Converge

KEN mode – VOID Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on September 22, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, 35 comments

“Here we are again strung upon KEN mode’s newest, fresh-faced outing, VOID—well, as fresh a face as these Canucks can muster. NULL’s intense and twisted Red Demon has fractured into a split visage of terrified sadness and caved-in confidence. Though KEN mode has little to fret over in the performance realm, the returning four-piece lineup boasting some of the most diverse and rich talents of the band’s career, a troubled mind, this demon state, does not find solace through notes of proficiency and creativity.” Face of things to come.

Oxx – The Primordial Blues Review

By Dear Hollow on August 23, 2023 in Reviews, Mathcore, Metalcore, Noise Rock, Sludge Metal, 18 comments

“Oxx is a trio from Aarhus, Denmark, having released three full-lengths and an EP since 2012. In spite of easy recollections to mathy insanity, pigeonholing The Primordial Blues is unfair even to the act’s own discography, as the ominous sprawling of 2015 debut Bury the Ones We Love and Burn the Rest differs fundamentally to the frantic Dillinger-core of 2019’s The Skeleton Is Just A Coat Hanger.” Big, not so dumb OXX.

Stuck in the Filter – May’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on July 28, 2023 in Stuck in the Filter, Black Metal, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Instrumental Metal, Mathcore, Post-Metal, Slam, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 69 comments

May Day is upon us, in July! Join us as we demonstrate what focused spring/early summer Filter cleaning can accomplish when you have motivated technicians.

Mutoid Man – Mutants Review

By Saunders on July 27, 2023 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Noise Rock, Progressive Metal, Punk, 38 comments

A new Mutoid Man release means a larger-than-life double review is necessary. Why? Because we said so!

Seek – Kokyou De Shinu Otoko Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on July 11, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Metal, Sludge, Sludge Metal, 5 comments

“An existence spanning over twenty years in the Japanese underground brings an unsurprisingly bleak atmosphere to Kokyou De Shinu Otoko. From the grim blackness of the cover art to the translation of the title—roughly A Man Dies in His Hometown—Seek doesn’t bring even the smallest shred of happiness to the table.” Hometowns kill.

Pupil Slicer – Blossom Review

By Dear Hollow on June 19, 2023 in Reviews, Mathcore, Metalcore, Nu Metal, Punk, 43 comments

“Pupil Slicer really shook things up in 2021. While undeniably a slab of Converge-meets-Dillinger core with a nice dose of Botch, the trio’s debut Mirrors was a tour-de-force of grindy intensity, a neat balance between heart and callousness, and a marvel of songwriting. Songs like “Husk,” “Collective Unconscious,” and “Wounds Upon My Skin” still get regular plays in the Hollow household, with mad mastermind Kate Davies’ frantic vocals, insane axework, and boundary-pushing ideas taking center stage.” Eye on the prize.

Black Oak – Egolution Review

By Maddog on April 25, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 20 comments

“Egolution was a tough nut to crack. I picked up the debut from Sweden’s Black Oak based on the promo’s bold namedrops of Cult of Luna, ISIS, and Palms. When I started listening, I expected standard sludgy post-metal. I was wrong. Fifty-three minutes later, my head spinning with variants of “what the hell did I just listen to,” I panicked. Black Oak’s restless blend of post-rock and hardcore with electronic influences, prog, classical flourishes, and more left me confused.” Let go my Ego.

Saunders’ and Felagund’s Top Ten(ish) of 2022

By Angry Metal Guy on December 29, 2022 in Blog Posts, Lists, 65 comments

Saunders and Felagund demand to have their Top Ten(ish) lists heard across the land. We obliged.

Cave In – Heavy Pendulum [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]

By Saunders on November 18, 2022 in Things You Might Have Missed 2022, Hardcore, 23 comments

“Although well aware of their revered reputation, I largely came to Cave In via the awesome Mutoid Man. I have since come to deeply respect and appreciate chunks of the band’s diverse catalog, and solid crossover appeal. Final Transmission, 2019’s heart-wrenching tribute to their fallen brother Caleb Scofield, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2018, was a stripped-back and poignant album, featuring Scofield’s final musical contributions. Rather than shut up shop on the back of a tragic loss, Cave In discovered newfound inspiration and forged on.” Still swinging.

Dr. Acula – Dr. Acula Review

By Dear Hollow on November 1, 2022 in Reviews, Deathcore, Hardcore, Mathcore, 23 comments

“I hail from the Pacific Northwest and have never set foot in the Big Apple, so I know nothing about Long Island. So when the promo reads “Deathcore from Long Island!!” I don’t know what the hell that means. Is that good or bad? Is Long Island the prodigal son of New York? Is Long Island something you’d rather fugeddabaat? I don’t know, but Dr. Acula calls it home. If you had told me that ten years ago, I would have cringed and made a mental note to never visit Long Island. But now? I’m not so sure.” No man is an island.