Spiritbox "Rotoscope" (2022)

 

Succeeding their stunning debut Eternal Blue, this lively three track EP stands apart with a unique embrace of dance groove rhythms and EDM. Stepping aside from Ethereal atmospheres, two step grooves and subtle modern synths intertwine to bolster pummeling Djent guitars. Title track Rotoscope embodies this best, concluding with a burly monstrous break down to contrast its persuasive dance floor energy. 

Sew Me Up hints at heavy, guitars start with a stomp but swiftly pivot into the magic of LaPlante's voice, sailing into heavens. It too finds an outbreak of aggression, led by a rhythm section that syncopates to thuds with aesthetic satisfaction. Hysteria withdraws from these ideas somewhat, feeling like the typical track of the bunch yet ends with an utterly filthy and devastating, disgruntled song deconstructing break down.

From the outside listening in, Spiritbox achieve clear creative distinction here, a succinct snapshot of musical vision yet seemingly unfit to develop further into a full album. Its a curious approach for a Metal band, to focus on singles and individual songs. I'd originally glanced over a lengthy list of singles, assuming they were on an album so now I'm going through it all and this one turned up a couple of gems!

Rating: 5/10

Spiritbox "Spiritbox" (2017)

 

Four years prior to the brilliant Eternal Blue, then duo Spiritbox arrive fresh on this self titled debut EP showing glimmers of whats to come. Yet to figure out the nuances of their engrossing Ethereal aesthetics, singer Courtney LaPlante spearheads all melodic magic. Melding over a tempered Djent framework, she steers the dense, chunky guitars to tuneful inclinations, an elevating croon in its atmospheric strides.

These remarks speak mostly to The Mara Effect split into three parts. The other four cuts slip into genre norms. Aggressive outbursts led by frustrated shouts conjure atypical riffs. Powered forth by programmed drums, this writing sounds creatively constrained in counterpart to the shimmering sways of ghostly melody heard early on.

The Beauty Of Suffering embodies this as the sways between their two sides of expression feel detached from one another. As the rhythm section descends into a blatant borrow of Meshuggah's iconic Bleed riffs, it becomes all to obvious they are yet to mature their own identity. I'm not sure I would of heard the Spiritbox spark listening to this record first. Cast out of an evolving Djent scene, its not entirely clear what here would separate them from their peers, despite being a decent listen.

Rating: 5/10

Currents "The Death We Seek" (2023)

  

Seeking another record under the emerging Argent Metal label, I've landed with Currents' latest effort. The American outfit play Progressive melodic Metalcore tinged with Deathcore growls in their heavy outbursts. With a Djent adjacent sound, the dense wall of sound production occasionally strike hard, as Industrial synths and electronic oscillators chime in for that violent dystopian Mick Gordan inspired menace.

Ultimately however, The Death We Seek has a far more artistic vision in wait. Swinging between creative curated atmospheres of expressive epic and blunt force strikes of shunting aggression, the band forge a steady listen plunging into darkly places and offering respite to this desolate place the band conjure visions of.

The usual foray of chugging riffs and low end guitars are met with guttural growls and throaty screams. Decent by design, the spark emerges when these sudden shifts into the light arise. Aided by vocalist Brian Wille's soaring cleans, plucky melodies shift its unending intensity into uplifting strides, still chained to an overriding sense of doom.

On one level, the musical foundations seem rather atypical for this particulate niche of modern Metalcore. On another, the thick aesthetic craft and engaging songwriting amounts to a memorable experience. Distinct and consistent across its ten track, I found myself unable to pick favorite tracks, enjoying the record as a single entity. The Death We Seek isn't quite an Argent Metal record but in moments they do incorporate the hardened rhythmic ideals and synthetic aesthetics to great effect. 

Rating: 7/10

Gothminister "Pandemonium II: The Battle Of The Underworlds" (2024)

 

Excitement swiftly squashed, another cast iron installment diminishes my faith once again. In retrospect, my expectations were unreasonable, considering this is a direct follow up to Pandemonium. Unable to grow past this Gothic symphonic Trance fusion with Rammstein style Industrial Metal, Gothminister recycles their blueprint with even less pizzazz than usual. Scenic interludes play underwhelming, attempting to raise theatrical stake yet any deviation from the tested formula sadly felt stale.

 The word of the record is "we". More so than ever, this perspective illuminates itself, a Gothic horror inspired realm of witches, demons, ghouls, zombies and monsters of the underworld. These flag waving war cries paint a protagonist's voice for these unsavory beings, rallying them together in the shadows. Its fun but at this point driven into the ground. Repeated lyrical cadences and thematic stagnation churn the whole anthemic angle into rigmoral, as track after tracks repeats itself with little new to offer.

When bands fail to evolve, they run the risk of writing themselves into a corner. It's a shame, a few albums back they hit a nerve. That spark is lost. Every song here lingers in its shadow, saying nothing new and often making you feel a sense of Deja-Vu.

Rating: 4/10

Vince Staples "Dark Times" (2024)

 

Dark Times had me reflect upon Vince's past. The bassy House and percussive Latino influences felt on Big Fish Theory and FM!, in retrospect, were exciting, fresh and distinct. Hard edged and gangster, yet fun and catchy too, a keenly crafted sound time has served well. In 2024, Staples arrives soft and subdued, his casual wordy raps sullen, ruminate on the pains of balancing fame friends and family among other hurts.

With glum spirit and dreary tone, he flows over slow burdensome beats. Downtrodden tunes drift by dreamy and haunting, utilizing soft hazy synths, shadowy pianos and ambiguous plucked melodies. Its musical themes and flavor lingers in the past. Echos of 90s Gangster Rap Funk influences linger among the jazzy soulful East Coast counterpart. Snappy percussion mostly shapes it to the current era of Hip Hop.

Vince offers a very honest expression, vulnerable, direct and tender, unambiguously sharing his troubled state of mind to be reflected through its moody instrumental direction. These songs feel individually crafted with intention and meaning in mind. Engulfing, yet when flirting with darkness, if the music doesn't offer reprisal and catharsis from that difficult mindset it can be encumbering upon the listener.

Sadly, that was my big takeaway from Dark Times, feeling Vince's troubles dragging down the mood. That's not to dunk on the record, its a fair piece of art but without moments for sunlight to peak through the clouds, it plays a downer. Impressive in its honesty, however I find myself unable to vibe with its brooding intensity right now.

Rating: 6/10

Feldspar "Feldspar" (2024)

 

Executing a curious exercise in inventing nostalgia, Feldspar enters a fantasy driven time machine to re-imagine the origins of "evil" Metal. Sounding fitting of the early 70s, a Psychedelic Rock motif hardens in form. Stiffening groove and hard edges converge on colored esoteric melody. Prancing guitar leads gallop in simplistic loops, notation conjuring an eerie mystique for its tuneful nature. These three songs and short outro piece are a delight, catchy and impactful, succeeding in its inventive intentions.

Despite instrumental excellence, shortcomings lay in the vocals. Lacking charm or charisma, this attempt to aptly tone down some of the manic stylings first heard on the like of Venom or Bathory, sadly land flat. The echoing splats of throaty howls miss the mark of memorability but can be given a nod for picking a suitable candidate for that "evil" direction. I'm not sure what else could be suggested to fit its overall aesthetic.

Feldspar's production is gorgeous and roomy, a cosy listen yet a touch to crisp and clear to truly slip us into the past. On some moments its melodies conjures familiarity to early Ghost, especially when a soft, subtle organ glow can be heard chiming in on opener Glyph Schematic, a reminder of another band to tread similar waters.

Rating: 5/10

Rina Sawayama "Sawayama" (2020)

 Arriving at the cutting edge of contemporary Pop music, singer-songwriter Rina casts an excitable web of diverse musical influences. With dexterity fondly reminiscent of Queen, her execution plays effortless, a graceful genre gallop between Pop Rock, Disco, J-Pop, R&B, Synthpop and even Nu Metal? An obvious favorite of mine, the latter broods its menace on STFU! Unleashing the era's groove through a mammoth, lunging riff, the growling guitars get across their point without need for excessive distortion. Creepy Korn alike melodies linger in the backdrop as the song sways between this aggressive energy and a twinkling dazzle of glossy melodic relief.

Its a keen example as to how Rina hones in on the essence of appeal, each song could merit such discussion as particular eras and genre distinctions meld into an engrossing listen. Other highlights include Comme Des Garvons, a stylish strut of attitude and glamor. Love Me 4 Me revels in the cheese of 80s attempts at bold punchy instrumentation, steering its bright melodies and chirpy nature to an endearing infectiousness. The "fake live" fanfare of Who's Gonna Save U Now? plays a genius touch, elevating this Arena Rock anthem as Rina sails her voice to new heights.

Tokyo Love Hotel woos with soft touches of Synthwave and Vapourwave. A breezy cruiser fit for the cities night lights. I could continue with my praises. Only mid track Bad Friend landed sour. Its spacey, Ethereal Electropop aesthetics feel lost on its own topicality, a "woe is me" self pity anthem. Conjuring the hurt of relationship wounds, its confessions of wrong doing seem a strange fit for its mood. An odd one but aptly fitting of the overall theme, a self oriented set of expressions felt direct with plain, connecting language that rarely feels deeper than its straight forward nature.

A stunning debut, Sawayama plays front to back like a seasoned musician reveling in creative strides. The music is effortless, exploring all curiosities seamlessly, avoiding an "eclectic" label despite clearly fitting that frame. All ideas explored simply click into place. Many of these ideas hail back to the early 00s, the years of my youth. Frank references to MSN messenger amused me greatly, I remember those Windows XP days with distain but the music has always been a consistent source of meaning. Its no surprise this record resonated with me. I haven't put it down for months!

Rating: 9/10

Bring Me The Horizon "Post Human: Nex Gen" (2024)

 

Five years on from the opinion dividing Amo, a diverse yet trendy leaning record, Bring Me The Horizon return again to the cutting edge of catchy, tuneful Metal. We got a whiff of this feisty spirit on preceding EP Survival Horror. The Post Human series continues in aggressive glory as the group nail down a solid set of songs, remaining intense and lively while skirting edges with Pop Rock melodies and Post-Hardcore creativity. Weighty sonic riffs and the mania of glitchy frenzied synths in its extremes, yet gracefully swaying into the arms of Pop sensibilities through Ollie's knack for catchy, ear worm choruses that hook into the vulnerability of your personal emotions.

Lyrically, the theme continuously hinges on negative internal dialogs, spinning the words of self doubt and inner turmoil into anthemic sing-alongs. These songs pair their tuneful inflections with words for strongly palatable emotions we have all experienced. Its cathartic, yet hollow. A spin machine twisting hurtful self talk into spirited release yet little of matured substance lies below the surface of these catchy cadences.

Originality is always a curiosity with Bring Me The Horizon, a line can always be traced elsewhere, some echos, obvious or vague, to other bands and genres. Although a favorite song of mine, Limousine blushes in its naked Diamond Eyes era Deftones demeanor. Even Ollie sings to Chino's tune as the low-end guitars crunch and peruses with the lunging gravitas of Steven Carpenter's definitive style.

Many other influences make themselves known too but ultimately this record boils down to song writing, which they have lock and key. As always, these musicians know how to forge musical ideas into apt structures that revel in their merits. Each song feels fully realized as riffs, melodies and hooks land without fail. Their unconventional side shines bright too, the OST interludes breaking the flow for spicy deviations.

Aesthetically, density is a delight. A tight production bordering on wall of sound, as guitars often get lost in the weave of electronic noises. Glitchy bursts of color and vibrant synths intermingle, deepening the experience as its pivots and transitions invite a flavorful diversity steadily becoming more frequent in modern Metal. For me, this is an unsurprising assemble of many proven ideas wielded to their Pop Metal writing. Its nothing they haven't done before, the true test will be how long these songs will stick around for. I have a feeling this ones got a handful to go the distance.

Rating: 7/10

Tineidae & Sole Massif "Remnants Of War" (2024)

 

Although Remnants Of War is themed around the aftermath of AI fulled armageddon, I could not escape its dramatic cover art. Reminiscent of the cult Japanese Cyberpunk flick Tetsuo, I've absorbed this one with metallic body horror in mind. Learning now of its true intention, the cinematic vision locks into place. These desolate soundscapes paint dystopian terror as the unease of soft synths collide with ghostly mechanical buzzes and whirling sparks, echoing on through tainted winds. Worbling electronic voices churn from automated warfare wreckage, a poisoned landscape, terrain now littered with cybernetic corpses. As far as eyes see, an endless sprawl of technological annihilation claims mother nature herself as collateral damage.

Its only tuneful moments stem from brief surges of soulless arpeggio saw-wave cycling. It births intense motion out of lifeless scenery. The tension derived suggests the presence of a surviving robotic killing machine, scanning the area for life, a dangerous prospect for us observers. Otherwise its charm resides in dense atmospheric dark ambience, littered with sound effect design to paint maddening scenarios in the mind of the listener. My favorite moments are the subtle whirls and buzzes, hints of wrecked machines with robotic systems attempting to function. So too, distorted voices add mystery. Seeming like scrambled recordings they possibly hint human life is transmitting from somewhere... or are simply remnants of the war.

Rating: 6/10

Silent Planet "Superbloom" (2023)

 

Here's an interesting release labeled under the emerging Argent Metal genre. For their fifth outing, Progressive Metalcore outfit Silent Planet pivot to a Djent driven aesthetic redesign of brutality, envisioned by producer Mick Gordan with his iconic Doom soundtrack eight years back. Shades of the bands Metalcore origins mostly remain in vocalist Garrett Russel's raging throaty shouts and bitting lyrical cadence. Otherwise, they have fully embraced a fusion of low end guitars with Industrial synths to layer on dense, rhythmic shunting of force as the driving component in the music.

Superbloom has a clear artistic vision I haven't fully clicked with, an aesthetic smothering, powerful and intense yet often lacking melody and memorability. Its meaty slabs of rhythmic assault seem to miss out on the groove or elastic sway others like Meshuggah have used to bring me around. Behind theese jolting punts of guitar noise, darkly synths lay interwoven, reinforcing momentum and often providing a luminous sense of color. Its sadly just aesthetic dressing in absence of melody. Occasionally swift arpeggios emerge, or swelling chords but always lacking a hook.

The best moments come in climaxes, where intensity surges with a luminous stream of color blooming through its dense synth design. A peak blesses the album on its title track conclusion, tying a bow on its conceptual nature as "I'll rest for now in the Superbloom" leads into a stunning glide of epic proportion. These ascending sections were my favorites among a looping slog of sporadic fret-board leaping riffs that carried little meaning beyond the fist throwing aggressions of jolting Djent guitars.

In conclusion, I've spent enough time to acknowledge Superbloom's class yet find myself not fully sold on this new aesthetic direction. Its gorgeous to listen to but the songwriting suffers as its tracks drift into mood, rather than casting one under its spell to march to its beat. The idea of Argent Metal has its merits but until it delivers something truly innovative in terms of song writing, it will mostly feel like cosmetics.

Rating: 6/10

Steve Roach, Kevin Braheny & Michael Stearns "Desert Solitaire" (1987)

 

Mesmerized by opening track Flatlands, my morning walks exploring the cliffy sandstone shores of southern Portugal were elevated by its meditative qualities. Fit for the sunny Mediterranean climate, a rhythmic trance of exotic percussion guides us through unforgettable swells of dense soothing tone. Cycling through several stellar synths, blushes of warmth arrive on the heels of the prior rescinding surge. Emotions stir through apt chord selections on occasion too. Its a remarkable track, one I've returned to often, however this time, I was reminded that its appearance on Journeys To The Infinite, which I've covered previously, was a hand picked compilation of works.

I'm sadden to report, Desert Solitaire does not expand its opening majesty. More so, it picks apart its pieces, rearranging them into lengthy stints, sharing those initial aesthetic suggestions. With a theme of solitude in desolate regions, scorn by the heat of our sun in daytime, the record quietly picks through temperaments, moments of grandeur and scenic suggestions all laid bare through competent track titling.

A handful of songs try too cut the mold, Knowledge & Dust deploys an irritating stereo-pan, attempting trippy disorientation. Shiprock shifts its instrumental drone with a shrill cutting synth to usher in eerie nightly sounds. Empty Time returns this high pitched whine to conjure in baron horns and percussion on a lifeless wandering that seems to leads nowhere. These three are also the weaker pieces on the record.

Labyrinth feels completely out of place, a nightly spell of bleak, cloud swept skies converging on imitate dusk. A lurch of conspiracy and lonely unease wrestles with its subtle reliefs of tension that dissipate like waves on a beach. Its a stunning piece of darkly atmosphere but more fitting of a Dungeon Synth record to these ears.

The other remaining songs flesh out the tones heard on Flatlands. Those swells of tone, now elongated into soothing drones to transform your imaginations. Its all to typical of this genre to comment on deeper but a handful of them merit return for conjuring these meditative moods, this time with a warmer climate than usual.

Rating: 6/10

Billie Eilish "Hit Me Hard And Soft" (2024)

 

Three years on from Happier Than Ever and still working with her brother Finneas, Billie returns reveling in crooning strides. Reminiscent of classic singers from bygone eras, she captures concise emotional narratives central to many of these songs. Let loose through an endearing vulnerability in tone and lyrics, her breathy whispers build to climactic swells, both wounded and resolute, given the mood. Finneas builds powerful current around her vocal direction. Classy instrumentation, seemingly subdued and minimal yet rises aptly with layers of subtleties to flesh out roomy indulgences. Following her lead, climaxes gratify as the two come into focus together.

  Setting aside the strident Surf Funk strut of a catchy radio earworm called Lunch, Its opening stretch of tracks have a softly sung Billie alluring over rocking baselines, bright shimmering acoustic guitars, adorning string sections and colorful saw wave arpeggios. All with that aforementioned classy touch conjuring echos of greats from decades past. This wonderful stretch ends on L'amour De Ma Vie as its final minutes pivot with a thudding pulses of nightly dance-floor energy, Billie flexing on autotune.

This leaves its final songs in the lurch as The Diner explores unease and tension through quirky bursts of melody and echoing vocals arranged for a fever dream. Bittersuite meanders through exotic, dreamy tunes never quite settling on its own intention. Blue acts to conclude, dropping in one of the albums best vocal hooks. Billie's backing track sways back and forth under her singing, I love it! Its a dramatic two minutes but again, shuffles and meanders through a handful of other arrangement ideas as the records intensity unwinds, never resolving back to that classy stride.

 Hit Me Hard And Soft is a subtle record on first impressions, seeming like a collection of decent ideas resting on the pairs merits. Repetition yields its depth, as Billie's voice comes into focus and the tracks beneath them endear. My qualm has been laid out, a sense of balance lost as its classy side doesn't quite flow with the creativity this duo were initially known. All of the music is fantastic but the arrangement locks you in for a ride that cant resolve its destination on conclusion as those final songs loose pace.

Rating: 8/10