Kevin McGuire

Another Now – OMNI

genres: metalcore + electronic I’ve been sitting on this album for several months now, because I still don’t know quite what to make of it. Another Now aren’t doing anything that revolutionary – structurally this is pretty straightforward modern metalcore – but there’s something about it that just feels incredibly fresh. From the release ofContinue reading “Another Now – OMNI”

Vildhjarta – måsstaden under vatten

genres: thall + progressive metal + experimental It’s here! Only ten years after their debut, Swedish progressive/experimental band Vildhjarta are finally back with their sophomore release. The band has functionally created their own genre of “thall”, a subgenre of technical metal or “djent” that marries clean melodies with interspersed downtuned chuggs and a dissonant atmosphere.Continue reading “Vildhjarta – måsstaden under vatten”

Ice Nine Kills – Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2

genres: metalcore I’d almost given up on Ice Nine Kills. Their first couple full lengths (Safe Is Just A Shadow, & The Predator Becomes The Pray) were insanely good, offering a blend of technical flashiness and a ear for theatrically catchy hooks that stood above nearly anything else in the scene. Then two things happened.Continue reading “Ice Nine Kills – Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2”

The Gray Havens – Blue Flower

genres: indie pop + folk Husband and wife duo The Gray Havens have always played one of the more intriguing blends of folk/indie pop. Debut album Fire and Stone started things off as primarily acoustic folk, not particularly unique but shockingly polished for a debut, and has since slowly developed more and more towards theContinue reading “The Gray Havens – Blue Flower”

New(ish) Single Highlights

Abyss – Beloved Beloved isn’t fully back (officially), but they’ve now released two tracks in the past year, so there’s hope. Their cover of U2’s “Like a Song” was unexpected and fun, but this is another level. Their unique brand of indie rock + post-hardcore developed on 2003’s Failure On has the follow up itContinue reading “New(ish) Single Highlights”

Trivium – In The Court Of The Dragon

genres: progressive metalcore Trivium has never quite connected for me – before this, that is. I’ve appreciated their proggier moments, and their guitar work is of course wonderful, but at least their recent albums have had just a little too much “post-grunge” or radio-ready alt-metal flavor for me personally. I checked out opening single “InContinue reading “Trivium – In The Court Of The Dragon”

Pathway – renatus

genres: vaporwave + devotional I’ll admit I only checked this album out because I liked the art, but the music made me glad I did. Not to be confused with the metalcore band Pathways. Or the other (progressive) metalcore band Pathways (who incidentally has an intriguing new album coming out sometime soon). This Pathway willContinue reading “Pathway – renatus”

AXTY – Helpless

genres: post-hardcore + mathcore Going into this album, I didn’t have any awareness of AXTY. A song (“Until We Die”) showed up in my weekly recommended playlist from Spotify, and it was a good time. And then I realized it was part of an entire newly released album. A welcome surprise on one of theContinue reading “AXTY – Helpless”

My Eyes Fall Victim – Raise the Black Flag

genres: metalcore Ever come across a band after they’ve seemingly finished their career, and wonder what if they’d release just one more album? It felt like they were on the verge of doing something truly special, but just couldn’t quite break through? There’s probably over a hundred bands like that for me, until recently includingContinue reading “My Eyes Fall Victim – Raise the Black Flag”

The Plot In You – Swan Song

genres: post-hardcore + pop + experimental Few bands can be expected to do the unexpected like The Plot In You. After three musically straightforward releases in First Born, Wife Beater, and Could You Watch Your Children Burn, they seemed to have settled on a formula of brutal metalcore that didn’t hesitate to tackle dark andContinue reading “The Plot In You – Swan Song”