Weekly Roundup: February 15th
Featuring Freddie Gibbs, The Armed, Hayley Williams, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Freddie Gibbs – “Gang Signs” (feat. ScHoolboy Q)
Gary, Indiana-based MC Freddie Gibbs returns with another hood banger in “Gang Signs.” With a smooth Pilgrim and FaxOnly-produced beat and a collaboration feature from ScHoolboy Q, the track is our first taste for Gibbs’ upcoming ESGN 2 project. And if last year’s Grammy-nominated Alfredo was anything to go by, it’s going to be another project to watch. Check out the animated clip for “Gang Signs” below:
Hayley Williams – FLOWERS for VASES / descansos
Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams has surprise dropped her new album, titled FLOWERS for VASES / descansos. While not a sophomore follow-up in the traditional sense, Williams considers the 14-track record to be a spiritual successor or prequel to her 2020 solo debut, Petals for Armor. Recorded at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, FLOWERS for VASES is Williams at her most stripped-back, at once disarmingly vulnerable and brutally honest. Stream the album through Spotify here.
Black Totem – “Dead Meat”
Look, no one does death ‘n roll better than Danzig, but Finnish rockers Black Totem certainly give it a red-hot go. Taken from their forthcoming album, II: Shapeshifting (out February 26th through Svart Records), “Dead Meat” is a catchy gothic tune, with mystic harmonies, throttling bass notes, and howl-at-the-moon vocals. If you’re feeling spooky, check out the track’s video here.
Whispers – Narok Bon Din
I love seeing hardcore in non-hardcore places, and Thai warriors Whispers absolutely crush it on Narok Bon Din. Meaning “Hell on Earth” in their native tongue, this six-track EP is pure 90s metallic hardcore fury, with heavy riffs, punchy percussion, and blistering vocals. For fans of Merauder, Kickback, Arkangel, and moshing other people into oblivion. Stream the full EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
messier – “Salt Water Flush”
New from SideOneDummy Records comes Finnish troubadours messier and their lead single “Salt Water Flush.” Taken from the trio’s forthcoming debut, On Malaise, this is anthemic punk rock in the vein of The Menzingers and The Flatliners with a great chorus hook and catchy rhythms. Listen to “Salt Water Flush” here.
Fucked Up – Year of the Horse
Indie-punk collective Fucked Up have been doing their own thing for twenty years now, and I guess time really is a flat circle (thanks Nietzsche). The ninth entry in their Zodiac release series, Year of the Horse is set to another be expansive, conceptual epic of multi-layered rock soundscapes. Stream the sprawling 19-minute opener “Act One” from the record on Bandcamp here.
Sanguisugabogg – “Dead As Shit”
While I’m not even capable of pronouncing the band’s name without having an aneurysm, Ohio quartet Sanguisugabogg offer up the kind of filthy, groovy, disgusting death metal that the world so desperately needs. Watch the track’s hilarious, NSFW, Newgrounds-inspired video below:
The Armed – ULTRAPOP
No one on this God-forsaken planet does sonic dissonance quite like The Armed. Find me another eight-member strong art collective that can effortlessly weave together punk, hardcore, indie, and noise rock this cohesively, and still be bold enough to call their record ULTRAPOP, and I’ll eat my metaphorical hat. Stream the album’s searing single “ALL FUTURES” here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Mind Power – Self Torture
I’ve missed Pennsylvania metalcore pioneers A Life Once Lost a lot over the last decade. Albums like Hunter (2005) and Iron Gag (2007) were formative experiences for me as a budding young metalhead, and in the years since, I’ve wondered what the band’s members have been up to.
Well, for vocalist Rob Meadows, Mind Power is the answer. On Self Torture, Meadows brings his unique, raspy shriek and captivating spoken word to the fore once more, backed this time by a modern update on the bludgeoning metalcore sound. Tracks like “Thick Skin” and “Mess” tackle anxiety, depression and substance abuse, and the album also features guest features from scene luminaries like Norma Jean frontman Cory Brandan, Darkest Hour vocalist John Henry and Rob Fusco of Most Precious Blood. A throwback release is the best sense of the word.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
Listen to all these tracks on the TPD February playlist, updated each week.