New Release

Anticipated Albums: Wear Your Wounds- Rust On The Gates Of Heaven

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I love side projects. Especially when they deviate from the style of music you’ve associated someone with for so long. Wear Your Wounds is one of my favorite side projects I’ve ever heard. Wear Your Wounds was created by Converge founder Jacob Bannon. Initially conceived as a solo project, it evolved into a five-piece band that often works with collaborating musicians. In 2017, the debut self titled double album was released followed closely by the even more experimental Dunedevil, which was also an accompaniment to Bannon’s abstract art book of the same name. Now, Wear Your Wounds, prepare to release their new album Rust on the Gates of Heaven (out July 12 via Deathwish Inc.).  The release marks the first time the official lineup of the band; Jacob Bannon (Converge), Mike McKenzie (The Red Chord, Stomach Earth, Unraveller, etc), Adam McGrath (Cave In, Nomad Stones, etc), Sean Martin (Twitching Tongues, ex-Hatebreed, ex-Kid Cudi), and Chris Maggio (ex-Trap Them, ex-Sleigh Bells, etc) have properly written and recorded together. It also features musicians Ben Chisholm (Chelsea Wolfe, White Horse) and Gared O’Donnell (Planes Mistaken For Stars, Hawks and Doves) collaborating throughout. Watch and or listen to the music video for the album’s eponymous first single now. Personally I can’t wait for this album to come out. So do yourself a favor and dive in to this great band and their work.

Wear Your Wounds- Ruse On The Gates Of Heaven:

 

 

WEAR YOUR WOUNDS, ON TOUR:
May 8  Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar *
May 9  Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
May 10  Toledo, OH @ Ottawa Tavern *
May 11  Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary *
May 12  Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
May 14  Richmond, VA @ Gallery 5 *
May 15  Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery *
May 16  Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge *
May 17  Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus *
May 18  Boston, MA @ Sonia *
May 26  Seattle, WA @ Highline ^
May 27  Portland, OR @ Tonic Lounge ^
May 28  San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop ^
May 29  Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite ^
May 30  Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room ^
May 31  San Diego, CA @ Casbah ^
June 1  Mesa, AZ @ Underground ^
* w/ Uniform
^ w/ Author & Punisher, Xasthur

Album Review: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes- End Of Suffering

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I still remember the first time I heard that raspy snarl. The charisma that could ignite a crowd into a frenzy. Far removed now from his time in Gallows, Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes have solidified their place in modern rock today. End Of Suffering, the bands third album, sees the group moving along in away that still connects with their roots but lays down a foundation of where this band can go. 2017’s Modern Ruin was a great benchmark for just how talented this group is. End Of Suffering takes that level and adds a few layers of optimism as well as tenacity.

The entire album is quite interesting. There are many different speeds to this record. On one hand you have a song like the opener “Why A Butterfly Can’t Love A Spider.” This track sets up the album in a tonal way by the feel of the music and the lyrics. There’s a sense of pain but hope in the way it’s delivered and that carries through the rest of the album. Songs like “Anxiety,” “Crowbar,” “Heartbreaker,” “Kitty Sucker,” and “Tyrant Lizard,” which features Tom Morello ripping it up,  all provide the uptempo tenacity that Frank is known for. Then songs like “Love Games,” “Angel Wings,” “Supervillain,” and “Latex Dreams” have a bit more of sensitive side but still contain a sharp edge and gruffness. Ending the album is the title track “End Of Suffering.” This soul bearing song gives a deeper glimpse into the mindset of Frank and where this album is truly coming from.

End Of Suffering is the kind of album that has something for everyone. It’s diverse and full of life. Nothing about this is phoned in or fake. If you’ve been following Frank since his days in Gallows, you know you are going to get a guy giving his all. While this album may seem to be more “straight forward” in terms of sound, it does show what the band is capable of doing as songwriters and how not to constantly repeat what they’ve done before. Frank and The Rattlesnakes (Dean Richardson, Tom Barclay, Gareth Grover and Thomas Mitchener) have really found themselves as a band. End Of Suffering was a not where you think they would have gone after Modern Ruin but, it’s definitely the right move.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes- End Of Suffering:

Album Review: Spotlights- Love & Decay

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When I first heard the Spotlights 2017 album Seismic, I immediately was floored. The combination of shoegaze, doom metal and sludge was just what I needed at the time. And Seismic found it’s way into my top 5 albums of 2017. Fast forward to 2019 and Spotlights have released their new album Love & Decay. Not straying too far from where they left off, Love & Decay continues on the path they laid out with their previous releases only this album goes deeper into that sound.

The album starts off with a sonic explosion that is “Continue The Capsize.” This mood setting song pulls you in just like an album opener should. As the album continues, the crunchy guitars, fuzzed bass, dreamy synth layers, pummelling drums and soft vocals, give Love and Decay the sound for all these songs to come to life. Songs like “The Particle Noise,” “Far From Falling,” “Until The Bleeding Stops,” “Xerox,” and “The Age Of Decay” emit all those elements and then some. Then you have a song like “Mountains Ar Forever” that is a bit of a departure yet still is Spotlights through and through. This experimentation gives the album a needed right turn. Closing out the album is “The Beauty Of Forgetting.” This song continues the experimentation path by adding in some haunting acoustic guitars, underlying industrial style beats and thunderous bass to really drive home the end of this album.

Love and Decay is exactly what Spotlights sound like, only this time around, they stepped up the heavy and added a level of melody to help propel the songs to new heights. The one thing about this album is that at times, it feels like the songs are just a shade too long. It’s like when you watch a film and think that certain parts could have been cut down to get to the point faster. Other than that, Love and Decay is a killer record. Mario Quintero (guitars/vocals/production), Sarah Quintero (bass/vocals) and Chris Enriquez (drums) have formed an exquisite bond as a three piece and they sound like there are at least eight people in this band. Love and Decay is the type of album that with more and more listens you will find more to love and be drawn deeper in. It’s also worth noting that, having seen Spotlights live before, I just know these new songs are going to tear the roofs off of venues and leave audiences in awe. 

Overall Rating: 8/10

Spotlights- Love and Decay:

 

 

 

Album Review: Helms Alee- Noctiluca

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There are certain bands that have the ability to evolve in a way that it doesn’t seem like they are yet, they truly have albeit in a subtle way. Never a band to be complacent or comfortable, Helms Alee have been pushing the boundaries of the sludge metal genre since their first release back in 2007. Noctiluca, the bands fifth full length studio album, sees the band moving more into a progressive territoty while still maintaing their psychedelic and sludgy tendencies.


The album as a whole has something for everyone. Songs like “Interachnid,” “Beat Up,” are signature Helms Alee with thunderous rhythms and delayed guitars that give the album the start and roar it needs. Then you have a song like “Be Rad Tomorrow” which takes the band on a different journey. This song is one of the more experimental tracks on the album with a more prog feel to it. The expansiveness of this song is very representative of how the members of Helms Alee have evolved as writers and players. Then you have a song like “Lay Waste Child” that continues what “Be Rad Tomorrow” started only this song, takes you deeper down the rabbit hole. “Illegal Guardian” seems to complete the trilogy of the previous two songs. This track is everything that Helms Alee is all about. I’m not going to give it away. You just need to listen and you’ll hear what I mean. A song like “Spider Jar” is a welcome treat. It shows off the more melodic side of the band and provides a more delicate approach to the bands sound. Closing out the album is “Word Problem” a song that is drenched in doomy sludge (think Sabbath meets The Melvins). It’s a straight forward song that will have you starting the album over once it’s done.

Helms Alee have created an album that hits on everything they’ve done till now. Noctiluca is the type of album that if you are just discovering the band, it will get you into them for sure. One of the best things about Helms Alee is that as a three piece drummer/vocalist Hozoji Matheson-Margullis, bassist Dana James, and guitarist Ben Verellen are super tight and play off each other so well. They have the ability to create a sonic assault that while deafening at times is soothing and almost hypnotic. If you have the chance to see Helms Alee live, I highly recommend you do. Their live show makes their songs truly come alive and will give you one hell of a rush. 

 
Overall Rating: 8/10

 

Helms Alee- Noctiluca:

Cover Song: Stephen Brodsky & Marissa Nadler- (Guns N Roses)- Estranged

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Cave In and Mutoid Man’s Stephen Brodsky is quite the busy guy. In addition to the two bands I just mentioned, he’s got a project with vocalist Marissa Nadler. Their collaborative album entitled Droneflower will be released April 26th via Sacred Bones Records. They have released a couple songs from the album. The first was an original song called “For The Sun,” which is quite a haunting introduction to the band. The second though is a cover of Guns N Roses’ “Estranged.” This is one of the best cover songs I’ve ever heard. “Estranged” happens to be my favorite GnR song of all time, so I was a tad skeptical before listening but, within seconds, I knew that this was amazing. Everything about this cover is perfect. It’s a totally different take on the GnR classic and it’s just beautiful.

Stephen Brodsky & Marissa Nadler- Estranged:

 


Stephen Brodsky & Marissa Nadler- Droneflower:

 

 

Anticipated Albums: Cave In- Final Transmission

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On June 7th of this year (2019), Cave In will release a new and final album appropriately titled, Final Transmission. This album features the last recordings of the late Caleb Scofield. The first song released, “All Illusion,” is a Caleb composition that Steve had originally written lyrics for. But that changed not long after Caleb’s passing, when Adam went to visit Caleb’s wife, Jen, and their two kids, Desmond and Sydney. “Jen found some lyrics in one of Caleb’s journals,” Adam explains. “She was going to tear them out and give them to me, but I just took a picture because I wanted her to keep it. We used the lyrics for “All Illusion,” which is a song that really haunts me. I feel like it’s a weird message from Caleb sometimes.” And what a song it is. This for me is one of the, if not most anticipated albums of 2019. You can pre-order the album HERE.

Cave In- All Illusion:

 

Anticipated Albums: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes- End Of Suffering

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On May 3rd (my birthday!!!), Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes will be releasing their new album End Of Suffering. The follow up to 2017’s excellent Modern Ruin, sees the band exploring more of their “alternative” side while keeping the rest of the mood dark and gritty. So far two songs have been released “Crowbar” and “Anxiety” both of which are sure to keep you wanting more!
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes- Crowbar:

 

 
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes- Anxiety:

 

 
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes- Modern Ruin (Full Album):

New Release: Minus Knives- Shallow and Grave

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One of my favorite new bands, Minus Knives have released a new single called “Shallow and Grave” and it’s pretty damn awesome. This song along with their other new song “Cope” show the immediate growth and talent that these guys have.  Minus Knives are definitely a band to be on the look out for. They have the songs and live show that will leave you wanting more. Enjoy Minus Knives, I know I sure do!

 

Minus Knives- Shallow and Grave:

 

 

Minus Knives- Cope:

 

 

Minus Knives- Minus Knives EP:

Anticipated Albums: Baroness- Gold & Grey

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Baroness are back and will release their new studio album “Gold & Grey”  June 14th through the their own label Abraxan Hymns. The album is again produced by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Mogwai), whom the band also worked with on their most recent release, “Purple.” Gold & Grey is the first album to feature new guitarist Gina Gleason and based on this first track alone, Gina fits in perfectly with Baroness. Her style of playing is spot on and her backing vocals compliment singer/guitarist John Baizley impeccably. Check out the first single and video “Borderlines.”

 

Baroness- Borderlines: