In March of 2024, the very awesome Gouge Away returned after a prolonged hiatus with their album Deep Sage. From the moment that album was released it has not left my rotation. It’s a superb album that hits all the right notes of hardcore, punk, emo, and then some. If anything Deep Sage is a modern post hardcore masterpiece. Now a couple years have passed and the craving for new Gouge Away has been tamed for the moment with the release of their new single, “Figurine.” This new song is a blast of ferocious energy and hits you in the feels quite hard. “Figurine” is more in the realm of punk than hardcore with the bite of both. Gouge Away recently signed with Run For Cover records and are gearing up for quite a year of shows including being handpicked by Foo Fighters to open a few of their shows later in 2026. I’m very much looking forward to new Gouge Away. Please let there be a headlining Los Angeles show in the near future!!! Enjoy “Figurine”!!!
For well over twenty five years now, Lamb Of God have been at the forefront of heavy music. Their sound and style is unmistakable and quite pummeling. Never a band to stay in one place, they have expanded their sound through the course of ten studio albums. Each record carves its own place within their catalog and tells a particular story of the time. Their new album, Into Oblivion is explosive as it is urgent. What you have here is Lamb Of God firing on all cylinders and reaching into their past as well as diving into new territory.
Across the ten songs and forty minutes, there is no letting up with Into Oblivion. As the title track starts things off with quite the bang, each song after leaves it’s own mark. This album still packs the heavy and the groove that fans have come to love. What you find though is the inspiration coming through. It’s not so much an influence that comes to light, it’s the feeling. One of the strongest undercurrents found on Into Oblivion is the Swedish Melodic Death Metal style a la At The Gates and even Meshuggah. The way that inspiration finds its own niche on certain songs like “The Killing Floor” and “St. Catherine’s Wheel” is astounding. The sheer heaviness on these two will incite mosh pits for years to come. Then you have a couple songs that make sharp left turns into a more bluesy realm like “El Vacio” and “Blunt Force Blues.” The first two singles “Sepsis” and “Parasocial Christ” are very classic sounding songs with a very rage filled aggression. The latter half of the album is pretty intense. “Bully” provides some interesting social commentary and some really great melodic moments. While “A Thousand Years” feels like a storm brewing. Ending this stellar album is “Devise/Destroy” which is a great summation of the album. It’s got everything I mentioned above and more.
Into Oblivion is one of those albums that when it’s done you want to start it again. If you are driving it will definitely make that foot go heavier on the gas. Lamb Of God have been a constant in heavy music for a reason. Randy Blythe delivers vocals and meaningful lyrics with a passion that is unwavering. You can feel every word he says/sings/screams. And in this world we live in it’s nice to hear someone with common sense. Musically this band is on one hell of a run. Mark Morton and Willie Adler are one of the best guitar duos in all of music. They both have a different style and you can hear each of them on these songs. The rhythm section of drummer Art Cruz and John Campbell is oh so sweet. John is one of the best heavy music bass players and Art continues to push the boundaries of drums and percussion in this band. I say this with all due respect, Art Cruz is the better drummer for Lamb Of God. Just listen to how he plays the older songs and these new ones.
This album is one of the best of the year and it’s only March. 2026 is going to be a year to remember for great music and albums. Lamb Of God have knocked it out of the park with Into Oblivion. I look forward to these songs becoming live staples and seeing the audiences explode.
I’m completely enthralled by the band Slow Crush. Their style of shoegaze has struck the right chord with me. The way they mix the heaviness with the dreamy is stellar. More bands that are in this style should take note of how Slow Crush makes those dynamics work. If you haven’t already, I highly suggest you listen to their album, Thirst, it’s truly a modern masterpiece and a blueprint for modern shoegaze. Today though, Slow Crush released 2 new songs called “Que Du Noir / Hallowed” and it’s been on repeat all morning and will be throughout the rest of the day and week. The songs are dreamy and full of lush soundscapes and textures that makes you feel like you are swimming. The lyrics are quite deep but feel alive at the end. These new songs have a fun aspect to them with one song with one sung in english and the other in french. Both of them are stunning with the one in french being a tinge more mystical. Slow Crush starts a US tour this week. Be sure to catch them if you can. I know I’m going to try to! Enjoy!
A couple of days ago one of the most exciting new bands, Held., released a new song that has been on constant repeat on my stereo. The song is called “Constant Tension” and oh my is it intense. Songs like this that really tug at your heartstrings are exciting and build into a danger that is lacking in music today. The post-hardcore aspect of the song mixed with the raw vocal makes this an unbeatable track. This trio of Douglas Robinson, Sal Mignaro, and Josh Eppard is explosive and rich in passion. I’m very much looking forward their debut album, Grey, which is out on May 15th!
Ever since I was a little kid (which was a long time ago), I’ve been a fan of The Cure. That might seem weird to some but hey, it was the late 80’s and I was very into MTV. I mean, how could you not be intrigued by a band where the singer has crazy hair and wears red lipstick?! Anyways, The Cure has been one of those bands who constantly push themselves to new territory and boundaries. The lyrical content has shaped the lives of so many for well over forty years. Musically, the influence is heard in oh so many bands you love. If you’ve really never listened to The Cure, here’s what I’d like to think is quite the definitive ranking of their fourteen studio albums! Enjoy!
What is going on with shoegaze these days? When did this subgenre become such a phenomenon? I’ve been trying to find the point of origin and it’s quite complex. Instead of trying to figure out all that at the moment, why not just enjoy the best of what’s out there. The ones that have really left a mark on me have done just that. These select bands and albums have not just found their way into constant rotation, they’ve separated themselves from the pack well enough to make a lasting impression on the genre and era. Trauma Ray is one of those bands and their latest release, the EP, Carnival, absolutely cements that.
Carnival is one of those perfect EP’s that is a burst of creativity. By opening up the writing to be more collaborative, the vast expansive inspiration is aplenty here. This unlocked a whole other world for the band to travel in. What’s interesting too is these influences are cast without biting off a duplicate rendition. If you’ve heard the bands debut, Chameleon, you can definitely hear the wings stretching here. In a way it reminds me of the band Brand New and how the more open collaboration made the band even better. What Carnival does across five songs and twenty five minutes makes you fall into a trance of lush soundscapes, dreamy vocals, riffs and melodies that caress the delicate and at times intense rhythms. The use of not just shoegaze aspects is another treat. Like many of the other great bands of this genre, there is more to Trauma Ray. Other sounds and styles like metal, alternative, sludge, doom, grunge, ambience all play a part in making this one stand out release. Each song takes on a bit of a life of its own with the way the influences shine.
It’s very refreshing to hear a band like Trauma Ray taking the sum of their parts and realizing making a record that not only showcases the individual effort but pushes the band forward into making great music. Carnival is for sure a ride and one worth riding over and over again.
For quite a while now, I’ve been heavily into the band Black Magnet. I absolutely love the way the industrial, punk, metal, and bits of post-punk are put together. The last two albums, Body Prophecy and Megamantra are modern industrial classics. What I have to share with you all today is the first of two new Black Magnet songs. “Room Full Of Hammers” was written as an outlier song during the Megamantra sessions. After working and focusing on a full length, James Hammontree wanted to write in a more free-form way without any lofty goals or in the focus of an album. The end result is bone crushing and pummeling. This song is very loose sounding but full of attitude and bite for days. There’s even a really fun punk energy to this song that feels like it’s straight out of Ministry circa 1988-1991. Make sure to crank your volume up loudly for “Room Full Of Hammers!”
Melodic heavy music is one of my favorite things to listen to. There is something about having heavy music and with vocals that you can hear and feel. That feeling you get listening to a band that has all the right parts is quite warming. That being said let me introduce you to the band of the week, Sapient Scar. This Los Angeles based five piece band is unapologetically coming for you. While they might not be reinventing the wheel here, Sapient Scar is pure raw energy mixed with an aggressive yet melodic sound. Fronted by VK Lynne (Vita Nova, stOrk, The Spider Accomplice), whose powerhouse vocals announce their arrival, Sapient Scar brings together an impressive lineup: Founder David Ruiz (Edge of Paradise) on guitar, John Chominsky (Edge of Paradise, SYNN, Final Gravity) on drums, Allie Kay (The Violent Hour, Jason Charles Miller (exGodhead), Herway to Hell) on guitar, and Brendan Flavin holding down the low end on bass. The sum of these parts has released two songs “Weak Is The Weapon” and “Pay Forever” both are hooky, heavy and hit that melodic aspect oh so well. I’m very much looking forward to what else is to come from Sapient Scar. You can also see them live at The Cobalt Presents/Audioeclectica show at Hotel Ziggy in Hollywood on Saturday February 28th! See you there and enjoy Sapient Scar!
When a band such as Converge releases a new album, it’s a big deal. For well over 30 years, Converge has been at the forefront of metal and hardcore. Their signature sound is unmistakable. The sheer intensity of the vocals and lyrics will make grown men cry. Musically the intricacies, riffs and pummeling rhythms are as devastating as the most powerful storm. Without Converge we wouldn’t have so many other great bands that we enjoy today.
Which brings me to their new album Love Is Not Enough. The past few albums have been rather epic in their nature. Blood Moon, The Dusk In Us and All We Love We Leave Behind are quite the records in their own right and have their own place within the catalog and genre. Over the course of the time since their release, each of those albums holds a certain place for me. What we have here on this new album is a very direct sense of impact. Not since their album, You Fail Me, have Converge made such an urgent blast of an album. Spanning just about thirty minutes, Love Is Not Enough grabs you by the throat the second the title track kicks off the record. Throughout the ten songs the listener is thrust into the whole career of Converge. Each song is a bit of a snapshot of the best of what Converge is and has done. For those clamoring for the more spastic and heavy fast paced songs, those are here for you and for the taking. There is a thematic level of darkness and gloominess that is a radiating aspect to the album. Which gives it a very profound feeling. There is a balance of both the heavy/dark and spastic/pummeling making, Love Is Not Enough that much more impactful. Even the middle song which is instrumental, this track gives you the moment to gather yourself before the onslaught continues. There is not a song on this album that feels like it shouldn’t be here.
Converge is Converge for a reason. Their music is a true testament to what moves them. An album like Love Is Not Enough might not be the be all end all of metalcore albums but, what this album does is show everyone else trying to cop this style that, this is the way to do it. Imitation can be a form of flattery at times but, don’t mess with it in hardcore and metal. The equal parts of Jacob Bannon, Kurt Ballou, Nate Newton and Ben Koller made one hell of an album here. One that should not only be listened loudly but, one that shows there is no letting up for these gents. The standard was set long ago by Converge and they just keep moving the bar higher for everyone else. I’m personally beyond stoked on their upcoming tour with Poison The Well. That decibel levels in the venues should register on richter scales.
With easy passing day, we are getting closer to the release of Poison The Well’s new album, Peace In Place. A couple of weeks back they released the first single, “Thoroughbreds” which definitely hit the mark. Now the second single has been released and it’s so damn good. “Everything Hurts” has that signature quiet/loud dynamic that is the right mood and melodic tinge that makes me love Poison The Well. To top it off too, “Everything Hurts” flows quite well out of the end of “Thoroughbreds.” I do believe we have another a Top Ten album of the year coming up with Peace In Place. March 20th can’t come soon enough! And the tour with Converge… I will see you there!
