Xiu Xiu are a monolith. 17 albums and a passionate cult fanbase makes for a storied catalogue of work and artistic changes to realise, from the still internet famous breakthrough early albums, or the later Twin Peaks reinterpretation. One of the few big experimental rock giants, they continue to be prolific. 13″ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips comes as the band relocates from Los Angeles to Berlin. Xiu Xiu (and its de facto band leader Jamie Stewert) have been a band of circumstances, with the music being a diary of lineup changes, personal lives, changes in lineup, living location.
Last album (2023’s Ignore Grief) focused on Xiu Xiu‘s more abrasive analogue “experimental rock” side, and Xiu Xiu’s lyrical love of the morbid and extreme shining through. This is not true for 13″ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips. The “art pop” side of their sound comes through strongly. Despite Xiu Xiu being the kind of band that would have absolutely had a one hit wonder in the 80s, there are no traditional chart worthy hooks. There is, however, a love of melody that shines through stronger, especially on songs like first single ‘Common Loon’, with its industrial sized pop melodies and arps, and fuzz guitars.
The British extreme metal scene has rarely been in better health. From the likes of Burner blending all aspects of heavy in a disgusting blender to the likes of Celestial Sanctuary grossing people out across the world and earning comparisons to Undeath, it’s been a hot minute since things were this good. Yet, in the background, another band have been grinding away and working on a record that has possibly been the most anticipated of them all. Enter Heriot, whose first EP release was that sickening mix of death metal, hardcore and grind that delights fans so much. With it being over two years of touring since Profound Mortality, the usual questions began to be asked if they could really live up to the hype.
The answer is a resounding fuck yes. Not only have the band moved from Church Road to Century Media (an absolutely massive move and opened so many more doors for the group) for this, Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell, they’ve managed to snag a litany of impressive slots in the process including supporting their heroes Lamb Of God on one occasion. The label move and the clear confidence in touring has allowed the band to become more comfortable with themselves as an extreme band. There are moments on this record that will make the listener gasp and stop in their tracks as much as frantically bang your head til the bones in your neck turn to mush.
The album opens with the frantic, bludgeoning one-two punch of ‘Foul Void’ and ‘Harm Sequence’, the latter being a sub-2 minute blast with a face-shredding guitar solo thrown in for good measure. It’s the third track that will raise more eyebrows than a Dwayne Johnson costume contest however. ‘Opaline’ is a brooding, atmospheric track that has too much presence to be called truly ambient, but vocalist/guitarist Debbie Gough’s ethereal clean singing lulls you in like a siren to a desperate sailor. Don’t fret however, as by the end of the track normal service is resumed with a hefty stomp and some demonic growls. It’s not the first time that the album takes a turn like this but it’s definitely one that will hit the hardest.
It’s been a few years since we’ve been graced with a dissonant slab of sludge infused blackened death metal from the Colorado natives Glacial Tomb, but they have returned with a bang rather than the proverbial whimper. After adding bassist David Small (Khemmis) to the cauldron they band have created a refined, technically masterful 36 minutes of rip-roaring death metal, exploring the themes of everyday suffering, cosmic horror, mental illness grief and social isolation to pound your brain into an unrecognisable mush.
Drawing on the comic-tinged supernatural horror stylings of Thomas Ligotti, the pessimistic views of Peter Wessel Zapffe and Philipp Mainländer the lyrically dense topics are brought to life by Ben Hutcherson, coupled with the black metal elements it makes for something that is greater than the sum of its genres, deftly dodging time worn tropes, or making use of them to crushing effect.
Unto Others have had a strong few years since releasing their second album Strength in 2021. Coming out the other side of the pandemic touring incessantly, finding themselves of tours opening for the likes of Carcass, Behemoth and King Diamond and picking up fans from all corners of the metal world. Known for channeling influences from goth heavyweights The Cure and Type O Negative, helpings of NWOBHM and touches of classic era Misfits/early Danzig, with new album Never, Neverland, Unto Others are clearly eyeing up the top of the mountain as they continue to hone their sound and take a decidedly pop approach to some of the songwriting, looking to capitalise on mainstream alternative appeal.
Album opener and single “Butterfly” is a stark contrast to the harrowing and brutal introductory track “Heroin” from 2021’s Strength. Sardonic musings of the frailty of a butterfly over moody, stomping goth rock is the perfect introduction to the band’s style. Delicate and purposeful melodies mirroring the vocal lines, an overly infectious chorus sink their hooks in deep in the opening track. Following is “Momma Likes The Door Closed”, picking up the pace a substantial amount and bring the punchy heavy metal worship in spades. A sample of a bong rip at the bridge leading into a blast beat laden nightmare shows off Unto Others style-hopping and tongue-in-cheek sensibility at its best.
Hailing from the North East of England but finding each other in the South, Giant Walker’s debut All in Good Time promised a band to keep an ear out for and Church Road Records were listening as they promptly signed them up. For their follow up (and first for their new label) they duly take the level up several magnificent notches. The writing is sharper, the riffs bend and twist with greater elasticity, the confidence rides even higher, and Steff’s crystalline vocals catch your eyes like sparks in a drought ridden forest. Its a mighty powered combination which merges their bonding over eclectic progressive music with powered heavy melodic rock.
It is in the latter – where the emphasis on rocking hard with the melodies high up on the dial – instantly invites you in as a captive immersive listener to their tightly crafted songs. ‘Time to Waste’, ‘Make Me’, and the swaggering mid-temp robust rocker ‘Use on Me’ are instant gems. Its a high setting which remains continuously after several plays, while at this point, the slow burners reveal themselves. The title track’s acoustic guitar picking supplements the shifts to robust electric power as Steff’s floating voice shimmers. While the quality of ‘Eraser’ lies in the way the song builds as the mighty riffs increase and the guitar work in the middle segment simply soars. On occasions Tom Morello’s output with Audioslave can be heard as a possible influence. What is clear, all the elements the band showed on their debut have cemented and flourished for even greater cohesiveness. The production remains as sharp and on point as on the afore-mentioned debut, so the songs are punchy when they need to be and glacial and ambient for some neatly applied melancholic soundscapes.
The first offering from the weirdo art-rock trio grubbing (FKA Big Pigeon), clean really isn’t what it says on the tin. After all, with a name like that one would anticipate something sanitized, sterile – something safe for anyone and everyone. But this really isn’t that. Wearing it’s bestowed weirdo-punk badge proudly, this EP is violin-marred absurdity unshackled from the restrictive genre norms that has long plagued contemporary music. It’s surrealist and intentionally obtuse, but dispute it being only two tracks that span seven minutes in total, there’s more ideas on display here than a large portion of acts will exercise in their entire careers.
Opener ‘I’m Clean’ pretty much establishes the ideology and methodology of grubbing within it’s first 60 seconds. Across the opening gambit, viola scream like their being subjected to the torture rack, hefty bass riffs coil and spasm, drums are beaten to an inch of their life and the disjointed vocals jabber like they’ve just discovered that the rent for their Bristol flat is going up for the third month running. Overall, it’s quite a lot in all honesty; there’s elements of post punk and acid jazz composure, but this is far more post than punk, a lot more acidic than what one would commonly perceive as jazz. But it’s authentic. It’s legitimately interesting and as authentically absurdist as modern living.
‘Mr Potts’ is the respite, and in conjunction with it’s proceeding track, embodies the early grubbing experience. A more restrained endeavour that intentionally feels like a folk track for a steel dystopian age, the track resonates thet sardonic venom and uneasy delivery that’s reminiscent of dearly missed Bristol oddballs Twisted Ankle – something which isn’t surprising given how two of the members are involved in this new project. But with it’s unease, volatile approach and just general feeling of uncanniness, the track perfectly compliments it’s predecessor, fleshes out this act’s bizarre approach and overall solidifies grubbing as a band most promising.
This EP, despite only being less than 10 minutes long in total, is going to be too much for most fans of guitar orientated music. But such is is the reason to be excited by and celebrate clean. There may be motifs of other acts floating in here – such as Snõõper and the aforementioned Twisted Ankle – but this is the sound of a band inspired and forgoing norms in the pursuit of something truly genuine. It’s bizarre, surrealist, purposefully obtuse and borderline challenging, but this EP is easily one of the most promising art-rock debuts the scene has witnessed this year.
