Weekly Roundup: February 8th
Featuring Terror, Slowly Slowly, Regional Justice Center, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Slowly Slowly – “The Level”
I love seeing bands go for fun over fashion. “The Level” certainly sounds like something Victorians Slowly Slowly would put out—warm, melodic, emo-inflected alt-rock—but the track’s video is patched in from another dimension, oozing charm and personality. Everything from the Boogie Nights costumes, to the wild plot and the retro film vibe, it’s all proof that you don’t need to take yourself 100% seriously to have a good time. Check out the clip for “The Level” below (and stick around at the end for a fun little surprise).
Terror – Trapped In A World
Long-running, L.A. hardcore outfit Terror are a band that needs little introduction. On their upcoming Trapped In A World LP (out March 5th through Good Fight Recordings), the group revisit their seminal first two records—2003’s Lowest Of The Low and 2004’s One With The Underdogs—with former guitarist Todd Jones of Nails, capturing Terror at their rawest and most primal. Stream the live session of hardcore classic “Overcome” through Bandcamp now.
Regional Justice Center – “Absence”
Proving the rule that if a record has passed through Taylor Young’s (Nails, Twitching Tongues) talented hands, it’s sure to be an incendiary experience, “Absence” goes off like a fucking car-bomb. It might only be 76 seconds long, but that’s enough time for Regional Justice Center to pack in lurching walls of riffs, rapid-fire snare hits, and rhythmic assaults that land like mortar rounds. This is sonic warfare at it’s most extreme. Check out “Absence” here.
Yoth Iria – As The Flame Withers
Well, I guess European black metal doesn't need the cold, frost-bitten wastes of the North after all. Hailing from sunny Mediterranean shores of Greece, the Hellenic duo of Yoth Iria whip up a frenzy on their debut full-length, As The Flames Wither. This is modern metal at its finest with triumphant melodic hooks and soaring compositions, perfectly juxtaposed against the fury and frigid sonics of blackened death metal. Stream the album here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Thousand Below – “Gone To Me”
San Diego post-hardcore outfit Thousand Below continue to expand and grow with new single “Gone To Me.” Ostensibly a break-up banger, the catchy track sees the band deploying layers of synths and indie-pop sensibilities across hard-hitting verses and a monstrous chorus hook. If this is anything to go by, their next LP promises to be a big shakeup for the group. Listen to “Gone To Me” here.
Pounder – Breaking The World
The classics never really die—they just lie dormant, ready for those who are truly worthy to retake the throne. It’s no secret that Pounder worship American Heavy Metal but their latest LP, Breaking The World, also has plenty of NWOBHM-influence to please fans across the pond, too. So, grab your denim and leather and get to it! Stream Breaking The World here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Every Time I Die – “AWOL”
I haven’t done one of those ‘Most Anticipated Releases of 2021’ list things, because I already know what’s likely sitting at the top. The last full-length album from Buffalo’s favourite sons came out in 2016, and that legitimately feels like a lifetime ago. So, is a new Every Time I Die record overdue? Abso-fucking-lutely. Latest single “AWOL” rocks, of course, and it’ll do… for now. Watch the track’s animated lyric video below:
Cruelty – There Is No God Where I Am
Bringing back the dark, antagonistic edge of late 90s/early 00s metalcore, UK bruisers Cruelty are ready to unfurl their debut LP, There Is No God Where I Am (out April 30th through Church Road Records). Mixing angular, discordant riffage with throat-shredding screams and concussive drumming, the group paints a grim portrait of the world around them, wrestling with themes of spirituality, the occult, familial grief, and the degrading nature of humanity. Stream the album’s single here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Cult of Luna – The Raging River
What Cult of Luna do best is immersion. The talented Swede’s have been perfecting their cinematic brand of operatic post-metal for nearly two decades now. Every movement, every minor detail feels carefully curated and considered—measured as much for weight and balance as for impact and emotional resonance. On The Raging River, the end result is something that feels like a force of nature.
Towering compositions like the haunting “Three Bridges” and “I Remember” undulate with trembling bass notes and crashing percussion that manifests as seismic tension. Pained screams ripple across “What I Leave Behind,” but the band are wise enough to pair sparse instrumental transitions with ambient noise and empty space. When every moment feels like gasping for air, the chance to exhale should be savoured. Sprawling, twelve-minute closer “Wave After Wave” ebbs and flows like a great ocean of distorted sound. How it ends—floating, diving, drowning—is entirely up to you.
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.
Over at New Noise, I published the first article in a new column titled “Yesterday’s Jukebox.” Each month (or thereabouts), I’ll be taking a retrospective deep-dive into the back catalogue of an established act, looking for the rare gems, deep cuts and hidden bangers. It’s one part listicle, one part playlist generator, and you can check out my first piece on Tennessee rockers Lucero here.
I also reviewed Teenage Wrist’s upcoming sophomore album, Earth Is A Black Hole, which is out this Friday. If you’re into anything remotely grunge or rock from the last 30 years, then you’ll likely dig the shit out of this record. The singles are huge and you can suss out my review here.