This is the debut album from US technical metal band Sentinels.
Collapse by Design features 47 minutes of contemporary heaviness. The band mix elements of metalcore, mathcore, progressive metal, djent, and technical metal, and do so really rather well. Alongside this they also play around with melodic and Continue reading “Sentinels – Collapse by Design (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 a split between UK hardcore bands Sense Offender and Nil.
Sense Offender start us off, with 8 minutes of material. The band play a form of jagged chaotic hardcore that is belligerent and lethal. Continue reading “Sense Offender/Nil – Split (Review)”
Tharsis They are from the US and this is their latest EP. They play Hardcore.
I’ve enjoyed this band’s previous work and this short EP is no different.
This is a band who take their cues from classic early 00’s bands like Converge, Botch, Coalesce, Nora, Zao, Most Precious Blood, etc. and combine both Metal and Hardcore into destructive behemoths of pure heaviness.
Here we have 4 tracks lasting just under 9 minutes. As such, it’s short, sharp and straight to the point like a red-hot branding iron.
The first track Wicked Response kicks off with angry guitars and equally angry vocals, snarling at the world, before the blast beats come in and the band begin a full on killing spree. Angular riffs and aggressive attitude dominates proceedings.
Suitable Appellation boasts equally demented riffing and some nightmare melodies. The singer sounds thoroughly pissed and gives a generally great performance across all of these songs. A guitar solo makes its first appearance and is backed up by some chunky rhythms.
New World Vultures is the shortest track here at a minute and a half. Consequently it wastes no time in getting to the meat of the matter and it’s abrasive heaviosity from the get-go.
They end the EP with The Felling, which once again ramps up the speed and intensity. The dynamics are strong and so is the writing. Winner.
I love this kind of Hardcore. Excellent work!
Listen to them here.
Sloths are from the US and this is their latest EP.
Sloths play a kind of Hardcore-tinged Sludge Metal that’s heavy, ugly and full of grim darkness but with shades of dawn.
There are three songs on this short EP and they are belligerent and emotive. The band show a good understanding of dynamics and the songs have more energy than the band’s name might suggest.
This is akin to some of the angular, atypical Hardcore bands out there such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Norma Jean, Coalesce, Botch, etc. only not as clean cut; Sloths are like the angry cousin that plays dirtier and cheats in every fight they have. And they fight a lot.
Low-in-the-mix, throat-shredding shouts hide behind heavy music and tough, chaotic drums. The guitars, for all the ugliness and grime of the band, have a fair few moments that can only be described as having a Post-Metal beauty to them. It’s an enticing combination and the band work this juxtaposition well without it causing clashes of any kind.
These songs are varied, interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. I’m a big fan of this kind of angular Hardcore and the fact that this is delivered through the prism of Sludge Metal just makes it all the better.
Here’s to Sloths!
Wonderbox Metal 