If there is something that we will never stop needing in the alternative scene is a band that does some good crossover, and Brat is delivering it with utter confidence. Social Grace is an album filled with all the best deathgrind and powerviolence influences, continuing on from what they have already shown us in their previous releases. The tempo switches in this record are smoother and the songs’ structure has definitely seen some elevation.
Brat, in some way, makes you want to use the term “Entombedcore” for them, which, as the name suggests, refers to bands that are fusing the more metallic side of hardcore with Scandinavian Death Metal and Crust. Regardless of their niche subgenre of extreme music, this band from New Orleans has been able to craft a ten-tracks album that is way more accessible than other standard grind productions, probably thanks to plenty of New York style hardcore breakdowns and thrash riffs, clearly made for the moshers.
Anyone who has seen this “bimboviolence” band live as of late, with their silly electro dance-off in the middle of the set, or seen their recent music videos will be able to detect that they have a very unique visual and aesthetic. However, this doesn’t seem to really reflect in their music. This dichotomy between how they portray themselves and what they actually write is clever and intentional. Liz Selfish knows what she’s doing here. Her distaste for humankind is extremely transparent through her guttural lyrics and she delivers them without holding back, not once.
Don’t be put off by the overly morbid name, despite what it may make them sound like Grieving are not some kind of intense funeral doom or black metal solo project for a Scandinavian hermit, instead, the Cambridge four piece combine the exciting sounds of the modern emo revival with a nodding sense of respect for the post-hardcore bands who inspired the movement’s origins. Releasing their debut EP back in 2016 and catching the eye of BBC radio DJs Huw Stephens and Dan P Carter with their singles, Grieving have been quietly making waves, with Everything Goes Right, All At Once they’re ready to make their first big splash in the alternative scene.
In a world of emo bands trying to bring their sound up to date with modern pop sensibilities it’s incredibly refreshing to see that Grieving have some reverence for those who came before, swapping out the self-serving jam sessions that many modern bands fall into for snappy, memorable two to three minute tracks. Kicking the door in with album opener ‘Brian Emo’, an upbeat, punky single with an energy reminiscent of modern British bands like Martha or Fresh complimented by a retro punk edge via the snarling, growled vocals. ‘Brian Emo’ is gone within just over 2 and a half minutes but leaves a striking first impression, bringing a touch of bite back to 2020s punk and emo, retaining the catchy melodies of their contemporaries while giving a respectful nod to the post-hardcore, indie and punk bands of the ‘90s and 2000s
While they started out heavier back on their self-titled 2011 debut focusing on the more guitar orientated side, they’ve progressively dived further into more synth-lead material. And on The Catalyst, nothing could be more on the button. Opening with the title track you’re hit with a flurry of synth and guitar based riffs with Elize Ryd, Nils Molin & Mikael Sehlin (making his first album appearance) all taking stage as their triple vocalist lineup. Before the album was released they made a point of saying that The Catalyst will be more orchestrally driven, and they make an impact with keyboardist, synth & guitarist Olof Morck taking charge with this initiative bringing the band from the heavier side to the more chorus-lead band they are today.
Damnation Flame pushes the album to the forefront of the symphonic metal scene with its chorus, guitar hooks and machine gun drumming from Morten Lowe Sorensen that makes the song turn into more of a rave than a mosh pit. But it works in the band’s favour, as they’re more focused on making a more singalong party album than anything else.
Taking heavy inspiration from alternative icons like Weezer and Dinosaur Jr, Pennsylvania natives Timelost appeal to the laid back, fuzzed out nostalgia of the ‘90s while making their own stamp on alt rock. Bringing in influences from post-hardcore, punk and shoegaze, Timelost attempt to apply a fresh coat of paint onto the sounds of their childhoods.
From the first fuzzy notes of album opener ‘Lockjaw’ Timelost’s DNA is clearly on display, mixing the chilled-out riffs of their alternative rock heroes with modern sensibilities and vocals. Frontman Shane Handal’s voice wavers between a sluggish, apathetic moan and a more modern, post-hardcore inspired growl; it’s a subtle change but often an effective one when used in the right place and one of the small details that Timelost use to distance themselves from their inspirations.
The driving force behind Timelost is their buzzy, lo-fi yet full guitar tone and they shine brightest when they let their guitars take centre stage on Drained‘s more inspired tracks. Songs like ‘Eternal Vibe’ and ‘Cranium Dent’ allow guitarists Handal and Hugh Morretta to stretch their legs creatively, breaking free of the copy and pasted sound of some of weaker songs on the album and branching out into post-hardcore, modern punk and shoegaze. ‘Cranium Dent’ dedicates almost half of its runtime to an extended jam where Timelost find their unique voice and explore the song’s creative potential. It’s one of the album’s highlights and it’s a real shame we don’t get to hear more of this side of the band on other tracks.
Releasing pretty much exactly a year on from their last EP Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time, A Living You’ll Never Know feels like the natural progression of the locked-in introspective emo stylings of their last body of work. However, that’s not to say that this new EP is just more of the same or just an exercise in standard continuation from the band. With a deliberate focus on presenting shifting time signatures, advanced song structure sand a more combative approach both lyrically and musically, this inspired new record see’s Big Hug flexing their musical muscles without compromising their warm and delightful nature.
Following the pleasant instrumental interlude of ‘Pyrrhic Opposites’, leading single ‘Cruellemonde De La Hi Fi’ springs to life with equal parts zest and bitterness. Whilst the track may document utterly unfulfilling day jobs – a subject that no doubt many of us will resonate with – it sweetly presents Big Hug’s dexterous approach to modern emo and indie. As the single draws thoughts of The Weakerthans whilst still being carrying that sense of modern progression found within Big Hug’s contemporaries such as such as Pillow Fort, Lakes, and Jumper Boy, the track perfectly encapsulates Big Hug’s lovable nature. Much like a great big cuddle, it’s warm, slightly nostalgic, but still timelessly energising.
With the artwork (in all it’s maddening eldritch glory) and the tempo of Chytridiomycosis Relinquished it can’t be helped but to draw comparisons between the new Slimelord record and Tomb Mold’s brilliant release from last year. However that is where the comparisons should end really, as Slimelord have released here a steaming rain drenched chunk of maddening psychedelic death doom. This is what happens when England does death doom, and also what happens when a bunch of the members are also in a band heavily influenced by thrash metal.
The single ‘The Beckoning Bell’ starts out and immediately sets out its stall. The drumming from Ryan Sheperson is so precise from this point on that you could set NIST-F1 to it, which allows the guitars to breathe in a way unheard of on many records. The rock solid foundations, shakes and quivers but never falters, as the other instruments stray in and out of time, move up tempo and down all the while bending the aural continuum with interestingly constructed riffing that only serves to emphatically display the monumental talents of each of the members.
