Photo by Pep Willams

DARKEST HOUR - SUFFER DIVINE (MNRK Heavy)

American metal stalwarts Darkest Hour have achieved a new threshold of intensity and musicianship on their eleventh full length, Suffer Divine. Pairing the brawn of early 2000's domestic built-heft with shades of Swedish melodeath, the D.C. vets are reborn with a collection of songs that assert the band is as relevant as ever. Working in tandem with revered producer Mark Lewis, Darkest Hour flex their heavy music expertise with the kind of album that ranks as in instant classic in their already storied catalog. 

DEMONSTRATION OF POWER - IN THE NAME OF... (Northern Unrest/Streets of Hate)

Championed among the UK's thriving metallic hardcore underground, Demonstration of Power continue their dominance on their debut full length. Less reliant on dramatic breakdowns and the occassional stylistic drop, the band flexes skilled, shred-heavy and consistent heft on the ten-track drubbing. The quality of the songs present polished, without compromising any of the raw power that fuels the hard-hitting hostility. Glasgow have submitted a true contender in the space of metallic hardcore. 

REV3RENT - SHE LET THE WORLD RUN RAMPANT (Deep Love Recordings/Atlantic Records)

Meeting and achieving the tall task of standing out amid the explosion of deathcore in recent years, Rev3rent more than back their hype with She Let the World Run Rampant. A blistering show of technicality with the  songwriting sense to know when to ease back on the throttle, the band's extreme music acumen is already well beyond their years. Add into the mix the production of Drew Fulk who has achieved greatness with the likes of Knocked Loose and Motionless In White, and it's clear to see that Rev3rent are well on their way to becoming one of the genre's most powerful new prospects. 

GENITAL SHAME - WELLNESS PLAN (The Flenser)

Erin Dawson is a fucking force to be reckoned with. Apart from the thematic depth that reads between the lines of a blackgaze album called Wellness Plan, the multi-instrumentalist does an impeccable job of melding styles and textures. In much the same way the lyrical context commends attention, so does the musical composition as elements shoegaze, folk and ambient accent her brand of dynamic, articulate black metal. Daring to veer from the theatrics and grandeur of conventional black metal with something more personal, Dawson's poignance becomes power on a sophomore release that slides into the conversation of one of the year's best. 

HARM - AS AGE BEGINS TO SHAPE US (Harm Noise)

From the a cappella opening of "Standing On Our Necks" that channels the haunt of Imogen Heap, it becomes clear the Charlotte's HARM operate with fearless artistic audacity. From low-end heavy metalcore to melody-forward post-hardcore, to technically-proficient mathcore, the amount of variety could come across as unfocused but for HARM, it's all part of the plan. A wildly dynamic collection of songs that leverages real emotion to achieve innovative composition, HARM has submitted the kind of album that underscores the artistry of well-constructed heavy music.