Attila : "Concrete Throne"

 

Atlanta's Attila put the city's ghetto fab attitude into metalcore, and the title track that opens this album reaffirms any sneaking suspicions you might have had about their Juggaloo leanings. There are country flourishes thanks to the guest vocals of Don Lewis.  This seems to be the direction this sort of thing is going. It is decently written for what it is. It just feels a little contrived to me. "Handshakes with Snakes" is more metallic. In fact, this album has a pretty massive sound. It's well-produced festival metal that is easily consumed by fans of Ghostemane and Lorna Shore alike. This song, however, is not as hooky as some of their previous work. 

I think what works best for them is when they blend ghetto charm and attitude with the Myspace metal feel, which we are not getting on "Grifter' it feels like they are trying to get heavier than what is real for them. Some bands already do this better. There is more groove to "Bite Your Tongue,"whih gives them room for melody. Granted, this might take things to the more pop-oriented side of the spectrum, so seeking balance is best. It would certainly kep things from being generic in either direction. 

Thankfully, all the songs are around the three-minute mark so nothing has to be endured for too long. "Killdozer" is pretty color-by-numbers; if you told me AI wrote the song, I would believe you. "Rock$tar" almost gets them back in the direction that works best for them. Though lyrically it's pretty silly as they drop rock song titles from the 80s in order to build cred. They bring pop country singer Shi Eubanks onto "I Don't Drink, I Get Drunk," and as stupid as it might be, it works because it is catchy. It's a gamble that pays off. 

'America's Rejects' is for the lowest common denominator, perhaps their Juggalo fan base. It is well produced and sounds great despite this. "Atl" needs to sound like Pantera and have more trap beats in order to capture the vibe of the city. While these do surface, it needs to fully ghettoize things out. The overrated Will Ramos of Lorna Shore shows up for the more generic metalcore of "Pressure," which, for all it's aggressioon manges to be boring as hell. Rapper Smoke Chapo joins them for the last song, which works better than it should as it seems to be something they needed to lean more into this album and just become a nu-metal band, as no one takes them seriously by trying to get heavier. 

The verdict - they have been more effectivr at eriting hookier songs in the past, it's still big dumb metal with a ghetto swagger that will keep getting Faygo sprayed in their direction, but they could have more fun and not try as hard, the chances they do take work in their favor so I will give this album an 8, the fans should love it, but I won't listen to it again. 

Stormo : "Sogni Che Invadono il Cielo"

Fistula : "Galaxies of Disappointment"

The joking is over on the opening track to Fistula's new album. They go for the throat with the momentum of death metal behind them. The barrage is a powerful sonic force that goes for heft over some of the songwriting smarts they have shown in the past, but it works for what it is. They continue to flex their raw sonic power with"the Unhappy Man," which carries more deliberate sludge weight behind it. "Expire" moves with a similar sludge weight; in fact, it might even trudge a bit more. They do bring samples in andd create a surreal breakdown which is closer to what I want from them. 

The scowling vocals have become more intense and, with that, not as articulate, which is a shame as their clever lyrics were one of the highlights of who they are as a band. The title track moves at a more doomy pace. While its pound is powerful, it does drone a bit. The tempo and groove of 'Something Real" work better. The guitar solo of sorts brings a more chaotic element to the eightly lumber that tramples your ears. 

Things get more raging and feral on "You Take," which finds the vocals even more harrowing in their wild howl. The last song, "Fools Choie" works on another dense raw rumble that is more of a doom tempo, though it does gain some momentum.  I will give this one a 9, as it's powerfully heavy, the song writing doesn't impress me as muh as they did with "Longing for Infection" which set the bar for these guys as it was next level shit. 

pst112

Corrosion of Conformity : "Good God / Baad Man"

Here is a new double album from the metal veterans that are taking things in a classic rock direction with more of an emphasis on the Sabbath side of the equation, as after the more rock opening track, which was pretty catchy, the Sabbath influence comes on hard and heavy, so that you can almsot pick out the fiffs they are drawing inspiration from. They said "Gimme Some Moore" was 80s punk rock, but it sounds more Clutch to me. They did pack some impressive riffs for this trip to the studio, but have also dipped them in ample amounts of high-energy chaos.

They claim their producer was calling these sessions the Dark Side of the Doom. This one, but the first song I hear any inkling of doom in is " The Handler" that finds the tempo dropping to add deliberate menace a bit."Beoudin's Hand" incorporates more melodic guitar tones, but is more of an instrumental jam interlude than an actual song. The first song that shows any Pink Floyd influence is "Run For Your Life." It's more about the phrasing of the riffs, with the vocals more like Lynyrd Skynyrd.  I had to dig back into the album and re-listen to the title track, which is likea funky version of "Sweet Riff." It falls somewhere between ZZ- Top and Queens of the Stone Age. 

"Lose Yourself" is not an Eminem cover, but another funky rock tune. A great deal of these funky shuffles are also in the ballpark of what Mastodon has been doing these days. To their credit, they are catchy. "Asleep on the Killing Floor". Finds the vocals dropping into a lower Captain Beefheart jive rap, before exploding out like a Jimi Hendrix-inspired Clutch song. Around the guitar solo, it gets jammy. "Handcuff Country" is driven by another grooving blues boogie. " Swallowing the Anchor" is another grooving blue jam that is more lyrically interesting than the previous song. This vibe is the dominant force of this album. 

"Birckman" is more of a rambling ballad, but at least it's a break from the Blues grooves. They go big to end things with 'Forever Amplified." It is a more Pink Floyd moment if we are talking about some of the more grandiose moments from The Wall. It's the best Clutch song that Clutch did not write. I will give this album a 9, as to why it's not "Blind", it's better than their more Metallica-like fare.

 

pst111

Neurosis : "An Undying Love For a Burning World"

 

With the official start of World War 3 underway today, how could Neurosis not reconvene to drop a new album? Aaron Turner is replacing Scott Kelly. It's pretty seamless considering this. There is a hint of rock n' roll, but both Isis and Sumac are heavily influenced by Neurosis, so it seems like a natural fit and flows very organically. It's back to the dissonant sludge heaviness with an angular crunch moving the riffs. "First Red Rays" is very dark and ominous; at times, it feels as if they are looking back toward "Souls at Zero."  A low growl prevades, leading you into the desolate sonic space. 

They come on strong and don't simmer in a great deal of atmosphere until "Blind", this one moves with the kind of bong-laden apocalyptic sludge groove you expect from them, with and empahsis on the bong more than the aggression of when they were once crust punks. It veers off into more surreal places dynamically. Exeuted differently here to some extent, it is familiar enough to sit firmly in their wheelhouse.  Some what post-rock by definition, and certainly bearing some influence of Swans, yet firmly their own sound. 

There is more of a post-punk feel stirring from inside the density of "Seething and Scattered". There is a great deal of vocal trade-off that Turner blends well. They expand and recoil as a Neurosis song should. "Untethered" is sonically expansive without being overtly heavy. There is an organic, jammy feel to this. "In the Waiting Hours" is alot to take in but delivers what you want form a Neurosis song as it is pummelling when it needs to be but still takes you on a journey."The last song finds the arrangement sprawling out until it dissolves into ambiance. It winds its way around into dark folk sitting against a noisy undercoating. Things get trippy ten minutes into this. They wander off into a more tribal drone. I will give this one a 10 as I think it opens a new chapter that holds up well against their legacy even in the absence of Kelly. 

5

past110

Poison Ruin : "Hymns From the Hills"

 

Philly punks Poison Run continue to improve with each album. This one finds them settling into some of their catchiest and most melodic songwriting yet. This does not make them any less punk; in fact, it connects them more closely to the classic punk of the late 70s. The vocals show the most improvement. Despite theming the songs around the Middle Ages, there is an almsot more Western feel to the rambling title track. It is more straightforward and less nuanced than the opening track, but it works for what they are doing, though I hope there are more moments like the opening song.

Things embrace a more punk attack for "Eidolon" though the guitar parts are more intricate and ring out in more of a Brian May fashion, bringing a song like "Tie Your Mother Down" to mind. "Howls From the Citadel" is almsot a folkish ballad that feels more like an interlude. They carry a more Motorhead like charge with the commanding metal-tinged riffs of " Pilgrimage." Even a song like the more punk "Guts" is allowed a middle section where it gets to breathe a bit, showing the maturity of their songwriting this time around. 

They hit you with their older style of gritty punk with "Turn to Dust". He howls with a throatier tone. A punk tone rumbles into the more thoughtful chords of "Puzzle Box" which are given more dissonant accents, showcasing the level of songwriting on this album, you don't always hear from punk. Even with the vocals of "Serpent's Curse" more spoken for the verses, the song works well. 

"Sleeping Giant" is pretty majestic sounding, but it's more of an intro into the rowdy gallop of "Crescent Sun" which is likea rust punk version of Motorhead. Much of this is due to the big sound of the bass driving it. Despite the more blackened feel of the bombast leading into the last song, it's just your typical punk song leading into it, though a second listen shows the vocals are more subtle than you might expect, and once again they are writing songs rather than jsut bashing it out. Almost more like Social Distortion.  I will give this album a 10 as it' one of the best punk albums I've heard in some time, this is the album to beat this year for sure.Drops April 3rd on Relapse Records.  

pst109

Intoxicated : "the Dome"

Florida thrashers Intoxicated, despite being from Orlando, were influenced by the Tampa scene and about an hour and a half south of them, which of course leaned towards the more death metal side of the genre, and that can be heard even in 2026. They have been around since the mid-90s, but this is only the band's third full-length. They still retain their knack for writing hooky riffs. The vocals are in a raspy, almost spoken style, making them more articulated, which reminds me a little of Coroner. The title track has less groove than the previous song, as the double bass keeps it more in your face. 

These guys are certainly on the heavier side of thrash. "War Club" is a little more mosh-inducing until it reaches a more death metal speed. Guitar solos fire out from the corners of the song, though not handled as gracefully as the last Coroner album. But more purpose to them than Slayer's guitar chaos. The songs are tight three-minute bursts of old school aggression. There is more ominous intent behind "Tighten Your Eyes". I like the effects they use on the vocals , which gives some kind of variance. alomng with the slower pacing. They do throw in a pretty mean riff to give it more dynamics, making it one of the album's best songs. 

"Unescaped" is more hammering. It's also a little straightforward in terms of dynamics and sonic colors. The same could be said for "It's Dead," which glides on a tauntly picked riff. You can hear a touch of death in the verses. Some riffs have a hookier punch than others. "Shifted Cross" finds the guitar twisting and turning over the double bass's flow, continuing to pour on the death metal influence. "Rake the Grate" has a more Slayer-esque riff, with its pummelling groove. The last song has more groove but feels like it is riding the momentum of the previous song. 

The Verdict

Since I listen to hundreds of new metal albums every year and have been listening to thrash like this since the 80s, it is clear they are good at what they do, but if feels like they are just maintaining their vigor, which is impressive considering how far they go back but not experimenting with the formula enough to break new ground. I will give thi album a 9, meaning it's at the top of the game when it comes to bringing what you want from thrash, but offers nothing new to put it in the top tier of all new metal coming out, but thrash fans will find this worth their time.

 It drops March 27th on Redefining Darkness

pst108