Playlist for October 21 – November 17
Quick playlist highlights: There have been a lot of great songs released in the last month. I can’t talk about all 50 that are in this playlist, but here are my favorites.
– Great American Ghost has been killing it. Their 2022 EP was amazing and I’m loving their recent singles. This might be my favorite of the bunch – the melodic sections having those harsh yells is so cool.
– Eidola already has a new single after releasing a 13-song album earlier this year. Almost as if it’s a nice reminder that they should be considered on your album of the year list. Don’t worry Eidola, I didn’t forget about you.
– Counterparts released a surprise EP, and it’s massive. First off, I give them huge credit for dropping it with no announcement – that is extremely rare for a big band these days. The EP is a culmination of Counterparts’ recent sound, but it’s even more intense because Brendan Murphy is using his heavier vocals that he typically reserves for End (his other band). It’s crazy looking back…we’re a long way from “The Disconnect.” Counterparts has aged perfectly.
– Galleons and Eidola must be using the same playbook because they’re also back with another single at the end of the year to remind us of the insane 15-song album that they released at the start of February. Don’t worry guys, your top 10 spot has been locked in.
– Reflections re-recorded and re-mastered a bunch of songs from their 2013 album, ‘Exist.’ “Vain Words From Empty Minds” has always been one of my favorites and it’s cool to hear their modern take on it. I’m also hopeful that they’ll revisit this style in the future. The recent Humanity’s Last Breath/ Vildhjarta deathcore stuff they’ve been doing is cool, but I’ll always have a special attachment to the technical/ progressive stuff that they were doing at the start.
– Angelmaker released their first single with Ian Bearer (ex-Rings of Saturn) on vocals. Ian sounds great, and I expect that their future songs will be even more impressive as his chemistry with the band continues to grow.
– Soulkiller just released a new EP. This is Shawn Spann’s new band (vocalist of I, The Breather). I’m stoked to see him continue making music, and this is a pretty fresh mix of EDM elements with metalcore.
– Another new song from Elitist! It seems safe to say that these guys are cooking up something big and not just releasing one-offs. This track is giving Loathe vibes from ‘The Cold Sun’ which is phenomenal. If you’re looking for more of that sound, check out In Fear’s 2023 album.
– Frontierer is insane. An actual sonic assault on your senses. Fans of Carbomb and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza rejoice.
–Molotov Solution have risen from the ashes with their first new song in 13 years. Nick Arthur’s vocals have been missed, and the time is ripe for them to return to their focus on political issues and government conspiracy theories.
– Our Last Night released a cover of the Twenty-One Pilots song “Heathens.” I wouldn’t normally care about it, but the song prominently features Jake Luhrs (vocalist) and JB Brubaker (guitarist) from August Burns Red. August Burns Red doesn’t do a lot of features so it’s interesting that they teamed up with Our Last Night and contributed so extensively to this song.
– Darko is unstoppable. They released a 19-song album earlier this year, and now they drop “Blood Host” which is accompanied by a 14-minute short film as a music video. Incredible work ethic and infinite creativity.