Scimitar : "Errare"

 

When was the last time I reviewed an actual goth album?  Oh, it was 12 days ago when I reviewed Requiem in White. Anyways, this band outta LA, is leaning on the more post-punk sidde of the equation half the time, but are not just ripping off Siouxsie. In fact, her vocals are more punk and aggressive in the militant chant of "Epitome" that carries an electronic throb, so they are shifting genres from song to song, but keeping things dark. The more typical post-punk bass line emerges on "Fade' as the guitar uses the reverb-heavy vibrations to create the creepy atmosphere. The vocals are more whispered without trying to be Boy Harsher, though they are pointed in that direction for this one, just more organic and instrument-driven. 

The problem with using the kind of drum machines they are using is how it limits your dynamic range, where a real drummer can switch it up. This leads to them riding the same groove throughout the song. There is a more new wave feel to "Consume." It is weird when they go into the more electronic parts; they are never really delving into dark wave. The vocals are more spoken than sung on these songs and are done in a manner that does not convey those emotions. I think "Astroturf" is about a machine lover, but I haven't been paying a ton of attention to the lyrics. 

"Zenith" flips things into a more 80s new wave style, though the vocals sit further back in the mix than something Blondie would have done. The song references being frozen in time, so perhaps this is a self-awareness of the 80s fixation. Though, to their credit, from a production standpoint it has a more modern lo-fi punk sound. The third act of this album does lean more heavily in a punk direction. It is felt ot a greater extent on "Algo Esta Pasando." In some ways, this is a kink in their creative armor, but it still works well enough here. The reverb returns for the guitars of the last song, which finds her coming closer to singing again. The mood of the song is one of the album's darker moments. I will give this album a 9; it takes a solid stab at doing its own thing and draws blood. 

The Family Men : "Co/de/termination"

 

This band from Sweden mixes industrial with noise rock to create something interesting. The beats and sense of motion keep the opening track at a high energy intensity. The vocals are yelled with a harsher rasp from the tortured vocal cords. There is more groove going into "AOR". The vocals are declared with more contempt than they are yelled. The dynamics of it remind me a little of Fugazi. There is more of a Ministry feel to " Skull Theftt"; it starts chaotically, and they pull it together. 

As this album progresses, it becomes clearer that industrial music is the dominant vibe, even though it might be performed more organically than what most bands are doing today. Which is fine with me as I am a big fan of industrial music, and most of the elements that make that music effective, like the anger and drive, are in play here. Sometimes what they are doing just happens to be more chaotic and noisy than at other times when they pull it together into the kind of fun stomp you want from this sort of thing. 

A little more atmosphere creeps into "New Clear". The song does not catch its groove until mid-way in, but it works. "Scanner' is also another shift for these guys as the vocals are more rapped, following a similar droning industrial groove that many of these songs work off, which proves to be effective. "Luxury" falls along similar lines, though more aggressive vocally. The last song finds the hypnotic beats taking control while getting your heart rate going. The vocals are again somewhat rapped if not outright rapped. If you want industrial music with real instruments, experimenting rather than just grinding on the dance floor, then this album is worth your time. I give it a 9. 

Who Not to Miss At Welcome to Rockville 2026 ( a curated guide)

Lots of bands are playing throughout the weekend at Welcome to Rockville this year, with festival set times compressed, you need to make the most of your time, while still giving yourself time to rest, so you make it to Sunday. Here is a guide to getting the most from your money, with the bands that will give you your money's worth. Let's face it, tickets for the entire weekend are expensive, even on the payment plan. from. I am not suggesting the most popular bands, so if you want to avoid the crowded stages, this list is for you. Given that I hate most radio rock, we are going to avoid it and pick the most interesting artist who delivers consistently live. You can argue these picks all you want, but can the 10 million that read this blog be wrong? I think not, so let's jump into it.

Thursday

Inferno Stage

1:15 - Castle Rat 

 Fantasy rock that brings 70's Rainbow to mind, being belted out by a siren in a chainmail bikini 

 Octane Stage

 3:20- Behemoth

 Nergal's sognwrign continues to improve, and they are the hookiest band to blend black metal with death metal.

Inferno Stag 

4:15 - Death Angel 

Underrated thrash legends

Apex Stage

5:30 - Alice Cooper 

If you are thinking this is a tough choice, even Glen Benton would admit Alice puts on a better show

9;30-Guns N Roses

You can chill out for the rest of the evening to eat, and get hydrated, after Cradle of Filth are terrible live andd if you want to hear a bunch of shrieking, at least Slash will be on stage when Axl is doing it. 

Friday

Inferno Stage

12:30- Spiritworld 

The wild west's take on hardcore is fun. 

1:30- Cattle Decapitation

Their name is more intimidating than the thrashing blend of death metal and grindcore they have mastered

Octan Stage

2:35 -Failure 

This band influenced the likes of A Perfect Circle and Deftones 

Inferno Stage

4:45 - Carcass

A death metal classic that rips live

Apex Stage

6:05- Poppy 

Fun pop music with a little screaming sprinkled in

Inferno

7:30 - Suicidal Tendencies 

This crossover band was a huge influence on what we call nu-metal \

Octane 

8:55 -Turnstille 

Another fun pop band to decompress to, see what the hype is about

Saturday 

Vortex Stage 

11:50 - Framing Hanley 

Wake up to these one-hit wonders, crank out their "Lollipop" cover

Inferno Stage 

1:20- PsychoStick

Chances are, if you are here on Saturday, you are into this kind of stupid fun

Octane Stage 

2:30- Yelawolf

Is he going to be rapping or playing country? I guess find out

Inferno Stage 

4:40 - Devildriver 

The singer of Coal Chamber's heavier side 

5;55- Napalm Death

The Grind-fathers must be respected 

Octane Stage

6:55- Lamb of God

Sure, they are a Temu version of Pantera, but they are good at it.

Sunday

Inferno Stage

2:10- House of Protection

One of the weekend's most interesting bands, a nu-metal revival act that's not in for the nostalgia.

4:30- Make Them Suffer

These kids do metal-core in a little less predictable manner. 

Garage Stage

7:55 Coal Chamber

They need to be in a headline spot. These guys blew Mudvayne off stage  at the Mid-Florida Amphitheater 

Vortex Stage

10:20 Slaughter to Prevail 

Not the most devastating thing we are getting from Russia this year, but more fun than a nuclear bomb.

A.A. Williams : "Solstice"

 I really loved 'Forever Blue', some of her other work was released under my radar, so glad to hear from her again. The opening track, "Poison," which is one of the lead singles, makes it clear that she is not just another haunted folk crooner, as it locks into a solid groove. There is a more depressive vibe to the second, which carries a more minimal arrangement and a slight drone to allow her room to lay the vocals over. The swell of the song has more in common with post-rock. There is more of a grooving motion to "Little By Little." Which, even with the synth darkening things in the background it is the most accessible song thus far. This comes from how the vocals interplay with the drums. The guitars slowly build to expand the dynamics. 

"Hold it Together" finds her vocals holding onto a fragile piano chord progression. This was one of the first three singles released for the album. It's a power ballad of sorts, as you are led to believe it's going to stay in the direction it was headed for the first half of the song until the guitar comes in. It pulls everything together and makes it make sense. There is a more pastoral post-rock feel to 'Outlines," which she once again slowly builds but with a slight country twang filling the empty spaces. The fact that she takes the songs into the places she does is half the appeal. There is a melancholy wandering to this album that is not overtly dark enough to be called goth.

She often gets called "death gospel," and I am not hearing it on this album. Of course, it can be premature to second-guess where she is going to take any of these songs. "I've Seen Enough" has more of a folk feel, with a slight touch of jazz underpinning the vocal phrashing. You have to allow yourself to get midway into her songs before you can be certain of what she is going for. This forces me to withhold judgment when calling something a ballad, as she could bust out with driving guitars at any moment, but that does not happen on "I've  Seen Enough." The drums stay pretty minimal. "The Veil" heads in a similar direction. In fact, it starts off even more minimal. It turns out that one actually a ballad. She does not need driving drums, but it is a lot cooler when she has them, as proven on "Just a Shadow". It almost feels like it could be an A Perfect Circle song. She also proves she can belt it out likea rock singer when called for. 

All the elements of "Breathe" keep it flowing, even before the drums come in. It rides the line between dark folk and indie rock. It is one of the album's darker songs. It is another where the guitar opens it up at the midway point. Even on the second-to-last song, this formual does not get old. 'The Gentle Harm" leans more on her vocals. She laments as much as she sings here, though, using enough breath in her voice to work. Guitars begin to emerge as the song crept to the midway point again, as a sorrowful piano line drifts in. Almsot right at the three-minute mark, it does as expected. I will give this album a 9.5, as it is a well produced and polished return for her that is emotionally powerful and beautifully sung. 

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Sevendust : "One"

 Atlanta metal groovers Sevendust took their 15th trip into the studio. The thing about this album is that it really depends on which album you lost interest in them on or if you stuck around. For me, “Home” was the last album I was invested in before it became clear it was time for the bu-metal bandwagon to roll on. But the very fact that the band has had a large enough audience to keep making over a dozen records in the new millennium means that they have enough fans who will find this to be a logical next step, as it retains the big riffs and soulful vocals that define the band. 

Fewer riffs share common ground with Disturbed and Korn. Witherspoon's fluid vocal melodies help to guide the songs into avenues that side-step what your typical arena-rocking metal band is doing these days.  But this is not 1999 and 2026; someone who is a fan of bands like Frozen Soul and 200 Stab Wounds might not find this to be metal at all. This is a valid perspective as well, since a song like “Threshold”  certainly feels more like rock n roll that happens to have the guitar dialed in more like a metal band, but if they were 6-string Les Pauls plugged directly into Marshall amps, it might have more in common with their tourmates Alterbridge.

Speaking of production, knobs were dialed just right for what they do on “We Won”. It has a mix that gives the vocals ample room to create one of the album’s catchiest songs. This also goes to show that we typically think of pop music as being more contingent on a good producer, but one clearly helps more guitar-driven music as well. The guitar solo that soars out of this song works off melody more than shred, which is a respectable choice. “Construct” brings the focus back to a heavier feel that the kids of 2026 might more easily define as metal.  

Things ebb back toward the more melodic side of the spectrum on “Bright Side”. It’s what Lajon does with his voice on the verses that really serves as the key selling performance, as it’s both powerful and heartfelt in a manner that is hard to fake. It’s also impressive that his voice has held up so well during the past three decades.” The Drop.” works off a more syncopated riff that recalls their earlier work.  The chorus feels like it’s beginning to follow a formula.  Granted, this formula has kept their fans clicking play years later, so it is understandable why they would want to play it safe. 

Of course, a song called “Blood Price’ is bound to find the band digging in and bringing a heavier feel. But riffs and barked sections of vocals could just as easily be found on any Gojira album. Just because it works does not make it original, nor is the band really reinventing the wheel here, but they are writing some catchy-ass songs. “Misdirection’ ends the album on a more introspective and melodic note, with the focus placed on vocal harmonies, almost like something Stone Sour would do. This is certainly the album the band set out to make. After having fourteen previous trips into the studio, these guys have it down to a science, and they continue to sound relevant rather than jumping on the nostalgia train of a nu-metal revival. After all these years, Sevendust continues to do Sevendust perfectly, so for that I will give this album a 9, but the chances are slim I will feel the need to listen to this album again, but I wouldn't call myself a Sevendust fan either.Dropping on Napalm Records.

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TERROR : "Still Suffer"

 

This is the 10th album from this long-running hardcore band whose origins trace back to Buried Alive from the late 90s. They deliver what you expect from this brand of hardcore. They are in your face and more on the metallic side, which makes plenty of sense considering their origins and influences. Even with the metallic elements the guitar riffs embrace, the dominant presence of gang vocals and attitude of the lead vocal are clearly hardcore, in fact, more hardcore than most bands these days. The title track" sets the tone with a more groove-driven riff than the opening track. You can hear this in the safety of your home and know this would be a brutal pit. 

The songs are concise one-two punches. They rarely venture over three minutes. They race ahead of themselves with the rapid-fire anger that comes at you in" Promised Only Lies," which hits peak form when it hits a powerful gallop."Destruction of My Soul" shows plenty of thrash influence, you have to guess the most notable one would be Slayer, though some "Master of Puppets" like chugging can also be heard. An impressive bass line leads the way into "Fear the Panic." It has more of a Cro-Mags feel. This works for me since the Cro-Mags are one of my favorite classic hardcore bands. 

The faster punk undercurrent of hardcore takes over on the song "Death of Hope". It does finds it's way into one cool riff, but cool riffs alone does not a good song make, is our mantra here. Things take an odd hip-hop turn for the intro of "The Beauty in the Losses." Jay Peta from Mindforce lends his voice to this one. "A Deeper Struggle" lives more off the increased tempo until the breakdown riff, which is a little true to the formula for the genre. The same can be said for " To Hurt the Most". The last song finds the vocalists from God's Hate and King Nine chiming in. Overall, while they typically play it pretty straight up by the book hardcore, they do it well and care about songwriting as most of the songs have their own identity, and is what you want from a hardcore album, so I will give this a 9.5

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Basement : "WIRED"

 

The band's new album brings a late 90s sound that blends indie rock, pop-tinged hooks, and some post-hardcore grit; the vocals add needed grit to belt it out. I like that you can still hear the punk that is in the DNA of this kind of music that originally merged in the 90s. It takes you back to a time when songwriting mattered, as things evolved from the grunge explosion and began to form their own identity. "Dead Weight" shuffles along with help from a driving bassline that keeps the more indifferent tone of the vocals moving. 

There is a more casual tone to "Broken By Design" that ambles along with less aggression, as the singer finds himself more reflective. They move at a brisk pace for "Pick Up the Pieces," which has a more explosive chorus. Things go in the direction of Failure's more introspective moments for "Embrace." If you want just high-energy songs, it is more of a slow burn, but worthwhile, and it stands as a credit to the band for creating a dynamic album.  Then "Sever" has a more rowdy grunge charge as angst comes to a head. The very raw organic quality of the production lends itself to this kind of rowdiness that they continue on with during "The Way I Feel". 

If you are old enough to remember when this kind of music first dropped on MTV'S "120 Minutes' show before grunge broke big, then it's clear the wheel is not being reinvented here. But you can also confirm that they got the mood right. "Satisfy' finds the hook of the vocal melody taking center stage. There is a more downtrodden sonic shade to "Head Alight." It's not quite a ballad, but something that would have been at home on College Radio in 1993.

They have certainly crafted some memorable songs with not much in the way of filler. "Longshot" comes closer to being a ballad. It has a lazy summer strum. Funny enough, the song about summer that closes the album, "Summer's End," is more of a grunge anthem for 2026's definition of the genre. I will give this album a 9.5 as it certainly captured a time period I am fond of, even if it is not one I revisit the most. Not only did they nail the sound, but they also remembered that songs were much better written back then and rose to the occasion. Being released May 8th on Run For Cover Records. 

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