This album came out back in February and deserves not to be left flying under the radar as it has Portland crust punks deliver some darkly grim and apocalyptic punk that gets a bit of a build-up with the intro to this album. Metallic guitars and the snarl of female punk vocals get broken up by a howled male voice. It is heavy as you might wnat this sort of thing, with thrash hooks bringing the pit to life even in the comfort of your own living room. It many ways, you can hear how the Plasmatics have influenced what is going down here. The difference being Wendy O Williams is not making any new music from the grave.
By the time we get to "Disconnected: it is becoming clearer that the full-on high-speed confrontational style of hardcore punk is going to be the heartbeat of this album no matter how they dress it up. Then they bring alittle more groove to "Flowers For Ghosts". The punches in this song are cool and show how nuanced this kind of thing can get if it is not allowed to just blast past your ears. "The Spiral" takes on a hyper-aggressive metal tone. The roared male vocals trade off with the vicious sneer of their lead singer.
"Five of Swords' is pretty much what you expect from punk, which they have already proven they are able to surpass, making this feel like filler. 'Leeches" opens with rock fanfare before racing off. "Emerge" almsot has more ofa Motorhead feel. Pretty straightforward punk , it'snot like you have not heard similar before they just do it well. Well enough for me to give this album an 8.5
\What I like about this album right from the jump is that this band hits you with more of the thrashing groove than a pummeling of blast beats. There are faster sections, but they are given a dynamic contrast rather than just sbkur of speednumbing you ears out. The vocals also seem to have some purpose in the song, and the lyrics are articulated enough to not just be a growl. The slight tinge of their Italian accent gives the vocals a slight Sepultura feel. This vibe returns on the title track.
They shift into a more Slayer-like aggressive thrashing on "Scale of Gray", though the opening track and the title track are the best sngs o far. The deliberate pacing and purposeful drumming make this song shine. They go back into this more Slayer-tinged mood for "Human Lithification". It fluctuates between faster passages and a more stompy groove. They have a knack for somegreatmoshy riiff, and also keep the songs around the four-minute mark or less, never dragging things out.
"Concrete Petrichor " slows things down into a heavier groove before they pour rapid-fire double bass on. This is done back in the more Sepultura feel of things, which is the mode of playing they switch back and forth from; by Sepultura, it's more like the "Arise" era for the band."Weapons of the Damned" might be the best song written in this more Sepultura-like style. "The Lust of Us" shines in its more purposeful groove rather than when they pour on the spped, and thankfully those moments are outnumbered. I will give this album a 9.5; it might wear its influences on its sleeves, but it's well done and hooky as hell. It drops September 18th on Personal Records.
One thing I have noticed about the modern era for this band is that there is less of a moody grunge noise and more of an upbeat jangling element to the guitars..Undoubtedly influential when it comes to post-hardcore and modern indie rock. "No Friends" finds the jangle given more rock context andd the vocals carrying a hint of melancholy; some of the riffing brings Neil Young to mind. This album carries a warmer, more organic sound than most of their previous material, with "Everything at Once" representing more of their classic sound and serving as one of this album's best songs it brings the introspective melancholy and melody I want from these guys.
There is more of a rowdy rock clanging to "Take Me With You". the layered guitar sounds balance this one out. 'Blowin' Up" is more deliberate. The vocals take the spot lightliek they are once again ready to take their place on 90s rock radio. Lyrically, it is also interesting. "Gone Off" is more up-tempo, but not as immersive as the previous song. First song that almost feels more like filler, though it is a decent song for what it is; they have already raised the bar pretty high for themselves here. 'Clam Along" finds the more straightforward rock elements falling in place more naturally.
"Walk Me Back'works really well at staying true to the ghost of their classic sound. "Read the Room"has the vibe of fumbling along like a 90s slacker."Put It Down made me think I had clicked somewhere else in my iTunes, and it was one of the 80s metal bands doing a ballad. One of the album's most melodic songs, though a bit out of character. They pick up the tempo a little into more of a country strum for the last song. I will give it a 9.5 for now, as I am sure it will grow on me. They don't have to prove they know how to write a s ong but did anyway.
This duo has gotten a great deal of hype for their jangly take on punk, blending garage boogie with grunge and 90s indie rock. New Orleans is not the place I would expect this to come from, but it makes sense over time. The first song works well, but I am going to need more dynamics as the album progresses, as a full album of this won't work for me. The second song counters this malady but brings in some blues-based clean guitar and more swagger. Yes, it is a step away from punk, but it works. 'Swamp" is the first song that feels more like filler, and the truth is I already have the Viagra Boys who do this better.
The title track has them mumbling along with an acoustic strum that sounds like any band that could be playing any dive bar. They continuethe rockn roll jangle on "Guided Thunder", Part of the problem lies in the vocals, which are the same for every song. Not every one hasto beMike Patton, but I prefer a more dynamic performance in this regard. "Top of the World HwyNo 2" has some atmosphere in the background that marginally help butwe are beginning to hit monotony. "Cncealed Weeping" is not as interesting as "Riding," which has more of a groove and a better vocal performance.
Things continue to be hit of miss as "Business" is an interesting song while "Javelina" feels less inspired even with it's cocuntry influence. "Weather the Season" has more of a 50s feel."Dancer" finds someone coasting over the tension being built. At this point, the vocal totally bored me. It ends with the strum of "Sun Go Down," which is pretty run of the mill. I'll give this a7.5 as it is interesting for what it is for people who are looking for this sort of thing, but it's not my thing.
This band's 2022 album earned a 9, which is impressive considering how their angular math rock takes on black metal had begun to dull on me over time. Yet this album dials back the math and puts songwriting and nuance back in focus, rather than letting a technical labyrinth of buzzing riffs take center stage. This is not to say some of the more adventurous sonic trademarks of the band are not still in place, but the vocals sit differently in the songs, the drumming is more deliberate, and everything has more organic space in the mix. Things had almsot become clinically sterile with them, so the changes made lure me back into what they are doing here. Granted, six minutes into the eight-minute opener makes me wonder how long they can jam on this, but somehow they make it work without boring me.
There is a more racing, thrashy feel to "Grievous Corrector". The vocals return to their older, more death metal howl. The higher tempo makes things feel like a busy blur of ringing notes, rather than riffs you are following. Lots of accents fall out of the corners of this arrangement. The melodic passages work best for me, though thi si clearly hipster metal. The patter of blast beats runs under the chors that are allowed to breathe in the storm of guitar they unleash. There is more aggressive metal crunch to "Kill the Guardian," a more traditonal metal songtitle for sure, and the pounding riffs accent this fact. The vocals are more shouted than growled. At seven and a half minutes, they leave me unsure how they are going to keep this going for another five minutes when I am two and a half into the song. The anser is shifting guitar tension while keeping the tempo brisk.
They slow things down going into "Unceasing Path," though it is clear once again that their intention are more in line with being a technical death metal band than a progressive black metal band. The drums revert to the pitter-patter of blast beats. There is something creepy about this song's angular nature. Palm-muted picking once again creates the tension. We are back to the more familiar buzz of blast beats on "Living Useless Ritual," which should find them doing something more interesting as the song progresses in order to keep my interest. The second half of the album finds them cruising along in a high-speed jam that runs together but is still somewhat effective.
The 13-minute title track closes out the album. The first mintues seem like they are trying to get their bearings and figure out where to go. The direction turns out to be in your more typical blasty mcnasty black metal tremolo picking drone. There are some darker dissonant undertones sburied in this din, but there should be for black metal, and this might be the only actual black metal song on this album, as it is the only one with sinister vibes. At four minutes in, I am uncertain if this warrants nine more minutes of said vibes. There is a hypnotic amabient break down that does not last that long before swelling back up into the more typical black metal. At the eight and a half minute mark, a guitar melody emerges over the slow throb. I will give this one a 9, putting it on par with the last album I heard from them. I respect what is being done here, but overall it is not dark enough for my tastes, and feels more like hipster death metal, but there is still an audience for this, and they deliver it well. It drops September 8th on Profound Lore.
The 9th studio album by the wonderful Ms. Wolfe opens with the soulful "Cold" that finds less of the ghostly reverbed vocals and her singing out at full voice in a more accesible manner. The also worked with producer Jennifer Decilveo who has also worked with the Gossip., Miley Cyrus, Bat For Lashes, and Hozier. Her voice sounds great nd it fits comofrtably in her hweelhouse. She continues this more raw vocal production on "Seethe" which is also more straight ahead rock. It is not as dark as her previous work. Not too far removed from say Florence and the Machine. The drums groove thanks to having Tori Amos' drummer Matt Chamberlin playing on this album fand Troy from Queens of the Stoneage / Failure also lends his guitar talents, but serving the song so much you would not notice it was him.
"Humours" is more back to the shadows basic for her, which she knows she needs to return to based on her fanbase which includes people like me who expect this sort of thing. If anyone was wondering if she coulkd sing ofr was just hiding behind the stylistic apporach with effect this album clears that up. It ameks sense consdiering artists she influenced like Ethel Cain are playing bigger venues. There is a more rock feel to "Swallower" though it does include many of her sonic staples like tinges of haunting guitar notes that ring out.
"Halo" ambles along with a hooky flow. So far the vibes of this album remind me most of "Birth of Violence'. It is weird tha Angel Olsen collaborator Ben Babbitt lent a hand on the title track as it's stripped down to her just playing guitar. It is not until two minutes in that other layers of sound begin to rise around it. So they just helped her flesh it out. "Turn the Key" finds Robin Fink of Nine Inch Nails dropping some guitar in. "I'm Not There" is a slice of Americana tinged songwriting that is not foreign territory for her.
"Death is Not the End' goes from themore delicate fragile vocal to aheavier sonic dirge of emotion drivintg thesong. The album closes with "Dancer in the Sky" which is another introspective ballad. She slowly builds it up from the minimalist piano line, andit is one of her most compelling vocal performances. I am not sure if her new found soberiety is what is making her more comfortable in her own skin but that is what it sounds like to me ,and it is clearly working as it's another flawless album from her,. I will give this one a 10. Out on LornaVista.
The black marrigage of goth and metal has been attempted with various results bands like Type O and My dying Bride being the most triumphant in this regard, but other bands like Atriarch and In Solitude who did not garner as much of a c ult following were still artistically sucessful and left a void in their wake, that has only come close to being filled by a band like Grave Pleassures, who still lean more on the goth sidde of things with more punk tenencies than metal, Unto Other has mad eand effort and the new Final Graps is perhaps closer to what I want , though this band from New Yporkfinds themselves on the more metalic sie of what In Solitude once tried.
The vocals are the only shakey part of this foundation, they work on the first song, but are more uncertain on the second so hey are goibng to be what makes or breaks them here. I orefer the more atmospheric balance they strike on "Snakeland's Pull". There is more ghoulish aggression on "Knight Rider". The romanticized darkness they linger in holds melody even when the vocal drop into more of a growl. Their more aggressive side is not as death metal as say Tribulation, but carries more of a punch than Unto Otthers.
The moodiness brings a new level of emotional depth to the sonic pulse found in "Dungeon of Love", here there is more of a Feilds of the Nephilim feel. The vocals are working better but they are sitting further into the mx. There is more of a 80 vibe to "Sanctuary' which I appreciate. This is one of the album's best vocal performances andd perhaps the album's hookiest song.. "Trouble With Demons" finds the vocals almost more spoek on the verses which does not work as well to my ears.The last song works well, as the vocal deliever and the mood is gloomy enough for me in it's introspection.The vocals are effective enough to get the job done so I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on.
