![LLNN – Unmaker [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LLNN-Unmaker-01.jpg.webp)
“Denmark’s LLNN—a name which I initially assumed must be an acronym—were unknown to me until I happened upon a rec in the comments on September’s ROTM. Now, I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of all things post-, so when someone touts anything with that tag, I am going to investigate, particularly if they describe it as ‘absolutely devastating.’ And holy fuck, they weren’t kidding.” Unmaker‘s mark.
“Sometimes, the promo sump can be an overwhelming place. A bit like an oversized car trunk sale, there’s a huge amount of scary junk that you know you don’t want (but recognize you’ll end up leaving with at least some of) and a few frustratingly well hidden gems. The trick is how to spot those gems. Sometimes though, one simply does not have the time and you have to trust your luck and grab the first thing that catches your eye. One such visit led me to the sophomore outing by Allentown, Pennsylvania-based two piece Orphan Donor, which spoke to me because of the combination of a grindcore tag and the unexpected accompanying note that it would appeal to fans of Isis.” Garage flail.
“Only Love was The Armed’s Vexovoid. For the sliver of readers who have heard both, that probably makes as much sense as it does to those who have heard neither. Vexovoid (the Portal album) was a push. Portal were driving their sound even further into clotted murk, draining that last drop of pus from the wound not with a syringe but with a vise. Vexovoid was crushed and suffocated by the band’s own attempt to solidify its sound, with the musicians resting their weight on an extremely thick and compressed production. In retrospect, that wasn’t a great idea; the record loses a lot of impact on repeated plays because the production is so dense. It becomes a massive pile of sound that obscures the band’s most interesting ideas. Now, maybe a sliver listeners get it. With Only Love, The Armed slammed their eclectic hardcore into synth-driven pop and told Kurt Ballou to make it sound like an absolute nightmare. He did. There you go. Blown-out ambitions, blown-out production: Vexovoid. Fresh popcore for all.
“As someone who’s candidly gone on record about mental health in the past, it’s always a gamble for me to dive into an album that heavily focuses on such a difficult subject. It’s not often that it’s treated with the necessary weight and care that it undoubtedly deserves, and more often than not, for every one An Isolated Mind‘s I’m Losing Myself, there are about 50 of these littering the scene, taking up way too much space and energy. If there’s one band, though, that can tackle it with grace and honesty, it’s Pennsylvania’s Zao.” Corridors of the mind.
“Pupil Slicer, although undeniably a trio, is vocalist/guitarist Davies’ brainchild through and through, seen in the guitar-and-vocals focus. Mirrors, following up an EP and a series of splits since their 2015 formation, combines its assets into a mathcore Frankenstein’s monster: twisted guitar work and frantic shrieks, Josh Andrews’ blasting drum tracks of an abandoned post-black project, and a healthy dose of Luke Fabian’s formidable bass and gutturals.” Eye on the prize.
![Yashira – Fail To Be [Things You Might Have Missed 2020]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Yashira-Fail-To-Be-01.jpg)
It’s difficult to bounce back after a massive loss. Jacksonville’s Yashira were riding high on not only an excellent debut album in 2018’s Shrine, but also via fervent word of mouth about their abrasive live shows (including a coveted spot in that year’s Welcome to Rockville), and a split with metalcore legends Zao. However, with the tragic death of drummer Seth Howard later that year, you’d be forgiven if you expected Yashira to call it a day.” Failing upward.
“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.
“I am a big post-metal fan. I have admitted to this before without shame, despite the unkind words that are thrown around about the genre, including in the skull pit by my fellow word slaves scribes. And, as a fan of the genre, I firmly believe that The Ocean, Cult of Luna and others have shown it can be so much more than ten-minute, riff-less songs that feature sudden eruptions of heaviness. Despite this categorical proof, a number of ‘post-metal’ bands appear not to have got the message.” Post-memo.
“There’s an added expectation for a record when a band announce it will be their last one. Wrvth have been around since 2007, releasing three full-lengths. No Rising Son is their fourth and final before parting ways for good. Wrvth have a dense, chaotic -core style of metal at their heart; they merge a contemporary deathcore sound with the late 90s early 2000s metalcore of Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan et al. The band like layers, though, and there are frequent diversions and obstacles which the band sublimate into their sound.” Layer caked.
“When Grymm awarded Ashbringer‘s debut, Vacant, a deserved 3.5 back in 2015, he was writing about the self-released exploits of a one-man black metal project, delivered by someone then aged 18. Scroll forward four years and Nick Stanger, Mr. Ashbringer himself, has, presumably, reached the ripe old age of 20-something. He’s also released a second record (2016’s Yūgen, which we failed to review), gathered around him a group of three other musicians and signed a deal with Prosthetic Records. Now a four-person collective – or ‘band,’ if you will – Ashbringer are ready to drop their third album, Absolution.”
