Spotlights : " Alchemy for the Dead"

 This trio's sound has continued to evolve, as it does not place them somewhere between the shoe gazing side of post-hardcore and sludge.  The latter is felt in the ominous punches that muscle through the more surreal tension being built. On "the Alchemist" you can hear how this album benefits from more fine-tuned production that allows for experimentation to pay off with the electronic sound dialed into the drums. The mix helps place each instrument where it needs it be to make the most of it's sound.  This is even more noticeable when the dynamics shift with the more atmospheric verses of "Sunset Burial". There is the loud to soft alt-rock dynamic of the 90s coloring the sound, but it's very effective.  

The comparison to bands like Failure becomes more pronounced on "Algorithmic" . Fuzzed-out guitars provide the needed heft to balance out the introspective melodies. "False Gods" has a little more of a straight-up rock feel to it. Though beefy sonics of the guitars give a heftier edge. The sax that wails out into the song is a nice touch., that compliments the guitars. I dig the odd-time groove that moves "Repeat the Silence". The vocals coast over it smoothly. Ballad in the Mirror" works off the stomp of guitars, as the vocals are a softer texture to provide calm in this storm. I can hear how fans of the Deftones might also appreciate these guys. 

There is a thicker woozy shoe gaze ambiance hanging over "Crawling Toward the Light" . The ring of its melody falls somewhere between the Cure and My Bloody Valentine, before things explode with a more yelled vocal. The title track that closes the album, is an odd choice it is an almost Elliot Smith-like ballad that is fragile until the other instruments converge up on it in the final minutes. It is the only moment on the album that did not grab me upon first listen, but I will still round this album up to a 10 as it gets better with each listen, and the shadows of its mood seep into your head.

Drug Church: " Hygiene"

With each album this band has fine-tuned their songs just a little more. This album is a culmination of all the work they have put in since forming in 2011.  The is almost Mudhoney like swagger amid the dense fuzz of guitars that drive the powerful opening track. The chorus to the second songs has a brighter hope to it like a less whiskey-soaked version of Hotwatermusic. "Plucked" hurtles forward with more reckless abandon so it does not rely on the same kind of melodic hooks that could be found on the first two songs. Is it more punk? Sure, you could say that. The guitars are more sonic and not as layered. Overall, this has proven to be a burlier album than anything we have heard from them thus far. 

I referenced to bands from the 90s earlier and there are many more who could be a point of reference. They pull most of their influence from this decade. Not limiting themselves to one sub-genre from it. "Million Miles of Fun" messes with the formula and experiments with the sonics they have colored things with up to this point.  Hum, Weezer and Failure are names that might come to mind, but at times they even go with a more grunge sound or in the case of "Detective Lieutenant" more post punk until the explosive chorus not only steps on the gas but takes a match to the whole damn tank.  "Tiresome" hits harder in terms of intensity, but not melody. You hardly notice due to the energy invested. The prove they can do both on "World Impact".  While I know he can sing, for the most part the vocals are husky and belted with a commanding punk authority that might be the one element of this band that owes the most to hard core. 

"Premium Offer" has the most direct lyrics in how they shine a light on the policing of culture. The song itself has a quirkier skip to it. The last two song are more aggressive and to the point. The attack more direct on "Piss & Quiet".  Looking arou8nd at the world they have more than enough frustrations to provide lyrical material for them, "Athlete on Bench" is more melodic, this gives it more of a grunge feel. I will go ahead and round this up to a 10 as I suspect the moments that did not connect fully on the first time around with this album will grow on me. 

Panzerchoclate " Postal Punk"

 The opening track of this New Hampshire band's new album does have a punky kick to it. Even a metallic hard-core attack to the break that resolves the bridge. Melodic female vocals fuel most of the song to offset this. "Mo Money, Mo Pasta" is a great song title, it is also more melodic. there also more hard-core shouted vocals to offset her more sugary emotive voice.  There are more musings of introspection to provide a contrast to the angrier dynamics employed on "Skin". When the male vocals gain more of a foothold on 'the Crawl is For All" it proves not to be the most winning combination for the band as it's Marina's voice that gives this band it's best face. I do appreciate the 90s vibes I am getting though. 

Lyrically this album is very clever. The lyrics to "I Like How You Play Hard Core" being among the album's strongest, the irony is the song has more in common with indie rock than hard core. There is more of a punk shift halfway into the song, but I would not call it hard core. Perhaps something else might be said about the violent tension to the more explosive "Halitosis" I like the angular quality to the riffs. Then on "PVD Eat Your Heart Out" we hit a weird form of indie rock. The melodies glide with an awkward slowness over purposefully disjointed math rock.  "June" is a very weird turn into a experimental indie rock that is more electronic than organic instrumentation. To offer a dramatic contrast to this we get the 52 second "Nutsag" which is more hard core. 

"Canary in a Coalmine" is not a cover of the Police song/ This is funny because the interplay of the guitar and the drums often feels very Police influenced but that could be said of many emo bands from the 90s like At the Drive In.   This is one of their more refined and adventurous songs. The last song finds them closer to hard core, their is a slight Fugazi tinge though more metallic in the guitars attack.I will give this album a 9. It's excellent and these guys are band to keep your eyes on in years to come if you want a revival of this kind of 90s post -hardcore at the proto emo cross roads.   

Lantlos : Wildhund"

 No stranger to us here, this German band is no longer black gaze but now creating a double album of poppy gaze influenced 90s rock. The drummer who has now been with the band for ten years is responsible for some of the more adventurous turns the songs takes. In some ways it is progressive. Not far removed from the likes of Hum or Quicksand, they do not let you hang to comfortably on a groove for long. The guitars replicate tones from that era and the vocals are greatly improved. "Cocoon Treehouse " does not feel like it gets it's feet until midway into the song, but that is the problem when you have 26 songs , how can they be created equal. The math they are doing with these riffs can not be underestimated. You have to figure out if you are in the mood to get jerked around like this going into it. Sometimes it sounds like the Foo-fighter's trying to be Rush.  'Home" does lock into more of a drone, after the drums calm down a bit.  Then there are time when they are more like Helmet with songs like "Vertigo".

There are several moments that work off a more  syncopated jangle of guitar . Sometimes this creates a uniformity to the over all sound that makes me wonder why we are getting a double album of this. Sure bursts of harsher vocals crop up here and there.  Dreamier sequences also drip out of breakdowns, but this is not "Physical Graffiti".  But not every track is an actual song "Cloud Inhaler" is an example of such an ambient interlude. There is a pretty wide dynamic shift with "Planetarium" but it is not a song that uses melody to pull me in and make me want to listen to it more. "Dream Machine" is an homage to Hum that would be more impressive if we did not know these guys are already an established band who has a sound they are straying from.  They do a better job of this on "Dog in the Wild"  then with "Lich" they break new ground with the robo-prog.  

On the second album they get into some weird chill electro. It is very witch house in flavor but sailing on a more narcotic cloud . I am reluctant to really call these songs. Even the longer excursions into this work off of sounds more than being songs. Four tracks into an they are still just playing around with sounds. This is like the band is saying "Oh , yeah we are cool and know other kinds of music that is atmospheric aside from black metal" . I get it , but if I am going to listen to this kind of thing I am going to listen to Salem. So the first album is all that really matters here. This feels like they have a friend who makes music on Soundcloud and they were making fun of them, so the soundcloud dj said "Id what I am doing is so easy then why don't you do it" ... so they did and rubbed his face in it. The first album is all that matters here, so I will give it a 9.

Cavern : "Powdered"

The band's 4th  album and their first as a trio. My first time hearing them, but it seems this is a progression from past releases which either were in a more Baroness direction or Russian Circles. This puts them in the same zip code as Gold. The vocals of  Rose Heater can be soulfu rather than despondently drone the melody. She serves the song and never  goes into diva land by overdoing it. These guys are more metal than Hum, but not by alot. Their is a mathy guitar part to "Grey" , though it is not without power and dynamics . They good at giving her plenty of room to sing out as needed. It woud be easy with some of the angular guitar parts to comes across as awkward with the melodies. This is not the case.

The title track almost works of a post punk tension, though if these kids are anything they are post punk. "Red Moon" is both moody and has movements. The drummer is pretty good, but overshadowed in the mix by the guitars. The vocal are more forward in the mix than they normaly are with this sort of thing, but in this case I feel it is justified as it serperates them from other bands, The lyrics are the standard alternative rock metaphors. Midway into "Red Moon" things begin to get more progressive. Perhaps not as proggy as early Marriages so think more along the lines of Russian Circles here, which will be familar to long time fans.,

"Dove" finds not a formua in place , but a sound they have cemented by this point in the album. Synths color the background so it is not like some new sounds are not still being produced. The only thing I would do differently in the mix here is bring the bass up. At some points in time I can not hear it all and as a bass player I isten for that.  The melody on the last song is more somber to match the tense of the song. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me, I know that I can leave it on and let it play which is a good sign.