Weekly Roundup: March 15th
Featuring Zao, Black Sheep Wall, W O L F C L U B, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
The Armed – “AVERAGE DEATH”
After their searing lead single “ALL FUTURES,” art-punk noise collective The Armed have ushered forth another sample from their upcoming album, ULTRAPOP (out April 16th through Sargent House). The group’s newest cut, “AVERAGE DEATH,” is anything but average, with off-kilter drum patterns, a pulsing wall of humming feedback, and eerie black hole melodies. Also, the track’s video is a veritable cornucopia of weird shit. Take the dive below:
Benny The Butcher – The Plugs I Met 2
Buffalo rapper and Griselda figurehead Benny The Butcher is kicking off 2021 with two highly anticipated projects: Trust the Sopranos, a compilation album with regular collaborator El Camino, and the second installment in his The Plugs I Met EP series. Listeners can expect stories of legendary street hustles, lavish lyrical wordplay, and plenty of mafioso boss references. Stream the EP’s pre-release single here (Spotify/Youtube).
Zao – “Croatoan”
Metalcore as it exists today wouldn’t sound like it does without Zao. The Pennsylvanian outfit have been grinding away at the intersection of metal and hardcore for nearly 30 years, and their prolific output speaks for itself. The lead single from the group’s twelfth LP, The Crimson Corridor, is quintessential Zao: heavy, atmospheric, and crushingly dynamic. Listen to “Croatoan” here.
Acid Mammoth – Caravan
If you see a random record pop-up in your feed, and it comes from a band with a name as epic and evocative as Acid Mammoth, then you can pretty much guarantee that A) it’s from the stoner rock and/or metal category, and B) it contains an abundance of capital-R riffs. Case in point: their 2021 LP Caravan stands as an exemplar for both. Stream the full album here (Spotify/YouTube).
W O L F C L U B – “A Sea of Stars” feat. Dora Pereli
My partner and I have been on a steady synthwave binge as of late, and Just Drive (Part 1), the latest record from English electropop duo W O L F C L U B has been our latest seamless inclusion. Single “A Sea of Stars” is the perfect rush of nostalgic impulses: soaring melodies, shimmering synth leads, 80s saxophone, and a sultry chorus line from guest vocalist Dora Pereli. Listen to the track here.
Black Sheep Wall – Songs for the Enamel Queen
Far from a light-hearted listen, Songs for the Enamel Queen is metal at its most oppressing—chaotic and dissonant yet also strangely alluring. SoCal sextet Black Sheep Wall take the melting-pot, kitchen-sink approach to heavy music influence, blitzing together everything from doom and metalcore to noise and skramz, sounding a head-on collision put to tape. If you’re after a slice of sonic extremity, this one fits the bill. Listen to the album here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
SION – “The Blade”
It’s finally here, folks: SION, the fated collaborative clash between metal mainstay Howard Jones (ex-Killswitch Engage, Light The Torch) and YouTube guitar wunderkind Jared Dines. Jones still rocks the shit out of those harsh screams and soaring clean choruses. Dines drops many tasty, tapped leads and down-tuned, djenty riffs. I’m excited to hear more from the pairing, so here’s hoping for a proper release later this year. Watch the clip for “The Blade” below:
Toy – Promo Tape
Admittedly, I don’t know a whole lot about Toy. They’re from my local area in Brisbane, and (what I assume to be) their debut release is out now through Newcastle’s always-consistent Last Ride Records. But in an age where the Internet ruins all mystery, sometimes less actually is more. If you’re into Australian hardcore of any variety, then this furious three-track project is a must-listen. Stream the group’s Promo Tape here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Tigers Jaw – I Won’t Care How You Remember Me
Of all the bands that populated the early 2010s alternative/emo/post-hardcore boon, I probably listened to Tigers Jaw the least and I can’t really explain why. On paper, the Scranton quartet’s musical formula is pretty much a slam dunk: confessional, heart-on-sleeve lyrics, melodic yet cathartic instrumentation, and a yearning emotional register modulated by male-female vocal harmonies from guitarist Ben Walsh and keyboardist Brianna Collins.
I know that the band’s 2008 self-titled debut LP is held up by many as a scene staple record, but if I’m being completely honest here, it just never really clicked for me. Not like, say, the alt-grunge of Balance & Composure or the hardcore revisionism of Title Fight did around that same period.
However, that’s all changed on I Won’t Care How You Remember Me, the band’s newest album. Maybe it’s the throwaway Vonnegut reference in “Cat’s Cradle,” the restrained indie-punk of “New Detroit,” or the anthemic alt-rock of standout track “Anniversary.” Whatever it is—suddenly piercing, nebulous, and undefined in that oh-so millenial way—it’s finally clicked and I feel all the better for it.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
Listen to all these tracks on the TPD March playlist, updated each week.
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Links to some of my other published work across the Web. Take a look, share if you feel like it, and help a brother out.
It’s been a busy week, but I have some pieces that may tickle your fancy:
I reviewed Kill Grid, the new record from Richmond thrashers Enforced. Additionally, I also published an online version of my interview with the band from the magazine’s latest print issue, which you can check out here.
I also have a review out for NOLA veterans EyeHateGod’s latest LP, the gloriously titled A History of Nomadic Behavior. It came as no surprise to find that it’s chock full of thick riffs, caustic vocals, and grimy, sludgy goodness. Hit up that review here.