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Prolific NYC trio The Bloody Muffs are unapologetically crude and crass and love every second of it on their 10-track episode BLUE WAFFLE BREAKFAST. Continue reading “The Bloody Muffs – Blue Waffle Breakfast (Self-Released)” »
Defying convention at every juncture, Anaal Nathrakh unleashes a vile and unsettling 10-track endeavor entitled VANITAS. Led by a set of acrobatically-presented volatile vocals stylistically all over the map from blood curdling shrieks to demonic growls to unintelligible grunts and groans, Continue reading “Anaal Nathrakh – Vanitas (Candlelight)” »
Bison BC returns with LOVELESSNESS, a seminal six-track tirade of stoner metal. Capturing elements of sludge, doom, hardcore and thrash in their smoke-laden grooves, Bison BC displays a confidence to let their music do a majority of the talking, as the multitude of lengthy instrumental movements the group employ indicate a fierce twin guitar whose presence rivals the vocals numerous times throughout the album. Continue reading “Bison BC – Lovelessness (Metal Blade)” »
Providing a plethora of post-metal atmosphere, Downfall of Gaia presents a lengthy seven-track sojourn SUFFOCATING IN THE SWAMP. Borrowing heavily from Isis and Neurosis in both overall sound and shifting structure, this troupe thrives at building layers of hypnotic riffs before throwing their black metal-inspired modern hardcore throttle into overdrive (“Drowning By Wing Beats”). Continue reading “Downfall Of Gaia – Suffocating In The Swamp (Metal Blade)” »
Technically off the wall and completely punishing, Abiotic possess the tools and qualities to obliterate everything in their path as heard on SYMBIOSIS. This 10-track affair renders a relentless listen from end to end with triggered drums galore, nasty chugging riffs piled high, blistering rhythmic runs, a fierce electronic pulse, and a genuine sense of musical anarchy at the helm (“Conquest of Gliese”). Boasting complex fretwork, sinister arrangements, and vocals that fluctuate from a murderous shriek to a belligerent growl that are a step above the norm, fans of modern schizophrenic metal should have little problem embracing Abiotic’s twists and turns. www.relapse.com
-Mike SOS
KEN mode projects streams of spastic energy via an eclectic 10-song collection of songs entitled VENERABLE. This unit wryly uses hardcore heft (“Book of Muscle”) as a launching pad towards experimenting with dynamic elements from other heavy genres to weave into their framework (“Terrify the Animals”). Especially effective when bruising and slow burns down low (“Never Was”), KEN mode displays an abundance of dramatic buildups and cathartic releases in their songwriting while demonstrating a confidence in their musicianship capable of unloading dissonance and destruction at the drop of a dime without sacrificing melody (“Obeying the Iron Will…”). Worth a spin if you enjoy off-kilter heavy music. Www.profoundlorerecords.com
-Mike SOS
On their latest batch of songs, NYC hardcore quintet Abject used some of that hardcore PMA and turned their 39-hour ordeal with the NYPD into a seething tell-all expose of the experience with a raging soundtrack behind it. Pumping out aggressive riffs and anthemic choruses (“What U Gunna Do”) in between spoken word skits recanting the turn of events that landed the whole band in jail, this excursion showcases the band’s slant on the situation with both a sense of the urgency of being wronged (“39”) and a punk-inspired sense of humor finding the lighter side of a serious situation (“Shit”). Www.facebook.com/abject.nyc
-Mike SOS
Malignancy hurls a technical death metal meteor straight for the head on their latest offering EUGENICS. Crafty riffs, complex rhythms and chaotic tempo changes collide across the duration of this album (“Extinction Event”), while a gurgling vocal growl guides the descent into the abyss (“The Breach”). Replicating sounds of modern warfare via their tumultuous din (“Creatures of Conformity”), this NYC squad moves death metal in the right direction with ambitious musicianship and glorious levels of sheer savagery eviscerating eardrums at an alarming rate. Www.willowtiprecords.com
-Mike SOS
Bluesy boogie with all the trimmings comes courtesy of Five Horse Johnson on their latest album THE TAKING OF BLACKHEART. This 12-track collection explodes with vibrant bursts of harmonica and organ (“Beating in My Hand”), taking this squad’s tried and true gravel vocal and swampy six string technique to rousing rock ‘n roll heights (“Keep On Diggin’ “) without watering down any of the intended nastiness (“Quick on the Trigger”).Guided by a righteously rebellious and rollicking rhythm section, the latest selection by this veteran band is crammed with a wealth of blues-laden rock ‘n roll jams appealing to fans of everything from ZZ Top to Clutch. www.smallstone.com
-Mike SOS
Off-kilter hard rock band Deceit displays a hodgepodge of melody-driven alternative rock with an unrestricted sense of adventure (“First Father”) and hints of metallic darkness on the 10-track endeavor NINE. Laying down a slew of sinewy QOTSA-inspired rhythms (“Last Song”) and jagged grooves with influences that run so deep as naming a song “Too Fighters”, this band isn’t deceptive in their sound’s origin and actually adds enough of their own chutzpah to the broad mix to make their most blatant instances of creative licensing palatable. http://www.deceitmusic.com/
-Mike SOS
Direwolves presents a compelling six-track hardcore onslaught entitled ME FROM MYSELF- TO BANISH. Adorned with punchy rhythms, high pitched vocal screams, and burly riffs that wouldn’t sound out of place coming from Comeback Kid or Coliseum, this unit’s no-frills approach to hardcore displays an expert comprehension on how a rabid delivery and dramatic songwriting team up to make a winning blend of searing emotion and pent-up aggression (“Relief”). Producing weighty hardcore punk that’s both wisely constructed (“Diving and Struggling”) and blissfully destructive (“Dialogue of No Light”), Direwolves keep the hardcore homefires burning bright with their angst-ridden contribution. www.throatruinerrecords.com
-Mike SOS
From dramatic metalcore vocal pleas (“Epiphany”) to driving hardcore rhythms (“The Great Rebuilding”) to emphatic Swedish melodic death metal guitar histrionics (“You The Apathy Divine”), Thy Will Be Done covers a ton of ground on their six-track EP TEMPLE. This troupe mauls with a multifaceted metallic attack that truly contains something for every type of modern metal fan to sink their teeth into. Cleverly composed and ruthlessly aggressive, Thy Will Be Done works wonders with the influence of Pantera, Unearth, and Hatebreed to create a hybrid of heavy hooks and twin guitar treachery for next generation moshpit frenzies (“In The Ways of The Old”). http://www.thywillbedone.net
-Mike SOS
Meshing dastardly death ‘n roll with classic doom metal elements, Okkultokrati showcase a love of vintage heaviness from their forefathers on the outfit’s nine-track offering SNAKEREIGNS. Demonstrating punk attitude through black metal rasps and basic brutal instrumentation (“Unconscious Mind”), this squad whips up a smorgasbord of Entombed-esque evil, Motorhead-esque snarl, Celtic Frost-like chaos, and Venom-ous viciousness to create a tumultuous unadulterated ferocity dripping with old school pretense (“Snakereigns”, “Nothing Awaits”). www.fysiskformat.tigernet.no
-Mike SOS
Adventurous doesn’t even scratch the surface to describe the chaotic progressive metal that Behold the Arctopus presents on the six-track endeavor HORRORSCENSION. Overwhelming senses with a blistering barrage of masterful metallic mindfuckery, this instrumental troupe rewrites the rulebook to accommodate this highly-skilled unit’s expansive array of experimental compositional desires (“Disintegore”) and relentless drive to destroy (“Deluge of Sores”). Championing a forward-thinking virtuosity and an unwavering allegiance to make things as heavy as possible, this trio’s balanced blend of unabashed savagery and tantalizing technical ability is a complex metal fan’s dream come true. www.blackmarketactivities.com
-Mike SOS
Mos Generator administers a groove-laden session of raucous rock ‘n roll with their latest excursion NOMADS. Bursting with nasty riffs galore (“Lonely One Kenobi”), this nine-track affair boasts slithering rhythms and soaring solos whose bluesy swagger and unpretentious attitude champions hard rock histrionics of a discernibly vintage nature. Straddling the line between ZZ Top boogie and Black Sabbath sorcery (“Step Up”), Mos Generator display an unrequited love for classic heaviness and properly pay homage with clever musical interplay, mature songwriting (“Can’t Get Where I Belong”) and rich and thick tones that support their low-slung sound and deliberate execution. www.ripplemusic.com
-Mike SOS
Italian metal squad The Secret return with a blackened and blazing sophomore endeavor entitled AGNUS DEI. Increasing their levels of malevolence and tightening their grip on making things uncomfortable considerably since their last offering, this explosive unit mixes blistering black metal rage and unadulterated hardcore fury (“The Bottomless Pit”) with an omnipresent aura of doom and dread hovering over throughout to display a chaotic style with a rash of dastardly dynamic shifts (“Heretic Temple”) and distinctly designed for mass destruction grindcore madness (“Daily Lies”). While some may do it faster and countless more are superiorly evil, The Secret masterfully intertwines the two to create their own bastardized blend of extreme. www.southernlord.com
-Mike SOS
Chicago trio Board of Governors composes the kind of rock songs that beg to be blasted through the large systems in amphitheaters and arenas as heard on the five-track EP BLEED. Featuring a big rock sound akin to Foo Fighters and Muse propelled by driving rhythms and gargantuan guitars showcasing chops galore (“Competition”) with a powerful vocal presence leading the charge, this unit channels flannel-wearing grunge and down and dirty 70’s hard rock with the right amount of memorable melody, soaring vocal harmonies, and power pop pretense to reach a wide range or eardrums (“Bleed”). www.boardofgovernors.com
-Mike SOS
Virginia quartet In Alcatraz 1962 dole out a heavy-handed modern metal hybrid on their 12-track release THE DRIVE. Culling their sound from a bottomless barrage of metalcore melodies from the likes of Killswitch Engage and All That Remains (“Over These Years”), borrowed and beaten melodic death metal histrionics, deathcore studio trickery (“The Fatal Flaw”), and hellbent second-wave hardcore aggression (“Still Strong”), this unit mixes just enough intriguing rhythmic nuances and fancy fretwork in with streams of standardized burly breakdowns and bare knuckle brawl chugging to assist them to sound a bit more well rounded than many other bands in the ever-growing crowd who employ similar tactics (“Winter Sun”). www.standbyrecords.net
-Mike SOS
Pacific Northwest trio C.F.A. combine hellraising hardcore with stoner metal grooves and rough and ready rock ‘n roll on their 16-track excursion MANAGED BY THE DEVIL, BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GRACE OF GOD. This unit makes no bones about championing a raw underground punk rock sound and tough as nails attitude, running 43 minutes of non-stop supercharged action through your speakers with an authentic sense of soul guiding the mission (“Lost Wisdom”). Providing a confrontational display of lyrics as subtle as a smack in the mouth, gravel-throated vocals pumping out the angst, and hard-hitting rhythms that simultaneously boast the brevity of punk, the fury of NYHC, and the heaviness of sludge laying down the foundation for it all, C.F.A. has created a provocative hybrid of heaviness for folks who crave something more visceral than you can buy at the mall. www.ripplemusic.com
-Mike SOS
Female fronted Chicago quintet Black September unleashes a belligerent blackened death metal tirade with INTO THE DARKNESS INTO THE VOID. This nine-track offering delivers a fine-tuned amalgamation of ferocity and melody (“Invocation”), complete with dastardly twin guitars ripping riff after riff laden in evil (“Rabid Hunger”) and an endless supply of guttural vocals influenced from the works of the likes of Dissection, Bolt Thrower, and Landmine Marathon. While this unit isn’t necessarily breaking new ground with their style, their heartfelt rendition contains the coarse crunch and foreboding atmosphere (“No Return”) to properly praise the spirits of the hoary netherworld. www.prostheticrecords.com
-Mike SOS
Philadelphia, PA based quintet Favor the Brave demonstrate a deep appreciation and advanced comprehension for the more extreme side of modern heaviness on the outfit’s three-track endeavor ENTROPY. Throwing down an unabashedly skull crushing display of technical prowess and prime time mosh worthy passages aplenty (“Resources”), this troupe showcases a hodgepodge of metalcore nuances riddled with dizzying fretwork to create a sound that falls in line between the rousing arrangements of As I Lay Dying, the pugnacious pummeling of August Burns Red, and the sheer heft of Whitechapel (“Salvation”). www.facebook.com/favorthebravepa
-Mike SOS
Boasting an impressive pedigree forming from bands such as Imagika, Dark Angel, and Eldritch, Bay Area scene veterans Kill Ritual back up their musical merits with monstrous metal songwriting skills as documented on the unit’s debut THE SERPETINE RITUAL. This seasoned quintet have developed a progressively minded and classically influenced strand of thrash metal (“Time to Kill”) where soaring twin guitars and battering ram rhythms tastefully trade off while a powerful vocal presence commandeering the entire affair. Making music where the riff is just as crucial as the hook isn’t always easy, yet this 11-track affair is bursting at the seams with such moments (“Old School Thrasher”, “Ambush”), making this album a suggested listen for the most discernible of metal fan. www.scarletrecords.it
-Mike SOS
Hivesmasher is an explosive six-headed monster hailing from Massachusetts whose 17-track musical presentation GUTTER CHOIR is a celebration of grinding technical metal depravity. Brimming over with chaos, this squad serves up rabid bursts of aggression (“No Structure, Total Violence”, “Ugly Cat”) with sideways twists (“Can of Awesometism”, “Damaged (p)inc”) to proudly compliment the likes of Pig Destroyer, Brutal Truth, Wormrot, and Graf Orlock in messing with the minds of listeners worldwide (“Lust in Creation’s Wake”). Angry and destructive with massive musicality to boot, Hivesmasher is an essential listen for folks who cant live without the blistering madness that only the grindcore genre can muster. www.blackmarketactivities.com
-Mike SOS
North Hollywood, CA quartet Silent Shot supplies five bruising metallic melodies on their latest release. Focused with crushing riffs and brawny vocals (“Destroy the Mass”), this troupe definitely enjoys Mudvayne judging by their similar sounding style (especially vocally), but also throws in borrowed bits from Machine Head, 80’s thrash, and some of metalcore’s best chorus-makers (“Fat Shit”) to concoct their slab of modern heaviness. http://www.reverbnation.com/silentshot
-Mike SOS
Canadian extreme metal entity Weapon returns with their best-produced album to date, the eight-track offering EMBERS AND REVELATIONS. This unit, originally formed in Bangladesh, culls a sinister juxtaposition of black, death, and traditional heavy metal and lets loose with raging fury (“Liber Lillith”) with a barrage of venomous vocals, eerie fretwork, and bellicose rhythms that properly pay homage to all that is evil at their devious dispose (“The First Witnesses of Lucifer”). Stepping up from their prior works considerably, Weapon’s latest album is a solid effort that acknowledges the band’s journey down the highway to hell. www.relapse.com
-Mike SOS
The Chariot is a band with a frantic sound that is consciously constantly shifting as heard on their latest album ONE WING. This Atlanta, GA based quartet strives to stretch the boundaries of their spastic hardcore and goes all out in doing so on their fifth offering, presenting 10-tracks of hardcore-fueled mayhem with a bevy of twists at every turn (“First”). Unorthodox yet never outlandish, this troupe whips up a creative and complex blend of chaos that serves up authentic stripped down raw emotion (“Speak”) and fiery left of center heaviness (“In”) in spades. www.eonemusic.com
-Mike SOS
White Line Tiger is a five-piece band from Long Island, NY with a supercharged sound and dramatic flair to spare as heard on their 12-track endeavor JUST LET IT HAPPEN. Bouncy bass lines and gritty fretwork lead the way across the duration of this album (“H-Song”), while drums skillfully crash and groove along and vocals make the abundance of jagged switches official (“Rosa”). Laying down a funk-driven heaviness with a predilection for melodic hooks, there’s a whole lot of Deftones, VOD, and Glassjaw influence audible on this album, yet White Line Tiger throws an enjoyable array of clever intricacies and unique phrasings in the mix to allow their music to transcend comparisons and stand out on its own (“Mrs. Glamorous”). www.whitelinetiger.com
-Mike SOS
New Jersey noise addled metal unit Fight Amp, now pared down to a trio, unleashes eight tracks of abrasive aggression on their latest offering BIRTH CONTROL. This squad has been administering a boisterous brand of confrontational sludge metal for almost a decade and shows no sign of softening up, pummeling ear holes with ruthless riffs, strained screams, and rhythms that make construction sites sound tame (“Should’ve Worn Black”). If you crave the tones created by Melvins, Unsane, and High on Fire and wondered what a mash-up of these bands would sound like, Fight Amp has made your day that much brighter with their punishing amalgamation of fury and ferocity. www.translationlossrecords.com
-Mike SOS
Harkening back to heavy metal’s early days, Greek duo Satan’s Wrath dole out eight tracks of vintage despair and dread on GALLOPING BLASPHEMY. Ripe with ripping melodic guitars (“Hail Tritone, Hail Lucifer”) and over the top lyrical imagery steeped in evil (“Slaves of the Inverted Cross”), this dastardly duo lovingly conjure vicious vibes emanated from the likes of Possessed, Venom, and Mercyful Fate with similar demonic flair, resulting in an unbridled old school listening experience for all who claim Satan as their master. www.metalblade.com
-Mike SOS
Long Island quartet The Royal Guard blends modern rock tenets with crafty pop sensibilities and a lingering punk rock attitude (“Yesterday”) on their 12-track offering SHOWDOWN. Comprised of seasoned veterans who have seen their share of stages around the world, this squad demonstrates a knack for laying down shamelessly catchy hook-laden radio ready jams (“Beginning or The End”, “Happiness”) yet possesses the skill to just as easily throw down a hearty helping of substantial musicianship a la Queen and Muse as well (“All Out War”). Melding a wealth of emotional firepower with a flurry of serious musical chops, The Royal Guard has developed a stylish yet visceral sound for an audience that enjoys well-crafted songs with a discernibly energetic edge. www.facebook.com/theroyalguard
-Mike SOS
Portland, OR quartet Norska deliver an eponymous five-track, 40-minute sojourn chock full of slow churned sludgy psychedelic metal goodness (“Nobody One Knows”). Building a massive sound with hypnotic riffs and gradual dynamic shifts, Norska champions their dastardly set of doom metal nuances with a menacing conviction that allows listeners to properly commiserate with the band’s excruciating exertion of agonizing abrasiveness (“Two Coins for the Ferryman”). Able to hold attention spans despite song running times going past the 10-minute mark, Norska has created an oppressive and ominous collection of tunes that falls somewhere in between the mindbending nature of Neurosis and the howling fury of High on Fire. www.brutalpanda.com
-Mike SOS
Classic rock and modern metal mindsets join forces on the eight-track album PORTRAIT from Brooklyn, NY foursome Family. Showcasing more than enough expansive heaviness to run with the Baroness and Mastodon crowd (“Exploding Baby”) while culling memorable melodies from a slew of styles ranging from progressive rock to sludgy blues (“Bridge and Tunnel”) to prairie metal (“Illegal Women”), this troupe’s superior songwriting pacing does an exemplary job of delivering inspiring instrumental interludes before unleashing furious vocal howls (“Othermother”), justly highlighting tumultuous musical crests and waves. If someone told you about a band that mixed Tool, Unsane, Mars Volta, Cave In, Thin Lizzy, and the acts aforementioned, you’d think they were joking; Family is no joke. www.familyslays.com
- Mike SOS
Eschewing the stigma attached to the types of music normally associated with emanating from their stomping grounds, Brooklyn, NY punk rock squad Foster Care righteously recreate the disenchanted and displaced attitude of punk rock from its gestation period on the quartet’s 12-track excursion vibe BAD CITY VIBE (“Psychedelic Scumbag”). Laden with a bevy of catchy songs performed unhinged and intentionally recorded as dirty as on those dusty vinyls and broken cassettes hidden back in the closet (“Don’t Make Me”), this crew gets high marks for paying homage to the punk rock four-count while vividly capturing the confrontational and out of control nature and pure adrenaline rush that punk rock is supposed to deliver. If you lost faith in what modern society considers punk, allow Foster Care to reaffirm your faith and instill hope for more bands like them to appear (“I Never Meant To”). www.jkshk.blogspot.com
-Mike SOS
Boise, ID quintet Bone Dance summons up a maelstrom of hardcore malevolence on their self-titled 10-track endeavor. Aggressive and abrasive from start to finish, this hard-hitting release renders a ruthless and relentless rollercoaster ride fueled by seething anger and unabashed fury (“Children Having Children”). Creatively chaotic and unpredictable, this unit melds misanthropic mayhem from metalcore pioneers of the 90’s such as Botch and Converge (“White Guilt”) with an extra coating of filth a la contemporaries such as Gaza (“Conniver”) to leave scars on the brain and the ears of listeners bold enough to partake in their brand of brutality (“Barren”). www.bonedance.bandcamp.com
-Mike SOS
Female fronted San Francisco trio Castle maintain an ominous metallic aura throughout the duration of their eight-track excursion BLACKLANDS. Led by the enchanted and smoky vocals of Elizabeth Blackwell (“Dying Breed”), this troupe follows classic doom and NWOBHM templates to a tee, stacking up burly riffs along side crushing bass and drum rhythms (“Corpses Candles”) to develop a strand of downtrodden heaviness crossing the dark spiritual journeys of Candlemass and Cathedral with the modern musings of likeminded acts such as Royal Thunder and The Devil’s Blood (“Ever Hunter”). www.prostheticrecords.com
-Mike SOS
Dynamic New Jersey duo Resin Gypsy administer an acidic 70’s hard rock flashback via their eponymous eight-track debut. Proudly recreating bluesy kaleidoscopic guitars and trippy driving rhythms from rock ‘n roll’s summer of love era (“Caravan Song”), this tandem puts their Zeppelin meets Cream education (“Time to Go”) through the wringer with supple splashes of brawny bravado from 90’s bands such as Sugartooth, Nebula, and fellow statesmen Monster Magnet for a tantalizing time machine trek worthy of repeated listens (“Moonlight”). In fact, multiple spins are not only recommended but are required to fully feel Resin Gypsy’s down and dirty good time vibes (“Two Pennies”). www.facebook.com/resingypsy
-Mike SOS
Milwaukee, WI unit Protestant is a mainstay on the underground Midwest scene and their gritty five-track offering RECLAMATION shows why. Developing an undeniably hardcore sound where melody and d-beat converge (“Unbecoming:”), this quartet make an unsettling din brazen with raw emotion and capped off with stellar songwriting that fans of Cursed and His Hero is Gone should have little problem digging (“Salad Days”). www.halooffliesrecords.com
-Mike SOS
Kalopsia doles out dastardly dollops of groove laden death metal on their eight-track excursion AMONGST THE RUINS. Chock full of slamming breakdowns, blistering guitars, and blast beat drumming, this unit discovers the middle ground between Deicide and Dying Fetus and runs listeners over with the depraved results. This New Jersey quartet’s first album in nearly eight years pounds craniums with a dependable combination of churning riffs, expedient percussive passages and belligerent bellowing (“Pillars of Ash”) crafted with the death metal fan in mind. www.godeater.com
-Mike SOS
NYC metal quintet Martyrd have created a stunning blend of progressive and thrash on the 12-track offering THIS MORTAL COIL.
Continue reading “Martyrd – This Mortal Coil (Self-Released)” »
After a lengthy hiatus, seminal NYHC group The Mob return with BACK TO QUEENS, a 7” featuring three new tunes. Continue reading “The Mob – Back To Queens (Weathermaker)” »
Boasting an impressive doom metal pedigree of the entire trio of Unearthly Trance and ex-Electric Wizard/ Ramesess member Tim Bagshaw on guitar, NYC-based quartet Serpentine Path trudges through familiarly nefarious realms from their past glories on their sinewy eight-track debut endeavor. Continue reading “Serpentine Path – Serpentine Path (Relapse)” »
Thunderous Texas trio Wo-Fat are quite fond of both bendy riffs and doomy tempos as their five-track, 46-minute album THE BLACK CODE indicates. Continue reading “Wo-Fat – The Black Code (Small Stone)” »
Explosive female fronted NYC quintet Straphangers champion the unbridled spirit of the underground sound as documented on their 12-track release QUEENS BY ALL MEANS. Continue reading “Straphangers – Queens By All Means (Self-Released)” »
British metal outfit Angel Witch were one of NWOBHM’s brightest prospects back in the early 1980’s, yet somewhere down the line they were lost in the shuffle and passed over for the likes of Diamond Head and Iron Maiden. Now after nearly three decades and countless failed attempts to return to form, the group makes a mad dash to the forefront with their eight-track, almost 80 minute sojourn AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. Maintaining a classic metal gallop from their heyday (“Witching Hour”) with raw rhythms and loud tones in tow (“Into the Dark”), Angel Witch rips through a tour de force of classic occult heaviness (“Geburah”) with rousing twin guitars and slightly spooky vocals making their home in listener’s heads to release the ghosts of the past. Featuring the six-string mastery of Bill Steer, band founder Kevin Heybourne can be proud of the band’s most recent reset, as this version embodies the spirit from the glory days of a movement this band was such a tremendous part of (“Guillotine”). www.metalblade.com
-Mike SOS
Spider Rockets display a no-nonsense and straightforward approach pumping through an arena-ready throbbing hard rock pulse on their latest release BITTEN. This seasoned New Jersey quartet boasts an alluring female lead vocalist whose powerful pipes take the unit’s slickly produced modern hard rock anthems to more soulful places than expected (“Nothing Left”). Displaying the versatility to run you over with nasty riffs and brazen attitude (“Going Down”) or uplift the mood with a stellar party jam galvanized with big rock guitars (“Better When It’s Loud”), Spider Rockets produce solidly written and surprisingly heavy hard rock with a sound that begs to be played for the masses (“So High”). www.spiderrockets.com
-Mike SOS
Pioneer Swedish quartet Unleashed continues their streak of serving up consistent Nordic folklore inspired death metal excellence on their latest 11-track collection ODLAHEIM. This elite unit delivers their usual assault of serrated death metal with a tried and true combination of wicked warmongering riffs (“Vinland”), belligerent vocal growls that create catchy yet coarse melodies perfect to pillage to (“The Soil of Our Fathers”), and punishing rhythms (“Germania”) played to the mythological tales of Viking battles across the globe without deviating much from the initial template they set back in 1989. Maintaining a menacing aura even when haunting acoustic guitars tone the mood down before building the fury back to normal (“By Celtic and British Shores”), Unleashed once again produces a rousing and reliably brutal affair at the top of its game. www.nuclearblastusa.com
-Mike SOS
Long running Swedish quintet Wolfbrigade (formerly know as Wolfpack) have been hammering out crusty D-beat destruction since the mid 90’s, and their latest offering DAMNED doesn’t show any signs that this squad will be ceasing the assault any time soon. Pummeling ears with 12 tracks of corrosive chaos, Wolfbrigade successfully shoehorns death metal riffs (“Peace of Mind”, “Catch 22”), D-beat rhythms (“Slaves of Induction”) and a potent punk attitude (“Damned to Madness”) into their loud and fast paradigm, unleashing a ravenous beast prepared for battle and ready to obliterate everything in its path (“On Your Knees…In Misery”). www.southernlord.com
-Mike SOS
Known for building their frantic grindcore assault around a wide range of film dialogue from numerous action-adventure and sci-fi flicks, Graf Orlock change things up a bit on their latest four-track endeavor named after their hometown, LOS ANGELES. Focusing on one particular movie this time around (Michael Mann’s HEAT gets the treatment), the rambunctious trio sinks their caustic claws into the thespian musings of the likes of Pacino and DeNiro for musical inspiration and come up with yet another intensity-driven insanity-riddled rollercoaster ride of an album. Bursting with rapid-fire riffs, twisted screams, and blistering drums (“Quick on the Trigger”),Graf Orlock continues their streak of churning out a consistent stream of chaos while serving up the exhilarating feeling you get while experiencing a Hollywood summer blockbuster on the big screen for the first time on this 10 minute exercise in cinematically-fueled ferocity. www.vitriolrecords.com
-Mike SOS
Blending post-hardcore angularity with sludgy dissonance, Atlanta, GA’s Uncle Touchy creates an off-kilter noise addled 13-track experience entitled EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT VIOLENCE. Chock full of sideways Black Flag-inspired hardcore riffs (“Forced Out”), gas-huffing vocal wails (“Dimebagged”), and quirky rhythmic switch-ups reminiscent of Every Time I Die vs. The Bronx in a steel cage (“Genki Genki Panic”), Uncle Touchy sets out and succeeds in making their music as uncomfortable as their name suggests. Fortified with a firm grasp on the irreverent side of what was considered alternative metal in the 90’s with an unruly punk by way of grunge nature that screams crossover, Uncle Touchy feeds eardrums with nostalgic nastiness lining their bag of sick twists and tricks. www.nolistreccords.com
-Mike SOS
