Uzumaki
User

Soundoffs 24
Album Ratings 5177
Objectivity 74%

Last Active 08-19-22 8:00 pm
Joined 11-13-18

Review Comments 4,467

 Lists
01.18.24 It Came From The Bowels of Bandcamp…08.30.22 Death's Final Revenge
02.14.22 -Core List 18: I'm Tired, Boss...02.05.22 2022 Death Metal Compendium
02.05.22 -Core List 17: This'll Be The Death Of 01.31.22 -Core List 16: Once More, With Feeling
01.20.22 A Coda (Postponed)01.19.22 Core Homework #14: I Think I May Have A
01.17.22 Insert Witty Title Here. Core Explorati01.15.22 The Number 12 Sounds Kinda Like This...
01.12.22 ... They Pull You Back Into Their Core.01.10.22 Eleventh We're Reaching Saturation...
01.02.22 2021 Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret of th 12.28.21 Just When You Thought You Were Safe...
11.15.21 3 Years On Here…05.02.21 Son of Death: Back From the Dead and Hu
12.29.20 Uzu’s Tops of 2020 12.25.20 Uzu’s Honorable Mentions of 2020
More »

My hardcore/post-hardcore/metalcore homework, pt.3

Well, here we are. Part three. For this portion, I tried gleaning as much selections as I could from outside sources to balance out all the recs you guys have graciously given me, and I hope some of these may (pleasantly) surprise you. I know I'm looking forward to listening to them all. Let's hit it!
1Reprisal
Where Heavy Gloom Dominate


Fucking heavy. Damn...
This album was a metallic hardcore masterclass in atmosphere, groove and flow. Keeping one hand on technicality and instrumental prowess while the other hand slowly strangles you with lyrical aggression, this was a fucking blast from start to finish. Fuck yes do it again.

4.1/5
2Unsane
Visqueen


Oh, this was gorgeous. This was tight. This was everything I didn't know I wanted in a -core album but absolutely needed. Sludgier than truck stop coffee and just as nasty, this packed a wallop from start to finish and was absolutely fantastic. With enough time with it, and if it still maintains a favorable reaction with me, I might just bump this to a 5.

4.7/5
3Unbroken
Life. Love. Regret.


This was good. It reminded me a bit of Black Flag from the previous list, where both bands/albums weren’t entirely concerned about going for speed and aggression all the time, and instead slowed things down and injected atmosphere into the proceedings, thereby elevating the overall experience much more than if they went a more normalized route. All in all, I liked this.

3.7/5
4Turmoil
The Process Of


This was a bop and a half to listen to. Mixing a good amount of aggression with a nice sense of heaviness in the instrumentality, approach and presentation, the end result is roughly half an hour of controlled venom that is pure ear candy. I didn’t even get halfway through this before I was ready to throw down with some elbows and kicks.

3.8/5
5Integrity
Those Who Fear Tomorrow


This was very interesting to hear from Integrity. Granted, it’s been a bit since the last time I heard them, specifically their release “To Die For”, but I don’t quite remember their sound being this close to metallic hardcore, complete with thrashy riffs and solos. I’m not complaining though - this was a fantastic album, and I’ll definitely have to go back and re-listen to their albums and chart the progression in their sound.


4.2/5
6The Acacia Strain
3750


As a follow-up to ALIVL, this was on par with everything that was laid down in the album previous. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and The Acacia Strain double down on all the positives they accumulated from the first album and present everything a bit more succinctly here. A good sophomore effort here.

4/5
7Shadows Fall
The War Within


Not much to say here; this is as good as, if not better than TAoB, but maybe a little heavier and technical overall, but again, it felt somewhat basic to me and in the end, I liked it, but didn't really "like" it, you know? It's good, not great.

3.6/5
8With Dead Hands Rising
The Horror Grows Near


As the second album by this band on the list, this interestingly felt more organic and natural in its flow and personality than the previous entry; it also felt a bit more melodic than the other entry. I’m not saying one’s better than the other, but they’re both distinctive in their own respects. Everything still rips big time and still goes heavy tho; good album overall.


3.9/5
9Shadows Fall
The Art of Balance


Eh, honestly I wasn't feeling this one very much. Instrumentals were good, fast and technical at almost all points, the uncleans were decent and the vocalist sounded a LOT like James Hetfield, but at the end of the day it honestly sounded rather basic; it ticked all the boxes but nothing else. Meh.


3.3/5
10The Acacia Strain
...And Life Is Very Long


Okay, alright - so this was a chock-full grab bag of all kinds of nasty here, and I liked it. I appreciated the technical flourishes sprinkled throughout, the range and restraint in the vocals, and the overall flow and tone present. A good album overall.

4/5
11fortydaysrain
Temptation Of Our Own Demise


And we’re back to the bouncy good stuff here, so pull up a seat, turn the volume up and enjoy this fucking blast of an album. This just explodes out of the gate with such energy that you’ll have a shit-eating grin on your face within the first ten seconds, and it’s gonna stay plastered on your face until the end of the album 25 minutes later. Go ahead, reach for the repeat button; I encourage it. Enjoy!

4.5/5
12Symphony in Peril
The Whore's Trophy


A solid shot of metalcore right here. Nothing amazing, but nothing lackluster. If I had discovered this earlier in my discovery and progression through metalcore, this probably would’ve been tops for me, much like when I first discovered The Last Of Our Kind and their album “A Diamond In The Rough.”

3.7/5
13KEN mode
Success


Mixing elements of sludge and noise into post-hardcore certainly was an inspired and intriguing choice, but the end result felt somewhat blasé, almost like when your friend (if you have one, unlike me. :’( ) is showing you a video they say is hilarious, and you’re just sitting there, twiddling your thumbs and looking at him/her with that “what?” expression. The vocalist sounded like Jason Aalon Butler and Charlie Day had a baby, and this was meh. Didn’t care for it.

2.4/5
14Strife
In This Defiance


You know, I’m just not really feeling this one. Mixing -core music with moody, atmospheric bits works well WHEN done well, ala Damaged, but here the atmospheric parts really clashed with the music and threw the tone and flow off for me; it would’ve been minimized and forgiven in my eyes, but that outro didn’t need to be there. At. All. Negatives aside, the instrumentality and vocals were decent, but nothing stood out too much for me to sit up and take notice.

3.3/5
15Shai Hulud
Hearts Once Nourished With Hope...


Maybe it’s because I’ve really fucking liked the albums I’ve heard from them that this is the first time I’ve kinda felt a teensy it let down. Like, this was really good and all, but not quite up to the levels that their previous entries have left me. Not quite an “instant classic”, but definitely a grower. I’m looking forward to the time I come back to this.


3.7/5
16Spitfire
Self-Help


Damn, this was better than their first album I listened to all the way back on list #1. Loved the spastic, almost math-y nature of the instrumentals, the bounce and flow of it all, and the vocals sat much better with me this time around. Good stuff and a real fun time with this.

4/5
17Nodes of Ranvier
Nodes of Ranvier


Damn, NoR really took positive momentum from their first album and really put out a scorcher of a follow up. Everything that was good before is even better here, with the maturity of the band between albums really paying off for them in spades. The track “Oh Yeah, Well My Daddy Died With A Needle In His Arm” is a fucking crusher. I highly recommend this album if you haven’t heard it yet.

4.3/5
18God Forbid
Reject the Sickness


This I liked. This sat well in my sweet spot of good vocals and good instrumentality on all levels. I really enjoyed the flow of this album and how it was the perfect length for the style God Forbid plays in.

3.5/5
19Prayer for Cleansing
Rain In Endless Fall


Overall this wasn’t a bad release from Prayer For Cleansing, but I really didn’t/don’t have a strong opinion on this one, you know? Vox were decent, guitars were decent and I really liked the death metal influence in the drumming, but this ended and I couldn’t put into words any strong feelings, whether they would be construed as positive or negative. I’ll have to come back to this in a little while and with a more open mindset to see if it was just me being stupid.

3.2/5
20Most Precious Blood
Our Lady of Annihilation


Not a bad slice of metalcore here; little bit on the short side of the stick though, runtime-wise. Everything sat well for me and flowed well, with some moments of hardcore bubbling up through the songs. Might have to check an album or two of theirs after the lists are done, but I’m in no rush.

3.5/5
21My Bitter End
The Renovation


This is actually some good deathcore here, combining nonstop riffing, breakdowns and technical flair with aplomb, this was a fun album from start to finish. The uncleans weren’t jarring for me, and the nice garnishes of cleans throughout was a nice touch.

4/5
22Nodes of Ranvier
Lost Senses, More Innocence


This was a really good debut of an album, marrying aggression with a nice sense of bounce and flow to the whole thing. The instrumentals and vocals complemented one another well, and all in all this was a fun album to listen to. I’m quite incredulous that this only has 4 votes on it, myself included.

3.9/5
23Job for a Cowboy
Doom


OK, this was fun for all of five minutes, and then I got really bored with the almost incessant pig squeals. From a technical standpoint this was pretty good, showcasing a sense of dynamics, but the vocals just... got... boooooooooooriiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg. Meh, and I don’t think I could sit through a full album of theirs.

3/5
24On Broken Wings
It's All A Long Goodbye


must be something about me, bands and second impressions; first Spitfire and now On Broken Wings are making positive impressions on me with their second efforts in my lists. Much like Spitfire, this iteration of OBW sat much better with me overall, with the vox and instrumentals doing their best here and striking all the right notes. Only quibble though are the cleans on “More Than Life”; they were completely counterproductive to be considered a counterpoint, and it sounded just like if Rivers Cuomo did vocals for a metal band, with the same hilarious results as found here. Just no. Stop. Lol.

4/5
25It Dies Today
The Caitiff Choir


Solid, if slightly unremarkable metalcore here. Maybe I’m listening to too much metalcore in one sitting, but this kinda ran together for me, with the songs sounding fairly similar to one another. I reiterate, now that my opinion is solidified, that IDT sounds like a B-version of BFMV in how the musical styles are similar and how the ratio of uncleans to cleans are rather equal. A rainy-day type of album here.

3.7/5
26Invocation of Nehek
Invocation of Nehek


This was fucking fantastic. Mixing the (obvious) aggression of metalcore with some really good riffing/technicality on the guitars and surprisingly a healthy death metal influence in the drums, Invocation Of Nehek crafted a fantastic debut album here. It’s sad though that this is their only release, as I would've loved to hear where they would’ve gone next, stylistically.

4.4/5
27It Dies Today
Forever Scorned (Re-Recorded/Re-Brutalized)


Not a bad little EP, but nothing truly jumped out and grabbed my attention, you know? It was funny, but there were times in here where it low key reminded me of “The Poison”-era BFMV; not a bad equation, but style-wise it felt similar.

3.4/5
28All Out War
For Those Who Were Crucified


Yoooooooo, so this was a fucking good album; definitely falling under the banner of metallic hardcore, these guys fucking brought their A-game with a vengeance. Thrashy guitars, excellent percussion and killer vocals all made this stand out and made me take notice right away. Fuck yeah.

4.2/5
29Evergreen Terrace
Burned Alive By Time


Y’know, I’ve never been a fan of the moments when I’m sick, and just that simple fact that I’m sick puts me in a shitty mood. I’m still happy/grateful/whatever you need/expect from me, but there’s an underlying current of “fuck off” running through all that, and I’ve found that by listening to angry/aggressive music helps take my edge off every time. Enter today and this album; I finished it and thought, “I needed that.” This was another “meat-and-potatoes” type of entry to this list, but good gravy did it hit all the right notes. Vox, instrumentals - you name it, ET ticked all those boxes for me, and I enjoyed this quite a bit.


3.8/5
30With Dead Hands Rising
Behind Inquisition


Solid. Consistent. Unrelenting. All these can be used to help describe and visualize the aural assault WDHR unleash upon your eardrums as you listen to their album “Behind Inquisition”, and they complete their efforts quite well. The atmosphere of the opener “The Hell Of the Upside-Down Sinner” left me absolutely unnerved and yet eager to hear what came next, and in that regard WDHR certainly didn’t disappoint. I’ll be looking forward to their other efforts on my lists, if this is a good indicator of what’s to come.

3.7/5
31Animosity
Shut It Down


Well, this was a heavy little slab of deathcore right here; displaying an appreciative flair for technicality whilst simultaneously aggressive, this entry by Animosity was a fun little half hour. Really got no qualms with this at all.

3.8/5
32Animosity
Empires


Taking the momentum they achieved on their previous effort and ratcheting everything up to 10, this entry by Animosity is even better than its predecessor. A little extra range in the vocals and a little more display of technical proficiency never hurt anyone, and it helps very much in here.

4/5
33Animosity
Animal


Hot damn, Animosity outdid themselves with this release. Because their previous took things and dialed it up to 10, the only logical way for Animosity here to go is up even further, right? We’re talking 11, folks. Showing growth and confidence in every aspect, Animosity show off even more range and technique in here, providing their best effort so far. Love it.

4.1/5
34Dyingrace
Only The Determined Path Remains


Yooooo, I can fucking get down with this. Boasting some sludgy guitar sections, punchy drums and some excellent vocal work, Dyingrace make a fucking statement with their album here and laughs at anyone who dares try to top this. Now it may not come as a surprise to anyone who’s known me long enough, but I’m a fan of Japanese rock and metal, even though I can’t understand the language; with that in mind, I can’t stress enough that I went into this 100% objectively, with no bias or leniency whatsoever, and this met my expectations and then some. Definitely recommend listening to this album if you get the chance to!

4.4/5
35All That Remains
The Fall of Ideals


All right, the All That Remains that I remembered listening to sounded a mere shadow of what this iteration is. That was pure hard rock/metal; this is metalcore flecked with a healthy dollop of death metal, whether that’s through the fast paced guitars, the aggressive drum work or the range of the vocals. This was really fun to listen to though I am completely content to categorize it as “just good”. Nothing stood out as “rock your socks off” material, but again, this was fun, and we all need that kind of material from time to time, right?

3.9/5
36Adamantium
From the Depths of Depression


This was a solid slab of meat-and-potatoes metallic hardcore here; combining a no-frills, all business sense of instrumentality with an excellent vocal performance that sat well tonally within it all(and my ears/sensibilities), you can’t really fuck with this album at the end of the day.

3.7/5
37A Lot Like Birds
Conversation Piece


You know, it’s always fun when a band brings an element of snark to the proceedings, whether that’s through lyrics and wordplay or through witty song titles, and A Lot Like Birds seems to revel in both. A bit different than the first ALLB album I listened to on this list, but the infectious sense of fun present in that one is here as well, providing for a fun time overall. I’m looking forward to the next album of theirs here.

4.3/5
38A Life Once Lost
A Great Artist


Well, this was interesting.... At first blush this is a textbook definition of a one-trick pony, with the vocals rarely showing any variance at all and the instrumentality playing variations of one idea, but it's because of these variations that everything felt fresh despite it all, especially with the percussion playing an off-kilter beat, and what the vocals lacked in variance it more than made up for itself in sheer dynamism. This was equal parts interesting and equal parts frustrating because of everything noted. Huh.

3.9/5
39Unearth
The Oncoming Storm


This was fun; I can’t remember off the top of my head the last time I listened to an album off of these lists that reminded me of the metalcore I listened to waaaaay back when I was first getting into the genre, and this was the one that did it. This was fast, loud and aggressive, just the way metalcore should be for every growing boy and girl. Good times, good times....

4/5
40Reflux
The Illusion Of Democracy


Not gonna lie, the main reason I put this on the list is because Tosin Abasi used to be the guitarist in the band, and I greatly admire his work in AAL. Here, you can hear pieces of what Abasi would gravitate towards in his fretwork, and especially in the instrumental interludes, but other than that, this is pretty much by the book technical leaning metalcore. It's still good though, and it'd be fun to throw on from time to time.

3.7/5
41Hopesfall
No Wings To Speak Of


And the latest entry into this list for Hopesfall sees them sustain the level of proficiency and accomplishment their previous two entries here had set; as an EP, this worked tremendously well, all while providing an engaging experience whilst listening. My only wish is that this wasn’t an EP, and that they added more to their sound here.

4/5
42Earth Crisis
Destroy the Machines


Another list, another Earth Crisis entry, and this one was a doozy. Whereas before, the Earth Crisis I listened to was several tracks long, this full length album from them sees Earth Crisis expanding their scope and sound without forsaking their ire and crushing heaviness in sound. Fuuuuuck but this was fun to listen to. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go smack some skulls together while re-listening to this.

4.2/5
43100 Demons
100 Demons


Proto-brocore? Big time meh from me. Nothing to see here, people; move along, move along...

2.8/5
447 Angels 7 Plagues
Until The Day Breathes...


Aaaaaaand we're back to some good stuff. Seeing that this was released before their fantastic debut, "Jhazmyne's Lullaby", "Until The Day Breathes" is an excellent stepping stone with which 7A7P used to propel themselves to bigger and better. Everything that I liked from their debut is present here as well, and I enjoyed this almost as much as their debut. Fucking good.

4.2/5
45A Life Once Lost
Open Your Mouth for the Speechless...


Alrighty then, I liked this better than “A Great Artist”. This was more dynamic, the vocals sat better than before, and the changeups were delicious to hear. It’s amazing to note that this entertains a lower rating than their follow up, as this is better than that. Maybe it’s just me...

4.2/5
46Modern Life Is War
Witness


I'm running out of positive adjectives I can use for fucking good "emo" post-hardcore like this. Let's add to the long list, shall we? This is another really good album, and I'm glad I got to listen to it; the vocals were very emotive and insistent, and the instrumentals were a good complement to them. Fuck yes.

4/5
47Vales
Wilt And Rise


Another day begins, and another melodic (not emo; see what I did there?) hardcore album fall prey to me. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but this entry really didn't interest me all too much. If anything, it was probably because of the high vocals, which I think it's been well established by this point in time that my opinions of are EXTREMELY mutable; it's gotta hit me in the right way, and here it really didn't. Other than that, everything else was fine, and I liked the instrumentality.

3.6/5
48Today Is the Day
Willpower


This was interesting, I’m not gonna lie, but it feels like they had too many ideas swirling around and couldn’t decide which idea to commit to; there’s a lot of promise being held in this angular, technical album, but it felt like there’s no capitalization. I’m not gonna give up on this one, but right now it’s earned a question mark instead of an exclamation point.

3.4/5
49La Dispute
Wildlife


Damn, talk about heavy. I think this album has been the most "emo" of the melodic hardcore abums I've listened to thus far, with a lot of the vocal cadence and delivery almost bordering on spoken-word. This album told a fucking story, and I haven't heard anything like this in years. high school nostalgia kicking in in 3, 2, 1....

4.2/5
50Far
Water & Solutions


Well, this wasn’t bad at all. Having TCWSTY as a backdrop with which to view Far’s next effort, I was a bit more appreciative of the entire display as a whole instead of questioning the “why’s?” of it all. Far still doesn’t QUIIIIITE fit the theme and tone of these lists, but a band with Far’s pedigree is always a welcome change up between albums.

4.2/5
51Eighteen Visions
Until the Ink Runs Out


Well, damn. Sounding every bit as vitriolic and progressively styled/paced as their album “Vanity”, I come back to 18V and discover another winner of an album. I loved how this was paced and how nothing felt rushed, with a major tip of the hat to the time changes and percussive changes throughout. This was as good as, if not better than their “Vanity”. Damn good stuff on display here.

4.4/5
52Rival Schools
United By Fate


Wow, this was better than I ever could have expected it to be. This is another post-hardcore band that has an “alternative rock” vibe to it, but this is closer to something like Far or Quicksand than Fightstar, and therefore this was a fun album to listen to. It’s funny (to me at least) but as soon as I heard the first song it was like “yup, this IS from the ‘90’s”, as it’s got that sound, that style, that quality and that intangible “it” factor so many other classic ‘90’s albums had to them, and yes, I do realize this was released in 2001. This would honestly go good with some “Siamese Dream” or “Melon Collie...”-era Smashing Pumpkins right after this. Fun album.

4.3/5
53Grade
Under the Radar


These guys really put the "punk" in pop punk, don't they? Nah, it's just the other way around. They're a punk band with very strong pop tendencies scattered throughout this entire album. Honestly, this can be considered as a perfect "late summer" type of album, where you don't want good times with your friends to end and you're holding on to every moment of free time that you can. Not bad, boyos. Not bad at all...

3.7/5
54Defeater
Travels


Huh. Yesterday was "punk" in vibes, and today we seem to be going the "emo" route. No complaints though, these past two days and four albums were a nice and needed change of musical pace. This entry fell into that category of albums occupied by bands like Thursday and Touche Amore, where there's a "heart-on-sleeve" mentality and earnestness to the vocals that make it appealing and enjoyable, and the instrumentals were just as good as on the other album I listened to by Defeater. Nice.

3.7/5
55The End (CAN)
Transfer Trachea Reverberations from Point: False Omniscient


FUCK YES. If done well and everything clicks for me I will gobble up good mathcore like this or DEP like it was pizza at an all-you-can-eat buffet. This shit is fucking fantastic, and I’m going to look forward to every single time I come back to re-listen to this. Slightest quibble ever, but there were several moments where the bass featured prominently, almost as if in solo, and it sounded slightly off and atonal, which pulled me out of the moment.

4.8/5
56The Tidal Sleep
Be Water


Terribly fun post-hardcore that manages to mix in some emo and shoegaze-y elements, Tidal Sleep’s “Be Water” was an excellent album. From the start, this album layered itself in atmospherics through its musical choices and presented a cohesive and gripping whole as its end result. I really, really liked this album, and I will come back to it again in the near future.

4.1/5
57Departures
Teenage Haze


This was good, being lighter in tone as opposed to Defeater, but still falling comfortably within the same genre/niche as them. Like Defeater, this boasted some honesty and earnestness in the vocals and the instrumentals were well done, and all in all I liked this entry. Like I said before, this was a nice change of musical pace.

3.8/5
58Goodtime Boys
Rain


Once again, this is another good "late summer"-type of album; this fits in well with the same type of emo-laced post hardcore, ala Casey, but unlike Casey, the Goodtime Boys here rely a teensy bit too much on the uncleans, therefore skimping a bit on the emotive catharsis these albums want to achieve. Still, not a bad album all in all.

3.7/5
59Bird of Ill Omen
Self, Dare You Still Breathe?


Fuck yes, I love how low and raw this sounds. I love how pissed off and angry this is; it's positively almost feral. The ferocity in this entire performance is unreal. Fuck me (not literally, please), but it's been a while since I heard something this angry and good. Hot fucking damn.

4.5/5
60More Than Life
Love Let Me Go


Dammit, I'm liking all these "emo" post-hardcore recs you guys have been giving me, with this one being the latest in a fairly lengthy, and in my opinion, prestigious, line. Even if I don't quite identify with the lyrics, the way that they're being presented, along with the honesty and raw emotion behind it, make me feel along with the band. Anyway... besides the vocals being well done, I also enjoyed the instrumentality of it all and how it only added to the entire experience. Good stuff, people.

4.3/5
61Kiss It Goodbye
She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not


Fuck, why did I wait so long to listen to this? This is a fantastically constructed, intelligent and lyrically heavy album, and I loved it from start to finish. For some reason, the vocalist’s cleans and spoken word sections reminded me, audibly at least, of Corey Taylor, as they both sound similar in tone and timbre; the uncleans were tastefully placed and executed for maximum devastation, and the instrumentality on display was phenomenal. You guys outdid yourselves with this one.

5/5
62Funeral for a Friend
Chapter and Verse


I kind of had hope for this one, hoping that this mini binge of Funeral For a Friend would end on a high note and this album would reach the level of enjoyment I had for their WHA. Alas, I was sliiiiiightly disappointed, as this didn't reach those heights, and felt like it settled comfortably amidst the other vanilla outings FFaF had. If anything, the ragged earnestness the vocals had to them really didn't complement the instrumentals this time around. *sigh*, oh well...

3.6/5
63Fightstar
One Day Son This Will All Be Yours


Wow, this was straight up alternative rock right here, feeling quite at home next to, say, Creed and Puddle Of Mudd. This wasn't terrible, though; the vocals were good and the instrumentation was solid, but the uncleans, few and as far inbetween as they were, really didn't need to be in there at all if you ask me. Also, the opening to "Floods" sounded eerily similar to "BH&R"-era Muse. This was perfectly average; no more, no less.

3.3/5
64Disembodied
If God Only Knew The Rest Were Dead


Fuck yes, this was fantastic. That opener of "Heroin Fingers" is a fucking monster, and the rest of the EP doesn't let up at all. This was a fantastic little shot of venom, and helps elevate my opinion on Disembodied. I'll be looking forward to their "Heretic" LP on pt. 4.

4.4/5
65Driven
Cowardice Consumer Of The West


Daaaaaaaaaamn, this was fucking GOOD. Everything from the pop (not the genre) you could feel in the vocals and the instruments to the aggression throughout, this delivered on all fronts. Fuck yeah I liked this. Only sad part is this is the only release from them; would've loved to hear more from them.

4.2/5
66Congress
Angry With the Sun


I'm sorry, but this was.... bad. If one of the unclean vocalists was female, I can give several marks of leniency, but if the uncleans were all male, then it was terrible. The way the vocals sounded, it reminded me of those nameless, countless European neo-classical metal bands where the vocalist tries to ape the popular sound, and it just sounds bad. Also, were the drums made of a kid's bongo set? Damn, that hurt the ears. The only thing that was screwed more than those drums would've been a nun disguised as an altar boy. Sorry, bad pun. All in all, I don't see myself coming back to this album at all. Nope. Nuh-uh. Nadda. Nyet. No.

2.6/5
67Boysetsfire
After The Eulogy


Another day, another fun album. This had a really fun balance between the heavy and softer elements that went into everything, and the end result left me with a smile on my face. There's not much else I can say about it but that I'll be dipping into Boysetsfire's discography a more once these lists are done.

4.1/5
68Alexisonfire
Crisis


This fit in quite nicely next to Boysetsfire; similar in style and tone, this album flowed nicely from start to finish and was a pleasant addition overall. Like Boysetsfire, I'll have to work my way through this band's discography once all is said and done.

4/5
69A Lot Like Birds
No Place


This was a really good post-hardcore album; I wasn't expecting it to be this energetic and adventurous, and that greatly helped play a role in my overall enjoyment. I really like the spoken word interludes in the songs, as they provided a nice counterpoint amongst everything else, and helped sell the atmosphere the album was building.

4/5
70Scarlet
Cult Classic


Fuck, but this was good stuff. Combining a heavy metalcore sound with mathcore elements, this was awesome. The run from "O.D." to "Dead America" was a fucking blast; it's been a while since I heard something on a Dillinger Escape Plan level of unpredictablility. Nice.

4.2/5
71Funeral for a Friend
Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation


Y’know, I finished this album, sat back and thought to myself “man, this reminds me of senior year in high school.” You know that time, when you’d be driving around or in your room listening to the radio, and you could just spin the dial and you’d hear so many bands that sounded just like this being played not only on the lower end of the Top 40, but also getting regular rotation on the alternative rock stations. I guess what I’m trying to say is, that while this was solid and even though I’ve never listened to Funeral for a Friend before this brought back some nice memories, it felt generic to me and that’s all I can honestly say about it.

3.4/5
72Integrity
To Die For


All right, maybe it IS me, but this was the first Integrity release that I can fully get behind. Everything was really good, down to the production and instrumentation, and I actually kinda liked how gruff the vocals were this time around. A fun time, to be sure, and this release quite well could be, well, to die for...

4.5/5
73Bloodlet
The Seraphim Fall


What can I say that wasn’t already said before? Minus my deathcore misstep sentence, you could take everything I said about Entheogen and place it here, and I wouldn’t miss a beat. Sorry boys and girls, but I ain’t feeling this. I’ll give them one last chance to change my mind for the better, and I’ll place their last album on #5, but with how these past two went, I don’t know....

3.3/5
74Funeral for a Friend
Welcome Home Armageddon


OK, so this one is probably their best album out of this little run here. Sounding fully in command of their sound and style, Funeral For A Friend state their best case in terms of individual effort here, peppering the songs with an infectious energy and flair that intones that they’re beholden and influenced to no one. Good effort.

3.8/5
75Funeral for a Friend
Conduit


Just like an ocean wave that crests and then recedes after reaching shore, it felt like Funeral For A Friend rested on their hard earned laurels and receded a bit here, opting to craft a commercially “safe” album instead of building off of WHA and pushing the envelope creatively. Pity. Oh well, all’s not lost, and this was still an enjoyable album once all is said and done.

3.5/5
76Funeral for a Friend
Hours


Slowly but surely, they’re getting better here, sounding more confident and assured in their sound than sounding so vanilla on “Casually Dressed...”; still nothing to exactly write home about, but definitely a step up and a step forward in the right stylistic direction.

3.6/5
77Facedown
Beyond All Horizons


This was a nice little slab of hardcore here. good instrumentation, good vocals all around; the two softer tracks were a nice little break between the tracks. Not much else to say except that I liked it. Good stuff.

3.9/5
78Rolo Tomassi
Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It


Oooooh, bare those fangs, lady. The vocalist here has a nice changeup between cleans and uncleans, and I'm digging the hell out of it. The instrumentation here is quite well done as well, and I'm kinda kicking myself for not checking this out sooner. It certainly made a lot of people's "best of..." lists the year it came out, but I never made the time for it. Damn.

4.3/5
79Hopesfall
The Satellite Years


Aaaaand we're going two for two with Hopesfall here today. "The Satellite Years" see Hopesfall building and sustaining on all the positive momentum they had going for them coming out of the effort of their first album, and pretty much everything I said about their first album can heartily apply to this one as well. I liked this as much as their first album, and this was a good entry into this list.

4/5
80Hopesfall
The Frailty of Words


Hey, now I could get down with this right here. I've said it before, and it looks like I'll keep saying it again and again: blending melody and ferocity can be a fucking winner in my book, and here Hopesfall does it well. Everything had a nice flow to it, and the uncleans sat well with me, what with those consistent highs.

4.1/5
81Imminence
Turn The Light On


If you were disappointed a bit with Architects’ “Holy Hell” last year, or with Wage War/Issues/CTE’s latest efforts this year, then hopefully this album from Imminence can restore some hope in you for the current state of metalcore. Sure, you may deem the style derivative, but the way in which it’s presented, with such earnestness and feeling, will certainly leave a positive impression once you’re done with this. The cleans are excellent and emotive, the uncleans are really well done and placed well, and the instrumentals are spot on; biggest surprise here was hearing a violin weaving plaintive melodies around all the other instruments, setting certain songs above others in terms of strength and impact. Recommended.

4.1/5
82Comity
The Deus Ex-Machina As A Forgotten Genius (Andy Wa


You know, Comity is an interesting beast; I still don't quite understand their place within the -core firmament, or if I just picked the wrong album, but between this and their "Catharsis Syntax Project" EP, they are certainly a unique experience. Blending almost a post-hardcore mentality in the instrumentals with vocals that would certainly sound comfortable within a black metal album, Comity remain rather undefinable in their sound yet simultaneously entrancing. As a -core album, this is skewing towards the "ummm..." side of the spectrum, but as a metal album, this is definitely intriguing.


3.6/5
83Coke Bust
Lines In The Sand


Well, this was certainly a hard hitting little animal of an album. Maintaining an all around sense of anger while evoking the speed and abrasiveness of classic hardcore, Coke Bust certainly deliver on (almost) all fronts, most assuredly upon their instrumentals. Tiny qualm for me was the vocals sounded off in places; I can't quite put my finger on exactly why, but it was just enough to hold me back from really enjoying this. Still, this was a fun one.

3.9/5
84Black Breath
Sentenced To Life


I could just cry from happiness right about now. Still riding the high APMD gave me from earlier, I started playing this album, the opening riff hit me, and it was just.... perfect. Love it when this happens. Anyways... this was practically crossover material, with a lot of the instrumentals falling into the thrashy side of hardcore, and the vocals were perfect for the material. Love this.

4.6/5
85Trap Them
Darker Handcraft


Oh my goodness, just when I thought things couldn't possibly continue on such a high, Trap Them comes along and proves me wrong. Dead wrong, and I couldn't be happier. Starting off hard and heavy, Trap Them shifts into second gear and slows things down, making things sludgier and ending on a damn good note. Fantastic outing with this.

4.2/5
86All Pigs Must Die
Nothing Violates This Nature


Bruh. I was NOT expecting this to go as fast and as hard as this did; I practically did a double take, both physically and aurally, when I put this gem on. this definitely follows in the vein (pun intended) that Coke Bust started yesterday in terms of sonic quality, abrasiveness and aggression. This was fantastic and almost perfect; I was not expecting them to slow down in the middle of the album and it threw me off for a second. Minor quibble though, and shouldn't be taken as a major factor towards my rating.

4.7/5
87Dead in the Dirt
The Blind Hole


There never can be too much of a good thing, can there? Kickass EP here that just sonically destroys everything within hearing distance. It seems DitD has one goal in mind, and that is to absolutely ravage your eardrums while simultaneously enhancing your taste in the finer points of hardcore. Absolutely slays; I love it.

4.4/5
88Nora
Dreamers and Deadmen


Solid metalcore album here that checks all the right sonic boxes for me right here. Good instrumentals, good flow and solid vocal work left me satisfied with this, and I couldn't really ask for more.

3.5/5
89Coalesce
0:12 Revolution in Just Listening


Honestly, this is just as good as Coalesce's previous album, "Functioning On Impatience"; everything positive from there certainly applies here as well, as we find that Coalesce double down on their strengths in here and produce yet another solid stone cold stunner of an album. Love it.

4.6/5
90Coalesce
Functioning on Impatience


Boy, this just hits you like a fucking ton of bricks and leaves nothing standing in its wake. The opener "You Can't Kill Us All" was fucking incredible and I was so very pleased the rest of the album followed fucking suit. I seem to recall that some people said the vocals weren't for everyone, but I fucking enjoyed them; in a sense they reminded me of a very rougher version of Caleb Shomo's vocals, and I didn't mind them at all; I really liked the math-y edge that all the instrumentals had, and this was an absolute blast.


4.6/5
91Gaza
I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die


THE FUCKING DISSONANCE ON THIS THING!!!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!!!!
And we're back in Trap Them/Coke Bust/APMD abrasive hardcore territory, and this is fucking BAD. ASS. My fucking goodness, just fucking inject this into my veins, why don't you? I'm liking practically everything they're throwing at me, whether that's the fast-paced aggression, the tempo downshifting into atmospheric territory... you name it, this hits all the right fucking notes. Fuck yes!

4.8/5
92Starkweather
Crossbearer


For a debut LP, not bad; not bad at all. I swear though, the first half of this felt more like a grunge album than metallic hardcore/proto-metalcore, what with the slower pace and flow of the album; vocals were decent overall, and fit the tone and instrumentals quite well. Decent stuff, and I didn't mind this at all.

3.3/5
93Nora
Loser's Intuition


Hell yeah, this was better than D&D, and no, I don't mean Dungeons and Dragons. This was even more solid than their debut, and I liked the overall tone and aggression. Once again, good style, good flow, good vocals and good instrumentals all play a part in making this an enjoyable whole.

3.8/5
94 Die My Will
...And Stil We Destoy


This was a really good album, serving as a nice reaffirmation of my appreciation for 90's hardcore/proto-metalcore in these lists; the riffs were heavy, the vocals were pointed and sat well for my tastes, and there was a nice flow to it all, with the audio clips sprinkled throughout setting a nice atmospheric tone while providing a good segue between songs. Overall, I liked this.

3.7/5
95Axis
Show Your Greed


Save me; I'm running out of positive platitudes to express my thoughts here. Axis' "Show Your Greed" is an excellent little slab of motherfuckin' heavy. Even though it clocks in under half an hour, SYG more than manages to bring the fucking jams from start to finish, and I couldn't be fucking happier with the result. Another excellent outing here, and I loved it.

4/5
96Starkweather
Into the Wire


This was a step up from their debut, and a lot better overall in tone, flow and style. Still was a teensy bit slow in terms of pacing, and it didn't help a little to have two tracks on here that was on their debut, but that shouldn't be taken as a quibble against the overall product. Still, I think I liked this better than "Crossbearer". Looking forward now to "Croatoan" on the next list to hear where they go from here.

3.6/5
97Indecision
Unorthodox


Hell yes, bring on the motherfuckin' slams and jams here; this was an absolute banger and a half! From first track to last, Indecision don't let up on the intensity or flow here, throwing out haymaker after haymaker of tracks, one right after the other. I loved the hardcore bounce, flow and swagger this album brought to the table, and everything was downright near perfect for me. Loved it.

4.7/5
98Glass Cloud
Perfect War Forever


Take some metalcore, add a generous portion of djent stylistic hallmarks and juuuust a *pinch* of math, and you've got Glass Cloud. After working through all this hardcore, I really needed this changeup, and I enjoyed the heck out of it. Only thing I didn't quiiiiite care for was the lead singer's screamed vocals sounded a teensy bit try-hard. Not enough to make me *not* enjoy it, but it didn't have to sound a bit forced here and there.

3.8/5
99Incendiary
Cost of Living


Solid album, full of "meat and potatoes" style of hardcore. Nothing terribly innovative here, but on the other hand there's nothing particularly dull throughout. It was OK, but there really isn't much else to say about it.

3.4/5
100Dead To Fall
Everything I Touch Falls To Pieces


Niiiiiice, some well done metalcore/deathcore done here, using good amounts of speed and aggression to really accentuate the positives this album has going for it. I liked how the tone, flow and instrumentals worked to the album's advantage here, really setting a solid atmosphere and providing a solid counterpoint to how good the vocals were. This was a fun album to listen to.

4/5
101Crawlspace
Enter The Realm of Chaos


yeeeeeessssss, some good old H8000 deathcore right here. You can literally hear the hardcore and death metal distinctions here, and when you add it up into a whole this is fantastic. Good guitar tone, fantastic percussion and really fucking solid death metal-esque vocals really make this stand out; along with a really, really good flow, this album is fucking ace.

4.2/5
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