genres: atmospheric death metal + black metal While overall it’s been a phenomenal year for heavy music, there haven’t been any true standouts in the most extreme genre corners. Sure, deathcore stepped up in a big way with Whitechapel and Lorna Shore elevating that subgenre to new heights, but there’s been little in the veinContinue reading “Vertebra Atlantis – Lustral Purge in Cerulean Bliss”
Author Archives: Kevin McGuire
Imminence – Heaven In Hiding
genres: modern metalcore As someone who’s followed Imminence since their 2014 debut full length I, I’m super happy to see the band finally getting the recognition and popularity they’ve deserved for years. It also might be one of their less compelling releases. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a wonderful album that captures the essenceContinue reading “Imminence – Heaven In Hiding”
Mourn – The Next Life
genres: deathgaze (or post-hardcore + shoegaze + deathcore) If you threw Sunbather era Deafheaven and Like Moths to Flames into a blender, then added a bit of beatdown hardcore to the mix, whatever popped out would sound a whole lot like Mourn. This is a totally unrelenting wall of sound that trends towards the heavierContinue reading “Mourn – The Next Life”
Polar – Nova
genres: metalcore + melodic hardcore There’s few musical phenomena more fun than an established band taking everything good they’ve developed over their career and elevating it to an entirely different level. That’s what we got on Polar’s 2019 album Nova. Polar have had an extremely solid career as one of the most engaging and energeticContinue reading “Polar – Nova”
Far West Battlefront – Status Cross
genres: atmospheric deathcore Even six years later, this 2015 release remains one of the more unique releases in the broader -core scene. At heart, Far West Battlefront is a deathcore band. There’s not a ton of overt melody going on, the screams mostly reside on the lower guttural end of the spectrum, and there’s enoughContinue reading “Far West Battlefront – Status Cross”
The Home Team – Slow Bloom
genres: pop-punk + indie pop The Home Team have delivered one of the more surprising albums of 2021 with Slow Bloom, which could very easily end up as the year’s best pop-punk album. Coming off 2018’s Better Off, the group seemed to have created an intriguing niche for themselves through pop-punk with an aggressive post-hardcoreContinue reading “The Home Team – Slow Bloom”
Empty – MADE OF FIRE
genres: post-hardcore + electronic I really didn’t expect to like this album. Empty’s SolidState debut, Hope and the Loss of It, was a great nostalgic metalcore album that evoked early Underoath or the criminally underrated group The Overcomer. It was complex metal with a few electronic flourishes and a lot of emo sensibilities. MADE OFContinue reading “Empty – MADE OF FIRE”
Don Broco – Amazing Things
genres: alternative + electronic + hard rock + rap + shoegaze The first rule with Don Broco, is don’t expect anything. I mean, you can expect (weird) great music and (weird) fun videos, but trying to guess the exact style they’re gonna try next is entirely pointless. It WILL be unexpected. This was my mostContinue reading “Don Broco – Amazing Things”
1914 – Where Fear And Weapons Meet
genres: blackened symphonic death metal Their music can speak for itself, but there may not be a band more important in modern metal than 1914, so I’m going to talk about themes and lyrics first today. There’s tons of bands in the scene glorifying war and nationalistic heroes, often to uncomfortable degrees. This band alsoContinue reading “1914 – Where Fear And Weapons Meet”
Foxblood – F(r)iends
genres: metalcore They just don’t miss! Foxblood is easily one of the best underground metalcore bands working right now, and as much as I’d love for them to finally get the recognition they deserve (and hopefully with their TWO announced future EPs that recognition will come), it’s been incredibly fun to watch them experiment withContinue reading “Foxblood – F(r)iends”
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