GWAR - THE RETURN OF GOR-GOR (The Pit Records)

The almighty Gwar commemorate their 40th anniversary of Earthly inhabitance/dominance with their latest attack, The Return of Gor Gor. Purposed as a multimedia release in partnership with Z2 Comics, the album features a collection of three new tracks, four live recordings and a new 32-page graphic novel. The album's subtext depicts Gwar on a quest to reclaim their long-lost otherworldly pet Gor Gor, a three-ton T-Rex who mysteriously disappeared following the death of their former frontman, Oderus Urungus. Musically, the trio of new tracks showcase everything beloved about GWAR - the loud, raucous, frenzied metal punk hybrid that have made the Scumdogs of the Universe of multi-generational fixture in heavy music. Gor Gor is loaded with sharp social commentary and still manages to be an intergalactic good time from start to finish. 

PSYCHO-FRAME - SALVATION LAUGHS IN THE FACE OF A GRIEVING MOTHER (SharpTone Records)

Comprised of members of MOODRING and Vatican, emerging brutalizers Psycho-Frame have delivered a resounding debut with the launch of Salvation Laughs in the Face of a Grieving Mother. Fusing the technicality of American death metal with the vitriol of progressive deathcore, all eleven tracks prove unrelenting on a release intended to go for the jugular. From stop-on-a-dime tempo shifts, to a barrage of percussion to precision fretwork and hellacious vocals, intensity is front and center on an introduction that puts Psycho-Frame on the map. 

CRYPTODIRA - GENESIS OF ERROR (Silent Pendulum Records)

The Long Island unit manage to cram a serious level of musical ambition into just three tracks on their latest EP. From the ilk of Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch and Between the Buried and Me, Cryptodira flex a progressive, mathcore-like prowess with the more succinct, polished elements of metalcore. The end result is 15-minutes of highly-skilled aggression - songwriting that showcases serious chops without losing its focus all in the name of flair. Punctuated by a 9-minute epic of a title track, Cryptodira make a convincing case in becoming a serious contender in the space of progressive metal. 

THE DIRTY NIL - THE LASH (Dine Alone Records)

Over the course of five studio albums in the last decade, the tandem of Luke Bentham and Kyle Fisher have cultivated a proven track record as proficient songwriters and consummate showman - all without the pretense. On The Lash, the duo eliminated a lengthy recording process and completed their latest full length in just two weeks time, enlisting emerging producer Vince Solveri to oversee the final product. Asserting a level of songwriting that translates as more personally cathartic than projects previous, The Lash maintains all the big room rock ingredients that have made The Dirty Nil so beloved, only now bolstered by stanzas that offer some insight to psyche of Luke Bentham. Insightful, honest and properly balanced with dramatic rock release and moments of tender melody, The Lash is The Dirty Nil at its most refined. 

SCALP - NOT WORTHY OF HUMAN COMPASSION (Closed Casket Activities)

Leaning hard into what the band have referred to as "West Coast Death Violence," SCALP is a explosive combination of death metal, grind, d-beat and powerviolence fueled by nihilism and powered by serious technical prowess. Building on the brutality showcased on the band's previous full length entries in 2020's Domestic Extremity and 2023's Black Tar, the mercilessness of SCALP extends well beyond the album's title and is actualized in the sub 20-minute onslaught of their third full length. Corrosive guitars, punishing percussion and purely hostile vocals, Not Worth of Human Compassion is not clearly intended for the casual consumer.