Happy American Independence Day. Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 5th, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: July 5, 2024 –
Aeons: The Ghosts of What We Knew
Genre: Progressive Metalcore Label: Sliptrick Records
Akhlys: House of the Black Geminus
Genre: Black Metal / Ambient Label: Debemur Morti Productions
Fink: Beauty in Your Wake
Genre: Alternative / Downtempo Label: R’COUP’D
Horned Almighty: Contagion Zero
Genre: Black Metal Label: Soulseller Records
Kasabian: Happenings
Genre: Indie / Psychedelic Label: Columbia Records
Kiasmos: II
Genre: Electronic / Ambient Label: Erased Tapes Records
Kokoko!: Butu
Genre: African / Electronic / Alternative Label: Transgressive Records
Liminal Shroud: Visions of Collapse
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Label: Willowtip Records
Nyktophobia: To the Stars
Genre: Blackened Death Metal Label: Napalm Records
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 17th, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: May 17, 2024 –
Ani DiFranco: Unpresedented Sh!t
Genre: Indie Folk Label: Righteous Babe
The Avett Brothers: The Avett Brothers
Genre: Americana / Folk Label: American Recordings
Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft
Genre: Pop / Indie Pop Label: Interscope
Botanist: Paleobotany
Genre: Experimental Black Metal Label: Prophecy Productions
Cage the Elephant: Neon Pill
Genre: Alternative Rock Label: Sony Music
Celestial Season: Mysterium III
Genre: Doom Label: Independent
Elvellon: Ascending in Synergy
Genre: Power Metal Label: Napalm Records
From Indian Lakes: Head Void
Genre: Indie Rock / Dream Pop Label: Independent
Gatecreeper: Dark Superstition
Genre: Doom/Death Metal/Hardcore Label: Relapse Records
Jamey Jasta: … And Jasta for All
Genre: Metalcore Label: Perseverance Media
Jinjer: Live in Los Angeles
Genre: Metalcore / Progressive
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 15th, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: March 15, 2024 –
Aborted: Vault of Horrors
Genre: Death Metal Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Andrea Von Kampen: Sister Moon
Genre: Indie Folk Label: Independent
Atrophy: Asylum
Genre: Death Metal Label: Massacre Records
The Black Crows: Happiness Bastards
Genre: Rock Label: Silver Arrow Records
Dragonforce: Warp Speed Warriors
Genre: Power Metal Label: Napalm Records
Four Tet: Three
Genre: IDM / House Label: Rough Trade
Justin Timberlake: Everything I Thought I Was
Genre: Pop Label: RCA Records
Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well
Genre: Country / Folk Label: Interscope
Lenny Kravitz: Blue Electric Light
Genre: Pop Rock Label: Roxie Records
Lutharo: Chasing Euphoria
Genre: Metalcore / Melodic Death Metal Label: Thrash / Metalcore
Marla Hansen: Salt
Genre: Trip Hop / Pop Label: Just Isn’t Music Ldt.
Necrophobic: In the Twilight Grey
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Centruy Media Records
Pink Milk: Night on Earth
Genre: Gothic Shoegaze Label: Black Hair Records
The Progressive Souls Collective: Sonic Rebirth
Genre: Progressive Label: Metalville Records
Sam Lee: Songdreaming
Genre: Folk Label: Norman Records UK
Scott Stapp: Higher Power
Genre: Rock Label: Napalm Records
Till Lindemann: Zunge
Genre: Industrial Metal Label: Universal Music Group
Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
Genre: Progressive Metal Label: InsdeOut
World Wide Whack: Tierra Whack
Genre: Rap / Pop / R&B Label: Interscope Records
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 23rd, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 23rd, 2024 –
A Burial At Sea: Close to Home
Genre: Progressive Rock / Math Rock Label: Pelagic Records
Ace Frehley: 10,000 Volts
Genre: Rock Label: Ace Frehley Merchandise
Allie X: Girl With No Face
Genre: Synthpop Label: Rough Trade
Amaranthe: The Catalyst
Genre: Metalcore / Pop / Electronic Label: Nuclear Blast
Atoll: Inhuman Implants
Genre: Death Metal Label: Rough Trade
Austrian Death Machine: Quad Brutal
Genre: Metalcore / Thrash Label: Napalm Records
Borknagar: Fall
Genre: Progressive / Black Metal Label: Century Media
Cathubodua: Interbellum
Genre: Symphonic Metal Label: Massacre Records
Coltre: To Watch With Hands…
Genre: Heavy Metal Label: Dying Victim Productions
Darkest Hour: Perpetual | Terminal
Genre: Metalcore / Melodic Death Metal Label: MNRK Heavy
Erika de Casier: Still
Genre: Trip Hop / Pop Label: 4AD
Hand of Kalliach: Corryvreckan
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Prosthetic Records
Jazmin Bean: Traumatic Livelihood
Genre: Pop Rock Label: Interscope
I’m going to say something that shouldn’t actually be controversial, but will inevitably cause a bunch of people to lose their shit: Divine Inner Tension is Hail the Sun’s best work.
[long awkward silence]
“Ye speaketh blasphemy, ye corpulent mammalian sea creature!”
Yes, I do. Shamelessly.
I’ve said this before, but it took a lot to bring me to listen to this album. I refused to listen to the singles. I refused to have anything to do with the rotten cadaver of the genre Hail the Sun had been pigeonholed into. “It all sounds the same anyway!” was the chant I told my friends about the singles that kept dropping. “They’ve peaked! They’re on the decline!” is what I kept saying to myself to justify my refusal to give Divine Inner Tension a chance.
It didn’t matter that I have a deep-seated respect and admiration for Donovan Melero as a musician and seemingly good dude. It didn’t matter that of all the “swancore” bands out there, Hail the Sun had actually put out the most consistent music. It didn’t matter that — while they hadn’t quite achieved the highs of Wake — Culture Scars, Mental Knife and New Age Filth were all very good records. All that would come of a new album in the age of aging guitar-wankery…
Short and sweet collection of almost-banging tunes that take their time to show how smooth these earworms are. The production is gorgeous, and Tenenbaum’s vocal delivery finely walks the playful-quirky line. Really excited about their future. –dedex
If you are still sleeping on Joliette, Luz de Bengala is a short and sweet cacophony to disturb your slumber: the Mexican post-hardcore mainstays are firing on all cylinders here, conjuring up an expected, spellbinding amalgam of downtrodden riffs, chiming, post-rocky builds, and zesty screams en español. Coming off a couple standalone singles in the years prior, this EP marks the band’s first multi-track project with bassist Gastón Prado on lead vocals, and that lineup change isn’t elemental so much as it is tonal: where once Joliette doubled down on grisly, violent imagery or infernal despair, their latest incarnation ultimately espouses hope without sacrificing their knack for tense, tightly-wound arrangements. Fans of Birds In Row, Ostraca, a theoretically skramz-ier At The Drive-In, or basically anything on the quartet’s latest home, Zegema Beach Records: don’t overlook these guys any longer. –ashcrash9
One of the most fascinating factoids of Sleep Token’s extensive and intricate lore is that the band themselves were concocted in a lab to piss off music snobs and elitists. Everything from the soaring clean vocals that are polished to a blinding sheen to the admittedly kind of obnoxious RnB samplings do everything they possibly can to make the conventional fan of prog or metal roll their eyes out of their skull, and frankly, I get it. But that test for elitist purity — known as the No Trve Metalhead fallacy — is a race to the bottom. I was there in the last.fm trenches in 2010 when everyone called Wolves in the Throne Room “Shirts In the Dorm Room” due to their perceived accessibility. Take Me Back to Back to Eden has plenty to criticize and is far from the majesty of Opeth’s Ghost Reveries or the creativity of Between the Buried and Me’s Colors, but in time, it may reveal itself to be the nexus in the same way those works were for an entirely new generation of metal fans and acts. It’s one hell of a time, but only if you’ll uncross your arms and allow yourself to have fun. –Odal
Let’s make one thing really clear: Swatta is absolutely not for the faint of heart; but if you’re the type of person that seeks thrills, do yourself a favor and listen to this record. It’s hard for me to describe this album without resorting to a bunch of oxymoronic platitudes like “chaotically precise” or “brilliantly raw,” but the fact of the matter is that I don’t think any band brought more unrestrained ferocity to the table than Chepang did in 2023. Swatta is not just a triumph for grind, it’s a triumph in heavy music — and it’s the kind of album that follows the mantra of shooting on sight and taking no prisoners. Don’t be lulled by the disarmingly-satisfying-to-say names, either: Swatta will systematically break every bone in your body before torching you to a cinder. Oh, and you’re going to enjoy every fucking second. –Manatea
Due to the continued slow release schedule as 2024 begins, here is a list of major new releases for the weeks of January 5th through the 19th, 2024. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: January 5th, 2024 –
Kinoteki: Faith and the Vessel
Genre: Atmospheric Drum & Bass Label: Tabula Rasa
Animal Ghosts: Swell
Genre: Indie Rock / Dream Pop Label: Independent
– List of Releases: January 12th, 2024 –
Alluvial: Death is But a Door
Genre: Deathcore Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Bill Ryder-Jones: Iechyd Da
Genre: Indie Rock Label: Domino Recording Co
Drown in Sulphur: Dark Secrets of the Soul
Genre: Blackened Death Metal Label: Scarlet Records
Hannah Ellis: That Girl
Genre: Country Label: Curb Records, Inc
Kali Uchis: Orquideas
Genre: R&B / Pop / Soul Label: Geffen
Kid Cudi: Insano
Genre: Hip Hop / Alternative Label: Republic Records
Mourning Dawn: The Foam of Despair
Genre: Funeral Doom Label: Aesthetic Death
Nailah Hunter: Lovegaze
Genre: New Age / Ambient Label: Fat Possum
Neal Morse: The Resoration – Joseph Part Two
Genre: Progressive Rock Label: Frontiers Music
What a year for the site and for music. Within the genres I listen to, I wouldn’t say there was anything significant that happened.
In the world of metal… Floor had another baby. Mike Portnoy rejoined Dream Theater. What else? Musically speaking, it seems like the metal genre (and its sub-genres) are content to keep things status quo for now. I’m not sure what needs to happen for that to change, and I’m sure there are some ground breaking bands out there, but I didn’t hear them. We can chalk that up to age and apathy, I’m assuming.
Industrial is pretty much a dead genre with nothing truly significant being released — and Skinny Puppy did their final tour before calling it quits.
As for indie pop… I don’t really track that genre, I just stumble across albums I enjoy from time to time, so NSTR.
As for the website, we’ve gone ahead and stuck some more duct tape over another hole in an attempt to keep it functional. So, pay no attention to the corpse behind the curtain.
As always, these were my favorite albums of the year regardless of originality, impact on any genre, or any other superfluous qualifier. The only thing that mattered was how much I personally enjoyed it.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 20th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 20th, 2023 –
Afterbirth: In But Not Of
Genre: Progressive Death Metal Label: Willowtip Records
The Amenta: Plague of Locus
Genre: Industrial / Blackened Death Metal Label: Independent
Angelus Apatrida: Aftermath
Genre: Thrash Label: Napalm Records
Asagraum: Veil of Death, Ruptured
Genre: Black Metal Label: Edged Circle Productions
Blink-182: One More Time
Genre: Pop Punk / Alternative Label: Columbia Records
Bombay Bicycle Club: My Big Day
Genre: Indie Pop / Indie Rock Label: Mmm… Records
The Callous Daoboys: God Smiles Upon the Callous Daoboys
Genre: Mathcore / Metalcore Label: Independent
Catch Your Breath: Shame On Me
Genre: Alternative / Metal Label: Thriller Records
Cirith Ungol: Dark Parade
Genre: Heavy Metal / Power Metal Label: Metal Blade Records
City Girls: Raw
Genre: Hip-Hop Label: Capitol Records
Daria Zawialow: Dziewczyna Pop
Genre: Electronic / Pop Label: Sony
Dreamwell: In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You
Genre: Post Hardcore Label: Prosthetic Records
Duff McKagan: Lighthouse
Genre: Rock Label: The World
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 22nd, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: September 22nd, 2023 –
3teeth: Endex
Genre: Industrial Metal / Alternative Label: Century Media
Annisokay: Abyss Pt. 1
Genre: Metalcore Label: Arising Empire
Bakar: Halo
Genre: Indie / Hip Hop / Electronic Label: Black Butter Limited
Cannibal Corpse: Chaos Horrific
Genre: Death Metal Label: Metal Blade Records
Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Genre: Pop Label: Independent
Dayshell: Pegasus
Genre: Post Hardcore / Alternative Label: Independent
Doja Cat: Scarlet
Genre: Hip Hop / Pop Label: RCA Records
Dominique Fils-Aime: Our Roots Run Deep
Genre: Soul / R&B / Dream Pop Label: Ensoul Records
Emily Kinney: Swimteam
Genre: Pop / Folk Label: Julian Records
Follakzoid: V
Genre: Psychedelic / Ambient Label: Sacred Bones Records
Grails: Anches en Maat
Genre: Psychedelic / Post Rock / Experimental Label: Temporary Residence
Grrl Gang: Spunky!
Genre: Indie Rock / Indie Pop Label: Green Island Records
K. Michelle: I’m the Problem
Genre: R&B / Pop Label: Atlantic
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 7th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: August 18th, 2023 –
After Earth: The Rarity of Reason
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Independent
Ally Evenson: Big Lie
Genre: Indie Pop Label: Independent
Amaka: Oasis
Genre: R&B / Soul Label: Venice Music
Atreyu: The Moment You Find Your Flame
Genre: Metal Label: Spinefarm Music Group
Birdy: Portraits
Genre: Indie Pop / Pop Label: Warner Music UK
Ciara: CiCi
Genre: R&B / Pop / Hip Hop Label: Beauty Marks Entertainment
The Circle: Of Awakening
Genre: Post Black Metal / Melodic Death Metal Label: AOP Records
Caroline Cotter: Gently as I Go
Genre: Indie Folk Label: Independent
Cyhra: The Vertigo Trigger
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
Dizzy: Dizzy
Genre: Indie Pop Label: Royal Mountain Records
Genesis Owusu: Struggler
Genre: Hip hop / R&B Label: AWAL Records
Gregory Alan Isakov: Appaloosa Bones
Genre: Indie Folk Label: MNRK Records
Gretta Ray: Positive Spin
Genre: Folk / Pop Label: Ballarat Pty
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of July 7th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: July 7th, 2023 –
12 Rods: If We Stayed Alive
Genre: Indie Rock / Shoegaze Label: Rough Trade
Alice Phoebe Lou: Shelter
Genre: Indie Pop / Art Pop Label: Independent
A Life Divided: Down The Spiral of Soul
Genre: Industrial Rock Label: AFM Records
Amaara: Child of Venus
Genre: Dream Pop / Pop / R&B Label: Lady Moon Records Records
Anohni: My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
Genre: Indie Pop / Electronic Label: Downtown Music
Blackbraid: Blackbraid II
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Label: Independent
Blackscape: Suffocated By the Sun
Genre: Power Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 16th, 2023. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: June 16th, 2023 –
Arkona: Kob’
Genre: Melodic Black Metal Label: Napalm Records
AVKRVST: The Approbation
Genre: Progressive Metal Label: Century Media
Ben Howard: Is It?
Genre: Indie Folk Label: Island Records
Chocolate Hills: Yarns from the Chocolate Triangle
Genre: Ambient / Electronic Label: Cooking Vinyl
Creeping Death: Boundless Domain
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Label: Megaforce Elektra
Deer Tick: Emotional Contracts
Genre: Alternative Rock / Americana Label: ATO Records
Fifth Angel: When Angels Kill
Genre: Power Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: PetroDragonic Apocolypse
Genre: Psychedelic / Progressive Rock Label: KGLW
Killer Mike: Michael
Genre: Hip Hop Label: Bertelsmann Music Group
Kool Keith: Black Elvis 2
Genre: Hip Hop / Experimental Label: Mello Music Group
Maisie Peters: The Good Witch
Genre: Pop Label: New Elektra
Motorpsycho: Yay!
Genre: Psychedelic / Progressive Rock Label: Stickman Records
Queens of the Stone Age: In Times New Roman
Genre: Stoner Rock Label: Matador Records
Sigur Ros: Atta
Genre: Post Rock / Experimental / Dream Pop Label: Krunk
Thy Catafalque: Alfold
Genre: Black Metal / Experimental Label: Season of Mist