Following on from the success of their debut LP Who Are The Girls?, released just a month prior to the beginning of lockdowns in the UK; the genre-shattering duo Nova Twins sought comfort in superseding the dispiriting experience of quarantine, with the inception of what would come to be their finest release to date.
Journeying through the vast realms of Supernova’s explosive fusion of multi-genre mayhem, it became abundantly clear that their expertise will forever lie in the formation of ever-enthralling hype anthems, such as the rambunctious wall of sound off of their lead single ‘Antagonist’ and the perfect addition to a reimagined Dead Or Alive fight scene soundtrack with ‘Choose Your Fighter’.
Although the album is rife with expert sensory overloads just waiting patiently for your eventual adoration; we find that besides the overwhelming brilliance of the two singles we’ve previously mentioned, you would be missing out if you accidentally hit skip on some extra curious creations that we can’t get enough of.
The title track kicks down the door on Electrified Brain, firing from the hip with thrashy riffs and angry vocals. The energy matches up to the anticipation of hearing another album from the world’s favourite party-thrashers, so once the groovy riffs close out the song with a buzz of electricity you can’t help but smile as Municipal Waste suck you in for another 30 minutes of axework. ‘Demoralizer’ follows and presents a fine platter of power-infused thrash, fans of Warbringer will find themselves engaged and locked into this one. ‘Grave Drive‘ contrasts acidic vocals with gang-shouts that thicken out the mechanical cycle of guitarwork that any hardcore kid would two-step to with a grin on their face.
The format of speedy riff – slow it down – groove it up is certainly not underused in this album and as such, people will likely complain that there is not enough imagination in the formula of this work. But when you turn on a Municipal Waste album are you looking for technical or ground-breaking writing? Not a chance. Municipal Waste do classic thrash with very few frills and they do it better than almost anyone else, Electrified Brain being further proof of this. That said, as sub two-minute tracks like ‘The Bite‘ and ‘Blood Vessel – Boat Jail‘ are the musical equivalent of those miniature cans of beer in that they are great – but not necessarily something you can savour.
Finland’s 2021 Eurovision heroes Blind Channel have had a monumental rise since they burst onto the stage in Rotterdam with their middle fingers up. Despite finishing 6th with 301 points, the band had already started making waves in the metal scene with their unique brand of post-hardcore, something that they have classified as “Violent Pop”. Following on from 2020s Violent Pop, Blind Channel continue to explore the themes of heartbreak, pain and brokenness with high energy, incredibly catchy pop melodies, anthemic harmonies and big riffs. Lifestyle Of The Sick & Dangerous cements the band’s place in the upper echelons of modern metal.
The band’s philosophy of “Rohkea rokan syö” (“Fortune Favours The Brave”) once again stands loud and proud on Lifestyle Of The Sick & Dangerous, bringing a melody packed brand of ferocious nu-metal outside the confines of the Finnish language and into the hearts of the world. With ruthless ambition in full force, and the band’s statement of intent for world domination is summed up in the final verse of ‘Glory For The Greedy’ with the line “We’ll be sending you flying kisses from Wembley”. Continuing their exploration of brokenness and the assortment of emotions that surround it, alongside the modern day misery that has consumed the world in recent times, the band fully embrace their influences from metal, pop and hip-hop alike. Lifestyle Of The Sick & Dangerous demonstrates that they have more to offer outside of the Eurovision crowd pleaser ‘Dark Side’. In an album full of infectious hooks and anthemic riffs and an innate ability to grab you by the scruff of the neck with hard hitting lyrics, Blind Channel once again give us a riotous and unforgiving clout of their self styled “Violent Pop”.
That’s how long it took Midlands extreme metallers Conjurer to craft Páthos, the follow up to their breakout debut album Mire. That album catapulted the four piece from a hotly-tipped band that gigged together on the weekend to an international tour de force, landing them accolades and support slots they thought they’d never achieve in their career, let alone on a single record. It took, in effect, the forced lockdown of world and cancellation of any and all touring plans to force them back into writing mode. Of course, with the runaway success of their debut, the question on everyone’s lips was whether they could top such a fantastic album. Everyone else’s – but not the four lads from Rugby.
In summary, Páthos takes everything that made Mire great and stretches it, pushes it into new directions and melds in new, experimental flourishes that they perhaps would’ve never thought to use beforehand without such an extended period of downtime to truly explore what they thought Conjurer was, or should be. Mire part 2 this most certainly isn’t; instead, it’s a far more diverse, but no less emotionally or sonically devastating listen.
Lead single ‘It Dwells’ opens, a jangly acoustic lick creating a false sense of security before – surprise! – Conjurer drop an almighty, off-kilter riff with their dual-vocal attack that spirals into a neck-snapping rhythm. That’s just the first minute; as ‘It Dwells’ progresses, the band fold in emotional swells, slow crushes and softer, disquieting moments as brief reprieves from the turmoil. ‘Rot’ acts as a companion piece, taking the themes of fear and anxiety of ‘It Dwells’ and instead giving those emotions the reins. It’s ugly, twisted and bitter, with creeping ambience opening into its sledgehammer riffs.
As a global music community, we have been blessed to live in a time when The Dillinger Escape Plan existed. The expectation of everything post Dissocation set the bar ridiculously high. With Greg’s The Black Queen and his first solo record he has gradually been building a new reputation and as Mighty Boosh once said he has been ‘searching for the new sound’. Recent years are not necessarily built on head splitting, faeces throwing action but a look into Greg’s record collection and mind. First record Child Soldier: Creator of God and the audio/visual delight of Fuck Content were scattered but an accomplished array of styles. Fans have been yearning to see him live in the flesh again but his attentive, hard work has brought us to his second solo effort.
Chaotic guitars build feedback from opening instrumental ‘In This Hell You Find Yourself’ launching into the literal ‘Reality Spiral’. A riff which plays heavily on the Jerry Cantrell connection Greg has. Swooning guitar lines as his recognisable vocals kick in. Smooth yet powerful like a morning coffee. ‘No More Lives to Go’ continues in a similar vein swiftly proving that this is a more consistent, focused, and better sequenced record than his first solo record. In relation, ‘Never Wanted That’ explores his softer touch. Beautiful warm guitar tones fill the air backing his caramel vocals. Intersected by one of the many improvised solos. A truly sumptuous highlight.
It’s been a hot minute since we last sat down with We Struck Gold, and in that time the Bristol collective have gone from strength to strength. Four released compositions with accompanying visuals, a whole host of tour dates under their belt and now a heavyweight eight track EP entering the game just in time for the year’s festival season. Championed by the likes of the BBC, Dreambound and pretty much any publication you can think of – the steady stream of singles that have paved the way for the full record set the tone admirably, and have set the bar high for any fans with significant expectations for the band’s latest body of work.
Themed around dismantling social constructs and delving into the unknown, the lyrical narrative that underpins ‘Feel Nothing’ is a heavy hitter. Following a brief introduction, the record’s second single ‘done.’ is aptly placed, and sets the pace for the rest of the cycle in its opening seconds. Anyone fortunate enough to have caught the band’s live show at The Crofters Rights in Bristol back in May will have experienced the track in all its glory, as it is intended to be heard – however the studio master provided a platform for the vocals to ring true and cut deep. With a soaring chorus and some of the lighter guitar tones at play, the fourth stop on the release displays the band’s appreciation for every aspect of their genre. ‘I’ll Find More Peaceful Days’ is far from the heaviest track on the EP, but provides a well placed reprieve and opportunity to digest the overall sonic experience in its entirety.
