Actors : "Our Love Will Live Forever"

 

This Canadian band is poised to be one of the biggest goth-adjacent acts of 2026 as they have been top-billed at many festivals already.  times around things work off a bigger throb that carries the weight of synthwave and festival edm. There is more of their familiar style of post-punk on "Youth". Rather than stark tension it works off a more danceable energy.  On "Stimulation" this is almost taken to the furthest end of the spectrum before becoming pop music. There is a little more urgency thanks to the more organic bass line of "Left on Read". The vocals stick to a similar desperate tone. To their credit, they are not trying to be Interpol; sometimes there is a more serious baritone inflection, but they are not as dark or unsettled. If this had come out twenty years ago, it would have put them alongside acts like the Killers. 

"Dead Inside" is the first song that leans into the shadow to wink at the goth segment of their fan base. It starts a little more like "Bela Lugosi's Dead, " but things get more upbeat once we get to the chorus, and it is an improvement of mood, which was beginning to feel to carefree despite this being a collection of melodramatic break songs. There is a denser electronic pulse to "Object of Desire," and darker synths emerge in places. "In Real Life" is more introspective and melodic, expanding the overall dynamics of the album. Then they get another darker moment for "I'm Not Here" 

There is a cold wave feel to the detached mood of "Exploded View."  The last song 'Bad Boys," has a Gary Numan vibe to it. The guitar rings out but feels like it sits distant in the mix. The robotic mood is what they were going for, so I guess that it works for what it is, but Gary Numan does this better. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me, as it sounds great andd puts them where they need to be as artists, but it will be interesting to watch how this album connects with their expected demographic, as it falls between the cracks: not dark or tense enough to really be goth or post-punk, but not hooky enough to be pop. In ome ways, I think what they are doing here has more in common with a bandd like the Faint. Their current fan base should be into it, so we can see where they go from here. Being released on Artoffact Records who I don’t see doing a major marketing campaign for them.; In fact I had to hunt this one down myself, but as art it's a needed step of maturity for this band.

DESOLAT : "People As Idiots & Idiots As Leaders"

 

They must worship Black Flag in Austria, as the first song strikes me as a more metal version of Black Flag; the vocals are howled in a Rollins fashion for sure. But let's face Black Flag is not  Black Flag these days, and the Rollins Band is retired, so someone needs to scratch that itch. There is a good amount of sludge mixed in when it comes to the big riffs. The vocals also switch to a snarl midway into the song, which furthers this comparison. The riffs shift to a darker place I enjoy. "Pig Race to the Apocalypse" sounds like they just left the tape rolling and jammed out of the first song. They switch up the riffs in a more metal-than-punk manner, making me reasonably sure this is a sludge bandd with black Flag influence.

On "This Sadness Makes Me Rage," It feels like the vocals are balancing out the more melodic direction the guitars are going by being more abrasive. The song wanders into Jarboe doing a spoken-word section that sounds like his therapist giving him a pep talk, which works for me and makes it the most interesting song thus far. Both groove and chaos are colliding for "No Depression When Dead" as it devolves into a jazz-like din. There is a similar but more nuanced riff paving the way for "Wannabe VIP," which finds a girl taking over the mic. This is the band's third album so they clearly know what they want to do here.  

The tense, muted riff driving "Good People Keep Their Mouths Shut..."  carries a sinewy Jesus Lizard-ish mood. There is indeed a dash of noise rock in the burly mix of sounds as well. The most punk moment is "the Art of Shit," but even then some sludgy riffs crash in. It is, however, more Stooges than Black Flag, which I appreciate. Even though experimenting with samples gives it a twist, they stay pretty punk on "Cyberdyne Employment Application". This is still tempered with an almost Slayer-like riff. The vocals twist into an Eyehategod-like sneer on the last time; this is not the first time it's happened on this album, but the most prominent. I like what they are doing on this album I will give it a 9.

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pst419

PIG : "Dirt Box"

 

Raymond Watts has been particularly prolific these days. After releasing "Hurt People Hurt People," he is releasing this EP. It opens up with the very guitar-driven "An American Ideal of Beauty". If it reminds you of KMFDM, it's probably because Gunter Schulz is laying down the metallic riffs on it. There is almost a more 90s industrial metal feel to "Your Reptillian Overlord Presents" that is not unlike the kind of thing Rob Zombie was doing on his most recent album, though a bit darker and more nuanced industrial vocals than the roar Zombie normally delivers. But the crunch and groove are present and working well here. 

"Infidel" carries more atmospheric fear in the more lurking tension of its verses than the anthemic chorus. The vocals drop down into a lower, more dramatic register before building up in the more arena-ready Rob ombie manner. Yes. I am well aware of the fact KMFDM was making this kind of music long before Rob Zombie, or at least back when he was making crusty sludge punk that was trying to be the Stooges. However, since then he has perfected a formula that keeps him headlining stages, so it must be working.  Watts is certainly drawing inspiration from artists that came after him, as there is a Marilyn Manson feel to "Butterfly", another artist whose beginnings were different than where they are today, but has developed a formula that has a proven track record. Here Watts perhaps winks too heavilly in that direction. 

This ends the original song format, and the rest of the album is remixes. The thing about remixes, when presented in this fashion, almost makes me think if the remixed version is better than the original, then why did they just not make the remixed version the original and release an album of the best vision of these songs? With "Your Reptillian Overlord Presents," the breakbeats give a more original soung but the mix lays the vocals bare and makes them sound more like Marilyn Manson, so it's a mixed bag. "An American Ideal of Beauty" is remixed by Stabbing Westward, who brough a more 90s sound to things. It takes the heavier guitars out of the equation until the chorus. Which works well enough, and I can hear a "goth night " DJ  spinning this version rather than the original.

Combichrist's re-mix of "Butterfly" sounds more likea cover with Andy's vocals added to it. It is softened by the synth sounds. , however it all works well. Rabbit Junk's take on "Infidel" is heavy but from a different anglee as it's more industrial and less metal. If you do not know what that means, then why are you reading this review?  Anyway they capture a solid groove.Despite leaning into a more modern sound what his does here works great I will give it a 9 and see how it grows on me . Drops on Metropolis Records

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MASSTERON : "Second in the Spheres"

This Polish black metal band carries a raw punk aggression in their violent attack on your ears while writing riffs rather than just defaulting to the standard tremolo-picked guitars. More rabid than msot it makes me think of a less epic for feral version of Immortal. "True Midnight" is powered by a pretty killer riff that cuts through the other instruments and takes control of the chaotic mix. They remind me of the early days of 80s metal, when the term black metal was just referring to a more satanic thrash or death metal band on the song "Achronon".  This makes even more sense considering there is a slight hint of a Deicide vibe going on in terms of the hateful aggression being vented. 

Then things go wild on "Strife Eternal,"  with the beginning of the song feeling like it is more deliberate, as a "Show No Mercy" era Slayer influence cuts through. Though they are pretty steeped in metal tropes that I have been hearing since the 80s, when not caught up in a whirlwind of blast beats, that shines a light on the lo-fi drum sound that guitars have distracted me from up to this point. The Slayer vibes continue on "Sidereal Chaoskamp," but they begin to feel like a more obligatory layer of sound. Sometimes they play too fast for their own good when a more deliberate tempo might come across as both darker and heavier. I can hear where they are trying to go on the last song, but the arrangement could use some tightening in order to make sense of where they are trying to go . Once again, their need for speed gets the best of them. That said, they do care about songwriting when lost in the frenzied blur of their own riffs, and it captures an era of metal I think fondly upon. I will give this one an 8.5  . This album drops on  ATMF September 24th. 

PST417

Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats : "Shapes of Midnight"

 2018's 'Wasteland" was the last album I checked out from these guys; granted, they only put out one release between that and this album. But things have changed somewhat, with a smoother 70s groove on the opening track. They go into proggier jams; amid some of the Sabbath-inspired boogies, the subtle shift in vocal production does not go unnoticed by me, as it is very clean and compressed, not unlike Ghost, whose producer has been taking notes from them, which makes sense because Ghost is headlining arenas and these guys are not.  Not that that is the bar for how good music is, as these guys, even in their more relaxed, pot-smoking haze, have twice the balls of Ghost. However, this is the music business, and you have to know your audience. 

The title track is a little more upbeat. These guys have never claimed to be metal, though they certainly have toured with metal bands. This album is more Blue Öyster Cult than Thin Lizzy for sure. Some of the twin guitar lines do recall early Iron Maiden in places as well. Some of the more extended jams take some of the focus from the song. "When Evil Wakes" has a pretty solid groove and vocal melody to ride it, which is all I want from these guys. "Don't Let It Control You" has more of a 70s punk feel where the rock n roll is firmly planted at its driving core. 

"Pyscho on the Loose" has a cool, deliberate groove to it that is slightly darker around the edges, as it should be given the subject matter. They go into a more late-70s Sabbath groove on "I Won't Sleep". A random saxophone solo also joins the party. There is a more proto-metal palm-muted chug to "The Other Side of the Sky" that works well. The last song is more blues-based, which is still on brand for them but at the edge of their wheelhouse.I will give this a 9.5, and see if it grows on me, but very solid songwriting and slick production works great here, in maturing their sound.  

7.7

PST416

BESOTTEN : "Eye of the Monolithicrypt"

 

Portland keeps churning out the metal. Here is the debut album from the hipster capital. I like that it is dark, dense, and somewhat cavernous. The mix carries a more in-your-face, raw compression than the reverb of a cave, like the bands that were once called Occult Death Metal. The spewed growls carry some feindish personality to them. The main concerns once we get to the ten-minute song. The guys have a sound that works, but the problem is I could not tell where the first song ended and the second song began due to the uniform nature of what they are doing here 

We are three minutes into the econd song before it lets everything drop out to try to establish its own identity. The vocals become more bile-coated. The riff lingers behind the sparse drumming. It begins to make you feel like you are sinking into a throbbing pit of despair. The creepier melodic turn this song takes is something they need to lean into more. "Cruentation" is driven by a more crushing riff that is very deliberate until they speed things up into more of a blast beat. They want to go into the faster, more feral death metal style as they race into "Storming the Cosmic Citadel". It almsot gets too blasty for the song's own good. They did a great job of capturing the uncanny sonic scope of the genre.

The last song already has the stage set for it. I like when the desolate mood takes over and is coasted out on the flow of double bass. Chaotic guitar solos and more grooving riffs break things up a bit, but for an 11-minute song it does not feel like the course has been charted out. I can appreciate the more funeral doom vibes that begin to emerge at the midway point. The mood feels more like black metal in its unsettling ambiance than death metal in hte second half of this dirge. Heading towards the eight-minute mark, the momentum builds before things ebb back down into the more mournful procession that glides out into a melodic outro fade-out. I will give this album an 8; it puts them solidly on your radar as it's their first trip into the studio, so where they go from here should be interesting. It is being released November 6th on Transcending Obscurity. 

pst415

Junius : "Sotera"

 

The last album I reviewed by these guys was in 2017. I liked it; there's an if Interpol played a post-metal vibe. This time around, the metal is dialed, and the post-punk elements are more dramatic, giving it a goth tinge. The melodies are catchier than I remember from them before, and the baritone croon makes me think a bit of Grave Plasures. This is a heavier album than what I heard from them before, but it is done in a very balanced fashion. It's heavy in a doomy My Dying Bride manner. In fact, if they are replacing Aaron, they should think about using this guy. There are some harsher vocals, but they're more accents than the primary narrative voice. 

The doom is dialed up a bit on "Summon Her". It drops down to a bass line carrying the verses. The vocals are lighter and higher at times, giving a more Coil tone, with the baritone belting it out when the dynamic shifts. The album begins to shift in a more metallic direction with palm-muted chugs, though there is also a Killing Joke-like element in motion here. In some ways, they show you what a band like Dead Register could have evolved into with bigger production. I guess this might be considered doom-gaze in some circles. This can be heard amid the brooding atmosphere of 'Dark Water". The more Interpol-like vocal approach of their earlier work enters the chat here. But there is greater emotional nuance. It explodes in metal midway through this one. They find the sonically heavy sweet spot with the layers of guitar. 

The drums get things moving in a more Katatonia-like direction on "Serpent". The bass is pretty prominent in the mix, which helps the overall sound. This one builds up into a stormier brand of aggression. There is a more Bauhaus-like guitar tone on "Lucifera," though the vocals sound more like Michael Gira from Swans at the beginning of the first verse before finding a lighter emotional current to flow with. I like how this album explores darkness and carries the balls when needed to take the dynamic extremes. The last song takes things back to the gothy My Dying Bride-like doom, but with more groove to it. The synth layers bring the dynamics up to more grandiose levels. This album is pretty immaculate in the mood it creates with these morose melodies, which are up my alley, so I will give this album a 10, as it is pretty close to flawless. Out on Prosthetic Records. .

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-PRESIDENT : "Blood of Your Empire"

I like the brand of pop music these guys craft. This is their full-length, so fans, or "citizens, " as the band refers to them in their universe, might be curious to see how they pull off a full 10 songs. They open this album with the lead single "Angel Wings," which plays it pretty safe.  And "Doom Loop" incorporates more electronic elements and builds things into a more nu-metal-tinged, loud dynamic. I wouldn't call this aggressive, as I am not feeling that kind of energy from them. There is a more metallic crunch leading into "dark heaven" but this is quickly offset by trap elements. The hook is pretty strong in this one.It does carry that anthemic Myspace feel.

They try to get a little rowdier on"Pink Noise," but their electronic pop side feels more authentic rather than than they are trying to live up to their marketing scheme. At times it makes me think of 30 Seconds to Mars, "Mercy" was apparently another single from this album, but I never heard any of these songs before listening to the album as a whole; it kind of feels like a Deftones power ballad. There is a raspier tone in his singing voice in places on this album. You can tell he takes influence from a few different singers from the 90s. This song is pretty well written, and they sell me on it. I think if this album were darker, it would not lean so heavilly in the pop direction.

"Sleepwalker" is more of a mainstream, middle-of-the-road, radio-ready pop-rock song that kinda bores me. The drumming helps to shift the groove and modulate it in places and salavages the song from being too bland..Production-wise, there is more of a djent sound than where they go sonically. "Dionysus" could be Post Malone when it comes to the first verse; the chorus is more Breaking Benjamin. But at least it's hooky. They go pop ballad on "This Will Divide Us". The vocals are layered more like Sleep Token. Of course the band calls these comparisons lazy, but it's not as lazy as sounding like another band.

"Hate Figure" features Ando San helping them out. This makes things sound much more nu-metal with the hip-hop elements dialed up. "White Devil" closes the album. It is another pop song, with intersting keyboards. This album sounds great, even though it might be more accessible than the previous EP, I think they pull off the full length well by showing a balanced picture of who they are, and the songs grew on me even though I went skeptical. I will give it a 9.5. 

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HKSPK : "“Heimkehr”

 This is the second album from the German blackened metallers. The scowl of the vocals is what you would expect from most blast metal bands, with the drumming more deliberate. This is obviously a must for me, as regular readers should know how I feel about blast beats. The first song is under two minutes and does not establish the album's mission statement in the same manner as the more powerful "White Secretions' does, though this song has a denser, more death metal-like aggression to it. The chug is pretty powerful, and the growls are more guttural. The riffs are hookier and win me over. 

"Sonnenjaeger" is more of a death metal song, with little in the way of black metal ambiance to offset the in-your-face aggression. Very song-focused riffing compensates for it not really reinventing the wheel when it comes to this brand of post-90s death metal. "Kill the Weak" has a more punk feel to how the guitars almost jangle with a more rock feel than a chugged attack. In this way, it owes more to black metal, as black metal has more solid ties to punk. The very compact style of songwriting also nods in this direction. 

Based on the song title, I assumed "Rot in Despair" was just going to be death metal. While this is true, it is also darker and more melodic than the earlier demonstrations of death metal they released on you. It has more sonic depth and a somewhat depressive quality to it. This song does venture over the three minute makr but it is time used wisely to create more dynamics. "Rain in the Face" carries a more blackened scowl, but they used plenty of restraint until it's time for them to step on the gas. But they find a balance of ferocity with steady grooves. 

The title track opens with clean guitar tones and synth melodies flowing to bring an almost neo-folk ambiance before the blast into the buzzing din of more European-feeling Black Metal. It locks into a more triumphant gallop before hammering back again. They ebb down into a more melodic guitar sound. This song does manage to break the five-minute mark, but it is time well spent. I will give this album a 9.5; they are certainly one of the best black metal-ish bands to come out of Germany in some time. If you are looking for black metal that puts songwriting at the forefront, check these guys out. 

6.8

pst412

Green Carnation : "A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex"

 

Norway's prog rockers Green Carnation are bringing their most recent trilogy to a close with this album. Hearing the first two parts of this is not a requirement, as it opens much like any band that plays this style of darker  Scandinavian hard rock. They have been at this for so long that the definition of what metal is has changed, even though this band was formed by Emperor bassist Tchort. This shares more common ground with the prog era of Opeth than it does black metal. The guitar playing is very nuanced, with some great tones captured on this album. 

There is some great reverb-ringing guitar on the title track that finds the vocals floating with a more graceful croon. In some ways it's not unlike Ulver in this regard. They jam this song out with a wandering atmosphere. The more metallic riff this one builds into is impressive. Lyrically, they have some pretty accurate social commentary with "Broken Souls". It finds a balance of graceful playing and metallic dynamics that packs a punch in place. The guitar playing is outstanding on this album. These guys are unsung guitar heroes with a great range of styles. The story becomes clear on this song with a spoken-word section. 

The last song is "Bad Poem," which is a sixteen-minute orchestral suite. I think this would have worked better as an overture as the first track. It loses its impact as the last track and feels like, while it works for what it is dynamically, it has less impact. Musically, it feels like something from Bizet's "Pearl Fishers"; it works for what it is, but its placement on the album is the main problem. For this reason, I will give this albuma 9; the rock songs are great with outstanding guitar playing. 

2

pst411

Movements : "Happiner Now "

The fourth album from this band strikes me as the next evolutionary step from the days of Myspace 'emo". The pop-punk elements are more layered with atmosphere and jangling guitars that create a bigger, arena-sized sound. They are less reflective and more upbeat on the second song. Melodies are at the forefront of what they are doing here. Not the most original sound, but it is more organic than some of the overly produced albums of this type, giving it more authenticity. I am having to listen to this through the lens of someone who is into this kind of thing, as it's too happy for me in the more spirited mometned. I prefer the slight touch of introspective brooding on "Everything is Fine". The vocals are belted with greater power on the chorus here, but I would not call it aggressive or heavy.

That title track emotes with admirable restraint; the bass tone shifts to give it more backbone here, as the vocal cadance dances over it. The pop elements are hard to deny, and certainly take the edge off it, but there is place for this sort of thing. The first screamed vocals that appear are mixed into the background. They pick up the pace for "Flowerbed"; it is clear the bass player is the only one with a taste for heavier music. He is itching for a breakdown. The element of this that calls back strongest to the early 2000s is how emo has been cleaned up for accessibility here. The sub-genre has now been around for 20 years, showing it has staying power. 

"Back in my Ways" is the first song where the formula they have been using starts to feel dull, despite trying to dig into the chorus with more grit. "Ill at Ease" has more drive to it. But it also sounds more like everyone else. "Live By the Sword" carries an interesting tension. The brighter mood of "Everyone I've Ever Been" does not work as well for me. The palm-muted guitar leading the way into "Fragile Hands' sets a better tone for my ears. There is a similar stormy tension to the last song. This is really done; I'll give this album a 9, though there are only so many hours in a day and so much music to listen to. I am unsure if it is an album I will return to much, but if you want new emo-revival music, these guys are doing it well.  Out on Fearless Records

10.6

pst410

St Digue : "Secret Language"

 This album reminds us that, for better or worse, "darkwave" is changing. It's evident this Danish artist takes more inspiration from Drab Majesty and The Black Queen than from VNV Nation or Sisters of Mercy. Though there is a fair amount of industrial leaning, which helps justify this to some extent. The drum programming is the main hindrance I hear on the first couple of songs. You can also draw conclusions that he is influenced by the "Pretty Hate Machine" era of Nine Inch Nails. "Down Below" hints that he might be able to sing better than the first two songs suggested. 

The beats improve for " I Told You So," though the vocals take a step backwards from the previous song. Theuptempo shifft helps increase the overall dynamics of the album. Even though "Relapse" builds into something with high energy over all it'schaoticand not focused, and he sounds like ChuckMosely from Faith No More here. Pitchy, but making that work for what he is doing the best he can. 'Amen" is darker and more melodic, which is worth mentioning; as for a "darkwave" project, this album has not felt all that dark to me. This might be due to the fact that the newer "darkwave" that has come from indie electronica is more hazy and less dark. Angry does not always equate to dark, but he gets props for being willing to be angrier, which is what a great deal of the new industrial-tinged music does not get. 

The strongest song on the album might be 'If You Don't Get it Now, You Never Will" has all the elements I have been on the fence about, like the vocals and drum programming, hit their mark and show what this project needs to be tapped into to excel. They work off an angular groove for "Meltdown" that proves effective when they break down for the verse. Then bring a sax in for the 80s synthwave nostalgia. The title track that closes the album is not the most focused song. I will give this album an 8.5. With the right producer, this could be something, but more supervision is needed in this form; however, if you like the indie-"darkwave" sound mixed with 90s industrial rock liek God Lives Underwater. This is for you. Drops October 8 

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Brutalismus 3000 : "Harmony "

 I don't cover a great deal of electronic music; it seldom bangs like the sophomore album from this German duo who met on Tinder. In some ways, it is not far removed from the kind of hyperpop Slayyyter pumped out earlier this year, but Victoria'svocals are more rapped on songs like 'Garland", and their music is even more aggressive.  There is more of a darkness lurking in between the high hats. Even when they are bouncing with a more celebratory "A Milli," there is anger in the raw mix; her lyrics are ego-driven at times with a hip-hop bravado. 

The experimental nature of hyper -pop is in full effect with warped synths that sound like a b-bit video game bring" Mother Bug"  to life. It carries more of a techno pulse, though techno is a part of their musical DNA; Boyz Noize joins them for " I Bring My Gun to the Function". I am not sure I believe she is actually packing, but the theme brings ome fun to the occasion, much likea gun. "Kairo" is the most accessible song, though it works well in the contet of the other songs, and it carries a mainstream techno beat not out of place on the dance floor of your average club. 

Anya Taylor-Joy reads a poem about a hangover on "Morning is For the Happy," which is almost more like an interlude. There is a more Charli XCX feel to " You Were Never Here But I Miss Ya". It gains more techno mometum, though it switches up to a more trap beat."Friends at the Pigshed" features  Underworld, who does not normally collaborate with pop artists. Gore Louvre" pounds pretty hard. It finds a fist-pumping groove. Leonard Cohen" works off more of a trap thump; she also switches up her vocals phrashing on this one. There is also a darker, grittier mood to this

They end the album with "Testo" parts one and two, the first working with a more festive thump and interesting vocal production. Lingering vocal samples from the first part carry over into the second part along with a similar vocal refrain. To sell me on this sort of thing, you have to be really good at it, so I will give this album a 10 and see how it grows on me. 

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pst408

POLYMOON : " Mariposa Magic!"

 

This band from Finland was not what I expected going into this. The album opens with more of a rock dynamic; sure, there are dreamy elements, but it is more along the lines of bands like Rezn and Superheaven, at times even some of Mastodon's more recent melodic moments, especially now that they have a keyboardist who is adding more proggy elements, which this band shares, and since I have been listening to the new Mastodon a great deal I had to check to see if it was still playing in iTunes. The drumming is pretty dynamic but not as bombastic as Brann. I don't think these guys have a metal past as much as a post-hardcore thing going on I can hear them being into bands like Failure.

There is uniformity to what they do despite a song like "Velvet Rain' standing out due to the more languid pace it opens with. This is more space-rock than shoe-gaze. "Lost in Sound, Found in Color" finds a Pink Floyd-like tag being set but is the first moment I would call psychedelic, and even then it's only the intro as there is more of a stoner rock verse. The vocals are a smooth croon that begin to coast with more melodic grace on this one. At times it makes me think of Bryan Ferry. Some prog tendencies begin to further surface. 

A thicker, more fuzzed-out 70s Orange Amp tone rumbles up going into "Welcome to Another Dimension" , but they float back out into the cosmos once it reaches the verse. The song does take an oddly interesting turn. They keep you guessing, though the last song kinda wanders around in zero gravity with little direction. There are also other moments where the ambiance takes over, but overall this is a good mood to dive into with your ears first; I will give this album a 9. It drops on Metal Blade.

pst407

Rapidly Aging : " You're Not Yourself Lately'

 

The brainchild of this post-rock project is Shalor Howell of the Atlanta sludge metal band Canopy that has been featured here. While it is an instrumental, the album samples from the 1974 film  "The Man Who Sleeps " provide the narrative. Some great moody guitar tones are captured here, allowing the guitar to make the emotional connection that fills the void where vocals would be. "Fleeting Moment" has some pedal steel layered around it that adds another dimension of texture, keeping the sonic journey flowing. I'll admit, as a singer, instrumental music is not normally my thing, though there have been exceptions to this. So it speaks volumes about this music's depth if I like it. I think this is due to the melancholy it casts over things. 

The one band whose instrumental pieces I am a big fan of is, of course, Swans, and there is some common ground here as it at times brings "Soundtracks For the Blind" to mind, though this is more inviting rather than using the combative element that Gira unsettles you with like a David Lynch movie, this is more David Croenberg. though very pastoral in the open landscapes summoned to the mind's eye with "the Negative Thought Loops" before the distorted chords crunch down like a threatening storm.At the end of the day, the haunting guitar melodies are what hook you in. There is a similar sense of longing as what Mogwai once invoked on the song "Awoken From a Bad Dream to an Even Worse Reality," the sludgey chord lays into this to create a more cascading dynamic. So if you are a fan of his other band, you are not going to be forgotten about on this album. 

I like how the sample bridges over into "How Quickly the Ground Falls Out Beneath You". This song gets heavier sonically than it does metal, though some crunch comes in to create tension. "Unsaved" has more of an RWAKE rock n roll feel while still coloring the edges with ambiance. The album closes with "To Keep From". Violin chimes in at the beginning, then the song sprawls out in many ways; it feels likea summary of the moods captured so far on this album. I will give this album a 9.5, as it captures a unqiue place in the landscape of this genre, while not turning his back on his previous work. 

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Funeral : "s/t"

This band from Peru makes a stab at making black metal. They thankfully throw more at the wall than Scandinavian riffs that would likely melt in the Peruvian heat. Punk is at the root of what they are doing here. They cite death rock as an influence, and the only touch is three songs in when the guitar tone gets creepy. It opens with a burly Motorhead-like bass line powering a more punk-driving song that works pretty well. Then they make more of a concerted attempt at black metal on "Averno". The drummer starts off more punk, and the guitar player is obviously the black metal fan, though the vocals have enough of a scowl to pass as well.  

"Almas En El Abismo" is where the guitar tone shifts to a mroe Halloween flavor, but they keep up the hard-driving backbone. Black N Roll Darkthrone is a better comparison than bringing up a band like Devil Master. Which might be what they are going for. Another Motorhead-like bass line cranks up for "Tumbas Vacias". The howl of the vocals is pretty one-dimensional.  There is a more deliberate breakdown-like riff that works well. 

The bass player helps set the tone on the last song. Though they speed up into a snarling temper tantrum with more punk-like blat beats than black metal, as there is little in the way of atmosphere to what they are doing as they bash it out. They tighten into the bass line, but not a huge dynamic shift. For all that they lack in melody that make up for an attitude that feels dead serious, so I will give this album an  8.5. When I am in the mood for this will likely listen to "Cvlt is Alive". It drops on September 25th on Caligari Records, 

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CONVULSIF : "Anatomy of Rage"

The Swiss progsters are on the more experimental side of things with a fetish for odd time signatures that form their own droning grooves. The opening track feels like a riff Sleepytime Gorilla Museum just had lying around and never developed into a song. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and wrote it off as an intro. Then on "Being Put Down," there is more of a John Zorn vibe, with chaotic horns coming in before the song slows into a whispered groove. I will say right now that if all the vocals are whispered like this, it will only take two songs before I get bored.

Jazz does seem to be firmly infused in this project's DNA. The thumping bass is the heaviest thing they have going so far, though it is dark in a weird way that has not quite come to me yet. The noir-ish shadows continue to be cast on "Sound Footing' when it hits me that this is going to be more of a jazz album than a metal album. "Facing the Fasces" does find the drumming punchier and getting the rumble of the bass to accent it. It feels more like an incomplete, though dynamic, album despite its building momentum. In some ways they are not unlike the post-2000s Swans. 

The whispering is back on "Development," which feels like the Central Scrutinizer from"Joe's Garage".  This song is where they forgot that to be progressive, your songs have got to go somewhere, and it is not about a quirky idea that goes nowhere. This is applied to " Grind Your Tusks " as a minute; it feels more like a grindcore ditty. More whispering as things simmer to life on "the Pitch, the Plight, the Polymer," which is over 19 minutes. I like the darker feeling explored here. Ten minutes in and not much changes aside from a swell of noise. Then the bass shifts the groove to give a more serpentine slither. I will give this one a 7.5; they have some good ideas, just need to flesh them out more into songs. 

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DISSIMULATOR :"Artifice Dissolves"

 It makes sense these guys are as weird as they do metal. I reviewedtheir2023 album and liked it so much it earned a 9, putting them at the top of the heap when it comes to deathly thrash. The opening track feels more like death metal, though a  few moshy riffs come in. They are taking influence from two genres known for being fast, so you better wear your seat belts. "Hungry Ghosts" is more rooted in the deliberate riff worship of thrash, and is written with more nuance than the first song. I like the robotic vocals thrown in as accents. The fast parts that do arrive are balanced by riffs with more hooks.

The title track gets caught up in speed. This might make you wonder why I listen to so many extreme metal bands if I don't like fast playing.It is all about balance and not rushing the song. The title track seems to be about vampires, which goes against the normal sci-fi themes. "Alloyed" finds a more sci-fi feel back in place and a rock vibe in the verse riff."Proprioceptor" finds things getting weird and technical with an angular curvature to the riffs. This feels more like death metal. 

"Neon Metropolis" feels like old Megadeth from a guitar perspective. The robo-vocals return for this song. The last two songs focus more on the technical side of speed metal, with the only grooves surfacing on the last song. When I left this album just playing as  I went about my day, it did grow on me, so for that reason I will give it a 9. If you liked the previous album, things have not changed, though this one might be faster. 

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NEQUIENT :"Avarice"

 

This album has been on my to-do list for a while, and I'm just now getting around to checking it out. This album came out back in April on Nefarious Industries, which, on that label alone ispromising, It is more on the punk side of the Grindcore equation. There are some metal growls and death metal growls that are thrown in for good measure. There is also a higher sneered punk vocal that tends to be the dominant voice at times. It is borderline annoying. Their metal side makes them not afraid to take their songs over the three-minute mark.  At times this lends itself to angular chaos that reminds me of the Locust. Where they stand apart is when things venture out into a jammy feel that goes against their punk core. 

"Brain Worms" lashing out with unrestrained speed and the sound of a meth-addicted drummer, or at least that is what the frantic, manic playing suggests. Purposeful riffs attempt to balance the chaos."Rintrah Roar'does have some melodic punk layers mied in with the lashing out, bu there strongest moments come when they slow and venttheir drippingvenom.. They are more thrashing on "Obsolete Machines," which might be one of the album's best songs but it races by pretty fast.'Siege  Mentatlity"has a more hardcore feel iu the vein of Converge.

The last two songs worked off the same momentum so it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began, forcing me to go back and take a closer listen. The last song works off a more feral aggression, with the drums at times blasting. I will give these guys an 8.5; they are great  at what they do I just have  other bands I listen to when it comes to hearing this sort of thing; they do not do much to convince me otherwise 

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