Line-up changes are a scary thought. When it was first announced that vocalist Charlie Fell and guitarist Ken Sorceron were leaving Lord Mantis, it indeed felt like a devastating blow for the band. And the timing was just so depressing, just a little while after the band had released its most complete work in Death Mask? However, Lord Mantis seamlessly bounced back from that in a rapid manner. Guitarist Scott A. Shellhamer (American Heritage) joined the band, as did bassist Will Lindsay and vocalist Dylan O'Tool, both members of the recently dissolved noise/sludge act Indian. Existing members Andrew Markuszewksi (Avichi) and Bill Bumgardner (also ex-member of Indian) could not have added more relevant musicians to the new line-up of Lord Mantis.So, what does all this mean for Lord Mantis? Has their style significantly shifted with the addition of new members? The answer is not really. NTW feels like the natural successor to the excellent Death Mask and sees the band re-introducing familiar elements. The blackened approach might appear as the biggest change in NTW, with the band more open to dwelling even further into their black metal side. The sinister lead work present in the genre finds its way through … Read more
The Falcon are a curious band: a collection of rogue Chicagoans (now with Dave Hause as well), lead vocalist Brendan … Read more
Since 2001 Tim Hecker has been exploring the more adventurous sides of electronic music. The experimental scope of the artist … Read more
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The Rise Of The Synths is not an album but it has everything to do with music... synthwave to be exact. This documentary is directed by Iván Castell, a Spanish film maker with a passion for the genre. This film was funded by a crowd funder campaign in 2016, it took 2 years to complete hitting the film festivals on and around the beginning of Covid, so 2019/2020. They visited over 8 countries to interview the bands and artists involved. Not only that but it has a really cool 80s inspired wraparound story that brings it all together rather than it being just a series of interviews and to top it all off it is narrated by John Carpenter, himself a legend in synthwave. The Rise Of The Synths is … Read more
Endless Mike and the Beagle Club are from Johnstown, PA (about an hour outside of my second home, Pittsburgh), and their album St. Paul (produced by Anti-Flag's Chris Baker, adding some Pittsburgh history) embodies the DIY PA punk aesthetic that I’ve come to love over the years. Around since 2003, the band is more or less lead-singer Mike Miller’s solo … Read more
Even after a decade, Ignite still managed to put out a record that was the logical step forward from Our Darkest Days. While it's not a "reunion" album, it certainly feels like it. Up until the last couple years, Ignite have pretty much been on and off when it came to performing. Front-man, Zoli Teglas, went on to join Pennywise … Read more
When King Diamond's album The Spider's Lullabye, his sixth, was first released in 1995, it was a unique entry in the catalog as it was the first of Diamond's albums since his Fatal Portrait debut that was not a full concept album. It also marked the debut of a whole new band, with the exception of guitarist Andy La Roque, … Read more
Full of Hell remain successful in orbiting the broad domain of hardcore punk without becoming victims of convention or straying from ethic. With the release of Amber Mote in the Black Vault via John Hoffman’s (Weekend Nachos) Bad Teeth Recordings, “stagnation” simply does not appear to be a part of the Maryland/Pennsylvania outfit’s vocabulary. The group grows more and more … Read more
During the early to mid '00s, Graves at Sea had acquired a legendary stature. Their first demo, Documents of Grief, revealed a band that had an exceptional handle on sludge, retaining the weight and extremity of the genre, combined with a sickening perspective. A single, Cirrhosis/Atavist Arise, was released the following year through Southern Lord, and the most revered release … Read more
John Erik Kaada and Mike Patton. Two great tastes that taste great together. It's been twelve long years since the pair released Romances - a sometimes lush sometimes harsh always beautiful collection of soundscapes.Bacteria Cult is the sum total of two artists that have grown into their own and are completely at ease with what they each can bring to … Read more
Since their inception back in 2007, Tombs have been in a phase of constant turmoil. Band members have been changed multiple times, with mainman Mike Hill the only original member still in the band. A similar sort of change has been undergoing along the works of the band, with their style. Starting out as a post-black metal act with the … Read more
Spanning the country’s geography north and south, this split from Fargo, ND’s Crab Legs and Fort Worth, TX’s Not Half Bad is a snippet of the varied sounds of the current DIY pop-punk scene and everything that unifies yet separates bands within it. Crab Legs play a coarse shout it out style that’s gruff yet melodic while partners in vinyl … Read more
The list of people that Mike Patton has collaborated with over the years is as long as it is diverse. Not so diverse however, that any of the co-conspirators were a surprise, be they Dan the Automator, Melt Banana, Rahzel or untold others.So when the Nevermen album was announced, featuring Patton, Anticon founder Adam ‘Deosone’ Drucker and Tunde Adebimpe from … Read more
Fucking finally. It’s been six long years since we’ve heard from the Brooklyn via D.C. grind-brigade. This month marks the release of II, the only Magrudergrind record since 2010’s Crusher EP and a welcome relief to those only moderately pacified by Avi Kulawy’s (vocals) doom project, Ruine. II presents some major changes from Magrudergrind without exhibiting a substantial departure from … Read more
When it comes to mystical vibes, few can challenge the music of Wolvserpent. The duo consisting of Blake Green and Brittany McConnell in the past six years has been putting out a series excellent works. From their debut, Blood Seed, their drone/doom vision started coming into view, a concept that felt finalized with the release of their latest album, Perigaea … Read more
Radon has never really done a lot for me. The melodies are nice but it really never strikes a chord one way or the other. In “Headaches and Bullshit,” it’s 2:29 of their traditional sound, melodic and emotional, delivered via Dave Rohm’s Greg Attonito-styled (Bouncing Souls) vocals over melodic hardcore with an emphasis on the melodic. It does feature a … Read more
Värähtelijä marks Oranssi Pazuzu’s fourth foray into the outer reaches and the Finnish band pull no punches in creating a record that melds tripped out cosmic rhythms with the distinct aesthetics of modern black metal. Oranssi Pazuzu aren’t your typical Finnish black metal band and with their music they set out to push the boundaries of what the genre should … Read more
St. Louis indie pop band Bunnygrunt will probably always be stuck with the 90s cuddlecore label, as much as they may hate it. The lovable duo Matt Harnish (guitars/vocals) and Karen Ried (drums/vocals) specialize in fun, disposable - and dare I say cute - punk rock, Bunnygrunt reliably delivers the ephemeral sound of what their label Happy Happy Birthday to … Read more
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