Bombstrap :"Big Enemy"

 We need more anarchy in punk, instead of bands feeling the need to pick the pre-packaged side. This band puts the facts as they see them in your face with an almost Plasmatics swagger. Three songs in, they start speeding things up into a more snarling assualt. It's when the bass line is more deliberate on a song like "Shrapnel" that they feel like they are in the sweet spot. This does not mean they are relenting, but giving everything space to coexist in the song without sounding rushed, which is a pitfall many punk bands fall into.

"Bakhmut" is a more thrashing burst of anger that lets it break down when the vocals come in, sounding almost like Venom. Another punk pitfall they avoid is allowing the songs to sound the same. "The Green Dress," for all the fanfare it indulges in before kicking the door in, sets a different tone than the previous songs. Eva Kah growls and shrieks, and helps the band have an identity where another dude barking might fail. "Welcome to Violence" is more of a speed fest. It meets the expectations of confrontational punk. 

"Hellengenblut" has more rock in its veins. The bass player of this band is a champ for sure. Eva continues to use different vocal colors to keep things varied despite the simplistic nature of punk. They take you back to when  hardcore was more closely linked to punk and not just streetwise metal. "God's Favorite' is not as focused as the other trakc but the momentum should keep most from noticing. "Poppy Seeds" closes the album out; it has a more sultry, bouncing groove. Lyrically, she is not spitting everything out in such a frantic fashion, so they stand out more. They slow things down and jam it out in an effective manner. Overall, I like what is going on here. I will see how it grows on me, but will give this one a 9.5, as they got everything pretty much right.  If you are looking for someone to take you back to old-school punk in a legit manner that is not licking the boot of the left or right wing, then this is the album for you. 

Amon Amarth : "the Allfather Awakens"

 

The guys toured with some legit death metal bands, and when I saw them with Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, and Frozen Soul, it became clear they are not a death metal band, just a classic-sounding metal band with Viking window dressing. After being blown away by Cannibal Corpse, you might think they've taken a harder look in the mirror to see if they are keeping up with the times. But no, here we are with the same old, same old: "Eight Legs of Thunder" is effective, but it sounds like every other song I have heard from these guys.

Things change, and you begin to think perhaps they might have been taking notes as the growl shifts to a lower gurgle for "Kasir's Blood". Lyrically, it's the same old Norse mythology, which you gotta hand it to them for staying on brand. "We Rukle the Waves" has a more deliberate head-banging gallop. The drums speed up on the chorus. Played very loudly, it works best. "Upphaf" is more melodic and shows that side these guys could lean into more if they wanted to cross over into folk metal. Not groundbreaking, but they are expanding the dynamic of the album, which is a plus. 

"Die With a War Cry" finds them digging into the chug and coming acorss as being more serious about claiming the death metal label. "Raven God" is the kind of triumphant anthemic march you expect from these guys. Harmony guitar parts that create a more Iron Maiden-like sound, but it really only works for Iron Maiden and, upon occasion, Metallica. The fist-pumping chug of the title track is effective if not playing it safe. I seem to remember their earlier albums had more grit to them. The last two songs kinda run together; the last ong have more stomp of the two, though maybe not the catchiest riffs.If yo uare a fan of these guys, this is the album you want; they are bringing you a great sound amplified to grandiose fantasy proportions, but it does not always maintain its edge as it feels like they play it too safe, so I will give it an 8.5. 

pst452

Johnny Marr : ""the Age of Everything"

 

The former guitarist for the Smiths has released a new solo album that puts songwriting front and center rather than just showcasing his guitar chops; not that he has ever been a showboat in that regard, but fans do have a certain expectation of him. Despite his tenures in other bands, He employs an urgent, hushed tone that fits neatly within the confines of today's Britpop. In some ways, he is only as good as his collaborators. While the haunting, clean jangle of guitar sounds great, much of "Beyond the Rain" breaks new ground and feels more entrenched in expectations of what Britpop should be, even if it is marginally moodier. 

Not hte first solo outing I have reviewed from him, he does put more effort into the structure of these songs. Sonically, it leans closer to the Stone Roses. He does borrow from his old band, as I cna hear echoes of "Girl Afraid " in the riff driving "How Come". Lyrically, he is no Morrissey, and this certainly debunks those who try to say the Smiths would have been better without Morrissey. There is his brighter signature chord progression on "Ophelia" that sounds like it could be on a Morrissey solo album. It's the best song so far. His last solo album was more experimental and electronic, where he drew from more 80s sounds; on this one, perhaps he learned to write for his demographic. 

"That Feeling" has a strong chorus but an awkward verse, but at least he is trying andd it's not the worst new music I've heard this week. There is a more on-brand heartbreaking drama that finds him pulling chords from his youth. When it comes to singing ballads, though, he should leave that to Morrissey, as she sounds like Noel Gallagher trying to cover the Smiths. He proves himself capable of summoning the post-punk energy of old for "Fire With Fire," which finds his vocals as the weak spot again, though better than other points on the album. The last song, "All in a Life,"  is a mixed bag with some great guitar parts in ,clunky arrangements. Just because you are a groundbreaking guitarist does not mean you diod not get by with a little help from your friends. I will give this an 8.5/

pst451

ANAGNORISIS :"Caregriever"

 

This band's last abum took the number one spot on 2016's Top Ten Black Metal Albums list, so the bar is set high after their ten-year absence. They had moved in a more organic and more experimental direction. This album is a more morbid reflection, as it focuses on a more personal darkness. They do not hit you with a slew of blast beats and are more powerful for it. Things hit with more purpose on "Nothing Left to Give". There is some fast-and-furious playing that doesn't conform to the easy color-by-numbers blueprint for black metal. It does sonically remind me of Nachtmystium at times, another band that refused to play by the rules and paraded their personal anguish to give the music a raw, emotional heaviness. 

"Nothing Left to Take" builds into harrowing chaos. Electronic elements have a more defined prescence with "Death of Man" as a sample starting the narrative before more Skinny Puppy-like vocals come in. Industrial complements black metal enough for this to work. In fact, it's one of the album's strongest songs despite sticking to a droning groove. "Death of Men" is even darker and more tormented, which is luckily the direction this album heads. It finds the drummer getting his legs under things to get the song moving.  "A Living Grave" has the more shimmering Deafheaven-like sound. The use of sung vocals works well on this song. 

There is a little more punk in "Mounments in Ash"; it is less experimental than most of the previous song, bringing a more metal and potato-metal attack to your earspotato. "Death of Me" felt like it was an extension of the previous song, so a sonic uniformity emerges even amid the experimentation. Lyrically powerful as he sorts through misplaced resentment, rarely is black metal so self-aware in its scorn. I will give this album a 9.5, as it's top tier black metal for 2026 andd holds it'  own against their previous albums. One ofthe year's better balck metal albums for sure. 

pst450

The Linda Lindas : "GOTTA GET OUT"

Power-pop is spreading through Los Angeles faster than COVID. Not only power-pop, but queer-coded, of course. It's intersting because this album starts off with a song that is poppier than the first song I caught by this band on YouTube, which was angrier. Perhaps we will get to that, or maybe I've been sonically catfished. The second song is catchier than the first, though I did not mind the first song; I have obviously kept listening. This could have been big on 90s alternative radio in the 90s. "Helado de Limon" is sung in someone's native tongue, but it also gets closer to the punk vibes I was getting the first time I heard them, so, moving in the right direction, but the Spanish makes the vocal phrashing awkward for this sort of thing. 

"Blood on Our Hands" is the song that brought me here; it is crust punk, which makes the first few songs a surprise for me, but it sits oddly after the poppier songs, though I like this sound best for them. I don't mind the super political lyrics since the music is good. They stay in this heavier direction with the palm-muted guitar, but the vocals go into a more sugary rock purr. On the previous song, they have already proven that, despite being girls, they can bring the balls so they raised the bar for my expectations in this regard. Apparently Haley Williams is on this track, but her voice just kinda blends in, though her style is pretty generic even in Paramore. 

"Nothing Left" is more angular and new wave. "High Horse" is not a Kacey Musgraves cover, but another pop-rock song that feels like they are writing from the same formula as the two previous songs and just mixed them together. "Break" is another punk song, though not as compelling as "Blood on Our Hands"; it works well enough, and this is the direction they need to lean into. In comparison, "I Could Be Wrong" feels almost too upbeat. "Everybody Told Me" has a slight hint of pop country in the first verse that disappears at the chorus, which goes into a slick 80s-inspired melody. Hints of this guitar creep up later in the song. 

The last two songs find the gas running out when it comes to creativity; one song is sort of punk, the other is an indie rock ballad way too sappy given the tone of the album up to this point. At the end of the day, it reminds me of the 90s and 2000's, not just sonically but when I would hear one song buy the CD and then be disappointed when the rest of the album was not like that. They are not ineffective at what they do; I just feel punk-fished so I will give this album an 8.5. Don't go into this thinking they are punk band. 

pst449

Sea of Black Trees : "Cult of the Sun"

 

This album by these Australian rockers came out in May and fell under my radar, so this is somewhat of a music lull that gives me the chance to catch up with it. The songs drone with a slow burn that sprawls out into a jam that causes the first actual song to collide into the second. Some elements remind me of the band Ours. What sets the second song, "Servant of the Sun," apart is it builds into a more Opeth-like chug of metal, with growled vocals even surfacing to counterbalance the more dynamic soaring vocals. \It evolves into more Alice in Chains-like vocals drifting over a more serpentine proggy riff.

They seem to have a thing for atmospheric interludes to set the mood.. These often bleed into the actual songs. If they ever tell you they have never listened to the Doors, make sure to take a step back before lightning strikes. Continue to unfurl their brand of hypnotic grunge that is punctuated by bursts of death metal growls. In some ways in reminds me of the post-grunge band Insomniac, but a heavier, more metallic version of what they did/.The title track finds them leaning into the more atmospheric side of prog as the drummer continues to excel by stirring the pot with his winding meter. This elevates the song's dynamics. 

"Omen" is another case of where one song bleeds out of another; perhaps it's the mesmerizing vocal melodies that feel more like a texture, as it is all very fluid. The more power-chord crashes that pack a punch here bring Tool to mind. Granted, all of the bands they have drawn comparisons to are artists I like so this plays to their favor as it's familar without borrowing, though the vocals might be the exception to this rule as there is no way the producer did not comment on how they sound like Alice in Chains. I appreciate that they are willing to build things into a growl, but I am not sure is is necessary. 

"Eclipse" feels like the last song as the final track is more of an outro that hovers without the needed build into something solic. With that "Eclipse" is another song that builds with a psychedelic simmer. The vocals complement the ambiance created here. However the abstract manner in which the vocals drip into the songs is not something i would call hooky it is the sound of Alice in Chains, but not the hooks that put them on the radio. For this reason I will round this one down to a 9, which is still excellent msot of this is due to the dreamy narcotic mood they have woven here. 

 

pst448

Rebecca Black : "Age of the Exhibitonist"

Not sure why this album has not broken through to the types of audiences that top-tier pop artists like Charli XCX have. I guess it has to do with industry push. Perhaps the production dollars are not as heavilly invested in this as they are in the new Charli XCX, but Ms. Black is bringing some sultry melodies and hyper-sexed lyrics to go with her new and improved vision of hyper pop. The first three songs are pretty flawless; sure, they are more fun than they are breaking any new musical ground, but she has convincing EDM sounds dialed in behind her.

"Miss Delicious" pumps a little harder with its more festival-ready beat being banged. "Pistol" has a lighter, higher vocal apporach, though the beats are also more subtle. "Michael" has a more house-meets-disco feel. I get that she needs dynamics to break things up, but this song, while well-done for what it is, does not measure up against what she has already been doing. This leaves the song feeling more like filler. "Vision Again" is more effective at shifting the dynamic from the high-energy bangers. The vocals are more intersting than the previous song, but it does feel like 90s pop. I like when they switch it up in the breakdown. 

"Waschesalon" has a futuristic bass line that sets it in motion, while the vocal purr holds a steamy tension. It does build into the angry cheerleader chant that can be a staple of this genre. "Metamorphia" has almsot a more Britney Spears-like vibe, but it still works. "Speaker Phone" works pretty well for what it is not the album's strongest chorus. She is obviously going in a more Slayyyter-like direction for this album, and it works for her, so I will give this one a 9.5. 

 

pst447