Kerry King : "From Hell I Rise"

 If you were wondering how much of Slayer was Kerry King the question is about to be answered. The band had been plugging along without Jeff. Jeff played a role in their writing process, so it depends on what side of the band you hope to hear. Mark from Death Angel is handling the vocals, 'Diablo" is more of an intro, making "Where I Reignt" the opening track. It sounds like the song could have been off "God Hates Us All". It is fast and has the kind of aggression that Slayer were perfectors of. King's solos are more melodic and less chaotic in the first song.   "Residue" is more deliberate. I am not sure what side of the story the narrative of the lyrics sits on. Mark is giving his most gusty performance yet. It also reminds me a little of "Diabolis in Musica". Once again 90s Slayer is being mentioned and not their classic 80s sound. 

"Idle Hands" has a pretty powerful chug. Once again "God Hates Us All" comes to mind. Paul Bostaph certainly helps things sound like Slayer. The sense of groove on "Trophies of the Tyrant" is the song's strength. There is melodic nuance they flesh it out in the best way possible. When they pour on the speed for 'Crucifixation" the results are not as impressive. There is a cool riff that comes in midway into the song, but the rule here is "cool riffs alone do not good song make".  The throb the builds on "Tension" lives up to the song's name. "Everything I Hate About You" runs more of a full-throttle hard-core thrashing. In contrast, the riff that drives "Toxic" sounds like a classic Slayer riff.  "Two Fists' has a more undisputed attitude to it. I always thought King was more the Judas Priest guy and Jeff was the punk side, but I guess we are hearing otherwise.

"Rage" leans into a more speed-laced fury. It's hyper-thrashing, which lends itself more to songwriting rather than if these were just blast beats. The more deliberate palm-muted chug of "Sharpnel" feels like things are at their most effective. Bostaph helps sell the last song. It finds them returning to that more "God Hates Us All" "-like place. Thow his album shows how large of a role King played in Slayer it might not have had any of the serial killer love songs, which were my favorite moments from the band but it does carry a great deal about what made the band great so I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me. 

Oh Hiroshima : "All Things Shining"

 

Was a big fan of the Swedish band's 2022 album "Myriad". The band continues to perfect their brand of post-rock-influenced grooves.  The album opens with even hookier vocals this time around.  The drumming is highly dynamic, guiding the ebb and flow of the song, to create a backdrop for the sing-song vocals to reach out from. They lean into a more shoe-gazing take on indie rock for the second song. The build is more gradual and droning. I can appreciate the meandering jam even if it does not work off the momentum established by the first song. 

They ramble on with a more casual strum into dreamy waters for "Swans in a Field ". There is something effective in the layering of guitars that creates more sonic breadth. There is more movement to "Secret Youth" The brooding bassline makes it a little darker than the previous songs. I would not say they are heavy but capable of diving into more intense soaring. This creates a more cinematic peak.  "Rite of  Passage" starts off more introspective with a wandering post-rock feel. The vocals belt it out a little more to steer the dynamic build of the song which is pretty effective. 

"Deluge" sounds like it could have been from Opeth's "Damnation album, which works for me. The sense of seething shadows possesses it. "Leave Us Behind' feels like they finally commit to journeying into prog rock. It has been an undercurrent this album has hinted at but this song and the previous one are more deliberate steps into it. The last song wanders out into a more introspective place even with the bass line's burly tone trying to anchor it. It touches on the wanderlust of shoe-gaze with a thick shimmer. This album sounds great and finds the band experimenting more with songwriting. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me if you like prog rock or shoegaze they have something for you here. Drops June 28th on Pelagic Records. 

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Kittie : "Fire"

 Kittie is back, which should be no surprise given how nu-metal is making a comeback. The album opens with less of the staccato grooves that lumped the band in with the likes of Coal Chamber back in the day and this is a more straight-up metal affair. The sweet and spicy dynamic of the harsher vocals being answered by the sung vocals is still intact.  Morgan's snarl is more venomous with age. "I Still Wear This Crown" finds them in more of a Slipknot-like mood. I think "Falter" is a more well-written song, with a groove that flows better to my ears. 

This album is really well produced, considering how long they have been around as a band, we should not expect less. They were after all one of the first female bands rocking out this hard which made them more of a novelty at the time., They have a formula in place on this album as four songs in there is a uniformity to the head banging, with a few variations of this in place. Most of the songs hang in the balance around where her vocal hooks will fall. There are other strong moments like the taunt syncopation of "We Are Shadows' though her sung vocal, pretty much sounds like every other female metal singer out doing this sort of thing, even if Morgan originally broke ground doing it first. 

This album is less nu-metal than you might expect, though what nu-metal turned into could be argued,as Disturbed often bordered classic metal and thrash, so when "Wound" reminds me of a Disturbed riff, then maybe this is just the next logical place for nu-metal to go. Some of it just sounds like generic mainstream metal. Judging from that sludge band Morgan was in a few years back she has better taste than this, but perhaps this is the expectation of what a Kittie album sounds like in 2024. "One Foot in the Grave' conforms to what all other female-fronted metal bands do today. 

Perhaps nu-metal is not such a bad thing, as it was typically dark and angsty, which can be said for "Are You Entertained, " one of the album's better songs. As one of the lead singles from this album I am surprised how heavily "Eyes Wide Open" leans into the screamed vocals, Lander has spoken about the influence Pantera has had on her and you can hear it on this song. I will give this album an 8.5, it has some strong moments but the more generic mainstream metal moments, might target their audience, but do not do anything for me, but the songs that hit it hard balance this out to some extent.This album drops June 21st on Sumerian Records.  

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Ten Ton Slug : "Colossal Oppressor"

 

This band from Ireland grind out a very deliberate brand of death metal that carries a crushing chug. There are some sludge tendencies in how they turn the riffs around, but aggression is the theme for the day here. The first song makes it hard to deny that this is really well done, and the guitars sound great. The chugged-out riffs do what Death Metal should do perfectly. For this to be their debut album they are really killing it. The riffs are not only heavy and demand your head banging, but they are pretty catchy for what they are doing. The vocals trade off between a commanding roar, to a higher snarl.. The fact they are not giving into the need for speed most death metal bands serve is one of their assets. 

The bass steps up and gives "Ancient Ways" more of a backbone. This is the first song where I begin to hear a little of the sludge influence. It reminds me of early Mastodon in a few places, but back then they were pretty close to death metal as well. Karl from Bolt Thrower joins them on "Brutus" while he lends his growl to the song, it is not really noticeable enough as it is still in the band's wheelhouse. "Mindless and Blind" rolls off of a tense palm-muted groove. The growl of the vocals works well enough but is pretty much what we have heard from them. The vocals are articulated enough to make out more lyrics than you might typically discern from death metal. They thrash things out a little more on what might be the chorus. 

The 90s sludge groove that grew out of when metal bands intersected with grunge, really possesses the last song. It even leads to actual singing. It might be the album's most accessible song. I think mainstream metal audiences that are only able to digest the more mainstream strains of death metal will find lots to love with these guys, and they are still legit enough for death metal hipsters. I will give this album a 9, very solid death metal. 

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STATIQBLOOM : "Kain"

Fade Kainer has been making dark music for some time. He did a wonderful stint in Tombs that brought that band to darker places. He has a good ear and knows what quality music is, so this album is not going to suck. The question will be is it going to stand up to his previous work, The opening track is driving electronica, which is dark enough, and sounds great in terms of quality for this kind of thing. As an instrumental it sounds more like a great deal of other music that circles this same smoke-filled dance floor. Aggro-tech feels like a more appropriate label to give the listener proper expectations. There are vocals to this one, they are distorted with effects and sit deep in the mix. 

I appreciate the harsher edge to the thump of "Obsidian Obscura", but it's a beat-driving sound and not a song. Much like the rule about cool riffs here, a similar sentiment could be expressed regarding this sort of thing, it would go more like "Cool beats alone does not a good song make".  As a beat is a beat,  there are hundreds of faceless entities making them. These beats are not uniform, though the production of them can be. "Hidden From Form' works better as a song as the vocals give it a little more purpose. The beat is more droning but is still effective. 

"Cold Steel Howl" is propelled by a beat that carries a great deal of apocalyptic enthusiasm, but not much more than pounding one a single-minded groove. The rest of the album tends to pulse off this more tribal pounding. I'll give this album an 8, I like the songs with vocals, they help separate it out from all the other music like this. Not his best work, but he does better than most who do this sort of thing. 

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Arab Strap : " I'm totally fine with it 👍 don't give a fuck anymore 👍"

  Experimental post-punkers Arab Strap are back with a more biting commentary on the world around them. It might be marginally more brooding, and the tension within the grooves is sometimes driven by a more electronic pulse that can be heard on "Bliss". When the album starts off there is a fresh feel to their more original take on a style of music not far removed from what Depeche Mode did.  The difference is that they lack a crooner like Dave Gahan who can breathe new emotion into each song with his voice. Instead what they have is a more spoken narrative. This can cast a more uniform feel to the songs. 

The drum pattern to "Sociometer Blues" creates a unique rhythmic backdrop for them to experiment. Even though the drum programming slows things down for "Hide Your Fires", the spoken vocals get a little tiresome. They are not sonically removed from the National in some ways, but Matt Berninger is a better singer. "Summer Season" is mellower in its reflection, but the vocals have now crossed over into tedium despite his efforts to sing more. Lyrically I can appreciate what they going for, but I need more dynamics vocally. 

"Molehills" works better for his voice. Musically it's darker and more introspective which is what his style of singing needs. There is a droney simmer that is more sonically effective. The comparison to the National might be perhaps the most warranted on "Strawberry Moon". The song's best thing is offering some dynamic contrast between the verses and the chorus. "You're Not There" tries to work more of a mood, that leans into more of a sound than making something that feels more like a song that goes somewhere meaningful. "Haven't You Hear" is also another song that borders being another the National tribute, but is less hooky and focused. 

"Safe and Well" is more of a folk ballad. It focuses on his hushed vocal approach but highlights his weaknesses as a singer. Halfway into the song, it is still meandering around pondering its existence. "Drag Queen" makes a little more of an effort in terms of dynamics, but the spoken word verses feel like they have already gone to that well too many times. The closing ballad works better than most of the songs on this album as it climaxes into a more post-rock crescendo which this album needs more of. I will give this album an 8, I like the mood they are going for the vocals are often not my thing. 

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Take Offense : "T​.​O​.​tality"

 

This band is kicking up 80s-era skate punk. This means "Join the Army " era Suicidal Tendencies. There are a few more foot-on-the-monitor guitar heroics, so other late 80s cross-over hardcore could be referenced. The most important thing is they are not just trying to dial in the sound, but they are focused on writing hooky songs, even if they took notes from their heroes on how to do so. They kick things into thrashing speed for "S.W.O".  At first glance, you might think these guys are trying to jump on the Power Trip bandwagon, but they are not as foreboding in their aggression, and seem to be more about having fun than being doomsayers of a world in demise. 

The title track is more about grooving with the bass line driving things in a manner that reminds me more of Prong than say Infectious Grooves. I would have loved this in high school. "If I am Damned So Be It" has rock n roll in it's veins. It is pretty obvious hearing these guys that they are from California, as this sound could not come from anywhere else. I often reference the more metaphysical concept of a place's energy or its egregore holding a certain, and this album makes a powerful case for that concept. "Assassination" is more thrashing it also does not feel as hooky, though there are some effective riffs in motion. The breakdown groove is at the top of the list for the album's best riffs. 

I like the syncopation to "Uncivilized Animals". This takes me back to when metalcore was called cross-over, and bands like DRI were more celebrated. There is a taste of 80s metal lingering in the riffs of "Now or Never". It does not make it any less hardcore as both Discharge and TSOL flirted with that sort of thing. The more deliberate metal grooving continues on "Deep Inside".  You can open up the pit to "Stolen Land". It carries more thrash to it without having to pour on the speed.  "Until Then" brings more big 80's in an almost Dokken-like manner. The more gritty vocal offsets this. You can hear Van Halen influence in the riffs to "Beyond Flesh & Bone". " Give'm Chaos" works more of a discordance that lives up to its name. Sure this album is slick like a Turnstile record, and one of the guitarists did tour with Turnstile, but it leans more heavily toward taking influence from Suicidal Tendencies with almost worshipful devotion, nevertheless I will give this album a 9.5, as Suicidal Tendencies haven't made any albums good since "How Will I Laugh Tomorrow, it's a lot of fun and thrashes the way I used to like.  

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Knocked Loose : "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To"

"Suffocate"  was enough to make me look forward to checking this album out.. This album is heavier than expected. The first song was hard-hitting without falling into too many of the metal tropes. This is the album, that is poised to break these guys big.  By the time we get to "Don't Reach For Me," it's clear they have established what they are doing here and now need to expand upon that concept. With a 46-second song like "Moss Covers All" they are willing to indulge their more power- violence-leaning influences. 

But to be going on tour with Slipknot, I expected this album to be more ripe with the darker more experimental notions that can be heard on "Take Me Home". They are going to need more of these moments to separate themselves from the pack that is already trying to make metal-core rock stadiums. Chris Motionless is certainly one of those figures that it makes sense they might align themselves with even though his band is on the more mainstream side of this scene. The song is well-written enough and has enough sonic nuance to work. 

"The Calm That Keeps You Awake" carries a little of the eerie dissonance that counterbalances the normal pounding and screaming these guys deliver. Their lead screamer puts his voice in the right places, he could just do more to create more colors with his voice, rather than just screaming from such a singular place of anger. This begins to make all the songs sound the same by the time we get to "Blinding Faith".  The last song is the only song that really brings nu-metal to mind, which is a miscalculation on the part of the music press, who have been hailing these guys as the band on the forefront of what could be the newt nu-metal revival, since if there are no new bands fostering the genre then it just happens all the old band are just doing cash grab reunions. These guys have stuck to their hardcore roots well, I will give this a 9, and bet on this album is more inspired than the new Kittie whenever that drops. 

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Fawning : "All Around Me"

This dream pop duo unfolds very 90s worshipping sounds. There is more dream than pop going into this album, as the hooks are not really grabbing me, they are almost intangible. The poppiest thing about them is the child-like quality of their singer's voice. This album is well produced as the sounds all sit where they need to, and are layered. They appreciate the deliberate playing of the single-note guitar solos that cut through the background. This is what provides a more Cure-like quality. 

The title track is more of a breezy strummed ballad than expected from this band. "Speak" that follows this one works better, almost having an early Cranberries feel, which is like Cocteau Twins run through a more mainstream 90s pop filter. The "lead" guitar kicking in for the last minute is pretty effective. "Laid Away" is more like an ambient interlude than a song that goes somewhere. The delay on the drums leading into "In Memory" works well as it's the first song that feels dark enough to fall into the goth label. The guitar is often mixed into the distance. I guess it works for what they are doing here.

"Feelings" finds the haze of the ambiance even thicker. It floats within the obscured clouds of its own making, burying the vocals in the mix, so they are reduced to a muffled coo. The ethereal strum of guitar guiding "Time Enough at Last" offers little guidance for which the vocals might glide within. The last song brings the kind of black light sunshine you expect from this sort of thing, but works well enough in the context of what they do. I will give this album an 8.5, which is better than most pop and indie rock coming out given its nature,. but when you start inching over in the zip code of the Cocteau Twins that raises the bar, since if you are in the mood to listen to Cocteau Twins you listen to them. Thus it is hard to predict how much air time this will get from me, but if you like 90s sounding future pop then this is worth your time. 

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Witherfall : "Sounds of the Forgotten"

 

These guys are one of the few bands doing this sort of thing that gets it right. I think it is because they are not skimping on the thrash side of the genre, which gives them a darker, more aggressive sound. Joesph Micheal took the mantle from Wurrel Dane on the last Sanctuary tour I caught, so this makes sense. Though on the other side of the coin, they also like their power ballads, so that brings them back toward the power metal status quo. To their credit despite the more Bon Jovie moments of the song they do build it up to a heavy enough place for my liking. With the first two songs, drummer Chris Tsaganeas proves himself capable of sitting alongside any metal drummer doing it today.

Things get darker to the point of almost sonically neighboring King Diamond on "Insidious". The neo-classical touches to the guitar playing aid in this. It is well-written and balances flash with head-banging grit. "Ceremony of Fire " is a more rapid-fire affair that could spark Sanctuary comparisons. Though it also has a more anthemic Judas Priest feel. Another factor that plays to their fact is that Micheal's voice carries a piercing menace rather than sounding like Boston or Journey. Which is too mainstream radio for me. That kind of music is too feel-good. I can't relate to that I want to feel bad about music. So far they have not crossed the line into feel-good music. 

The title track works well enough as the previous one, I appreciate where they are going into the chorus as it has a big anthemic quality, but not too feel-good. There are these minute-and-a-half interludes on this album that are more like theatrical bridges rather than songs, so I am not counting them when it comes to this review. "When It All Falls Away" starts off more like a ballad. It is very 80s, as it could have been any band from LA in the late 80s. that was labeled as metal. His singing is impressive but I wish they had come in kicking ass with it. Great guitar playing, but the song is less driven and focused. 

"Opulent" is more of a guitar showcase. It confirms they can play flamenco guitar in case you were wondering. They close the album with the ten-minute "What Have You Done". If it had been a ten-minute power-ballad that would have been a deal breaker. The vocals do have a more melodic and flowing pattern to the verses. The chorus is as soaring as you might expect a band like this to go for. Almost operatic in the manner this is approached. They do get their feet under the song and get into the chugs and gallops as needed. Around the 7-minute mark when things drop all the way down, it works well enough, they could have had more of a jammy feel coming out of it., though they do capture this as the song comes to its climax.  I will give this album a 9 and see how it sits with me. 

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RIP - Steve Albini

I've always considered Steve Albini a punk rock Frank Zappa, though noise was his weird. To normal joes, I explain him as the dude who produced "In Utero ". My first inclination I would almost be inclined to tell you I appreciate him more as a musician than a producer than I remember I really like the Neurosis albums he produced so then I would have to retract that statement. I think what his death will take from this world the most is his willingness to speak his mind and voice opinions that challenge mainstream thought. He would come out and explain his dislike for dance music in a manner that got the point across without apologizing for his disdain. In the days of people shouting gatekeeper like it's a negative connotation, instead of what it is quality control, we need more Steve Albini's in this world. 

Here's a list of the albums Albini produced that matter here at Abysmal Hymans

Pixies - "Surfer Rosa" 

the Jesus Lizard - "Pure", "Head", "Goat", "Liar" , "Down"

Pigface- "Gub" 

Helmet- "Meantime" 

Fugazi- "In On the Killtaker" 

PJ Harvey- "Rid of Me" 

Nirvana- "In Utero" 

Burning Witch- "Towers" 

Neurosis - "Times of Grace", "A Sun that Never Sets" , the Eye of Every Storm", 'Given to the Rising" , "Honor Found in Decay" , "Fires With Fires" 

Bloodlet-"Three Humid Nights in Cypress Trees" 

Leftover Crack- "Fuck World Trade" 

Made Out of Babies- "Coward"

Trash Talk- "s/t" 

Ebsend and the Witch- "New Nature"

METZ - "Strange Peace" 

Code Orange- "the Above" 

and if you have never checked out his music this is a good place to start

 

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Blushing : " Sugarcoat"

 

The intro is cool, but the first actual song finds the band living up to the album's title;e and draping sugary sweet pop over the shoegazing ambiance. Dream pop is the first handy label to throw on this Texas-based band,  but they do seem more serious about rocking out than most dream pop bands. They at times remind me of a shoegazing version of Veruca Salt, with how the vocals harmonize and entwined. Things swirl around you so it can be hard to tell who is doing what. "Slyce" has more of a 90s drive more in line with what Curve did, but with a more optimistic point of view less bound by sex and drugs. 

"Silverteeth" finds the guitars denser, yet no less woozy from the effects slathered over them. The guitars touch on an almost Smashing Pumpkins sound, that is without the harder rocking aspirations. One of the album's most impressive moments is the bass line that anchors the title track in a darker place. This gives a sweet atmosphere the vocals float in more of a dynamic contrast. The slither of the bass adds a sonic depth that more bands need to tap into when attempting to capture this kind of sound. "Fizz" has a little more of an indie rock drive to its jangle as the more My Bloody Valentine sounds drip from the periphery. It works for this song but also finds the band in the zip code of the other shoe gaze revivalists. 

They continue to take you on the tour of their influences as somewhat Cocteau Twins-like sounds dance past your ears in a lighter more carefree manner. It sounds good, but the song itself is not as focused as what we heard in the first half of the album. "Pull You In Two" has more pop in its heartbeat. However, it still drifts a bit with the wanderlust that empowers their overall sound. The hushed feel of the verses of "Charms" provides a better shift of dynamics when it comes to the chorus.  They last song might not be the catchiest but the thick ambiance is balanced with enough melody to make this work and get the more melancholy mood across which I prefer to their more playful moments. I will give this album a 9.5 , and see how it grows on me, if you want dream pop that takes notes from the best, while still doing it's own thing this band is for you. 

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Kontravoid : "Detachment"

 To be a clique for non-conformists, it takes a great deal of conformity to break big as an artist in the goth scene.  This is coming from someone who has been called one of the gatekeepers of the scene. I don't see such a label as negative. Though I think this artist already had all the elements in play that were needed to be admitted, this album feels like it is an almost overcompensating step forward, and too mindful of what DJs at Goth clubs would want to play. I do not think the point of goth should be what is good to dance so, just a "goth nite" can be little more than a fashion show where the music adheres too slavishly to the same two dozen bands and the bands who want to sound like them. 

This conclusion comes after weighing the direction of this album against what this project has previously done. This finds some of the industrial elements sacrificed to make things more dancey. Nuovo Testemento singer Chelsey Crowley lends her voice to the song "Losing Game" and it works really well, even if they worship the 80s heavily here, with a more new wave feel. The songs are pretty good so in some respects it is hard to complain, but it makes me wonder why have things not always sounded like this and listen for the more familiar elements. It is driving and bound to cause booty shaking which are the lowest common denominator elements firing off most effectively. 

Synth wave, EBM, and dark wave are all genre labels depending on what song you are hearing, and what part of the said song you are hearing. "Death Shot" highlights the fact his vocals are the weak spot for this project. By the time we get to "Sin Walker" the songs are beginning to follow more of a formula that begins to make them sound the same. "How It Ends" might be propelled by a more rapid-fire bpm, but sonically is not too far removed from the previous songs. This is a trend that does not change. So with that in mind, I will give this album an 8, if you are looking for something synth-driven and dancey for your weekend cocaine excursions then this is the album for you. Out on Artoffact Records.

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Wretched Blessing : "S/T"

Rae who vocalizes for Immortal Bird and drums with Thrawsunblat is putting both talents to use in this new project Kayhan from Colisseum joins her on guitar. The first song feels more like a blackened grindcore. The scowl of the vocals echo into the revered-out darkness. It is an effective song, though the dense feral nature of it only sometimes gets to tell enough story for it to fully feel like a song. There is a more deliberate riff that does create a dynamic. It sounds heavier than it feels. Some of this could be due to the egregore of the music. 

"Pseudoscience" pounds on the more punk end of death metal. For just two people they did conjure up a rather large cavernous sound. "Anathematic" lumbers with an angular groove. It is more deliberate and feels more like a song. When it hits more of a head banging groove things feel smoother, even if that is not the vibe they are going for it offers a wider range of dynamics. Thus making the riffs that follow more effective. This is the album's strongest song. Rae's drumming is impressive on it. 

The last song is more like Death Doom, it's more aggressive in its intent than sludge and builds its speed to an almost blackened proportion. It is another display of effective songwriting despite the ending being abrupt. I will give this album a 9. I am not sure how much mileage I will get out of it as I have other artists who are more go-to for this sort of thing, but if you like grind core-minded death metal that doesn't play by the rule and is well composed then this is worth your while. If you are just into heavy music and not sure about anything with grindcore elements or aware of what that even is it is still worth your time.

 

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Crawl : " Altar of Disgust"

 Sweden is fixated on worshipping Entombed. Crawl are high priests at this altar. They infuse it with a modern sense of brutality that makes it perhaps even more raw and pounding than Entombed. Sometimes they are too relentlessly hammering for their own good with the second song, as a good example of these excesses. They somewhat redeem themselves with the head-banging "Knieves' which manages to find a marginal balance of extremes. There is certainly a more deliberate riff that challenges the rule which states "cool riffs alone does not a good song make". Feedback squeals, and makes it clear that while their previous albums had more of a crust punk influence, this time around they are more driven by grindcore. 

The more deliberate stomp to " Ethereal Depths" is more effective and makes it the album's best song so far. The vocals are just as guttural as what we have already heard on this album, but they have more purpose here. They experiment and find themselves in a more Neurosis-like place on "Where No Light Escapes" These are the kinds of sounds I think might have worked well incorporated into their other songs. Instead, they hammer at you with more of a grindcore intensity. "Visions of Burning Apparitions" has dense guitars but their crunch is still something that makes it evident they were writing a song. This is not as true for "Until They Crawl". A large part of this is because the vocals are buried. 

There are some moments where they embrace a little more of a black metal feel and this hits like Nails jamming with Goatwhore.  I had to listen to the last time a second time before I realized it was not just an angry passage to the previous song. Thus hinting many of these songs sound the same when just driven by their brutal nature. I will give this album an 8, as there are strong songs, and this is one of the heavier albums you are going to hear so far this year. Was released on Transcending Obscurity Records. 

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Strung Out : "Dead Rebellion"

 I understand that once punks learn to play their instruments they become metal bands. Even with this understanding, there was a jarring change in Strung Out over the years I was unprepared.  It had been some time since I listened to them so I had to go back and give their 19994 debut "Another Day in Paradise " a spin to refresh my memory. I am not crazy they were more of a Bad Religion-like take on pop-punk It's a bigger production for sure. Jason Cruz has improved as a singer, and there is less owed to Bad Religion. The opening track almost feels like Poppa Roach. Much like earlier AFI some moments feel like they are influenced by LA Guns. This band is from Los Angeles so that is not surprising. I some ways this is only the logical sound I should have expected from punk coming from the City of Angels in this day and age. 

"New Gods" makes more sense and sound a little more punk. Lyrically it seems like he is just quoting cliches. "White Owls" works better, and one weird thing is the album has a different sound after the first two songs, which is more raw and live sounding and works better for what they do. Cruz's vocals also get more melodic and dynamically nuanced as things progressed. He has always been one of the better punk singers. Not all of these moments are as inspired as "Cages" feels more like filler trying to find its place in 2024. "Empire Down' sounds like Duran Duran making pop punk. 

"Resistance" works well for what they do as it feels like who they are now meeting their earlier punk work. There is a little bit of that 80s hair rock feel in a few places. I don't mind their more melodic side in fact it is more interesting than if this was just a one, two, three, go... punk album. Most of this album's success of mistakes lies in how the two are integrated. The drummer to 'Ceremony" feels off in this regard. "Vanessa's Song" works really well at finding the best balance of sounds. "Dystopian Party Bus" marries punk with a more 80s radio rock feel. "Plastic Skeletons" ends the album with a little more middle-of-the-road rock feel. I will give this album an 8.5, it is better than most bands from the 90s  are doing,  for as long as they have been at it things were bound to change and they just became the kind of rockers their surroundings turned them into.The most punk part of it might be that Fat Wrek Chords is releasing it.  

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Dool : "The Shape Of Fluidity"

I like the two previous albums, but it raises the bar high for them. The way the vocals are produced reminds me a little more of Ghost and I can hear how they are closer to conforming to a more mainstream brand of rock as the opening song places them closer to the Pretty Reckless and Halestorm. While they do not have the more retro stoner rock sound, which is more aggressive and darker, I will just have to keep listening and see how this pans out for the album as a whole. The second song has a more sinewy prog feel. None of it comes within striking distance of doom, but it is well done. 

The first song that grabs me is the title track which has a darker slither to its winding groove. This is a more refined and accessible effort. The production is really crips and all the sounds are dialed in 110 percent. There is also a cool jammed-out section to the title track that features so great guitar work. It reminds me of the last Royal Thunder album. The androgynous alto of their lead singer sits at the forefront of most mixes. "Evil in You" is dark but more rock than metal. Even when the pace picks up. I appreciate the mood being invoked here despite the melodies not having the same hooks as the previous albums. 

"House of a Thousand Dreams" is dark enough, and finds vocals intersecting interestingly, but the slow burn allows it to drone a bit. "Hermagorgon" has a more ominous tone. It might be the closest they have come to doom so far. However, the aggression that comes with metal is dialed back which does not allow the heavier dynamics to hit as hard. "Hymn For A  Memory Lost" works for what they are going for here, which is really all you can ask for. 

I like the reverbed-out guitar tone used in the last song. The song meanders in the shadows.  However, a guitar tone is not enough to build a song around. While this album sounds great the fact that it does not pack the same kind of metallic punch hinders some of the dynamics that needed to go up to 11. I will give this album an 8, in some ways it was a bit of a letdown after the first two albums, but I can appreciate not just cooking into the same formula again. 

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CUTTERRED FLESH : "Love At First Bite"

On the more extreme end of death metal, this band from the Czech Republic are thankfully just not settling for being brutal. The opening track carries a little more hook in the guitars in its first half with the second half of the song finding them more content with pouring on the speed. Where most death metal has a fixation on horror these guys seem to be into the bleak realities of space. Their grim vision of science fiction is translated sonically to get the story across. With "Repeated Intersexual Misunderstanding" the atmosphere helps give the song the room it needs to breathe while allowing an angular dissonance to pervade the efforts at groove. It is technical without being just about the math of it. 

This is their sixth album so they clearly know what they are doing. They attack your ears with renewed feral zeal for "Code of Zuurith" though this is where the album begins to get mired down in a blur of riffing that does not clear up until "Descent into Torment of Abyssal Whispers". The guitars give the vocals room to create a more purposeful narrative. Up until this point like most music of this kind, the vocals are more of an afterthought.  The riffing is also more memorable on this song making it one of the album's best moments. The production of the guitar tones becomes more noticeably conforming to the current trend of modern metal to have a very processed machine-like feel.  "Sarkam's Wrath Unleashed' also displays this more nuanced take on their songwriting. 

When they pour on the speed at the beginning for "Amanda" the results are not as impressive. The base does come forward more when things slow into what might be the chorus. "the Last Supper" is more deliberate. It starts off with a powerful syncopated chug. They contract this into a taunt palm-muted riff before stepping on the gas. They maintain this frantic hyper-speed for "Spawn of Vathus". There are some crunchier parts within this, but mostly dependent on speed. They have their moments on this album a sense of their identity in a genre that could have easily turned them into a faceless blasting machine. I will round this down to an 8, as the overall sound is uniform, but they are skilled at grinding it into your ears. This is being released May 24th on Transending Obscurity. 

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St Vincent : "All Born Screaming"

You never know what to expect from here. The single "Broken Man" made sense as it was angular and quirky much like a great deal of her previous work. Then the next thing I saw was a clip of her playing around with a Moog, Yet the album opens in a manner that makes you think she is going in a more Tori Amons-like direction until midway into the second song when she breaks from the minimalist emoting for an almost industrial beat. Clark who produced this album herself calls it post-plague pop. That makes more sense than not. \

 There is a more electronic vibe that bleeds into the hushed groove of "Flea". This album is odd but well-produced. It is hard to tell if it is all synth or if guitar is present in the mix. There is more of a Bjork-like groove to "Big Time Nothing'. It almost feels like Bowie's "Fame" in some respects. But if you are getting compared to Bowie and Bjork, you are obviously doing something right. 'Violent Times' sounds like it should be a James Bond theme. You can not deny the fact that over the years she has matured into quite the singer. 

"The Powers Out" finds her crooning through a Kate Bush-influenced ballad that carries all the atmosphere and melodrama that comes with such a comparison.  "Sweetest Fruit" is like some kind of weird 90s indie pop, which must be what she is talking about when she calls this post-plague pop. The Dvinyls come to mind in this regard, but there are also lots of Talking Heads vibes. She was obviously smoking lots of pot when she wrote the reggae-influenced "So Many Planets". There is a similar 70s New York New Wave feel to the title track that closes the album. Not her hookiest album, but it does have something to say and covers a great deal of stylistic ground while staying true to a theme. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. 

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SETH : "La France des Maudits"

 

This band is not what comes to mind when I typically think of French Black Metal, which tends to be left of center from the more traditional storm of fury that marks Scandinavian Black metal. The first four bands that come to mind when I think of French Black Metal are Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Alcest, and Peste Noire, granted four of my favorites. They all have their own odd touch. Why is this an issue you ask? Well it's not, but it does mean that I am going to this album listening for what these guys do to set themselves apart, so scowled vocals and blast beats are not going to do it. 

The market is plenty saturated with black metal at this point so we have to have standards. In this case regional standards. It is a well-produced album with a big guitar sound. They are also not just trying to blast their way through the songs. By the third song, it is beginning to all run together for me as they continue to sound like they are from Sweden. By the fourth song things begin to take a somewhat darker turn, the question then becomes can they use the restraint to maintain this? "Marianne" is an instrumental interlude and while I appreciate the melodic nature I think it is something that would have been better intermingled in their other songs to give them more depth. 

It was not until "Insurrection" that I checked back into the album and paid attention, but what I heard was just another band getting caught up in a storm of blast beats. The last song is a cohesive continuation of what they have been doing for the entirety of the album, so depending on how impressed you are with that will determine how you feel about this song. These guys excel at the execution and decent arrangements, but in terms of bringing something new to the table, this church has already been burnt I will give this album a 7.It drops July 14th on Season of Mist  

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Ten Artists Who Should Play Sick New World in 2025

The week has barely passed and fans are making their wish lists regarding who they think should play next year's Sick New World Fest. The main problem with these lists is that they are either acts who have already played or just boring radio rock fodder that plays  Welcome to Rockville or Rockahoma and would turn Sick New World into just another rock fest, by diluting the theme that made the first year so appealing a marriage of traditional goth acts, nu-metal and darker metal / industrial bands.  So the list complied here leans more in the direction of the first year. These are not bands who have played the previous fests but Fresh Blood fitting for 2025...that is if the world does not end before next May. 

10-Astari Nite 

This Miami-based death rock band is great live and has a good middle-of-the-road vibe for the fest 

9-Godflesh

Perhaps less popular in the States, this crushing project from England influenced most of the industrial and metal bands you're listening to today. 

8-Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum

The reunited cult of prog-rock weirdos brings a Victorian steampunk wonderment to their sonically angular anti-rock attack.

   

7-Chelsea Wolfe

 Wolfe has toured with Ministry before, and her hypnotic songs are heavy in their own way. Live her sludged-out shoegazing is powerful.

   

6-Final Gasp 

This punk band from Boston casts plenty of shadows with their sound while still being aggressive enough to fit in no matter what act they have to follow. 

5-Mindless Self Indulgence

Jimmy Urine and Friends might have been out of action for a minute but would be the perfect blend of nu-metal swagger and dark wave angst.

 

 

4-Grave Pleasures 

This band from Finland used to be Beastmilk, their brooding brand of post-punk is anthemic enough to win over festival audiences 

 

3-My Dying Bride 

There is no bringing back Peter Steele, so these guys are the next best replacement for Type O Negative with their brand of gothy doom.

   

2-the Misfits 

They have already been booked on festivals since reuniting, the only real hurdle would be seeing how this is System of a Down's fest, so would Danzig and the boys be ok with not headlining? Aside from that they would be perfect

  . 

1-Marilyn Manson 

Already booking shows after emerging from his legal troubles, this only makes sense.

 

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