ALBUM REVIEW: The Amity Affliction – Not Without My Ghosts


 

When any kind of metal band promotes their new material as “the heaviest music they’ve ever made”, it’s usually met with eye rolls from fans who have heard this very promise time and time again from their favorite groups who failed to deliver. Hearing this from The Amity Affliction, a group that has always stood on the lighter side of metalcore, I was one of the skeptical ones. Ever since the Australian quartet released their instant classic Let The Ocean Take Me in 2014, each album following has paled in comparison. 

Until now.

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ALBUM REVIEW: As Everything Unfolds – Ultraviolet


 

Breaking through the UK with their enchanting blend of alternative rock and metal, British quintet As Everything Unfolds continue developing their recipe for success with their sophomore album, Ultraviolet (Long Branch Records). The record’s name is inspired by a metaphor for gaining new perspectives on life and is an astoundingly fitting descriptor for the aural experience achieved by each track’s dynamic arrangements. 

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EP REVIEW: Atreyu – The Hope Of A Spark


 

Having approached their twentieth year of being a staple in the metalcore scene, the prodigies of Atreyu still haven’t lost their spark (no pun intended) with the new EP The Hope Of A Spark (Spinefarm Records). Drawing from the commonalities of the quintet’s personal lives, each song is truly a shared effort among the five of them – not only musically, but conceptually.

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ALBUM REVIEW: August Burns Red – Death Below


 

For a band that hasn’t changed their sound much over the course of almost twenty years, Pennsylvania quintet August Burns Red miraculously continues to stay not only relevant but one of the most widely respected acts in modern metal. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: For The Fallen Dreams – For The Fallen Dreams


 

A great deal of today’s biggest metalcore fans consider the 2000s to the 2010s the golden years of the genre. Bands such as Michigan-based For The Fallen Dreams who have continued on since the MySpace era help to maintain the style’s raw spirit with their ever-evolving nu-metal twists – and their new self-titled album (Arising Empire) is no exception.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Death Pill – Death Pill


 

Starting in the nineties and still continuing to this day in 2023, it’s safe to say the Riot Grrrl movement isn’t dying out any time soon. New bands such as all-female hardcore punk trio Death Pill continue to emerge from the shadows, and this one has a debut album that’s tough to forget once crawled through unsuspecting ears. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Our Mirage – Eclipse


 

Metalcore has evolved significantly since the early 2000s, with countless bands finding their own creative strategies to embrace the melodic side of the genre without forgetting about its metal roots. Rising up from Marl, Germany, Our Mirage solidify what makes their brand of metalcore special with their somber yet hard-hitting tone as well as their captivating ways of storytelling. Their sophomore album Eclipse (Arising Empire) takes the heavy rock riffing and balances it with atmospheric touches that bring out a certain delicacy amongst the havoc.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Borders – Bloom Season


 

Any band who knows how to blur the lines between two styles that are normally considered drastically different deserves some praise for that alone, and groups like Lincoln, UK’s Borders continue to push those boundaries. Their sophomore album Bloom Season (Arising Empire) ventures further on their seamless mingling of metalcore and hip-hop, yet there is no shortage of either genre’s core elements. While some tracks may embrace one over the other, the balance is consistent, making for a record easily accessible to a wide range of music fans. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Crooked Royals – Quarter Life Daydream


 

There is still a ton left to be done in Metal and Rock music. If you’re one of those people who assumes rock is dead simply because it’s not as mainstream as it once was, I am truly sorry for all the amazing new bands you’re missing out on. Among many others, New Zealand quintet Crooked Royals are opening eyes to the many ways the genre is evolving and raising questions of where else it could go from here. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Until I Wake – Inside My Head


 

Having formed in Buffalo, New York only two years ago in the midst of the pandemic, metalcore quartet Until I Wake have rapidly managed to create a name for themselves in a style that some are beginning to consider outdated. Disregarding that entirely, the band signed to the prestigious Fearless Records and made their debut album Inside My Head, putting the sound that they genuinely love ahead of following new trends. Continue reading