Photo by Errick Easterday
156/SILENCE - FROM A DISTANCE (Pure Noise Records)
Along with the requisite aggression that has made 156/Silence such a celebrated unit, From A Distance finds the band building on the sonic expansion of People Watching to make for their most complete, competent offering yet. With narrative that references everyting from the Resident Evil franchise and the stylized noir of Twin Peaks, the songwriting scope of 156/Silence is as ambitious as their sound. The album also boasts a stellar roster of supporting appearances with the likes of Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada, Alex Reade of Make Them Suffer and Tony Castrati of Crippling Alcoholism each submitting their contribution.
CHAT PILE - WHO LOVES THE SUN (The Flenser)
On Who Loves the Sun, Chat Pile frames existential dread and an ever prevalent apathy among an entire generation - as the wealth gap widens, the environment becomes further diminished and the wedge between living and existing becomes all too real. It's that kind of bleak, dreary prospective that translates into the sonic angst of the band's third full length masterclass. An articulate take on dark music, Chat Pile has done it again.
DEVIL MASTER - BLOODY DREAMS (Relapse Records)
Led by guitarist and primary songwriter Darkest Prince, Devil Master's latest epic asserts a potent combination of punk and psychedelia worked into the unit's black metal foundation - making for a collection of tracks that translate equally intense and at times, intoxicating. Sonically sleek, the album touts sharp guitars, a brutalizing backbeat and the kind of frosty howls that feel classic Paired with the band's retro, VHS aesthetic, Devil Master craft a heavy metal fever dream.
PRESIDENT - BLOOD OF YOUR EMPIRE (King of Terrors/Atlantic Records)
While the talk surrounding masked phenom PRESIDENT has focused heavily on the unprecedented popularity of the project, the much-anticipated debut full length album makes a compelling argument of merit. Bridging pop, electronica and cinematic metalcore, Blood of Your Empire amounts to an expressive, emotive work that confronts personal themes of faith and mortality through dynamic, well-polished rock songs. Sheen and schtick aside, PRESIDENT is en route to become rock's next breakout sensation with the kind of debut album that backs the hype.
PUREST FORM - RESISTANCE (Dais Records)
Fusing hardcore intensity with electronic pulse, Purest Form have arrived as heavy music disruptors with dance-punk appeal. Led by vocalist Story Beeson, along with guitarist / programmer Madi Woodward and bassist Riley Oikawa-Dahlson, the trio has harnessed the volatility of a Los Angeles under siege amid ongoing Immigration raids, destructive wildfires and social and political upheaval and distilled it into a hostile six tracks of danceable volatility. Punctuating the release with a tried and true rendition of The Prodigy’s classic, “Breathe,” Purest Form have laid down the gauntlet with a fusion of groove and guts.
