BAD OMENS - CONCRETE JUNGLE OST (Sumerian Records)
Purposed as a companion release, the project is an extension of the band's hailed 2022 The Death of Peace of Mind LP and functions as the soundtrack for Bad Omens' Concrete Jungle comic book series. Showcasing the band's dynamic songwriting and adaptability, the album features several collaboration tracks with the likes of Poppy, HEALTH, Erra, Wargasm, Thousand Below, Bob Vylan and more.
THOU - UMBILICAL (Sacred Bones)
The band's homage to the confrontational backbone of 90's DIY hardcore punk, Umbilical falls in line with the likes Disrupt, Nausea and Assück - tapping into musical extremity as a means of vehement dispute and poignant protest. After a four year absence since their 2020 collaboration with Emma Ruth Rundle, THOU make an emphatic return, asserting their signature in sourcing the most effective elements of metallic extremity.
THE HOPE CONSPIRACY - TOOLS OF OPPRESSION / RULE BY DECEPTION (Deathwish Inc)
The Massachusetts aggressors have officially marked their full length return with the arrival of the first studio album since 2006 with Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception. Tracks like"Those Who Gave Us Yesterday", "Live In Fear", and the ominous "The West Is Dead" tap into the confrontation quality that has long been core to the band's artistic brand. Examining the divisive, destructive climate of our current culture, the band convey a sense of urgency on a album that pulls no punches - ideologically or instrumentally.
FOUR STROKE BARON - DATA DIAMOND (Prosthetic Records)
Over the course of their four al bum tenure, Four Stroke Baron have established themselves as one of the most inventive, forward-thinking bands in progressive metal. Fore the band's latest effort, melding stylized electronics with their groove-latent brand of heft make for a succinct, sleek masterclass of songwriting and dynamics. Combined with an imaginative, intense thematic narrative that plays out in four parts on the album, Four Stroke Baron push implement sophistication in their heft.
GRAYWAVE - DANCING IN THE DUST (Church Road Records)
Dreampop, shoegaze, grunge, even pangs of post-punk resonate on the latest EP from the Birmingham project spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist, Jess Webberley. While defying category with a kind of soaring song quality, it becomes apparent that Webberley's prowess and both a composer and performer what makes Graywave so versatile, so viable and so vital in the current landscape of guitar-driven music. These songs are expansive, dynamic and consuming in a way that makes for a compelling, memorable listen.
