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
Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our 2023 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, any new artists you may have discovered here, or let us know what we missed!
Next week: stay tuned for the Sputnikmusic community’s Top 50 LPs (and Top 10 EPs, Live Albums, and Compilations) of 2023 — cheers!
Tracklist:
Beastwars – “Waves” Tyranny of Distance
Beastwars rightfully turned a folk song about murder and suicide into their own sludgy brand of metal. This scorching affair hits as hard as the lyrics, easily becoming a highlight in their catalog. –Raul
Casey – “How to Disappear” How to Disappear
Casey’s reunion and subsequent slow-dripping of singles have been a pleasant surprise, with the title track (and album closer) being my favorite of the bunch. The Welsh quintet’s sonic palette brings to mind Keep You-era Pianos Become the Teeth with some of Moving Mountains’ most meditative moments, and the slow-burning crescendo into the song’s cathartic final chorus is refreshing despite the somber lyrical backdrop. –Jom
DOC: Hey ChatGPT, are you familiar with Sputnikmusic.com?
GPT: Yes, I’m familiar with Sputnikmusic! It’s a platform that covers music reviews, news, and discussions across various genres.
DOC: And the band Closet Witch?
GPT: Closet Witch is a hardcore/grindcore band known for their intense and energetic music. They’ve gained attention for their raw and chaotic sound within the hardcore scene.
DOC: Awesome. Write a Seinfeld scene about the band Closet Witch. Also George has been banned from Sputnikmusic
GPT:
[Jerry’s Apartment. Jerry is sitting on the couch reading a music magazine. George bursts in, looking agitated.]
Jerry: What’s got you all riled up now, George?
George: I’ve been banned, Jerry. Banned from the depths of the internet!
Jerry: What? Where? Not another forum, George. Last time it was that cooking blog.
George: No, not just any forum. Sputnikmusic!
Jerry: Sputnikmusic? What did you do, George?
George: I made an innocent comment about Closet Witch!
Jerry: Closet Witch? That hardcore band? What could you have possibly said about them?
George: I said they reminded me of a mashed-up cacophony of angry lawnmowers! I didn’t mean it in a bad way, just descriptive!
Jerry: And let me guess, the fans didn’t take kindly to your creative imagery?
George: They didn’t! They started a riot on the forum. ‘George The Mower Man’ they called me. I’ve been exiled, Jerry. Exiled!
Jerry: You and your way with words, George. Always stirring the pot.
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
Simply put; Echo Planet is a rip-roaring walk down memory lane for me. It’s a hard-hitting hardcore punk album that manages to capture the zeitgeist of the mid-noughties’ punk scene, procuring all of its greatest attributes along the way. If you’re a fan of bands like The Bronx, Fucked Up, or Paint it Black, this will satisfy your needs in every conceivable way. A ferocious banger in every sense of the word, and it wastes absolutely none of your time while doing it.
Orsartag – Found Wisdom: Symphonic Tribute to Burzum
Found Wisdom: Symphonic Tribute to Burzum is a novel idea, but one that works really well. Taking various numbers from across Burzum’s broad body of work, this album sets out to give you a fresh perspective on these (mostly) beloved tracks. Admittedly, the album is at its strongest when it is reinterpreting Burzum’s heavier side – namely the golden age of the band – than the synth sound adorning later works, but nevertheless, the album is packed with excellent renditions and is sure to win you over if you’re a fan of the band.
Paramore – This is Why
As far as albums go, This is Why ticks all of the right boxes for me. For any long-standing band, it can be hard keeping things fresh, but This is Why’s post-punk leanings and relatively lean run time make it a worthwhile entry for the band. Paramore ensures their…
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.
“The General” is, in every conceivable way, a disaster of epic proportions. Yet, if there’s one thing this relic is exceptional at, it’s brazenly highlighting everything wrong with Guns N’ Roses in 2023. For those who forgot, didn’t know, or are simply caught up in the moment while the years pass them by, Slash and Duff rejoined Guns N’ Roses way back in 2016. At the time, for any long-serving Guns N’ Roses fan, I can imagine the reunion being a joyous occasion for them – having daydreams of the band writing new music together and playing solid shows with a formidable greatest hits setlist – but in the seven years gone by, the band have only managed to produce a “reworked” version of “Shadow of Your Love” (a B-side from 1987, made into a single to promote the 2018 Appetite for Destruction boxset), and four Chinese Democracy-era archive tracks, all of which feel as though they hit the cutting room floor for a reason. On top of the poor creative output – or lack thereof – the band’s live shows have suffered immeasurably in recent years, with a gasping, overweight Axl Rose now sounding like Mickey Mouse on his death bed. Nevertheless, to drive the point home, by going back to the meagre amount of recorded slop served thus far from this current line-up, while “Hard Skool” and “Absurd” retain subtle aspects of the classic GNR sound – albeit not enough to make the tracks any…
Young Fathers have never shied away from jubilation — see “Nest”, “Only God Knows”, and even Tape Two‘s cover art — but it’s never been as transparent as it is on Heavy Heavy. This album is joyful, heartfelt, affirming, powerful, and overwhelmingly sincere, miles past the conversation of irony at this point. It’s the sound of your second wind as you near the end of the longest hike you’ve ever been on, a mix of accomplishment, vigor and encouragement. Like their previous work, it incorporates a variety of genres and styles, a sort of psychedelic, noisy, and spiritual pop. It seems this may be a pivotal moment in their artistic evolution, as the bleeding and passionate heart of their music is no longer just being used to create a beautifully contrasting emotional dichotomy, but has taken over entirely, spinning all their previously identifiable influences into an even more unclassifiable tornado of percussion, keyboards, and particularly the human voice. Even their hooks have gotten stronger, with each song demonstrating masterful pop instincts, filled with rhythms that you’ll wish were stuck in your head for even longer.
None of this means that they have lost their edge. Just because this is the Young Fathers project you could probably play in front of your parents with the least complaints doesn’t mean the music isn’t fighting for something. What it means…
Looking back on this year’s biggest highlights, it’s apparent to me the folk genre has resonated the loudest with a handful of truly exemplary albums — all disparate in approach, but equal in their excellence. And so, with 2023 putting a spotlight on just how incredible this genre is, it seems only fitting that the Finnish legends should return and put their two-cents in on the matter. Serendipitously, I started listening to Tenhi in the same year the band decided to break their twelve-year recorded silence, affording me just enough time to get familiar with their incredible discography. To my surprise, given the length of time the band have been away from recording new music, Valkama effortlessly slots into the canon with minimal disruptions. This is because Valkama isn’t here to ruffle the status quo, but rather astutely refine the band’s modus operandi. Ultimately, it’s a tight discussion on whether this is better than Maaaet, but regardless of the hair-splitting, a band couldn’t hope to come back with a better-sounding album. Valkama‘s lush instrumentation, poignant atmosphere and gripping arrangements make it a stellar piece of work, but add Tenhi’s inimitable personality into the equation and you’ve got a very unique offering indeed. Valkama does have a couple of conditions in order to get the most from it — being that it’s seventy minutes long, and has to be heard in its…
At the start of this decade, The National went through a rough patch, struggling with the new material they were working on. Perhaps those difficult times led to the placidness of First Two Pages of Frankenstein, but in hindsight, it was a necessary step in order to shake things off. As a result, Laugh Track, whose songs were mostly finished and recorded on tour at a much faster pace, ended up more diverse and energetic. The album doesn’t carry the heavy load its predecessor got almost crushed under. It’s the most alive The National have felt in years, and it feels like the members are excited again to work together on new music. –insomniac15
Frenetic tremolo picking, shotgun-sounding snare alongside cataclysmic blast beats, and guttural malevolence are ubiquitous throughout Fossilization’s premier LP. A logical progression from the Brazilian duo’s first EP and subsequent split release with Ritual Necromancy, those favoring the ‘death doom’ side of the spectrum will enjoy “Once Was God”‘s hostile opening deluge and the equitable balance of melody and malice found in “Oracle of Reversion” and Leprous Daylight‘s title track. Meanwhile, listeners preferring a ‘doom death’ alignment will appreciate the sludgy dissonance heard in “Eon” and especially “Wrought in the Abyss”‘ closing moments. An…
Coming off the back of SowingSeason’s excellent ‘Let’s Get Physical’ series, I thought I’d commandeer it for a little bit and add a few additions of my own to the Sput collection – largely because collecting physical media is something I’m very passionate about, but also because I want to highlight to people who aren’t all that familiar with CDs, vinyl and other forms of great merchandise, just how creative and interesting they can be. I come from an ancient era where you had to walk around to your local retailer and pay £10-£20 for the album you desired most. As you can imagine, after meeting the archaic prerequisites, you’re compelled to wear the hell out of the CD you just bought, simply because of the effort and funds that went into attaining the record. As Sowing has touched upon in previous segments; consumption of music in 2023 is done so with relative indifference, as music enthusiasts are afforded the luxury of gorging on dozens of new albums a week for free, or for a small fee a month. And while I am as guilty as the next person for doing this, I make a concerted effort to support the artists I like by buying a CD, record, T-shirt or whatever it may be – partly because it helps the artist/band out, but also because there is no greater feeling than owning the physical release. Holding the artwork and putting on the album is a wonderful experience in itself, but…
Welcome back the site’s most cold-blooded annual honour call of congratulatory fluff!
Intro!
The year is about to end: it is time for new JAWs. I don’t know what JAW stands for. It is a new and deeply prestigious award – so much so that 2022 saw just one (!) JAW awarded, for best debut This was because I was too busy screaming into a paper bag last year about how many quality records had come out to pull up my gloves and choose which ones to reward (unless they were from fresh meat). It was a great year!
2023 is an altogether different story: an abundance of chaff and my own arbitrarily higher motivation levels have sustained six (!) JAWs this year! Find out what these are overcompensating for on literally every other year-end list (including the one I will inevitably publish later), but for now get yourselves set for: folk record, pop record, metal record, [[hard/metal/]] grind -corerecord, banger record and EP of the year. There will be no AOTY winner drawn from a pool exclusively made up of LPs because I have just enough grey matter to recognise what a silly idea this is and has always been. There will be no AOTY winner drawn from a pool including all formats because I’ll be dropping an exhaustive year-ranking as a list later – so no redundant double-posts!…
