Weekly Roundup: August 1st
Featuring Fucked Up, A Knife in the Dark, Loma Prieta, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Skullcrusher – “Whatever Fits Together”
With a name like Skullcrusher, one would be forgiven for thinking this was some kind of intense metal outfit with gore-drenched lyricism and a violent sonic palette. Imagine my surprise then when I actually listened to singer-songwriter Helen Ballentine’s material and found beautifully rendered, lush indie folk instead. It’s one hell of a fake-out but well worth the listen, believe me. Watch the haunting video for her latest single, “Whatever Fits Together,” below:
A Knife in the Dark – One Way Needle
North Carolina straight-edge crew A Knife in the Dark burst onto the scene last year with the release of their Somewhere Between The Pew And The Fire EP. I certainly enjoyed that release, but I was curious to see where they’d go from there. Returning with a new three-track offering, One Way Needle, the quintet appears to have doubled down on their raging metallic hardcore sound, intensifying and condensing the heaviness while adding dynamic variations and punishing grooves. Stream the EP in full here (Spotify).
Soot Sprite – “Lazy”
Okay, so admittedly I hadn’t really heard of Devon shoegazers Soot Sprite before pulling together this week’s roundup. However, my wife is a big Studio Ghibli fan, so the name tapped into a recall centre in my brain and forced me to confirm what was happening. The good news is that the UK trio package bright and fun instrumentation with a relatable and incisive lyrical edge that belies their carefree shimmering bounce. I’m definitely about it. Listen to “Lazy” here.
Fucked Up – Oberon
Ever-busy kitchen sink punk sextet Fucked Up are set to follow up their one-song-in-four-acts Year of the Horse release with a new 12-inch titled Oberon (out October 7th). There also seems to be a mythic bent to this latest collection of “psychedelic sludge” tracks, with lead single “Strix” taking its name from an owl-like creature of Roman mythology that would routinely feast on human flesh. Very grim. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Loma Prieta – “Sunlight”
For years, Loma Prieta have been shrouded in metaphorical darkness. Their last formal release was 2015’s devastating Self-Portrait, and since then, they’ve been relatively quiet on all fronts—except for 2020’s Continuum b/w Fate two-track single. Well, not anymore. The Bay Area screamo quartet burst back into focus with the radiant “Sunlight,” a track that’s as harsh, jagged, and moody as one would expect after seven long years away. Here’s to hoping we get new album news soon. Listen to “Sunlight” here.
nightlife – ntb / fallback
I’ve been enamoured with Baltimore trio nightlife ever since I came across the video for their debut single, “New Low,” midway through 2021. Their three-track EP of the same name was one of my stand-out EPs of that year, with an “effortless and cohesive sound” that managed to pull together “smooth croons, funky vibes, and infectious grooves.” On ntb / fallback, the group’s latest two-track single, that sense of booty-shaking groove remains, this time suffused through with even funkier production, lavish horn sections, and saccharine vocal theatrics. Stream the two-track in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
You Me At Six – “Deep Cuts”
It’s absolutely wild to me that UK alternative quintet You Me At Six are gearing up to release their eighth (!) studio album. In my head, the band are perpetually stuck in 2011 on bills alongside heavy brethren Bring Me The Horizon and While She Sleeps. And yet, with their first taste of Truth Decay (forthcoming in 2023), the Surrey outfit aren’t afraid to show some growth. This new track sounds like Bloc Party covering Red Hot Chilli Peppers while also factoring in the need for a gargantuan pop-punk hook. Watch the video for “Deep Cuts” below:
Implore – The Burden of Existence
As a general rule, I seek out pretty much anything new that pops up from Church Road Records. They’ve become the gold standard for exciting heavy music tastemakers, and they’ve yet to disappoint. Their latest inclusion comes from Austrian metallic hardcore four-piece Implore, who are set to release their upcoming The Burden of Existence LP through the label on October 28th. Expect gnarly riffs, hardcore barks, and crunching beatdowns tailor-made for a nasty headbang. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Funeral Chic – Roman Candle
In my Wayback Machine list covering the Best Albums of the 2010s, I heaped a shit tonne of effusive praise on Superstition, the 2018 LP from blackened crust outfit Funeral Chic.
On that record, the North Carolinian quartet appeared to “revel in their own violence as an exercise in perverse torment: an empty glass cracked on your skull; the jagged twist of a prison shiv; the sizzle of the electric chair; a hand grenade clutched between two closed fists.” While I still enjoy that album all these years later, I often marvel at how “a collective of pissed off junkies that aren't high enough for your shit anymore” could make something so grimy and thoroughly pissed off sound so fun.
And this is why Roman Candle, the group’s recent follow-up effort, is already one of my favourite records of the year. Funeral Chic have managed to keep things fast, dirty, and suitably evil, dialling up the blackout party vibes to 11 while also sticking to the golden rule of rock ‘n’ roll: everything is better with sax.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify