Heriot "Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell" (2024)

Deep from the depths of metallic stagnation comes a rapid fire record I would have swiftly passed over if not for catching Heriot's energetic live performance. Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell also received some critical acclaim, convincing me to give it a proper go. I'm left convinced the Metal scene is lacking fresh innovation, as the genre matures into its sixth or so generation of existence, where does it venture next?

Described by Blabbermouth as "post-everything", one can hear a slew of subgenre ideals getting picked apart, then reassembled in this beastly collection of spiteful aggressive slogs. Focused on a mood of rage and tone of dread, its often a lurching background synth or atmospheric guitar distortion that glues together a songs identity. In barrels rumbling barrages of barbaric sound, dense with roaring bass but often devoid of much beyond amassing a terrifying textured vehicle of assault.

Thus its ten tracks aimlessly roam a desolate wasteland of destruction, sporadically lashing out in any available direction. Conceptually, it does sounds brilliant but in experience, most its songs lack a true musicality to latch onto. The dialed back, sullen Ethereal gloom of Opaline packs a genuine punch but its one cut from the many. The so called "post-everything" feels like a intentional choice to skirt prior conventions in search of something new. Only in brief glimpses does this search connect.

Rating: 4/10

Autumn's Grey Solace "The Neverending" (2026)

I'd passed over journaling the last couple of Autumn's Grey Solace releases. Years of stagnation left me with little to remark upon. Always a pleasure yet rarely a surprise, what separates The Neverending from recent mediocrity is its "return to roots" approach. On a handful of tracks the illusive magic of those first impressions gets recaptured. Tones, textures and the musical blueprint from their classic debut Within The Depths Of A Darkened Forest resurface on within these eight numbers.

In gentle temperament, the return of ghostly melodic guitar echo, darkly strolling baselines and subtle groaning strings evoke a soothing Ethereal bliss of old. In particular, Erin seems to turn her voice back to that youthful charm. Lurching in a tender high range, she finds her way back to words. Their natural rhythm and wordy cadences rebirth a character missing from recent records. Its a curiosity how the presence of lyrics steer her performances into this special, otherworldly place.

Lacking any freshness and new ideas, The Neverending still strikes a mood much closer to their origins, an area that feels now underserved on its arrival. A fair record but not all tracks hit the sweet spot. Each track tends to cycle through a single set of ideas. The weaker chemistries swiftly make themselves known, however one will definitely find a few personal gems to cherish, if your a fan of this niche.

Rating: 6/10

Will Smith "Based On A True Story" (2025)

 

From one Smith to another, I couldn't help but vent my frustrations at this surprisingly bright and cheery Pop Rap album. Will assembled a competent team to deliver snazzy beats lined with harmonious voices embracing a Gospel lean on many occasions. A solid foundation for a comeback record I'm no longer surprised I didn't hear about.

Unable to shake his ego-centric relationship with fame, Will opens by stepping straight onto an almost comical landmine, if not for a tragic lack of tone. Fists swinging, armed with cheap rhymes and inserted critical remarks, he address the fumbles of recent years with braggadocio, lacking sincerity, humility and reflection so sorely needed.

As the record progresses, song concepts play shallow with cheesy hooks. Dotted throughout, attempted inspirational moments arise, Will puts on a voice as giving a sermon to save the masses. Its utterly tone deaf. It feels like Will is trying to engineer the reception of his return, as opposed to having genuine expressions as an artist.

As a Rap artist, he used to drive in his own lane. Likable, goofy, fun and uplifting but now, all that's gone and Based On A True Story confirms it. This was an opportunity for a genuine moment of self reflection and personal growth but its clear the man still has many egotistical issues to work through. To throw it a bone, You Can Make It and Work Of Art have really warm vibes. Decent tracks among the horror.

Rating: 3/10

Willow "Petal Rock Black" (2025)

Ill confess, on first impression, Petal Rock Black felt like a series of Avant-Guard Jazz experiments. This dubious outset was reinforced by its short tracks, averaging two minutes each. The recycling of lyrics from Empathogen and even Prince's I Would Die For You also aided this skepticism. Predictably, with each recuring spin, its treasures unearthed themselves as each brief constructs own magic steadily charmed.

All of Petal Rock Black's songs are devoid of traditional song structure. Each stint serves its own purpose, a swaggered union of layered vocal indulgence, steely Jazz piano and raw roomy percussion, all rocking to its own groove. Lacking progressions and pop sensibilities, they at first feel like aimless moments from improvised jam sessions but with familiarity, one grows to love the moments Willow revels within.

Her lyrics and poetic tangents between songs heighten an awareness of conceptuality that probably adds depth but flys this inept listeners ears. In its absence, the flavor and texture of her ever playful vocal swoons play a treat. Creative, adventurous, she expresses through range. From strength and power to whispers and laughs, Willow can pivot into a soar at any moment. The variety gushes forth rapid and effortlessly.

On the instrumental front, I would have mistakenly commented on a cast of classy seasoned professional behind her. Thanks to the artist credits, I've learned this musical montage is mostly her own multi-instrumentalist creation, briefly blessed by a couple of big heavy hitter names, George Clinton and Kamasi Washington.

That first impression is a misnomer but also a hint as to what may condemn the record to some negative reception. It lacks a glue to piece it all together. Despite loving it front to back, Petal Rock Black feels like its missing something. That Avant-Guard embrace turns these unusual songs into isolated islands of musical wonder in need of a throughline. You can't fault any of its numbers, these are all beautiful expressions!

Rating: 7/10

Matte Blvck "I'm Waving Not Drowning" (2020)

Stepping back from the impressive Vows, this debutant record suffers a retrospect, lingering in its shadow as an inferior product. Despite that, its an enjoyable record, a competent execution of ideas forging nightly Industrial Synthwave hybrids dwelling in pain and beauty. This tone is punctuated by the shy and meager vocals of Alex Gonzales. His range lacks the power its in reach of, opening up a continual sense of tenderness and vulnerability that actually plays rather well into the overall mood.

His appearances can be sparse as instrumental numbers break up I'm Waving Not Drowning's easy flow. Focusing on their merits and embellishing the power of rhythm, synth hit hard on tracks like Casa Blanca and Panic Room, spicing up aesthetics with a little novelty given there time in the limelight. This comes to fruition on closer Rye Fire. The arrival of its angelic vocal synth jostle plays in mechanical juxtaposition, cementing a dystopian atmosphere between heavenly piano melody breaks.

 As already mentioned, this one felt a firm step behind its predecessor. The bands proximity to my favorite Depeche Mode era lured me. This album houses a rather underwhelming cover of their classic Stripped. The vocals feel shaky, the synths underwhelming and the added percussive might adds little to the original. Its a difficult song to match and sadly this cover just makes you want to put on the original instead. Despite this, Matte Blvck are a solid listen, a group with potential ahead of them.

Rating: 6/10