Steve Austin : "Marked Cards and Loaded Dice"

Steve Austin from Today is the Day is releasing a country album. Not what I would have expected, and even as I am listening while typing this have fully processed this weirdness, which in some ways reminds me of Ween's country album. His nasal tenor has enough tawng to come across as legitimate. There is a different boozy feel than what most country albums come to the table with, and lyrically, some of these songs are hard to take seriously if they were ever intended to be serious. 'Oh Lord, I'm Coming Home' is another one where certain elements are nailed solid, and others seem like they are winking at the camera.

'Am I Just Crazy' is a little darker around the edges, and vocally, he seems to be taking themselves more seriously.  He knows his limitations as a singer, but is making this work. "Long Way to Hell" is not as dark as the previous song, and using themes like running from the law that are more country stereotypes, he has already touched on a few in previous songs making it hard to tell if he is even taking this seriously. I think there are some elements from the more recernt Today is the Day albums that could have blended to make this feel less like a country parody.

"Lovin' to Do" has a more bluegrass feel. He sings about being drunk on this one, which leans into the earlier point I made about this being a country parody.  The music tends to check off all the boxes from what you expect from country, not unlike the lyrical concepts, but it's so straightforward that it feels like he is just trying on a cowboy hat rather than owning it. 'Crazy Dreams' feels a little more sincere. I know it takes a great deal of time and money to make an album, so I doubt this is all the punchline to the joke we haven't heard yet, but it's a shade of weird he has yet to paint in until now. 

'I Won't Make it Last' sounds more likea a country-influenced indie-rock band than legit country, but it's certainly a more believable perspective. Going into the title track, it also feels like it might be more earnest than some moments on this album. I'm not sure I would call this outlaw country, as it feels like it's a series of misdemeanors; there is none of the danger that Waylon Jennings carries in his songs.  I will give this an 8.5, as it sounds good, and the insturmentation is pulled off in a manner that adds some legitimacy to this. 

Bad Stuff : "s/t"

Former members of True Widow are some of the founding members of this project, so it obviously has to be worth a listen. It opens with a creepy 1960's western tinged pysch-pop sunater that could have come from a David Lynch movie. The guitar rings each note out with a lonely, haunting reverb that is pristine. I'm sure someone will try to throw some kind of doom tag on this because it is slow and melancholy, something like "doom noir,"  but I am not hearing the sense of loss, and the darkness is there, but in light mysterious ocean-side haze.

Things pick up into a shuffle for "Grusome."  Some electronic elements weave themselves into what they are doing for "Summer Girls," which is more synth-heavy. If Lana Del Rey made a soundtrack for a horror movie, the results might be similar. This song does not get heavy but shifts in a more sonically dense manner. If you see this album on anyone's top 10 end-of-the-year metal lists, no longer believe anything they say, as this album is not metal, nor is it trying to be. "Invisible Man" finds low male vocals stepping up to the mic. In some ways, it's similar to Morphine. Not as jazzy, and almost more of a rock dynamic comes out here. 

"Creator" lurks with more of a groove than the vocals steer, as the drums create a hypnotic drone. "Hush" carries more of a "Desert Surf" feel as it's a more atmospheric ballad. Then "Nepenthe" is more like a heavier take on surf rock. They edge towards a dusty Americana-tinged version of post-punk on "Hush2." They continue on this path for "Human Crush" that finds a maringally more bluesy mood crossing over. The buzz saw guitars do not let up with "Commitment to Death.". None of the lyrics can be made out as they are being violently spewed with little articulation.  The last song is heavier on the ambiance with the lonely guitar emoting into the night as the vocals create more of a Nick Cave feel. I will give this album a 9.5, as it creates a unique mood with familiar sounds, and they captured what they intended here in a very endearing manner. You would expect this sort of thing from a label like the Flenser, but it is coming from Relapse Records 

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Pig's Blood : "Destroying the Spirit

 Going into this, I was expecting something more on the grind-core side of death metal than the black metal, but here we are, it is what it is. Described as being beastial, there is more attention to detail than just the crashing of teeth. Yes, they hit you with an intense bludgeoning, but also remember that they are writing songs in the midst of the angry storm they rain down on you. The title track is more in your face than the opener. The vocals are layered with a more blackened rasp, often coming to the forefront over the lower growl beneath, surfacing from time to time. There are a few slower, more grinding riffs on this one as the song progresses. 

There is more of an early Deicide-like charge to the unrelenting. The vocal laying is less demonic-sounding than what Glen Benton used to do, but it still has a similar effect. The drumming is impressive on this album, while it's a given if you are playing death metal, you need to be a machine, this guy is more well-oiled than some machines out there doing this. The dense production lens it self to the claustrophobic feel of the mix, as if the instruments have closed in on you. Sometimes this blitz can become a bit of a blur, as heard on "Power to Stop it." "Rabid Dogs" is a fitting song title as it describes the nature of the assault upon your ears here. 

None of the songs ventures to the four-minute mark, leaving the blasts of brutality to keep their sting more vital, rather than just numbing you out. The most melodic moments so far can be found on "Satanic Hammer of Justice." There is a more intense blast of double bass that hits you when they hammer into "Aftermath".  The buzz saw guitars do not let up with "Commitment to Death.". None of the lyrics can be made out as they are being violently spewed with little articulation.  Then there are moments of just battery with less musical touchstones, such as 'Ravenous Hellslaught." The last song also follows a similar path. I will give this album an 8 as they do cash in on some pretty mean riffs that have a head-banging catchiness to them that more often than not balances out the more feral aspects of what they do here. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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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