SCOWL - ARE WE ALL ANGELS (Dead Oceans)
The latest from Bay Area hardcore standouts Scowl finds the bband again joining with accomplished producer Will Yip, who helped the band unlock a new level with 2023's Psychic Dance Routine. Cresting another creative plateau, Scowl manage to assert their hardcore punk pedigree while developing ancillary elements of their sound. Kat Moss is among the best in the game and combined with the band's ability to make hardcore music catchy and approachable, it's apparent Scowl is skyrocketing for good reason.
THORNHILL - BODIES (UNFD)
Among Melbourne's most exciting and ingenious metalcore collectives, Thronhill's latest on UNFD is a masterful presentation of raw power and well-executed melody. Fusing elements of nu-metal, metalcore and an accent of R&B, the band's ability to create an ebb and flow of energy on each track is a songwriting marvel. Detailed, methodical and yet wholly organic and authentic, Thornhill's stylistic mesh feels less about checking off boxes and more about tastefully implementing their influences to craft something all their own. Heavy, harmonic and convincing, Thornhill have leveled up on Bodies.
BLEED FROM WITHIN - ZENITH (Nuclear Blast Records)
The hotly-anticipated follow up to the band's lauded 2022 LP, Shrine, the Scottish unit dial up the aggression for their latest full length, Zenith. A fluid combination of metallic heft and skilled execution, all 11 tracks compliment the previous, creating an album experience that suggests real foresight and detail. Adding in guest features from heavyweights like Josh Middleton of Sylosis and Brann Dailor of Mastodon for good measure, Zenith is Bleed From Within operating at the very top of their game.
GLARE - SUNSET FUNERAL (Deathwish Inc./ Sunday Drive)
Texas modern shoegaze unit, Glare, have flexed songwriting skills well beyond their years on their full length debut, Sunset Funeral. Showcasing the band's weighty, well-built take on mood music - sturdy guitars and lush melodies anchor the 11-track presentation. Knitting a tight weave of classic alternative, contemporary shoegaze and a healthy dose of grunge for balance, Sunset Funeral suggests a very bright future for the still-ascending collective. Introspective in temperament and intricate in composition, this is the ideal late-night, long drive soundtrack.
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS - DEATH HILARIOUS (Missing Piece Records)
The post, proto, doom metal amalgam of Newcastle's Pigs Pigs PIgs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs wields a heavy sword on their fifth full length. Brawny guitars, sharp lyrical content and a locomotive pace make for a well-constructed collection of songs that make their intention clear. Additionally, the album includes an unexpected yet impressively executed collaboration. The track "Glib Tongued’, includes a guest submission from El-P from Run The Jewels on a track that hits like a sucker punch.
