There’s something about Grindcore that is so ridiculous that it ironically makes me like it more. Melbourne’s own King Parrot dropped their long-awaited fourth full-length record, A Young Person’s Guide To (Housecore Records), which brings the riffs, the groove, and all the disgusting, yet funny lyrics. Each track attempts to stand out on its own, but the back half of the album has a couple of duds; however, it does finish strong!Continue reading
Someone needs to check what’s in the water in the Hudson Valley, New York, and how many gems that scene has produced over the last several years. Age of Apocalypse has dropped their sophomore full-length, In Oblivion (Closed Casket Activities), which does not disappoint. Ten tracks with epic sing-alongs and bone-snapping breakdowns will crush your soul, but you want more.Continue reading
In the world of “caveman battle doom” metal, there may not be much competition, but Conan is the clear champion of this primitive sludge/doom metal genre. The Liverpool threesome has dropped their sixth full-length in the form of Violence Dimension (Heavy Psych Sounds). Clocking in at just under an hour with eight excruciatingly heavy tracks with all of the unga bunga you could ask for is just right.Continue reading
Spring is coming to the Northern Hemisphere as the temperatures start to rise. The bar for the coveted Album of the Year continues to rise as more music is released weekly. Thrash stalwarts, Warbringer, take their shot at the crown with their seventh full-length, Wrath and Ruin (Napalm Records). Each album the California-based group releases builds upon their last release, continuously pushing the boundaries of their brand of thrash metal. For forty minutes, John Kevill and company command your attention as their riff-powered tank tramples the mangled corpses of the fallen.Continue reading
New York Hardcore is one of the most stand-out hardcore scenes, and it has a who’s who list of hardcore bands. Combust is a fast-rising group in that scene that eats, sleeps, and breathes New York Hardcore, and their latest album, Belly of the Beast (Triple B Records), is another big step forward. Between the guest appearances and the memorable riffs, each track has its own story to tell and energy to expel.
Sludge metal lifers, -16-, casually dropped their tenth full-length, Guides For The Misguided (Relapse Records) and it is crushing. Sludge Metal is at its best with bluesy guitar riffs that still feel massive, raspy vocals, and lyrics covering depression, drug addiction, and overall hatred. The L.A. four-piece violently checks off all of those checkboxes. They do so for over forty minutes with minimal to no filler.Continue reading
Getting a Harakiri For The Sky record release in the heart of winter will pull at your heartstrings. Scorched Earth (AOP Records) does just that for over an hour and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It is an audible voyage through pain, suffering, and loss that is both cathartic and beautiful. Every song has its own story and emotional journey that compliments the songs around it. Oh, and there’s also a sweet Radiohead cover at the end to ice the cake.Continue reading
Rejoice, fellow death metal fans, Opeth has brought back the harsh vocals! That’s right. Mikael Ackerfeldt and company figured now was the time, as their new album, The Last Will & Testament (Reigning Phoenix Music), has the perfect concept to complement it. The reading of a post-World War 1 patriarch’s last will and testament that spills out family secrets, track by track, section by section of the document (the first seven tracks are named simply after which paragraph is being recited). In terms of instrumentals, this album is my favorite mix of the melodic death metal era of Opeth and the more recent prog-rock era of the band.Continue reading
One of the most exciting bands in the brutal/slam death metal genre today, Peeling Flesh, continue on their way up from the underground in Oklahoma with their latest release, The G Code (Unique Leader Records). In under a half hour, the slams and rap interludes will have your head spinning out of control, smashing into the walls of your room. What’s more, there are quite a few guests on the record to further cement how far Peeling Flesh have come and how much the scene respects them.Continue reading
A new group, known simply as Hatchend, has forcibly hatched its way into existence with members from differing death metal and grindcore bands. The debut album, Summer of ‘69 (Selfmadegod Records) dropped and it goes full throttle for thirty-three minutes. Bringing in their previous influences and dumping them on top of crossover foundations sets up quite the demolition derby of sound.Continue reading