Weekly Roundup: November 30, 2020
Featuring shame, The Dirty Nil, Psycroptic, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
The Dirty Nil – “One More and the Bill”
Ontario rockers The Dirty Nil are not ones for subtlety. If there was ever any doubt about this fact, then acknowledging that the Canadian trio have titled their upcoming third full-length album Fuck Art (out January 2021) should erase any lingering scepticism. Check out the band’s latest single and live performance for “One More and the Bill” below:
Psycroptic – The Watcher of All
Aussie tech-death titans Psycroptic have dropped a new two-track project as part of an exclusive 12-inch vinyl release. The Tassie quartet put out a video for “A Fragile Existence” a few weeks ago, followed by latest single and title track “The Watcher of All” earlier this week. If you’re a fan of hell-spawn gutturals, crushing grooves, pummeling percussion, and finger-melting guitar leads, then this is for you. Stream the full EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Melaleuca – “Minutes”
Brissie quartet Melaleuca are new on the scene, describing themselves as an “alternative rock/power pop” outfit who deal exclusively in “a healthy dose of fuzz pedal and vocal harmonies.” Their debut single “Minutes” certainly fits that bill, recalling the catchy goodness of likeminded acts such as Veruca Salt, Teenage Wrist, and Weezer. Check out the track here.
Scour – The Black
Featuring members of Misery Index, Pig Destroyer, Down, and the mighty Pantera, Scour are the latest supergroup to make loud, pissed-off music through powers combined—like a bastard, extreme metal Captain Planet. If that roster wasn’t already impressive enough, The Black EP also includes guest appearances from Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal, Pat O’Brien of Cannibal Corpse, and motherfucking Aquaman, Jason Momoa, of Dune and Game Of Thrones fame. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Stream the release here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Mat Kerekes – “Dogwood”
Better known as the frontman and songwriter for alt-rock/grunge outfit Citizen, Mat Kerekes is using the imposed isolation of 2020 to put out another collection of fresh solo material. Stripped down and raw, the Songs for Breanne EP is out December 4th, and latest single “Dogwood” shows that Kerekes’ lyrical vulnerability and devastating croon is still front and centre. Check out the track here.
The Juliana Theory – “Can't Go Home”
Dragging the mid-00s into a brand-new decade, old-head rockers The Juliana Theory have returned with a signing to Equal Vision and new single, “Can’t Go Home”. Written by frontman Brett Detar and long-time collaborator Benjamin Romans (Carly Rae Jepsen), and co-produced with Courtney Ballard (Jessie J), it’s a fun anthemic track that puts the duo’s pop chart aspirations on full display. Check out the track here.
shame – Drunk Tank Pink
Songs of Praise, the debut album from British post-punk outfit shame, was one of my favourite records of 2018 (more on that later in the week). So, when I saw that the Manchester quintet were already hard at work on their follow-up, I was feverish with anticipation. With Drunk Tank Pink coming out January 2021, now we know what to expect: piss and vinegar vocal delivery, angular guitar lines, punchy rhythms, and biting social commentary. Watch the video for the single “Water in the Well” below.
Vennart – In The Dead, Dead Wood
Here’s a random Bandcamp find that I didn’t expect to yield dividends. A one-person project from “fast-fingered live guitarist” Mike Vennart (Biffy Clyro, ex-Oceansize), In The Dead, Dead Wood is packed with brooding vocals, energetic guitar riffs, throbbing bass hits, and delicate piano instrumentation. It’s dark, moody, and full of interesting ideas. Stream the album here (Bandcamp).
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.
Bearings – Hello, It’s You
To simply call Hello, It’s You a “pop-punk album” feels like a thinly veiled insult. Sure, that might be an accurate description of the album’s sonic components and its molten core of genre fusion, but it also feels a little reductive. Single “Sway” is impossibly bright and upbeat, with cheeky one-liners and an infectious chorus. It reminds me of doing my homework to Sticks and Stones and trying to figure out what Sugarcult were up to on the American Pie soundtrack.
I’m still not sure what a “Super Deluxe” is in terms of human social interactions, but it sounds like Emarosa and Issues rubbing upon each other in a dimly lit nightclub. “So Damn Wrong” has this glistening riff that I can picture Cyndi Lauper rocking on, and “Dreams” is a booming, hypnotic emo-rap banger that’ll surely appease the face-tattie Soundcloud crew. What Bearings have achieved on this record is a type of alternative synthesis, at once nostalgically wistful and wholly reflective of the scene zeitgeist.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
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 have a review of the new Kevin Costner film, Let Him Go. Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I’m a sucker for a solid Neo-Western, and this one definitely fits the bill (*tips hat*).
I also reviewed the new Soilwork EP, A Whisp of the Atlantic, for New Noise. It’s progressive, catchy, and comes with plenty of glorious melo-death riffage from the rocking Swedes.