Bodysnatcher : "Hell is Here, Hell is Home"

 

Florida's Bodysnatcher plays a larger-than-life version of metalcore that sounds more like it is rooted in actual hardcore. They might own a Terror album or two. Though they obviously must be big fans of the band as Scott Vogel appears on the song "Survive of Die" in the album's thrid act.  They are pretty big on breakdowns, and the vocalists do drop down into a more guttural death metal gurgle in places. Four albums in, they are aware of who they are and what they do with little experimentation involved in the formula. Gang vocals chime in for "May Your Memory Rot".  Could this be considered deathcore? Sure, though I feel there needs to be more death metal in the instrumentation; they just have a vocalist who likes death metal, which I don't feel defines the whole vibe. 

They declare they "see a fucking crime scene in your future" on "Violent Obsession." This seems like big words coming from just average Joe-sized guys. But they do carry a great deal of technical precision, which is more of their strength than the gym. Midway into the album, I begin to get the itch to hear a little more of what they can do aside from just dropping big breakdown riffs. Instead, they give me more of the ear-hammering, tough-guy attitude. This is where the monochrome aggression begins to make things feel uniform. I guess the guitar solos are another more death metal element. 

"Blade Between the Teeth" finds the heavy chugs dialed in. But it is more predictable than not. I am not sure what the chorus is or where things are really heading aside from another breakdown. But some kids are into that sort of thing. All I know is they'd better show me another side to what they do in the next three songs. 

"Two Empty Caskets"  carries a little more djent in its groove. Their drummer is certainly good, but you have to be to play this sort of music. The songwriting is more defined on this one, so it pacifies me for now. "Hell is Home" closes the album; it is a little more anthemic. Overall, I enjoyed this album; it was well done. I appreciate that they are more aligned with hardcore than the poppier modern metalcore scene. Sure there is a bit of uniformity in what they do, but it's fun for what it is and they made the album they set out to make, so I will give this a 9. Out on April 10th

Sun Don't Shine : "From Birth to Death"

This band is one half of Type O Negative and one half of Crowbar. So as expected, it's a 90s -post-grunge collision with sludge. Kenny Hickey handles the vocals as the stoner swagger moves with monolithic grooves. It's even more impressive than you can imagine.  The second song reminds me of Type O more than the first. This can be heard in the flavor of despair haunting the chorus. Kirk lends his voice in places to serve as a burly counterpoint to Hickey's tenor. 

There is more doom in "Coming Down."  They rumble out of it with the more swampy shuffle of "All You Wasted". There are some more melodic guitar sections buried in this blues-tinged dirge. Halfway into the album, my favorite song is "When It's Time to Leave," as it goes in a darker and thoughtfully melodic diretion. Hickey's voice feels like it is in its sweet spot here. They are amore overtly metal on "The Promise Song," which carries a late 90s post-grunge swagger to it. 

It does not sound like they were smoking as much weed as when they recorded "October Rust." I suppose some of the more psychedelic moments must have been thanks to Josh, though there is a slight trippy shimmer amid the thunder of "Black to Red". They drop back into darker, doomy riffs with "What You Are," which highlights their peak sound. Perhaps this might just be the sound I prefer, as I am obviously a bigger Type O Negative fan than Crowbar. "In the End" reminds me of solo Ozzy. It is more of a power ballad. I will give this album a 9.5. To their credit, it is not steeped in nostalgia but reminds me of a great time for music in the mid to late 90s when it came to this kind of post-grunge metal. Fans of both bands will appreciate it, as well as anyone looking for an awesome doomy album with stellar attention to detail when it comes to songwriting. 

Below is an interview I did with Type O / Suns Don't Shine  Drummer Johnny Kelly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBWoOWEqFPI&t=114s

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Portrayal of Guilt : "... Beginning of the End"

 "We Are Always Alone" stands as a masterpiece that this band's work is to be measured against. Up to this point, they have not met that head-on, but played around with more extreme and experimental sounds at various genre crossroads in heavy music. Grindcore being one of the more frequent ones, hardcore is another more notable sonic flavor they have painted their compositions with. This album finds them opening their arsenal to include a greater range of sounds, while tightening the songwriting to make songs that are digestible to broader metal audiences without compromising their unsettling, confrontational style. The opening track is more of a David Lynchian guitar piece that sets the stage before they launch into a darker and more melodic mood while still packing a punch that hits more like sludge.

"Heaven's Gate" is more explosive, but anchored by a beefy bassline. Ambience still haunts the corners of the song, creating dynamics rather than just bashing your ears out. "Under Siege" has more hardcore in its punk-driven charge. They show you can be hooked into music this abrasive by providing hooks even amid the unhinged fury. The vocals bark with purpose. The songs have something to say. The album is well broken up with the more experimental forays into things falling outside of the bounds of metal, breaking it up and giving the listener room to breathe. "Ectasy' was one of the lead singles, so I was prepared for its brand of weird that draws from 90s alternative while not forsaking the rough edges. 

"Death From Above" takes a turn down a darker alley. More metallic stomps accent the shadows here. The vocals drop into a more resonant death-metal growl. "God Will Never Hear Me" is another beautifully brooding song that is not dark in a post-punk or goth manner, but effective at introspective self-loathing. The counterpoint is a more dissonant, sludged-out, clanging. A more unexpected direction is Texas rapper Slim Guerilla appearing on "Chamber of Misery."  At only a minute, it's more of a bizarre interlude.

The riff that opens "Total Black" might be the most pleasing to more mainstream metal. The song grooves in its own way, even when the riff drops out to create space. "Object of Pain" is less intense and almost mroe like Crippling Alcoholism in how it slithers over ashtrays and empty liquor bottles. They close the album with the more in-your-face explosion of "The Last Judgement" that opens up on the verse, so give the vocals room to be more than an afterthought. These guys once again show that you can make one of the heaviest albums going this year without having to skimp on hooks to keep you engaged in the song. It's not too experimental; your ears are just boring. I'll give this one a 10, not even  Neurosis and Converge took this many chances. 

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TRIP VILLAIN : "Dose"

 

This project is more nu-metal than it is industrial. There is a great deal of brooding after the more Fear Factory-like thrashing of the opening track. I do like that things get darker as this album progresses. Synths play a larger role on "Cyan Spirits, though entrenched firmly in the dynamics of the nu-metal formula. Mudvayne being remixed by Prodigy is a fair enough assessment of "You Flew a Plane into My Heart".

The title track is just an electronic instrumental thumper, which is not generic, but really, all the button-pushing music tends to sound similar, given the nature of technology in 2026. The guitar and vocals of "Lowbender" that follow it underscore the importance of representing actual instruments. Perhaps there were some in the previous song that got obscured by the other sounds. It is all about balance, as when they dig deeper into metal, they tend to sound like everyone else on "Metrh Communion." 

It does not take much in some ases the right groove for things to work, which can be heard on the trickier time changes they hit you with on "Villain Maw". Some moments get a little chaotic as I had to give "Angelsmoke" a second listen, some of the more electronic-driven portions fade into background music for me.  It makes sense as it feels more likea an interlude that holds tension, while never building to the place it needs to. The payoff does not come until the next song as they close the album with "Shitkill" which is a more banging Slipknot-like tune that has ample melody even when it drones a bit. 

The verdict- 

To the band's credit they are not ripping off anyone while jumping on the nu-metal band wagon, sure Static X might be the most dominant influence4 here, but what they are doing feels like this is who they are, so I will give that a 9 as it means they showed up to the part with enough of their own indentity to make me appreciate what is going down here and a welcome edition to the genre. 

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March's Top 10 Albums

March is now in the rearview, so let's get you abreast of new releases. This might help you, casual readers, with what you might have missed.  I am not doing little blurbs on them, just linking the reviews. This helps me organize my lists for the end of the year by listing the album's genre. This does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my in-box that are not coming out til June, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month, there is a wide variety from Sudge to pop to post-punk, so perhaps you will find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for March of 2026.

10-Dalek- "Brilliance of a Falling Moon." 

Hip-hop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/dalek-brilliance-of-falling-moon.html

9-Fotocrime- "Security" 

Post-punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/fotocrime-security.html

8-Lair of the Minotaur- "I Hail I." 

Hardcore- Sludge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/lair-of-minotaur-i-hail-i.html

7-Starbenders - 'The Beast Goes On" 

new-wave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/starbenders-beast-goes-on.html

6-Traitrs-"Possessor" 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/traitrs-possessor.html

5-Poison Ruin- "Hymns From the Hills" 

Punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/poison-ruin-hymns-from-hills.html

4-Slayyyter - "the Worst Girl in America." 

Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/slayyyter-worst-girl-in-america.html

3-Morrissey -"Make Up Is a Lie." 

Indie- Rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/morrissey-make-up-is-lie.html

2-The Twilight Sad- It's the Long Goodbye." 

Post-punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-twilight-sad-its-long-goodbye.html

1--Neurosis- "An Undying Love For a Burning World."

Sludge 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/neurosis-undying-love-for-burning-world.html

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Lair of the Minotaur : " I Hail I"

These bruisers are back with more hardcore grit to their attack. The vocals come across as being less growled and more of a burly command. The grooves are as dense as you might want them. There is almost a sludge weight. The aggression is not a full-speed-ahead charge but a massive grind of distraction chugged with malicious intent.  Things are more melodic on "Enthroned in Violence," which brings the Melvins to mind a little. "Fucked Inside Out" finds the brutality moving more smoothly than expected. 

Sure, "Deepest Hell" moves in a rapid-fire, punishing manner that reminds me more of their older work; the growth they showed me on the first four songs spoiled me and raised my expectations."Saturnus Reigns" is more hammering but slowed down enough to take it all in. It continues to groove like a sludged-out version of hardcore. 

"Prowler Twin Sister"  chugs with headbanging authority, but things continue to move in the same direction. The vocals are more barked in some places.  I knew they were going to do a cover of Ethel Cain's "Family Tree."  The original is more of an atmospheric intro that she does sing over, and the lyrics are pretty muh the only thing that is the same. Not sure where the inspiration for that riff even came from. 'Vulture Worship' sounds cool, but is more of an interlude. Things slow down to a more ominous sludge mood on the last song. I will give this one a 9 andd see how it grows on me it is a excellent return to form, while still showing growth andd heavy as all hell. 

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Midscale : "Dread, This Could Save You"

 

The first from the French band's new EP kicks off with the kinda of woozy vibes you expect from shoegaze in 2026. Especially given how pronounced the nod to the 90s guita5r tones they have dialed in. Where they set themselves apart is in the more indie rock feel of the vocals, This in some ways is more of a production choiuce, less effects on the voice and more forward placement in the mix, instread of the hazy whisper of shoe gaze vocals that are a more androgymous coo, that what happens here, where you can make out lyrics rather than it being the texture of a voice.

This carries over to a greater extent on the second song, "Screengaze," that finds the guitar ringing out more like the Smiths. The sullen croon of the baritone vocals might not carry the anxious tension of post-punk, but it comes closer to the genre than shoegaze here. This gives a strong argument in favor of them not just falling in line with what other bands are doing and setting themselves apart. This is also accomplished in the more nuanced vocal approach with this song. They are also very dynamic songwriters, and I think giving the vocal priority falls in line with this. This can also be felt in hte very organic flow of "Blurry." 

The last song fnds the hesitant chords falling with a thought of deliberation. The vocal melody carries a pathetic drone that sets the stage for the more intense sonic build that grows around them. While this all sounds great, it is more of an abstract arrangement than a hookier songwriting formula they have managed to balance up until this point. Things get heavier, with shouted vocals accenting this, which was not the build I was expecting, but glad they were willing to go there. Overall, what they do here works better than most since they are writing songs and keep the vocals vital, this places them ahead of the pack when it comes to indie rock flavored shoegaze in 2026 so far, I will give this one a 9.5, and see if it keeps my interest as the year progresses. 

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