Photo by Noemi Ottilia Szabo
ZEAL & ARDOR - GREIF
Following one of the most acclaimed releases of 2022, Zeal & Ardor's next installment finds architect Manuel Gagneux flanked by bandmates Tiziano Volante on guitar, Marc Obrist and Denis Wagner on vocals, Lukas Kurmann on bass and Marco Von Allmen on drums. Assembling a unit of musicians to help materialize his creative vision, Gagneux remains fiercely hands-on - taking on the creative direction of Greif from concept to execution, serving as the project's producer as well as primary songwriter. The succession of singles in "Fend Your Off", "Clawing out", "Hide In Shade" and "to my ilk" position Zeal & Ardor as one of the most intriguing, innovative bands in contemporary heavy music.
UNIFORM - AMERICAN STANDARD (Sacred Bones)
Among Uniform's most apparent abilities is there knack for knowing how to stylize musical harshness. American Standard showcases the band’s take of percussive-driven intensity, spearheaded by guitarist Ben Greenberg and anchored by the tandem drumming of Michael Sharp and Michael Blume. The presentation is anchored by the articulate, aggressive compositions of Greenberg while establishing a musical bedrock for vocalist and original member Michael Berdan to explore personal trauma on what amounts to an especially poignant, sometimes musically punishing effort.
SPECTRAL WOUND - SONGS OF BLOOD AND MIRE (Profound Lore)
The Canadian black metal horde execute a visceral, violent 43-minute barrage on their fourth full length album. Aligning with Swedish pillars like early Bathory and underworld champions Marduk, Spectral Wound deliver an intentionally raw sound that cuts like a serrated blade. Sidestepping the grandiose, esoteric trend proliferating modern black metal, Songs of Blood and Mire harkens to the genre's heyday, when the music the aesthetic was intended to be defiant, dominant and debaucherous as all hell.
MISS MAY I - APOLOGIES ARE FOR THE WEAK (Solid State Records)
Rather than reissue an anniversary album, Metalcore vets Miss May I have opted to re-recorded their full length debut, entirely. This time recruiting several special guests to loan their talents in revisiting the original tracks on the release. powerhouse collaborators in Garrett Russell of Silent Planet, Scott Lewis of Carnifex, Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red, Brian Wille of Currents and many more breath new life into the record that now has generational implications. A smart meld of nostalgia and modernity, Miss May I understood the assignment here and ran with it.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE - OPERA (Nuclear Blast Records)
Symphonic death metal legends Fleshgod Apocalypse have returned with their sixth full length campaign, Opera. Inspired by the real-life mountain climbing accident endured by frontman Francesco Paoli in 2021, the introductory singles in "Bloodclock" and the latest "Mophine Waltz" combines the band's visionary brand of baroque-inspired composition with the experience of confronting mortality. The end result is rich, dynamic show of symphonic metal mastery befitting of the respected veterans.
