mansuetude (noun) man·sue·tude ˈman(t)-swi-ˌtüd man-ˈsü-ə- -ˌtyüd :
the quality or state of being gentle : meekness, tameness
Have you ever met Eugene S. Robinson (vocalist and frontman for the thunderous Rock force that is Buñuel)? Have you indeed ever listened to Buñuel? Neither experience will likely have “meekness” being the first (or indeed within the first hundred) descriptives that come to mind. Continue reading
All-female punk trailblazers The Linda Lindas have released their sophomore album No Obligation via Epitaph Records. Their latest musical effort follows their 2022 debut album Growing Up, also released via Epitaph Records.Continue reading
Hailing from France the Dirty Shades upholds the country’s legacy of birthing powerful atmospheric rock. Their new album Stuck in Motion (Modulor Music) offers a post-Hardcore punch to the dynamics as their sound swirls around you. They step on the gas at a few points in the opening track “Cannon Fodder” to keep the dynamics varied. Lead singer Anouk Degrande is backed by shouted accents where she allows her voice to wander off the swells of the guitar. The bass line anchors the second track “Mine,” as the ambiance thickens to a palm-muted groove buried in the layers. They build the song up into a heavier punch not unlike how Tool once commanded dynamics during the nineties. Continue reading
Back in 2022, Portuguese Extreme Metal recluses Gaerea released Mirage (Season of Mist), my album of the year. It was the first time I had been exposed to the shrouded-in-mystery outfit, but it was nearly impossible to choose any other record to headline that year.Continue reading
Everyone likes a challenge. Devin Townsend more than most. Each new record is about setting goals and attempting to achieve them. Whether it’s an introspective deep dive or an explosion of absurdist non-conformity, the progressive polymath’s albums always tend to reflect his state of mind, even if it happens to be completely barking at that particular time.Continue reading
With Halloween upon us, and Instagram beginning to fill with girls sporting a Vampira look for their selfies, it begs the question what is Goth? The answer might not be revealed in Dead Posey’s new album Are You In a Cult (Self-Released), but this duo is banging out some fun-filled arena rock that has more in common with The Pretty Reckless than it does Siouxsie and the Banshees. The album is full of catchy choruses and frontwoman Danyell Souza sings about creepy things, but it packs the kind of punch that would be more at home at the Welcome to Rockville fest than, opening for The Cure. Continue reading
For reasons best known to themselves, some bands deliberately go out of their way to disguise their influences and inspirations. Feral are not some bands. One listen to To Usurp the Thrones (Transcending Obscurity Records) and everything is perfectly clear.Continue reading
Hailing from Birmingham, UK Nu-Metal outfit Nameless show a whole world of imagination with their new album Shapeshifter (Self-Released). On this record, the band takes on a progressive genre-bending sound with ambitious track lengths. Drawing from influences from the likes of Deftones and Sleep Token, they combine facets of Metal and Shoegaze in such a way that keeps even the longest songs interesting. Continue reading
Aside from having one of the most spot-on names, Hell Is Other People also meticulously and so magnificently presents a style of metal that marries atmospheric/blackened vocals and post-Rock instrumentals.Continue reading
Jerry Cantrell, he of Alice in Chains fame, has returned with I Want Blood (Double J Music). It is his fourth solo record and continues the Grunge flavoured Hard Rock and Metal he is known for with an array of famous friends popping in, including Duff McKagan (Guns N Roses), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Better Lovers) and the production help of Joe Barresi (Slipknot, Clutch, Tool, Mastodon) amongst others. Continue reading