Up until this point, TesseracT wasn't a band I held much respect for. Though a competent release, their debut album One showcased all of the worst traits of the djent movement, doing little to move the genre beyond the "fad metal" title it had inherited. However, after the release of their sophomore album Altered State,TesseracT have bafflingly defied expectations and have crafted a release that truly demands respect.Far from the copy/paste approach to the genre found in One, every piece on Altered State does something to move djent past its current limits and show what can really be done with its established sound. As a whole, the album represents a much lighter approach to the genre, scarcely ever using the Meshuggah-esque chug and growl combination heavily prevalent in their contemporaries. Instead, the band builds off of the style they experimented with on Perspective. To that end, every piece uses the chugging as a backdrop to soaring, rhythmically disjoint leads, creating beautifully intricate constructions that both interweave and juxtapose lighter melodies with the heavier instrumentation.Continuing one of the things they did right on their debut album, TesseracT remains one of the few djent bands to take advantage of the expansive space … Read more
The Psyke Project have been terrorizing the metallic hardcore scene since the mid 00s. With their albums steadily increasing in … Read more
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a progressive rock band in possession of a good reputation must be in … Read more
The Italian boys of Forgotten Tomb are certainly not new kids to the black metal scene. The band, going strong … Read more
“We’re going to break you down this Saturday night,” sings The Gateway District in “Break You Down,” off their new … Read more
An eponymously titled album is somewhat unusual this late into a bands' career and will typically signify that the band … Read more
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Fearlessly naming their new record Death for Life is an instant indication that Death By Stereo aren't about to back down despite the lawsuits and legal issues surrounding the band after a death at one of their shows in 2003. Just in case you didn't pick up on the name, the record begins with some gang vocals chanting the words, before quickly kicking into a completely metal riff that would make even the most timid of music fans want to grow their hair out and headbang. It's not all about meathead riffs though, as opening track "Binge/Purge" progresses. The familiar vocals of Efrem Schulz are there, although with a slightly more screamed edge that's present on this record much more than others. Also notable is the guitar solo, sounding more … Read more
I have to be honest here. A band named after a professional wrestler, no matter what they sound like, is going to tug at my heart strings in a way that’s totally unfair to all bands that are not named after professional wrestlers. I also love summer, summer jams, and any jams that evoke some sort of summer-ness. And with … Read more
the black metal horde Enslaved seems to have been around forever. Unlike most bands of their genre and pedigree they have managed to add elements to their style to make themselves more their own band with each release. Each album has flirted with their Pink Floyd fascination while stripping away the unneeded kvlt aspects of the band's sound. For most … Read more
The debut album, Heart of Oak, for the Canadian extreme/progressive metal band, Anciients, is a fascinating one. And do not think that this is going to be your standard “progressive” band, where technicality is more important than feeling or substance. This band is an extremely difficult one to categorize so the term “progressive” is used here in a very vague … Read more
Starting life as a one-man instrumental outfit by M.Lehto in 2001, October Falls soon began to incorporate other members as well as a more metallic approach to the black metal genre and in 2007 The Streams of the End signalled a huge step for the band in terms of musical stance. Their music is steeped in the history of their … Read more
There are a few formats I almost go out of my way to avoid, namely cassettes and digital EPs. However, I’ll make an exception for certain bands and Street Eaters are one of those. Street Eaters released their debut full-length Rusty Eyes and Hydrocarbons in 2011 and it still grips me today. This self-titled digi-EP did see a 12” pressing … Read more
Sweet jesus did Iron Lung ever “come back” with a bang (seriously it has been six years since the band’s awesome album, Sexless // No Sex and even though they released a bunch of splits and collaborations in the interim, it still seems like they have been a bit quiet of late) with the extremely ambitious White Glove Test; with … Read more
Don't be fooled by the naïvely inconspicuous visage; Vultress are the real deal, and their debut release Distance has emerged out of nowhere to become one of the most surprisingly proficient progressive albums this year.Actually, what's most remarkable about Distance is just how unremarkable it is. For an album that leaves an unforgettably positive impression, it's surprising to realize that … Read more
After the release of an EP and two split albums, Sadgiqacea managed to land a deal with Candlelight Records under which their debut full-length album False Prism is coming out. The band from Pennsylvania is definitely one you want to check if you are into experimental heavy music, because they definitely know how to create imposing music that has the … Read more
As a disclaimer, I am not in any way an expert on bands whose primary genre tag ends in '-core'. However, I know a fantastic album when I hear it, and the Dillinger Escape Plan's latest album, 2013's One of Us is the Killer, is beyond even that.It's been clear since their 1999 debut Calculating Infinity that the Dillinger Escape … Read more
"I blow my load over the status quo - here we go".A reading from the book of Homme. It has been 6 since Queens of the Stone Age released their album Era Vulgaris. An album this reviewer gave a favorable rating, but admittedly didn't fully understand at the time of reviewing for this site. I couldn't fully grasp what the … Read more
For a band whose onesheet opens with the pointed “[includes former] member of …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead during that band’s peak,” one would expect a band with some fire at their core. Instead, LVMRKS are an exercise in banality. The nine songs here trudge along at the same pace without any expression from vocalist … Read more
One of the many reasons historians will condemn the early 21st century is the rise of glametalcore. Purveyed by groups such as Steel Panther and Asking Alexandria, this sound blends the abrasive vocals and breakdowns of metalcore with the flamboyance and catchiness of glam metal. Escape The Fate have been torchbearers of the sub-genre ever since they ditched Ronnie Radke … Read more
Emma Louise described the cover art for her debut album Vs Head Vs Heart as expressing "the beauty that can come out of vulnerability". The cover art fittingly reflects the songs on Vs Head Vs Heart, vulnerability is seeping through every song in a flurry of initially guarded lyrics, before being torn down note by note to reveal the real … Read more
If you had asked me two years ago if I’d rather hear another Wartorn song or be kicked in the crotch by a Clydesdale that’s wearing a pair ice climbing cleats, I probably would have picked the option that left me crying in the fetal position with bloody underpants and no chance of ever having children. But with arrival of … Read more
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