Photo by Jason Nocito

CANDY - IT'S INSIDE YOU (Relapse Records)

Principle songwriter and Candy guitarist Michael Quick worked closely with collaborator Ben Greenberg of Uniform and Kurt Ballou of Converge to craft a caustic mesh of audio aggression - 12 tracks that blur the lines between various subcategories of metallic heft. Bolstering the band's poignant savagery, Candy tapped Aaron Melnick of Integrity, Justice Tripp of Angel Du$t, and Trapped Under Ice, David Gagliardi of Trash Talk and Marisa Shriar of Fleshwater to fully explore the potential of their artistry in musical assault. 

ENTER SHIKARI - DANCING ON THE FRONTLINES (SO Recordings)

Dancing on the Frontline adds to the breadth of Shikari's lauded 2023 LP, A Kiss For the Whole World with a collection of remixes, live recordings and standalone collab singles with the likes of Wargasm, Cody Frost, AViVA and Jason Aalon Butler of Fever 333. Rightfully hailed for their innovative approach and forward-thinking songwriting, Enter Shikari tallied one of the most celebrated albums of 2023. This companion release revisits that album in a way that also breathes new life into it. 

UMBRA VITAE - LIGHT OF DEATH (Deathwish Inc)

Comprised of Jacob Bannon from Converge, Sean Martin of Twitching Tongues and ex-Hatebreed, Mike McKenzie and Greg Weeks of The Red Chord and Jon Rice of Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats and Tsjuder, it's hard to not consider Umbra Vitae anything less than a supergroup. Along with production from Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks, the album packages a powerful meld of thrash, D-beat and Swedish death metal, resulting in a relentless 15-track onslaught. 

DVRK - INFINITE REMINISCENCE (Season of Mist)

While the French prospects have been positioned as band toeing the fine line between contemporary deathcore and nu-metal, DVRK seem to align with a more progressive approach on their latest EP. Implementing electronic accents and some well-placed polyrhythmic percussion, DVRK tap into the aggression and volatility of golden era nu-metal, while going beyond rehashing nostalgic heft. 

MISSING LINK - WATCH ME BLEED (Triple B Records)

Gang vocals, lumbering, meaty riffs and that forewarning bell of the ride cymbal that signals all hell is about to break loose - the new wave of East Coast clobbercore is on deck with the latest from Missing Link. With guest assists from Gridiron, Justice Tripp of Angel Du$t and a stunning closer with Eloise Chamber, Watch Me Bleed serves up confrontational metallic hardcore intended to hit as hard as possible.