Eartheater : " Heavenly Body: If I'm The Bottle You’re The Message'

 

The sixth album by the once experimental singer who now finds herself matured by the birth of her first child. This album starts off heavily atmospheric with ethereal vocals drifting without as much direction as "Practical Amnesia," whih almost feels more like Lana Del Rey than what we have heard from her before which is more transgressive pop music that is industrial adjacent. More electronic elements begin to bubble up in a more recognizable fashion for 'Crown Jewel". It also finds her lyrics almost as abstract as the music behind her light, flowing voice. Thi is even catchier than the previous song whih is a trend I hope this album follows.

'Wasp in the Fig" finds a less whimsical tone taking over. It almost feels like chamber music to some extent. Thankfully, a beat came in to anchor it. Her creative approach reminds me of Bjork. She uses her voice like an instrument as well.  "Glowing Guts" benefits from her vocals, taking one on a more moving cadence. It gives the vocal melody a droning but catchy flow. The best is more minimal than some of the songs, but it is enough to keep things grounded. "Hers Before Hers" is almsot more like Imogen Heap, whih works for me. The music is a little more minimalist, but enough to give her melodies something to work with. 

"Don't Look Back" flirts with 80s sounds, creating a more dream pop vibe. "Favorite" takes its time dancing to life, but is effective once it gets moving. "Fast Asleep" is more of a lullaby, which makes sense given the theme of this album. "Nova" closes the album; it is more of a ballad. Despite this album not being as beat-driven, you can hear how she has matured as a songwriter, so I will give this one a   9.5 and see how it grows on me.

Sex Prisoner : "Cautionary Tale"

 If you are wondering about the difference between powerviolence and grindcore, this album might help clarify, as it is rooted more obviously in hardcore punk. Where grindcore hits you with a more consistent blast of speedy these guys give more shifts in the riff and slow down to create a feel similar to a breakdown. They use a more frantic punk style to juxtapose the more deliberate riff that is the backbone of "Jokes on You." The title track is more blasty, blurring the lines between the two genres and leaving the vocals to be the primary thing that anchors it to punk. 

These guys employ a heavy, dense guitar sound along with a burly bass tone. These are captured by rawaraw production sound with feedback squealing out from the corners. Songs like"52 Card Pick-Up" are brief bursts that took a few listens to find where one of thesongs began and the other ended, as it begins to run together."Los Cardinals" brings what I want from hardcore os I appreciate that. The blast beats at times feel like a default mode."Glass Worms" is a little more deliberate. At over tow minutes it almsot seems self-indulgent in comparison.

There is a cool riff buried in 'All My Circuits, ' but when a song is only a minute long, there is not a great deal of room to develop it. "Body Broker is a reminder that they are not too far removed from Nails. The frantic, speedy default of punk can play against attempts at songwriting.. "Half of Me" sounds like a ' 90s crossover. "Wildcat House" is more like an idea for a cool song. "Trapped in My World" is a little more spastic. But it finds its footing. The last song finds a dense riff punishing you. I will give this one a 9 as it manages to work with the transgression of the genre.

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Protest the Hero: "Within"

Something about Canada makes it a breeding ground for prog. This is the band's first album in six years, and once again they fuse prog with a touch of metal core. It has been twenty-one years since I have paid much attention to them.  Higher-pitched, almost power-metal-like, sung vocals counterbalanced lower growled vocals. They brough in a session bassist and drummer for this album, but it flowed really well like everyone had just been rehearsing these songs like old times. "Fishhook" finds them locking into the more upbeat side of the genre that I am not as big a fan of, as it begins to sound like something Devin Townsend might do. You can also hear how they share some common ground with Pain of Salvation's older work.

"Grandfather's Axe" comes at you with a heavier thrashing till the vocals come in, then it takes on a groove, much like the Arise From Worms album; the more proggy elements take away some of the impact that would otherwise make this sound heavier. "The Orchard" is all over the place, the layered vocals are too happy for my taste.'Liberty Spike" works better than the previous song. It's energetic, but the mood is more balanced. The vocals have a little more edge and don't sound as celebratory, even though it is a hectic roller coaster of dynamics. The song ends with some of those more grandiose layers of vocals.

The album closes with the more dramatic bombast of "the Mariner". The guitar waves around things in an unhinged fashion that is not dark. They shift sounds and genres in a more Mr Bungle-like manner, though Dog Fashion Disco might be a better frame of reference.There is less chameleon shape-shifting as their core sound is present, just dialed up in a different direction.There is no denying these guys are talented, they could stand to be a little hooky and darker, but it works well enough for what they do, and fans of this band should be on board, will give this album an 8.5

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LOATHE : "A Stranger to You"

 

The last time I checked out this band, they were blending nu-metal with metalcore, so let's take a listen to how their sound is evolving. The first actual song finds them collaborating with Static Dress, who we just reviewed. This is not surprising, as Static Dress was also a nu-metal band. It blends shoegazing verses with more explosive Slipknot-like dynamics. It works well enough; nothing groundbreaking here. Prodciuition wise the album sounds good as there is a big layered mix."Fortress Down" fnds melodic vocals holding things down but sitting further back in the mix, while there is a tapestry of sonci chaos unfolding with the drums making sense of things.

"Gemini" is more aggressive and abrasive, with harsh vocals taking over. It's almost too noisy given the nature of the mix, where dynamics work better when the song has a more spacious feel but feels cramped in this context. Electronic elements become more prominent as the song progresses. "Harder to Pretend" is more electronic nad atmosphereic but needed to break things up. "Revenant" finds them bringing in NOWHERETORUN. It is driven with a heavier, more deliberate thump. This is maringally predictable, but given the nature of this album's unique mix, it captures this differently. Guitarist Mnasur Brown joins the band for "The Way". The song can draw comparisons to Deftones with its ambient ballad feel. 

"Meet My Maker' hits harder, but does not forsake melody, yet how the vocals sit on the harder groove of the guitar will draw further Deftones comparisons. The drumming is great on this one. "Fangs " is moodier though not darker; this album really isn't that dark at all. The vocal melody on the chorus is rather hopeful." The Ladder" is a more commercial pop song. It is well written, though not sure how well received by their current fan base it would be. Jordan Rakei is adding his voice to the mix to further this feel. 

They come back from this with the crunchier stomp of "Gifted Every Strength that contrasts with the previous song with its screamed vocals. It's longer than most of the songs on this album, and they cram more into but not in a manner that flows as well as what htey have done leading up to this. Though five minutes in, they slow things down and take on a jammier tone. The last song leads off with a more shoegaze feel. It is more melodic, but feels a great deal like what htey have already done on this album.I will give this album a 9; it works for what they are doing and adds some forward-thinking ideas regarding how they bring these songs to life.  

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Taylor Bickett : "Nothing I Can't Undo"

 

This Nashville-based singer-songwriter plays a style of pop-tinged folk that is not far from what Boygenius does, though less based in rock music. Holding the most similarity to the Phoebe Bridgers side of that equation. The lead single "If Only' is what made me give this album a shot. It is highly hooky, effective songwriting. There is more of a pop feel to the strum of "Politician." Lyrically, she takes a cue from Taylor Swift cleverly, she paints a picture with her words./

I can also hear some HAIM in how she uses melodies on "Firefly Collector". She has a more subtle atmosphere to her work than most of today's pop icons, whom I am drawing comparisons to. "Goldstar" is more introspective lyrically as she looks back on her childhood. "Nothing I Can't Undo" finds her proclaiming she does not want sex, she just wants them to want to, which is an interesting perspective that shows some of her insecurity being bared. 

"Driving in the Dark" is more straightforward folk. Her vocal melodies are strong enough to carry whatever direction she decides to take these songs.. There is a less sonically dynamic take on this formula and a more reflective tone to " Wild Dogs". "Genesis" is the first song that feels like filler to me; it's not bad, just does not feel as inspired as the previous songs, which is still impressive considering that at this point we are nine songs deep into the album. She goes back into reflection on "Good Thing Short," which shows more country roots. There is a similar vibe to the last song 'Venice," though it carries a more atmospheric feel. I will give this album a 9.5, it's one of the strongest indie folk albums I've heard this year. 

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Combichrist : "The Venom in the Mouth of God"

With darker synths opening the album with a groove, it feels like they are expanding from the militant industrial anthems. Granted, that is still embedded in who they are, but it reminds me of their earlier work. Andy has become a better vocalist over the years. Not a great one, but able to apply more vocal color. There is a coldwave-like feel to the first three songs, with more drive; it's more electronic than industrial, but it works for me. "Born Destroyer" finds the more familiar aggression creeping back in. 

"Feraline" finds a more balanced approach employed. The synths are moderately aggressive but more focused on you doing a stompy goth dance. Not only some of the latter-era Skinny Puppy songs. "Rise" is the first song that finds them stepping back into a more Post-Rammstein-flavored industrial. But it is not a deal-breaker. "Venom" shows that being more conventional and industrial is not a bad thing, and it works when done well, putting songwriting at the forefront. With songs like the more spoken word thumper "stfu" this can be hit or miss. Though on second listen even that one begins to grow on me with its 90s sensibilities. 

"Each Scar a Vision" has a more dancefloor-churning throb, with the aggression dialed back."Only Here For a Good Time" holds the cold wave tension as the beat pushes things forward. Lyrically this album is darker than it is sonically, as heard on "The Way We Want to be Seen". It holds more in common with Nine Inch Nails musically, though Andy talks his way through it. "Demons Wanna Be Cummon" holds a similar groove but is sonically more dynamic. The last song is more guitar-oriented and has a maringally more organic feel. I think this album is a step forward for this band, as the songwriting is a notch better, so I will give it a 9.5 and see how it sits with me. 

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Motionless in White : " Decades"

 

If these guys did not do Rhea Ripley's entrance music, I would probably not review this album, as I have been less than impressed with their arena-ready nu-metal dressed up as goth. So here ya go, Rhea, I'm doing this for you. The title track is what I expect from them, but it does have a groove and the massive sound that finds them headlining at festivals. The sung vocal hook is predictable but works for what they do. It has the big breakdown that is heavier than you might guess these guys get, unless you are a fan, then you know what to expect here. The second song has more electronic elements in play, but when the verse really kicks in, it's along the lines of Linkin Park, but with a more emotive vocal that goth kids might like. However, the anthemic chorus jsut sucks. It's kind of a crucial thing to go too commercial with, as it shits on the other cool stuff going on. 

Eminem's frequent collaborator Skylar Gray shows up on "R.I.P". She does what she does for Slim Shady, so that is not a surprise. Chris Motionless' voice sounds better than what I have heard from him in the past. "Fight Like Hell" sounds like all the rock festival metalcore bands. To their credit, he sings more often than not, though the chorBut it cerus is kinda dumb; the rapped second verse is better than what I assumed him to be capable of. Though it paints them into the nu-metal corner. Cory Taylor shows up for "Playing God," so there is another nu-metal point on the board. His vocals are pretty dominant, and Chris does a good job of blending with him. They do have a predictable songwriting formula in place. But the masses are stupid and won't notice. Hey, I never said Rhea had the best taste in music.

"All That I've Ever Known" has more of that Linkin Park feel I picked up on earlier.. It also has another big dumb chorus. The singer of Dark Divine shows up on "Blood Rave". This is a more modern take on nu-metal run through a synth wave filter. The hooks are poppy but work for what they are doing. Some elements seem to draw inspiration from the Faint that is very subtle. "Love at First Bite" tries to play into the vampire imagery, but is not far from what a synth wave band like "Gunship" does. Singing by vampires does not mean this is not pop, but lucky for them, I like pop music. "Count Back From Zero" sounds like they are drawing inspiration from Strvngers who were doing this sort of thing almsot a decade ago, ironic that is what this album is called. But Strvngers have not done anything new in a while. 

"Blood Pact" is on the more predictable side of metalcore when it's in its heaviest moments, as it sounds like they are more inspired by synth pop. At times, this finds them sounding more like Korn. "Afraid of the Dark" blends the synth wave sounds with the more metal core past of the band. When they try to play heavy, it feels like they are trying too hard and just touching on the most expected tropes/ As expected, they pull off a convincing cover of Cory Hart's "Sunglasses at Night". Motionless does not have the greatest falsetto, but the song works. This album is better than expected. I will give it a 9, feels like Spirit Halloween" if you are a teenager, I can see how this might get you pumpoed for Halloween, but it's not a goth album. 

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