I’ve known about Eidola for a long time, but for some reason I totally wrote them off. I heard a song or two and decided they weren’t for me. Well, that was a mistake. As Shaq would say, “I owe you an apology. I wasn’t really familiar with your game.” Read more…
Alpha Wolf has become one of the most recognizable names in metalcore in the span of just a few years. Following the ejection of their vocalist, Aidan Ellaz, in 2018, Alpha Wolf leveraged the ensuing drama and elevated their name to new heights. Aiden went on to form Dealer, and the Read more…
Erra had my favorite album in 2021, but I’m not impressed this time around. In general, too many of the songs feel scaled back and stripped down. The simpler, somewhat muted sound lends itself well to the basic grooves that the songs fall back on, but the transition to this Read more…
Boundaries is on absolute fire. This will easily be album of the year for quite a few people. It’s only April so I won’t give it the crown yet, but it will certainly be top 5 (at the very least) for me at the end of the year. And that Read more…
This is an excellent debut EP from a newly formed band. They’ve mixed Dealer’s attitude and aggression with Loathe’s spacey atmosphere – an unlikely combination that works wonders. Heavensgate includes Josh Ang, the major songwriter from Dealer’s first EP, and credits drum production to a member from Loathe. I actually Read more…
This is an incredible debut album by Cogitations. Definitely a standout deathcore album of the year so far. My favorite thing about this album is that each song has its own unique identity. So many recent deathcore albums are filled with indistinguishable songs that blend together into a forgettable haze. Cogitations sets themselves apart Read more…
I saw someone on Twitter describe Distant as “colossal deathcore” and it’s stuck with me ever since. The whole ensemble is larger than life and Alan Grnja is an incredibly exciting vocalist with an unbelievable vocal range. Distant is a relatively new band, but they’ve been pumping music out for the Read more…
After putting out singles for five years, Sunspear has finally emerged with their debut album. It’s not particularly revolutionary, but it’s polished and will probably grab enough attention to get some traction. There’s decent variety in the screams, but the choruses were mostly forgettable. The best parts almost always happened Read more…
This is an interesting debut album from a band that I didn’t expect to enjoy. I’ve never really liked this brand of emo / post-hardcore before, but Static Dress opened my mind to it a little more last year. There could definitely be more screams, but if you want a Read more…
Curses is one of my favorite finds in recent years. They have two vocalists and the one with the deeper lows is the closest thing to early The Devil Wears Prada that I’ve ever heard. The layering of his lows and the other’s highs make for some cool moments. The Read more…