Top Pick
Tallah – Generation of Danger (extreme nu metal, deathcore)
There are a couple of things Portnoy-helmed, Code Orange-aping nu metal revivalists Tallah do on second effort Generation of Danger that elevate them above that seemingly niche, yet shockingly prevalant crowd (see ten56. below).
Firstly, rather than becomming the umpteenth band to suddenly turn indistrial in the wake of Forever (2017), they actually have a go at ripping off the far superior and more acomplished Underneath (2020) (beyond shamelesly lifting its imagery). They don't come anywhere near that modern masterpiece in terms of quality, but it's genuinely refreshing, and exciting, to finally hear someone at least having a go. As a result, Generation of Danger sounds genuinely unhinged and far more forward thinking than their throwback aesthetic first suggests.
Secondly, rather than taking their cues from Linkin Park and everything after, the Pensylvanian pentaveret go straight to the source, taking (sometimes extremely direct) inspiration from only the earliest records from genre pioneer Korn, Deftones, Slipknot, Dir En Grey and – sure – some early Linkin Park as well. It also helps that the overall quality of Generation of Danger is a massive step up from both Tallah's previous material and the majority of the burgeoning '90s nostalgia scene as well.
Other than that, the Disturbed album is the only thing that's really grabbing me this week. Make of that what you will...