Green Metal like Black Metal … hammered dulcimers instead of guitars … gruff, growling vocals as well as clean singing, plus choral voices and symphonic passages. Yes, Botanist are “plant based”. Yes, Paleobotany (Prophecy Productions) is heavy and proggy. And yes, it’s very different, in a good way. Continue reading
Kentucky Hardcore stalwarts Knocked Loose continue to march forward in their vision of beatdown in the form of their third full-length, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To (Pure Noise). Twenty-seven minutes of cathartic aggression laced with panic riffs of nu-metal fame and climaxing at soul-crushing breakdowns is all the band needs to prove their rightful spot in the upper echelon of modern Hardcore. With three absolute banger singles put out before release of the album, the rest of the tracks need to stand out on their own as well, which they do.Continue reading
At now around a decade since their inception, Italy’s SYK have been garnering a, perhaps understated, but certainly formidable reputation with a penchant for complex and dissonant Death Metal. Continue reading
Combining extreme music sensibilities and Doom-inspired vocal machinations, Red Rot have put forth their latest full-length, Borders Of Mania (Hammerheart Records), a fifteen-track compendium that oftentimes struggles to find an identity and isn’t helped by erratic song lengths that squelch any momentum that may have been built – the forty-four-minute effort could have been better served as two separate polished releases. There are serviceable characteristics here and there, but certainly not enough to justify the ambition. Continue reading
When you think of British Post-Metal, Bossk are almost certainly one the first bands that spring to mind. A truly remarkable outfit that undoubtedly take influence from the likes of Isis, while they also often groove musically in the style of many of the great Stoner bands of the nineties. Named after an alien from Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back, the Kent-based collective have been plugging away since 2005, when early EPs and a strong reputation as a live band saw them tour with the likes of Cult Of Luna, The Ocean, Baroness and Devil Sold His Soul. While their studio output really came into its own with the release of their fine debut LP Audio Noir in 2016, before following this up with the equally as classy Migration in 2021.Continue reading
Unleash the Archers is a band that reliably produces songs that are unconventional and wildly exciting. This Canadian Power Metal act has broken barriers in the genre by their dauntless divergences, hearty songwriting, and overall efficacious passion. The quintet is preparing to release their sixth full-length album, Phantoma (Napalm Records), which elevates their innovative skills and strengths to new heights.
Sometimes all that’s needed on a rough day is some crusty Death Metal. Luck would have it that Crawl has dropped their sophomore full-length, Altar of Disgust (Transcending Obscurity Records), and it is a journey, to say the least. Ten songs (eleven counting an intro) at just over thirty minutes is the perfect portion size for such an aggressive and abrasive collection of songs. These Swedish death metallers have one goal in mind: to crush you under the weight of their riffs and breakdowns.
Boy is it exhilarating when a group of meticulous and notable artists get together to show the world how music is done the right way!Continue reading
After 13 years, Dååth has returned with their new album, The Deceivers (Metal Blade records).
The band, helmed by sole founding member Eyal Levi, returns to a different musical landscape. Metal has perhaps the most loyal fan base of any genre of music, yet the climate is much different than when the band released their self-titled album in 2010. Death Metal is now more regularly integrated with Black Metal and Metalcore. Record companies often market Pop acts as Metal, depending on the thought police of the internet to defend them with cries of gatekeeping, when voices rise against this.Continue reading
A tasty slice of rhythmic, headbanging Sludge, this groovy, nicely gnarly EP finds Hollow Leg in fine fettle, smoking hot and leaving many others in their wake – leaving them in the dust, you could say.Continue reading