Mindshift – Horizon

 Melodic death metal has two variations for me: really, really good (Amon Amarth, Despite) or needs more work (none come to mind right off the top of my head), and thankfully enough Mindshift’s debut full length “Horizon” is really, really good to say in the least. Now I could argue that this is also deathcore with there being singing and screaming all throughout the album, but I’ll just keep it simple and leave it at melodic death metal. This whole album gets both my thumbs up though with the heaviness being constant within the intense riffs that Mindshift pulls off … Continue reading Mindshift – Horizon

Let Them Fall – Of Kings & Heroes

 If you were to say to me that metalcore mixed with a medieval theme to it a few weeks ago, I would’ve laughed in your goddamn face and said that that’d never work in a thousand years. Well, son of a goddamn bitch, it must’ve been a thousand years already because medieval themed metalcore is exactly what Let Them Fall’s brand new album “Of Kings and Heroes” is. It is a very nice mix of atmospheric sounds combined with metalcore that I will say wasn’t absolutely fantastic, it was dynamic in its own way and it brought a whole new … Continue reading Let Them Fall – Of Kings & Heroes

On Scalar Waves – Sequence

 Deathcore has always been a weird genre for me because when it comes to “core” music I prefer to just stick with my selection of metalcore and leave it at that, but deathcore is weird for me because I feel like a lot of times the bands can just leave it as death metal and call it a day. But On Scalar Waves’ new album “Sequence” is what I will from now on refer to as my template for what deathcore truly sounds like without straying too far towards metalcore (so much “core” today!) or death metal as I said. … Continue reading On Scalar Waves – Sequence

Hybrid Nightmares – The Second Age

 As the second entry into an epic saga of the downfall of man, Hybrid Nightmares’ “The Second Age” does not lose any of the magnificence that was all over their previous album “The First Age”. In fact, the overall quality of the sound, structure, and melody of “The Second Age” has improved by a great deal with the addition of calmer, instrumental tracks in this album instead of the constant black metal vocals, guitars, and drums that while done amazingly well can get a little unimaginative at times. The best example of this that is shown in this album is … Continue reading Hybrid Nightmares – The Second Age

Hybrid Nightmares – The First Age

 This album is definitely something else for black metal in terms of meaning and story telling since Carach Angren’s arrival on the scene. Hybrid Nightmare’s second EP, “The First Age” is the first of a four-album saga that tells the tale of man’s rise and eventual downfall at their own hands. This makes for an epic tale that has an amazing beginning and at this rate will have a pgenomenal finale whenever the fourth and final entry comes out. The harsh vocals off of “The First Age” are impressively done and have a real black metal feel to them that … Continue reading Hybrid Nightmares – The First Age

Enemies – Bind Me A Wreath

 Music that goes under the genre label of “hardcore” to me is basically just punk with more metal elements (e.g. longer tracks) and a slightly more polished sound to it while still retaining that raw feel to it, of course. But Enemies’ new album “Bind Me A Wreath” has a (in my opinion) higher quality than other hardcore albums I’ve heard with more technicality and passion behind this album which can be felt if you really take in the music. Each track is intense and it just has your constant in-your-face sound to it that never ceases for the entire … Continue reading Enemies – Bind Me A Wreath

Northland – Downfall and Rebirth

 Folk metal has always been synonymous with bands such as Ensiferum and Korpiklaani, but now we have one band who is one the road to such fame as those bands and that is Northland. With their second helping of death-infused folk metal “Downfall and Rebirth”, Northland have proven that their self-titled debut wasn’t just a fluke, but that they know what the fuck they’re doing and the exact sound that they want to bring to the masses. Telling of nature’s vengeance upon man and the creation of another civilization out in space, “Downfall and Rebirth” is an epic tale of … Continue reading Northland – Downfall and Rebirth

Seventh Oar – Ordalicum

 Metalcore has always been bittersweet for me with some bands being phenomenal, and others . . . not so much. Seventh Oar’s new album “Ordalicum” is thankfully the first of those two with this album being one of the best metalcore albums I’ve heard since Killswitch Engage’s last album. The intensity of this album is certainly something that you don’t see a lot in metalcore without deviating into deathcore, and yet Seventh Oar have done just that seemingly without breaking a sweat. All 5 tracks off of this album are heavy and they have that special touch that only metalcore … Continue reading Seventh Oar – Ordalicum

Allfather – No Gods No Masters

 If you’ve been looking for an EP that has elements of anarchy with a sludge/doom metal performance and being all around badass then look no further than Allfather’s brand new EP “No Gods No Masters”! This album is certainly a piece of work for sludge/doom metal fans with the vicious vocals and ripping guitars than fans of both genres should have their mouths watering over in no time at all after they press play for this impressive opening track “The Great Destroyer”. And even though “No Gods No Masters” only have 4 tracks that doesn’t mean that Allfather is limited … Continue reading Allfather – No Gods No Masters

XII Boar – Pitworthy

 I’ve heard of shock rock, I’ve heard of rock’n’roll, but never in my life have I heard of metal’n’roll and I wish I had before! XII Boar (pronounced Twelve Boar) have brought a new sound to that of shock rock and made it more metal, more awesome depending upon who you are. Now when I say “metal” I’m not saying hardcore vocals or growls, the vocals are still that of shock rock and put out a nice groovy (if I can say that word) feel to each and every song off of this impressive album. The part where the metal … Continue reading XII Boar – Pitworthy