In a week that saw Drake finally drop that Certified Lover Boy, there were plenty of great new tunes offered on the opposite end fo the stylistic spectrum. (Although we gotta admit, "Girls Want Girls" is a yet another anthem). With everything from tech-death to instrumental Djent, to Spaghetti Western thrash - the health of heavy is going strong.
Check the latest in Mandatory Jams and as always - crank these as loud as possible.
SpiritWorld - "Comancheria" (Century Media Records)
Inspired by the ominous backdrop of the Southwest desert, Las Vegas' Spiritworld aims to challenge the conventions of heavy music with their brand of "Western death" - a meld of savvy shred and gritty Sergio Leone esthetic. The resulting lead track in "Comancheria" is a blistering show of force that makes their forthcoming Pagan Rhythms LP (due 11/9) an album to be especially excited about.
Archspire - "Bleed the Future" (Season of Mist)
For album number four, the Canadian purveyors of tech-death combine brute force and razor-sharp precision with the title track, "Bleed the Future". Just how proficient is the band? The latest single from the band is pummeling 360-bpm - a blistering pace that pushes the boundaries of extremity. Simply put... holy f*ck!
The Sound That Ends Creation - You're A Loose Cannon, But You Get Results
Enlisting the vocal prowess of Kate Davies of mathcore upstarts Pupil Slicer, The Sound That Ends Creation is the brainchild of multi-talent Chris Dearing. The one man wall of sound fuses Jazz, Metal, Rock, and even classical arrangements via the piano into an abrasive amalgam that demands it's due. In the vein of outfits like melt banana and The Locust, Dearing's 'End' all is controlled chaos captured on record - equal parts car wreck and choreography.
Eskimo Callboy - "We Got The Moves" (Century Media Records)
There is a special talent required to make music that has the energetic release associated with the heavy stuff and the catchiness tied to the poppier-stuff. Eskimo Callboy are paving that lane. Just a year ago, the hype of "Hypa Hypa" marked the band's arrival and now, "We Got the Moves" are reiterating that this is no fluke. The neon-bathed bravado results in a marriage of distorted-electonica that is a pure party. Even the metal purists will have to admit, this shit is catchy AF.
Portrayal of Guilt - "Possession" (Run for Cover)
Back in January, the trio released their beautifully abysmal We Are Always Alone via Closed Casket Activities and presented one of the year's sleepers in the conversation for AOTY. Transitioning to their new label home in Run for Cover, the band enlisted the production vision of Uniform's Ben Greenberg for their latest descent into despair in the especially explicit, CHRISTFUCKER. Approaching the album with the mentality of scoring their own horror film, the album's first offering is a sinister spiral that conjures a grim soundtrack worthy the scariest shit you could imagine on film.
Don Broco - "Uber" (Sharptone Records)
The UK sensation have done well in introducing their September 17th LP Amazing Things, with a tandem of singles in "One True Prince" and "Gumshield" - tracks that are likely the jettison the modern metal nu-schoolers into the stratosphere of arena-ready rousers. For the third and latest sample from the album, the band get a bit confrontational in addressing open racism and complacency with "Uber". Combining subtle electronics, punchy guitars, and frontman Rob Damiani's fluid lyrical delivery, the band's usual levity gives way to calling out the bulshit and the resulting track is a purely brilliant.
Whitechapel - "Lost Boy" (Metal Blade Records)
Modern death progressives Whitechapel have had fans waiting with baited breath since their 2019 opus The Valley for what was going to be the next chapter in the band's sonic evolution. This week, the band unveiled plans for Kin and introduced the album with the potent single, "Lost Boy". Brutal, bold, and dynamic, the track was effective in satisfying OG fans while reaching new ones simultaneously. Read more about Kin - HERE
Animals As Leaders - "Monomyth" (Sumerian Records)
The world has waited five long years for new tunes from Tosin Abasi, Javier Reyes, and Matt Garstka and the new Animals As Leaders proved with the wait. The progressive masterclass showcases the Djent lean of the band and boasts the highest level of proficiency - truly a perfect package of heavy music. Read more about the band's new chapter with Sumerian Records - HERE
Carnifex - "Cold Dead Summer" (Nuclear Blast)
Coinciding with the release of the band's eighth studio album Graveside Confessions, the deathcore stalwarts go straight for the throat with their latest single. Uncompromising in it's brutality, the all-killer, no filler 4-minute jaunt launches an immediate offensive and never relents. Heavy, from start to finish, complete with blast beats and Scott Lewis' vile spew, Carnifex remain among deathcore's very best.
