Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 12th, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 12, 2021 –
200 Stab Wounds: Slave To The Scalpel
Genre: Death Metal Label: Maggot Stomp
Aesop Rock and Blockhead: Garbology
Genre: Hip Hop Label: Rhymesayers Entertainment
Apostle Of Solitude: Until The Darkness Goes
Genre: Doom Label: Cruz Del Sur
Ars Magna Umbrae: Throne Between Worlds
Genre: Black Metal / Death Metal Label: I, Voidhanger
Astrophobos: Corpus
Genre: Black Metal Label: Triumvirate Records
Belore: Artefacts
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Label: Northern Silence Productions
Cân Bardd: Devoured By The Oak
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Label: Northern Silence Productions
Casper Skulls: Knows No Kindness
Genre: Indie Rock Label: Next Door Records
Claire Cronin: Bloodless
Genre: Folk Label: Orindal Records
Courtney Barnett: Things Take Time, Take Time
Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative / Country Label: Marathon Artists
Kayo Dot – Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike
Kayo Dot’s 10th LP, Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike, is one more proof that Toby Driver’s genius is, fortunately, still with us. His borderless brand of experimental and progressive metal invites 80s synth music and post-punk/gothic vibes this time in this uniquely brilliant record. Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike is a sonic voyage that reflects upon the pagan mind’s cyclic vision of the world with great charisma and emotion. For this task Toby recruited all the original members from his previous project, Maudlin of the Well, which is fantastic news for all of us who held Maudlin of the Well close to our hearts. Sound wise this album sees Kayo Dot expanding their late synth-driven brand of prog metal/rock as they incorporate some new elements from 80s post-punk and gothic rock that endow the music with a unique, reflective tone that feels very fresh yet very reminiscent of the 80s rock and dark music. Imagine Rush’s Power Windows era meeting Joy Division and then add Type O Negative’s dark vibes and Ulver’s experimental approach to the mix to get an idea of what you should expect here.
Compositionally the album is very interesting. Although at first glance it may look simple, the songwriting is actually intricate and very thoughtful (as is always the case with Kayo Dot) – getting full use out of the synth as a background atmospheric…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 5th, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 5th, 2021 –
ABBA: Voyage
Genre: Pop Label: Universal
Aimee Mann: Queens Of The Summer Hotel
Genre: Singer/ Songwriter Label: SuperEgo Records
Brian Fallon: Night Divine
Genre: Singer/ Songwriter/ Rock Label: Lesser Known Records/Thirty Tigers
Bullet For My Valentine: Bullet For My Valentine
Genre: Metalcore / Thrash Label: Sony BMG
Churchburn: Genocidal Rite
Genre: Death/Doom/Crust Label: Translation Loss Records
Connan Mockasin: Jassbusters Two
Genre: Experimental Label: Kobalt Music Publishing America
Curtis Harding: If Words Were Flowers
Genre: Alternative/ Soul Label: ANTI-
Diana Ross: Thank You
Genre: Diva Empowerment Label: Decca Records
Emma Ruth Rundle: Engine of Hell
Genre: Folk/ Singer/ Songwriter Label: Sargent House
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 29th, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 29, 2021 –
Ad Infinitum: Chapter II: Legacy
Genre: Symphonic Metal Label: Napalm Records
Archspire: Bleed the Future
Genre: Brutal Death Metal / Deathcore Label: Season of Mist
Bastardur: Satan’s Loss Of Son
Genre: Crust Punk Label: Season of Mist
Beast In Black: Dark Connection
Genre: Power Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
Be’lakor: Coherence
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Napalm Records
Bitchin Bajas: Switched on Ra
Genre: Electronic / Experimental Label: Drag City Records
Black Veil Brides: The Phantom Tomorrow
Genre: Alternative Metal Label: Sumerian Records
Celtic Woman: Postcards From Ireland
Genre: Celtic / Modern Classic Label: Capitol Records
Diablo Swing Orchestra: Swagger & Stroll Down The Rabbit Hole
Genre: Progressive Metal / Fusion Label: Candlelight Records / Spinefarm
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 22nd, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 22, 2021 –
1914: Where Fear And Weapons Meet
Genre: Blackened Death Metal Label: Napalm
Apparition (USA): Feel
Genre: Death / Doom Label: Self
Aya: Im Hole
Genre: Electronic / Footwork / Club Label: Hyperdub
Biffy Clyro: The Myth of the Happily Ever After
Genre: Alt Rock Label: Warner Music
Black Marble: Fast Idol
Genre: Coldwave / Post Punk Label: Sacred Bones Records
Blackwater Holylight: Silence / Motion
Genre: Rock / Doom Label: Independent
Bloodred Hourglass: Your Highness
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Label: Out Of Line
Bullet For My Valentine: Bullet For My Valentine
Genre: Metalcore / Thrash Label: Sony Circuit Des Yeux: -Io
Genre: Singer Songwriter / Experimental Folk Label: Matador Records
Cradle of Filth: Existence Is Futile
Genre: Black Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
Deerhoof: Actually, You Can
Genre: Indie Pop / Experimental Label: Joyful Noise
A man had a dream where he nibbled at glory. The years went by and the man lived that glory but then left the known world. Eventually the man returned and had the wisdom of another reality. The man was rejected by his once fellow man for he had become unrecognizable to the brainwashed majority. One hundred knives met with cold direction. – Storm In A Teacup
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 15th, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 15, 2021 –
Aeon: God Ends Here
Genre: Death Metal Label: Metal Blade
The Agonist: Days Before The World Wept [EP]
Genre: Metalcore / Melodeath Label: Napalm
Alcatrazz: V
Genre: Heavy Metal Label: Silver Lining
Bound In Fear: Penance
Genre: Death Metal Label: Unique Leader
Cherubs: SLO BLO 4 FRNZ & SXY [EP]
Genre: Noise Rock / Sludge Label: Relapse
Coldplay: Music of the Spheres
Genre: Prog Label: Parlophone
Cœur De Pirate: Impossible à aimer
Genre: Indie Pop Label: Bravo Musique
Dødsdrift: Ødnis
Genre: Black Metal Label: Vendetta Records
Dug Pinnick: Joy Bomb
Genre: Hard Rock Label: Rat Pak
Feed The Corpses To The Pigs: This Insidious Horror
Genre: Death Metal Label: Horror Pain Gore Death Productions
On 6th March 2020, Honey Harper released his barnstorming celestial-country debut album, Starmaker, which was nothing short of being breathtaking. However, shortly after the release of this glorious triumph, just days before Will and Alana were set to promote the record, the infamous pandemic took a hold of the world and destroyed – a long with many other artists’ new records – Starmaker’s insurmountable potential. Just over eighteen months later, I managed to catch up with Will and Alana over breakfast to discuss their thoughts on Starmaker, the damage Covid-19 had on Honey’s incredible debut record, and what they have in store for Honey Harper in the future.
Will: So, we checked out Sputnikmusic and there’s lots of love, which is really great! I’m humbled.
Oh man, yeah. There’s a lot of people that aren’t really into country music on there – I think the guy that wrote the review [Sowing] for Starmaker, he wasn’t really into country – but Starmaker feels like a really good Gateway album to get you into that sort of thing. It’s super accessible because it does so many other things as well. So, yeah, there’s a lot of people who love it; you’ve got a lot of people that gush over it.
Will: I was kind of blown away. I felt very loved, it was pretty great, yeah.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 8th, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 8, 2021 –
Atræ Bilis: Apexapien
Genre: Death Metal Label: 20 Buck Spin
BADBADNOTGOOD: Talk Memory
Genre: Electronic / Jazz Label: XL Recordings
Blood Red Throne: Imperial Congregation
Genre: Black Metal / Death Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
Caravan: It’s None Of Your Business
Genre: Progressive Rock Label: Madfish
Creeping Death: The Edge of Existence [EP]
Genre: Death Metal Label: eOne
Eclipse: Wired
Genre: Hard Rock Label: Frontiers
Efterklang: Windflowers
Genre: Indie Rock Label: City Slang
Gus G: Quantum Leap
Genre: Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Label: AFM
Howlin’ Rain: The Dharma Wheel
Genre: Progressive Rock Label: Silver Current Records
While there was certainly no shortage of exceptional metalcore releases in 2018, one in particular possessed a level of ingenuity in its craft that deserved far greater praise. Despite their underground status, Noise Trail Immersion managed to emerge from the depths to secure a portion of the spotlight, revealing to a broader audience their expertise over technicality and atmosphere. Their brand of post metalcore contained a frighteningly aggressive quality owing to influence from black metal titans of the modern day. Such a combination bred a sophomore record that immersed listeners in a realm of psychological terror, portraying the decomposition of one’s mind as it travels through stages of nihilism, a loss of faith, and an eventual acceptance of cognitive demise. It was a blockbuster album towering above a stacked field of aspiring artists; few were able to contend with the level of songwriting the young group displayed so early in their career.
Creating such an experience, let alone constructing a worthy sequel, is a tall order for any collective to fulfill. After a prolonged period dedicated to arranging this long awaited album, the band joined forces with I, Voidhanger Records in order to house their latest creation. Considering how highly I value the nascent body of work cultivated by Noise Trail Immersion, comprehending the process that motivated their efforts immediately caught my interest. With the upcoming third disc approaching on the horizon, primed for takeoff to impose further dissonant riffs upon the masses, I had a conversation with primary composer…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 1st, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: October 1, 2021 –
Abstracter: Abominion
Genre: Black Metal / Crust / Doom Label: Sentient Ruin Laboratories
Anima Hereticae: Ov Behest [EP]
Genre: Blackgaze / Death Metal Label: Inverse Records
Asking Alexandria: See What’s On The Inside
Genre: Metalcore Label: Better Noise Music
Audiobooks: Astro Tough
Genre: Indie Pop Label: Heavenly Records
Black Dice: Mod Prog Sic
Genre: Electronic / Experimental Label: FourFour Records
Brandi Carlile: In These Silent Days
Genre: Singer Songwriter Label: Low Country Sound / Elektra
The Body and BIG|BRAVE: Leaving None But Small Birds
Genre: Folk / Experimental Label: Thrill Jockey
Churchburn: Genocidal Rite
Genre: Death Metal / Sludge Label: Translation Loss Records
With a lot of the seminal black-metal-folk-y albums like Agalloch and Ulver, their artwork is intrinsic to – like you said before Nathanael, when you were walking through the city listening to The Mantle, how the sky sort of connected with you while you were listening to the music – the overall feel of the music, and the album cover represents a lot of that perfectly as well. Listening to Inheritance, I think the cover perfectly encapsulates what you’re going to be hearing. Was there a conscious effort to find the best artwork that represents the songs or was it just by chance?
Nathanael: Yeah, it was sort of both. Obviously, with Musk Ox we don’t have any lyrics, so the artwork is very important in the way that it’s going to give people the visual representation that adds to the music. It was intentional, but also by chance, because we never really discussed it. I had an idea, and I took this photographer to a place literally 5 minutes from my house where there’s this railroad – like, it’s not a Photoshop thing, it’s literally just over here and we took these photos of it and it worked with the concept. At the time, I looked at one of the photos and thought “yeah, this is definitely it!” and then Raph was like, “actually I like this one” and Evan agreed with…
Welcome to the third installment of our 2021 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam the songs below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, as well as any new artists you may have discovered. Alternatively, you can always let us know what we missed! Thanks for reading/listening.
To view the historical content of these playlists, visit the bottom of this page.
.
Tracklist:
BADBADNOTGOOD – “Signal from the Noise”
At the height of BBNG’s (TikTok) fame comes ‘Signal from the Noise’, a psychedelic jazz marvel. The band’s longest track in some time, it’s also its most filmic. Having proven itself in a number of ways over the last few years — popularity-wise, as well as in terms of diversity and productivity — its about time BBNG returns to crafting albums. And if this and ‘Beside April’ are any indication (what else is the point of single?), Talk Memory is going to be a well-crafted album. Lotsa fun, too. — BlushfulHippocrene
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 24th, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: September 24, 2021 –
Aorlhac: Pierres Brûlées
Genre: Black Metal Label: Les Acteurs de L’Ombre Productions
Amon Tobin: How Do You Live
Genre: Electronic/Ambient Label: Nomark Records
A Pale Horse Named Death: Infernum In Terra
Genre: Metal Label: Long Branch Records
Angels and Airwaves: Lifeforms
Genre: Alternative Rock Label: Rise
British Lion: British Lion
Genre: Heavy Metal/Iron Maiden-core Label: Gala Records/EMI
Cold War Kids: New Age Norms 3
Genre: Pop Rock Label: AWAL Recordings
Cognizance: Upheaval
Genre: Technical Death Metal Label: Prosthetic Records
Dream Ocean: The Missing Stone
Genre: Symphonic Metal Label: Independent
LLNN: Unmaker
Genre: Hardcore/Sci-fi/Sludge Label: Pelagic Records
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 17th, 2021. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: September 17, 2021 –
Alien Weaponry: Tangaroa
Genre: Progressive Metal Label: Napalm Records
Brainstorm: Wall Of Skulls
Genre: Heavy metal Label: AFM
Candlebox: Wolves
Genre: Alt Rock / Grunge Label: Pavement Entertainment
Carcass: Torn Arteries
Genre: Death Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
Charlotte Wessels: Tales From Six Feet Under
Genre: Gothic Rock / Pop Rock Label: Napalm Records
Criminal: Sacrificio
Genre: Thrash Metal Label: Metal Blade
Daughtry: Dear Beloved
Genre: Alt Rock Label: Daughtry
Dead Sara: Ain’t It Tragic
Genre: Alt Rock Label: Warner
Dream Theater: Master Of Puppets – Live In Barcelona, 2002 [Live]
Genre: Progressive Metal Label: InsideOut Music
Edge Of Paradise: The Unknown
Genre: Hard Rock / Progressive Metal Label: Frontiers Records
