KNOSIS - GENKNOSIS (SharpTone Records)
Japanese aggressors Knosis, led by the hugely-talented Ryo Kinoshita fuses the worlds of modern metalcore and powerful post-hardcore in a way that breathes new life into both spaces to create something all its own. With Kinoshita at the helm, the project's debut is defined by a healthy balance of melody and intensity, showcasing serious vocal range and a real understanding of song structure and dynamics. Along with features from Yukina of Hanabie., the first outing as Knosis is one that sets a very high bar.
TO THE GRAVE - STILL (Uniue Leader Records)
Australian deathcore disruptors To The Grave have followed up their 2024 full length, Everyone's A Murderer with a deathblow of an EP in Still. Even in that short year, the band's refinement is apparent as vocalist Dane Evans taps into the more formative, early era of deathcore of the 2000s. A militant, menacing meld that pairs the ethos of vegan hardcore with the power and technicality of deathcore, Still offers clear evidence not only of the band's connection with a growing fanbase, but their ability to laser-focus and fine tune their brutality.
$UICIDEBOY$ - THY KINGDOM COME (G59 Records)
Wasting little time in getting back to the full length format following the success of 2024's New World Depression, the duo in $UICIDEBOY$ have delivered their fifth full length album, Thy Kingdom Come. Combining the duo's signature dark aesthetic, subversive turn of phrase and their unmistakable production, that latest from Ruby and $crim is equal parts ominous and stylish. Adding some firepower to the tracklist, $uicideboy$ have tapped both BONES and Night Lovell for rare album features as well, ensuring the $B universe gets their shine. Punctuated by arguably one of the most melodic cuts from the duo in "Monochromatic", $UICIDEBOY$ continue to achieve new heights.
FIT FOR A KING - LONELY GOD (Solid State Records)
Metalcore stalwarts Fit For A King relied on instincts on album number eight and the pay off has been huge. Working with producer Daniel Braunstein, the used their aggressive guitars, Ryan Kirby's explosive vocals and their well-polished approach to metalcore to write album free of expectation. Enlisting a focused trio a collaborators in Landon Tewers of The Plot In You, Lochie Keogh of Alpha Wolf and Chris Motionless Fit For A King flex some added firepower on an album that feels like a band rediscovering their gift. Shifting from melodic anthems in "Shelter" to the maelstrom of tracks like "Monolith," Fit For A King assert their full range making Lonely God one of their most cohesive efforts to date.
CAR BOMB - TILES WHISPERS DREAMS (Solid Grey)
Marking the 25th anniversary of the NYC collective and their first release in some six years, it is astounding that a band can still be producing at this level a generation into their careers. A dizzying meld of djent, prog and mathcore delivered with the technical prowess and unorthodox hand of free jazz, Car Bomb's Tiles Whispers Dreams is all of three tracks and an absolute masterclass. Wildly innovative, wholly unpredictable and incredibly well-executed, Car Bomb may have taken six years to jump back into the game, but have certainly proven that good things are well worth the wait.
