Having nearly reached twenty years since the release of their self titled debut album, Swedish hard rockers Graveyard have long established themselves as a distinctive and revered torchbearer in the world of modern hard rock. The band found their stride early after their 2011 breakthrough second album, Hisinger Blues, which scored them critical acclaim and attention, leading to opening slots for the likes of Soundgarden and becoming a mainstay of the Swedish rock scene.
Through various lineup changes and a brief hiatus, the band endured; their last release, 2023’s 6, was drenched in a dreary noir atmosphere, sombre reflections that built their first post-pandemic release, exploring sounds similar to their earlier album Light’s Out but feeling murkier in mood.
It’s rare, in these times of such hyper-focused niches and genre back alleys, to find a band so cheerfully idiosyncratic and unique as Boss Keloid. Right from their first Angular Beef Lesson, through them asking you to Herb Your Enthusiasm, to Family the Smiling Thrush, there’s really nobody who you can point to and say ‘that sounds like Boss Keloid.’ And now they’re back, five years on from that particularly entertaining headscratcher, and there’s still no one out there quite so thoroughly melted on their inch.
If you’re not familiar, describing the Keloid sound is a bit like playing Cards Against Humanity, only with musical genres. Ostensibly a prog metal band, they’re also a sludge band, but they’re also heavily jazz-influenced. Oh, and of course, they’re a stoner band. But if you closed your eyes and tried to summon what that particular alchemical bombination might sound like, you’d likely get nowhere near. And now, on their fourth full-length, they’re even harder to pin down.
The math-manglers in Frontierer have undoubtedly always been an acquired taste. Even those who think they listen to “experimental” music have quickly been deterred by the swathe of sounds the band produces. But to those who are wired for the likes of this and fellow noise-makers, Car Bomb will undoubtedly be first in line to spin Ultraviolet Parasite. Side note, how is it only now that Car Bomb & Frontierer are touring together? A match made in heaven for sure.
The title track opens with the most digestible elements, with direct rhythm for the most part. The bass drum would certainly destroy phone speakers if dared to be played on a loudspeaker. ‘Picturesque’ follows, feeling like being shot through an industrial shredding machine that’s consuming alien technology. Just after you reach out of the black hole in a moment of peace, they drag you back in with their digital-sounding tentacles and jaws.
‘Wool Glasses’ continues the attack with a pure wall of sound thundering into another wall of sound with a beat thundering into another wall of lasers. Later leaning on Messuggah influences with a low end and drumbeat driving the insanity above them. ‘Emerging Claustrophobic’ certainly lives up to its title. An interstellar rave, a message sent from some planet beyond our own. This music seems otherworldly, unlike anything before them. This is complemented by the industrial rave-sounding start of ‘Ions & Oxygen Rockets’ that pulsates into a pummeling groove. With added vocals from The Armed’s Tony Wolski adding that extra spice.
The quintet out of the Inland Empire region of Southern California, release their latest EP and it is the very definition of audio violence. Like a breeze block to the face, this hits, it hits hard, and gives precisely zero fucks about who it harms on the way. There’s something glorious about a band playing hyper-aggressive music, with their tongues pressed firmly into their cheeks, almost mocking the very thing they are doing and the people who usually do it. This is the sense that you get with Big Ass Truck, and their Big Ass Songs with their Big Ass Riffs. For songs that are so highly confrontational there’s a surprising subtlety and nuance to what they are doing.
Lyrically, is where that whole concept becomes more than just a lesson in violence. Big Ass Truck take the macho posturing, the ridiculous threats and the obsession with being the biggest, hardest bastard in the room that permeates so much of beatdown and slam, and turn everything up to eleven. There’s something wonderfully self-aware about it all, as if they’ve looked at the most knuckle-dragging elements of the scene and decided that the only reasonable response is to drag their knuckles even harder. The absurdity is entirely the point, and rather than undermine the aggression it somehow makes the whole thing even more enjoyable.
That’s not to say they don’t take the job seriously – they clearly do , They understand exactly how to make their music hit the intended mark. Every lurching advance, every stagger and start, all of it is calculated to cause maximum destruction. Found On Road Dead is a masterclass in understanding that heaviness isn’t simply about playing as fast or as loud as possible, it’s about making every single impact count.
‘Dragging Meat’ is perhaps the perfect representation of everything this band does so well. The groove is luscious, excessive and extravagant, the riffs bounce and throw themselves through the space with a sense of reckless abandon, and the vocals sound like someone screaming commands from the rooftops, completely uncaring if anyone is listening, commanded they shall be. It’s all absolute filth, and all the better for it.
However, the Glaswegians don’t so much wade in, as splash in like a cannonball dropped from a great height, with their own unique brand of despair. Across nine noisy tracks, the brevity with which they deliver their unsettling doom punk is admirable. Flitting gracefully between stomping, noise-inflected grooves and winding riffy refrains, they are immensely resourceful and impress with their ability to build drama and intrigue without superfluous decoration.
It’s difficult to categorise Moni Jitchell, but they sound a bit like if La Dispute were fed on a diet of Prostitute and Show Me The Body. Where there is harsh noise and discord, equally there is melody. Where it all sounds like it could come apart at any minute, they show restraint. The entirety of this 22-minute epic is stuffed with equal parts nuance and detail and it’s a remarkable achievement for the band.
Though the prospect of a noisy two-piece may seem a little trite in the current landscape, it is hard to deny the charm and simplicity of the band’s delivery on AWARE. Without falling prey to the studio and overindulging themselves creatively, they strike a good balance between detailed and sparse arrangements and the songs are clearly designed with the live circuit in mind. Their focus and vision is exemplified in the directness of their approach and it would seem that in this case, at least, the fewer cooks, the richer the broth.
Earlier this year, after two albums, UK post hardcore/screamo band As Living Arrows announced that vocalist Thomas Wagstaff would be parting ways with the band and that they would be carrying on as a four piece. Line-up changes can often be quite a worrying sign from an outsider’s perspective, especially losing someone as vital as a vocalist/frontperson. However, any worries doubters may have had will be cast aside after the first lisen of the band’s latest EP, Fragment I. This is a release which not only heralds a new beginning for the band, but gives us resounding hope for the future.
Previous As Living Arrows releases have had somewhat of a more black metal/blackgaze influence alongside the clear screamo influences the band wear on their sleeves, sounding like somewhat of a cross between Deafheaven and La Dispute. While there is definitely a pinch of blackgaze remaining within their sound with opening track ‘Epiphany’ having some melodic blastbeats reminiscent of Deafheaven, those elements are brought back more into the background. Overall, this EP has a a brighter and more melodic sound to it as the band brings more midwest emo and math rock influences to the forefront. This is most prevalent on the EP’s closing track ‘Karma’ which has some twinkly and intricate arpeggios alongside the closest that the band has ever gotten to clean vocals. While this approach is overall more melodic, it still retains the intensity and aggression that As Living Arrows are known for.
