to hear what they do on an actual album comprised of real songs. This album drops May24th.  

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Replicant : "Infinite Mortality"

This New Jersey band will impress many with the fact their new albums are even more brutal than past efforts. The real recognition they should receive is achieving this while still caring about writing songs rather than, using music as a weapon to beat your ear drums out with distortion. The vocals are not the most purposeful, but they even took the time in the studio to add some nuance to the guttural exclamations.  The dissonance is counterbalanced by hooky little rhythmic twists. All of this is highly effective when the album, opens but this winding and grinding formula is not as fresh on the second song. The thing about extremely heavy bands is they typically lose the shock value after the first song, after all, there is only one first time to hear it. Sure the part where it lows down to let the lower growl emerge is pretty cool but not as good as the first song. 

There are plenty of subtle guitar trickers, which is an impressive enough fact considering subtlety is not what their overall sound is about. They are not afraid to pull out break-down style riffing to break up the chaos. Midway into "Reciprocal Abandonment" they introduce an odd dissonant atmosphere, showing another side to their sonic arsenal. Bands like Ulcerate have certainly done this sort of thing before. Their drummer is decent to keep up but this is clearly a guitar player's band. "Pain Enduring" hammers with a more single-minded pulse and the vocals just sounds of anger and torment along for the ride. 

"Nekrotunnel" is pretty much just run-of-the-mill blasting death metal with the guitar tones really dialed in. "Dwelling on the Threshold" digs in and is a little more grooving. A few creepy touches here and there ice the cake. The nine-minute "Planet of Skin" closes the album. They take their time winding up into the song. Things do not really get started til two minutes in. It chugs and roars with much of the same power that can be found on this album's other songs. Effective but not bringing anything new to the table.  I give this album a 9, impressive yes, but I am not going to say it's the best death metal album I have heard this year, we are only four months into 2024, as everyone is trying to get out their best stuff in time for the world to end, but if you want a death metal album that is dissonant and heavy while still musical this is worth your time. 

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Gray State : "Under the Wheels of Progress"

From Finland comes this very metal take on hardcore. It opens with an instrumental track, and foreboding might be the best way to describe its mood. The rapid-fire second song is joined by scathing vocals that are not unlike the scowl of disgust, Starkweather uses. There is more groove to "The Death of True Love" . The very melodic guitar solo is a really nice touch It combines the kind of classic metal playing combined with hard-core aggression that I have not heard since the first Shadows Fall album. It is what metal core genre should sound like. 

This is not to say they do not play into the tropes of hardcore with the under stomp of "Desire for Salvation" . These guys are great guitarists so that is what keeps pulling them back in a metal direction even when they are trying harder for something with more of a punk feel. They also know how to bring the riffs on "Ashes of Burning Worlds". It should make for brutal karate chopping pits if that is what is going down in Finland these days. 

 "Flaw in a Mortal Machine" is driven by a more thrashing energy, until they slow down for the more spoken motivational hard-core vocal Tedtalk to come into play. They do not shy from guitar solos even in these moments,. and I am fine with that. The riffs get a little Slayer in places.  They continue to rage down a similar path, though the bass grinds in to anchor it. There is more punk in the veins of "Lifeblood". The last song feels like it could have come from Life of Agony's "The River Runs Red", which is one of my favorite albums so fine by me.  I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me one of the better hardcore album so far this year.  

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Sunnata : "Chasing Shadows"

last album earned the number three spot on 2021's Top 10 Sludge Albums list. The vibes are more psychedelic on 'Chasing Shadows". The Polish band continues to push their sonic boundaries but with less aggression. In fact, it feels, more like grunge at times, as the droning baritone vocals remind me a little of Mark Lanegan this time around. It sounds great so I am not going to complain about this not being as metal as past releases since it has progressed in a very organic manner, and things are still intense. The vocals build into a more throaty belt, but not a growl. 

"Torn" is largely the band jamming around a sustained tension. While the vocals are improved from the previous album and crooned with palpable melancholy, they do not really give the song structure but add another layer of sound. The winding spiral of the guitar lures you into "Wishbone". This finds the band stepping into the direction of progressive, not a huge surprise considering their previous album did not conform to what you expect from the sludge or doom genres. The chorus to "Wishbone" finds a hookier dynamic in place. The vocal layering to "Saviours Raft" slants the song in the Alice In Chains direction. Though unlike Alice in Chains it drones of a jam more than creating vocal hooks. They do build the song really well into a heavier pound, that is still not quite metal.  

There is more of a hypnotic chant to "The Tide" which finds them highly effective at creating a mood, though it's more of a song to zone out to rather than an earworm you return to. "Hunger" is more brooding in its storm-building tension. The bass payer is the key to this here and in other songs, with a hefty tone that holds the backbone down. Even a simple strum is an effective blueprint for them to follow 'the Sleeper" combines the brooding grunge melodies with the pulse of early Pink Floyd's dark speculations. The last song is the album's most experimental moment rides an odd ambient groove. I will give this album a 9 it achieves what it set out to do here, which is create its own sound that is possessed by a surreal intensity. 

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High on Fire : "Cometh the Storm"

It's been 6 years since "Electric Messiah". Since then they have been joined by Big Business drummer Coady Willis. The bar is low for them here, as they have never scored higher than a 7.5.  They rely more upon a rumbling chug and are not dark or melodic enough for me. Always sounded like they took the stoner rock DNA and mixed it with Motorhead and Venom, in a manner that is not all that original. Things have changed this time around. Perhaps Pike's sobriety factors in. But I hear another influence, which makes perfect sense, after all, Matt Pike is close friends with Brent Hinds. Imagine them hanging out and one day a newly sober Piek thinks, well if they can play big places to a larger audience, I could as well, after all, it's not a huge leap, just groove a little more. To the record label, this is a reason to celebrate. 

The album opens with a more grooving sludge that recalls old Mastodon, with little of the Motorhead punk drive. In fact, it's s not until "Trismestigus" that I hear any of the old Motorhead rumbles. I imagine the song is about Hermes. It's a dense hammering wall of chugs, that obscures the roar of the vocals so he might be about as informed of the founder of  Hermetic magic as Ozzy was of the O.T.O when he wrote "Mr. Crowley". The answer here is not at all. Making it a clever metal occult namedrop. The title track benefits from their new drummer, as Pike makes more of an effort to sing. These factors help give me more of the brooding tension I want from heavy music.  

After an excursion into Middle Eastern music, they return to hammering you with the overdriven wall of sound. There is a surmounting tension to its drive. "the Beating' finds them back to the kind of more punk-leaning attack that prompts the Venom and Motorhead comparisons. "Tough Guy" is a step in the more metal direction, but it is also a rather straightforward pounding, with the growl of the vocals not contributing a great deal.  Though it is much more deliberate than much of what I have heard in the past from these guys.  If you stepped on the gas while playing "Orgasmatron" the results might be similar to "Lightning Beard". 

He makes another attempt at singing on "Hunting Shadows", which gallops closer to a more traditional metal with its brazen howl. The album closes with a ten-minute epic that is "Darker Fleece".  It hangs on a rumbling riff that trudges in a monolithic drone. Six minutes and I am wondering when they are going to switch it up. They don't. Regardless , this might be the most accessible to work, and showcases more thoughtful songwriting, so all the inspiration paid off I will give them an 8.5, which doesn't make this a top-tier legend of an album, but it does make it their best work yet. 

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Taylor Swift : "THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT"

 While other pop artists have to grab your attention by putting on cowboy cats or trying on new personas their record labels want to convince you are breaking new ground, Taylor Swift has less to prove and is content just being herself. She has herself this is the album she needed to make, which seems to mean getting these songs out of her system so she can move on. They feel like thoughts captured in the transition between "Folklore" and "Midnights". Though it is clear this is the songwriting genius who wrote "1989" and "Reputation" . 

  The opening track is a wandering melancholic pop that moves with a hushed intensity. At first, listen might be confused for something similar to the space Lana Del Ray occupies. However Swift's take on this melodrama is not pill-induced, or self-deprecating, but almost as if she is processing her past relationship with Joe for a therapist.  Though some theories that her sexuality is not what is marketed to the masses will find plenty of fuel when the lines are read between here,  Post-Malone's guest spot is kept to a minimum, and he is merely a backup singer. 

"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" is the first song that feels like it hits like a pop song, as she indulges more introspection and atmosphere on this album. It took a few listens for "So Long London" to click, even then it's a little too minimalist in its arrangement to fully stand next to the bar she has raised for herself. Lyrically it is as strong as her other stuff, and that is one thing this album does highlight she is a tremendous lyricist she is.  "But Daddy I Love Him" perfectly balances her reflective side and the dynamic arena-rocking pop that plays to her strengths. If you were to ask me what I want from her in 2024 I would point to " Fresh Out of the Slammer" which is organic enough to cater to my need for real instruments but respects what her vibe is here. 

"Florida!" is pretty much a slapper that speaks to the state's mojo. Florence and the Machine contributes more than Post Malone, and is an effective pairing for Swift. "Guilty as Sin?" is Tay Tay doing Tay Tay things the way her fans expect her to, and excelling at it while not feeling stale. She belts it out in her higher register for "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me" where she reflects on her superstardom. "I Can Fix Him I Really Can" took a second listen for its creeping groove to take hold. Swift muses about the part she plays in her less-than-functional relationships here. It's a little darker than what you might expect from her. 

"IomI" shows "So Long London" how she really writes a ballad. On the other side of the spectrum, there is more motion on the dance floor with "I Can Do it With a Broken Heart". Though it percolates with futuristic optimism rather than dropping the beat.  "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" feels like it is left over from "Folklore". Supposedly it's about Matt Healy from the 1975.  'the Alchemy" is a superior song, which is supposed to be about Travis Kelce. "Clara Bow" is another reflection on the circles  Swift now finds herself in. This will give the Gaylors plenty to work with. It ends with the introspect ballad "the Manuscript" which works well enough but is not the album's strongest song. I will round this up to a 10, as a couple songs are a matter of what I want from her, and some of the more into her feeling at the piano songs, might need time to grow on me. Overall she proves, she is still the best at what she does and offers more depth than any other pop artist out there including Miley can muster. Though Miley would be in 2nd place in this regard. 

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Henry Kane : "Circle of Pain"

 

This Swedish death metal project uses a great deal of atmosphere to bring their grim tidings to life. The second song feels like a marginally more deliberate march into darkness than the first song. There is a uniformity in the brand of aggression they are hitting you with. Not far removed from Behemoth in terms of heaviness, with shades of Rotting Christ coming up at times as well. They are trying to write songs and not just be heavy for the sake of being heavy. There is an anthemic feel to what is being done here. Another plus is that for a Swedish band they are not playing melodeth or trying to sound like Entombed or At the Gates. 

They are dark enough that when they pick up the pace it sometimes borders on being black metal. However when they speed up the drums sometimes suffer in the mix and become a patter in the background. The lyrics are articulated within the growl well enough, though I am unsure what the narrative message of this album is. They are possibly against religion, but what lies beyond that aside from a desire to not be forced to do as they are told is unsure. They distract you from this with some crunchy riffs. The title track chugs by in a manner that does not demand my attention, it sounds like an extension of everything they have done so far here. 

The guitar melody to "Wealth of Obscenity" makes it stand out more than the straightforward approach of the previous song. "Weird Fiction Founded" is an interesting title. There is more nuance and a cool melodic breakdown section that does not kill the momentum of the song or album. In fact, it is more interesting than when they just charge straight ahead at you on the last song.I will give this album an 8.5, it's pretty solid, and cares about the songs despite falling into t some of the uniformity this genre breeds,  

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Pearl Jam : "Dark Matter"

 Do I really need to introduce Pearl Jam? If you do not know who these guys are, this is not the blog for you as they are now like Led Zeppelin a band that is one of the fundamental artists of the era and genre they forged. This album comes closer to what you expect from them than some of their more recent albums that found the band taking more chances. Granted if you think of these guys as a grunge band, then you might find this album lacking in grit, however, this is their 12th album, and only their first two albums should really be considered jazz, as the band has ventured off into varied forms of rock and Americana since then in the 10  albums that followed these guys have a pretty basic formula to follow to be successful and please their fan base. Eddie sings and the rest of the band supports him allowing Vedder to do what he does. 

The second song picks up the pace in a way that is not "State of Love and Trust" but it still works. Then comes their more Neil Young-influenced ballad with the casual folkish strum of "Wreckage".  Vedder's voice has held up well. If this sort of thing still had a place on the radio, this song would fit the format. But rock radio has hit a place of stagnation and has not progressed past 'Better Man". They have given themselves enough room to grow that allows a song like the title track to be different enough, yet as a song holds up against the songs like "Jeremy" they have built their career upon. Amazingly, they can still be consistent as artists 12 albums later and still write songs this good. Mike McCready is ripping out plenty of guitar solos on this album. 

"Won't Tell" might have more of a pop sensibility, but it's really well written and Vedder vocal melodies work their magic.  The more balladic musing that is this album's "Yellow Ledbetter" is "Upper Hand" though it's less Jimi Hendrix influenced.  "Waiting For Stevie" rocks out a little more with  Mike continuing to rip it, and Matt Cameron continuing to show why he is one of the best rock drummers in the business. "Running" is a more energetic return to the "Vs." era. The almost country strum of "Something Special" is just a little more upbeat than what I prefer. 

You can't argue that Bruce Springsteen has not been an influence on these guys as it permeates "Got to Give". It has echoes of 90s rock anthems but is more of a blue-collar rocker. The last song is almost more of a ballad, as it seems to muse upon mortality and the human condition. There is also a slight country unpining to this which is the first time this has crept into what they do. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it sits with me, it holds up better against their classic works than some of the post-Vitalogy releases. 

 

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Cosmic Joke : "s/t"

 

Been reviewing more punk this year than normal, I guess everyone got angry enough to start writing music about it. The obvious influence of this band is Bad Religion, but they are also into hardcore and sometimes dance their way into something that has more of a breakdown bounce to it. Backing vocals carry more of a hardcore grit to them than the main vocal which is typically yelled in a purposeful and almost melodic manner. 

By the time I get to the eponymous song, which is one of the album's stronger moments I have already become numbed out by a generic high-energy punk battery. The first song is the only track that breaks the two-minute mark, so these are quick outbursts, though not as spastic as say power-violence. "Leave it Alone" might be one of the album's best songs. It is very to the point but still catchy. 

"Morphine" works for what it is. What it happens to be punk rock in its most basic form, for better or for worse. This is not the manner in which I normally ingest my punk, as I prefer it to be darker, more metallic, or have more sonic layers. This is just what it is. The audience is teenagers who are just getting into punk, a better choice than any of the 90s pop punk, as it is a more honest replica of an era.  I will give this album an 8. I can scratch it off my list of hard core albums to check out.  

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Drahla : "angeltape"

When saxophone opens a post-punk band's album you know it's going to be different.  I was not expecting them to sound like Romeo Void's "Never Say Never". Their new wave ways continue to pay homage to the 80s on  "Default Parody".  The first two songs have worked off a quirky angular jangle, and going into "zig-zag" they are going to have more to prove   What is at stake? Well, it's bad enough to be a glorified tribute band but if you can only cover one song it's even worse. Do they pass the test?  It's more of a lateral move as they take the same theme and play it more aggressively. 

From this point, the songs begin to run together until they allow the song some room to breathe on "Talking Radience" , though it sounds like Grimes covering Romeo Void instead. "Talking Radience" sound bass line was ripped from a pre-Purple Rain Prince song, Yes, I know the song, but I am going to make you guess. There could be decent songs buried under some of this chaos. By "Concrete Lilly" this is beginning to lose my attention. It's not until the odd groove of "Lipsync" that I pay attention once more. They casually hit you with moments of abrasion. 

By the time it gets to the end of the album, I might not be sure what I heard though I expect it was a noise rock band trying to cover Romeo Void in the style of freeform jazz. I will give this album a 6.5, as feels generous enough considering it was terrible from a songwriting perspective, but when thought of as a deconstruction of new wave music, or an anti-rock take on the 80s there might be more substance to it. If this is something would keep in regular rotation, you might also like doing coke in coffee shops and getting fisted in the bathrooms of art galleries, which is fine as long as you know who you are. 

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Six Feet Under : "Killing For Revenge"

 Chris Barnes has a great deal to prove here, as his vocals on "Nightmares of the Decomposed" were weak as hell. I can appreciate that Chris Barnes speaks his mind in this bizarro world where metal was once considered to be a genre where poseurs were called out, there is now a trend to discourage gatekeeping. But that means you gotta back it up and walk the walk you are talking about. Thanks to production choices that find his voice heavily distorted with a filter of high gain, it's hard to tell if he is bringing it or not. The band is certainly invigorated and in your face. 

This works for the first two songs, but things start to take on a uniform sound by the time we get to "Ascension".  Barnes' work with Cannibal Corpse is classic and has been long emulated after, but these days it's hard not to wonder if Corpsegrinder is not outperforming him. They certainly made the right production choices here as it is ripping the last album a new asshole. He sounds like he is getting back closer to his old growling power on "When the Moon Goes Down in Blood" . The riffing is more intricate without getting too technical for my tastes. 

"Hostility Against Mankind" is more deliberate. Articulation has never been his strong suit but here the gurgle makes it harder for him to get the message across. But the feeling of the song seems to convey it. The song breaks down to an expected groove thanks to the gritty bass line. More rock n roll than what most death metal bands are doing, but there is nothing wrong with that. "Compulsive" is more straightforward, but in the method-out speed fest manner that "Fit of Carnage" is. Which is almost a punk extreme. "Neanderthal" proves a deliberate attack is always heavier than relying upon speed. The counterpoint to this argument can be heard in "Judgement Day" which shows if you are going to play at least sound like Slayer when you are doing so.

The album's moments of filler come when they get bogged down in sounding like generic death metal. This trend is not broken until they close the album with a cover of Nazereth's "Hair of the Dog" which musical does not venture far from the original with Barne's growled vocals the main thing setting it apart. I will give this album an 8, at times it is one-dimensional, but there are fans of just the death metal basics. It does find them in better form than the previous album. 

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WHORES: "War"

 After an 8 year wait, the Atlanta band is back with their biggest most polished album yet. This more refined, could even be thought of as more accessible.  The Spinal Tap-like cycling out of drummers finds them with drummer number five Douglas Barrett behind the kit. A great deal of the punk sound has been shed, for hooky syncopation that feels more anthemic.  The manic energy of "Heironymous Bosch Was Right" finds the band still retaining some of their punk DNA.  I suppose when it comes to 90s radio's definition it still fits, as it is at least as aggressive as Bad Religion. After repeat listens it begins to grow on me. 

Then there are arena-rocking riffs that hold more common ground with Rage Against the Machine on "Hostage Therapy". Though overall this is a display of the more intentional display of songwriting, as these songs are all catchy as hell recalling the days when music was both fun and dangerous. Lyrically this album displays a great deal of growth as every verse is a clever commentary. "Back When I Was Savage" is the most straightforward song so far, and feels like it could have been left over from the sessions of their previous album. 

"Sicko" is convincing in its angry stomp that creates a compelling groove, lyrically it makes you wonder if he is yelling about the Covid days. 'the Death of a Stuntman " is one of the album's most smartly written songs. Lyrically it might be inspired by Christian's day job working in the movie biz in Atlanta. If you are looking for the more rough around the edges sound of the band's previous work the closest you are going to come is "Everyday is Legday". It sounds at times like a less radio-friendly version of an angrier Foo-fighters. "Imposter Syndrome" uses the squeal of feedback as window dressing for Jesus Lizard-like tension. This is the band's strongest work to date and is a portrait of a punk band that grew up into a full-fledged rock band. I will give it a 9.5, the closest they have come to perfect. 

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Deadyellow : "What Was Left of Them"

 This Philly-based black-gaze outfit seems to have taken notes from Deafheaven when it comes to which influences to sway their sound toward, to nest achieve the best sonic misery set to simmering glory while packing a punch. Much like Deafheaven, these guys owe much of their sound to Weakling. The grit and nastiness in their snarl are the most direct indicators of this. They do seem more focused on the opening track, where the second seems to be largely consumed with the fury of their blasting. They do slow down and gather themselves to focus intentions on a more effective attack as the song progresses, but that seems to be at its furious heartbeat. 

"I am a House on Fire" is a great song title, but is a timid post-rock interlude that leads up into "Katla" which howls in a more black metal fashion. There is lots of tremolo-picked guitar parts buzzing around the screamed vocals. There are more melodic parts this song wanders off into that even feature sung vocals that feel more like 90s emo. The interlude "Winds That Came" might have been time better spent as the intro to the song that follows it, though at over sixteen minutes "Fallen Trees" could not be any more sprawling than it already is. I think smarter songwriting could have easily edited down the first three minutes of the song into something that still got the point across in half the time. While things to build into a sonically heavy storm, there would have been a more prudent way to arrange this. For what it is this works off some cool sounds, but this is not a song I would ever feel compelled to give another 16 minutes of my life to. The post-rock section in the middle is cool and all, but the ambient noise it uses as a bridge could have been cut back. It feels like they crammed three songs together here. 

The title track is more of an ambient outro. While there is a great deal of hipster window dressing to this, these guys are good at what they do and are angry about something, not sure what that is. Not as depressing as Weakling or as emotionally intense as Deafheaven, but have found their own niche between the two. I am not sure this album is going to get a great deal of love from the indie rock snobs, and unless it comes out this album is like an allegory for gay rights or something as trending and topical for that side of the press to rally behind, but I will give this a 9, though doubt it will make it to my top ten Black Metal releases at the end of the year.

 

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The Vision Bleak : "Weird Tales"

 After more of an intro-piece, the German band cranks back into their tense goth rock. They are very driving, but I would not call this song metal. They crunch into a heavier mood that owes more to doom on "Gardens Red, Satanical".  The melodic and mournful guitar helps counterpoint the grandiose arrangement of the song. They are quick to break out the goth power ballads just three songs in. A weepy piano pitters around for a while, before they ease into the build-up, taking a page out of the 69 Eyes playbook.  The vocals are more resonant and graceful than the singer from 69 Eyes. The distorted guitars could stand to be mixed further up, to make the most of what they are going for. 

The songs bleed into one another, but to this band's credit have enough dynamics and mood, to keep anything from taking on a uniform sound. The first time they remember they are a metal band is on "The Premature Burial". The guitar is pretty biting, and complimented by the snarled vocals.  The harsher vocals are really well produced. "Mother of Toads" eases back into a more melodic chamber music-like cadence. The vocals start off in a dramatic whisper. Not the album's catchiest song, but I appreciate how it builds.

The interludes on this album remind me of the "Sounds of the Haunted House " album I listened to as a child. From a songwriting perspective, things click together best on "The Undying One". It has both dynamics and gripping melodies, which are the things I listen for in music no matter the genre. This song just flows better than some of the previous ones.  "Evil Dreams Run Deep" comes galloping out of it with machine-like heaviness. The baritone vocals continue to sing with solemn grace over this. Though a few harsh snarls begin to emerge. 

They continue on solid footing with 'The Witch With Eyes of Amber". They balance the morose narrative with a commanding stomp. "Canticle" goes after things with an almost blackened fury. Not sure this side of heavy is their most compelling sound, but it works well enough. "To Drink Frome Lethe" is a sprawling romantic-sounding slab of death doom, but where the bulk of the album finds them with their identity intact, this song feels like it's just another band who wants to sound like My Dying Bride. Despite this, I will still give this album a 9, as the great moments outnumber the lapses into the status quo. 

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Apex Predator : "Jesus Wept"

 

Ok, Seattle has got some hardcore going. Apex Predator has been on my list of hardcore bands to hunt down but just found this album that came out back in January.   This band has just enough tough guy attitude mixed with a metallic sharpness to the guitars, and vocals that embellish things with a few varying growls. The title track is more like a cross-over track from the late 80s, it is almost thrash. "Federal Way of Life" has a burly bass line under it that pumps it up in a manner not unlike a less grind-core version of S.O.D. They lament jailhouse blues on this song that has an almost Biohazard-like bounce to its groove. The breakdown hits just right. 

"the Weight of Repercussion" finds the convict-core message, not holding as much weight. "Nothing" is a more effective display of songwriting, as it sets them apart from the pack. Violent imagery abounds, but from what I have seen of these guys they did not look like they spent much time out in the weight yard if they did any time, Here lies the suspension of disbelief, but the crunch of the riffs, works well enough to balance this out. 'Strength of Determination" finds them conforming more closely to what the hard-core status quo is, though the riff at the chorus is impressive. All the songs clock in at a quick punk under three minutes. 

If it was more mid-paced "Warlord" would be an excellent song to have on a gym playlist. Their bass player continues to bring the beef to their sound. Still to bark out these lyrics they need to shoot a video of them lifting weights to it, so it is not just talk. Or like they say in the last song "Respect is Earned". Musically it feels like these guys are from NYC rather than Seattle.  I will give this album a 9, it's fun and heavy as fuck. 

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Louvado Abismo : "s/t"

 

This band from Portugal gets it. All too often I hear new post-punk bands and they are not packing the kind of punch I need, so I go back to listening to my old Killing Joke and Christian Death albums. This album stomps with dark aggression to make something that is sonically intense, The plead of the vocals feels real rather than someone trying to recreate what has already been done, but true to the legacy of the genre.  I can't understand any of the lyrics, at least at the volume I am currently listening to this album. The vocals are shouted on the second song, which marches in from a storm. Many layers of sounds build the dark apocalyptic clouds that comprise what they sound like. 

The third song sounds like Christian Death jamming with Alien Sex Fiend and Crash Worship. The guitars are more industrial strength as the album progresses, with the vocals doing a ghostly junkie moan. "Espuma" has more of a tribal pound to it. The vocals have a chanted hook to them as the song's pieces fall into a very natural flow. The guitar to "Bons Ventos" carries a metallic charge to it. The thrashy chug, owes more to Killing Jokes more metallic moments, as it also creates a sonic tension. "Vazio" splits the difference by taking the throb of metal riffing and sailing off into waters obscured by a dense haze of atmosphere. The guitar churns under it in an almost Tool-like manner. 

The album does touch on goth moods, but the crusty stomp of combat boots marches the album into a bleak dystopia, that is more organic than what we think of as industrial in the present day. They invoke a more grooving ambiance to the pound of "Corpo Inerte" that feels almost more like a Black Sabbath riff. The slow machine-like grind of " Mundo" builds in the energy of its throb. The lyrics are sung in their native tongue, so unless you are fluent in Portuguese , the narrative voice is more of a percussive element and their voices are more of an instrument than a narrative voice.  The last song is an instrumental outro.Overall this is a great sound track for the apocalypse, which is the best barometer for the music that eases us into the coming darkness, I will give it a 9.5 . 

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Satanic North : "s/t"

 I figured despite this album being a self-professed blast fest, I would check out this band's debut. Two members of Ensiferium are at the helm of this. The first track pretty much just blasts with a 1349-like thrashing rage at you. They care about how it sounds, so it's not a cvlt affair, though not many bands are still putting out shitty-sounding music on purpose unless they are punk bands pretending to be black metal bands these days/. Still, considering most black metal bands from Finland follow in Horna's boot prints it's easy to expect this to be rawer than most. It's not it sounds more like a Gorgoroth album in terms of quality, though the guitar sound is not as dark or biting as Gorgoroth's. 

"Hatred and Blasphemy" is the first song with a riff catchy enough to make me pay attention as the rapid-fire attack and uniform shriek of the vocals that is almost Cradle of Filth-like fades into the background as it begins to all sound the same. They gallop a little more for "Four Demons". The guitars follow the colo by the numbers black metal progressions. I am not sure that black metal is about even conforming to black metal, if it was then it would really be the outsider genre of metal like it should be. Unless it's February I am making a concerted effort to not review two black metal albums in a row, or really two from any genre, unless I am in a month that is dedicated to that genre. To their credit, they make more purposeful choices with the vocals on this song. 

"Behind the Inverted Cross" sounds like Watain if they threw themselves into a frantic hyper-fast blast. Things get more deliberate and marginally more melodic for "Vultures" which is better than the previous song by far.  In fact, it might be the album's best song, even though they do give into the need for speed there has been enough done to create the needed dynamic contrast. "Wolf" falls on the other side of the spectrum and is driven by double as thrash-hungry guitars race before it. This makes the song a one-dimensional obsession with speed and tension. This album has more song-oriented moments, though the vocals become tedious before it's over. 

They are high-caliber musicians all the way around with their lead screamer as the only weak link. Their eponymous anthem closes the album. The vocals are well produced, just a one-trick pony. I think they prove to themselves here the best songs are under three minutes when playing at this tempo. I will round this album down to an 8, it's well played and they do care about songwriting, but this style of black metal has been done better a thousand times, yet as it stands in 2024, these guys prove capable of keeping the dark flame burning.Drops April 19th on Reaper Entertainment.  

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Acid Mammoth : "Supersonic Megafauna Collision'

 

Wanted to check out some new doom, so here we are with Greece's Acid Mammoth, a band whose fuzz is getting a bit of a buzz. The first song made me wonder about things when the vocals came in. Are doom bands these days thinking "You know if the singer did not belt it out as much we might sound a little like Ghost?" 

Makes sense, Ghost sells a ton of records. If you are used to imitating Ozzy, then your brassy tenor just needs a little less balls behind it and you sound almost like Poppa Smerfitus. They have listened to a few parts of Sabbath albums for sure, and the bands who took influence from them in recent years. They dialed down the tone, now the key for me and these guys is to ask who they are? What is their personality or are they just a tribute to a sound?  "Garden of Bones" sounds like the first attempt at really trying to answer this as they lean into a darker atmosphere. 

My ears are drawn back to the vocals that are high in the mix, and it makes me realize there is also not a huge leap from sounding like Lil Poppa from Ghost to sounding like Weird Al Yankovic. It's the brightness of the tenor. With Ozzy, he has a more mournful meow to his voice, that keeps things darker. The guitar plays some darker passages here, but the vocals being so bright, make it seem less heavy. Which is the same problem I have with Ghost. And yet Ozzy is one of my favorite singers. When they pick up the pace on "Atomic Shaman" it helps but I am still not really blown away. 

They needed the acoustic guitar going into "One With the Void" as everything was beginning to sound the same. The vocals are still a little Ghostly, but it's given a better backdrop to contrast it. I guess if Ghost was covering Black Sabbath's eponymous title track it might sound like the last song of this album, though its pulse also feels a little Zeppelin when it comes to the drums. I will round this down to an 8, as it's a doom album that does not sound all that dark to me, but they are good at the sound they have captured here, even if nothing new is being brought to the table. 

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Future & Metro Boomin : "We Still Don't Trust You"

If I am going to check out a new hip-hop album, the latest by Nayvidious seems the way to go. There is a synth wave vibe to the opening track that features a really dialed-in performance by the Weeknd, which was a bit of a disappointment, but the overall mood of the song wins me over."Drink n Dance" is the typical Future take on trap-lite with a poppy cadence to his auto-tuned vocals. Things are not as catchy on "Out of My Hands". A song like "Jealous" is interesting, given the rapper's turn to sobriety in 2019. He is no longer self-medicating these problems, though there is still lyrics about drug dealing on this album. He kept his sobriety quiet as he thought his fans would think it changed his music. They might not be wrong. "This Sunday" finds his delivery more rapped. 

"Luv Bad Bitches" features 90s r&b group Brownstone lending their vocals, as Future's sobriety might be called into question as he suggests to his bad bitch that they do X. Musically it works though not the hookiest track he is dropping here. "All to Myself" feels more like old-school r&b. The Weeknd, returns to this track, he does more than he did on the first song, but he is not breaking new ground here.  The beat to this one is a little weak, but the guitar sounds and overall vibe balances things out. They continue down a street not too sonically distant from the r&b vibes on "Nights Like This", though the beat is stronger. While this works, there is the feeling that he needs to start exploring other sonic colors or everything is going to start sounding the same, 

"Came to the Party" needs to hit harder even if he just went to the party to take pictures of his new outfit. "Right 4 You" sounds like he is trying to remember who he is, but this is still done better than the bulk of rappers who came after him.  "Mile High Memories" is an improvement in songwriting, as it feels like he is back tapping into the essence of who he is. Overload" is marginally better lyrically, though musically things are beginning to all run together. Ty Dolla Sign joins him for "Gracious".  This song is one of those moments where it feels like Future is trying to make a Young Thug album. Though this is one of the album's strongest songs. "Beat it " feels more like a spoken word interlude, until the song actually kicks in. "Always Be My Fault" is the third song to feature the Weeknd. It's the best of the three. None of these come close to "Low Life".  The Weeknd, sings through almost as many effects as Future here. The synth wave backing to "One Big Family" is almost as epic. 

Now moving on to the second disc. Though I suspect a double album might have been overextending himself, "Nobody Knows My Struggle" feels like the direction he should have headed in more on the first disc. "All My Life" is another return to a more trap-oriented sound with Lil Baby joining him. "Crossed Out" is a quick burst of beats for the TikTok generation. "Crazy Clientele" is not unlike his earlier work. Lyrically absurd. ASAP Rocky joins him for "Show of Hands". Lyrically it makes you wonder why the public does not go after guys like this to cancel them for their content. I am fine with it, but it is an interesting concept to ponder. 'Streets Made Me King" is not the album's most inspired song and an example of why he might have been better off streamlining this release into one great album rather than including some of this filler. I'll give this one an 8.5, and see how it sits with me. Some great songs, but too much filler as well. 

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METZ : "Up On Gravity Hill"

 The band once again shifts the sonics of their attack on this album, though even amid its weirdness, proves to be more accessible to a wider audience. Woozy guitar counterpoints punk-inflected vocals that are smoothed out by overdubbed harmonies on the chorus. The normally rough edges of noise-rock smoothed out by the more refined nuances of their songwriting to create a more 90s style atl-rock not unlike the bar-room brooding of the Afghan Whigs. The vocals serve a greater purpose than they did even on the last album.  

They return to their more grunge-influenced side on "Entwined" though the cadence of the vocals and some of the guitar tones carry a more Brti-poppy mood, like a more angular and discordant take on the Stone Roses. "99" is more experimental in the ways its sounds are introduced, as the song invokes multiple moods just in the verse and chorus. This is one of the band's most dynamic moments yet. The multiple vocal tracks that chime in on the chorus, is the moment that is puzzling but still works. The drummer just keeps hammering things perfectly and might be the strongest drumming performance I have heard on an album so far this year.

Indie rock collides with punk on "Superior Mirage". This is taken to a more shimmering place with a surreal dream pop element to its swirl of sound.  "Wound Tight" has a catchy almost pop hook to it despite all the jangling guitar colliding around it. It's more punk than most punk bands these days. They remind you that indie rock should actually rock. Echoes of Bob Mould's influence linger around the drive of "Never Still Again".  My suspicions of the influence shoe-gaze has on this album are confirmed when they fully commit to it on the last song.  Amber Webber of Black Mountain, lends her voice to the song, that I had to google to see if it was a long-forgotten Jesus and Mary Chain b-side. I will give this album a 10, as it's an impressive showing of growth that is also an infectious listen, this will be one of the album's to beat at the end of the year. 

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