With the amount of amazing releases in the metal world this year alone so far, it would be hard to believe anything can top the ranks at this point. There can’t possibly be anymore good hardcore for the rest of the year, surely. Alas, Triple B Records is here to prove why that is utter hogwash. Detroit Hardcore unit Never Ending Game has stepped up to the plate managing one of the biggest hardcore records of the year with their newest release Outcry. Displaying nothing but absolute raw emotion every step of the way, only fitting for the Detroit Hardcore scene. With this latest release, Never Ending Game puts it all on the table, showing why they live, breath, and die for the Motor City.
Opening track, also title track, ‘Outcry’ is starts the album with classic old school hardcore influence any metal fan of any age can get behind. Blasting through this track from start to finish with pounding drums backed by a chunky and hard string section, it sets the tone for what is to be expected of this record for sure. Or so the listener will think because as they manage to get through the first few tracks, this record manages to surprise left and right.
Cattle Decapitation have never been a band to sit back on their accomplishments, always forward thinking and refining their sound, they have regularly introduced new elements and fusions into their core of grinding death metal since 2012’s Monolith Of Inhumanity. This culminated in what many consider to be not only the band’s magnum opus, but one of the best extreme metal releases of the past decade, 2019’s Death Atlas. A bleak vision of mankind’s inevitable apocalyptic future, Death Atlas thematically and artistically portrayed a feeling of darkness, ending and finality. Many speculated where the band could go next to follow up such a resounding achievement, but the global pandemic that shortly followed was in many ways an affirmation of the band’s misanthropy, lending fresh inspiration to view their acrimonious displeasure of humankind’s ‘rebirth’ in a new light.
This brings us to Terrasite, the title itself being a word conceptualised by vocalist Travis Ryan, derived from Latin and Greek to mean ‘Earth-eater’ as a metaphor for humanity’s role in the further destruction of the planet. Where Death Atlas revelled in the darkness and finality of global extinction, Terrasite conceptually explores the rebirthing of humanity’s persistent and parasitic propensity for selfishness, to never learn from mistakes and continue to consume and destroy in the name of so-called survival even in the face of global collapse.
From the beginning of album opener ‘Terrasitic Adaption’, Cattle Decapitation make it clear that the broader thematic elements of the album’s concept are woven throughout the songwriting itself. Atmospheric samples of percussive bells are blended with inhuman cries and screams as if this is the moment of the Terrasite’s emergence from the earth, punctuated with deliberate, anticipatory riffs and drum beats, as well as atmospheric lead guitar melodies before detonating into the exact level of ferocity you’d expect. These small conceptual motifs are found all across Terrasite, whether its moments like in second single ‘Scourge of the Offspring’ where the instrumentals sound like scurrying armies of insects as the lyrics compare humanity to a swarm of flies, or the lead guitar melody in ‘The Storm Upstairs’ almost emulating the sound of a storm alert siren before a merciless instrumental kicks in as if the storm itself has arrived.
‘Flourishing’ begins the double album experience with an ingredient often crucial in a TAS record – a big fat riff. A run time of less than ninety seconds means that every moment counts, managing to display seasoned tempo control to dictate the energy and power of the track in spite of its short duration. ‘Calf’s Blood’ builds tension and with ringing guitars, rattling bass and kick drums that punch through the mix. A jaw-clenching fight riff suffixes the track before initiating the instant terror of third single ‘Chain’. Ignorantly heavy music and classically vile lyricism from Vincent Bennett, but another short run time leaves us three songs deep and barely over four minutes of music have been heard. In another album this may be a cause for concern, however the double album tactic employed by TAS mitigates this downfall as will be explored later in this piece.
‘Fresh Bones’ was the second single, one of the standouts of the album. It displays their ability to command power using minimalistic and relatively primitive methods – a valuable and increasingly unique skill to possess in modern heavy music. Further marching and rhythmic hell-sounds are fronted in ‘Teeth Of The Cursed Dog, with very clever use of the buzzsaw-esque guitars to build the classically unforgiving riff so adored by this band. ‘OPEN WOUND’ explores levels of more unique soundscaping to help give this track identity as it powers on with a steadily destructive tempo and well-drilled pace control.
Fusing together all the best elements of dirty underground hardcore punk with dirty underground hardcore electronic music, breakbeats and raver synths, the immediate sound of the Kappacore EP may seem jarring at first, but it actually makes a lot of sense. In the wake of bands like Pendulum, Rammstein and Enter Shikari taking their cues from the vast range and history of electronically charged music, Tokky Horror feels like the next group to really capture something special in the merge between those musical worlds and hit the ground running with that momentum. This isn’t just the next band to come along and try their hand at reaching fame and fortune, no, Tokky Horror have their sights set on an even greater prize: community.
“I always felt more at home in a punk club than a “gay bar”, that doesn’t mean those spaces are “wrong” it just means there is a sub-culture of people who don’t have a space. So here with Tokky, we want to create one.” Operating within both the worlds of LGBTQ+ nightlife events, and more traditional live touring circuit, the Tok‘ are in the early days of cultivating their own scene, popping up in all the right places to help capture the attention of those who still feel alone in a crowd, looking for something more, and with this collection of songs, they cover the all important basis of having iconic lines and lyrics for people to chant back at the band.
Techno infused opener ‘Maxine’ starts the EP off with a dark, dingy, back of the club vibe, before the breakneck speed of ‘Hammer 2 The Face’ kicks it up a notch for some full throttle drum and bass, albeit mixed in a more chaotic way, such is the DIY ethic of the band and their unique charm.
Cyan Kicks are here to invite you into their universe, one full of love, acceptance and empowerment. On the release of their third album I Never Said 4Ever, the band have crafted a sound aimed at being inclusive and emotionally driven. Working with the likes of Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie), Elize Ryd (Amaranthe) and producer Zakk Cervini (Bring Me The Horizon, Poppy, Architects, Beartooth) it would seem scaling up, precision and fine-tuning seems to be the focus with I Never Said 4Ever, but with all that resource thrown into the mix, how does it fare in striking the balance between its clean, meticulously crafted recording process and holding on to emotion and connection which have always been the core golden thread for Cyan Kicks?
The opening one-two punch of ‘i should stop acting cool’ and title track ‘I Never Said 4Ever’ makes clear the band’s statement of intent with a grandiose sound that still makes vocalist Susanna Alexandra the main focus. Her seemingly effortless ability to shift from ethereal and delicate to soaring ascent is elevated by the instrumental arrangement and its pinpoint inclusion with great use of drumming patterns and synths to create impactful explosive contrast. The Finnish four-piece have made quite the name for themselves, opening 2022 with their larger-than-life anthem ‘Hurricane’, which was subsequently an contender for Finland’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. The song features as a familiar soundbite on the album but does not feel out of place at all, instead showcasing its success and versatility.
With Press To MECO calling it quits after this year’s 2000 Trees festival and Arcane Roots going their separate ways, it’s time for a new challenger to claim their place at the top of the UK’s alt-rock scene. With their debut album Dawn Chorus, Blank Atlas throw their hat into the ring with a varied mix of heavy, atmospheric and catchy tracks that come together to create an album that’s better than the sum of its parts. The Bristol trio, formed of twin brothers Dan and Tom Thould, on guitar and drums respectively, with bassist Chris Simpson, have already made a name for themselves with their live act, having played alongside veterans such as Puppy, Holding Absence and Salem.
Blank Atlas start as they mean to go on with opener ‘Flawless’, a relentlessly upbeat yet intricate track that sees the trio explore the limits of their sound. Blank Atlas’s three part harmonies are at the forefront of this track, with immense backing vocals elevating key moments in the chorus and creating an ethereal choir in the intro which flows elegantly into a powerhouse guitar riff. ‘Flawless’ really starts to shine when the more extravagant and intricate elements are stripped away and built back up, Blank Atlas have a clear understanding of dynamics and song structure and utilise them expertly here to keep the track grounded despite all the exaggerated layers.
