A few weeks ago Ancient Hand posed this question on Instagram: "Have any of you had THAT album hit you this year? Y'know that album you hear and know it's going to be a favorite right away?" Up until now, my answer to that would be "no." Don't get me wrong, 2020 has been a … Continue reading Lesser Glow – Nullity Review
At this point, it's no longer a hot take to say that nerd culture has gotten out of hand. I imagine in thousands of years when the Earth starts to resemble Mars, the only remaining trace of human life will be an open grave of deep-cut Funko Pops. That being said, I am a huge … Continue reading Temnein – Tales: Of Humanity and Greed Review
Hey do you guys remember that Kanye album last year? You know, the shitty one that a bunch of old people strained really hard to enjoy? Well what if it was a powerviolence album that was 4 minutes shorter, had better politics, and - most importantly - was actually good? That album would be Satan … Continue reading ACxDC – Satan Is King Review
With the despairing state of the world at the moment, you would think this metalhead would convert to poptimism to maintain some sense of sanity. And to give poptimists their due credit, 2020 has been a pretty great year for pop music so far. But alas, I find myself delving further into the worlds of … Continue reading Foretoken – Ruin Review
Elder are among the pantheon of stoner/doom bands such as Khemmis, Pallbearer, YOB, and Spirit Adrift who've achieved critical acclaim and risen above and beyond the ranks of their subgenre ilk. Where Elder separate themselves further, however, is the loosening of their stoner/doom ties on their latest album Omens. Elder have always been the proggiest … Continue reading Elder – Omens Review
When you think "black metal," Australia may not be the first place that comes to mind. But like that Snorlax album I reviewed earlier this year, the land Down Under has its fair share of blackened greatness. The latest installment comes from Graveir, a five-piece from Melbourne, with their new album King of the Silent … Continue reading Graveir – King of the Silent World Review
Spotlights are part of a legion of bands (see also: Holy Fawn, Niights) who take their shoegaze and post-metal influences beyond the My Bloody Valentine and Deftones aping of their peers to create something they can truly call their own. Their last album Love & Decay made my Top 20 list last year, so naturally … Continue reading Spotlights – We Are All Atomic EP Review
Several years ago I had the pleasure of seeing Crowbar open for Carcass. While I was a much bigger Carcass fan at the time, I was floored by both bands' performances. They're on different ends of the subgenre spectrum, but in the moment the booking made sense. However, the thought didn't occur to me until … Continue reading Beggar – Compelled To Repeat Review
Katie Crutchfield, a.k.a Waxahatchee, brings us a serious Album of the Year contender with her latest project, Saint Cloud. In her most stripped-down work to date, Crutchfield takes influences from folk, country, and Americana to create a refreshing expansion to her sound. The lyrics throughout Saint Cloud offer vivid imagery of open fields, big sky, … Continue reading Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud Review
Nu metal is making a comeback whether I like it or not. This can be a good thing in the hands of an eclectic band like Code Orange, but it gets real bleak when major metal publications write a million articles titled something like "23.1416 Nu Metal Albums that Turn 23.1416 Today". On their debut … Continue reading Imonolith – State of Being Review
