Saxy S's Reviews

....Be honest with me here: does this review surprise you in the slightest?

Deathcore is such a tough genre to dissect since it borrows from two of the most frustrating genre's (death metal & metalcore) to create a new hodgepodge of sound. Some bands can do it well, while most others fail spectacularly. The main reason for these shortcomings come from a place of disregard for memorable songwriting in favour of sheer brutality. Like with Whitechapel last week, they were an act that could balance intensity with songwriting, but a long layover between releases means that someone has to come along and make quality deathcore.

Enter Shadow of Intent, a Connecticut based band that blended deathcore with both the melodic sounds of death metal from both Scandinavia and the United States, but also turned out to be incredibly influential in the rise of symphonic deathcore, anchored recently by Lorna Shore. While the bands first two albums are quite solid, there is a lingering feeling of timeliness to them; like if you don't play video games (Halo specifically), you will be left completely in the dark by both Primordial and Reclaimer. A band like Slugdge or Alestorm have become remarkably dull as they hold on to gimmicks far too long, but SoI (Shadow of Intent) dropped the theme from the previous releases and made something all their own with Melancholy.

You cannot really criticize SoI for leading the listener with false expectations on the opener "Melancholy". Everything you need from a symphonic deathcore band is here: string intros, palm muted guitar chugging, blast beats, varying levels of vocal range, and of course, breakdowns. But it also has a chorus, solo and the breakdowns stay in turn with the material that precedes it. It is nice to hear a breakdown for once that does not feel like it's disassociating from the rest of the tune. The clean singing during the chorus is a little offsetting; they remind me a lot of Cattle Decapitation's Travis Ryan and is the sort of nasal delivery that I will never understand its appeal.

"Oudenophobia" is the albums "ballad" so to speak. Not that such as thing can really exist on a death metal album, but the slower groove really stands out among the rest of the album. I found it to run a little stale as if it was an obligation rather than something put on the album with a lot of passion. The clean singing during the songs chorus does not sound quite as nasally as it has earlier on in the album. "Embracing Nocturnal Damnation" is a quick and brash change of pace as the main riff has tiny little influences to bands like Vektor and Revocation and embrace this bands technical side as well. I think having these songs back-to-back is a deliberate choice to put on explicit display the bands wide range of musicianship.

I would be remised if I didn't mention the ten-plus minute "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss"; my introduction to the band. As a progressive snob, as well as not a huge deathcore fan, this song surprised me in many ways. While I do think, after multiple listens, that "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss" is a little bit too overindulgent and does not stick the landing as originally thought, I still cannot deny the bands dedication to the idea. If there was ever a point on an album to be overindulgent, this would be the place to do it. After eight tracks of varying degrees of death metal, deathcore and symphonic metal, a ten minute guitar solo with style changes and two excellent grooves feels good. This is the kind of stuff that I meant when I reviewed Parasomnia so poorly last month. The ten minute, epic, progressive guitar solo becomes far more impactful when your band hasn't littered the entire album with it up to that point. If "The Shadow Man Incident" was an outlier, as "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss" is here, Parasomnia might have had a better fate. Instead, Dream Theater are dead, while SoI impress me with their vast array of sounds and styles. Unfortunately for the band, "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss" is not actually the albums last track, and returns to something more traditional with "Malediction" and really isn't that good to begin with, so it ends the album on a really weak note.

I think it was Daniel who pointed out in a Lorna Shore review a few years ago that the symphonic elements in deathcore sound remarkably cheesy, and at some points on Melancholy I can certainly hear that. I feel like the beauty in a record like Melancholy would be better presented through passages of silence, instead of littering every moment not filled with guitar, drums and voice with a string orchestra and choir. Some of them sound really good, and SoI sound even better when the symphonic elements are complimenting the death metal foundation. It does have its moments of being too much, but some of that can be mitigated by the more melodic death songwriting. This is a harrowing album that has many sparkling moments, but coalescing them into a whole can be tricky, especially when you consider the genres that are being merged here.

Best Songs: Gravesinger, Underneath a Sullen Moon, Dirge of the Void, The Dreaded Mystic Abyss

You always remember your first right?

My introduction to deathcore was This is Exile in 2008. Having not listened to anything heavier than Machine Head or Lamb of God at that time, I felt isolated by that album at first; even to this day, I'm still perplexed by it. Perhaps it was because of lowered expectations by the other similar bands from that time that This is Exile became my foundational deathcore album that I compare all others to.

In the years since, Whitechapel have gone on some wildly different directions. They created an alternative death metal album with The Valley and then doubled down and added progressive techniques with 2021's Kin. But in 2025, I could tell that something was up. For starters, Whitechapel have changed their nameplate back to the original, a moves that typically marks a rougher shift in tonality. "A Visceral Retch" was promoted in preparation for the new album and my hardcore friends lost their minds. And then those same friends bombard me while I'm on vacation telling me "IT'S THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR!" so I guess I'm caving. What do I think of Hymns in Dissonance?

"Prisoner 666" begins very ominously, before an explosion of sound hits your ears with a riff that is all too reminiscent of "The Saw is the Law". As the album carries on, it becomes apparent that Hymns in Dissonance is not trying to be Whitechapel status quo. While this album might be listed exclusively as "Deathcore" on RateYourMusic, that is not to say that the progressive metal from the last two albums is not present here. Listen to those choruses on "Prisoner 666" and "Hymns in Dissonance" and tell me that power chord accompaniment isn't inspired by Ne Obliviscaris or the recent Job for a Cowboy record Moon Healer.

It's apparent within the first two tracks with extended runtimes as well. A shade over five minutes might not seem like much to the progressive metal snob, but to a hardcore fan, this is heaven. And it is of course a very good thing too when the songs are well composed also. I enjoyed how the "breakdowns" on songs like "Diabolic Slumber" are presented and executed; like with Spiritbox just last week, breakdowns are connected to the material preceding it and makes these songs feel complete. Whereas songs like "Hymns in Dissonance" leave a lot to be desired with their outros. The back half of the album is far less progressive following the "Ex Infernis" interlude and, while a fun listen, leaves me with little to talk about. Very heavy deathcore feel, but brought into the modern era.

The album closer "Nothing Is Coming for Any of Us" confirms what I already suggested earlier in this review. Hymns in Dissonance is not Whitechapel remaking This is Exile in 2025. This is an album that has taken the lessons of those progressive albums like The Valley and Kin as well as the state of deathcore in the current day, while also adding some of the classic Whitechapel sound that made them such a household name in the scene nearly twenty years ago. The first half of the song uses the "breakdowns but slower" technique, while the second half turns into a instrumental feature. I'm not a fan of either of these two parts to be honest, but it is quite the change of pace from the run of songs that led up to this moment, and I appreciate the ambition.

Perhaps the record would be better with a cleaner production. Now, I should expect less given this is a Metal Blade production, but even the earlier Whitechapel records produced through this label didn't sound as overblown as this. Part of that likely comes from the instrumentation, which contains three separate guitar players. The reasoning has always been so that Whitechapel can play these songs without compromising during live sets, which is fine. But whenever the band has one of those patented vocal breaks, every single time the instruments return the mix warbles from the intensity and volume. It does get slightly better during the back half of the record, but it still creeps its head during every breakdown.

That mixing is what's gonna hold this back for myself and likely many others. Because on songwriting alone, Hymns in Dissonance is quite good. Whitechapel haven't sounded this angry since the self titled album and they've managed to merge it with their more progressive songwriting of the 2020s. Phil Bozeman has one of deathcore cleanest vocal deliveries, but even I had a harder time than usual trying to hear the words that were being said. If you want a real hardcore thrasher, I can see why you might consider this as your album of the year; this is very much the opposite to Lorna Shore's Pain Remains.

As for me, I can't hate this, but I don't love it. Hymns in Dissonance is the kind of record I hoped Moon Healer might be with its aggression. There are flashes of excellence here, but they are harder to see through the dark clouds.

Best Songs: Prisoner 666, Diabolic Slumber, Hate Cult Ritual, Mammoth God

BREAKING NEWS: Architects are heavy again.

This really shouldn't be news to anyone considering how poor Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit was. I had low expectations for an Architects album already and then Sam Carter and company dropped the biggest non-effort I've heard this side of the 2020s. It was right up there with Bastille as my worst albums of 2022 and for good damn reason. It was a record that promised accessibility, but butchered whatever character Architects may have had. Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit did not sound like an Architects album, but rather a procedurally generated alternative metalcore album that could be replicated by anyone.

The issue is not that Architects are going back to a heavier sound. What matters is will Architects actually sound like Architects? And so, The Sky, the Earth & All Between does show signs of improvement. Segments of "Elegy" and "Brain Dead" show the band embracing more of a hardcore sound. "Whiplash" and "Everything Ends" are closer to the mainstream accessible sound the band has been playing with for the last couple albums, while "Evil Eyes" has some decent hybrid action going on. The biggest issue with this album is that it lacks consistency; I like "Evil Eyes" and the opener "Elegy", but then the album hits you with "Broken Mirror", which I swear just sounds like a rejected Bring Me the Horizon song. 

The back half of The Sky, the Earth & All Between is so safe that I don't really have anything to say about it. The Amira Elfeky feature on "Judgement Day" could have been a bright spot for this record, until the main riff enters and it reminds me of AI generated metalcore again. The worst part about it is that none of these songs have anything ear catching; whether that be a catchy chorus, guitar solo, or compositional change of pace. They all do the same thing and a record that started off with potential gradually loses that momentum in quick fashion.

Now, I understand that it is unfair to criticize The Sky, the Earth & All Between by comparing it to Holy Hell, the band's 2018 record that served as a farewell/lament to their bandmate, Tom Searle. I really question just how much weight that must have carried because while this album does certainly sound like Architects, it also does not contain the same passion. And even then, this album is showing signs of a group desperate to stay relevant, and will incorporate as many modern trends into their music to do so. Some of them work, while others just...don't. Perhaps it is poorly outlined expectations by people like myself that an artist does not need to completely revamp their sound every album. Sleep Token are Sleep Token, and they do not need every 2010s metalcore group mimicking their style to maintain relevancy. Instead of being good at just one thing, Architects' The Sky, the Earth & All Between includes The Sky, the Earth & All Between, and isn't really good at any of it.

Best Songs: Elegy, Brain Dead, Evil Eyes

Spiritbox have returned with their second full length album following The Fear of Fear EP from 2023. The first thing that strikes me on the new record is how much heavier this is than Eternal Blue. The promotional singles for this record did not leave me with much hope. The promotion for Tsunami Sea was showing signs of this band continuing down the more accessible path with "Perfect Soul" being thee prime example. While not a bad song, it does sound eerily similar to some of Eternal Blue's weakest songs. 

So having been on vacation for the last week, I've had the chance to listen to this record freely for longer than most, and I was quite impressed with the result. This is by far the best project that Spiritbox have released since the 2017 EP. Even though the record does still implement many of the talking points that I've previously mentioned (most notably the "musical grab bag"), Spiritbox have claimed an identity and they are sticking to it throughout the entire album. The bands hybrid personality has become apart of their unique sound and that carries into the songwriting itself. This album has such a eclectic palette of song styles, song compositions and directions. And while some of them don't work (i.e. "Crystal Rose"), other songs like "Keep Sweet" and "A Haven With Two Faces" are very good.

Tsunami Sea is adding a few more electronic and industrial elements, which is new for the band and plays into that "grab bag" personality the band is presenting for themselves. In a way, this album can be seen as some kind of culmination of taking Iwrestleabearonce and making it accessible. On their own, none of these songs scream progressive or event avant-garde, but as a whole, Tsunami Sea does so much to change up from track-to-track that it gives off the passing impression of a progressive metal epic.

"But Saxy" I hear you moan, "what about the breakdowns? This is metalcore after all and you are a notorious hater of breakdowns." And while that may be true, it is only because modern metalcore bands do not know how to include breakdowns into a tune; insert a percussion buildup, a vocal break where the title of the song is shouted, band returns with a breakdown groove that is not connected to the chorus. And while Spiritbox do employ this mechanic here, it is breakdowns like on "A Haven With Two Faces" that make me think this band really are metalcore geniuses. The pure bliss that was felt as Courtney LaPlante sings "I watch as it floats backwards to me" and the seamless recurrence of the main band is the highlight of the album for me. 

Like I said off earlier, I think Tsunami Sea is the best Spiritbox record since the debut EP. The songwriting has improved tremendously, the album has a great variety of song styles, both in their aural presentation as well as the physical compositions. LaPlante's vocals are tremendous their range and delivery, and while the compression of the mix is a questionable choice, I feel like it adds to the groups dynamics during the records softer moments, as the heavier moments can sound tremendous at times. Like with all metalcore, the best waves are the ones that make you savor them.

Best Songs: Fata Morgana, Keep Sweet, A Haven With Two Faces, No Loss, No Love, Deep End

Killswitch Engage are one of those rare old breed of bands that understand the importance of delayed gratification. They have never been a band that have forced an unnecessary number of albums out the door in order to maintain relevancy in the ever changing metalcore world. And as a result, whenever Killswitch Engage release a new album, it's always welcome with praise and admiration, even if it is just the band on autopilot.

This time around, the album This Consequence has a five year window since Atonement, which I reviewed back in the day. When I reviewed it, I thought it was okay, but far too predictable. Howard Jones making guest appearances was memorable, but couldn't hold the album back from mediocrity. This Consequence meanwhile has some modulation from the typical KSE (Killswitch Engage) formula. The songs "Aftermath" and "Forever Ahead" nicely compliment each other in the track order with warmer textures and more melodic singing. While "Collusion" and "The Fall of Us" coalesce into heavy overload; with "The Fall of Us" in particular beginning with a black metal adjacent riff, before returning to some stronger death metal riffs during the verses. 

It isn't all sunshine for KSE. I for one was very disappointed by the overall sound of this record. The compositions are good, but the engineering just holds back on so many fronts. The first, and most obvious one, is the underdeveloped the low end of the mix. "The Fall of Us" is a perfect example of a song that desperate needs that strong foundation, when the lead guitar is tremolo picking. While the rest of the mix is slightly better, its only because the rhythm guitar remains present during the choruses of "I Believe" and "Broken Glass". KSE really needs to bring back that booming foundation that was so present on The End of Heartache or As Daylight Dies.

All of this said, I do believe that This Consequence is the best KSE since the return of Jesse Leach. It sounds like KSE, but it also sounds developed and the progression of Killswitch Engage as being more than just THE melodic metalcore band. They have the potential to add more influence into their music and have it sound pretty good as well. If they could do that with better mixing, This Consequence would be fantastic. But it is still quite the solid piece of melodic metalcore in the 2020s.

Best Songs: Aftermath, Forever Ahead, Collusion, Broken Glass

With all due respect to the bands previous catalog, it really is nice to hear Lacuna Coil returning to their roots of Comalies and not trend chasing. The bands previous number of records have all been plagued by trying to be something that Lacuna Coil is not. Whether it be the nu metal on Karmacode, or the atrocious metalcore breakdown chasing of Delirium. 

This is not to say that Sleepless Empire isn't a little bit indulgent. "Scarecrow" does begin with a very metalcore-esque riff, but Lacuna Coil are confident enough in that riff to make it a foundational piece instead of your typical ping-pong of riffs and never sticking with one. Cristina Scabbia's vocals are pretty bland if I'm being honest; while certainly some good moments, the main vocal melodies of quite a few tracks are monotonous. What that means is a lot of the main hooks come from the instrumentals. The riffs still have that metalcore foundation, but the inclusion of synthesized strings and orchestral arrangements do bring back images of the bands strong gothic roots. 

But the harsh vocals are a lot to take in. They add some intensity to the record that only appears in short bursts on records like Karmacode, but now they are a big part of the tunes. Reminds me a bit of Color Decay by the Devil Wears Prada and does run its course after a while and becomes predictable. The real issue though is when you have a Randy Blythe feature ("Hosting the Shadow") and it doesn't really need to be here. Sleepless Empire is already close to 50/50 on vocal splits, so the appearance of a guest vocalist (with a very similar vocal timbre might I add) is just odd choice and adds nothing. The track itself is one the albums faster paced tracks (good) and the one that exhorts the least amount of gothic metal energy (not good).

In the end, Sleepless Empire would be best described as an album in much a similar way. For every step forward the band takes (i.e. gothic revival, decent choruses, solid production), Lacuna Coil are just as likely to take a step back (i.e. 50/50 vocals, metalcore trend hopping). I think that the album does more good than bad, which is why I'm giving it a more generous score, but some really foundational issues continue to hold this band back from their true potential. 

Best Songs: Scarecrow, I Wish You Were Dead, Sleepless Empire

The second of my most anticipated early black metal albums for 2025 is Ottawa's Unreqvited. I've been lauding this ensemble since Empathica in 2020 and 2021's Beautiful Ghosts was a atmospheric/post-metal marvel. I always appreciated how well the songwriting here was above all else, especially since the band always did it without traditional vocals. Rather than using words to depict meaning, the voice was always used as a complimentary instrument, which highlighted both the brilliant instrumentation/production, but also the focus squarely on the melody.

But in 2024 that changed. "The Starforger" was to be the first promotional single for A Pathway to the Moon and it surprisingly featured spoken word vocals. And while my initial reaction was trepidation, I did come around to them. "The Starforger" has all of the mannerisms that one would expect from an Unreqvited song. But within the context of the album, the consistency just isn't there. For some reason, the heaviness that persists on "The Anitmatter" just does not pair well with the vocal timbre, and it may leave some questions as to how these two songs can be paired together on the album? It isn't that the vocals are bad, but the cleanliness in some of the execution just feels off. Unreqvited have always pride themselves on dreamlike atmosphere, so a cleaner, almost metalcore production can be a huge red flag for some.

Unreqvited are not well known for their pummeling black metal roots; instead choosing Alcest tempered shoegaze for their foundation. And the foundation here is still wonderful. Some of those melodic lines on "The Starforger" and "Void Esssence/Frozen Tears" are enough to make even the most stone faced of metalheads fall to their knees and weep. And they always manage to do it with fantastic production. I know I'll be in the minority here, but I for one really enjoyed the 90s R&B synth infusion on "Departure: Everlasting Dream" (hello Sleep Token) and much of the albums more traditional synth work on "Into the Starlit Beyond".

But where the album loses me is the pacing. I always preface this by saying songs like "Into the Starlit Beyond" and "Departure: Everlasting Dream" will sound wonderful on their own, but as apart of a record, they do fall flat. This fumbling occurs because Unreqvited have too many softer, post-rock tracks in a row and the intensity of A Pathway to the Moon just grinds to a halt. Perhaps this is conceptual; as a matter of fact, the entirety of this album has the perception of becoming consistently slower from "The Antimatter" all the way to its conclusion. But even by those standards, this record could use a jolt of energy interspersed between the final three tracks.

The ending is a stylistically appropriate touch where Unreqvited revert back to textural singing and end the album on an uplifting note. Beautiful Ghosts was a record that found me at just the right time. It was a record that had no explicit meaning or themes, but given my position in 2021, Beautiful Ghosts left me breathless. In 2025, A Pathway to the Moon does not find me at such a vulnerable time, so it's easy for me to criticize it more for its shortcomings. Bur even at its worst, A Pathway to the Moon represents another wonderful album, one that I will gladly take the cosmic journey again.

Best Songs: The Starforger, Void Essence/Frozen Tears, Into the Starlit Beyond, Departure: Everlasting Dream

The debut album from Clevland's Frayle is an odd listen. On one hand, I do enjoy the overall soundscape of 1692, the dreamy, doomgaze atmosphere is executed quite well and the ethereal vocal timbre of Gwyn Strang only emphasize this style. The dirge songwriting can become a little boring at times, but I think that is an general issue with doom metal as a whole. Either way, on this record the lack of rhythmic variety does cause some of the tunes to blend together after a couple listens.

This album major downside however is just how safe it sounds. While the record is pretty, it is lacking in true grit. I guess that is maybe part of this albums appeal, with its occult and anti-religious themes, but even then, the album can be a little dull. Songs like "Darker Than Black" and "Burn" have decent hooks, but some songs like "Godless" just run like a monotonous drone with no sense of direction. Maybe that makes the albums biggest issue the pacing? That sounds about right! The pacing of 1692 is a mixed bag, starting off fairly well with "1692", then adding harsh vocals on "God of No Faith" that don't flatter this style of doom metal, then a couple decent hooks and then record drones to its end. For an album that's only thirty-seven minutes, that kind of pacing is a monster problem. 

Might be worth checking out if your curious for some doomgaze, but there are certainly better options.

Best Songs: 1692, Darker Than Black, Burn

At the moment of writing this, I am sitting at my back window, staring out into the public park behind my home, enthralled by the sight of anywhere between 15-20 cm of snow, perfectly still, almost foreboding in a way. Suffice to say that I was in the perfect conditions to listen to the new Saor album. When I discovered Andy Marshall's Celtic/black metal band in 2016, it came at a wonderful time. I had just completed my undergrad and had spent the better part of two years not listening to any metal. That's when Guardians arrived and I was taken away to the plains of Caledonia and its atmospheric beauty, complimented by a monstrous album.

I understood many of the detractors on Saor's previous album, Origins. It was less so a black metal album and dug its feet in with its Celtic folk roots. And while I never saw that as a bad thing, the songwriting did take a noticeable downgrade. And the first thing I noticed when turning on "Amidst the Ruins" for the first time was how well the folk roots blended with the revived black metal framework; it's even better than before! The hook on the title track is not only vibrant, but also carries a lot of weight through the entire thirteen minutes. Carrying into "Echoes of the Ancient Land", the grandeur picks up with lots of countermelodies flowing through the track. The harsh/clean vocal combo sounds wonderful and not indulgent in the slightest.

The one true issue I have is the interlude "The Sylvan Embrace" although calling it an interlude might be a misnomer. This track is over eight minutes long and, while beautiful, does not need that much time to simmer. This is Andy Marshall's longest album since Guardians so I understand the need for a reprieve. But Saor have never been of the brutal style of black metal that you might expect from Watain or Spectral Wound. For something as melodic and pleasant as this, I don't really see the need for extended breaks like this one. By comparison, "Exile" on Forgotten Paths would have made for a more acceptable length of break here.

"Rebith" lives up to its title by channeling a similar energy to "Monadh" from Forgotten Paths as well. It's pretty much two songs in one and both halves are given love and care. The first half brings back the black metal weight that was missing following "The Sylvan Embrace" and might be the most intense song that Saor have ever produced. The second half is this simple melodic motif that gradually swells over time and transforms into an epic conclusion. I will say that I think "Rebirth" ends a bit abruptly? I know, it just feel like with Parasomnia, this album should release its epic conclusion onto us in those final five minutes, but it leaves a bit more modest than I would like. Saor should leave the listener with a sense of wonder instead of wondering. 

I will admit, like with Origins, I don't think this album is bad. In fact, I would say that Amidst the Ruins is the proper comeback that fans of Andy Marshall deserve; a more revived focus on the atmospheric black metal, with a newly invigorated take on Celtic folk music. And each song has its truly epic moments in them. But as a whole? Amidst the Ruins loses steam in its final two songs. I'm still gonna bite the bullet and buy this record on vinyl and give it a high score, claiming it as one of 2025's first essential listens, but if I'm in the mood for Saor, I might go back to older albums like Guardians and Aura first.

Best Songs: Amidst the Ruins, Echoes of the Ancient Land, Glen of Sorrow, Rebirth

For once, my Spotify algorithm doesn't dogpile with endless droves of AI generated music and the same three albums since 2015. Oubliette originate from Tennessee and are quite small in their reach, with only a couple thousand monthly listens. For the bands third album, Eternity Whispers, the atmospheric, melodic sound has been tampered with in favour of some more death metal tendencies. Even though I would consider them as primary touches to enhance the album, the black metal portions are exquisite. I really enjoy the melodies in the guitars and how they modulate from tremolo picking leads to arpeggiated post-metal breaks. They create an excellent change in timbre as the percussion acts much the same way. Some slower grooves, some heavy blast beats as well as passages where the drums aren't playing at all. The vocals sound good mostly, my one issue with Emily's singing is that it can be a mixed game where sometimes they sound pronounced and explicit, while others, such as on "Dreams of Nevermore" they can be pushed pretty far back in the hierarchy. The album has an instrumental ("Ember's Embrace") that features Ben Karas from Thank You Scientist, and the albums closer ("Vanish") has quite a progressive flare, leaving room for growth in the future. It also shows growth as an album, which is far more progressive than the Berklee jazz slop that Dream Theater releases these days. The record surely isn't without fault, but for a short, pleasant piece of melodic black metal, it's a great listen.

Best Songs: Primordial Echo, Consumed by the Void, Desolate Path, Ember's Embrace, Vanish

Regressive Metal

I have not cared for Dream Theater for a very long time. I think the last good Dream Theater album was Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and that album is over twenty years old at this point. The progressive metal giants have spent the better part of two decades regurgitating the same trends that album portrayed, albeit without any of the passion that made that album great. The hooks became sparser, the grooves were more sporadic, and band solos became way too prominent. Mike Mangini’s arrival as the band’s new drummer on A Dramatic Turn of Events was supposed to be a turning point for the band; they had just wrapped up their “twelve stages of grief” epic that spanned five albums and a change of roster could be just what they needed.

However, Dream Theater gave Mangini only passing status in the band as the rest of the ensemble carried on status quo. My breaking point came in 2016 with The Astonishing, because of how astonishingly boring it was. If you wanted to make an Ayreon album, why didn’t you just call on Arjen Lucassen to make one for you? Despite my trepidation, I did enjoy Distance Over Time with its return to writing memorable songs and not just an instrumental wank for twenty minutes. And you know what else? Mike Mangini got involved in the songwriting! I shouldn’t have been so hopeful that this band would stay in that lane.

After another completely boring experience with A View From the Top of the World, I find myself at the end of the rope. Dream Theater has one chance to surprise me: starting with the return of longtime drummer Mike Portnoy back on the skins. Is Dream Theater back, or is Parasomnia just another Dream Theater album?

The name Parasomnia ]already sets bad expectations; the portmanteau album title has already run its course and yet, both Portnoy’s former employer, Whom Gods Destroy, and Dream Theater are keeping this unwanted tradition alive almost fifteen years too late. The album kicks off with “In the Arms of Morpheus” and my fears are all but confirmed. This five-and-a-half-minute track in entirely instrumental as the members of Dream Theater pass the solo baton around over a handful of entirely unmemorable riffs. No melody is ever presented to the listener and it all just sounds so performative. I mean, of course it does, it’s Dream Theater! But the lack of a returning motif just makes this song feel empty. Leading into “Night Terror” we still wait patiently for a true melodic motif to show up and only after about three minutes, we finally get some semblance of melody. You might wonder how is this any different from the introductions to “Pull Me Under” or Metropolis Pt. II: Scenes From a Memory. Those instances are melodically sound; they stay in their lane until the vocal melody arrives. Beyond that, those grooves return later, representing connectivity, something that Parasomnia does not have.

“Dead Asleep” is a perfect example of a track that could have worked. There is a solid enough repetitive groove here to keep it connected, it has an okay chorus and is produced well. But the introduction is over three minutes of the runtime, it has a solo break that is way too self indulgent for how slow the main groove is and ends on an entirely new groove not shown anywhere else in the song! The only option to keep this groove around is add another chorus, but the song is already over eleven minutes long and I was already dead tired when the final notes faded away [pun intended].

“Bend the Clock” had a chance to be the albums saving grace. It starts off calming enough, LaBrie’s vocals enter over a piano and acoustic guitar groove, and early on too. The song grows into its chorus, which sounds great (reminds me a little bit of “The Glass Prison”), there is a short solo after the second chorus and proceeds immediately into chorus number three. It’s a very typical pop song formula, but it works, which is why it has stuck around for so damn long. But then I realized something that maybe I wasn’t supposed to; during the third chorus I looked down at my song tracker and it showed me that “Bend the Clock” still had another three minutes of runtime. I thought to myself “the song is over; what could Dream Theater possibly do to fuck this up?” Then the key change happened. Petrucci goes into a wank solo that is completely isolated from the rest of the track and the groove modulates into something different as well. It’s unwarranted, it’s uncalled for and it turns something good into something really bad.

“The Shadow Man Incident” ends the album after almost twenty minutes of what I can only describe as a “musical grab bag”. Almost every Dream Theater trope from the last thirty years has been dug up and put into this smorgasbord of a track. You have soft, clean guitar intros, a triplet infused bridge, lyrics that are way too disjointed and disconnected, and an interlude solo break that takes up more than half of the song. The band takes turns at getting a solo chance, and it’s fine, I guess? The showmanship of the band is impressive and basically turns into a lost Liquid Tension Experiment song, but given the band has already shown us this earlier on in the record, it does not hit. This is supposed to be the albums climax and the pinnacle of Parasomnia, but it loses its grandeur because Dream Theater already blew their load about seven songs too early. The album concept? Would be great if The Human Equation didn’t do this same theme twenty years ago.

What happens now? Do I have to revoke my prog snob card because I think the Parasomnia is bad? No. Because to be progressive, you must be willing to push boundaries and go beyond. I have said before that Meshuggah bores me; they are immensely talented, but the music is so bog standard and unmemorable because it lacks focus. Dream Theater are comfortably in the same boat here. You cannot deny the impressive virtuosity of all of the players on display here, but their execution has become so incredibly lousy and uninspired. Nothing about Parasomnia is progressive; this is the same Dream Theater album that they've released for the last twenty-five years. Parasomnia is the epitome of Berklee jazz, and I hate it. But like clockwork, they’ll be back in another two/three years with more of the same goyslop. “Are We Dreaming?” no my friend, this is reality; a true, unending nightmare.

Best Song: Midnight Messiah

Aborted have been around for a long time; since the late 1990s, but they play a style of music that has never resonated with me. Brutal death metal and grindcore are genres that I frequently avoid, but was asked by some of my more mainstream adjacent metal friends to listen to the newest record from the band, Vault of Horrors. This was perplexing to me given the bands track record, and scene kids love their chugging breakdowns. The track listing made it all make sense. This isn't a typical Aborted album, but rather an Ayreon album where every track has guest feature vocalist from varying popularity of deathcore bands. From Shadow of Intent to Signs of the Swarm, Archspire to Ingested. If you spend any amount of time in deathcore circles, you will know at least one of these guest features bands.

Right out of the gate you might pick up on the issue here. Aborted are making brutal death metal, almost to the point of deathgrind, and then they bring in a whose who of deathcore vocalists? Suffice to say, the style of music on display here is the farthest it has ever been from grindcore. I think the record has its moments: some decent melodies on "Dreadbringer" and "The Golgothan", but more often than not they kind of blend into the background. The intensity of this album is pummeling from start to finish and leaves very little room for development/growth. Individual tracks just flounder and as a whole, Vault of Horrors gets derivative quite quickly.

The production is not great; never would have guessed that from a record published by Nuclear Blast. Because it's deathcore, the main objective in the mixing is to have everything played at maximum volume at every moment. It turns into a cacophony of sound where everyone is trying to be the focal point of the song, and it just turns into every instrument shouting at one another. The worst moment occurred pretty early on, but the penultimate moments of "Brotherhood of Sleep", just before the breakdown sounds atrocious. 

Aborted are an old band so they do have some freedom play the safe "legacy" game for the remainder of their careers. But they decided not to do that. I can give them credit for stepping outside of the comfort zone, but the execution is pretty subpar.

Best Songs: Dreadbringer, Death Cult, The Golgothan

All That Remains are one of those mid 2000s metalcore bands that is either loved or hated. If you love this band, it's probably because they were just a heavier Killswitch Engage. If you didn't like All That Remains, it's probably because they were just a heavier Killswitch Engage.

Albums like The Fall of Ideals and Overcome were pretty solid albums back in the day; a good blend of melodic hardcore with some visceral heavy portions, complete with some really good guitar shredding. Now it's been seven years since the ATR (All That Remains) album and it kicks off with a bang. The double kick drum and Phil Labonte's scream on "Divine" are reminiscent to "This Calling" on The Fall of Ideals. And that intensity stays pretty consistent throughout the record. There is a nice blend of huge down tuned, almost death metal riffage, combined with some of the more mainstream accessible power chords, soaring melodies and guitar solos. Labonte's harsh vocals are just as impactful as they were the first time I heard "This Calling" and they do not change throughout the record. His singing though is much more restrained and held back like it has been on the last couple of albums. When paired with the harsh screams, the singing comes across as neutered. It's almost as if ATR is trying to stay true to their past, even though they cannot physically be that band anymore.

AntiFragile leaves me with a feeling of confusion. On one hand, I appreciate the album for its generally longer runtime since it feels like a complete project. Too many modern metalcore acts cut corners and release albums that are so safe and unchallenging; riff, harsh verse, sung chorus and done. This album has all of this, but not always in the same order. This album has connecting bridges giving them more character. From thrash and death metal, every song has a guitar solo break where a lot of metalcore has ditched this practice entirely. This should all be in ATR's favour, but then I remember what band I'm talking about. These are all tropes and trends that ATR have already largely employed during their golden run. Sure, they might be trends that metalcore has abandoned, but they aren't trends that can be easily forgotten. And as someone who lived through the hayday of melodic metalcore, I can hear this nostalgia farming from miles away. As a result, most of this album just...happens. It has a few standout moments, but they are few and far between.

I will not deny that you can have a pretty good time with AntiFragile if you just turn your brain off and reminisce on a previous era of metalcore. And newcomers might even like this album more because they never experienced the mid 2000s. But by ATR standards, you have heard this record before and would break under the pressure of previous ATR albums.

Best Songs: The Piper, Poison It, Let You Go

Someone once told me that melodic death metal was a dying genre. Perplexed, I asked how can that be because I was listening to plenty of melodic death metal bands at the time, but then that friend told me to look at the names of those bands again; how many of then were "true" melodic death metal and not a hybrid into metalcore or progressive metal? And they were right! Melodic death metal as a unique entity in the 2020s has lost so much of its identity since its Scandinavian infancy. It's time for someone to bring the genre back to the way it once was.

Enter Upon Stone, a fairly new L.A. band that looks to put the "death" back in melodic death metal. The sound of their debut, Dead Mother Moon is very inspired by Children of Bodom. The riffing quite memorable and has a strong presence of clarity. Because the record does not bend and runs a complete runtime with harsh vocals, the clear guitar leads are essential as they carry this records main drive and it sounds pretty good. And the record does not borrow too heavy from thrash by transforming into a guitar soloist wank fest, although the leads and solos sound technically impressive. 

All of that being said however, the albums bonus track is a cover of a Misfits song, "Dig Up Her Bones". I think this track can give us some deeper insight into Upon Stone's influences: one is that they are really nostalgic for old school, classic punk/metal sounds. The Misfits are pretty self explanatory, and the melodic death metal sound through the rest of the album is right out of the Scandinavian school of Children of Bodom, At the Gates and perhaps even early Amorphis. The other insight is that, despite their love of European melo death, they are still an American band and they should take advantage of this when releasing new material in the future. I'm not quite sure how they would do this, since the American melo death sound is just melodic hardcore at this point, but maybe Upon Stone can carve their own path in the future.

If that is the case, then I would like for them to do it with a better producer. The intentional reverb throughout the record does sound nice and nostalgic, but we could easily do away with that mix piercing snare drum. There were several instances; I first noticed them on "Onyx Through the Heart" as well as "The Lantern", where the percussion is really busy and keeping a fast pace, and the snare drum is just constantly going and it was actively distracting me the rest of the way. There were times in which I would get completely lost and would not have been able to hear anything else. Perhaps this is just a personal issue, but if these songs were great and my review poorly represents those tracks, I wouldn't know because all I can hear is SNARE SNARE SNARE SNARE SNARE!!!

As of this moment, I can see where Dead Mother Moon works well; it sounds like a well oiled machine that has spent a long time listening to its influences, and is now attempting to bring them into the modern age, without resorting to tired metalcore trends crossing over into death metal. The counterpoint is that Dead Mother Moon may represent another band whose philosophy is "mEtAl wAs SO mUcH bEtTeR 20 yEaRs aGo" and would rather retread the path of giants instead of creating a new one. 

Best Songs: Dead Mother Moon, My Destiny; a Weapon, To Seek and Follow the Call of Lions

What would happen if you took the brutality of early death metal giants like Cannibal Corpse and Cryptopsy, and proceeded to spice them up with Imperial Triumphant's technicality and progression? Well you'll likely end up with something similar to Noxis. This band was a recent discovery And I was quite impressed by the result.

I do have to stress that this kind of death metal is not my strong suit; I do like progressive music, but Noxis are a little bit too far off the technical side then I'm comfortable with. That being said, the songwriting capability on Violence Inherent in the System is very memorable. Even though this album does have some wild tempo and style changes throughout the individual songs, something about them feels interconnected. Riffs are not as quickly discarded as they are introduced to the audience, instead these riffs are mutated almost to the point of unrecognizable as the song progresses, as the songs main motifs are blended together into something new and exciting, creating a cacophony of sound at the end of tracks and really embracing the brutality of its early influences like Cannimbal Corpse and Dying Fetus.

Whereas the Imperial Triumphant comparisons come through in the albums engineering and production. It is alarming (nay, I say unheard of) where a bass can receive so much prominence on a death metal record. Metal music as a whole has a terrible habit of leaving a true fundamental part of the band hanging out to dry while the down tuned guitars try to mask this deficiency. More often than not, these projects, whose main objective is to sound heavier, end up becoming quite the opposite. With Violence Inherent in the System, no such issues exits. Paired with a bass drum that is not overcooked where it sounds like my ears are popping every time a kick is played, and suddenly, the records more ethereal moments, like the bridge on "Tense and Forlorn" do not emit a sense of deflecting. Despite the style change, it still feels heavy and creates a feeling of belonging, even if it may only serve as an interlude before more technical death riffage.

The album certainly starts to become more progressive as it chugs on, with the most direct change happening after the interlude "Excursion". "Horns Echo over Chorazim", "Violence Inherent in the System" and "Emanations of the Sick" begin to include more instrumental solo breaks, which is not only a nice change of pace from the relentless riffage of the first half of the album, but their appearance is not so forceful and demanding that it distracts from everything else, like it would with thrash records. But that begs the question: what do I think of the solo on "Horns Echo over Chorazim"? For the first real solo break on the album, it does feel a little out of place. The drastic timbre change and instrumentation is a little alienating... but you notice it. Just when you think Violence Inherent in the System is beginning to slow down, out of nowhere comes a clarinet solo to slap you across the face and bring your attention back solely to this record. You might be disappointed that it is the only appearance of such a solo on the album, but its introduction to part 2 is emphatic and sets the pace for the rest of the album as well.

I do enjoy Violence Inherent in the System. For the type of influence that it takes, it has never been a style that enthralled me. Technical death metal is far outside my comfort zone of normal listening although I have opened my eyes to such sounds in recent years. And while this record does have its moments that make me sigh and murmur "here we go again..." I also think it has enough new trends to stand out among the contemporaries, rather than just copying the greats, as most 20 Buck Spin death metal bands do these days. A sure recommendation from me, even for those who are hesitant about technical/progressive death metal.

Best Songs: Blasphemous Mausoleum for the Wicked, Abstemious, Pious Writ of Life, Torpid Consumption, Horns Echo over Chorazim, Tense and Forlorn

Despondency Chord Progressions is quite a tough album to dissect. I went into this album expecting it to more dissonant, as the opening track "La encarnación de todos los miedos" suggested. Afterwards, this album became far more of a progressive affair and the dissonance served more as a embellishment to stronger songwriting than I expected. Unfortunately for Selbst, nothing within this record feels like a true songwriting gem; rather the album has some strong grooves that are very enjoyable while I am listening to them, but not sticky enough to remain in the listeners memory for very long, or even the musicians ears. Any semblance of a true motif is hiding behind the wall of black metal reverb and effects, limiting the potential of both the guitar leads and the harsh vocals.

When these sounds are present, they sound great; it really feels like a well constructed blending of both melodic and dissonant tendencies, to go alongside a strong balance of pummeling black metal and restrained post-metal. But, my issue is that these two contrary ideas are just that: contrary. They are kept separated instead of blending the two together into a cohesive juggernaut of a metal album. Instead we are left with an album that is more disjointed and lost than I think Selbst would have liked.

I'm not saying that it's a bad record; far from it. As it comes to quasi post-black metal, there are a lot of ideas that work. But bringing them together is a real challenge and I'm not quite sure Selbst pull it off quite fully yet. I have a feeling this album will get better with a few more listens.

Best Songs: Chant of Self Confrontation, The Stench of a Dead Spirit, When True Loneliness is Experienced

A completely unremarkable djent/metalcore album from a band that has been quite unremarkable since I started listening to them (which granted is not that long ago).

If you've listened to any mainstream metalcore album over the last five years, you are already well aware of what the next forty minutes have in store. Are there eight string guitar riffs which are used as a shield to hide the existence of a true bass? Yes of course. How about formulaic pop song structures, complete with harsh verses and sung choruses? In droves. Monotone chorus deliveries by the vocalist? Check. Uninspired atmospheric instrumentals before whipping the listener into a djent fit of rage? You bet. And don't forget about those soft synthesized interludes!

I really wonder how much of this has to do with the bands roots as a symphonic deathcore band. That is not to say that I think Make Them Suffer should not change their sound, but the song themselves feel far less inspired and do a lot less to drive the listeners forward. Each song has the exact same tempo and follow the same verse-chorus formula. The alternating male/female vocals only help the record so much; credit where it is due, either vocal timbre is not limited to just doing the harsh or clean vocals. But when the band cannot do anything to compliment the vocals, it creates a massive problem for the rest of the recording, which just feels like an afterthought.

Make Them Suffer absolutely fall into the category of a singles band, similar to that of Lamb of God. Unlike Lamb of God however, Make Them Suffer supplementary material is significantly worse than their singles. If you checked out this album simple off the promotional singles, it doesn't get much better than that.

Best Songs: Epitaph, No Hard Feelings, Ghost of Me

Before I started listening to music on a critical level, I begrudgingly enjoyed a couple of Megadeth's early records because all of my friends hated Metallica. I knew about Dave Mustaine's history with Metallica and, of course, the drastic style changes of thrash metal between the two bands. I think most people who enjoy the early Megadeth records (Killing is My Business through Rust in Peace) like how uptempo they are, the riffage and the solos. No one in their right mind is listening to a Megadeth record for the lyrical themes.

Now that I am older and have listened to a lot more music, I find Megadeth are just plain boring. When I listen to thrash in 2025, my go to classic names are Metallica, Testament, and Kreator, while bands like Slayer and Megadeth lose me every time. As for Rust in Peace in particular, I can provide credit where it is due, for a late 1980s thrash album, this is produced wonderfully (amendment: I am listening to the 2004 remix version of the album). Besides the messy guitar solos, every instrumental part is articulate and David Ellefson's bass lines are given a lot of presence to give the songs on this record huge momentum. And even though I've never really enjoyed Dave Mustaine's vocals, this early 19990s era of Megadeth, including albums like Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction are some of my favourite vocals timbre's of his.

But now we get to the juicy parts. I know my opinions on thrash metal are far from conventional, considering I have gone on record multiple times and said that Reign in Blood is the weakest of the big four 1980s thrash albums. Like with that album, Rust in Peace represents a tired trend in thrash that does not resonate with me. That trend being a complete disregard for writing memorable hooks and instead making a rif-fest and hoping for the good favour of the neoclassical fans with endless guitar solo wanking. I'm no pop apologist who thinks that guitar solos don't belong in music, but they have to be tasteful and Megadeth filling each song to the brim with blistering solos is the antithesis of tasteful.

The compositions are also very patchy. Both of the albums bookends "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Rust in Peace... Polaris" are divided into two distinct passages that do not belong together. I hated the constant increase of intensity on "Hangar 18" as well. The sequencing does stable out during the albums middle portion with "Take No Prisoners" and "Lucretia" having a decent form, strong groove and less intrusive soloing. And I cannot deny that the first half of "Rust in Peace... Polaris" is really great. But when it comes to sequencing, because Megadeth don't modulate any of their songs to different key centers, after a brief period of time, even the records more infectious riffs become a chore since we've already heard them earlier in the album. "Poison Was the Cure" borrows heavily from the first section of "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" while the finale of "Rust In Peace... Polaris" sounds really cool, it can't help but but use a similar tempo and key as "Take No Prisoners".

I cannot state it enough times for risk of getting crucified that thrash is a hard sell for me. I don't hate the genre, but I am disappointed in what it has become. As thrash moved further and further away from its speed metal roots with Slayer's Show No Mercy, early Helloween and Venom, melody becomes an afterthought in the genre. And no thrash band of the 1980s suffers from this more than Megadeth. Metallica seemed to do just fine during their legendary run, which is likely why Mustaine left the group in the first place. Rust in Peace is an album that should have been put to bed a long time ago.

Best Songs: Take No Prisoners, Lucretia, Tornado of Souls

Another 2024 catchup album and this one comes from the Portuguese black metal band Gaerea. Although calling Coma black metal might be of a false flag, since the album has more in common with the progressive side of death metal. At best, Coma might be one of those progressive death/black metal hybrid albums that are rare, but are becoming more common in circles I visit.

Nevertheless, Coma does have it strong suit moments. I really enjoy the production on this project; the dynamic shifts between the clean post-rock and the ferocious extreme metal passages is pulled off exceptionally well throughout the albums runtime. And despite the harsh vocals requiring some getting used to, I really enjoyed their texture. The vocals are pronounced (which is rare for black metal) and not over-compressed in a cavern of reverb. 

Unfortunately, this is an album that suffers from diminishing returns the longer it goes on. When the album begins, it's good; an elongated post-rock opening before "The Poet's Ballet" opens up into the aforementioned death/black metal hybrid that will become commonplace through the rest of the record. "Hope Shatters" is great and "World Ablaze" has a cheeky post-hardcore feel to it and reminded me of a Svalbard tune in the best way possible. But after the title track, "Coma", the album seems to revert to a very familiar sound and doesn't feel engaging with the audience; songs become formulaic and become interchangeable with the others, the main melodic motifs in the vocals and guitar become less emphatic and more post-metal texture rather than something memorable. The experimentation of song progression through "The Poet's Ballet" and "Suspended" is forgotten as shorter, more intense tracks become the regular.

Coma is a record that has aspirations that are pulled off mostly well. True black/death metal crossovers are much less frequent than you may think, so hearing one that is as blatant as this makes it a decent jumping on point. Although the album does fall into familiarity after a while, it still does leave some echo of uniqueness to it. 

Best Songs: Hope Shatters, World Ablaze, Unknown

2024 may have been a really good year for me personally, but musically, the past year has been an enigma. I listened to a ton of new music in the alternative and progressive metal plains, including progressive death metal. As such, I found more than ever that metalcore was always being pushed forward to the top of my listening schedules. And while I doubt 2025 will be any different, my ventures into other genres of metal have become incredibly stale in recent years. So 2025 is going to be different; I am making an effort to explore more Fallen, Pit and North albums. These might not necessarily be new releases (such as today's album), but it would really help to boost up my review numbers in each of these clans. It will also serve as a great opportunity for me to declutter my back catalog!

2025 kicks off with Pittsburgh's Deathwhite. The bands 2022 album, Grey Everlasting, Deathwhite start showing signs that they are developing their own identity instead of just copying early Katatonia. It isn't a complete deviation from the sound, so fans of that 2000s gothic sound will surely find a place at home with this. But these compositions turn out to be rather forgettable. To their credit, Deathwhite does an adequate job of masking the lack of motivic development in their music through alternating sound palettes (i.e. acoustic versus electric guitar phrases). But the progressions of these songs run really flat as the vocals run monotonous, which is to be expected since the instrumentals don't modulate or grow that much at all. A key change or a modulation would have been great for the albums variety.

As for the production, I can't say that it was all for the best. Previous Deathwhite albums have many more faster passages to break up the doom-and-gloom gothic overtones. But on Grey Everlasting, they live up to that title by making that emotional reaction the mainstay. I think I heard only two blast beat grooves in the percussion on this entire forty-eight minute album, and those tracks turned into the albums highlights. Overall, this songwriting decision hurts the albums back half because it becomes very repetitive and songs like "Asunder" pay for it.

Perhaps the progressive nerd in me expected something else, even though the songwriting techniques are drastically different. I would guess that Katatonia fans will find this acceptable, especially since it is much closer to traditional doom metal than Katatonia. But I just found the album tired and frusturating.

Best Songs: Earthtomb, Quietly, Suddenly, Grey Everlasting, Formless

Imminence return less than a year after The Black with what I would have assumed were the demos or B sides for that record. But, it turns out that this record is, in fact, the re-release and ten year anniversary of the bands debut record from 2014. 

Unfortunately, The Reclamation of I takes two steps forward, then takes one step back. Imminence returned to form on this album when it came to writing infectious hooks and choruses. The way in which the band is able to gracefully pass melody between guitar and vocals is excellent. The choruses are also much more expressive than The Black and Heaven in Hiding.

Notice that I only mentioned the guitar and vocals when it came to melody. The big step back that this record contains is how little of the violin melody is incorporated. Given that this is the bands debut, I can accept that they wanted to stay true to the original article, but this would have been a amazing opportunity to make that record even better. I caught onto Imminence late, but I always thought of Imminence as being a simpler, more accessible version of Ne Obliviscaris; sonically at least. These two bands couldn't be anything else alike, since Imminence play very traditional melody/harmony metalcore, while Ne Oblivscaris are known for intricate contrapuntal performances. But now, with this neglection of this very crucial, and definitive part of the bands sound, Imminence would seem to have become just as formulaic and generic as any other modern metalcore band in 2024. 

In short, the album is fine. The compositions are solid and the vocals are its true selling point. However, if you were expecting this as anything other than a by-the-book replaying of the bands 2014 debut album, you are going to be severely let down, as I was.

Best Songs: Proclaim, Salt of the Earth, Those Who Seek

Times are not good for the Greek black metal outlet, Rotting Christ. After the bands change of style in the late 2010s began incorporating more symphonic elements into the music, many fans of the group stopped watching this band from a distance and began to turn away from them entirely. I, on the other hand, saw it as a nice change of pace for the group that felt like they were turning a new leaf on their career instead of staying the course with some pretty forgetful melodic black metal.

Unfortunately, Rotting Christ have not seemed to do anything with this sound beyond the initial attempt. I think that Pro Xristou has a diverse sound palette, but it sounds remarkably tedious and boring. The album is less black metal than ever before and much closer to a gothic doom metal, but Rotting Christ have only picked up on the most basic traits of that style of music. In short, Pro Xristou has no personality of its own. The vocals are performed even more dramatically artsy than even the last album, The Heretics as it transforms almost into ritualistic hymns. The melodic leads on this album are non-existent and it quickly turns into background noise after just a few tracks. This Christ has been fully composted.

Best Songs: La Lettera Del Diavolo, Pretty World, Pretty Dies

From St. Louis, Summoning the Lich are making death metal for scene kids. Now that might sound like a humongous insult, but The Black Dahlia Murder have been around and always managed to stay hip with those hardcore kids. So it's only natural that someone would come along and double down on this audience.

Many other metal forums say that Summoning the Lich are just Black Dahlia Murder worship, but I'm not sure I get that impression from Under the Reviled Throne. There are a lot of fast moving, technical passages here; plenty of high intensity riffage, blast beats and alternating between death metal howls and deathcore screeching. What Summoning the Lich does well with this album is not making these songs just sound like technical wanking and have some well composed songs on display. They might not be the most memorable in hindsight, but in the moment they sound well composed with some detail given to melodic dominance. It almost gives me a hint of Allegaeon in its presentation, which I was certainly not expecting. The breakdowns are not as intimidating as the modern deathcore breakdown; they act more as momentary reprieve's before the heavier death metal returns, which is how breakdowns should be incorporated into death metal anyways. 

Under the Reviled Throne is an album that shows a lot of promise on the outset, but in execution, the album seems to have run out of tricks in the bag about half way through. I was getting tired of the triplet feel transition on every song, I was getting frustrated that almost ever track followed the same structural format, and I really wasn't a fan of how Summoning the Lich disguised this lack of variety through key shifting. The bass lines are also severely lacking and makes the mix of this record feel less heavy as a result. It's a decent album with some good moments, but not worth the full runtime given how repetitive it becomes.

Best Songs: Reviled Crystal Wielders, The Carrion Fleet, The Void Gate

From Chicago, Huntsmen's brand of sludgy post-metal can be interesting at times, but I feel like this band lets the more progressive compositional techniques get in the way of decent song structure more than they would like. While the band has some really good ideas on The Dry Land, it has a tendency to sound like these motifs haven't been fully realized before the tracks move into a completely new pattern, while leaving the first motif to rot. It leaves me with a bad first impression as "This, Our Gospel" is ruined by a floundering theme. The album does objectively get better as it progresses, but they still do peak through the poor songwriting throughout the record.

The biggest thing I think is the drastic dynamic sways on The Dry Land. Songs like "Lean Times" and "In Time, All Things" have solid crescendo's and work wonders for individual song pacing, but as a full album, the intensity of the percussion and chordal guitars, mixed with doom-y post-metal interludes creates a bit of a whiplash effect. Add to that a very hit-or-miss production where the bass is alarmingly absent for many of the records most important moments (i.e. the intro of "In Time, All Things") and we find ourselves feeling quite underwhelmed.

What we are left with is a band and album that shows plenty of potential; earworm/progressive songwriting, dual vocals, and phenomenal sense of dynamic control, while still being held back by some tired progressive trends, spotty production and meandering. 

Best Songs: Cruelly Dawns, In Time, All Things, Rain

From Germany, I was surprised when I was going through my year end lists for 2024 and noticed that I had not reviewed the Future Palace album, Distortion. I found this very surprising because one of this albums promotion singles, "Malphas" did cross my desk last year and I figured that would be enough to at least have this record come to light. Better late than never I suppose.

However, I'm not sure that is a net positive for Future Palace since I've now spent half of the year with Reliqa and it leaves Distortion feeling hollow. If it isn't the production sounding super thin and tinny in the guitars, or the predictable song structures, it's the album structure slowing the album to a crawl by its conclusion. They are able to save it with "Amethyst," if only barely. I don't like how this album thinks it's more epic than it actually is. The inclusion of synth strings on a number of tracks (i.e. "The Echoes of Disparity" and "They Take What They Want") feel forced and unnecessary for an album whose main guitar contributions are wall of sound trance grooves. I do like the vocals from Maria Lessing and the variety that is on display here, as she alternates from warmer singing style to harsh metalcore belting. The rap vocals aren't bad per se, but compared to Monique Pym of Reliqa they act like they've been given forced intensity and it loses some grandeur. And I can admit that Future Palace do know how to write a good chorus once in a while. But once in a while doesn't cut it when the rest of the album is cookie cutter octanecore. Beyond a couple of early album singles, Future Palace turned out to be much more forgettable than I would have hoped.

Best Songs: Malphas, Dreamstate, Amethyst

From Finland, Counting Hours are making some of the best gothic doom metal I've heard this decade. Each song on The Wishing Tomb has a superb atmosphere and melancholy. The vocals are very engaging and very memorable, and the harsh death vocals serve as accentuation instead of being the records focal point. Compositions manage to remain tuneful throughout the project as they modulate between the guitar and vocal leads. The Wishing Tomb does not meander either; this is still doom metal, but even then, Counting Hours keep songs concise and on topic, even the longer tunes like "The Wishing Tomb" and "This Well Of Failures." Production is pristine with a fruitful bass with its own independence from the power chords of the guitar. And the synths act as accents to an already solid foundation instead of overwhelming the entire mixing of the album. I know there isn't that much to say about The Wishing Tomb, but it encompasses nearly everything that I love about gothic doom metal and I can't believe it took me this long to hear it.

Best Songs: Timeless Ones, All That Blooms (Needs To Die), The Wishing Tomb, No Closure, This Well Of Failures

From New York, Grey Skies Fallen have been around for a while and have stayed relatively obsolete in the greater doom metal scene. But seeing a positive review from Sonny gave me confidence that a smaller act could make a dent in my Fallen year-end-list for 2024. So what did we end up getting with Molded by Broken Hands? Well, a lot actually.

Molded by Broken Hands is death doom, epic doom, gothic metal and perhaps a little funeral doom with its compositional techniques. Grey Skies Fallen have a wide soundscape in their music and makes this record oddly progressive in a way. And the album is very well put together all the same. Just listen to those wild tempo/style changes during the bridge of "No Place For Sorrow." Normally I wouldn't be the biggest fan of such wild changes (especially on a doom metal album), but despite the lack of preparation, their incessant nature makes them super endearing. 

I won't lie, first impressions of this album were not great with the opener "A Twisted Place in Time" for the reasons that were mentioned previously. But as I already mentioned, Grey Skies Fallen have a way of making these seemingly unrelated phrases work together through songwriting and repetition. And through that songwriting, the album stays engaging up to its final notes. A few of the doom metal albums I've reviewed recently all have the same problem; where the record does not do nearly enough in the soundscapes/compositions and leaves the album staggering to its conclusion. Grey Skies Fallen, fade out ending withstanding, end Molded by Broken Hands with the same level of commitment to the work as they did at the start. "Knowing That You're There" has the same heart and soul as the opener because it hasn't been bogged down by seven similar sounding doom dirges previously.

The production can be a little shaky at times, but it's mostly good. I like how the synthesized strings are not present throughout the entire album and only appear occasionally for additional weight. The bass presence is felt tremendously helping the albums thematic arc. If anything, it's probably the harsh vocals that sound the most out of place. They aren't horrible, but they tend to sound too fry and hushed, while the booming, gothic cleans tower over the instrumental. At least the record has a decent mix of harsh-to-clean vocals so it isn't as upfront of an issue.

The albums ending on a slightly optimistic tone only exemplifies this albums variety and why I enjoy this album as much as I did. Grey Skies Fallen are making high quality doom metal under almost everyone's noses and yet no one bothers to stop and smell the roses. 

Best Songs: Molded by Broken Hands, I Can Hear Your Voice, Cracks in Time, Knowing That You're There

From Spain, gothic doom metallers Helevorn's fifth studio album is decent, if a little formulaic. Everything that you could expect out of this kind of a record is here, with very little in the way of growth. The instrumentation stays standard with its guitars, bass and vocals most of the way, with only a handful of synthesizer passages for variety. Even the vocals have a lifeless, bass-y delivery like Type-O-Negative. I would not disparage anyone who stopped listening midway though.

I think Espectres' biggest issue is that the opening three songs all seem very predictable and all have similar traits. However, the album makes modest changes to the formula during the second half and reignite my interest. The fact that it takes that long to get going is the real issue here however. So structure takes what may have been a okay album, into one that feels even more forgettable.

Best Songs: The Defiant God, Unbreakable Silence, The Lost Futures

From Colorado, The Flight of Sleipnir's brand of doom metal is listed on RateYourMusic as "Pagan Black Metal." Does it have melodic leads in the guitar constructed by tremolo picking patterns? Yep. Does it contain the patented harsh, shrieking vocals? Absolutely, although not as frequent as previous records. But that alone does not make Nature's Cadence a black metal album. Just because it borrows from a band like Panopticon when incorporating dark folk/country techniques, does not make it black metal by comparison. 

The music itself though is brilliant. I am a big fan of the country interludes on "Madness" and how they help that song change themes before building the song back up in intensity. Of course those themes are closely related so it never feels like the band has just shoehorned two separate ideas together. In addition, the album flows very well between each track; never leaving the impression that these songs weren't meant to be played collectively. Even "The Woodsman," which can barely be classified as metal, is a great track because of how well it is prepared by its predecessors.

That being said, even though the albums structure is superb, I can't really stay engaged with it because just as it starts getting good, the album ends. I think a lot of this has to do with the ten-plus minute "North" to open the album. It almost gives me the impression that the band were planning on giving "North" all of their love, while the remaining four songs were just to fill out the runtime, when that really did not need to be the case. Songs on this album are warm and lively; they don't need to be bogged down by almost twelve minutes of droning.

Nature's Cadence is a solid piece of doom metal that should be right up my alley with its folk-y roots and pristine production. But the album seems to contain too many small things and not enough time to rectify them. Maybe I'm just too pessimistic and this album will grow on me with more listens.

Best Songs: Madness, The Woodsman, Wanderer

In a futile attempt to clean up my metal listening in 2024, December (and likely into January) is the month I will be bolstering the more extreme clans here at Metal Academy that I frequent the least (i.e. Fallen, Horde and North), so there are going to be a lot of short little blurbs about a handful of records I heard in 2024. Hopefully, I'll be able to do something a little bit more timely come 2025.

From Sweden, Kvaen is a one man melodic black metal project with pagan tendencies. This is the third album and the first to be released under publishers Metal Blade. Being one of heavy metal's most prominent record labels left me cause for some concern at first, and then I heard "Tornets sång" and it all made sense.

Sure, this might be a black metal album at its core, but you cannot listen to "Tornets sång" and tell me it does not sound like In Flames. I think that song in particular brings to light many of this records technical deficiencies. When the album has the black metal aesthetic on singles like "The Formless Fires" and "The Ancient Gods," the record sounds fantastic. When Kvaen starts to delve too heavy into those In Flames-esque melodic death tendencies, the guitar becomes too intrusive in the mix and become far too centric.

What may come as a surprise to newcomers is the thrash/speed callbacks on "Traverse the Nether" and "Basilisk" as they did with me. I know that these genres form the basis for the original black metal sounds, and I think the intensity is warranted and well executed, but on they can feel a little too spaced out as part of a full listen. Even then, calling The Formless Fires spaced out is a great misrepresentation of the album since most of the songs here feel cut short or missing a final chorus or something. Most of the album consists of fadeout endings on "The Wings of Death" and "The Formless Fires," but they never feel like they've reached the end of their statement. It makes an album that is already quite short feel even shorter.

Within The Formless Fires is a decent framework of a melodic black metal album. Good variety, strong melodic form and a mostly decent production. Compositionally, this album is desperately lacking; give a couple of these songs one final refrain and you have an excellent release. As it is, The Formless Fires has potential, but just like a fire, it loses its form after all the firewood has burnt up.

Best Songs: Traverse the Nether, The Ancient Gods, Basilisk

In a futile attempt to clean up my metal listening in 2024, December (and likely into January) is the month I will be bolstering the more extreme clans here at Metal Academy that I frequent the least (i.e. Fallen, Horde and North), so there are going to be a lot of short little blurbs about a handful of records I heard in 2024. Hopefully, I'll be able to do something a little bit more timely come 2025.

From Germany, the fifth release from the atmospheric blackgaze group Ellende starts off broodingly slow and melancholic through the intro in order to prepare the listener for the depressive state of the rest of the music. When the black metal instrumentation enters on "Ballade Auf Den Tod," you can feel the hauntingly sad beauty behind this dance. And that emotion comes through in the production which is full in its scope; a fully functioning bass line to give this album some weight in its lower half. Songwriting is kind of lackluster, but for this style of black metal, where texture rules the day, the repetitive, droning nature of the tremolo guitar leads allows for these emotions to remain stagnant, which I assume was the bands intention.

Unfortunately for Ellende, I feel like they have this emotional technique down a little too well. With the depressive lyrical themes and tempos that only seem to get progressively slower as the album continues, Todbringerin is dangerously close to transforming into a doom metal album. This album would certainly benefit from having more tracks like "Verachtung" in the middle of the tracklisting to compliment the brooding of "Scherben" and "Versprochen..." And perhaps this is a personal anecdote, but I'm listening to this album on the first major snowfall of the season, which comes with its own emotional weight, so perhaps a record this emotional was not the best choice for a end-of-the-year cleanup.

Anyways, if doom metal is up your alley, but you wish it could have more tremolo picking guitars and shrieking black metal vocals, then you'll likely find a home inside the cold embrace of Todbringerin. Otherwise, I can tell that this is a good album, but something about it just doesn't sit right with me.

Best Songs: Ballade Auf Den Tod, Scherben Teil I, Verachtung, Am Ende Stribst Du Allein

In a futile attempt to clean up my metal listening in 2024, December (and likely into January) is the month I will be bolstering the more extreme clans here at Metal Academy that I frequent the least (i.e. Fallen, Horde and North), so there are going to be a lot of short little blurbs about a handful of records I heard in 2024. Hopefully, I'll be able to do something a little bit more timely come 2025.

From the budding Montreal black metal scene, Spectral Wound return following 2021's A Diabolical Thirst with another audible assault of classically influenced black metal. Songs of Blood and Mire hits you right out of the gate with a cacophony of sound from the blast beat percussion, tremolo guitars, an actual bass line, and barely audible screeching vocals. And in this case, it actually works to Spectral Wound's benefit since it directs most of melodic focus on the guitar, which does sound quite fruitful in its presentation, execution and development. The punk aesthetic that shows up on "At Wine-Dark Midnight in the Mouldering Halls" is a stylistic choice for the band and leaves the listener with a different style of intensity than experienced before. What's more is that these punk grooves do appear sporadically throughout the rest of the album for some nice reprieve. "Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal" is the, relatively speaking, cooler song on the album where melody reigns supreme and rage takes a backseat. It likely would have been a better track if it had been saved maybe a song or two later.

I will say that Songs of Blood and Mire is a better record than A Diabolical Thirst and that will likely be enough for most. However, like with the last album, I found the record to get a little stale during its second half as many of the variations to the sound became less prominent as the record dipped back into a very comfortable melodic black metal approach. The first four track of the album are worth the price of admission alone, but the record goes on for too long with not enough variety to warrant the extended runtime. 

Best Songs: Fevers and Suffering, At Wine-Dark Midnight in the Mouldering Halls, Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal, A Coin Upon the Tongue

Amazing to think that this album even exists considering how important former vocalist Trevor Strnad was to the Black Dahlia Murder's songwriting process. However, that is not to say that the rest of band were not able to capture Trevor's essence inside Servitude and release a very solid album. This album still feels very comfortable in the melodic death metal ways, but the band isn't afraid to step outside of that steamy comfort and pull the string back for some slower, pummeling riffage on "Mammoth's Hand." The new vocal styling's of Brian Eschbach have a familiarity to them, while still sounding providing some original personality to the band in Trevor's stead. I wouldn't go so far as to call it essential listening since it is still the Black Dahlia Murder and finding variety in their music (and melodic death metal in general) can be a losing game. Compared to albums like Nocturnal and Ritual, even with a new vocalist, Servitude feels like status quo Black Dahlia Murder. Not that this is a bad thing; this band are still making quality, meat-and-potatoes melodic death metal in 2024 and I'm still giving this as good of a recommendation as I can. Think of this band's discography as comparable to Lamb of God; nothing new or innovative, but a top quality refinement of a niche.

Best Songs: Cursed Creator, Evening Ephemeral, Transcosmic Blueprint, Utopia Black

This is undoubtedly Poppy's most consistent album since leaving the world of pop behind. A large portion of that must come from how the album feels like a large culmination of sounds of the past; the songwriting of Poppy Computer, the heaviness of I Disagree, and the cleaner sounding metal production of Flux. Negative Spaces also has the distinction of having a handful of synth heavy tracks interspersed throughout the tracks. To go along with the calmer interludes tracks, they pair well and help with building the album up instead of feeling like an all out romp. Poppy's vocals are without a doubt, the albums biggest fault as her screams are... lacking to put it lightly. I think that the variety of timbre on this album however saves the vocals from becoming grating as they do on an album by say... Knocked Loose. I'm not expecting many to appreciate this sound the way I do, but as a full album experience, this space is more positive than expected.

Best Songs: They're All Around Us, Vital, Crystallized, The Center's Falling Out, New Way Out

The second full length album from Ukrainian black metal outfit, Labyrinthus Stellarum, is one of these projects that shows a lot of potential anchored by a unique sound. Vortex of the Worlds is the kind of pleasant sounding black metal album that traditionalists might scowl at. It reminds me of a more concise version of a Mare Cognitum album with great soundscapes and a keen ear for melodic storytelling. It does remind me in a way of the tendencies of bands like Burzum and Summoning with its synthesized tones and interludes rather than the relentless impulses of Vorga. But these sounds have been modernized and now carry with them a vastness of reverberation that sound gorgeous behind the vocals, and the wall of sound compositions. The one true weakness found within is the structure of the album; while I won't deny that "Transcendence" and "Downfall" are both pleasant sounding tracks, the real jewel's of Vortex of the Worlds are found in its second half, with "From the Nothingness" and "Vortex of the Worlds" being the obvious standouts with how wonderful the melodies are. Luckily, you won't have to wait very long for those songs since this albums runtime is almost criminally short. If the albums structure was more balanced (even without the inclusion of one additional track), this could have been one of 2024's best albums. But as it stands, it is still really great and would be a great addition to those craving another atmo-black band with dungeon synth incorporation.

Best Songs: Transcendence, From the Nothingness, The Light of Dying Worlds, Vortex of the Worlds

It seems like the longer VOLA sticks around in the progressive metal sphere, the further away from their identity they get. Now this comes with its own sets of residual effects, but for progressive metal, it can sometimes turn into a net positive. But VOLA were never one of these bands that threw away the concept of melody, harmony and motivic development in their music for the sake of elongated song structures, with face melting guitar solos. 

And, wouldn't you know it, the newest VOLA album, Friend of a Phantom, will likely not have the same gradual effect as the band may have intended. If anything, there are more similarities between this and Soen's 2023 record Memorial, as the truly progressive aspects of the songwriting are gone. Now, VOLA sits as a singles band with the occasional djent breakdown to quell the crowd. And that might surprise you, since the first track, "Cannibal" is one of the heaviest that VOLA have ever made. Thanks in large part to the harsh vocals of In Flames' Anders Friden, you would be forgiven thinking that "Cannibal" was going to be an accurate representation of Friend of a Phantom, but that could not be further from the case.

The grimier sound quality continues into "Break My Lying Tongue", but it kneecapped by a distracting synth lead that is persistent throughout the songs choruses. But following that, this album goes into the status quo of VOLA alternative metal. And the hooks are not even as good as an album such as Witness to back it up. It has good moments sure (i.e. "We Will Not Disband" and "Hollow Kid") but they seem more spaced out than ever before.

At least the production is solid. This record has a great sound to it; all of the records most important parts are given center stage during their respective tracks. Whether that be the dogshit synth on "Break My Lying Tongue," or the vocoder harmonies of "Glass Mannequin." Even the albums djent-ier breakdowns are presented with polish and precision and also contain a semblance of motivic growth through them. The structure of the album however is not a strong suit. The album starts heavy, but becomes progressively slower and mellow as it persists and leaves me feeling like it runs too long for its own sake.

I will admit, Friend of a Phantom left me feeling underwhelmed. I'm not quite sure what I expected from VOLA with this album given their track record, but this felt lazy and uninspired. It almost feels like they want out of the progressive metal sphere and would rather take a place in the spotlight as an above average alternative metalcore band. The result however is losing a piece of what made VOLA so popular in progressive forums in the first place. The individual songs might be decent, but it's hard to separate them from the full artwork.

Best Songs: We Will Not Disband, Bleed Out, Hollow Kid

It takes Better Lovers just fifteen minutes to bring the rush of memories back to Every Time I Die's popular brand of southern metalcore. And the result is something that sounds really cool, but I feel like it could have done a little bit more.

Part of this is how similar this EP sounds to the aforementioned band and the inclusion of Greg Puciato on vocals does not change much. Perhaps I was kind of expecting a little bit of a pivot that would differentiate Better Lovers from Every Time I Die, but perhaps it was also a compositional decision in order to quickly bring in old fans who could easily pick out that sound and style.

As for the compositions themselves, they aren't too bad. "Become So Small" and "30 Under 13" certainly have some wallop to them, while the cleaner "Sacrificial Participant" and title track have a nice alternative feel and show off the bands melodic side. The instrumentals are punchy and gritty, while Greg's vocals are decent as well, but likely at their worst on the opener "Sacrificial Participant", if only for their lack of dynamic growth.

Overall this is a decent debut EP for Better Lovers that, once again, will fill in the missing hole in your heart left by Dillinger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die. However if this band wants to be more than a simple nostalgia act, they need to modernize and improve the formula in some way or another, otherwise this animal will go extinct before its had a chance to reproduce.

Best Songs: 30 Under 13, Become So Small, God Made Me an Animal

I can say with utmost certainty that Every Time I Die was not apart of my go-to metalcore bands during the 2000s. I never disliked them, but in comparison to the festival metalcore that was popular late in the decade and even into the 2010s, they never crossed my mind. That said, I was surprised by the “mainstream” pivot with records such as Ex Lives and Low Teens late into their career, with some of Low Teens still serving as regular playlist fodder for me.

When ETID (Every Time I Die) broke up, it left a noticeable hole in the metalcore scene, since their brand of southern metal was one-of-a-kind. And it became a huge deal when three of ETID’s members were heard in studio with ex Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist, Gerg Puciato. And thus, Better Lovers came to be. The bands debut EP (God Made Me an Animal) was a wallop of southern metalcore that was certainly fun, but also felt too like the other band.

Highly Irresponsible by contrast is a record that has the distinct sound of ETID, but with a little extra flavour. The album is grimy and lacks polish, but the instrumentals have a bit more flare than one might expect from a classic ETID album. It should be all the makings of a disaster record, yet somehow the southern rock influence remains constant throughout. Highly Irresponsible sounds ferocious.

Greg Puciato might have something to do with that. The vocal delivery of Puciato is very different from Keith Buckley. And if I’m being completely honest, Puciato’s vocals fit the intensity and style better than Buckley. These vocals are distinct and lack the clean polish that were present on previous Dillinger records. But the vocals are not perfect; I do not remember Puciato’s clean singing being this hit-or-miss, however some of the cleaner songs like “A White Horse Covered in Blood” have this eerily out-of-tune vocal presentation that does not sit well with me.

The compositions are varied, which is nice, but lack consistency. You can hear sporadic mathcore influence from Dillinger Escape Plan, some straightforward bangers from classic ETID, as well as the more melodic side of that band that was present on Low Teens. Some songs are catchy, like “Future Myopia”, but other like “Superman Died Paralyzed” just scream album filler. Meanwhile, the ending is odd. “At All Times” has the classic sound of resolution on a metalcore album, only for “Love as an Act of Rebellion” to show up and rip the band-aid off for one more assault; it felt like a classic bonus track on a physical album, but without the secret.

This record might turn out to be a grower for me. While I do like Better Lovers for their blending of styles from their previous endeavours, it almost feels like too much of a good thing. Highly Irresponsible shows the love for Every Time I Die and that these mates still have plenty left in the tank to offer us. However, in doing so, Better Lovers created an album that is missing polish. I am willing to let it slide for now, but it would be irresponsible of me to give them the benefit of the doubt in the future.

Best Songs: Your Misplaced Self, Future Myopia, Deliver Us From Life, Love as an Act of Rebellion

I've come to expect nothing from a new Devin Townsend album. Devin's discography is eclectic from industrial, avant-garde, alternative, country and even broadway musical. So I entered PowerNerd completely blind, which was the right call. And my impressions of it are good, if not a little disappointed. The more accessible stylings of the instrumentation and compositions are solid enough, but lack focus during the albums middle. Melodic development has always been a calling card of Devy and PowerNered is no exception. Instrumentals can be quite dull as the wall of sound production leaves portions without vocals or melodic instrument flat. And the album is bookended in a dumbfounded way. "Ruby Quaker" might be my favourite metal song of the year and no I am not sorry, and "Falling Apart" is great as well, but why are they the first and last songs of the album? Where was this melodic punch through the remaining ten tracks? 

Perhaps it is the persona behind the act, but I expected a little bit more from PowerNerd. There are great moments at this albums beginning and conclusion, but not a lot else in the middle. Maybe Townsend just wanted to play it cool for an album, which is why this sounds so much closer to Addicted than anything else. And I think that is fine for him, but I could use a lot more of that punchy songwriting that I know Devy is capable of.

Best Songs: Ruby Quaker, Falling Apart, Gratitude, Younger Lover, Glacier

I watch a lot of baseball in my spare time. And I always find it unusual when a rookie gets the call who is the son of a former major leaguer. In that moment I can feel the wrinkles on my forehead becoming more dense as it means my youth is getting further away from me. It's even weirder when that father was a really good player; perhaps even a hall of famer. How can your son possibly live up to the enormous standards that you set nearly twenty years ago?

Vended is the musical equivalent of this. Founded by Griffin Taylor, this nu metal act has the insurmountable task of bringing nu metal to a new generation...while also having familial ties to one of its greatest figures: Corey Taylor.

And yes, just like those sons of major leaguers, Griffin Taylor does have many mannerisms that are very similar to his father. Vended sounds like if you combined the aggressive, misanthropic lyricism of early Slipknot and merged it together with the heavier groove aspects of a band like Lamb of God, with just a tiny sprinkling of death metal techniques as well. The percussion of this album is closer to that of later Slipknot records like All Hope Is Gone and We Are Not Your Kind, with a more poppier sound instead of sounding like trash (literally).

Besides these deviations, you already know what to expect once you hear about the relationship between Griffin and Corey Taylor. The album has some solid hooks, but they feel disjointed from one another with plenty of filler. The instrumentals are performed/produced well and the vocals are very indebted to Corey, but they also have some death metal grit that even early Slipknot records could not replicate. The albums short runtime is a bonus, but it still feels like a lack of development is taking place, and is not helped at all by a final three tracks that feel like fragmentary ideas.

A lot of my criticisms can boil down simply to "if you like Slipknot, you'll like this." And as someone who has made their criticisms of Slipknot well known in the past, it should not surprise anyone that this really isn't my cup of tea. I can hear interjections within Vended's music that make me believe that they could have a profitable future, but they first need to step out of the shadow of their idols before that can happen.

Best Songs: Am I The Only One, Nihilism, Serenity