SEED – Dun Pageant
It has been a while since I pointed out the underappreciated and subtle art of album or track names. It's an often overlooked part of making and releasing music for obvious reasons: these naming conventions se... Read More...
Plebeian Grandstand – Rien ne suffit
French blackened hardcore outfit Plebeian Grandstand have continuously cultivated an ever-building hype and air of mystique about them, reaching back to 2010 with their debut album How Hate Is Hard To Define, ... Read More...
Devin Townsend – The Puzzle / Snuggles
Devin Townsend's The Puzzle is certainly going to be a controversial spot in his discography, but ultimately serves a real utility for Devin's psyche and artistic process. These are not your standard studio albums with traditional songs with pesky things like structure. The Puzzle amounts to idea vomit; by Devin's own admission, this was a dumping ground for random emotional impulses that reflected this entire weird period we've experienced the last two years. And honestly, it's kind of incredible the way it worked out.
Cynic – Ascension Codes
Cynic have long achieved legendary status in extreme metal and prog, introducing jazz fusion influences to death metal in 1993 with their monumental debut album Focus. Previously, core Cynic members Paul Masvi... Read More...
So Hideous – None But a Pure Heart Can Sing
So Hideous are a band that are no strangers to transformation. A name change that could have been just superficial ended up being so much more than that when the band followed up their 2014 debut with Lauresti... Read More...
Monolord – Your Time To Shine
As I was listening to Your Time To Shine, the newest release from Sweden’s Monolord, a nonsequitur thought went through my head. I started thinking about peanut butter. As “The Weary” turned to “To Each Their ... Read More...
Glassing – Twin Dream
Over time there’s been an increasing number of bands blurring the lines between blackgaze, atmospheric sludge metal and a screamo leaning post-hardcore. For them, those lines have become arguably irrelevant, a... Read More...
Don Broco – Amazing Things
The music world is rife with traditionally heavier artists who have garnered mainstream acclaim by softening their sound, but it’s hard to think of a traditionally mainstream band who have actually increased t... Read More...
Vildhjarta – måsstaden under vatten
A whole decade ago in 2011, Sweden's Vildhjarta unleased their debut album Måsstaden. At just over 50 minutes, the creeping and cinematic record propelled the band to the forefront of the then-burgeoning djent... Read More...
Trivium – In The Court Of The Dragon
At this point, Trivium should need no introduction. The band have had a career that has had several highs, from their early days of being one of the youngest acts to play at Download Festival, contributing to ... Read More...