This is the fifth album from US metallic hardcore band 156/Silence.
People Watching contains 47 minutes of 156/Silence’s brand of crushing metalcore. It’s a contemporary blend of hardcore and metal that’s not completely what I expected it to be. Continue reading “156/Silence – People Watching (Review)”
Distances are a post-metal band from the US and this is their fifth album, (assuming you count 2016’s covers album Rip Offs).
Eagerly awaited after 2018’s hugely impressive Diableries, which rightfully made it into the top 3 of my album of the year list for that year, its follow up is finally here. Abstruse contains 41 minutes of new material, and finds the band altered, but full of fire and creative passion. Continue reading “Distances – Abstruse (Review)”
Bear are a progressive hardcore/metal band from Belgium and this is their fifth album.
When the promo blurb states that an album is recommended for fans of bands such as Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch, and Norma Jean, how can you not check it out? Besides, I’m already a fan of Bear’s work, as both 2017’s /// and 2020’s Propaganda were very enjoyable slabs of angular heaviness. Continue reading “Bear – Vanta (Review)”
This is the third album from US progressive metallers The Gorge.
Mechanical Fiction contains 45 minutes of modern, heavy music. The Gorge are an interesting band, in that they are ostensibly a band you’d give the tags of progressive metal and technical metal too, but they also incorporate avant-garde and jazz elements into their style, as well as having an underpinning hardcore/sludge influence that’s formative. Continue reading “The Gorge – Mechanical Fiction (Review)”
This is the debut album Silverburn, a one-man metal/hardcore band from Wales.
Brought to us by an ex-member of Taint and Hark, Self Induced Transcendental Annihilation contains 31 minutes of heavy music that looks back in time for its inspiration, but delivers a slab of brutality wrapped in modern intensity. Continue reading “Silverburn – Self Induced Transcendental Annihilation (Review)”
This is the second album from UK mathcore band Pupil Slicer.
With a sci-fi theme and a range of different influences, Blossom is a 46-minute journey into Pupil Slicer’s absorbingly intense world. The promo blurb states bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Deafheaven, Radiohead, and Botch as prime influences, and this should set the scene for what is a broad and compelling work. Continue reading “Pupil Slicer – Blossom (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Swiss post-hardcore/metal band Abraham.
Abraham craft eight post-hardcore/metal soundscapes with layered compositions and multifaceted songwriting. The obvious starting point for comparisons would be a band like Neurosis, but with added elements of bands like Knut, Deadguy, and Botch. Continue reading “Abraham – Débris de Mondes Perdus (Review)”
Kehlvin are a progressive hardcore band from Switzerland and this is their third album.
Holistic Dreams contains 35 minutes of material. Kehlvin’s style is a progressive form of hardcore that also has post-hardcore and sludge metal flavours in it. For lack of a better description, imagine a mix of Knut, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Mastodon, and that will give you a rough starting point for Kehlvin’s sound. Continue reading “Kehlvin – Holistic Dreams (Review)”
This is the third album from Danish post-metallers LLNN.
Having not caught up with the band since 2016’s very enjoyable Loss, it seemed like a great time to check out what LLNN are up to with their latest release. Continue reading “LLNN – Unmaker (Review)”
Erdve are from Lithuania and play blackened hardcore sludge. This is their second album.
Following on from 2018’s crushing Vaitojimas, Erdve have returned with 43 minutes of new material. Savigaila contains eleven songs, compared with Vaitojimas‘s six, yet is only five minutes longer due to the overall shorter duration of the individual tracks. Continue reading “Erdve – Savigaila (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 