HASTE THE DAY - COWARD 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Solid State Records)

All that is old is new again as the Indianapolis metalcore collective has unleashed their remixed and remastered version of their final 2015 album, Coward. The album was especially significant given it would be their final, but it also featured current and former members including estranged vocalist vocalist Jimmy Ryan who had not been with the band for a decade at that point. In the present, the refreshed version of the album heralds to the band's return, having release their first new music in a decade with the promise of a proper return in 2025. 

WHISPERS - YOM-MA-LOK (Flatspot Records)

Thai hardcore lifers Whispers have ushered in a new of era of 'Bangkok Evilcore' with seven bombastic tracks of hardcore revelry. Yom-Ma-Lok underscores the vibrant scene of Thai hardcore, aided by the special guest assists of Jem Siow of Speed and Shaun Alexander of Demonstration of Power on their Flatyspot Records debut. Yom-Ma-Lok serves as an important statement for Whispers and a testament to the international scope of hardcore - spotlighting a region lesser known for hardcore and yet producing such a promising prospect. 

MÖRK GRYNING - FASORNAS TID (Season of Mist)

Swedish black metal vets Mörk Gryning have thrived among the cult-driven underground for three decade and continue to produce a product among the genre's very best. Harkening to the band's lauded debut Tusen år har gått… Fasornas Tid asserts symphonic complexity with black metal bleakness. The songs are stylishly savage, melding unrelenting brutality with accents of melodic malaise that feel transportive - otherworldly. This is one of those rare albums that will resonate with the most old school fan while proving equally effective with a new  contingent of believers. 

SNOOP DOGG with DR. DRE - MISSIONARY (Death Row/Aftermath /Interscope Records)

Among hip hop's most enduring, effective combinations, Snoop has resumed his post alongside generational producer Dr. Dre to recapture the magic that has resulted in some of the genre's most definitive anthems. Pairing Dre's elegant approach to composition, sound design and the art of the beat with Snoop's slick turn of phrase and 'older but wiser' projection, Missionary is an album that augments the legacy of the iconic tandem. Featuring collaborations with Eninem, Jellyroll, Jhene Aiko, Sting and even the late great Tom Petty, Snoop and Dre flex their range with some serious starpower for emphasis. 

SUPERHEAVEN - LONG GONE/ NUMB TO WHAT IS REAL (Blue Grape Music)

PA shoegaze, post-hardcore, grunge-esque amalgam Superheaven are in the thcik of a healthy resurgence. Currently on tour supporting The Story So Far to packed rooms, the band's melodic brand of heft is landing with a more-than-ever receptive audience, suggesting their mid-2010's sound was just ahead of its time. Combining "Long Gone" their first new single in 9 years with the latest "Numb To What Is Real", the band have issued a 2-track EP on Blue Grape Music that suggests their full fledged comeback in 2025 is going to go over insanely well. Meaty guitars, intelligent songwriting and subtle melody on the new single suggest some things are well with the wait.