The Top 10 Goth / Industrial Albums of 2018

It is that time again. For the sake of this list . Darker and more elegant than the bands on my post-punk list, this is the music the children of the night make. The score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ? While the top ten lists for other genres leaned more heavily on the side of new blood , this lists leans in the direction of more well established acts with some surprises. Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 Goth/ Industrial albums of 2018.

 10-the Rain Within -"Atomic Eyes"

While Andy from Bella Morte retains his distinct voice, it now has new sounds behind it than have more shade of neon mixed in them. Having emerged at the tail end of the Cleopatra years, this is not really retro goth. He stuck to his guns and is delivering something that has come full circle. Last year I heard a few acts like Death of Lovers who were beginning to sound like Gary Numan , while Gary Numan was not sounding like himself. Andy avoids this and instead rides some Tron like grooves, that would not sound out of place playing in a club from the last Blade Runner movie.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/01/rain-within-atomic-eyes.html

9- SRSQ-"Unreality"


Former Them or Us  Too vocalist Kennedy Ashlyn continues on after the other half of that duo died. There is a very elegant almost classical vocal intro going into something more movement than what her old band did. As a result it sounds less like the Cocteau Twins until it gets to the quirky skip of the more fey vocal melodies. We can never go back to Them or Us Too as that band is done, we can however hear where they might have gone as Ashlyn does uphold their legacy in her solo work.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/10/gothtober-srsq-unreality.html

8- Author & Punisher - "Beastland"

 There is a more metallic nastiness to the rasp of shore’s voice, He does alternate into a more Skinny Puppy like sing song cadence. His machines create a dense throb that is rough around it’s over blown edges. Intense and abrasive are two words that best fit the album. “Nihil Strength” was the first song I heard going into the album and it is also more metallic in it’s intent though, Shore is sticking to his self made devices of torture to temper his sonic sadism. The beat to this one relaxes a little more than the first song with other layers of melody winding around it.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/author-punisher-beastland.html

7-Pysclon 9- "Icon of the Adversary" 

 They are almost a blackened industrial, though really the vocals are the most black metal part of their equation. The guitars mainly stay at a weighty chug. I like how dark they are . This album feels like it picks up where they left off six years ago.. If you are looking for industrial with a groove that you can dance to then you are going to need to look elsewhere. This is more industrial music to kill yourself to after a heroin binge during a zombie apocalypse.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/10/gothtober-pysclon-9-icon-of-adversary.html

6-US Graves - "Voice of an Idiot Ghost"

 Take Over and Destroy have always had a dark side. This time they have given over it as the singer formed a new project. Sometimes it might lean in more of a post -punk direction. So these guys are more goth in their intent than their execution, but more goth than the bands that were my post-punk list and leave me satisfied with who they are an like hearing a more emotional take on post-punk.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/08/us-graves-voice-of-idiot-ghost.html

5-Ministry-"Amerikkkant"

 Al slows down and gives into his anger in a way that digs back into the darkness of "Darkside of the Spoon" rather than a struggle with addiction this album finds him struggling with the world around him.If we want to revisit your golden years this is the way to do. There is enough new to make this feel like it's not a retro flirtation with their past. A well balanced album that works off mood more than just being in your face. Sure it has more of a smack out feel than a speed ball blitz, so perhaps that is why I am more partial to this side of the band.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/ministry-amerikkkant.html

4-Anna Von Hauswolf- "Dead Magic" 

 She is pretty ambitious and is not content like some of her peers leading you into a dark drone, as her songs have a more adventurous feel to their arrangement that has more in common with Dead Can Dance than it does Chelsea Wolfe. It's more like if Lisa Gerrard covered all of Brendan Perry's songs. Though in a much more experimental fashion as she is prone to go off into Swans like atmosphere. So there is a fucking lot going on here, but it's dark and I like it. It falls into the weird exotic brand of goth that is some where between world music and neo-folk.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/10/gothtober-anna-von-hausswolff-dead-magic.html



3-Street Sects - "the Kicking Mule"
The Texas duo returns with a more aggressive effort, even when the vocals are not harshly screamed the sneering death rock like tenor spits out dirty pictures of humanity in his lyrics. More manically frantic the songs effectively merge chaos and songwriting. So creepy in it's intent the results are what I imagine to be the soundtrack to a serial killer's internal dialogue.

 2-Dead Can Dance-"Dionysus" 

 It works more of the hypnotic atmosphere. It is not unusual for their songs to have this more sound track like quality. It is a wild juxtaposition to their previous album which was more accessible in it's song structure. "Liberator of Minds" does have a more serpentine groove that you could dance to if you were into touch with your more sensual primal side. In other words when it begins to move I immediately thought, my girl friend could dance to this.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/10/gothtober-dead-can-dance-dionysus.html

1-Strvngers- "Amor Noir"

 Beating out well known goth icons, this new act out of Canada claimed the throne this year due to the hooky nature of their songs. The dynamic range of this albums goes from future pop to bouncy anthems coated grandiose and cinematic swathes if apocalyptic majesty. A pornographic kink them drips from the bump and grind of the more often darker industrial strength shadow stomp that rocks the dance floor.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/strvngers-amor-noir.html

Peste Noire : "Split"

This is not an actual split so the jokes on you. This French project has been known for being wacky, but the album opens in a more straight forward fashion, pretty impressive double bass from the session drummer who played on this album.  On the second song sung vocals are more common place along with a wide range of other sounds that makes this sound like a black metal version of "Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Cub Band". "Raid Eclair" is marginally darker and more blasting, with the snarled vocals carrying a nastier rasp. The chords ring out with the kind of grim mood you expect from black metal. The guitars are very polished, there is a weird higher vocal that sounds like he is going coo-koo for cocoa pops. Double bass and blasting continue to dominate ad the next song finds them winding their way into more of a groove.

Midway into the album this is still a less avant garde effort with a more classic metal tone to "666 Millions" . The more deranged side of the band comes out on the song " Noire Peste". The songs after this finally touches upon the more perverse and experimental side of this band, that I feel sets them apart as a distinct identity of their own. Things that provide a coat of sleaze like the running tick of the 808 drum. Things well outside of the typical black metal box. They continue down the road with the almost rapped rock feel of  "Turbofascisme" . It's good to hear the finding their old depraved groove again. This is what I want from this band. On "Aristocrasse" they hit a weird place between kraut rock and apocalyptic trap metal. Needless to say when I band hits upon something that blends such things in this way I find it wonderful.

They close the album with "Domine" which is not as effective or grandiose in it's execution as the song before it so the results are more anti-climatic. It has all the elements that worked in the song before it I think this is just a case of them going to the well too many times with them. It doesn't suck it just doesn't hold the same impact. I'll give this album a 9 as it works more often than not and even their more meat and potatoes black metal moments are really well done.

The Top 10 Mainstream Metal Albums of 2018

It is that time again. For the sake of this list mainstream Metal is anything that is not black, doom, death metal, or sludge. So that leaves some of the more widely ingested forms like symphonic metal, power metal, folk metal, thrash and nu-metal .  Mainstream doesn't mean they are going on tour with Slipknot or going to be played along side them on Sirrus, as chances are that going to be some bullshit band who i only got three songs into their album before getting bored. score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ?

While the top ten lists for other genres leaned more heavily on the side of new blood , this lists leans in the direction of more well established acts. Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 Mainstream Metal  albums of 2018.

10-Non Point -"x"


 They were always par for the course when it came to the tail end of nu-metal that was transitioning into the era of Myspace.There is a more thrash feel to the opener , but in a Slipknot manner and the vocal hooks have a Sevendust feel. They prove themselves to be good at what they do once again.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/08/nonpoint-x.html

9-Metal Church- "Damned if you Do" 


 Mike Howe and Kurdt Vanderhoof are the only members from the "Blessing In Disguise" era of the band, which is not the original line up, but a great incarnation of the band that I accept . Howe's voice sounds just as great as it did on "XI". There is a darker and more melodic tone to which is more original than the more straight forward by the numbers what you expect from these guys, straight head proto thrash. This makes the albums more somber and melodic moments help this one stand out.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/metal-church-damned-if-you-do.html

8-Code Orange- "the Hurt Goes On" 

 Their album "Forever" rules pretty hard as it showed them utilizing a bigger sound and blending a more industrial tinged influence into the mix. That industrial side of the band is given The first song is gritty and dense metal core that takes the concept of metal and hardcore thrown together and succeeds on every angle. This albums does rock pretty hard and I love how the left of center electronics are blended with their take on metallic hard core.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/06/code-orange-hurt-goes-on.html

7-Arkona-"Khram" 

 Clearing up any problems I had with folk metal, hey show up ready to do battle and don't get over indulgent into the more LARP like elements until the seventeen minute second song. I tend to not keep many sprawling seventeen minute songs in my iPod as they would take up the entire car ride to pretty much any where I go, they borders on being more progressive with the sprawling songs and refined chops.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/02/black-metal-history-month-arkona-khram.html

6-Destroyer 666 - "Call of the Wild"

 Warslut is back with something is almost more like W.A.S.P than black metal. Granted you could grandfather it in as it is as black metal as Venom...though closer to "Calm Before the Storm" than "At War With Satan".  They guitar sound is dialed in. The vocals are standing on the monitors and in your face. The vocal performance is executed in more of a 80s thrash shouted style of singing . There are some black metal tinged rasps thrown in. The drumming is very animated, but where it needs to be. I think the guitar benefits more from when things are not as busy.

  https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/02/black-metal-history-month-destroyer-666.html

5-Tribulation-"Down Below" 

 3 years after "Children of the Night" the boys from Sweden are back. This album seems like a logical progression with a more stream lined take on death metal. Their new drummer is more of a in the pocket rock guy and doesn't hit you with a ton of double bass so this factors in. There is still a great deal of atmosphere and keyboard parts, that help retain the darker mood. The guitar playing is more thoughtful and nuanced to make up for the fact it might not be as aggressive as their previous releases. The vocals haven't really changed and their mid range snarl is  the most biting part of their sound now

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/01/tribulation-down-below.html

4-Judas Priest- "Firepower" 

 The first concern going into any Priest album is how is Rob's voice going to hold up, We might be able to live with out KK, but as the Ripper Owens years proved, his voice is one of the defining traits of this band. Think closer to "Defenders of the Faith" which was the band trying to replicate the massive success of "Screaming For Vengeance" . It is truer to form for the band than "Redeemer of Souls". It has the up tempo aggression that influenced the thrash bands that would follow.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/judas-priest-fire-power.html

3-In the Woods - "Cease the Day"

 These guys are not the only black metal band from the early 90s that have changed their sound over the years.At the onset one might assume these guys have gone more of a Ulver route as baritone clean vocals have a mournful sound to them almost like a doomy gothy version of Pink Floyd. I do like the dark melodic tone this song has almost like something Katatonia might do. By the end of the song things have swelled back into metal. I also like how the effects drape the harsher vocals toward the end of the song, and while it is done in a more Enslaved like manner I do not feel the call and response between the clean and harsh vocals is predictable with a darker and moodier sound than most.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/10/in-woods-cease-day.html

2-Primordial -"Exile Amongst the Ruins"

 These guys used to be more black metal and have grown out of it, which you can't be mad at considering how dark they are and how they get pagan metal right. Right from the first song there is a passing return to harsh vocals for a few phrases. Their second best is better than most. If you are a fan of the band this is going to be what you are waiting for as it's more of the same.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/primordial-exile-amongst-ruins.html ,

1-Dimmu Borgir- "Eonian"

No longer black metal,they do what they do. This involves their ever evolving sound that retains the core of who they are. Shagrath croaks his way through the verses. There is a huge choral sound midway into the song. This confirms they are more of a symphonic metal band than a black metal band.These guys dialing it in is better than most bands can do on a good day.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/05/dimmu-borgir-eonian.html

The Top 10 Indie Rock Albums of 2018

It is that time again. For the sake of this list indie rock is anything that is not mainstream rock or hard enough to be punk or metal. Some folk and shoe gaze are included , though it can't be dark enough to be goth or tense enough to be post-punk The score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ?

While the top ten lists for other genres leaned more heavily on the side of new blood it seems there is an even blend of well established acts who put out the greatest quality albums .; Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 indie rock albums of 2018.

10-Slow Crush -"Aurora"


If this had come out earlier in the year and I had a more easilly accessible copy of it this album by the Belgian shoe-gaze band would have been higher on the list. But I just found them, the review is hot off the press, yet I could not avoid putting them on here because they are so good at what they do.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/slow-crush-aurora.html

9-Rome-"Hall of Thatch"

 By the second song Jerome Reuter proves his gets better with each album. By the 3rd song it's obvious this album is a lot darker, which is fine by me as it carries a very Swans like feel. The theme of the album is a darker spiritual exploration and much more personal than the political themes he has championed in the past. I think this is a wise choice for him as this seems to elicit a more emotional response.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/10/gothtober-rome-hall-of-thatch.html

8- Hillary Woods-"Colt"

 Hilary Woods would not be out of place on the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Less fey sounding than the Cocteau Twins, yet it occupies a similar sonic space as an album like "Treasure". These ballads are haunting, yet invoke spirits of inner space rather than from beyond the grave. Hazy not dark would be the best way to describe the sound. There is a jazz like minimalism, though unlike 90s acid jazz, it serves the melody rather than the beat. The percussion on these songs is incidental.Any genre that embraces emotive and shadow filled sounds could embrace what is done here.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/hilary-woods-colt.html

7-Church Girls- "Home"


Poppier than what I expect of most indie rock that tries to be too cool for school. It's not a poppy as say Pale Waves, though it's not as dark as them either. Though there is a touch of punk to what they do. Mariel's voice is plaintive while being emotive. It reminds me of 90s alt rock like Liz Phair or Veruca Salt.  She does have more range than she lets on at first . These guys are pretty impressive musically as the solo on "Black Seas" is pretty unexpected and highly fleet of finger.it's worth the dollar they are going to make me spring for it, which says something about the infectious nature of these songs.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/church-girls-home.html

 6-Deafheaven- "Ordinary Corrupt Human Love" 

 The new album opens in a tone that is not metal at all with piano and post-rocky instrumentation taking a dreamy groove which the vocals eventually snarl over. Snarling doesn't instantly make things metal here or really anywhere. " The drums punch certain accents, but until it swells I am reluctant to call it metal. The drummer has really stepped up his game that is for certain. Vocally the are back to sticking to the same snarl so far. It's his typically mid range, sometimes it sounds like he is making more of an attempt to form words than others.It earns multiple listens ,while its not a metal album it excels when it comes to guitar playing and songwriting.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/deafheaven-ordinary-corrupt-human-love.html

5-Iceage-"Beyondless"

 I was worried the boys from Denmark would stray to far from punk after their last album and the funky Rolling Stones like side project of their singer . The first song holds roots in the early days of punk, but is just good fucking music. While the drums continue to have a reckless edge the horns smooth out the sonic landscape. I am glad the gray clouds close in over the second half of the album, though none of it is sunshine and puppies,as it preserves the growing legacy of this band.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/05/iceage-beyondless.html

4-Marissa Nadler- "For My Crimes"


She continues down a path of hauntingly morose balladry. More ghostly than Lana Del Ray. More folk than country this time around, though hints of western sounds still color this album. Things seem simpler here. More minimal compositions, keep the focus on the vocals. Sometimes these vocals are layered on the chorus. Wispy the songs become intangible and don't hook me as quickly as some of her previous efforts, so its a grower not a shower.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/marisa-nadler-for-my-crimes.html

3-Slothrust- "Pact"

 These guys have come along a way. This is a much smoother and polished effort right off the bat with a stab at pop injected. Gone is the grunge rawness. It does get kicked up later in the first song, but the hooky alternative rock going on here is much different than my first taste of the band. I would not call it selling out. It's a refining that could open them up to a bigger audience, it's a natural progression I suppose as I could never find their last album. This one certainly earned repeat listens.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/slothrust-pact.html

2- Nothing -"Dance on the Blacktop" 

 I found "Tired of Tomorrow" to be too happy and was underwhelmed. While this album might not be full return to the grunge tinged "Guilty of Everything" it does make shoe-gaze great again with more balls behind it than the previous album and keeps the surreal step back into the 90s going . There are authentic guitar tones and the songs builds into a hooky melody at the end. The new element being introduced on this album is the kind of vintage slacker rock that bands like Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh used to crank out. This is a pretty solid return for them and was highly enjoyed even if it floats away at the end.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/nothing-dance-on-blacktop.html

1-Pianos Become the Teeth - "Wait For Love" 

 Their fourth album is another picture of this band's dramatic evolution. If you go back and listen to their first album it doesn't even seem like the same band. Gone is the explosive energy and the screamed vocals. While I  think of these guys as having come from the same emo-revival that bands like Touche Amore came from, it's weird to here such refined indie rock coming from these guys. They are capable of going at it with an almost Jawbreaker-like drive on "Charisma". The vocals are plaintive but well-placed. The guitar doesn't told much in terms of distortion and works off of a dream-like jangle more often than not. While other albums might have scored higher on the initial listen this one earned it's place in heavy rotation and I actually listened to it more than the other albums.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/pianos-become-teeth-wait-for-love.html

Slow Crush :"Aurora"

This band from Belgium almost slipped under my radar. I found them clicking around on Bandcamp. They have more punk tension to their sound than your average shoe gaze band. Though the opening song is cloaked in hazy atmosphere. "Drift' does that and kind of fades into it's own smoke and mirrors. "Tremble" works much better as a song, as it's darker dynamics and female vocals create a mood more suited for me. The drums carry more of a groove to "Shallow Breath" which helps propel the song and set it part from the murky tone of the album. "Aid & Abet" has more of a droning pound to it and grooves less than the previous. When it does loses the drone it floats into a surreal sonic dream. The fuzzy over driven sound has the most in common with My Bloody Valentine, but overall at this point in the album they are reminding me more of Lush. Which is fine as most people just think of My Bloody Valentine when they think of shoe gaze.

"Collide" has a guitar tone with more in common with the Cocteau Twins, which is one of the biggest compliments I can give as Robin Guthrie has a perfect tone. This song has more of a narcotic drag to it , like something you are likely to hear on Twin Peaks.The vocals are more buried in the music. Though this album almost has to be listened to with head phones as you can hear the vocals better with the full stereo mix. I would switch the titles of the two songs, as "Beached" sounds more like a collision in the fact it's drums are almost more punk in how they carry the upbeat stomp. While "Collide" sounds more like being beached, since I commonly think of being washed up on a beach post-orgasm.

The album closes with the title track. They drums have less motion than the previous song, but more than they normally do. The guitars and vocals both float along against one another . The guitar shimmers with a density that over powers the vocals. Overall the song is a good blend of their more rock side with the ethereal nature of what they do.I'll round this one up to an 9 just because their is so much attention to details and emotion rather than the often detached glaze of the genre.

6.1

The Top 10 Rock Albums of 2018

I


t is that time again. Rock for the sake of this list is anything that is not truly metal, there are some hard rock albums on here, there are also albums that rock to hard to be indie rock The score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ?

While the top ten lists for other genres leaned more heavily on the side of new some of these are the more well established acts who put out the greatest quality albums .  Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 rock albums of 2018.

10- Black Foxxes -"Reidi"

  I really loved 2016's "I'm Not Well" so expectations are somewhat high. I want them to give me more emotive blues edged grunge. Their front man Mark Holley went to Iceland to write this album. The opener finds them remembering who they are but with a lusher sound that in it's androgyny reminds me more of Placebo than the last album did. It is suitably dynamic with smart melodies. Though it doesn't have the same raw urgency. There is more of a radio alternative rock feel. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/black-foxxes-reidi.html

9-Crippled Black Phoenix-"Great Escape"

 This project of Justin Greaves the drummer for Iron Monkey and Electric Wizard, typically embarks on a more psychedelic rock vein. Here it's in the 70s rock zip code. Melodic vocals and a bong laden mood, they coast with the relaxed Pink Floyd like vibe. Sometimes blending kraut rock with Queens of the Stoneage like grooves, they often works off of a space age tension.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/crippled-black-phoenix-great-escape.html

8-Lizzy Borden- "My Midnight Things"

 His voice sounds great. Though I had too find what is really him by searching through layers of vocal overdubs. His vocal is little lower , perhaps with age but "Long May They Haunt Us" sounds like a more rock n roll version of who this band used to be. This might not measure up against the classics , but his voice is holding up and it's a better comeback than I could have hoped for.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/06/lizzy-borden-my-midnight-things.html

7-Interpol- "Marauder" 

 These guys had to grow on me. When I first heard them I tried to write them off as a Joy Division knock off. I gave them a chance and heard differently. Now I find myself wishing for more Joy Division to be injected back into their sound as 2014's"El Pintor" was just not dark enough for me. I don't want these guys to be happy. Things do start off differently. The vocals are higher, floating without the sardonic starkness to their narrative. I am willing to compromise with the groove presented on the opener, but I don't want them to perk up much beyond this point.Over all it's a good return to form .

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/08/interpol-marauder.html

6-Black Salvation- "Uncertainty is Bliss" 

 Former In Solitude and Grave Pleasures drummer Uno Bruniusson. But each member of this trio is highly talented. The guitarist Paul Schlesier handles the vocals. He gives the band a darker sound with a croon not unlike that employed on In Solitude's "Sister" album though more Jim Morrison than King Diamond. It had been sitting in my in-box so I am glad the fact the In Solitude connection caught my eye. While these guys are not metal, fans of In Solitude will find enough common ground to enjoy this one. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/black-salvation-uncertainty-is-bliss.html

5-Clutch - "the Book of Bad Decisions"

 The bar was held pretty high after "Psychic Warfare" . It grooves in that way that is consistent with what the band does, there might be a little more atmosphere. I guess it feels like Fallon's delivery is not as urgent. When the songs are strong that are powerful like the funk of the albums best song "In Walks Barbarella" is hard to deny.Sometimes it feels like Fallon's hooks are just being dialed in a little and they are working more of a formula, but overall their formula works. The Drumming and guitar playing are so great they can easily carry this album.

4-Hopesfall- "Arbiter"

 Never really paid any attention to these guys , but a friend told me Hopesfall just put out a new Hum album. I can hear that in the guitars and eventually the apathetic sounding Hum like vocals come in. Sometimes the pace picks up and it gets more aggressive in a Helmet like fashion. The melodic sections ebb down into fall into place in a similar fashion as what the Deftones are known for though less dark and brooding.Since I only know these guys from when they were more of a Myspace sensation this seems like a mature step.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/hopesfall-arbiter.html

3-Scars on Broadway- "Dictator" 

 Much like his first solo album, this is more rock n roll and less nu-metal than System of a Down. I have always like Malakian's vocals with System of a Down , perhaps more than Serj's. This album touches on a great deal of the h darker tension to that recalls some of System's best moment. It seems like this song was probably written for the next System of a Down album that never happened, as his takes on a lower croon that has more in common with Serj's vocal style. It might not hit as hard as the first album but is really well done.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/scars-on-broadway-dictator.html

2-Alice in Chains - "Rainer Fog"

 This album finds them back closer "Black Gives Way..." with a few moments that are a little more upbeat , but not a miss step , just songs that had to grow on me. Often heavier with a huge crushing dark riffs and vocals slithering out of the shadows, which is everything I could want from this band.Not always shoulder to shoulder with the Layne albums, unless with are talking about the self titled one. It might be better than that one. Much Like "Black Gives Way" it's hard to tell where Cantrell's vocals begin and DuVall's end, so DuVall works better as a tribute singer than showing too much of his own personality in these songs. I am glad that they have taken a turn back to a darker direction

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/08/alice-in-chains-rainier-fog.html

1-Emma Ruth Rundle - "On Dark Horses" 

 It's not as dark and it's more of a straight up rock album. However over time this album grew on me. Sometime it made me think of Jimi Hendrix playing country music. In other words Dave Navarro. Loose jazzy jam quality, the vocals are a little moodier. I am open to her expanding her sound as I certainly didn't want her just to re-hash "Marked For Death". The least driving album on the list, but the most emotionally layered. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/emma-ruth-rundle-on-dark-horses.html

Bleach Birth : "Hatching Inside the Womb"

I've heard this band called death rock so it got my hopes up , but it's really raw snotty garage punk. They don't dip into something more post-punk until the third song. As far a punk goes "Chased By the Nazis" is the kind of 80s punk I grew up on. With "Glitter" they continue down this more classic punk sound.The album begins to fade into the background so I have to go back and give the tense "Honey" another listen. Its pretty close to what I want from punk, but with worse production. "Rot Remains" is marginally darker than what they have offered so far.

The songs are short so they tend to run into one another and punk can sound the same. There is not much to separate "Dreamlover" from everything else. "Rainbow" is the closest they have come to death rock so far. The bass tone could use more balls and come up further into the mix to really hit the mark. "Fantasy" loses me as it goes into more of the same kind of punk. "Savior" is a darker shift on this kind of aggressive hard core punk. The vocals have more of a rasp. Things get more death rock again on "Depths of Man". I like this song, I just wish it was recorded with a little more love and care. "Latex Clouds" finds them continuing to stay in the shadows , which I am of course fine with.

"Blind Eye" is back to the rougher edged punk. This is also the tone they close the album with on 46 seconds of "Snowflakes". I will give this album an 8, I think I already made it clear what I like and don't like about this album and obviously based on this score likes won out 80 percent of the time. So if you are into darker and dirtier punk this album is worth a listen.