Metalcore

Heaven Shall Burn – Of Truth & Sacrifice Review

By Grymm on March 19, 2020 in 2020, Century Media, German Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Metalcore, 39 comments

“We’re currently living in some batshit crazy times, friends. Between the United States being heavily divided to the point where people within their own political wheelhouses are fighting with each other, political tensions throughout the world where another war could erupt practically any minute, and now COVID-19 wrecking havoc on our daily lives, it’s not an easy time for anybody. There’s enough anger to go around to power a small nation, and very few metalcore bands channel that anger as effectively as Heaven Shall Burn.” Double the anger.

Neck of the Woods – The Annex of Ire Review

By Carcharodon on March 16, 2020 in 2020, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Metalcore, Pelagic Records, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Metalcore, 30 comments

“Do you ever have that feeling of listening to an album and feeling that it’s somehow better than you’re giving it credit for? Or, as GardensTale put it to me, the feeling that “I’m probably just not good enough for the album”? That’s how I felt about the second full-length from Vancouver’s Neck of the Woods, until about 4pm today.” You’re good enough and people like you.

Neaera – Neaera Review

By Mark Z. on March 7, 2020 in 2020, German Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metal Blade, Metalcore, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 11 comments

“No matter how hard you try, you can never really escape your past. By day I’m the kvltest of the kvlt, blasting the blakkened fukkin death while wearing a shirt that depicts Jesus getting flogged by a horde of goat demons. But when I curl up at night with my plesiosaurus plush, I know at heart I’m still the same mid-aughts core kid who got his start in the metal world with Killswitch Engage and their ilk. Even today, when the promo teat runs dry, sometimes I find myself returning to where it all began: core.” Damn core kids!

The Motion Mosaic – Avant-Garbage Review

By Kronos on March 3, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Hardcore, Mathcore, Metalcore, Reviews, Self-released, Hardcore, Mathcore, Metalcore, 15 comments

“The joke has been made. Or rather, as I am forever chastised by the Wordpress interface for the passive voice’s use, The Motion Mosaic made the joke. So did Huck when he checked in to make sure I was covering this. Never one to stop the momentum of a joke at my expense, I let him know I was way ahead of him. To know thyself truly is as hard as Steel or, in this case, hardcore, and it is the goal of The Motion Mosaic’s eclectic sophomore record.” Mathcore is hard.

$RED\\SHIFT – Grow.Decay.Transform. Review$

RED\\SHIFT – Grow.Decay.Transform. Review

By Carcharodon on February 28, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Sludge, Metalcore, Sludge, 34 comments

“There’s a statement in the promo blurb that a “catastrophically drunk dive-bar patron” once described Minnesotan trio RED\\SHIFT as being like “Mastodon mugging King Crimson in a back alley on New Year’s Eve.” There was also mention of wolves with swords for arms.” The right to arm wolves.

Sortout – Conquer From Within Review

By Twelve on February 21, 2020 in 2020, Austrian Metal, Dr. Music Records, Metalcore, Reviews, Metalcore, 30 comments

“Gather ‘round, friends, I’ve got a new group for everyone to check out, they’re called Sortout. They’re Austrian. They’re metal. They’ve got shouts. They’re angry about something. They have a band motto. And now, take a quick look at that cover art and confirm what you already knew to be true: today, I bring you metalcore.” Gut conqueror!

Kause 4 Konflikt – Fornication Under Control of King Review

By Dear Hollow on February 16, 2020 in 2020, Deadlight Entertainment, French Metal, Grind, Groove Metal, Hardcore, Metalcore, Reviews, Thrash Metal, 33 comments

“I know what you’re thinking. Look at the band name, the political statement of an album title, the nu-metal style album cover, the Emmure-esque macho song titles, and the fact that it’s metalcore. I mean, first impressions?” If it pleases the crown.

Quiescency – Message for Lamb Review

By Kenstrosity on February 6, 2020 in 2020, Deathcore, Melodic Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Rumf Productions, Russian Metal, Deathcore, Melodic Metal, Metalcore, 9 comments

“Metalcore. Deathcore. The ever nebulous ‘melodic metal.’ These are tags that discomfit discerning metalheads like myself. In those rare moments where I experience the excitement for a new release in these genres, as I did with Russia’s Quiescency, the worst case is that my anticipation overinflates. Since the band announced Message for Lamb roughly forever ago, my expectations for their debut record swiftly reached an unreasonable altitude. Alas, what goes up must come down.” Lamb stewed.

Oberst – Paradise Review

By Cherd on January 13, 2020 in 2020, Hardcore, Indie Recordings, Metalcore, Norwegian Metal, Post-Hardcore, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Hardcore, Metalcore, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 24 comments

“Back in the 90s, I was in a very famous TV show I was all about hardcore and early metalcore. As a matter of fact, I was straight edge, though not for the same reasons as other practitioners of that ethos. I was a good Christian boy who happened to like aggressive music, and the rise of Tooth and Nail Records and their sub-imprint Solid State meant I could have my cake and eat it too (that’s not to say I didn’t have dalliances with “secular” labels like Victory or Revelation). I left -core behind many years ago, as tends to happen as one ages, but last year I found myself drawn to a few newer bands with hardcore influences, and that got me nostalgic. Return to the core.

Voyager – Colours in the Sun Review

By Steel Druhm on October 30, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Progressive Metal, 35 comments

“A new Voyager album is always an unknown quantity. I’ve dearly loved some of the Australian prog-meisters material, and felt ambivalent about some of it as well. I raved about 2011s The Meaning of I, but struggled to love parts of followup V. They won me over again on 2017s Ghost Mile, so naturally I hoped the good times would keep rolling with their new opus Colours in the Sun. And why shouldn’t they keep rolling?” Why indeed.