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Hellmouth

Oblivion
Fast Break Records (2017)

When I heard my first Hellmouth record—which I’ve since learned was their second release (Gravestone Skylines, 2010)—it was more of a curiosity than something that really grabbed me. Here was Jay Navarro of Suicide Machines in a metal band. His voice definitely fits the style, but the riff-dominant vitriol was such a transition that it threw me off. I enjoyed … Read more

Pallbearer

Heartless
Profound Lore Records/Nuclear Blast Records (2017)

Pallbearer’s evolution over the last seven or so years has been one that seems natural and organic, with each record building on what came before and giving the Arkansas based band a step forward on the ladder towards greatness. Their demo of 2010 introduced a band indebted to doom greats Black Sabbath, but the inclusion of a cover of Billie … Read more

Sorority Noise

You’re Not As _____ As You Think
Triple Crown (2017)

What is emo? A classicist view may lend itself to sounds like The Promise Ring’s Nothing Feels Good or Weezer’s Pinkerton, which gave way to second-generation icons like Brand New. While The Promise Ring and especially Weezer never really quite built on the successes of their early records, Brand New began as a yawpy pop-punk band that suddenly transformed into … Read more

Ash Borer

The Irrepassable Gate
Profound Lore (2016)

Haunting, mournful, and soulful, Ash Borer dials in with a killer new slab of music with The Irrepassable Gate; and the band tosses down the gauntlet with a densely layered album that breathes and stretches and smolders and seethes in a gorgeous cacophony that hints at mystic imagery and hidden arcane knowledge. The four members of the band seemingly take … Read more

Falls of Rauros

Vigilance Perennial
Bindrune Recordings / Nordvis Produktion (2017)

There has always been a pull in the black metal genre towards a folk interpretation. It is not that far of a leap, and since the first releases in the genre, bands have been crossing borders left and right, be it the early experiments of Ulver, or the big turn of Bathory with Hammerheart and Twilight of the Gods. Agalloch's … Read more

Ensemble Economique

In Silhouette
Denovali (2017)

Brian Pyle, the individual behind Ensemble Economique, begun a crazy trip as a member of Starving Weirdos in the mid '00s. This insane musical duo, featuring Pyle alongside Merrick McKinlay, traversed the paths of rock and electronic music, applying deranged psychedelia, resulting in the impossibility of pigeonholing their musical endeavors. After the group disbanded, Pyle was left unsatisfied with the … Read more

Mastodon

Emperor of Sand
Warner Bros. (2017)

There have been few bands as exciting to watch their ascension into music legend than Mastodon. What's that you say? No, the term 'legend' is not hyperbole. Mastodon is just that good. And if there's any justice in this cold, cruel world, that legendary status will be hermetically sealed with Emperor of Sand.Emperor of Sand is mastodon's seventh full-length release … Read more

White Willow

Future Hopes
Lasers Edge Records (2017)

They call it prog-rock, art-rock, jazz-rock, they call it tedious and pretentious, they call it heady, too-much, reserved as the best time to get a drink at the bar or shop the merch table….White Willow’s record Future Hopes assists in refuting that argument.I like when a musician takes an idea to its very end, and when it’s done right, time … Read more

Multiple Authors

The Menzingers

After The Party
Epitaph (2017)

The Menzingers are a four-piece punk band from Scranton, PA, sharing the same hometown as band sibling Tigers Jaw. Although not musically the same, The Menzingers have a similar lyrical purpose to The Smiths: to tell detailed, emotional narratives about everyday people. Except, instead of about middle-aged well-read women and ambiguously gay recluses, it’s about 20-somethings sporting tattoos of high … Read more

Multiple Authors

The Menzingers

After The Party
Epitaph (2017)

For the past 7 or so years I have been saying that The Menzingers are the best current punk band around. Not only do they put on a hell of a live show, but their records resonate weeks, months, years after listening to them. A punk band that manages to stay relevant, it's impressive. The Menzingers are a band that … Read more

Woe

Hope Attrition
Vendetta (2017)

After a promising start to a career that began in earnest with the release of debut A Spell for the Death of Man in 2008 and continued through to 2013s Withdrawal, Woe’s fate took a turn soon after that many bands find themselves encountering – real life happened and the music took a backseat for founder Chris Grigg and his … Read more

Totally Unicorn

Dream Life
Farmer & The Owl Records (2016)

Complex, highly technical, unusual time signatures.Staccato and syncopated polyrhythmic guitar melodies.Mathcore.Yawn.Does not sound fun to you?Alright - enter nudity, booze fueled shenanigans and fascinating borderline performance art live incarnations.Enter Totally Unicorn from Wollongong, NSW South Wales, Australia.Dream Life is their first impressive full length, which was released in 2016 and surprised quite a few of their followers: Not that it … Read more

New Gods

Weird War Tales EP
Distro-y Records (2016)

The majority of punk bands seem to have a hard time to stay together for more than a handful of releases. I can see positive sides of this as loads of musicians just go on to form a new band where new sparks of creativity can be released upon an unsuspecting world. Sometimes it hurts a bit when a band … Read more

Dead Bars

Dream Gig
No Idea Records (2017)

Reading that Dead Bars never meant to be a band explains a lot of things. They started as a one-off project to go on a tour rather than to share their art. It turned out to be fun and they stuck with it. After a series of 7”s, the Seattle now-band finally releases their first full-length in 2017, titled Dream … Read more

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