As the world comes to an end, one can only hope punk and metal bands will get angry regarding our collective demise to provide a decent soundtrack. Thanks to record labels who want products that can be easily marketed a more pop element has been diluting genres that should be holding the middle finger up to the imminent mushroom clouds to come. A few brave bands are shunning this kinder and gentler direction. New Jersey’s GEL is one of them. Their new album Persona (Blue Grape Music) finds the band ready to give the middle finger, as they get right up in your face with their pumped-up take on punk. 2023’s “Only Constant” had not only momentum but did not compromise when it came to the songwriting. This time around the energy leans more into the hard-core side, throwing more weight behind its punches. Continue reading
Tag Archives: metal EP reviews
EP REVIEW: Horns and Hooves – Spectral Voyeurism
The two renowned Extreme Metal labels Stygian Black Hand and Invictus Productions are collaborating this time to release the anticipated mini-album coming from the ever-gnarly unholy trinity Horns & Hooves, entitled Spectral Voyeurism. Continue reading
EP REVIEW: Graywave – Dancing In The Dust
Starting out as a solo project for singer and multi-instrumentalist Jess Webberley, Graywave have released two previous EPs – Planetary Shift in 2021, followed swiftly by their first for Church Road Records, Rebirth in 2022. Continue reading
EP REVIEW: Escuela Grind – DDEEAATTHHMMEETTAALL
Yeah, you can score one more for the good guys up here representing extreme metal in New England. Massachusetts more specifically. And that’s not against our friends in New Hampshire, Vermont, or Rhode Island as they are also vital components of the scene, but Massachusetts just hits a little differently.Continue reading
EP REVIEW: Full of Hell and Nothing (split) – When No Birds Sing
On paper, this makes perfect sense. A collaborative effort between Full of Hell and Nothing stand as two of the most creative outliers in their respective genres, and the mission statement of When No Birds Sing (Closed Casket Activities) is to fuse the juxtaposition of their varied sonic palettes. Brace yourself, as Full of Hell is the overpowering force when the album opens.
EP REVIEW: Moodring – Your Light Fades Away
Florida/Atlanta three-piece Moodring has certainly been consistent with their output since they released showmetherealyou (UNFD) in 2021, with a number of singles and last years long-player Stargazer, gaining them some serious recognition.
EP REVIEW: Fit For An Autopsy – Thy Art Is Murder – Malevolence: The Aggression Sessions
Metal is allowed to be fun, especially when three heavyweights collide in a tri-split that not only features original songs from each, but unlikely cover tracks which allow for displays of versatility.
EP REVIEW: Beyond Extinction – Nothing More Wretched
The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for the Essex-based Beyond Extinction, who dropped their first EP The Fatal Flaws Of Humankind in 2021, then hit a packed New Blood Stage at Bloodstock for their first festival appearance in the same year. Since then they’ve continued to hit the road with full force, playing shows with an impressive roster of bands including Viscera, Cancer Bats, The Five Hundred, and Our Hollow Our Home.
EP REVIEW: Voivod – Ultraman
Anyone familiar with progressive thrashers Voivod will be fully aware of the Canadian quartet’s leanings towards the surreal and strange world of science fiction, so the Ultraman EP (Century Media Records), a short-form tribute to cult Japanese TV icon Ultraman, should really come as no surprise.
EP REVIEW: Alpha Wolf – Holding Absence – The Lost and The Longing
After bonding at the Impericon Festival back in 2019, Sharptone Records labelmates Alpha Wolf and Holding Absence have kept in touch, much to their fans’ benefit. Their new EP split The Lost & The Longing consists of four strong tracks, including two collaborations between each band – collaborations none of us knew we needed.Continue reading