Weekly Roundup: February 22nd
Featuring Trash Boat, Andrew W.K., Gojira, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Gojira – “Born For One Thing”
French metallers Gojira have been one of the most consistent and forward-thinking bands on the planet for over a decade. Hyper-focused and extremely tight, everything the quartet put their talented hands to comes out golden. And from the sounds of things, forthcoming album Fortitude (due April 30th through Roadrunner Records) will continue this trend in earnest. Check out the snarling clip for “Born For One Thing” below:
Holy Monitor – Southern Lights
I get close to 60+ emails a week landing in my inbox singing the praises of new music and bands from all corners of the globe. I try to listen to as much of it as humanly possible but look, I’m a busy guy, alright? Sometimes one has to be discerning as a matter of necessity (read: sanity). To that end, I’m glad I chose to listen to Southern Lights. The upcoming album from Athens, Greece quintet Holy Monitor is pitch-perfect prog-rock: spacey, smooth, and packed with soaring melodies. Stream preview tracks from the album here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Left to Vanish – “Healthy” (Feat. Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage)
In last week’s Weekly Roundup, I talked about how much I missed A Life One Lost and the vocal talents of frontman Rob Meadows. Well, as it turns out, Rob is also a busy guy. He’s back again with another slice of heavy goodness, this time with metalcore act Left To Vanish. On the group’s newest single, down-tuned pneumatic riffage collides with Meadows’ razor-sharp bark, alongside a slick guest spot from Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach. It makes for a thrilling combination and you can check out “Healthy” here.
Iceage – Seek Shelter
Danish indie-rockers Iceage are back with their fifth LP, Seek Shelter (out May 7th through Mexican Summer). If you’re into moody and subtly catchy rock rhythms that hue just close enough to the sonic post-punk aesthetic without completely tipping over into heavy eyeliner, floor-length jacket goth territory, then this is for you. Stream preview track’s from Seek Shelter here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Trash Boat – “He’s So Good”
It’s been a hot minute since we heard from British punk rock outfit Trash Boat. With their return, the St Albans quintet have dropped a powerful portrait of queer identity, one that explores patriarchal rejection, familial abandonment, and unconditional love in all its forms. Plus, the music is pretty dope too. Watch the video for “He’s So Good” here.
God’s Hate – S/T
Take one look at that insane album artwork from tattooist Marc Nava and tell me that doesn’t look like the hardest, most badass shit you’ve ever seen? An undead, Terminator samurai popping off with bullet belts and uzis? “Hell yeah dude.” Do you even care what metallic hardcore bruisers God’s Hate sound like? No? (You should.) Correct answer. Just listen to this record and don’t give in to weakness. Stream tracks from God’s Hate here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Andrew W.K. – “Babalon”
The party maestro is back and ready to party ever so hard once more—or so it may seem. On closer inspection, “Babalon,” the newest cut from his forthcoming record (tentatively scheduled for release later this year), finds Andrew W.K. embracing the darkness and taking a trip into his tormented psyche. Expect haunting riffs, big choruses, and King Diamond-esque falsetto madness. As Mr W.K. says: “Consciousness hasn’t opened reality, only nightmares. Zone-out now.” Watch the track’s disturbing and intense video below:
Spectral Wound – A Diabolic Thirst
Following up 2018’s deliciously titled Infernal Decadence, Québécois black metal outfit Spectral Wound are ready to unveil more unholy hymns with the release of A Diabolic Thirst (out April 16th through Profound Lore). This is grim, austere black metal, but don’t let the visual monochromatism fool you. Underneath the avalanche of tremolo guitars and frosted shrieks lies a deceptively melodic touch. This stuff will ply open your brain like a cleaver and gleefully splash around in the mess. Stream the album’s singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Skeleton – Ordainment of Divinity
I enjoyed the shit out of Skeleton’s self-titled debut last year. So much so that it made it into my Top 20 list for 2020. In my review of the record, I described the trio’s sound as the “type of music one expects to find blaring at ear-piercing volume inside a raging house party at 3AM, complete with substance-fuelled debauchery, front-lawn windmills, open flames, and an excess of acid-wash denim.”
On their newest offering, the Ordainment of Divinity EP (out now through 20 Buck Spin), Skeleton give us a peek at the crushing hangover that follows such a good time. Accordingly, this is a more stripped-back, lo-fi affair, with a selection of raucous demos at their most skeletal and raw. Tracks like “II” offer up a rare glimpse into how the trio build up their full-bodied, blood-pumping sound, and it has me super excited for the next full-length release from these troublesome Texans. If you want searing riffs that sound like they’re coming from your annoying neighbour’s practice amp, then hit this up.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
Listen to all these tracks on the TPD February playlist, updated each week.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Links to some of my other published work across the Web. Take a look and help a brother out.
I reviewed For Those Who Wish To Exist, the ninth (!) full-length album from metalcore stars Architects, for the crew over at New Noise. The record finds the British quintet evolving into a slick, epic, high-concept radio-rock outfit—for better and for worse. Check out my review here.