This band claims to be slug metal. Slug metal is nothing like sludge metal. In fact, it is more of a punk metal hybrid. The vocals are yelled more like punk. There is a hint of rust to what they are doing here, and only judging by the first track makes it hard to predict where it is going from here. I do appreciate the psychedelic trappings on the edges of the song. Granted, Gwar started off as more of a punk band, but these kids are more spazzed-out punk with very little metal. More of a metal influence on drug punk. They have heard a few Iron Miaden album atry to write galloping guitar harmonies that get overtaken by the sonic oddness.
"DMT" is darker and does lend some weight to my claims that they are a drug band. The freaked-out scowl of the vocals is endearing, but it begins to cast a uniform shadow over the overall feel of these songs by the third track. Metal works better on drugs than punk rock, despite punks drug ridden history. But compare the Sex Pistols to Black Sabbath, and it's no contest. The garage rock element to their playing limits what they have the prowess to accomplish. The guitar shows the most capacity for melody; the drumming is a little sloppy.
Most of ht song circles the drain at the three-minute mark, which works. "Heaven's Gate" finds a more deliberate stomp, but it is hard to ignore that some earlier sections of the song are a total mess. This is also the first song that finds the sluig crossing into sludge. The vocals improve on 'Pyschic Surgery." Though the riffs are angular and wonky. "Leeches" is another mess that finds its reach exceeding its grasp. They are going for more of a 70s boogie on the last song. They are one of the oddest stoner punk bands I have heard in some time, which is endearing unto itself. I will give this album a 7, if you smoke lots of weeds and lsiten to punk you will get the joke.
Theres guys play a pop infused brand of Myspace metal that takes you back to 2004. Vocally, there is some depth despite the emo grooves not being the most original thing you have ever heard, but they pull it off in an anthemic enough manner to at least make the opening song work. Who knows, they could have blown their wad on the first song. This is the kind of music Pierce the Veil and Bad Omens emerged from, perhaps to a lesser extent, Sleep Token. There is a formula already in place by the time we get to "Pretty Skin". In some ways, it';s like if a dude fronted Spiritbox, as when they try to go more metalcore, they dig into a djent like stomp. Courtney has more balls to her harsher vocals than this guy.
The groove to 'Pieces" works. If almsot feels like I am listening to one of the Punk Goes Pop albums. "Like A River' features a collaboration with Of Virtue, who I have not heard either to who know which part is which . it is more of a pop song, and that feels like the direction their heart is really in. Metal is like funk; you can't fake it. There needs to be an inner darkness and aggression that is released, and I am not feeling it here. This song is well done, Myspace era Emo. Pop artist Phillip Strand joins them to really flex their pop vaginas on "Love us Dying". It is color by numbers, and if you told me AI wrote this, I would believe you.
By the time we get to "Ghost in the Water," it begins to feel like I have heard it all before. The tempo picking up only makes it seem more like pop punk. The harsher vocals are never going to convince we they are hard; they sound like they are coming from someone who struggles to bucnh 135lbs. "Can You Feel Pain" has a little more potential, and works more often than not. I like how it is produced; it's a good pop song. Some of these sounds feel like they are from a K-pop soundtrack, then when they try too hard to get heavy, it falls flat on "the Art of Being Torn in Half"
I like "Chasing Dreams," which sounds like it is about how Justin Bieber likes rough sex. I think this is how he processes trauma from Diddy baby oiling him up. 'the Fire" is the kind of slow jam I wanted from them all along. and why I kept listening. Fans of Sleep Token can also masturbate to this one. I will give this album a 7.5, based on the fact it is really well produced and there is some decent pop songs in the mix here, they jsut need to come out ot hte closet and try not to jsut metal as the beard for their pop desirres as I do not believe it.
Some artists blend their image with their music in a way that maximizes entertainment value. Cobrah is one of those. The Swedish understands what she has to work with and makes the most of her physical gifts from her vocal cords to her curvy figure and fairytale blond locks. Before a feminist jumps in the comments and says
"If this were a male singer, you would not be talking about his looks; you are objectifying her and sexualizing her."
She is objectifying herself and using it to her benefit, which is reflected in the sensual throb of the beats pulsing under her breathy voice. If you combined the otherworldly alien nature of Poppy and mixed it with the hyper sex of Slayyyter, the results would be similar. Musically close to Poppy, with the electronic throb keeping the songs together. This is also an apt description of the title track that opens this album. On the second song, which is about Instagram is seductively lures you to check out her Instagram. There is a bit of a Charli XCX attitude involved in what goes down here as well.
From a porduction stand point, this album sounds great through headphones. "Platinum" finds dance grooves flexing their basslines, as she chants over it in her sultry style."Hush" was the first video I saw from her, where she is basically some kind of aline stripper, and it drew me in, so it's pretty effective. 'Charming " is a down-tempo ballad, which could use more of a beat to create the dynamic contrast neededto keep my attention. "Dpg' might be the album's best track as the beat goes so hard it is almost industrial.
The songs are all around the three-minute mark or less, so she knows how long she has your attention for. "Hit Girl" finds the beats percolating around the purr of her vocals. "Excusez Moi" works really well, for it does as the beat keeps things moving in the right direction for the mood. Variations of horny and speculating her self-worth seem to be the dominant moods explored on this album. "Snow White" is more ambient, but the beat keeps things in motion, allowing hte ambiance more balance. The last song, " Really Hard," is not about an erection but how she wants to be hit by your car. Even with her vocal limitations, she makes this work, so I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me.,
When these guys came out, I appreciated what they did, but I just listened to other bands. I was very aware of what they were doing as they blended clean singing with hard-core, though certainly not the first to do this. They, however, influenced much of the Myspace metal to come, and their influence can still be felt on metalcore. The legit organic nature of their hardcore roots colors the opening track. "Primal Bloom" continues further down the more hardcore side of what they did. When it drops into the sung voals it does not occur at the most predictable time, not making it an anthem.
There is a more nuanced lead into "Thoroughbreds". The sung vocals are less pronounced as they continue down a more punk path. The thump of the bass line and the vocal melody put "Everything Hurts" at the head of the pack when it comes to the best songs so far. "Weeping Tones" finds the sung vocals produced in a way that bridges them to modern metalcore; I don't remember being present in their earlier work. There are some cool chugged riffs in "A Wake of Vultures" which feel a little more like Bihohazrd than I recall from them.
"Bad Bodies" continues to flirt with its more hardcore side. At times, the more melodic moments feel like Code Orange. They share a love for syncopated breakdown riffs, going where there is no breakdown. "Drifting Without End" has a more Deftones-like feel. I think this is pushed even further in that direction with the shift in production, which is less organic than their old material. "Melted" works off a more familiar hardcore stomp."Plague With the Most" works off a more metallic chug. The production on this album certainly introduces them to the kids of today who might not know their music history in an effective manner. I will give this one a 9.
Only missed this one by a week it's been on my radar, but jsut now catching up with Germany's Unverkalt. Setting the stage with a deceptive sense of melody before blasting into you. The melodic vocals are perhaps more intersting, but they work a delicate balance of playing to both sides of the band's dynamic range. Depressive more than it's blackened, the sonic weight of their songwriting impresses right from the first song, but can this band uphold the expectations set here?
"Oath of Prometheus" finds the drums blasting in as the undercurrent trying to take control. The harsher vocals are more focused on chaos, as the sung vocals wander. I am obviously the audience these guys are looking for, but it also means I am more well versed in this sort of thing, so I can hear the influences a mile away on the second, but it still works well enough for me. The more they blast, the less impressed I am by the storm of sound, and I want to hear more melody. "Anae Lithi" finds the melodies winning out and giving this more depth than the more feral strains of black metal.
The sense of melody leans it away from black metal altogether on "A Lullabye for the Descent", but it's dark and moody enough to still win me over despite all the layers of vocals wrestling against one another. It makes me think of 90s bands like Crisis. There is a more black metal tension to "Prenumbrian Lament". One vocal color Dimitra often uses is a whisper little girl like voice. It's creepy enough to work. Often these are given a roaring death metal male counterpoint thanks to their guitarist Eli.
With "Introjects," things begin to move in a more accessible metal direction, which carries over into "I, the Deciet," which features Sakis Tolis from Rotting Christ. "Death is Forever" finds some intersting sound layered in a more intense black metal manner, but without some of hte structure of the previous songs. The last song works off more of an emotional atmosphere, which is more dramatic than depressive. Overall, this album is an impressive marriage of sound into well balaned songs I will give this a 9.5.Out on Season of Mist.
There is a reason Morrissey has a fanatical cult following outside of the Smiths. He is one of my favorite singers, even as his croon has aged. It's been six years since "I am Not a Dog on a Chain." Even then, I will split the difference and not use the Smiths as the bar I judge him against in 2026 and use 2017's"Low In High School" as the bar. Granted, now 9 years later, Moz is almost 67 rather than the 58 years he was when he recorded that album. He keeps things at more of a reserved croon, which is pushed up further in the mix than the 2017 album, which sounded that more like he does live.
When it comes to the percussion, there are more electronic elements in play, though the opener "You're Right It's Time" feels pretty organic with its casual, lounged-out croon. By the time we get to the lead single, Alain Whyte's guitar tone reminds me of the tones Stevie Ray Vaughn used on Bowie's "Let's Dance" album. He covers Roxy Music's 1973 penned"Amazona." It was a quirky song for the band back then. Moz's version finds the guitar sounding brighter, and rather than go into the falsetto of Bryan Ferry, he shifts the dynamics of his voice to a softer tone to get the point across, showing he still possesses a fluid control of his voice. They even nail Phil Manzanera's solo.
The tempo shifts for " Headache" that finds him writing with his former touring multi-instrumentalist Gustavo Manzur, which is odd considering Morrissey is supposed to be such a racist that half of his band is Hispanic. Manzur collapsed at a Colorado show and was replaced by Camila Gray, who also aided in writing for this album. While it sounds great, the song , is a ballad that drags a bit and is the first moment that feels like filler to me. "Boulevard" is also a ballad, but his voice does most of the heavy lifting as the accompaniment is sparse and takes time to come to a boil. Lyrically, it's more interesting than the previous song.
Thi highlights that, lyrically, he is one of the heaviest writers in the game; he goes harder than most metal bands when it comes to the venom he infuses his sardonic poetry with. He also proves he can still belt it out to keep up with the dynamics. "Zoom Zoom the Little Boy" has a very 60s feel, which takes us back to the "California Son" album. Lyrically, he is back to saving animals. It almost sounds like he wrote it for "Yo, Gabba Gabba". Things get pretty fucking funky for " the Night Pop Dropped".
"Kerching Kerching" finds Moz getting lyrically punchy even when casually crooning. It's a pretty intersting song with fun lyrics. "Lester Bangs" finds his pipes supple and a more lingering rock tone to the introspective nature of the song. His musing about a rock critic he grew up reading is endearing. "Many Icebergs" casts a darker reflection with its haunting folk feel. The kind of languid Brit pop Moz is known for closes things well with "the Monsters of Pig Alley." Overall, this album holds up his legacy in the manner expected. I will give it a 10.
Things continue to evolve for Fotocrime. My first impression of the first couple of songs is that I get they are going for a more Killing Joke sound, but when it comes to Killing Joke, there are so many sides of that band it could mean anything. They have chosen the earlier, more punk side with a bit of rock n roll swagger. "Shockwave" works the best of the first three songs as it has more of a groove and room for the guitars to be more melodic and places for the vocals to sit in a more intersting fashion. "Unthinkable" to me sounds more like New Model Army, which is fine as it means a more organic sense of brooding melody, but with a bit of punk in its step.
"Disharmonizer" carries a darker, more post-punk tension, which brings to mind something closer to what you expcet from Patterson. Granted, you have to consider my personal tastes, but I feel the moodier moments are the strongest. This is run through a more rock n roll filter for "Intimidation."But this also works for me as the intersection of where punk and goth meet is one of my favorite eras of music. I suppose you could draw similarities to Killing Joke's "Night Time" album in this regard, but this is far more rock-minded.
"Dreamstate" has that weird right turn some punk bands took, which places it closer to Husker Du. "Cautious" carries a little more bounce thanks to the buoyant bass-line, but I prefer the more sullen musing of "Grifter," which might be the album's best song. There is a slight new-wave anxiety to the vocals. The title track that closes the album is not a ballad but works off a more introspective tension. It works for what they are doing this time around. Overall, I enjoyed the album; it sounds like a lost classic from the late 80s, so I will give it a 9.5.
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