Deathwish Inc

BAND OF THE WEEK: WRONG MAN

There’s always something to be said when you put on an album without knowing a single thing about it other than the name and then the moment the first note rings, you know that you’re in for a treat. As a music enthusiast, curator and somewhat of a tastemaker, that feeling gets to be expressed here on Audioeclectica. And now here’s a band that is equal parts post-hardcore, noise rock, blues and melodic. Hailing from Belgium, Wrong Man features members of Oathbreaker (their album Rheia is beyond a masterpiece. Seriously it’s ten years old now and still will have you crying tears and blood (metaphorically)), Rise And Fall and Partisan. Their second album, Here’s That Feeling (note what I said previosly), is a soulfully sonic and dynamic album that is raw and beyond expressive. Each song arms itself with a tonality that lets each member’s part guide you in the direction needed to go.

Here’s That Feeling on first listen felt like I had missed an album from the era of bands like Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, Helmet and even Rollins Band and Planes Mistaken For Stars to an extent.

The way the album opens with “Loose Ends” it feels like a shotgun blast to the heart. Then “It Won’t Wash Off” into “Exit Strategy” and a very stunning guest spot from Jeremy Bolm of Touche Amore. One song that really stuck out and caused multiple repeats is track four, “Blue.” The aggressive yet melodic nature of the song really opened up the album a bit more a bit like a perfect transition into track five “Petty Thief.” The way the album starts and gets to this point is beautiful. As the album unfolds even more, with “Mystic Eye” and “Heaven Ain’t Happening.” The final two songs “Ripped Open I” and “Ripped Open II” are absolute gems. Live these songs will hit on the epic richter scale. There’s so much great music, lyrics, melodies and subtle parts to make you feel like you are floating. Seriously put on a really great set of headphones and just press play. You’ll thank me later!

What a great album! This is pure and natural progression for a band like this. One other great aspect of this record is the immeasurable amount of tension and urgency found throughout. One can only hope that US dates are announced for Wrong Man. Los Angeles surely needs this! And of course Deathwish Inc releases this great album. They’ve been on quite the roll over the past few years with the bands and albums released! Now go make the right decision and listen to Wrong Man!

By: Brian Lacy

Wrong Man- Here’s That Feeling:

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: CONVERGE- HUM OF HURT

Earlier this year, Converge released their tenth studio album, Love Is Not Enough. Right out of the gate that album hit you like a pile of bricks. Then a sudden left hook came out of nowhere and the announcement of a second album to be released a few months later. And now we have arrived at that time and Hum Of Hurt, is everything you’d hoped it would be and then some.

Never a band to rest of their laurels, Converge explore every single nuance of influence and inspiration on Hum Of Hurt. There’s a very up front and confrontational approach to a lot of these songs that comes from the depths of each member of the band. One of the best aspects of the album is the sense of groove. The abstract atmospheric elements ooze out of the rhythmic grooves and blasts. While Love Is Not Enough leaned more into metal territory, Hum Of Hurt leans more into noise rock and emotional hardcore. The combination of those and their signature sound, propels this album past the previous.

Each song has its own charm and place. The sequencing of the album is tremendously satisfying. The way the album starts with the very image inducing “Slip The Noose,” you know that this is going to be a record that will tighten your heart. “Doom In Bloom” into “It Only Gets Worse” is a stellar one two punch! Then comes a trifecta of oblivion and obliteration with “Detonator,” “I Won’t Let You Go,” and “It’s Not Up To Us.” At this point catching your breath is a smart idea as “Dream Debris” sweeps you into a new realm. Just as you think the dust has settled, you’re thrust into the final three songs “It Used To Matter,” “Hum Of Hurt,” and “Nothing Is Over.”

What is accomplished here in thirty three minutes is near legendary. This is the year of Converge. It’s started out that way and it’s continued. There’s a feeling to this record too that makes you want to hear it played live in full. I can only imagine the sonic boom of intensity from that. Hum Of Hurt is a soon to be classic not just for Converge but, the genre as a whole.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

By: Brian Lacy

Converge- Hum Of Hurt:

ALBUM RANK UPDATED: CONVERGE

When you have such a storied career like Converge it gets harder and harder to put certain things like their albums into a ranking order. Since the release of their tenth album, Love Is Not Enough, and now eleventh, Hum Of Hurt, I have been on quite the Converge listening kick. After listening through their catalog and spending a good amount of time with their new album, I do believe I have a very definitive ranking of Converge’s ten studio albums. While not every album can be the best, each record surely leaves a lasting mark on their history as well as influence and inspiration of so many other bands.

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Album Of The Week: Gouge Away- Deep Sage

As a giant music fan, I love when I hear albums that get me stuck on them. When that happens, I get so drawn into what is going on with everything about the album. Upon first listen of Gouge Away’s new and long awaited album, Deep Sage, I immediately started it again and I have yet to take it out of my rotation. The bands extended break and return to this material shows an immense growth in not only the bands approach to songwriting and ability to tell a story within a song, it also proved to be the right thing as these songs pack a walloping punch that is abrasive and urgent.

From the time the album starts with “Stuck In A Dream” all the way to the epic closer “Dallas,” Gouge Away have made an album that truly embodies what this band has always been capable of and more. Their first couple of releases started them on the path towards where they are now but, on Deep Sage it takes it to a whole other level. The way the album was recorded by Jack Shirley, really makes this album shine. The album was recorded live, the old fashioned way and that organic sound makes this record standout even more. The live feel of the album, the killer riffs and rhythms and the way the vocals grab you will not only make you pay attention but also shows the evolution of the band quite well.

I love this whole album so it’s hard for me to pick out certain songs to highlight. Instead of going track by track I will say this. Each song on Deep Sage is meant to be there and sequenced in such a manner that as I said above grabs your attention. The way Christina Michelle’s vocals are on this album showcase her talent not as a screamer but more as vocalist as she weaves really delicate webs and then can unleash a ferociousness that is quite intense, especially when you hear the songs “Idealized” and “Spaced Out.” The final track on the album, “Dallas” is a show stopper. I personally can’t wait to hear all these songs live but, this one in particular. There is such a wonderful dynamic shift within the song that when you hear it, let’s just say, you’ll know why this album is so damn good.

This is the type of album that gives me hope for the future of music. Not just in the genres that I enjoy most but, in general. Gouge Away made an album with Deep Sage that cements them as forces to be reckoned with but, also a record that stands out and can actually become a very influential album. Another thing about this album that I love is that it was made with a true passion and that shows through on each song. The live performance aspect really drives that home and it makes for a listening experience that feels alive. I can’t wait to see Gouge Away live and hear these songs. What a tremendous album this is. So much so that as of this writing, it’s my album of the year. I really do look forward to where the band goes next.

Overall Rating: A

Review By: Brian Lacy

Gouge Away- Deep Sage:

New Release: Gouge Away- Dallas

Gouge Away are one of the bands I’ve been impatiently for a new album from and the wait is almost over. On March 15, Gouge Away will release their new album, Deep Sage. After a brief hiatus during the pandemic, the band reconvened in late 2022 to pick up where they left off with writing what would become their new album. In March 2023, Gouge Away teamed up with Jack Shirley at Atomic Garden East and began recording the album. The album was recorded completely analog and almost entirely live. The band performed together in a live room while vocalist Christina Michelle was in an isolation booth, her vocals projected from a monitor so the band could hear her. The end result is a raw unapologetic, noisey yet introspective record that is at the heart of what this band has always been.

Dallas:

Gouge Away Bandcamp (Stream 2 more songs “Stuck In A Dream” and “Idealized”

New Release: Frail Body- Refrain

This week seems to be a week where I keep listening to bands I haven’t in a while. Well, let’s keep the train rolling with this gem. Frail Body is back with their upcoming second album, Artificial Bouquet which arrives March 29, 2024 via Deathwish Inc. The first single released “Refrain” is one hell of a track that blurs the lines of hardcore, post-hardcore, black metal, and what the origins of “screamo” were all about. Personally, I’m excited to hear where this band goes from this point. This song is only the start of something I have a feeling.

PRE-ORDERS HERE

Frail Body- Refrain:

Album Review: Loma Prieta- Last

I love it when I put on an album with zero preconceived notions and it absolutely rattles me in a way that I can’t get enough of it. Recently that happened when Loma Prieta released their first album in eight years, Last. From the moment this album starts till the end, it will captivate you and compel you to keep listening as you find all sorts of nuances and intricate moments that leave you wanting more. For a band that’s been around for 20 plus years, you can tell that Loma Prieta still has a lot left to say.

Last is an album that takes many different shapes and turns. Their ability to shift from genres in songs is astounding and it pulls you in even more. Throughout this album there is no shortage of sonic assaults that push boundaries. The chaotic elements breathe musical life into the songs in a way that it’s almost poetic. The intensity that flows through this album is violent yet beautiful. It’s like watching a frozen rose crack. The beauty of it all is encapsulated within these 11 songs. There is a sense of ferocious urgency to songs like “NSAIDs,” “Dose,” and “Fire In Black & White.” Then there’s the songs that are more visceral and epic like “Symbiosis (my favorite on the album),” “Glare” “Dreamlessness” and the closing track “LLC.” I could elaborate more descriptively but, I really don’t want to give anything away.

The cross section of genres explored on Last stem from hardcore, post hardcore, noise rock, space rock and everything in between, shows that they have continuously evolved while still keeping true to their roots. The quiet to loud moments have a clarity that is reminiscent a bit of The Pixies with way more distortion. While the heavier moments hit with an explosiveness that would ignite a wildfire. Loma Prieta have delivered an album that not only hits it out of the park but, also gets down to the nitty gritty of life and the trials and tribulations. There is an intense emotion that soars throughout the album that shows truth and humanity in a way that so many other bands that strive for this, should take note of. Do yourself a favor and listen to this album! It’s without a doubt in my top 5 albums of the year!

Overall Rating: A

Loma Prieta- Last:

Glare (Official Video):

New Release: Converge (Blood Moon)- Coil

As they prepare for the release of their collaborative new album— featuring Chelsea Wolfe, Ben Chisholm and Stephen Brodsky, Converge have unveiled the second single from Bloodmoon: I, “Coil.” Speaking on the song, Jacob Bannon comments, “’Coil’ turned out to be one of my favorite songs I’ve ever been a part of. There is an infectious slow build that ends up becoming theatrical in tone. Lyrically it was a true collaboration, with all of us expanding on each other’s ideas as they came to be. I believe Chelsea’s vocal was the starting point in that for this one. Kurt really pushed vocal harmonies to a new level as well. Encouraging many of Steve’s ideas while we were in the studio tracking together. This one really has everyone of us firing on all cylinders creatively.” When you hear this song, you’ll get it. It’s such a tremendous track. I personally can’t wait for this album. Ever since they performed at Roadburn I’ve been waiting for this to finally come to fruition. Bloodmoon: I, out November 19th on CD/Digital and on Vinyl June 24th.


Converge- Coil:

Converge- Blood Moon:

Album Review: Bossk- Migration
Migration - Bossk

There are some bands out there that are very meticulous and worth the wait. One such band is Bossk. Throughout their career, Bossk has developed a cult following within the Post-Metal genre and has carved their own spot among their peers. Their new album, Migration, is a post-metal, cinematic and ferocious gem. The layers and textures found throughout the album expand with each listen. There is so much to this album that you will be wanting to hit the start button all over again once it’s over.

The album brings together different elements that when fused together makes for one hell of a great listen. One of my favorite things about this album is the atmospheric approach to the songs. It’s experimental and psychedelic at the same time. The push and pull of tension found in the post-metal genre is beyond strong on this release. Each moment captivates your senses and draws you in more and more. I could go on and on about the each song but, as I’ve said in other reviews, that would just take away from the element of surprise. The production on Migration is superb. The synths shine and cut through in a way that is almost haunting. The rumble of the low end and drums makes your blood flow faster and your heart pound harder. The riffs are crunchy and crisp. On the songs with vocals, even the different vocalists help to propel these songs into another dimension.

Bossk have truly created a masterpiece of an album with Migration. There is a real ebb and flow that captures you from the first note. To be able to capture these sounds and feelings makes Migration a truly remarkable album. An album like this has the ability to bring in other listeners from different genres and expand the minds of them. The richness of Migration is on full display with each song. It’s almost like they transcended while making this album which makes the future is very bright for Bossk. Serious contention for Album Of The Year is strong with this one.

Overall Rating: A

Bossk-Migration:

Anticipated Albums: Bossk- Migration

Over the past few years, I started delving deeper into certain record labels and their catalogs. One label that I’ve come to really admire is Deathwish Inc. This label is run by the legendary Jacob Bannon of Converge/Wear Your Wounds and Tre McCarthy. This label has and continued to be a force with great bands and releases such as, Cult Leader, Cold Cave, Code Orange, Boysetsfire, Deafheaven, Oathbreaker, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Terror, Birds In Row and Bossk. Now, speaking of Bossk, they are gearing up to release their long awaited second album, Migration (out June 18). Migration features 7 new tracks of pummeling post-metal; recorded in 2019 and finalized in 2020, this new album sees Bossk joined by guest vocalists Johannes Persson (Cult of Luna) and Josh McKeown (Palm Reader). The first single “Menhir” features Johannes of Cult of Luna and it’s a sludgy beast of a track. This new album, and first in 5 years is chock full of synth noise and atmospheric guitars to towering, pummeling riffs and vocals, creating a sonic landscape like no other. If you are in the mood for something a bit on the outside or the norm, definitely turn the volume up on Bossk!

Bossk- Menhir (featuring Johannes Persson of Cult of Luna):