THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS - I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU IN HEAVEN (MNRK Heavy)
Existing on the fringe of heavy music, Atlanta outliers The Callous Daoboys set out to craft something that could withstand the test of time all while remaining ahead of the curve and thus... Heaven. A well-executed show of artistry, The Daoboys assert limitless potential and rightfully establish themselves as one of heavy music's most exciting, emerging voices. A dexterous meld of rock, pop, post-hardcore and all the musical corners in between, the album defies category in way that suggests authenticity and ambitiousness - two elements assured to sidestep time.
BURY TOMORROW - WILL YOU HAUNT ME, WITH THAT SAME PATIENCE (Music for Nations)
Coming away from the triumph that was The Seventh Sun, Bury Tomorrow look to be finding their stride in what is the peak of their modern era. On Will You Haunt Me, With that Same Patience, the band work in tandem with producer Carl Bown to explore weighty themes of self-doubt and despair all while holding onto a unwavering sense of hope. Musically that translates to an ebb and flow of catharsis and chaos, countered with a keen sense of melody and empowerment in the form of big choruses, dramatic song dynamics. In the end, Bury Tomorrow come away with a collection of tracks that make treat metalcore with the equal parts articulateness and aggression.
FULL OF HELL - BROKEN SWORD, ROTTEN SHIELD (Closed Casket Activities)
Issuing one of the most important releases in heavy music last year with Coagulated Bliss, Full of Hell have quickly doubled back to deliver another powerful assertion of extreme music versatility with a new EP, Broken Sword, Rotten Shield. The release finds the band connecting with producer and collaborator, Kevin Bernstein (Misery Index, Pig Destroyer) for a quick, albeit it complete bounce-back after a career-defining release just a year ago. Combining Full of Hell's bruising, bulldozing mesh of powerviolence, noise and grind, the seven-track presentation emphasizes the band's dexterity as extreme music craftsmen. Intense, intelligent and loaded with intricacies to keep the listener engaged, Full of Hell are as exemplary as they are extreme.
YOUTH CODE - YOURS, WITH MALICE (Sumerian Records)
Combining the duo's hardcore ethos with their well-established lineage of synth and EBM, Youth Code's combined DNA is what have allowed the duo to thrive in both the rock and electronic orbit from the jump. On their first release in four years, Yours, With Malice, Sara Taylor and Ryan George capture the volatility of hardcore with the spectacle of electronica in way that resonates as purely authentic on both ends of the spectrum. The five track collection manages to be as infectious as it is intense with a cadence and command that is impossible to ignore.
PELICAN - FLICKERING RESONANCE - (Run for Cover)
On their first album in more than six years, Pelican execute a sub-genre, songwriting masterclass. Residing somewhere on the outskirts of post-metal, the band's mesh of expansive instrumentalism sources everything from shoegaze to post-hardcore to 90's heavy alt in a way that is seamless, succinct. These songs are lush, layered and nuanced in a way that asserts the band's veteran status and skilled hands. Partnering with Run for Cover also seems to have given the band a new sense of vigor - and with an album of this quality, fans old and new are sure to be satisfied.
