BETWEEN THE BUREID AND ME - THE BLUE NOWHERE (InsideOutMusic)
Working with longtime collaborator and producer Jamie King, The Blue Nowhere showcases the inclusion of an extensive string and horn section - a bold first for Between the Buried and Me. Expanding their thematic cannon, their InsideOutMusic debut finds the band moving from the concept album format to something much more personal. Utilizing shades of funk, pop and beyond the heavy music progressives showcase incredible range and technical precision with an album proves massive in concept and execution.
DANCE GAVIN DANCE - PANTHEON (Rise Records)
Aligned with the band's signature of pop-infused aggression, musical unpredictability and explosive studio performance, Pantheon touts a kind of virtuosity that levels up DGD's brand and asserts controlled chaos that streamlines huge ambition into a succinct 13-track effort. The album marks the first to feature vocalist Andrew Wells and finds the beloved band more galvanized and creatively focused than ever before. Bolstered by a special guest assist on the album from legendary funk pioneer George Clinton, Dance Gavin Dance do their best coloring outside the lines.
LORNA SHORE - I FEEL THE EVERBLACK FESTERING WITHIN ME (Century Media)
Ushering in a new era of symphonic deathcore, Lorna Shore continue their trajectory as one of extreme music's most promising, powerful contributors. On the band's fourth full length effort, the unit execute a masterclass of musical precision that consumes the listener whole. With cinematic being overly used, Lorna Shore manages to make good on the claim with a presentation that is as vivid and vibrant as it is dark and musically devastating. Regarded as one of the leaders of heavy music's new school, I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me positions Lorna Shore as the future of extreme music and the next generational gamechanger.
MOTHERLESS - DO YOU FEEL SAFE? (Prosthetic Records)
Chicago riff specialists Motherless construct a heavy slab on Do You Feel Safe? Building from sturdy foundation of punk and hardcore, the band's brand is one that relies on the integrity of the riff and less on the spectacle outside of the sound. Comprised of members of The Atlas Moth and Without Waves, the obvious veteran collective asserts the kind of wherewithal that skillful crafts heavy music for grown folks. No theatrics, no smoke and mirrors, just well-built brawn tastefully weaves a meld of influences from the full spectrum of loud, hulking guitar music.
RESTRAINING ORDER - FUTURE FOCUS (Blue Grape Music)
While punk and hardcore have always been of the same bloodline, New England-bred Restraining Order offers the perfect example of kinship. And while they have embraced being somewhat of an outlier stylistically, the band's adaptability plays out in clearly on Future Focus. Executing straight-forward punk with that hardcore spirit, the band is especially convincing both in their sound and the delivery. What both the punk and hardcore circles can quickly identify is a fake and Restraining Order's ability to walk it and talk it among both communities suggests their authenticity is as abundant as their potential.
