Photo by Akash Wadhwani
FLESHWATER - 2000: IN SEARCH OF THE ENDLESS SKY (Closed Casket Activities)
A competent meld of heft and melody, Fleshwater combines elements of riff-forward alt and nostalgic shoegaze - making for a collection of sturdy, soaring tracks that asserts real intentionality in their craft. Marisa Shirar's performance is stunning in a way that transcends conventional rock music - that's emphasized when you consider the range between songs like "Silverine" and "Green Street". The self-produced album showcases an intersection of power and poise across 10 bold, beautiful songs emphasize the progression of hardcore adjacent rock music.
STILL IN LOVE - RECOVERY LANGUAGE (Church Road Records)
Consisting of members Dead Swans, Throats, Brutality Will Prevail and Last Witness, Still In Love has emerged as one of the UK's most formative new hardcore units and now as the debut full length album to substantiate that hype. Eight tracks of metallic conviction and emotional catharsis, the musicality of Recovery Language strikes like a molotov and underscores not only the creative chemistry of the band, but the collective wallop of individual talent working in lockstep. Sharp, succinct and downright searing, Still In Love translate raw emotion into bruising hardcore making for a powerful debut album.
SWOLLEN TEETH - ASK NOTHING (Blowed Out Records)
The masked enigma that is Swollen Teeth first arrived on the scene in 2021, instantly going from unknown entity to one of heavy music's most intriguing new forces. Along with the co-sign of Slipknot's Sid Wilson and legendary producer Ross Robinson, Swollen Teeth's combination of greater awareness was communicated through musical volatility - making for a compelling listen. Showcasing everything from aggressive guitars to quickfire turntablism, Ask Nothing reiterates Swollen Teeth's varied mode of attack that corrals chaos into something undoubtedly deliberate and laser-focused.
TALLAH - PRIMEVAL: OBSESSION // DETACHMENT (Earache Records)
Serving as testament to the band's non-conformist approach and forward-thinking presentation, Tallah once again brave new creative terrain with a presentation that underscores their prowess as players and their evolved disposition as songwriters. Envisioned and constructed by Max Portnoy and frontman Justin Bonitz, the album was recorded live with no click track, no punch-in edits and no added polish - an incredible feat for an album as adventurous as this. Wildly unpredictable, imaginatively composed and expertly executed, Tallah exist as a true one-of-one and deserve to be celebrated as much more than their moniker of nu-core.
LA DISPUTE - NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE CAR (Epitaph Records)
For their first full length in six years, La Dispute have tapped into the elevated level of anxiety that seems all too prevalent and poured that into a punk-tinged, post-hardcore masterclass. Jordan Dreyer cadence and vocal command toes a fine line between fiery sermon and contemplative stream of consciousness that makes the entirety of the album poignant and powerful. La Dispute tout a literary quality to their brand of musical angst, articulating the human experience into well-composed songs that sync sound and substance seamlessly. Self-produced and self-recorded, No One Was Driving the Car is the end result of creative autonomy and artistic ambition working in perfect symmetry.
