Stray From The Path "Euthanasia" (2022)

  

Hardcore veterans Stray From The Path have been at it for a couple decades now. Joining in the fun at their tenth album may leave out some context, however it became swiftly apparent how to describe them. Offspring of Rage Against The Machine, these rockers update that iconic progenitor Rap Metal sound with an intensity befitting of Metallic Hardcore, armed with dense assault of seven string Djent guitar tones.

In your face, left leaning political statements sit front and center. Shout rapped by an aggressive Thomas Williams, his confrontational, agitating messaging sounds like Zack De La Rocha on steroids. So too do guitar grooves follow the Tom Morello playbook, downplaying melody and in general incorporating far more modern Metalcore ideas into their songs, with frequent mosh friendly riffs and fiery breakdowns.

 As such, their overt influences fade from focus on its many harder hitters. Superbly executed, yet lacking distinction, they sound a touch cookie-cutter in a crowded Hardcore scene. When falling back to leaner Rage influences, like on Law Abiding Citizen, front man Williams lacks a knack to deliver an ear worming memorable hook.

This magnetism towards comparison bestows a weighty burden when walking in the shadows of greatness. Despite that, Euthanasia is tight, a hard hitting, bombastic record, loaded with intensity and anger. Entertaining, yet some of its political messages provoke a sense of cringe when walking a hard line in the face of complexity and nuance. Not enough to turn one off from the frantic fun!

Rating: 7/10

No Cure "I Hope I Die Here" (2024)

 

 Ears perked by Spotify's shuffle of heavy freshness, No Cure's brief 8 track, twenty minute EP I Hope I Die Here has been a curious listen among a sloth of modern aggressive music. Much of it lacking sparks of originality. Hang Me From The Bible Belt, the track that drew me in, fires up this romp of sludgy brutality with a bold mix of Metallica Hardcore and Melodic Death Metal. This feels like a misnomer as the annals of a tired Deathcore swiftly reveal their ugly head on following tracks. Gruff deepened guttural shouts, gritty low-end axe grinding riffs and filthy pig squeals light up the aesthetics among obnoxious angular harmonic pinches and other genre tropes.

It plays out among a reasonably excitable mix of influences, from Hardcore gang-shouts to Metalcore grooves and Slam Death Metal breaks, the record picks up some character in brief moments. No Cure bridge minor stylistic gaps that seem obvious in hindsight. The collaborative nature of this EP may explain its inconsistency in tone as songs sway between engaging constructs and the "race to the bottom" filth of Deathcore. Each track includes another band, presumably of the local music scene.

Sadly, only its opening track won me over. The rest of its heaviness played mostly as a curious throwback to Deathcore records now approaching twenty years old. In contrast, there are signs of promise, moments of light, however it doesn't come to fruition in a flavor I'm looking for right now. To much grime, not enough substance!

Rating: 4/10

Cane Hill "A Piece Of Me I Never Let You Find" (2024)

 

Leaning into their aggressive side, Cane Hill return with a refined amalgamation of the Nu Metal revival, drifting towards the extremes of Hardcore Djent akin to Thrown. Doused in an aesthetic exhilaration similar to an emerging Argent Metal, the band struggle in harmonizing their loud quiet dynamics. A slew of bombastic, even barbaric, syncopated rhythmic riffs stand in contrast to the melodic charms of Elijah Witt. His presence heals the record, offering gleams of uplift in intensity lulls, as infectious crooning hooks bring an emotive memorability to its incessant "over the top" hostility.

The enthusiastic bounce and groove of Nu Metal's influence feels absent as low end guitars churn out harsh brutalities. Routinely focusing on meaty slabs of slamming Djent tone, they lack any character to shape up a songs heavier aspects. As a result, we embark on a cycling slog through empty onslaughts of crunching guitar noise. Spliced with sporadic fret sounds, layered with subtle dystopian synths, the most expressive moments arrive in the big chords left to ring out under clean vocal breaks.

Left to spin in the background, this record simply drifts by. Its hooky breaks grabbing ones attention every time. On closer analysis, these tend to be the only moments that create memorability. Thus its best comes from the soft moody interludes and Witt's clean break outs. Permanence In Sleep and I Always Knew We Were Do have the best choruses, a delight when they arrive. A Piece Of Me I Never Let You Find crudely pushes senseless violence together with a charactered emotional magnetism, falling short on writing memorable songs in the process.

Rating: 6/10

Thrown "Excessive Guilt" (2024)

From a fiery five minute EP, to bludgeoning twenty minute album, Thrown follow up debut Extended Pain with parallel architecture. Brief songs pummel ideas swiftly, wasting no time churning through its chops. Guitars froth with brutality, distortion brimming at the seams in gristly intensity. Syncopation reigns like a punch to the face, kick drums often aligning with the rhythmic barbarism on display for primitive groove.

 

Once again, an aesthetic romp, pushed to compressed extremes. An unsurprising concoction, given its the German Hardcore outfits niche. What may have been obvious before rears its head, striking Nu Metal influences, masked by Djent. Going a step further than slamming dropped power chords on down tuned guitars, subtle disc jockey scratches, downtrodden melodies and other characteristics are prominent.

Sprinkling in touches of trendy electronica, through dystopian synth melodies, attaching brief Trap drum machine interludes, Thrown add a little novelty to their fist pumping ferocity. It never quite makes a song but serves as the jump off point to lunge into the roaring aggression. That's what Excessive Guilt is all about, playing out like a brawl, songs turn like adrenaline shots to sprint through their arsenal of riffs.

Rating: 7/10

Knocked Loose "A Different Shade Of Blue" (2019)

 

Ever evolving, plunging deeper into metallic influences, Knocked Loose follow up their debut Laugh Tracks with this menacing beast of a sophomore record. Sinister in tone, its shouted angers and growled frustrations lurch within a darkly atmosphere well encapsulated by its album cover. A Different Shade Of Blue leans into discomfort, bleeding unsettled tensions into rhythmic groove and bounce. Dissonant, angular, shady guitar licks play interim on a stifling path to release. Strings of muddling riffs craftily pivot into thudding grooves and stomping halftimes, gratifying upon arrival.

Its thirty eight minutes entertain thoroughly. A consistent, non-linear onslaught of aggression. With dreary mood, the music seemingly stumbles its way into the wild throws of beat down magic over and over. A simple concept for release that somehow never unshackles its dingy looming dread. This characters the record with a sense of artistry where typical ideals are twisted to the will of this hallowed, enraged vision.

The metallic influences present are unshakable. In both tone and composition, these echos of Sludge, Groove and Melodic Death Metal ripple through more obvious Metalcore stylings. Many riffs and moments have an uncanny reminiscence but to what or who specifically I am never quite sure. This is testament to their creative expression. Influences heard all over yet never encroaching generic plagiarism.

My ultimate takeaway is my favorite sort, a solid record. Something that plays in service of its next song. Barely a peak or valley, just a consistently exciting venture along its meandering foray of gratifying aggressive oddities. Mistakes Like Fractures jumps out at the mid point but other than that its really hard to pick favorites as each track delivers on both its wretched mood and punchy spurts of head banging bliss.

Rating: 8/10

Knocked Loose "Laugh Tracks" (2016)

Entertained yet unimpressed by Pop Culture, this follow up debut album showcases a distinct shift in approach. Illuminating an unhinged magic to blossom fuller on You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, the Beatdown oriented Hardcore outfit dazzle with tangents and derivatives leaning into the umbrella of Metal sub-genres. Occasionally overt but often subtle, to a seasoned Metalhead, guitar riffs shift gears with metallic thrashings between the onslaught of gritted Hardcore Punk aggression.

 

The band chew through struggling terrain, challenging music to endure. Addictive within its angered outburst, abrasive refrains, aesthetic dissonances drag one along with a touch of chaos. Wading through a swamp of discontent, each track eventually arrives with a gratifying stomp of mosh friendly groove. An awkward balance to achieve but Knocked Loose grasp it with a masterful strangulating grip.

Laugh Tracks plays in constant anticipation of whats to follow, barely lingering in any arrangement for more than four bars, its swiftly navigates non-linear writing promises a romp to follow. I think only Last Words opts out of a throw down as its final palm mute chug diverts expectations as the guitars take on an uglied Black Metal aesthetic. Its swiftly remedied as No Thanks lunges straight into the dance floor chops.

Without sensationalizing their own material, remaining grounded to the frustrated howls of Garris', Knocked Loose offer up a whole work worthy of listening front to back. I've found it hard to pick out a favorite song, This one plays complete, consistent and cunning as something vicious always lies in wait, all the way up to a sudden outburst of menacing, high society pompous laughter at its ending.

Rating: 8/10

Thrown "Extended Pain" (2022)

With Spotify turning me onto the modern Hardcore scene, these German slammers have caught my ear. A no nonsense, straight to the point, meat and bones approach has snappy songs swiftly erupting into frenzies of groovy anger. Roaring riffs, sporadic dissonance and infuriated shouts. These eleven minutes charge head first through spiraling manic intensities. Often, they lead into gratifying beatdowns.

Nothing new but where they excel is aesthetic production. Down tuned guitars froth and revel with a Djent tilted intensity. Dirty obnoxious bass rumbles beneath, adding a gritty texture. Syncopated drums with tight and snappy kicks reinforce the rhythmic drive, pushing much of the music forward on its fist throwing march.

A few cuts of brief atmosphere and layers of dystopian melody spice things up on occasion but their main charm is delivering on that enthralled rage that spews forth unrelenting. A promising debut, it will be interesting to see where they go from this solid introduction. With a string of singles out, looks like another record nearby.

Rating: 5/10

Knocked Loose "Pop Culture" (2014)

 

You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To has become a recent obsession of mine. Its been years since a band has pushed the envelope on the extremes of "heavy" music. Logically its time to do the deep dive, starting with bands first release, a five track EP.

 Entertaining but far from memorable, Pop Culture only has retroactive flickers of a genius yet to unravel. Playing like typical beat-down Hardcore, the group barrel through angered stampedes of syncopated rhythmic assault. All roads lead to Rome, each song finds climax through slam grooves fit for hardcore dancers swinging limbs.

With knowledge of whats to come, one can hear their subtle rejections of typical song structure flow. Taking apt opportunities, linear strings of dissonant riffs often divert from anticipated grooves. Lacking the gravitas to rip up the rule book, they sound off-kilter but yet to evolve into the unhinged beast frothing anger at the mouth.

Aesthetics and production suffer too, dulling their intensity, a amateurish affair typical of debut low budget records. The ending of All My Friends offers a whiff of textured atmospheric chaos to come but its brief. Most of the time, power chord guitars fall into cushioned palm muted distortions that lack teeth for a sharper bite.

Its lyrical themes mostly hinge on conflict with religion, unanswered questions stiring deep unrest. Garris' high pitched shriekish bark is still jarring but yet to encapsulate that livid frustration put forth later. Its clear he and his band mates have much maturing to do but their is no denying the foundations of whats to come were laid here. I'm seeking a tipping point in their evolution! However this didn't win me over.

Rating: 4/10

Knocked Loose "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To" (2024)

 

With frantic demeanor, pointed jittery bombardments unleash bottled up agitations. Furious spurts of frenzied anger erupt, spewing forth a fierce menace, rattling the cage, as unwavering intensity decimates structure. Brevity carries a weighty burden, form flees as directionless lashes of hurt strike impulsively. From this wounded posture, dissonance reigns supreme, splicing aesthetic discomfort and rhythmic assault into an uglied abomination, dizzying in its relentless pursuit of filth.

In other words, the record plays like a sporadic riff-fest, somehow satisfying in where this formless chain of spiteful distortions lands. Currently embracing increasing attention, Knocked Loose capitalize on their Coachella exposure, dropping ten cuts across a brief twenty seven minute stint that barely repeats itself with any semblance of comfortably. Their breed of adrenaline soaked Metallic Hardcore loosens its beat-down shackles, expanding texture and craft as disgruntled horizons expand.

The often gratifying loop of obvious throw-downs gets challenged, the group elongate sludgy thuds of rhythm guitar into unpredictable sleuths descending into depravity. A clear victory, aided by intriguing arrangements between that suffer from an attention deficit disorder. One moment collapses into the next, exploring ranges of aggression and leveraging moments of respite with creepy shadowed melodic dissonance.

All that said, a couple of songs do conform. Suffocate lands a digestible punch, featuring an evolving Poppy. Her screams are mustering more intensity. This still dazzles after many spins. Its sporadic nature wrestles successfully with predictability, unhinged yet effective. I'm left with a sense that time will tell if these songs stick. Despite knowing these numbers well, that unstructured charm has kept it fresh.

The only blemish is Garris' shrieking howl. Resembling a crows dying squawk, its likely a love hate sound I simply have to tune out. The rest of the aesthetic is fantastic. In this era of music production, bands can load depth into the clarity which may go overlooked as the romps of metallic fight music will likely take center stage.

Rating: 9/10

Spiritbox "The Fear Of Fear" (2023)

 

From the outset The Fear Of Fear expresses itself as a heavier incarnation, casting aside the delicate yet persuasive balance of intricate Etheral aesthetics that graced the moody lulls of its successor Eternal Blue. In what feels like two steps back, Spiritbox trade in their originality for trendy heavy tropes and poppy song structures that are all to familiar. When leaning into aggression and brutality, the sways of exuberant Djent abuse takes hold. Slams, breakdowns and stomps arrive throttled and ferocious but tend to swallow up the intricate details other instrumentation offers from the dense lurching shadows. When LaPlante gets to salivate on the throws of her melodic contributions, the tone shifts somewhat in the direction of Bring Me The Horizon's now mercilessly copied Pop Metal blueprint. A sore disappointment.

Despite many repetitious listens, this record couldn't grab me beyond the gravity of its darkest plunges into metallic weight. Sadly, that rhythmic assault has become an all to familiar formula forayed by many bands before them. The record is split about 50/50 between this beast and its lighter side tarnished by a heavier wall of sound tone. These stints of color didn't have the sparkle heard before either, its easy melodic lines and soft ascending singing seem to drift by on cruise control, competent yet oddly forgettable. Sadly, it seems the band lost that unique character they had last time out. At least they are not repeating themselves as artists and trying new things.

Rating: 4/10

Code Orange "The Above" (2023)

My own unrivaled excitement for this release has manifested into a glum disappointment tainting The Above. Their previous outing, Underneath, set high expectations. The glitched out dystopian mania shook up a violent foundation, breathing new life into a genre where fresh territory is hard to find. Partially recoiling from such brutal intensities, the band intermingle a reinvention of 90s nostalgia.

Most prominent, their typical approach to Hardcore brutality seem skewed towards Nu Metal. The most aggressive riffs deploy the dissonance and syncopation flavors of that era with a subtlety that blunts its edge. Trademark manic spurts of chaos groan with the downtrodden vibes of a once ridiculed genre. Their tight technical execution absent in favor of this loose, dirty, moody aesthetic inspired by past trends.

Subtly woven in, the texture of Grunge and Alternative Metal has its moments too. On The Above, the band weave through a fair set of intensities and ideals but little about the record feels like a cohesive vision. More so, an exploration of loosely connected ideas drawing from the decades various styles. Some songs step into radio rock friendly verse chorus exchanges, others meander through an arsenal of riffs.

Reba Meyers gets to offer more of her voice, sometimes accompanied by string sections, yet the step into new territory feels off. Mirror is a redeeming experiment. Its unusual Trip-Hop beat seems to aid the songs swell of emotion. Other than that, the record offers little I wanted to come back too. Its angsty downtrodden inspirational origins did manifest with uniqueness. It was just not too my taste sadly.

 Rating: 5/10

Municipal Waste "Electrified Brain" (2022)

 

I may be mistaken but I believe Municipal Waste were among the first of this modern nostalgic Thrash Crossover "revival". Its no new trick nowadays, the access and availability of music today has inspirations run amuck in all directions. I was introduced to the American thrashers at Download Festival 2008. Despite a fantastic live show full of mad mosh pits and crowd surfers armed with surf boards, I never brought into their studio records. Having forgotten the mediocrity of Slime And Punishment, It was only a passing curiosity that brought me here.

Electrified Brain had me in its grasp from the first spin. Unlike prior efforts, its crisp, clear and cutting production aided its mission. Along with a fully fledged arsenal of classic Thrash and Crossover riffs, the two push the bands ideals to about as good as it could get. Pulling no unsurprising punches, the galloping speed and chugging chops of 80s Metal was set to to strike a nerve. With filtered cuts rarely exceeding three minutes, the fourteen tracks get to rattle wall to wall off five years of curation.

The main distinctions felt like variety and lead guitars. Although operating within a strict blueprint, the rotating shouts, screams and gang vocals kept things fresh and exciting as the rapid rhythmic abuse was electrified by periodic guitars solos. A handful of song endings struck me as having some momentary but keenly distinct riffs woven in. Perhaps an intentional nod to their eighties Thrash Metal influences? I definitely heard Metallica on more than one occasion.

Despite seeming excellent, its gravitas has dwindled. With frequent spins, my initial excitement has politely dulled. This however feels like a symptom of nostalgic Metal, always competing with your appetite as its novelty wares off. Either way, in times of growing metallic lackluster, it was good fun to head bang again!

Rating: 6/10

Favorite Track: Grave Dive, Crank The Heat

Knocked Loose "A Tear In The Fabric Of Life" (2021)

 

My excitement and appetite for the cutting edge of brutality in the world of Extreme Metal as diminished severely with time. Most bands I encounter seem to be locked in the Post-Deathcore and Djent overlay which tends to recycle the same ideas found at their origins. Alongside a Metalcore backbone, some of that bore is to be found here too with with a shimmering of Mathcore in places also. The reason I mention this is because Knocked Loose have spun that formula into a short and pacey affair of pummeling intensity. On this EP, six tracks blaze through the many tropes and un-original ideas common to the genre on the heels of an adrenaline shot of excitement. Their song structures continually race ahead, leaping from one moment of bludgeoning to the next, leaving you with little time to recover from each metallic blow. Its a fun experience as the chops come quick and fast, rarely looping back and often jumping into sludgy palm muted break downs with barely a moments notice.

The production is stellar, a show of strength, an aesthetic treat of modem engineering that has its instruments frothing with a rage shared by front-man Bryan Garris. Initially I found his shrill, high pitched bark a bit rash but I warmed up to it as his energy fell inline with the unrelenting march of aggression the band set out on with these songs. Not only do the instruments bring intensity, the moments of texture embellished in its discordant riffs take up the pauses for breath with expansive moments of tense atmosphere as on occasion the music blossoms into something more than the meat grinder it initially seems to be. With quite a few spins in the past weeks, A Tear In The Fabric Of Life is a short experience that's delivered much gusto as its rapid approach brings continual waves of excitement that last the initial explosive impression created.

Rating: 6/10

Loathe "I Let It In And It Took Everything" (2020)

Its my first record with the Liverpool based five man outfit. Six years together, their sophomore album gave me an initial impression that hasn't shook after a plethora of listens. I Let It In And It Took Everything strikes me as the collision of three bold ideas converging with little cohesion on behalf of its heaviest aspect that cuts with a blunt soreness I'm yet to along with. Disjointed barrages of dirty guitar distortion, pounded in through bleak Hardcore grooves and Djent polyrhythms make a despairing gap open between the beauty on the opposing side. I'm sure its conceptual but not for one moment does it feel like a natural progression for me, the listener.

Its key counterpart is the sombre yet blissful, soaked in beautiful sadness uplift of melodic tinged Metal, deeply in the vein of Deftones and Fightstar. Its a gorgeous execution of moody Shoegazng guitar noise and soaring vocals that is a pleasure to indulge with. Its arrival often comes parallel to the third axis, serine and meditative temporal synths, brilliant tonal work on the keys that have an uncanny resemblance to the spiritual magic of Steve Roach. They often slide into play with ambient environment sampling, building a curious tension for the next thread to unravel.

The album plays with a jarring sense of pace, routinely lunging from a warm, flowing, wall of melodic noise into upheavals of dispersing rhythmic tension. Slabs of gritty guitar, Industrial noise and gristly shouts interrupt routinely. On occasion it does have merit, finding a groove or weight to deliver, its just rather inorganic. A track in the middle, New Faces In The Dark, is perhaps best suited to melding these opposing sounds, finding some elasticity between sides where its more often, simply abrupt.

My take away from the many spins Ive endured is a record that feels like two simultaneously hashed together. I enjoy both aspects however they don't meld well. The colossal abrasiveness of the metallic ambushes dispels the sombre magic of Chino inspired vocals over colorful Metal and in a way, vise versa. Perhaps it is my own expectations that get in the way but I just wish it would stay in one place when I'm listening. Despite being hung up on all this, its got cracking songs and plenty to return too but as an album experience its a mess!

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Theme, 451 Days, Scream, Is It Really You, Gored

Code Orange "Underneath" (2020)

Formally known as Code Orange Kids, the Pittsburgh outfit have gained notoriety with previous efforts I Am King and Forever. Their unique take on Hardcore and Metal fused with an apatite for disjointed infusions of noise elevates to a new plateau as classic and metallic Industrial inspirations integrate into the aesthetic pallet. Underneath is a typically Code Orange record with their approach to aggressive slams, beat downs and chugg riffs remaining firmly intact with that spice of jolted timing. It also embraces its new leaning fully with atmospheric songs that play into a grander sense theme that's dark and twisted.

Its two sides that play strongly of each other. The song writing feels matured as the "lighter" tracks carry melody and theme with weight to make ear worms and tunes you won't get out of your head in a hurry. The Easy Way is perhaps a shining example of this but its general temperament and definitely singing hail to 90s Nine Inch Nails. Between these thematic, less aggressive songs lay sonic assaults of stomping brutality dressed up in dystopian Industrial noise. Bleak synths, ambiguous voicings and slathers of mix manipulation rock the cradle as the common song structures and expectant riff formulas are toyed with to great effect!

At forty seven minutes, these fourteen tracks play well with a healthy variety and depth of approaches to the madness that will birth favorite moments for many a listener. For me its the manic outro of Last Ones Left, its palm mute slamming, slowly scathing into the putrid as the walls of sound collapse. Who I Am is another, an unsettled atmosphere is held together beautifully by Reba Meyers voice and the ghostly lead guitar lurking in the background. It too trades blows with the song deconstructing itself, with feisty production experiments in noise. The title track goes out on a bang, leaving much thirst for more. A total treat of a record, It still feels fresh and I expect it will grow on me with time.

Rating: 8/10

Favorite Tracks : Who I Am, The Easy Way, Last Ones Left, A Sliver, Underneath

Harm's Way "Posthuman" (2018)

Hailing from Chicago Illinois, Harm's Way are a Hardcore five-piece outfit who have been at it for twelve years, recently putting out this release, their forth full length record. I can't decide if its the music of Posthuman, or my apatite for excessively aggressive music dwindling that's minimized my enjoyment. Harm's Way are just a step behind the cutting edge and thirty three minutes of this dense, meaty pummeling anger echos too many shades of other bands for something unique to emerge.

Coming from Hardcore and Metalcore roots, one can hear a pursuit of aggressive aesthetics overtaking the core of their sound as the continual barrage of fiery riffs assaults on a tonal level before the music itself, in other words mediocre riffs propped up by intense textures. Mammoth crunchy guitar distortions and punchy drum strikes hammer away in unison through a production that compresses as much sound into tiny spaces as it can, giving the music a claustrophobic, suffocating power when its guitars chug away at full pelt. It doesn't go to the extremes that a band like Nails do but one can hear the creaks and groans of extreme distortion ready to burst at the seems.

In a guitar dominated record, their Hardcore riffs often feel extenuated with a touch of Grindcore's ferociousness. The syncopation of Nu Metal riffs from days gone by delineates its influence and the bounce of Groove Metal jumps into more persuasive breakdown riffs. A couple of songs exhort Industrial Metal tonalities, pounding beats with mechanical, industrious drives from the drummer. The song Temptation feels like a direct response to Code Orange who have been experimenting with mixing atmosphere guitar dissonance leading into sonic beat downs, the song is akin to some of theirs and despite being decent feels like a carbon copy.

The album plays through with a very consistent intensity, which is much the same of their one dimensional singer. In the first half its more in sync with my words so far and as the last few songs roll around it feels as if their roots come across stronger. The Gift however sounds very inspired by Godflesh. All in all there is not a lot that stands out here for anything other than being too similar to sounds I'm exhausting my apatite for. Its a fair record with little to criticize but without that spark of excitement for something new and fresh it quickly becomes dull.

Rating: 4/10

Converge "The Dusk In Us" (2017)

Converge, a band with a reputation, known as pioneers of the more erratic strain of a Heavy Metal and Hardcore crossover, the Massachusetts based band have never pulled me in yet. Skimming over some of their classics like Jane Doe, I couldn't feel the spark others have raved about for years and unfortunately that's all I can say of this release that has made a fair few top album lists this year... or last. Its mostly not working for me, a few bombastic moments grab a nod but its artsy emotional soundscapes of rip roaring guitar noise and fluttery melodies tangled in disharmony pass me by as they rub up against one another, much like the vocal and guitars.

Disheveled screams rattle away, rippling of the music in a fury of rage. They bounce from the music in their harsh rawness, dispelling any chemistry the bands vision had in store. Elasticated riffs spasm in perpetual motion, their fate at the mercy of the guitarists who love to wail in with hissing screeches of feedback amidst the aimless assault. Battering his kit the drummer flexes dexterously with a solid display of composition that queues the direction and holds musical ideas firmly in place.

I can hear what Converge are going for here. Expansive music lines the front of erratic pummeling Hardcore, broadening the scope with songs that opens up into vivid places far beyond the core of the sound. Singer Bannon's voice just doesn't sit right with me, the constant delves into structure devoid thrashings and nonsensical anti-melodies threw me off pace whenever the band get going. In a few songs, ie the title track, Bannon drops his screeching making an impression but whenever the album builds some atmosphere its quickly demolished. Would liked to of enjoyed this more but the majority of music here drags it down to far for my ears.

Rating: 3/10

Municipal Waste "Slime And Punishment" (2017)

Its the sixth release from legendary east coast outfit Municipal Waste. Formerly viewed as "revival crossover" their sixteen year tenure has established them as one of Crossovers best. Last time I checked in with them was back in 2007 where they were riding a wave of hype that produced wild festival shows with fans literally bringing surf boards to crowd surf at the bands command. It was quite the memorable show but since then I never stayed tuned in with the band, after five years of silence it seemed like a good time to give them another whirl and see if their upto the same old tricks.

"Slime And Punishment" is a fast and fun, thrashy blast of party hard, headbanging aggression that's not to be taken seriously. They have hardly evolved in ten years and the addition of a second guitarist doesn't seem to have given their sound any new edge. There are not many parts of this record that utilize two tracks, beyond a backing track for a guitar solo its mostly unable to break away from linear guitar work. Just another riff fest of crossover that brings far more thrash in the guitar work with all the classic chugging rhythms and grooves, power chord shredding rearranged to create another set of mosh friendly tracks for the energetic live show.

Tony Foresta's strained shouts bring the hardcore edge with a constant barrage of gang vocals chiming in along side him. "Parole Violators" presents a missed opportunity as a breakdown riff leads into some comical role play between a corrupt sleazy cop and skate punk, painting a hilarious image of an oldskool corrupted authoritarian attitude, the sort you'd see in movies reflecting times gone by. This album would of have a real wild card up its sleeve with more of that comical edge. Unfortunately its just another rapid riff fest of head bobbing fun, composed, performed and produced with a routine level of excellence from experienced metalheads that lacked a spark to really get me into it. Solid album but didn't offer anything I haven't heard done before.

Rating: 5/10

Ho99o9 "United States Of Horror" (2017)

The New Jersey duo Horror, stylized with three nines, blew me away with a wild performance at Download Festival last year. Their anarchistic fusion of Hardcore Punk and Hip Hop has a lot to offer, unfortunately their EP Dead Bodies In The Lake didn't quite live up to the hype bar one song. With their debut full length, things are different, the ideas are in sync are ready to bombard us with rebellion and chaos. Released a few months back, this one managed to sneak past me, in a moment of excitement I foolishly ordered an import copy from America, rather than checking Amazon... A silly mistake that cost me a pretty penny and had me waiting a few weeks more to listen. Given the bands underground vibe I figured it would be hard to get hold of but as everything is commodified these days its no surprise to hear they are signed to universal records with worldwide distribution.

The music is the message, and horror's message is a weapon, aimed at our societal norms and the values that need questioning. Kicking off with a child reading a corrupted pledge of allegiance, swearing loyalty to the nines, the duo fly head first into the critical mindset to set a spotlight on the perverse and corrupt. It rattles off at a sprint, flying through short burst of songs, swaying between its fast guitar thrashing metallic Punk and the dark, disturbed Hip Hop personas with an unusual ease. The styles are held together with a strong Industrial current of pounding mechanical drums and pumping, dense electronic synths that electrify the sound and give power to the wild energy the pairs dissatisfaction inspires.

Retaining a twisted atmosphere, the album drifts into its Hip Hop persona effortlessly, the tropes easily corrupted to fit the anarchistic mold, the fast shuffling Trap hi-hats and dirty sub baselines are menacing. "Hydrolics" takes up a fantastic opportunity to lace the track with a thick layer of sarcasm that serves their purpose well. Its a real collision course of sounds that the two use to forge a unique and distinct person that comes to fruition in the diversity through the track listening. Each time they lean into Industrial noise, Hardcore thrashings or devilish Hip Hop, it comes out the mixer with a distinctly different sound yet through all this diversity the album flows a charm.

I enjoy this record more so based on my mood and apatite, where sometimes it isn't as appealing or enjoyable. Objectively, I think all the positives here really add up to something special. As much as I like the idea of the chaos this duo brew, It isn't always my preferred taste. The way they have fused styles is inspired and unique and this debut full length comes together with a plethora of ideas and some solid direction. From here the coin could spin either way, I hope the continue to push and redefine themselves as the best could be yet to come.

Favorite Songs: Ware Is Hell, Face Tatt, Knuckle Up, United States Of Horror

Rating: 8/10

Code Orange "I Am King" (2014)

Code Orange's latest release Forever was certainly an intriguing listen when we look past the apparent upfront brutality. Released three years earlier, I Am King is the groups second release and one I am far more fond of, where Forever has a manipulating hand of mischievous intent that seems to intentionally derange the music, this release is much more conventional however they strike a balance where the unorthodox and heretic meddles within the walls of expectation.

Kicking off with a booming, harrowing synth, chopping in and out of focus the band fire up moments later with a manic wall of sound before dropping into a fiery guitar thrashing. It breaks to noisy dissonant chords, dense in atmosphere then jumps forward into a bouncy Nu Metal like riff. Then with a switch into a circle pit paced hardcore stomp, back to the wall of sound and then slamming into a beat down it sets us on a ride. You get the picture, its all over the place, back and forth, setting the tone for whats to come, a restless erratic energy that will switch and shuffle on you seamlessly, despite the difference, without a moment for you to rest.

All though this churning is true in parts, after the first track things seem to fall into place, each song focusing on its flavor of chaos that emerged in the opening calamity of styles. "Dream In Inertia" offers a different spice, its a slow dreary track of gloomy echoing acoustics and hammered out power chords slugging at a slower pace, the band come back to this on "Starve" and the two break the flow. It holds up well between a constant pummeling of ripe, enthusiastic fist thrashing heaviness of hard, angry music that's got the boldness to strike for atmosphere and use slow bludgeoning riffage as its weapon of distraction.

This would of been a much better introduction to the band. For thirty two minutes they have you at their mercy, within familiar conventions. The sprawl of aggression is menacing and it kicks hard and doesn't let up to its last breath which suits a short listen well. The albums production is rock solid and captures a lot of texture and tone in the guitars which is important in its dissonant and noisy sections. A much better record than its successor however that wild experimentation may have something yet to give. A mix between these to stages would be ideal.

Favorite Tracks: Slowburn, Alone In A Room

Rating: 8/10