Weekly Roundup: November 02, 2020
Featuring Hatebreed, Soilwork, Bring Me The Horizon, Nothing, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Hatebreed – “Instinctive (Slaughterlust)”
This year of constant turmoil brings us a new album from the Connecticut metal elders. And, wouldn’t you know it, it sounds exactly like Hatebreed: empowering, pissed off, and heavier than a bag of bricks. The music video for newest single “Instinctive (Slaughterlust),” directed by Justin Reich, does its best to embrace the band’s rebellious streak (that is when vocalist Jamey Jasta isn’t hocking his own pasta brand). Check it out below.
Yaotl Mictlan – Sagrada Tierra del Jaguar
It’s not often that you associate the cold, frostbitten soundscapes of black metal with the towering temples and green rainforest canopies of Mesoamerica. And yet, that’s exactly what Salt Lake City, Utah-based black metal outfit Yaotl Mictlan conjure up. On their third record, Sagrada Tierra del Jaguar, the band’s combination of shrill guitar lines, pierced screams, and hammering percussion is steeped in a pervasive and atmospheric aura, suffused through with an indigenous, blackened mysticism. Trust me, it’s sick. Stream the full record below.
Soilwork – “The Nothingness and The Devil”
Strid & the Gang take a break from dropping glorious 80s cock-rock bangers as the criminally underrated Night Flight Orchestra and return with a new EP chock full of melodic metal mayhem. You know the deal: sweet riffs, wailing solo action, powerful vocals—classic Soilwork antics. Hit up their newest video for “The Nothingness and The Devil” below.
Violent Life Violent Death – The Color of Bone
I don’t know the dudes that make up Violent Life Violent Death personally. But if I did, I’d hazard to bet that at least someone in the Charlotte, North Carolina-based group has a massive hard-on for Parade of Chaos-era Zao. Like, a lot. Old mate Scott Cowan (vocalist) screams through the band’s blistering metalcore like he’s in the middle of a full-blown Dan Weyandt exorcism. It’s eerie and captivating and it totally rules. Suss out their new EP, The Color of Bone, and latest single, “Roseblade” below.
Empress – “Void Shaped Void”
Aussie post-metal quintet Empress have unveiled a new music video for their single “Void Shaped Void”. Intercut with live footage, the clip is suitably dark and mesmerizing for the band’s brooding sonic palette, feeling like an unholy tryst between Chelsea Wolfe and My Dying Bride. If you need bummer tunes for a bummer mood, this is the one. The track is off their forthcoming second album, Wait ‘til Night, which comes out November 20th via Brilliant Emperor Records. Watch the video below.
Teenage Wrist – Earth Is A Black Hole
I’ve been following these guys since they dropped the excellent Chrome Neon Jesus (seriously, how fucking good is that for an album name?) back in 2018. Now they’ve returned with two teaser tracks in lieu of their new album, the accurately titled Earth Is A Black Hole, which will arrive in February on Epitaph Records (assuming there’s even a 2021 at all). The record’s title track is a straight-up alt-rock banger of The Smashing Pumpkins, radio grunge variety. “Silverspoon” pulls more from the spacey Hum wheelhouse, overflowing with slow-paced dynamics and lush riff-scapes. It’s lovely stuff. Wrap your ears around them both below.
Portrayal of Guilt – “It’s Already Over / Masochistic Oath”
Speaking of next year, I have absolutely no idea what to expect from Portrayal of Guilt. Their last record, Let Pain Be Your Guide, was a wild ride, indeed. A caustic conglomeration of screamo, hardcore, black metal, death metal, power-violence, punk, and distorted noise. You know, all the angry (read: good) shit. And from the looks of the clip for “It’s Already Over / Masochistic Oath,” dubbed by the press material as a “mini horror film,” that sonic project continues in earnest here. Whatever the approach, I’m sure their new record, We Are Always Alone, will be just as abrasive and unforgiving. Take the trip below.
Bring Me The Horizon – Post Human: Survival Horror
The true chameleons of heavy music return yet again, ready to change stripes, shed skins, and whatever other animal metaphors I can think of to explain their constantly evolving genre assemblage. On this new LP, BMTH keep shit weird, morphing ever-closer into a waking incarnation of 2004-era Linkin Park. Babymetal feature on a track, as does pop megastar Yungblud. Evanescence’s Amy Lee turns up to read cryptic lyrics on a song with a stupidly long and wordy title (remember those?). It’s fun, and a little dumb, but Sheffield’s favourite sons definitely make it interesting. Give it a go below.
ILSA – “Shibboleth”
Rounding out this week with some sludgy, crust-filled goodness, Washington D.C.'s purveyors of filth ILSA dropped their newest single “Shibboleth”. Splicing doom and death metal with the concrete grooves of Eyehategod and the fuck-you, DIY attitude of punks everywhere, the track is a pitch-black rager for these bleak End Times. It’s also a fitting primer for the band’s sixth full-length, Preyer, set for release November 20th via Relapse Records. Headbang away at the video below.
You also can find all these tracks on the TPD November playlist, updated each week.
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Nothing – The Great Dismal
Shoegaze as a genre is an oddity of rock. Musically, it’s all about volume; pure concussive energy as blunt-force trauma. Layers upon layers of fuzz and distortion until it feels like a song or album might be crushed under its own immense weight. Conversely, the vocals are usually—but not always—light, summery, and care-free. Borderline effervescent. They twist and trail in and out of the ear canal, fazing to and from reality with almost childlike glee. It’s a sonic juxtaposition that, on the face of it, really shouldn’t work. But man, it sure does. Just ask My Bloody Valentine. Or Slowdive. Or any other band of seven introverted, tone-deaf guitarists playing to the floor of your local dive bar (back when, you know, artists could do that).
I’ve seen people talk about The Great Dismal as the next “shoegaze classic”. Well, I’m not prone to hyperbole, so I won’t go that far. But look, this new Nothing record is really great. There’s a track called “Bernie Sanders”. So that’s fun. “Say Less” is a kaleidoscopic adventure jam, and “April Ha Ha” has some excellent riff work going on. Album closer “Ask The Rust” has these epic bursts of percussion that just smash me in the solar plexus every goddamn time. It’s brilliant. If you need new summer vibes, you could definitely do worse.
Stream here: Spotify | Bandcamp | Youtube
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Links to some of my other published work across the Web. Take a look and help a brother out.
Over at FilmBunker, I reviewed Irresistible from director and former The Daily Show host Jon Stewart. I did enjoy the film, despite my misgivings about its milquetoast, mid-00s style of ‘both-sides-ism’ political satire.
I interviewed former Dillinger Escape Plan frontman and all-round good bloke Greg Puciato for Hysteria magazine, where we talked about the release of his new solo album, Child Solider: Creator of God. You can read my review of that record here.
I also reviewed Forgotten Days, the incredible new record from doom merchants Pallbearer, along with the debut album from You Will Always, which features current and former members of melodic hardcore outfit Counterparts. Check those out here and here over at New Noise
And over on my Medium blog, I wrote a memorial piece on the passing of Power Trip frontman Riley Gale back in August, and the enduring legacy of his unique thrash philosophy.