Bringing the technicality of progressive metal artists like Devin Townsend into a more accessible alt-rock sound is a tough task but one that Godsticks take on confidently, incorporating soaring, melodramatic clean vocals and chugging riffs to accompany the more progressive aspects of their sound. The veritable prog veterans have been working tirelessly since their 2010 debut with a full touring schedule and five studio albums already under their belt, their latest release This Is What A Winner Looks Like shows off the band’s penchant for complex grooves and their fantastic technical chops but too often miss the mark.
The opening track ‘If I Don’t Take It All’ showcases frontman Darran Charles’ unique vocal delivery, finding a space between the theatrics of ‘70s prog and the grungy growl of Eddie Vedder. This song builds itself around a repeated guitar riff jumping between, rhythmic chugging and a copy and pasted lead line that’s present throughout most of the three and a half minute runtime. It would’ve been nice to see some more variation in this guitar riff, which does show some melodic evolution towards the end of the song but not enough rhythmic changes to stay engaging. The drums, although tight and rhythmically diverse, lack any real punch and are far too low in the mix, being drowned by the other instruments at times and dragging down the track as a whole. ‘If I Don’t Take It All’ acts as a fitting introduction to both the album and Godsticks as a whole, demonstrating their superb technical abilities and Charles’ exceptional vocal style and, if not for a few annoyances, could’ve worked really well.
The USDM community has seen a renewed life in the past five years or so, with industry veterans releasing some of their freshest material yet and an entirely new wave of underground Death Metal acts, including the likes of Blood Incantation, Necrot, 200 Stab Wounds, Gatecreeper, Sanguisugabogg and Undeath, rising with critical acclaim. Frozen Soul have arguably found themselves pushed to the forefront of this New Wave of US Death Metal with live show clips going viral and having the opportunity to open shows for extreme metal legends Obituary, Napalm Death and a recent UK/EU run with Dying Fetus. Their debut album Crypt Of Ice was hailed as the standard bearer for their decidedly [c]old-school Death Metal approach, evoking comparisons to early Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower and Obituary. Now with Glacial Domination, Frozen Soul are experimenting with different approaches and pushing their own boundaries to craft something that retains the old-school death metal musical aesthetics whilst looking forward into the bands future.
The stylistic diversification is laid bare even from the opening moments of ‘Invisible Tormentor’, kicking the album off with horror-movie atmospherics and 80’s inspired dark wave synthesis before suddenly detonating into more of a thrash leaning track, with wild fly-picked shredding, blast-beats and a guttural roar from vocalist Chad Green. Whilst they retain their old-school Death Metal core, Frozen Soul have worked hard to change things up for the better. Adding in more prominent guitar hooks, melodies and harmonies as well as guitar solos, diversifying the vocal deliveries and adding in catchier vocal hooks in addition to more memorable chorus’ themselves. That’s not to say the band has stepped away their signature arctic sound completely, its just been filled out with newer elements. Tracks like the hulking chug of ‘Morbid Effigy’, the murderous pace of ‘Best Served Cold’ or the chilling glacial delivery of album closer ‘Atomic Winter’ all fit with the more traditional Frozen Soul aesthetic.
2021’s Fuck Art gave a desperately needed whimsical start to a year clouded in uncertainty; now, Free Rein to Passions comes along to force a smile on your face when we’re facing (almost similar?) uncertainty. God help us when whatever’s next from the Ontario rock quartet follows.
Even more so than its predecessor, Free Rein To Passions spends almost the entirety of its 10 tracks with a shit eating grin on its face. In a sense, it reminds you of how much fun rock music can be (wasn’t that the whole point of this, anyway?).
‘Undefeated’ is everything post 2004 Green Day should have been writing: an infectious, hearty singalong anthem with a hook laden rhythm section to boot. If American Pie happened in 2023 – this would be its soundtrack. ‘1990’ is a further nudge to cheer up too, with its vibrancy, grandeur, and downright refusal to take itself too seriously. The Dirty Nil somehow find a way to sit within a space of nostalgia and contemporary satire.
Perhaps it’s this throwback like characteristics that make The Nil so palatable. They’d sound as fitting in someone’s grandparents’ garage in 1996 as they do describing modern mayhem in the phenomenal ‘Blowin’ Up Things In The Woods’. Luke Bentham’s salvo of subtle lyricisms mixed with power vocals quite literally never stops being audible Mario Kart: everyone just ‘gets’ why it’s gratifying.
With substantial time and experience under their belts within the hardcore community in Canada, it’s almost surprising that this is only the third release from Ontario hardcore outfit Reality Denied. Consisting of Conner Gibbs (Vocals), Andy Dmytryshyn & Dillon Frantists (Guitars), Andrew Biancianello (Bass), and Matt Squires (Drums), this hardcore/beatdown powerhouse has remained one of Ontario’s more popular bands in recent years and their new EP …Comes With A Price will only prove why Reality Denied deserve all the love and attention they receive. Full of the heaviest breakdowns, insanely catchy guitar riffs, and possibly some of the best drum work coming out of Ontario right now, this EP will stand among Canada’s best when it comes to heavy music. Co-produced by guitarist Andy Dmytryshyn and Davis Maxwell of School House Studios in Dundas, Ontario; this album will prove to be the bands best work not only in performance but also in writing and production.
Opening the EP is ‘Aint Optin’. Instantly noticeable is the almost lack of thrash influence that was so prevalent on previous releases and opting for a more upfront hardcore and aggressive sound. Don’t be upset if that was what you were into because this is still very much a Reality Denied track with drummer Matt Squires and vocalist Conner Gibbs leading the front with their unique and respective styles throughout the track. Ending this massive opener with bang, drums and guitar align perfectly for one of the craziest hardcore breakdowns this writer has heard come out of Ontario in some time.
After the colourful chaos of Heartwork, The Used’s latest album Toxic Positivity feels like the band have come crashing back to earth, with a collection of punchy emo anthems that are succinct and focused. McCracken themes the album around his mental deterioration in a world of COVID and political change, culminating in an album that feels surprisingly confessional and vulnerable for the band at this point in this career.
Stripping back much of the experimentation that they delved into on their 2020 album, Toxic Positivity feels, for the most part, like a return to the band’s roots. ‘The Worst’ is a killer way of blowing open the album, and a song that sees the band at their heaviest for quite some time. The track is packed with plenty of energy, with loud, blown-out guitar riffs and Bert McCracken’s signature over-dramatic flair, kicking off the album perfectly. On ‘Numb’, moody ambience unfurls into driving emo angst, as McCracken desperately bellows “does anybody else feel numb?” at the top of his lungs.
New Heavy Sounds have been discovering nuanced heavy gems for over ten years now. The label that brought stoner doomers Black Moth, space heavy shredders MWWB to our attention among others, has lately seemed to have turned their attention, and ours, to the equally excellent feminist hardcore brutality of Death Pill, and Shooting Daggers. Always interesting, the label’s latest release They Watch Us from The Moon’s debut recalls the label’s earlier signings and arrives beamed from somewhere out of the far outer reaches of the interplanetary system via Kansas.
Embracing a sci-fi opera concept, and a love of Queen and David Bowie, the members don’t hold back as ‘Luna Nemesis, Nova 10101001’’s incredible melodic harmonies raise the levels of quality space doom and its potential to mesmerise at dizzying heights. With the back-up of The General Shane Thirteen (guitar and vocals), Adryon Prahktaur (drums), Zakkatron (bass), and the more human sounding named R. Benjamin Black (guitar, vocals) all solidify a crusading introduction with Cosmic Chronicles: Act 1, The Ascension.
It lands upon this mortal coil to showcase five tracks which can all be taken out singularly for high enjoyment, as well as to form a cohesive and consistent whole, which takes you on a journey for 45 minutes of engrossing sonic immersion – drop the needle, hit the play button, whichever the format of your persuasion and let the melodies, wrapped in robust heaviness, cruise you along.
