This is the fourth album from Greyhaven, a hardcore band from the US.
I’ve been looking forward to this. 2022’s This Bright and Beautiful World placed second from the very top on my end of year list, and I loved catching them live at the start of the year. So, with this much expectation, is disappointment inevitable, or can the 41 minutes of music on Keep it Quiet rise to the challenge? Continue reading “Greyhaven – Keep It Quiet (Review)”
This is the second album from Shock Narcotic, a grindcore band from the US.
Following on from 2019’s I Have Seen the Future and It Doesn’t Work, My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not contains 23 minutes of new material, (27 minutes with the bonus Meathook Seed cover). Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan and Child Bite, I’ve previously described Shock Narcotic roughly as a cross between Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer, and as the band now feature the drummer of Pig Destroyer in their ranks, the comparison is even more apt. Continue reading “Shock Narcotic – My Flesh Is Afraid but I Am Not (Review)”
This is the third album by Russian grindcore band Byonoisegenerator.
Jazzgrind, eh? Okay, I’ll bite. Subnormal Dives brings together, as advertised, the worlds of grindcore and jazz. It’s aggressive and dense, and Byonoisegenerator make a splash with the 23-minute free form savagery that is Subnormal Dives. Continue reading “Byonoisegenerator – Subnormal Dives (Review)”
This is the third album by Norwegian mathcore band Agabas.
How could you not see a band described in the promo blurb as a “brutal heavy deathjazz metal/mathcore quintet” and not want to check them out? Although, I note in the band pics there’s six people, so no idea what that’s about. Regardless, Hard Anger is a 36-minute melting pot of ideas and influences, so strap in tight and get ready for mayhem. Continue reading “Agabas – Hard Anger (Review)”
This is the third album from US hardcore band The Callous Daoboys.
Full of genre-splicing, creative sounds, and adventurous ideas, I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven is a 57-minute embarrassment of riches. It’s a diverse record, ripe with captivating riffs, reflective introspection, huge breakdowns, pop hooks, and much else. Continue reading “The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven (Review)”
Eyes are a hardcore band from Denmark and this is their third album.
Throwing together noise rock and metal into a hardcore melting pot, Eyes have produced the 24-minute Spinner. Brought to us by members of the mighty LLNN, Spinner is the sort of album that’s an immensely fun and satisfying listen. Continue reading “Eyes – Spinner (Review)”
Now this is a lineup. All three bands I’d go and see in their own right, let alone all touring together. Tonight I feel like I’m in for a real treat. Morale is high as I enter the Academy 3, and it’s about to get a whole lot of busy. Continue reading “Better Lovers/Frontierer/Greyhaven – Academy 3, Manchester – 19/01/25 (Live Review)”
This is the third album by US technical death metal band Replacire.
It’s been a long seven years since 2017’s Do Not Deviate, but now Replacire are back, and they’re on fire. Delivering 44 minutes of death metal that’s distinctly not your standard fare, The Center That Cannot Hold is not a record for the uninitiated. Continue reading “Replacire – The Center That Cannot Hold (Review)”
Four Stroke Baron are a progressive metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.
This is my first encounter with Four Stroke Baron, but it’s a very favourable one. Containing 41 minutes of material, Data Diamond is packed to the hilt with multifaceted content. Strap in, it’s going to be a wild one. Continue reading “Four Stroke Baron – Data Diamond (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)”
Wonderbox Metal 