Hardcore

Hellnite – Midnight Terrors Review

By Treble Yell on February 17, 2019 in Hardcore, Mexican Metal, Reviews, Sliptrick Records, Thrash Metal, Hardcore, Thrash Metal, 32 comments

“During their halcyon years Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax loomed large over the thrash landscape, basking in success and spawning a fanbase so large it defied a horizon. But there existed a tier below the A and B-listers, bands like Allegiance, Heathen and Xentrix who eked out a modest existence built on solid albums supported by a coterie of eager followers. This is not a vein you’d expect a modern thrash band to mine for inspiration, yet that is exactly where Hellnite have chosen to strike their pickaxe with their debut album, Midnight Terrors.” Mine the medium.

A Secret Revealed – Sacrifices Review

By Cherd on January 28, 2019 in 2.5, 2019, Black Metal, German Metal, Hardcore, Lifeforce Records, Metalcore, Post-metal, Reviews, Metalcore, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, 64 comments

“I’ve learned that when it comes to the promo sump, metalcore sneaks in the back door. This makes sense. we at AMG like to joke about all things -core, so why explicitly say you’re a metalcore band in your promo? Why not say you play post-metal, and when you’re safe inside the city gates, sneak out of that Trojan horse and stab the shit out of us with your VERY EARNEST SCREAMING and siq breakdowns? And so it is that I find myself reviewing Sacrifices, the second full-length from Germany’s A Secret Revealed.” Core at the door.

The Mound Builders – The Mound Builders Review

By Cherd on January 8, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Doom Metal, Failure Records, Hardcore, Sludge, Stoner Metal, Hardcore, Sludge, 57 comments

“The break room at my real life place of employment has one of those old glass globe candy dispensers. It’s full of candy and only costs a nickel, but it goes largely unused by employees. No, not because millennials have never seen a nickel and the machine doesn’t take Venmo. It’s avoided because some sociopathic agent of chaos filled the thing with a mix of M&Ms and Skittles that are almost visually indistinguishable. Sure, both are independently enjoyable, but something about the idea of accidentally tasting them in combination, or getting one when you expect the other makes people dubious. The new eponymous album by Lafayette, Indiana’s The Mound Builders is the musical equivalent of this conundrum of expectations.” Sketchy candy.

Lifesick – Swept in Black Review

By Mark Z. on January 6, 2019 in 2018, Danish Metal, Hardcore, Isolation Records, Reviews, Hardcore, 29 comments

“Sometimes, I hear a band and wonder if anybody actually listens to them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure plenty of people blast The Acacia Strain while working on their trucks or whatever, but are those people actually listening to the riffs and paying attention to the songwriting, or do they just want something br00tal blasting in the background? I suspect the answer is the latter, and such is my distaste for bands who build their songs solely from breakdowns. By its very nature, a breakdown is supposed to ‘break down’ the song.” Sack beatings and breakdowns.

The EP, Demo, and Oddity Post [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By El Cuervo on January 2, 2019 in 2018, American Metal, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, Hardcore, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Speed Metal, Swedish Metal, Technical Death Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Ukrainian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Electronic Metal, Hardcore, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Rock, Speed Metal, Technical Death Metal, 146 comments

“As a younger man I had no concept of the “EP,” nor the “demo,” nor the “split.” When was the last time Iron Maiden had to curb their excesses by squashing ideas into half an hour? When were Judas Priest not able to afford a professional recording studio and production job? And when’s that Metallica/Megadeth split due again? Such formats are reserved for the underdogs of the metal world, those bubbling beneath the surface of popularity who write music for the sheer creative expression and who will never see monetary reward for their time and effort.” Short is sweet.

Hopesfall – Arbiter [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Mark Z. on December 15, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Equal Vision Records, Hardcore, Non-Metal Metal Things, Rock, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Hardcore, Non-metal Metal Things, Rock, 48 comments

“In many ways, Arbiter feels like the culmination of everything Hopesfall are. Much like their former swansong Magnetic North, the album takes influence from all the band’s eras while harboring their characteristic sense of longing and distance. Arbiter is the rare comeback album that doesn’t recapture the spirit of early works, it makes it sound like that spirit never left in the first place.” Hopesfall springs eternal.

Moonshield – The Warband [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Dr. Wvrm on December 5, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Hardcore, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Hardcore, Melodic Death Metal, 66 comments

“As is always the case with Things You Might Have Missed, you know how this ends. In the sake of forwardness, The Warband fucking rips. Moonshield would know a thing or two about that; forwardness is their greatest quality. For as often as we hear about bands giving no fucks, truly seeing one do whatever they want is as rare as, well, a real human doing whatever they want. But in meshing true history and Arthurian lore, melodizing an genre known for the opposite, and casually utilizing something as niche as chiptune like they heard of it on I Love the 80s, The Warband can only be a product of Moonshield doing what comes natural. No wonder it’s so easy to love.” Do your own thing (unless it’s LARPing).

Wolf King – Loyal to the Soil [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Saunders on December 1, 2018 in American Metal, Black Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Prosthetic Records, Sludge, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Black Metal, Hardcore, Sludge, 20 comments

“Wolf King’s impressive debut LP Loyal to the Soil dropped back in April and marked the young Californian band as an act to watch. Vitriolic blackened hardcore sits at the core of Wolf King’s sound, with sludgy beat-downs and whiffs of grind fleshing out their confident and aggressive formula. Although by no means a pair of peas in a pod, there’re certainly some aesthetic and tonal similarities with Germany’s Mantar, with Wolf King arguably having the upper hand when comparing their 2018 releases.” Wolf King can do anything.

Drowning in You – Here Is Hope Review

By Mark Z. on October 19, 2018 in 2018, Boersma Records, German Metal, Hardcore, Metalcore, Reviews, Hardcore, Metalcore, 82 comments

“Metalcore is like that friend from high school who keeps coming back. Just when you think you’ve left it behind for good, here comes another Facebook notification or Instagram post to remind you that, yes, this thing was once a part of your life.” Look at this photograph.

The Pariah – No Truth Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on September 24, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Hardcore, Redfield Records, Reviews, Hardcore, 20 comments

“What The Pariah do here is something approaching Comeback Kid structurally (i.e., simple), but with a bigger emphasis on post-rock than their, um, Counterparts. Some parts managed to remind me of a far simpler Harakiri for the Sky.” Post truth.