Locrian
Return To Annihilation
Relapse (2013)
Holy mother of god I was clearly not ready for Return To Annihilation from Locrian, and I guarantee that “Eternal Return” will do the same to you; now, my reaction has more to do with the shockingly uplifting sound and mood that the song seems destined to pop on people as they press play for the first time than the … Read more
Looking for an Answer
Eterno Treblinka
Relapse (2011)
Spain's Looking For An Answer have been around long enough that to play grind is generally to be compared to those who have come before you and possibly just be forgotten by all but the people who are devout listeners. What tends to set the band apart is a defined addition of more tempo changes and death metal related parts. … Read more
Lycus
Chasms
Relapse (2016)
Extreme doom/death is not an easy sound to get right. Despite the fact that most bands in the genre will just play slow and release heavy riffs, that is not enough to get someone's attention. There must something deeper in the band's sound in order to give you that feeling of desolation and despair. Lycus is a band that knows … Read more
Magrudergrind
II
Relapse (2016)
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
Mastodon
Call of the Mastodon
Relapse (2006)
The first time that I saw Mastodon was at Hellfest 2001, the same year of Earth Crisis' last show. Some friends of mine told me that this would be one of my favorite bands after I saw them. So, I eagerly anticipated their appearance like nothing else. Their set was intense and completely blew me away. They were so intense … Read more
Minsk
The Crash & The Draw
Relapse (2015)
I was quite surprised when I heard that Minsk were going to release a follow-up full-length to their previous album, With Echoes In The Movement of Stone. Following that album, the band participated in the Hawkwind Triad split alongside US Christmas and Harvestman, before going silent for the next six years. They even officially disbanded in 2011, leaving quite a … Read more
Miracle
The Strife of Love in a Dream
Relapse (2018)
Shake off the trenchant hold Depeche Mode has on dark sounding synth pop and Miracle opens up like a blooming flower. Sure David Gahan delivers more punch in his voice, and sure there’s a lack of Martin Gore's vibrato chilled melodies— aside from genre conventions monolithically constructed by Depeche Mode, Miracle is a more serious, mystical and cinematic variation of … Read more
Myrkur
Mareridt
Relapse (2017)
Before dwelling into the extreme metal scene, Amalie Bruun was known from a few indie releases, which merged an alternative pop style with elements of traditional folk music. A self-defined black metal girl at heart, Bruun started moving away from her mellow side, and begun transforming into Myrkur, her black metal alter ego. Her project caused a turmoil in the … Read more
Myrkur
Mausoleum
Relapse (2016)
The project of Amalie Bruun has stirred quite drastically the black metal scene, since the release of her debut, self-titled, EP in 2014. M, the first full-length of the project, came in 2015 and it displayed in glorious fashion the extent of Bruun's vision. Comparisons with early days Ulver are to be expected, with Myrkur's style fashioned around the more … Read more
Nothing
Guilty Of Everything
Relapse (2014)
it would be perfectly simple to couple Nothing into the wave of modern shoegaze and close the book. They carry certain trademarks that point towards them owing their guitar sound and then some to Slowdive. This would show an immense degree of short sightedness. While it is clear what band their pedal board choices could be attributed to Nothing have … Read more
Nothing
The Great Dismal
Relapse (2020)
It’s strange, how the metal scene embraces certain genres as one of its own, enabling said genre to become “metal adjacent” and enjoy a somewhat wider audience in the long-term. Genres such as synthwave, shoegaze or dreampop, post-punk – all have a solid following from fans of much more extreme music and there’s surely an interesting study within that somewhere, … Read more
Nothing
Tired Of Tomorrow
Relapse (2016)
A relatively new band, started releasing music around 2010, Nothing display a strong grasp to alternative rock. Their debut album, Guilty of Everything, conjured and presented in great fashion elements such as shoegaze haze and alt-rock grooves, introducing the musical endeavors of the band, but it felt that there was still some way to go for Nothing to achieve their … Read more
Pig Destroyer
Book Burner
Relapse (2012)
The news that Pig Destroyer were to release a new record this year was met with much celebration, a lot of shouting and a resounding “fuck, yes, it’s about bloody time!” chorus from their devoted fans. Pig Destroyer have been extremely quiet since the release of their last full length, Phantom Limb, in 2007 and along with the EP Natasha … Read more
Pig Destroyer
Phantom Limb
Relapse (2007)
I unabashedly love Pig Destroyer. And while they are out of vogue with the kvlt grindsters, I think they are infinitely more interesting than the million other death/grind bands with illegible logos. 2004's Terrifyer is one of the few albums I would consider a modern classic, naysayers be damned. So when I heard they added a fourth (non-bass playing) member, … Read more
Primitive Man
Home Is Where The Hatred Is
Relapse (2015)
When listening to the debut album of Primitive Man, Scorn, back in 2013, one thing became perfectly clear about them: they are fucking serious about their music. The blackened sludge band from Denver does not exhibit the signs of their friendlier counterparts within the subgenre. Their dystopic vision back in their independent first release was overwhelming and all-consuming, and it … Read more
Primitive Man
Immersion
Relapse (2020)
Writing about music is a bit like being an anthropologist. The kind who immerses themselves in a culture to better understand it. Not the kind who comes up with whacked-out theories while staring blankly at the wall of the faculty lounge (or I guess now, their kitchen cupboards between Zoom classes). To really do a piece of art justice, you … Read more
Red Fang
Whales And Leeches
Relapse (2013)
There's an untold amount of new bands just waiting to be discovered. Some will be discovered and just as quickly forgotten. Some will be discovered, appreciated for a brief time and then forgotten. The very lucky few will be discovered, loved and will continue to be loved by a few, who will spread the word to a few and, higher … Read more
Royal Thunder
CVI
Relapse (2012)
Like many albums, I picked up Royal Thunder's CVI because I heard someone somewhere describe it as progressive metal. Like many of those albums, it turned out to have little to do with the genre. Unlike the majority of those albums, however, I wound up being impressed by this one anyway, and here's why:Royal Thunder may just be the last … Read more
