genres: experimental metal + djent Looking forward to 2022 releases, this may have been the one I was least sure about. The Dali Thundering Concept are one of the most aggressively experimental bands that can still be roughly characterized as metalcore, and at times it feels like their music is more interested in pushing boundariesContinue reading “The Dali Thundering Concept – All Mighty Men”
Tag Archives: Experimental
Technopagan – Electromancy
genres: black metal + experimental electronic Disclaimer: this album is not really for me. Everything that makes traditional black metal hard for me to get into – rough production and vocals, repetitive music – is present here. BUT. It’s worth talking about for a couple reasons. First, those elements of black metal are intentionally deployed,Continue reading “Technopagan – Electromancy”
ourfathers. – Movements II
genres: indie rock + post-hardcore + experimental While the slow release of music around the holidays can sometimes be a bit of a drag, it gives a good opportunity to go back through the previous year’s releases and see what I missed – which is how I came across this one. I completely missed thisContinue reading “ourfathers. – Movements II”
Atmospheric/Post-Black Metal 2021 Round Up
I try to write about as many of the releases I find personally noteworthy as possible, and as I was looking over my favorite albums from 2021 as the year ends, there’s a handful of really really good releases that slipped through the cracks. So I’ll be catching up on those over the next weekContinue reading “Atmospheric/Post-Black Metal 2021 Round Up”
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 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”
Spiritbox – Eternal Blue
genres: metalcore + progressive metal Spiritbox have the rare distinction of coming into their debut album with massive popularity and critical acclaim. They don’t take this status for granted; they’re still very much making the music they want to make. Most bands wouldn’t take the level of risk that comes with having multiple entirely sungContinue reading “Spiritbox – Eternal Blue”
Lingua Ignota – SINNER GET READY
genres: dark folk + chamber pop SINNER GET READY is a challenging listen, and I say that as someone who listens to some pretty inaccessible stuff. If you’re familiar with the movie First Reformed, it’s essentially the musical equivalent of that. It’s a slow burning polemic against the abuses of religion (while being an undeniablyContinue reading “Lingua Ignota – SINNER GET READY”
Keygen Church – ░█░█░░█░█░█░
genres: neoclassical + avant garde electronic Properly labeling every genre touched on this album is impossible. It’s instrumental music in the compositional tradition of the baroque and romantic eras, but there’s also blastbeats. Pianos and pipe organs tradeoff primary melodies, but glitchy 8-bit electronics and static distortions provide otherworldly textures. And even those seemingly contradictoryContinue reading “Keygen Church – ░█░█░░█░█░█░”
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