The meaning of the word galore invariably means ‘in abundance’, whether that be consuming in excess or experiencing much in life; whether it be love or pain that it changes you indefinitely. Taking these moments, learning from them and imparting knowledge onto the next generation, specifically his offspring, is what vocalist Damien Sayell is here to achieve. And with the help of his brothers in arms they deliver this in spades through a new post-electronicore (let’s try and call it that for now) lens. From the influences to the delivery in sonics to its lyricism, this record is markedly different album from its forerunners.
Cemented in the UK underground scene with their roots sprouting from the stylings of the likes of Every Time I Die and The Chariot, these Bristolians are not ones to rest on their laurels and stick to one formula. Pushing away from these familiar sounds, Galore has looked towards the realms of electronic dance-punk stylings inspired by Soulwax and others. But before even a single note plays the clues to this are in the artwork which could pull from the Belgian legends’ Nite Versions album, wrapped in a bright pink and hypnotising design.
For the uninitiated, Wallowing are an anonymous five piece from somewhere, probably not this planet judging by the harsh noisy wall you are met with when you listen to this record. Wallowing don’t just produce music, in fact they exist in order to explore a universe of their own design. They have a comic book series that Earth Reaper and their previous album Planet Loss are based off, they’ve got figurines, sci-fi styled cases for their cassette runs; to say they’re prolific creators is probably an understatement. Earth Reaper therefore doesn’t disappoint. When you craft such deep lore behind your music, you can’t help but produce something that generates something greater than just the sum of it’s parts.
‘Flesh and Steel’ comes in at three and half minutes, making it the shortest (non-transitional) track on the album. You’re immediately assaulted by huge doomy chords and harsh screamed vocals, as the narrator opens the story of a human asking who they are, after they’ve been rebuilt by androids. The riffs come thick and fast, the drumming is hectic and chaotic, both stylistically fit the theme and atmosphere perfectly for what is essentially the opening track of the album. Wallowing have created an awesome animated video to go along with the song (it’s linked below) that’s well worth a watch too.
“Tempus Veritas:” “in time for truth.” Latin, from tempus “time” + veritas “truth, truthfulness.” Truth is revealed as time passes, and from stories and legends past, there is truth. Progressive metal stars Black Orchid Empire wrestle with both of these ideas in their fourth album, Tempus Veritas. From the fading silence of the old Norse gods to the deadly silence in the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., Black Orchid Empire seek answers and truth amidst racing riffs, grooving drums, and soaring choruses.
Many prog metal bands truck in concept albums. Progressive music has lent itself to that as early as the 60s. Personal lives, epic dramas, science fiction (see Black Orchid Empire’s last album Sempahore for some good prog science fiction) are all common subjects for concept albums. With Tempus Veritas, however, The English rockers have taken that old concept album lens and turned it backwards into history. The concept of Tempus Veritas: there is truth to be found in time. ‘The Raven’ asks how it would feel to be a Norse settler amongst the Saxons, when the ancient gods began to disappear. A raven would be sign enough, but the gods are silent. ‘Deny The Sun’ considers how Pope Urban VIII took the news Galileo gave to his friend about the true nature of the solar system. How did native tribes and people groups in the new world feel about gold-seeking European explorers exploiting and killing them during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries? That is the subject of the absurdly catchy ‘Glory To The King’. Abstract concept albums can be challenging to piece together, but Black Orchid Empire nail it here.
Jesus Piece erupted onto the scene with 2018’s debut album ‘Only Self’, a claustrophobic and unsettling gut punch, blending dizzying beatdown rhythmic shifts, death metal riffing and incorporating elements of industrial and noise into their metallic hardcore soundscapes. Garnering a lot of attention with their enigmatic style, ‘Only Self’ proved a landmark opening statement that arguably helped to shift the focus of hardcore as a whole to a much darker and experimental place, pushing against genre boundaries. Now half a decade later in 2023, with a lot of their contemporaries following their lead, Jesus Piece finally unveil second album …So Unknown.
Visceral opening track ‘In Constraints’ immediately establishes that Jesus Piece don’t hold back from the get go. Aaron Heard’s distorted, guttural and unhinged roars bellow forth as the shockwave from the pummelling instrumental brings the album to life. Swaying from dissonant palm muted chords on top of angular, choppy rhythms, to death metal-esque tremolo picking and punishing breakdowns, allowing for brief breaks in the instrumentals for moments to breathe in between the brutality. Jesus Piece play somewhat with genre expectations and experimentation while continuing to suffocate the listener with their undiluted onslaught.
Tracks like ‘FTBS (Fuck The Bull Shit)’ feels like a straight up hardcore pit anthem, with punchy staccato riffs, two step rhythms and a big ‘FUCK THE BULL SHIT’ gang chant chorus, before somehow devolving into a heavy NOLA sludge influenced breakdown to end the track. On the other hand, ‘Silver Lining’, whilst just as confrontational on the surface with an unnerving atmosphere, lyrically this song is about the joy Heard has found in fatherhood and the strong emotional bond he shares with his child. Subverting listener expectations comes in many forms throughout, whether they be atmospheric or rhythmic expectations of the songwriting, or even lyrical expectations on occasion, ‘…So Unknown’ is in a constant state of metamorphosis.
It overlooks the many bands outside of that top four who have given thrashers a lot to mosh around to over the years. None more so than New Jersey legendary thrashers Overkill who have been hanging around Thrash Alley for forty odd years, and on their 20th album (an incredible feat when you stop and think about it) there is a loose feeling of coming full circle about proceedings, as the fiery title Scorched bears connection to 1985’s debut Feel the Fire.
Aside from a different approach to the making of Scorched – recorded at home and using file sharing as a necessary result of the pandemic, Overkill don’t change the formula too much. The current band clearly possess a love of whipping up thrash ferocity, which they do so on ‘The Surgeon’, ‘Twist of the Wick’, and ‘Harder they Fall.’ A combination of killer riffage, frenzied double bass drum and all-round the kit pummelling, multiple tempo builds to keep you on your toes, displays forthrightly any pent-up energy from the last couple of strange years are channelled productively.
As much of a cathartic release this must have been for the band, there is also a real sense of relishing the opportunity to get back to business. Bobby Blitz sounds like he is having blast, whether propelling his gravel toned vocals to higher levels on the full throttle thrasher ‘Twist of the Wick’, or rolling the words out – with occasional yelps – on the chugger grooving ‘Wicked Place.’
Waterparks‘ fifth album Intellectual Property sees the band try to crystallise their blend of pop / electronic elements with the guitar driven pop punk of their younger years with sometimes mixed results but generally coming out on top.
Waterparks have always been the kind of band to have fun with their music and that can be seen by the bucketload here, a wonderful example being the false ending on short intro track ‘ST*RFUCKER’. It’s the surprising but playful start to the album fans have come to expect from the group. The track cuts off mid-bar, totally unexpectedly, making you check whether something has gone wrong with the playback for a split second. Then we’re into the first main song ‘REAL SUPER DARK’. It’s not dark at all, but there are some guitars with the gain cranked up. Singer Awsten Knight commented that he wanted to get more guitars involved on the album. Last record ‘Greatest Hits’ was much less of their pop punk roots and more electronic bubblegum pop. There’s certainly some moments of that here, with the main riff hook of the track delivered on mean power chords like some sort of soft industrial metal bop.
