Archelon are a post-metal/sludge band from the UK and this is a compilation of their first two EPs.
Archelon’s sound is one that mixes that of Knut and Neurosis with a decent helping of Isis, alongside a dash of Zao and old Mastodon. Continue reading “Archelon – I // II (Review)”
Grizzly are a grindcore band from Canada and this is their debut album.
Clocking in at just under 17 minutes, this is slightly deceptive as almost a third of the time is devoted to a surprisingly faithful cover of Pantera’s Mouth for War. Continue reading “Grizzly – Reaper (Review)”
Gnarwolf are a US hardcore band and this is their latest EP.
You’ve gotta like this kind of thing; less than 14 minutes of angular, chaotic hardcore. The band play it well and make one Hell of a noise. What’s not to like? Continue reading “Gnarwolf – II (Review)”
Viscera/// are an Italian experimental post-metal band and this is their third album.
The tag post-metal can mean almost anything at this stage in the game, and on 3: Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals, Viscera/// show that they can pull off almost any style you want to name under its protective aegis.
In simple terms, I Continue reading “Viscera/// – 3: Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals (Review)”
This is the debut album from Sunlight’s Bane, a blackened sludge/grindcore band from the US.
This is nasty, raw and nihilistic music that wants nothing more than to terrify, scar and demoralise the listener. With a mix of Nails, Anaal Nathrakh, Hooded Menace, Aborted, Trap Them, Extreme Noise Terror, Primitive Man, Zao, and many others in their sound, Sunlight’s Bane have concocted an identity that’s very much their own and quite a hard one to accurately classify, if you care about such things. Continue reading “Sunlight’s Bane – The Blackest Volume: Like All the Earth Was Buried (Review)”
Zao are an American metalcore band and this is their eleventh album.
By this point Zao are pretty much a musical institution, despite this being their first album since 2009’s Awake?.
The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here is probably my favourite Zoe release. The utterly catchy chaotic savagery of it still blows me away to this day. The Well Intentioned Virus is Continue reading “Zao – The Well-Intentioned Virus (Review)”
Above the North are a Hardcore band from France. This is their latest EP.
It starts off with melodic riffs that have a firm edge to them whilst serrated vocals scream out over the top. This is the kind of emotive Hardcore that’s easy to connect with if you like the style as it’s instantly engaging yet with a depth to it that bears repeated visits.
Some of the guitar parts and riffs even have a Post-Hardcore feel to them and have a resplendent sheen. The solid sound that the band have shows these guitars off to their full potential and the band sound immense.
Imagine a more traditionally structured Norma Jean, or From Autumn to Ashes minus the clean vocals, or a less abrasive/Metal Zao…Above the North have a lot of talent it seems, as these four songs ably showcase.
Alongside recent Hardcore releases such as Muck and The Black Lantern, Above the North show that you can play Hardcore that has bite without going the massively heavy/angry route that much of Hardcore does.
These songs have a thoughtful, introspective aura to them yet still have energy and passion in spades.
Very impressive. If they can keep up this level of songwriting for the future then their début album will be a thing of beauty.
Check them out.
Atoj are from Italy. This is their latest EP and they play Hardcore.
Atoj’s music is a combination of abrasive Hardcore and 90’s Mathcore. It’s a gritty and dirty EP that showcases a band who have found a sound they’re comfortable with.
The songs are dynamic and interesting, never allowing the listener to slink into complacency, assuming that they know what the next bit will sound like.
This self-titled EP is well-recorded and even on the rare occasions when the band calm down there’s still a palpable intensity to the tracks.
They remind me of a compendium of the heavy parts of older Poison the Well, the aggressive, angular chaos of some of Zao’s work, the Hardcore know-how of Nora, a smidgen of some older bits of The Dillinger Escape Plan and the angry, non-singing parts of Letlive.
An enjoyable rage. Check them out.
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.
Gust are from Sweden and play Hardcore. This is their second album.
This is violent and angry Hardcore that goes straight for the throat but isn’t afraid to do so in different ways.
There is a touch of the chaotic and dissonant about Gust. The band eschew the usual Hardcore clichés and generic guitar patterns and instead go for an atypical and the far more interesting take on hardcore.
As well as brutal and belligerent anger they also display a penchant for nuance in their riffing; it’s certainly not one-dimensional. There’s a creative flair at work here that makes Gust an absorbing listen.
Their riffs also have an apocalyptic feel to them and they’re almost tinged with a slight Black Metal feel as they drip with darkness and malevolent intent.
With largely short songs you’d be forgiven for thinking they were largely taken up with pure aggression; while they do have aggression in spades this is tempered by melodic walls of guitars and dynamic leads.
The end result is an album that mixes the creativity and energy of bands like Every Time I Die and Converge with the occasional slight nod to some of the extreme elements of bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Zao. Smother all of this in a Crusty, apocalyptic delivery and Gust are onto a winner.
A highly rewarding listen.
Wonderbox Metal 