Orphans of Dusk : "Spleen"

 This doom trio that features the singer from Mesmur, seems to draw a great deal of Type O Negative comparisons. But how accurate is that ? Since Type O Negative is one of my favorite bands, I am pretty qualified to weigh on this. Then there is the fact I am weighing in on this kind of thing across a multitude of music planforms any ways. They are doom band with low sung baritone vocals , but also use death metal snarls as well, which not what Peter Steele did, so yes there is influence there, but Woods of Ypres, Moonspell, Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride could all be influences as well. If you just label them a Type O tribute then you are telling me you have a very limited range of musical knowledge. Not that they are the most original band either, but I found "Wasted Hero" enjoyable. 

By the second song I am listening for where the identity of this band is buried beneath their influences.  The impact of their oppressive gloom holds more impact when you first hear. "I am Going to Haunt You" does have a hooky chorus, so it's not surprise they released a video for this song. The verses do not groove in the way that made Type O so infectious, so they are more like My Dying Bride in this regard. They do the pick scrapes to further the illusion they are giving you bloody kisses, but then lurch in growled doom that languishes in the misery. The singer's croon reminds me more of Burton C Bell. The trade of of the vocals with the croon, further spotlights this fact for me. It's odd that this is coming out of Australia / New Zealand , Finland or England would make more sense to me. They do slowly lean more into the more funeral side of doom as the more sprawling compositions unfold.

The title track finds them sitting solidly in sound of most of the metal bands I listened to in the 90s. Bands like Tiamat and Samael got darker and more melodic. There was a similar pained croak that narrated the more romantic tales of sanguine addictions.  The most Type O like moment is how they ebb and flow from the transitions on the title track . I appreciate the darker direction they go down with "Victim of a Vampire", It might take me some time to warm up to some of the tempo shifts in this one, but it could happen. "Magic Keys" is just and interlude to throw a guitar solo onto. For the purpose of this review I am not counting it as a song. 

"Falling Star" plods along in with enough charm as it splashes synths onto it's shoulders. Not sure lyrically what they are getting at and when I think I am about to untangle this , they shift into a heavier dynamic;. The snarled vocals have more of a Cathedral cadence. I  will give this album a 9, as it's not the most original thing , but I like where they go with and the toys they are choosing to play with are some of my favorite toys in the toy box. If you are a fan of gothy doom do yourself a favor and check this out. This dropped on Hypnotic Dirge Records. 

Enforced : "War Remains"

This Virginia based band is gaining a buzz with this album. They are being referred to a thrash, but there sound incorporates in equal measure death metal and hard core. The first song hits you with impressive force. The song however the pour on the speed, and the stiff snare pattern that follows is one of my pet peeves when it comes to this sort of thing as it feels like it belongs on a boring punk album. "Hanged By My Hand" finds a more effective groove and they slow down enough to be more effective song writers. 

The problem begins to occur going into "Avarice" when things start to sound the same before, they summon up a riff that feels more like Slayer. However when they speed up they begin to lose the cool elements they had begun to lock into. The vocals are boring they sound the same in every song, which begins to give this album a uniform feel. The title track proves the rule here which is , cool riffs alone does not a good song make. There are a few here but , no songs that are blowing me away, though the first one got my attention. Sonically they share a great deal of common ground with old Sepultura. 

Much like my complaints with black metal bands that use blast beats too often, thrash can be hampered by the need for speed. It causes bands to rush what might be other wise interesting riffs by you rather than allowing you to feel them. Doing so riffs run together ,as well as songs as I was listening to the title track and the next thing I knew I was already on "Nation of Fear".  There are some places where the vocals have more of a purpose than others. "Ultra-Violence" is not a cover of the Death Angel song, it is another rushed one dimensional chug fest. It seems like the are more concerned with which riffs sound best to solo over rather than what is going to work for the vocals .

They prove that being deliberate works on "Starve". This does not stop them from stepping on the gas, but there is more of a dynamic contrast established when they do. This is the first time the drummer stands out for me as being exceptional, I mean this kind of metal requires an above average drummer for sure. There is a more Slayer inspired groove to the last song that proves to be more effective than some of the other fury they unleash on this album. I will give this album an 8, they are great at what they do, what they do is just inconsistent in how unique it is. They are not re-inventing the wheel by any stretch of the imagination, but they take this trip down memory lane in a heavier direction. Perhaps that is all you ask from music these days.As a teenager I would have been into this more.  

Yakuza : "Sutra"

 Chicago Avant - Guardians are back. It's been over ten years since their last release. There is a more focused intention to bring the heavy here. Bruce Lamont, moans with more anger on the off-kilter opening track that is framed with dissonance. "Alice" has a deliberate metal chug kicks it into motion. The music shifts under the vocals. In many ways, it feels like a noise rock band that managed to capture a massive sound by mistake and shed punk aspirations for metal grandiosity. There is a grungy atmosphere when their thoughts turn inward, which keeps a great dynamic balance.  "Echoes From the Sky" has a more math rock chaos, that keeps the pulse of the song writhing through the riffs that are being thrown. This rougher edge does cause them to compromise the melody, leaving Bruce to yell at you more often than not here. It might sound like sludge if it was slowed down some. As I typed those words that is what happened. The result is more like a Swans like creep, as the burly bass keeps booming behind them. e

"Embers" finds them ebbing down into a more Doors like place where Bruce's croon feels most comfortable. "Capricorn Rising' works off a similar vibe before midway into the song it bursts into a pretty much straight up metal attack . There is a thrashed out sludge feel to it that reminds me of earlier Mastodon. " Burn Before Reading" carries this energy further into a metal maelstrom. The chug of the guitars has a more thrash influence aggression to the tension being held. Two and a half minutes into it, there is a shift into a more atmospheric section for the sax to float along. They come hammering back with more sludge tinged syncopation. I like the dark exotic slither of "Walking God". The moodier moments are some of the album's strongest. It builds up into a gradually heavier deliberation with it settling down like a storm. 

"Into Forever" is almost like a Melvins song. It's has a cool straight up metal riff that drives it, with left of center vocals, so occupies the same space as the Melvins. The odd vocal phrasing, which comes from a much less emotionally aggressive place than most metal , keeps up it's weird streak for "Psychic Malaise". This song is not as catchy as the others. The riffs are jerked around with a bit of awkwardness. This creates the effect I think they are going for, however I am not sure how pleasing it is to my ears in this instance. There is a more spacious mood as if they are sailing into the dusk on the last song, slowly builds with a more epic dynamic on the last song. They do proggy in a weird way, which is more accurate if you are thinking about bands like Vander Graf Generator and King Crimson, though the song converges upon the more sludged-out riffage that empowers the bulk of this album. I will give this album a 9, as it's return to form for the band though takes close notes from their peers. Highly enjoyable listen, let's see how it grows on me. 

Predatory Void : "Seven Keys to the Discomfort of Being"

Combining members of Amenra with the vocalist from Russian Black Metal band Cross Bringer, there is something dark and powerful being created here. While Lina's vocal mainly focus on more brutal harshness, she does sing some passages in a more ethereal alto . The heaviness is a like a crashing wave , it hit and then recedes with a throb. I would say these guys are more sludge than any other genre as the sonic heaviness approaches the shadows rather than bathing in them like a doom band would. There is more emotion being poured out here than just aggression. 

Simmering under the surface is a  black metal influence, that comes from more than just the scathing manner Lina screams. Blast beats bubble like a furious undercurrent on the title track. It starts off as one of the most melodic songs, before things get ugly. The two minutes into the song and they take off with the speed for a good thirty seconds. The manner the black metal elements are woven into the fabric of their sound, is done in a very organic manner, so it's not like they are all of sudden showing up in corpse pain. Not that there is anything theatrical enough to call for that display of their inner Halloween to paint themselves up for. With that said, I do not think the title track is as well written as the first two songs. It's not ineffective, it just doesn't connect with me as much mood wise. 

Normally I would prefer the kind of downtrodden folk they veer off into with "Seeds of Frustration" but the song just lingers in its melancholic drone and never goes elsewhere. They hammer back at you with a black metal core anger. The drummer is impressive there is no question about that. It is not their most hook filled song. Instead, it works off a stormy brooding. If you are wondering which genre is heavier black metal or sludge, that question is answered by the shift of sound going into "Shedding Weathered Skin" proves the weight of deliberation crushes blast beats . The last song gives your ears more breathing room by creating space for dynamics when it breaks down into a more palm muted hush. I will give this album a 9, it is pretty relentless, but shows a willingness to work with melody, and has a beautifully dark mood. 

The Top 40 Nu-Metal Albums - 30 to 21

As we continue to delve deeper into our list of the Top 40 Nu-Metal albums, things begin to require a more objective view in order to shed the sense of nostalgia carried for certain albums from this era. These are the forty albums from the genre that have best stood the test of time. We have not leaned too  heavily on  any one band, in fact there is only one band that made a large enough contribution to perhaps the genre’s entire existence to merit more than one entry, These are not the album with singles that got the most plays from Carson Daily or sold the most units back in the day when bands sold albums, but the ones with the best songs. Popularity means nothing, as sheep will just follow the leader. I am also not just limiting it to the mid to late 90s. There are plenty of nu-metal albums released recently that got right what bands before them did not catch onto, as well as a few that preceded the label of nu-metal. 

 Don’t be quick to break out the cardboard just yet, as album that relied solely on rapping are in the minority, as they all ended up sounding like what the Beastie Boys did on “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun”, and if your entire career can not exceed the dynamic range of a single Beastie Boys album, then chances are you are not the best of any genre. I also am standing fast by the metal part, this meant excluding a few great albums by bands who were more post-hardcore or even just intense rock albums that were not metal. Don’t expect to see the Beastie Boys on here either, if you can’t understand they don’t belong on a metal list, then it’s time to drown yourself in the next convenient body of water you can find. With that let’s dig into our Top 40 nu-metal albums.

30-Nonpoint - "To the Pain" 2005

By the fourth album they had the formula dialed in airtight. Their songwriting managed to be pretty fucking working off syncopated guitars working off vocal repetition. Not fully as committed to the hip hop side of the equation that can be hear in the phrasing of Elias's verses, which in and of themselves work better than most band's choruses. By 2005 the transition into the era of Myspace had begun and these guys managed to be relevant in that context.

29-Papa Roach-"Infest' 2000

 Yeah ya know your life being cut into pieces , but there are also 11 other songs on this album. Which by the way is their second album. If you like this genre of music and have only heard the single then you need to do yourself a favor and give them whole thing a listen. It's infectious in the explosive energy it hits you with. Spitfire vocals are balanced with sung hooks, and has on of the most in your face mixes.

   

 28-Issues- "Beautiful Oblivion" 2019

 When you think about boy bands with guitars like Linkin Park that emerged from this scene, this band was much more honest in how they woven their pop leanings in with the metal side of their sound, into one sinewy beast that held deadly choruses which got stuck in your head. A prime example of a band that learned from those that came before them.

   

27-Sevendust-"Home" 1999

Many might be partial to their 1997 debut. The sophomore album is more polished where it counts , which is namely the songwriting. The vocals begin to explore more soulful places, along with both Chino and Skin contributing guest vocals .

   

 26 Bush -"The Art of Survival" 2022

Thanks to Chris Traynor the former guitarist of Orange 9 MM, a band who came close to making the list, this band gained a heavier edge that reached the point of near perfect songwriting with last year's release, not the grunge band you might remember from the 90s, but I guess divorce added the extra edge of anger Gavin needed.

   

25-In This Moment- "Blood" 2012

They started off in a much different place, trying to exceed their grasp in terms of heaviness. This album found them settling into a place that was a better fit. At times the album sounds like if Katy Perry was fronting KMFDM, but the blend of pop hooks and industrial strength metal made for effective grooves that pay homage to this era.

   

 

 24- Guano Apes - "Proud Like a God" 1997

 

This German band did not get the recognition they deserved back in the day. Front by the diminutive Sandra Nasic, who larger than life voice amped up the impact of the slapped bass groove and dynamic anthems. They might be the least metal band on this list, but they packed enough punch in the pit to belong on this list . 

   

 23-Scars on Broadway- "S/T" -2008

 the guitarist and drummer from System of a Down, created this side project that leans into System of a Down's more traditional metal influences. When this album came out it seemed like a more logical progression. It has held up well over the years, and rooted enough in System's sound to belong on this list. 

   

 22 Chevelle-"Wonder What's Next" 2002

It's like these guys could not decide if they wanted to be Helmet or Tool, so they just decided to split the difference and try to do both at the same time. Not the most original band on this list, but the are damn fine songwriters. That goes a long ways in my books. 

 

21- Coal Chamber - "S/T"1997

This album pretty much encompasses every aspect of nu-metal. The creepy window dressing, the down-tuned grooves, as the chanted chorus that build into pumped up bouncing. Slapped bass provided the back bone, and really the only reason this album did not rank higher is I feel like Dez's vocal prowess was somewhat limited, but his delivery is also a part of this album's charm , so it's a both a blessing and a curse. 

Defiled : "the Highest Level"

When I saw this Japanese band has been around since 1992, I guess I expected more than just blatant Morbid Angel worship. However upon closer inspection I saw the guitarist is the only original member and most of the band got hired on in 2013. Their bassist in 2019, making it their second album together in this incarnation. The production could be better. Perhaps they are going with a rougher mix in order to feel more grind core Changing over to headphones helped with the mid ranged drum sounds. They are very straight forward in their machine like attack in a manner than reminds me of Deicide when it comes to the title track  .  I get English is their second language, so the lyrics come across like random words collected from the metal encyclopedia of the occult , with no real merit to their meaning, when it comes to the narrative assembled here. 

The riffs feel a little stiff on "Entrapped". They announce big brother is watching you, which finds them veering off more into issues in the world around them, and chugging with more of a thrash like feel. "Status Quo" feels more like a chaotic version of "Beneath the Remains" era Sepultura. They do branch out from the Morbid Angel sound they album opened with. There is a hint of crusty punk to the thrash touches of "Warmonger". There is not a great deal of thought put into the arrangement of "Demonization" . When all else fails pour on the speed is what many bands resort to, these guys at least try to avoid that, but lack the direction of where to go. The drummer fills the space with plenty of fills, when a groove might work better. 

There is an almost grind core Sepultura formula beginning to establish it self by the time we get to "Madness Accelerated" . There are times when a riff here or there comes about that might be evolved into a worthwhile song but it is rushed out of the way by the desperate fury that this album tries to run off of. They sometimes even stumbled into a cool riff that does groove, but the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make, this album is a clear cut demonstration of what that is in place, as this album needs direction when it comes to the arrangements. The songs begin to blast by me, as my interest wanes during "the Last Straw". There are a few guitar solos that blazed by where I thought if I was into that kind of thing I might be impressed. Vocally things seem to try to go into more of an Obituary place as it progresses.  "Red World" is a pretty decent song, the problem, tends to be how the dry vocals are sitting in the front of the mix, and the guitars need a bigger sound.Not all the problems lie in production, but if they had more supervision in the studio some of the other issues might have been dialed back. I will give this one a 5.5  

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8.5

The Top 40 Nu-Metal Albums - 40 to 31

Ironically “nu-metal” was never new. It picked up where the alternative metal bands of the previous years left off and took it in a darker, more grooving direction. Most of these bands listened to Metallica and Depeche Mode in equal measure. Many came from the hard-core scene but drugs and mommy issues got the best of them. Thus they crawled out from under trailer parks in Huntington Beach in fish-net shirts and oversized black jeans. Anthrax had already been rapping since 1987, so the hip hop influence was nothing new. The nu-metal scene took the brooding of grunge and turned the anger inward, until it exploded in a breakdown with the rage of a school shooting. 

 I am shedding the sense of nostalgia you might carry for certain albums from this era and presenting the forty best that stood the test of time, while not leaning too heavily on any one band, in fact there is only one band that I feel made a large enough contribution to perhaps the genre’s entire existence to merit more than one entry, These are not the album with singles that got the most plays from Carson Daily or sold the most units back in the day when bands sold albums, but the ones with the best songs. Popularity means nothing, as sheep will just follow the leader. I am also not just limiting it to the mid to late 90s. There are plenty of nu-metal albums released recently that got right what bands before them did not catch onto, as well as a few that preceded the label of nu-metal. 

 Don’t be quick to break out the cardboard just yet, as album that relied solely on rapping are in the minority, as they all ended up sounding like what the Beastie Boys did on “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun”, and if your entire career can not exceed the dynamic range of a single Beastie Boys album, then chances are you are not the best of any genre. I also am standing fast by the metal part, this meant excluding a few great albums by bands who were more post-hardcore or even just intense rock albums that were not metal. So don’t expect to see the Beastie Boys on here either, if you can’t understand they don’t belong on a metal list, then it’s time to drown yourself in the next convenient body of water you can find. With that let’s dig into our Top 40 nu-metal albums.

40-Hed Pe - "S/t" -1997

This dub inflected band from Huntington beach , brought a collision of sounds which incorporated the chaos of Bad Brains , with a more confrontation hip hop hooks.  Once you get past some of the craziness coming at you in this sonic riot the refrains are catchy enough to bring you back for more

  . 

39- Jimmy's Chicken Shack- "Pushing the Salmonella Envelope" 1997

If stoner nu-metal was going to be a sub-genre, then this band would have been the poster boys. Some of their grooves held a more angular Primus like bounce. Their bing single "High" drove the album sales, but they were far from one hit wonders, as the deeper cuts were very well written and hold up today. 

 

 38-Alien Weaponry - "Tangaroa"  - 2021

New Zealand's answer Gojira, brings in a touch of  Sepultura , and a penchant for grooving riff, that at times bring Pantera to find. They are more melodic and left of center to be thrash, as their songs have more of the 90s bounce to them. Their rubbery bass lines further cement their place here. 

                       

37-Lollipop Lust Kill- "My So Called Knife"  2002

Powered by a great baritone croon, when not barking out anguished lyrics, this band took a creepy horror motif and made it more believable through the dark and heavy onslaught they hit you with on this album. Nu-metal gave birth to grown men finding cathartic release in complaining about their mommy issues, these guys took it further and allowed those issues to give them a more aggressive serial killer worshipping slant.

   

36-Human Waste Project -"E-lux"  1997

Another Huntington Beach band who emerged from 1997. This under rated band was set aside from the pack by the charismatic voice of front woman Aimee Echo, who went on to form the Start. She took the sugary punk coo made popular at the time by Gwen Stefani, and made it more aggressive. Her band shifts under her melodies with stunning ease.

   

34-Finger Eleven - "Tip" - 1997

This Canadian band became more well known thanks to albums that would followed, but let us not forget album sales do not equate better. These songs have a more powerful emotional urgency to them. They never carried this balance of brooding and punching grooves as well after this .

                              

33-Flaw- "Through the Eyes" -2001

By the time this album came out in 2001 nu-metal was starting to see signs of decline. Sure it might be easy to write these guys off as a Dollar Store version of Disturbed , but Chris Volz had an impressive and expressive voice, that played to the strength of the songs.

   

32 - New Years Day - "Unbreakable"- 2019 

Like most musical trends to keep the sound alive it must change. This California band is at the top of the food chain when it comes to the current wave of Female fronted American metal bands. Their fourth album finds the formula dialed in perfectly with pop sensibilities of radio vixens, while wielding a sledgehammer.

    

31- Filter - "Short Bus" 1995

Sure Richard Patrick was the touring guitarist for Nine Inch Nails, but that did not make his band industrial. The took a great deal of the spit and vinegar that genre offered and gave it enough heroin and pills to feel more like a grunge band at times.  He was a few years ahead of curve, but right on time. 

     

the National : "First Two Pages of Frankenstein"

There are albums I measure an artist by. For this band it's "Trouble Will Find Me". Up to this point it feels like the band has not tapped into the same depth of feeling. That has changed with this album. The vocals are more memorable and melodies weave complex webs of melancholy around everything. Granted this album has nothing really to do with Frankenstein like the title suggest. Instead they have written some thoughtful songs, that are introspective , but still go somewhere. Matt's sullen baritone remains understated but with impeccable phrasing as the lyrics bounce off the music around him. Sufjan Stevens contribution of harmony vocals to the opening track, sits back in the mix. They indulge the kind of musings that play to their sonic strengths that border familiar territory without sounding stagnant. 

Phoebe Bridgers joins them on "This Isn't Helping" . Her voice cuts through more than Stevens did. She feels like more of a working part of the song. They pick up the tempo to a marginally poppier pace for "Tropic Morning News". This album sounds great and it's impressive they produced it it themselves. "Alien" coasts along an easy going middle road, that makes me think kids today will feel this is like the Barry Manilow of their day. It lacks the offensive edge that makes rock music dangerous, and makes this to casually play in a suburban coffee shop. I can also hear how this sits sonically not far from say the War on Drugs, when the smooth guitar solo comes in. They are so flowing in what they do it is hard to fault them. "the Alcott" which brings in Taylor Swift, is poised to expose a whole new generation to a while new kind of music, though to be fair it is not far from what Tay Tay does on "Folklore". How could anyone not see this coming. 

"Grease in Your Hair" required multiple listens before the subtlety of the writing caught up with me. The more folk flow of "Ice Machines" was another song that took time to sink in. Matt is singing up close to the mic in almost a whisper. There is more to the ballad "Your Mind is Not Your Friend" which Phoebe Bridgers returns for. Her vocals play a lesser role in this song. The pleading reflection of "Send for Me" hovers by with an intangible breeze of sound. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. The easy listening mood of the album brings heavy replay value, but there is a uniformity to the beige shades the songs are colored with. 

Jeromes Dream : "the Gray In Between"

 

These guys formed in 1997 making the legit old-school screamo. They have more in common with hardcore than how screamo is defined today. They took a 17-year break then put out a comeback album and this is now officially a thing again, as this marks their second release since reforming, and their first with the addition of Sean Leary from Loma Prieta on guitar. They have not lost any of the intensity. The feedback still screeches. They have a sound but are capable of writing songs. As with any form of extreme music sometimes the momentum of their sonic heaviness can carry them away as we begin to hear on the second song, which does not benefit from the kind of arrangement they compose on "South By Isolation" . The guitars create a dense wall of sound for the screaming vocals to throw themselves against.  

There is more dynamic nuance on "Pines on the Hill" . They are still pretty explosive , but the contrasting sound give the more feral section a space to launch themselves from. The vocals are emotive , but sound like an obligatory human element when you stop to ponder the story they are telling. At almost four minutes it gives them more time to explore rather than their more compact punk style of writing. There is a piano interlude after this song that I am not counting in terms of this review. "AAEEAA" works off a tightly syncopated riff. The arrangement works off a simple formula but proves to be effective. There is room for the song to breathe. The riff to "On Holiday With Infinity" stars off with a similar stomp, but then things get blasty. Not as interesting as the song before it.

The more spastic explosion that is "the Future of Memory" works off the kinetic energy it expels. The frantic chaos does have form and function. Not the best song on the album, but I can appreciate where they are going with it. "Often Oceans" is an instrumental, that while it utilizes cool guitar tones, never turns into anything, so feels more like an interlude. If some of those elements had been combined with what they do in the last song, both songs would have benefited from the experimentation. I get what they are going for on the last song, but think a little more dynamics would have been the way to go. I will give this a 9, as these guys know what they are doing, what they are doing could have resonated more with me in a few places, but I think they accomplished what they set out to do with every ounce of their souls invested in it. If you like screamo this is a must.  

A Cloud of Ravens : " Lost Hymns"

This duo plays a self aware blend of post-punk that is ready for goth night. There is more of an organic tension to the second song, where they opening track wallows in it's own thunderous atmosphere. The vocals were given a great deal of love in the production  process, which helps the over all performance of the song. The melodramatic baritone that is the focal point croons around the riffs. Not the hooky take on this sort of thing, but it works. "Old Ghosts " finds the vocals more emotive, but the pulse of syncopation driving the song does not really hook me in. "the Blackest Mantra" keeps things moving, but the songwriting still lacks the sense of infection that the song aspires to have. 

The dramatic ambiance that is the heart beat to "Parable" works better than what occurred on the previous song. The bass playing courtesy of Beth Narducci, is pretty impressive. The thump of "Fear Not' works really well and furthers the darker mood. I like the way the vocals are layered on "Nature of Artifice" though the synths seem to be a little over bearing and haphazard" . Things do not get a great deal darker until " When We Go Cold", the more intricate instrumentation, creates a 70s rock feel that slowly builds. The vocals sit perfectly in the mix, but the synths are to forward in the mix and it casts a glaring spot light on the unsure footing they laydown,

"Rite & Ritual" takes a while to get going, working off the more whispered vocal that sets the subdued narrative. The moods is dramatic enough to please most fans of old school dark wave, but nothing hooks me into the repetitive question the vocals ponders. "Tower Down" benefits from the drive of the bass player. Beth anchors this album well. The elements in place all work, but in terms of the album holding my attention the momentum is slightly waning in the third act . The last song works off a droning pound of drums. The chorus that builds up feels more obligatory, and though it is pleasant to listen to the band started off too strong for me to settle with filler. Despite coasting at the end the overall effect of the album is powerful enough for me to give this one a 9. This duo kicks up a lot of sound, thanks to the hefty croon of the vocals. 

Henget : "Beyond North Star"

This band from Finland combines black metal with 70s prog. What makes this work, is how they learned the bands form the 70's put writing songs first rather than progressing into sprawling wanking with nothing to draw you in. The snarl of the vocals , is the least interesting element of what is in motion here. There is dizzying moments of musicianship, but it is balanced with catchy syncopation and melody. On the second song the more mindboggling side of their playing begins to run away with the song until the jazzy middle section. These are done in very compact formats as none of the songs sprawl out over the five minute mark. "Henkivallat' is more deliberate in it's punchy syncopation and chanted vocals . 

The guitars buzz to life with the more standard black metal tremolo picking for "the Great Spiral". The vocals are a more declarative snarl. It reminds me of a less orchestral Dimmu. Further listens I picked up on the more thrashing vibe of the verses. They vocals sit back in the mix more and have a raw distortion to them. As the song progresses it gets darker which I appreciate. Not an album that relies on blast beats or the standard conventions of black metal, yet they pour the speed on going into the title track. The verse riff has an almost death metal aggression to it. It is not as memorable as the previous. Though it depends on what you listen for when it comes to heavy music. If you want a heavier punch packed it does carry that. It also rips into a guitar solo, which black metal normally has less of. 

There is a less proggy more straight forward heaviness to "Lovi" that uses synths to color the edges of the song in a similar manner to older Sigh. Sigh is a band they share common ground with when it comes the balance of prog and black metal. The last song plays it safe while still indulging the band in their weird brand of black metal, but the sounds feel like they might if assembled by AI trying to recreate black metal without having heard it. I will give this album an 8, they start strong and take more chances while caring about the songs, which is more than you are getting from most black metal these days if judging by what comes though my in-box. Comes out May 18th on Season of Mist. 

Grave Pleasures - "'Plagueboys"

My favorite Finnish post- punk revivalists are back. There is a more melodic quality in place on these new songs, that takes some of the more metallic edges off. On songs like "Heart Like a Slaughterhouse" they have taken their tried and true sound, echoing all the way back to when they were Beastmilk and polished it into something even catchier. The pleading baritone warble of his croon, even stronger due to the songs being written with vocals at the centerpiece. "When the Shooting is Done" finds new wave flirtation taking place. This pressed even further, with Mat toying with his upper register with "High on Annihilation" which benefits from a catchy chorus. The ghost of the 80s haunts this heavily, without these guys becoming more obsessed with chasing a sound than writing a song. 

If you ever wondered what Joy Division might sound like if Ian Curtis had lived and the band moved toward the New Order sound with him in tow it would not be far from what happens with "Lead Balloons". The down trodden mood weighs down the hookiness. The song drones out until it fades out in the distance. "Imminent Collapse" reminds us that the world has merely caught up with what the band's message has been, the world is ending, making it a helluva time to fall in love. This one has to grow on me, but by the end of the song I am onboard. My growing concern about this album was the more laid back mood, which was not playing to the strength found in the explosive tension of their previous albums, but play to those strengths on "Society of Specters" . It might not rock as hard as what they have done in the past, but proves they are still capable of getting there. 

There is a great bass on this album. Strong bass is the backbone of post-punk, and this factor is not forgotten in the more spacious mix. "Conspiracy of Love" displays some really wonderful guitar tones. The intensity is dialed back, but the more refined energy still proves effective here. Lyrically this album is pretty great , but it is going to take another listen for it to all sink in. The title track finds the bass digging into a beefier tone to drive the song. It is more brooding, and allows the vocals to speculate with less urgency. The song moves at more of a shuffle. There is more of a Cure like feel to the atmospheric drone of the last song's bass line. His vocals are more interesting and it might be one of the album's best song, despite not relying as heavily on hooky writing. I will give this album a 9.5, as I am still getting use to some of the directional shift taken, but they are still one of the best that revisiting this era. 

8.9

ten56.- "Downer"

 Here is a band whose debut album points out the fact that metal core has always been the evolution of nu-metal. It is different from metallic hard-core. Down tuned riffs chug through odd timed grooves. The vocals are growled in a more syncopated  fashion than what you find in death metal. Sometimes these are more rapped. This album was previously released as two eps, but we are just going ahead and counting this as a new album. saw videos the first time I have heard most of these songs. I saw videos for a couple when I was checking to see where nu-metal was going and this band's man came up. The main problem I hear these guys facing is by the third song, what they do is all beginning to sound the same to me. There is marginally more Slipknot like thrashing on "Shitspitter" but not enough to convince me they are not a one trick pony. 

"Sick Dog" finds them slowing down and rapping more. By rapping , this kind of delivery is more in line with what Ghostemane does. In other words  like a juggaloo that got hooked on opiates. "Boy "is when I hit the wall and could not tell what song was which until it hit the creepy whispered breakdown. I appreciate that this song seems to be about a serial killer. Many of their riffs sound like you are caught in a perpetual break down. "Kimo" has a darker electronic pulse before slamming into the heavy crunch of the half time riff. "Yenta" is more Slipknot like in it's attack, though with less extra banging and clanging. It is heavy, but not as hooky in it's intentions when it comes to the grooves. It sounds like distorted walls of noise beating your ears. Some might be impressed with how heavy it is. Heavy is a dime a dozen, give me a song worth listening to. 

They deliver a pretty well written song with "Traumadoll". There is more of a Korn feel to it. "RLS" has actual singing to it, in order to capture the sound of TIK TOK era pop music, that has the darker vibe of their sound haunting it, which is an effective combination. They are back to their normal groove after this, which works better as the dynamic range of the album expands. Sure it is on the more Slipknot side of the equation, but it works. "Ender' finds them back to just beating your ears with the riffs. There is a rapped break down section but it is nothing that inspires me to return to it for another listen. "Choky" closes the album with a much more compelling groove. Though they get a little spastic in places, rather than writing a hook, which they have already proven themselves capable of doing. I will give this album an 8.5, as there are more songs that work well, than tedium, many of my qualms are just stylistic issues, but rather than having a get of my lawn moment, when it comes to this new take on something old I think they created what they set out to, and there is an audience for this. 

Portrayal of Guilt : "Devil Music"

At first, you might be fooled into thinking this is a more straightforward metal album, at least until you get to "Burning Hand" which has the atmosphere and dissonance that you might have come to love from these guys. They do however open up the album with some solid grooves. There is less black metal menace or grindcore explosions, but it still works. There is an abundance of chaos, as the drummer attacks the riffs. The second song has some interesting guitar sounds. Odd angular spaces let in strange places. They lock this into a solid grooving head bobbing riff. Almost a Helmet or nu-metal sense of movement. The vocals stay at a scornful rasp. While he is a wild man, the drummer is really making himself felt on this album. 

"Where Angels Come to Die" is one of the first songs that strikes me as black metal, Though I have not always thought of these guys as a black metal band, but as a band influenced by it. They do throw in a creepy middle section into the song, and deliberately make things stompy, before embracing the blast beats, which has not always been their thing. The title track finds things delving even further into darkness. The percussion takes on a more industrial crunch. That is before they blast off into a cosmic abyss. We are very much supportive of any excursions into an abyss here. The lyrics are spat out in a manner that you can understand he is exclaiming that he wants to watch you suffer and feel your pain. This is beautiful. When I read the lyrics on their Bandcamp it painted another picture, one that seemed to use BDSM as a metaphor perhaps, this may or may not be for the devil but either way it feels like the band is their inner darkness. 

The plot twist comes after the title track where they take the same five songs they originally presented and discard the guitars. They replace the metallic sounds with string, and are darker in so doing. 'One Last Taste of Heaven " is too close to call, if pressed which version is better. I think the unnerving dissonance is given a more chilling sensation on the string rendition of "Untitled". It reminds me a little of Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum. The spoken vocals that were buried in "Burning Hand' are given more focus in the new arrangement of the song.  "Where Angels Come to Die" is stripped of the black metal sounds, leaving the scowling vocals to be exposed in their hateful intentions. The guitars raging around the title track pounded the point of the lyrics home with more conviction in the original version. I am only rounding this down to a 9, due to the fact I would prefer five more songs, but feel their experiment was successful and a bold artistic statement, now with that out of their system hopefully another full-length waits in the wings? 

The 420 Play List

Rather than end your day with same boring old tunes all the bong worshippers today will be, ya know the ones, Bob Marley, Cypress Hill , Pepper  and the mix of jams bands the jeep driving masses will be playing today here is a mix of classics with a wider range of sonic colors, a sprinkle of indie rock, metal, and other sonic oddities colored with the haze of the mind altered weirdness  ,  here you go smoke'em if you got em.

Pierce the Veil - " Pass the Nirvana"

 

 healthyliving- " Dream Hive"

   

 Spotlights - "Sunset Burial"

   

 Death Valley Girls - "Watch the Sky"

 

 Mystic 100's - "Drug Man"

   

 Boygenius- "True Blue"

 

Lana Dey Rey- "A&W"

   

 Megafauna - "Dozer"

   

 Ugly- "In My Pocket"

   

 jpegmafia X Danny Brown - "Run the Jewels"

 

ISON : "Stars & Embers"

This band featuring ex-members of Crippled Black Phoenix is releasing a new slab of ethereal wonderment. It also finds Irish singer and former Sister of Mercy backing vocalist Lisa Cuthbert at the microphone. The opening track rides a wave of atmosphere. It is a very ambient form of alt pop, that flirts with the elements of shoe gaze and dream pop without conforming to either. There is less movement to the second song which is more like a less radio friendly version of Sarah Mclachlan. Cuthbert still maintains emotional urgency to her voice, the song it self , feels more like it works off a sound. I am sure if you were on the right drugs it would make more sense. 

"Peregination" works more of synths, this time with a low baritone vocal joining in. You would think that they would be trying to emulate Sisters of Mercy here, and while that might be some of the inspiration they are doing more of their own thing as the dancey elements are not in place. They hit you with dramatic punches when the guitar kicks in that is more like waves crashing from a coming storm. "Radiant Void' has more of an electronic pulse. The chorus drifts off when song begins to kick in. This might focus more on the ambiance and not enough on the beat for fans of dark wave, though in some ways it is moving in that direction mood wise. "ASTR" finds a smooth balance of atmosphere and riding the understated groove . The moodier vocal melody coasts nicely over it. 

"Formations" is the first song where it feels like the mood and ambiance is overpowering the songwriting. The synths drown the more organic elements as the clouds descend to carrying everything into a dream like state. Perhaps that does not sound that bad to you and it is what you want from music. I understand but do you think it is going to be a song that you are going to want to hear in your car this time next year? "Beings of Light" fall in the gray area of that question as it is cinematically dramatic. The grandiose feeling borders on being like Lacuna Coil or Nightwish in it's massive rock undertones.

 The almost 17 minute final track of this album is a great deal of simmering ambiance to pack in a song that would make you want to hear it again. Especially when it feels like the first five minutes could have been dialed back . To write something this sprawling you need to give the listener more meat to sink their teeth into in order to justify investing the time it takes to listen to it. While I appreciate the elements that make me think of the Gathering, it's not until seven minutes in that we get to it.Overall this is a pleasing listen and I will give this album an 8.5.  

Megafauna : "Olympico"

The first thing that strikes me about this band from Texas is how the vocals of Dani Neff help set them apart. They are sugary in an pop fashion that does not succumb to normal pop sensibilities. There is harder rocking under the surface of these songs. It opens with a fairly brisk groove as she declares the time has come to "say goodbye to normal people" .  The second song it takes longer for the harder elements to creep in, but the songwriting has more going on than the legions of bong worshipping rockers that come closest to what is being done here. There is an almost garage rock quality to the guitar attack rather than anything resembling Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy which is the direction most bands head in.  This sound is more pronounced on "Bi-postal". The vocals taking on a quirky coo further distance this band from their peers."Capsize" finds the guitar getting more direct and almost as aggressive as AC/DC in the manner the riffs begin to go for the throat. Her vocals continue to offset this fact. 

They take a drastic turn into 60's lounge tinged bossa nova on "Sometime Island" . Things continue to head in a weirder direction on the dreamy jazz like shuffle of "Yellow". Her vocals float with a more subdued ambiance here. The song is more listless and wanders around rather than grooving with rock undertones. The guitars and vocals both sit in a really nice place for this one. They return to a more tense rocking motion with "Dozer". The palm mute guitar moves with a anxious twitch that clashes against the vocals. The chorus takes a more angular approach. I can here a slight post-punk influence if we are talking Gang of Four. 

"Lookout Mountain "finds them soars back off in more of a Pink Floyd direction. The heavier guitar riff, is a little more King Crimson like, but it circles the same 60s acid rock pentagram. She flexes her vocals chords in places her a little more. I appreciate hearing her belt it a bit. Then when the pace picks up at the four minute mark we are back in stoner rock territory. They allow the drugs to fully kick in on the more sublimely serpentine "Rage of the Queen" that goes full on prog. I will give this album a 9, as I like it a great deal and can get down with their unique creative vision here. 

Temple of Angels : "Endless Pursuit"

Trying to re-create the early 90s dream pop sound  is not about buying the right vintage reverb pedals or using the plug-ins to get a sound, but about the passion of songwriting. There has to be the kind of wistful yearning that this band captures. I knew they were worthy to carry that torch on the first song of their debut album. The brisk two minute post-punk jangle of "Waving to the Wind" makes the most of Bre Morell's vibrant alto that separates them from other post-punk revivalists. They dance into similar sonic gardens as the Cure on "Lost in Darkness". Which despite it's name is hazy brooding alt pop rather what I think of as goth, though it's adjacent enough in it's melancholy to win over fans of the genre, 

"Love Spins Around" has more of an indie rock feel with a more plaintive male croon taking over the mic.  The first song I would call dark is the deeper atmosphere of "When Shadow Smiles" that finds one of the guys joining Morell on vocals, though her voice soars to the forefront to create a more emotionally complex moodiness. This is the first song that a DJ could slip into a set on "goth night" at the club, and less people would notice the stylistic shift. Not that the song is aimed at shaking latex clad booty to, but slithers enough to get the pale ones moving. Same could be said for the bass line to "Torment" which Bre compliments with one of her more ethereal performances. 

She continues to knock it out of the park with her nuanced yet passionate vocal performances on "Secret Places" .Her voice weaves around the guitars perfectly on this song. Which is impressive considering the layered tapestry of sounds she must work around. "Stay" finds a steamy smoldering plea coming from Morell that weaves a web of melodies around the bubbling undercurrent of guitars. The longing that is essential for this kind of music is not only heard in her voice , but the guitars of "the Hill" she only compliments it further. Drummer Patrick Todd takes over lead vocals again for the last song. Not as emotionally charged of a vocal performance his smooth croon carries the kind of indifference that marks the era of music it pays homage to. I will round this up to a 10, as the most heart gripping moments balance out the moments like the last song which work well enough. Fans of moody dream pop with a guitar fueled backbone will  perhaps be as wow'ed as I am by this album. Sadly it does not come out until July 14th so you will have to hold onto the song below in the meantime.

Pa Vesh En : "Martyrs"

Being from Belarus, those involved with this project know what it is like to live on the brink of apocalyptic frenzy, so that anxiety is being channeled here.  The first song is a dismal cavern of torment churning from the distance in pits below. Things are equally throbbing up from the caves, where the blast beats can be felt rattling more where the more constant pulse of the first song had less noise and more pulsing. It is effective and the darkness invoked here feels real, there is a uniform feel to the sound, that I anticipate might force me to call into question how much song writing is being invested here Things do shift with the chplaced more on atmosphere. It sounds like shadows slithering up from the fog with drums a bubbling sound under the agonized ambiance.  

"Among a Stir of Echoes" starts off with what sounds like an industrial crunch and then descends into a crazed feral state that it never really recovers from. If you are just looking for haunted sonic chaos, then this album has you covered. If you are wanting actual songs, well that is yet to be determined. Often lost in reverb the wailing sounds stir a storm of white noise. The song after this one takes the insanity and plunges it into an even deeper and darker circle of hell, with dissonant guitar ringing out. It converges into something that sounds closer to instruments playing music, as the piece progresses. Unsettling is certainly a proper adjective even when the guitar lock into more of a shimmering tremolo picking. 

"When the Lights Out" is a dramatic turn from the other songs as it is mainly orchestral. This is a welcome reprieve from the chaos they are soon back to with  a more angular slant on "the Carnival of Eerie Souls". The instruments hammer in the distance in an other wise black metal fashion. The last song is all over the place pulling from many varied corners of black metal, there is shoe gaze like singing , as well as low death metal growls. It is all through against the dense blackness of torture created here, For all the variance of cacophony collected here at the end of the day, when the stream kept playing the next thing I know we were back on the second song again, so it ended up sounding the same, With that said I will give this album a 7.5, it is an impressive slab of darkness, but serves the hypnotic sound more than writing memorable songs.If you just need something evil sounding this project has you covered . Drops on Iron Bonehead May 19th. 

Iron BoneHead Productions · Pa Vesh En - In The Torment Cell

FIGHTS : "Scampirock"

 

Every scene in every region has their own bandwagons they jump on based on the success of their peers. In the Scandinavian rock scene Kvelertak has set that bar. This band from Norway is urgently following in their footsteps with raspy throat searing vocals taking command of the songs, like a methed out punk rock version of AC/DC. Yes, they have punk energy and aggression. It is not surprising a more aggressive metallic attack possesses their songs. From the opening track they make the most of their momentum, but once we get five songs in every thing begins to sound the same. The first song is more punk in it's frantic pursuit. They allow things to build into a big anthemic refrain that the end that shows they care about songwriting. 

They are all about drinking and doing coke, with sung vocals backing up these declarations, knowing that the main narrative is the cause of all their problems. "We Got This" finds them allowing the chords to slow down, though it's less hooky in it's punch. "Nine Words " offers a little more variation, though the lyrics to "Moonshine" cut through with more fire. It is not about the kind of moonshine you might assume it to be, given their penchant for writing drinking songs. "Sunshine" seems to be about the foibles of dating .It races with the same reckless tempo that dominates this album. This carries over into "Know it All" along with the over all party vibe, even when they are marginally more deliberate. There are sing song vocals doing a call and response that sound like kids. 

"Serenity Now" finds the vocals screamed out at you in a similar fashion to what we have heard, but the purpose seems more intent on maintaining intensity than being angry. The previous song is one of the few where I feel anger is being conveyed. When the vocals are switched up on "Kill the Mood" I feel the overall sound benefits as the album needs more vocal colors. "Turn it Up" sounds like all the other songs on this album where they charge right at you . I will round this album down to an 8, it's a lot of fun, but is more straight forward party rocking that what I am into, my personal tastes aside the redundancy keeps it from being a perfect album but they are polished in what they dO. if you want a soundtrack to drive drunk to this is the perfect album. Drops on Lie Laga Records. 

ÓREIĐA : "the Eternal"

This Icelandic black metal project embarks on an impressive excursion into atmosphere that is moving rather than pondering. Record labels are quick to compare things to shoe -gaze or post-punk since the acts who broke from their cvlt status into more mainstream recognition, followed such a path. I do not think Thor here is seeking to jump on any such band wagon,  The melodies merge from the din of sound in a more post-rock manner. There is a more folk inspired melody that drones in the sonic storm that is brewed up on the second song. He allows things to drone more when the album opens , but the second song drops to a more subdued minimalist folk guitar sound. There is a chanted vocal tone that rings out as the song swells, but aside from that vocals do not play a role. 

"the Climb" finds the buzzing tremolo guitar that is more traditionally black metal sounding taking a larger role. There is a great deal in play in the sound of these songs that reminds me of Burzum's more atmospheric post-prison work. "the Climb" feels like it conforms closer to what you expect from black metal instrumentation, and is not as impressive as the first two songs, that take more chances with the sonic swathe they create. "the Apex" finds a balance, it plunges into a darker mood , while still digging into a heavier mood, with a denser wall of guitars attacking. This is set against the back drop of more melancholy melody that echoes in the back ground. The synths on this song work well to create a more dismal shading. The absence of vocals, which I imagine would be the more typical black metal rasp, does not leave the voice expected. 

More authentic than Russian Circles forays into more black metal influenced moments, though they are three highly skilled musicians and this is one guy. Thor sounds like he is more of a guitarist, the way the cymbals hit feels programmed , so it is not fair to weigh him against three people. Not that there have bot been many great one man black metal albums made, they just do not normally weight up against full bands, yet what he does here might fool the casual listener. The last song drones with a great deal of feeling, and makes you wonder how vital is the standard black metal rasp. The vocals tell more of a story and provide the static layer of emotional, not sure how much this would benefit from that but I like what is happening in it's current state I will give this album a 9. 

nothing,nowhere. : "Void Eternal"

 

If you were going to create the perfect hybrid of music for millennials who were too young to really embrace the music of Myspace, but are still yearning for it's nostalgia as they seek to find a culture of their own , outside of Tik Tok, this project seems like it was dreamed up in a lab to meet those needs. His fifth album has a bigger production value to help him fully realize this sound. There is a nu-metal groove to the opening track that marries to a pop punk sense of melody that is run through a enough auto-tune to pull it all together. If Blink 182 hit harder and had a Linkin Park fetish the results would be similar. The second song finds him getting help from Lorna Shore vocalist Will Ramos. The pop punk hooks are heavier than any of the metal post-nasal drip coating the back of the song. For pop textured music, it is effective with the hooks.  The pastel and neon color schemes of millennials is sonically captured here, even the heavier metal core break down lacks the balls of a Goatwhore or even Cannibal Corpse. The difference in actually being metal and trying to get the sound of metal. 

Sass-core band SeeYouSpaceCowboy, joins him for the more hip hop tinged "Psycho Psychiatry" . Joseph has been public with his mental illness so the lyrics touch on this. Though it is more about being a victim than taking responsibility and self regulating. There is more of a Deftones like sound to "Chromakill3r", who would be the main purveyors of nu-metal power ballads to take influence from. There is more honesty in this song, as I do not think trying to be metal core is really who he is. I do think he is an aggressive person. His rapping is decent but brings more Linkin Park comparisons. "Suicide Pact' continues on this emo/ rap path with break downs included . The cohesion of songwriting is a surprising challenge for someone so into pop adjacent music.  

"Thirst4violence" features Canadian Rapper Freddie Dredd and the band Siliverstein. It hard to take a skinny little kid seriously when they rap about violence . It's a feeling of posturing similar to that when you hear a metal band growling about the occult , and it's all just for show. Pete Wentz helps him out with "Cyan1de" which is a better investment of talent. This feels more authentic than the pretend tough guy act. "Er4ser" is like the Blink 182 of Hip-hop. It is not the album's worst moment , though the chorus does not connect. Then it's back to more of a Linkin Park feel with "Fortune Teller". Buddy Nielsen from Senses Fail joins him on "M1sery Syndrome". It feels like generic emo rock. The hook of the vocals might feel more impressive if it did not feel so cut & paste . 

"Venom" finds him teaming up with Underoath, but the results do not have much of a marked difference from the other songs on this album. Some are just more rapped than others. There is more nuance to the production, but knowing this guy is straight edge , makes his references to drugs seem very vacant. "Memory Fracture" closes the album with more atmosphere which feels like vibe truer to who he is. This album is very scattered and the song writing not that focused despite being consistent in the over all vision. It's very well produced pop chaos that want to be from the Myspace era. I will give it an 8 for the effective moods it does capture, in many ways he set out to make the album he wanted to , what he wanted to make is just not who he is. Faking it till he makes it works sometimes though.