
A spotlight where musicians from bands can talk about their four favourite or influential albums of all time […]
Welcome to another Noob Heavy Microdose! Read on to check out four shorter reviews of four short albums: 2 that you might have missed, and 2 that you probably shouldn’t. Let’s dive into the realm of EPs […]
In case you weren’t aware, I am the website’s resident Florida man. We have a giant beatdown hardcore/metalcore scene here that I believe may be the cream of the crop for the new wave of the genre. We have bands like Traitors and Bodysnatcher carrying the torch with a plethora of promising up and coming bands in the scene, like Broadmoor, Dealey Plaza, and Scatter Shot. […]
The pre-release promotion on this one was immense and filled with curious dark aesthetic, so am I quite excited to delve into this return LP, the Revelator from Australian big boys The Amenta. They did a promotional thing that is right up there on my list of favorite things bands have done, they gave away a haunting full head mask of the lead singer’s visage, very cool memorabilia unique to the band. […]
It seems that screamo, or ‘skramz’, has been in a really good place over the past few years. The list of bands who’ve put out great records that broadly sit within that world is pretty endless at this point, with recent standouts including Frail Body, For Your Health and Frail Hands, to name a few. Seeking to add their name to this list with their second full-length, entitled Modern Grotesque, are the Providence-based ‘emo post skramz’ five-piece, Dreamwell. Off the strength of this record, it feels like they belong there. Modern Grotesque is an album that’s thick with a heartfelt emotion and passion. Often, this manifests as something quite visceral and abrasive, but it can also be extremely melodic and even moving at points. […]
Here’s a question for you, and I think I might have a decent idea of the answer: do you like your metal as heavy as literally all fucking hell? Sure, sometimes you need bands like Eneferens or svrm or Spirit Adrift, whose takes on metal could be reasonably described as beautiful, or even moving. But do you also crave some thick, chuggy brutality? Do you want vocals that roar and squeal, and breakdowns that could level entire city blocks? If you do, it’s time to get excited for the newest slamtastic release from Unique Leader, Bonecarver’s Evil. […]
How do you take your death metal? Black like coffee? Rotten to the ‘core like an apple for a trash panda? Or maybe you want it drowned in cavernous reverb? Death metal comes in as many varieties as Starbucks repackages of sugar and caffeine in water. Today I’ll be exploring a more modern style of death metal through the lens of Orecus and their new record, The Obliterationist. […]
It definitely takes a special skill to make music which manages to feel beautiful while maintaining a strong sense of melancholy. Perhaps one of the most obvious examples is The Cure, whose dark and mournful brand of post-punk is often deeply moving at the same time. In the 90s, Type O Negative took that doom and gloom to even further extremes, whilst still allowing soaring and ethereal melodies to poke through. To give a more a recent example, even Pallbearer’s stellar Forgotten Days LP from last year had some genuinely uplifting moments amid the band’s weighty doom and their lyrical meditations on grief. If you like any of those bands, then chances are you’ll enjoy Crawl Below’s 9 Mile Square. […]
Every now and then you come across a description or promo for an album that’s new to you and once you’ve read it, you just *have* to listen. Something about that description pulls you in before you’ve even heard a note, and despite not truly having any idea what you’re in for, you just know on some level that it’s going to be right up your alley. In my experience, at least, that internal sense is rarely wrong, and the first listen is usually an extremely gratifying one. […]
There’s been a fair bit of buzz around For Your Health since their inception in 2018. A large part of this is no doubt down to their impressive work ethic. In 2019, they played some 100 shows, releasing an impressive split with Shin Guard and an EP in the same year. Last year they had even more shows planned (apparently at least 160) but these were sadly cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, hard work is all well and good, but will only get a band so far if the music isn’t there to back it up. Fortunately, the quartet’s debut full-length In Spite Of, like their shorter records before it, definitely delivers on that front. […]
You know what’s incredibly impressive to me? Bands of different genres with enough chemistry to pull off a cohesive and fantastic split. I feel like it’s not praised enough when done, but that’s likely because it seldom happens. The amount of craftsmanship that has to go into that is crazy to me! Right here folks, we have the very definition of that. […]
After a couple of listens, I still couldn’t tell you everything that’s going on on this record. At an hour and eleven minutes long, this is the sort of beast that seems almost untouchable, but I’ll take a crack at it! Aseitas are a progressive death metal band based out of the United States, and this is their 2nd full length record. I mean progressive with a capital P too, this album is unlike anything I’ve ever heard purely based on how many different things they’ve put to use here. […]
Ferus Din embody the destructive force of nature among other things in their debut album The Great Dying. This album hits like a fist in the face from the very first second and leaves one with a feeling of prolonged eagerness, typically as the music unfolds. The band’s name comes from a combination of Latin and Germanic translations and refers to “Wild Noise”. Completely unawares of the genre clashes in this release, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the band’s musical talent, particularly composition arrangement and the combining of different instruments and sounds. […]
Hey guys, I’m back from my short break from Noob Heavy, and I’m coming back with a bang, and by a bang, I of course mean the new Krosis record! Krosis is a technical deathcore band that formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2014. On February 7th they are releasing their brand new record A Memoir Of Free Will on Unique Leader Records. As someone who had the privilege of hearing the record early, trust me when I say this isn’t one you’re going to want to miss. […]
There isn’t much information as to the identity or location of Bull Elephant, as they choose to stay anonymous. Their debut record is a concept album, and despite having listened to this record several times I still couldn’t tell you what’s going on in my own words, but their Facebook bio sums it up pretty well, “Bull Elephant is the story of a slain African elephant that occultist Ahnenerbe SS attempted to bring back from the dead as a new form of battle asset. However, before re-animation could be completed it was intercepted by a mysterious witch-shaman, pursuing her own agenda and redirecting the undead creature’s purpose.” […]
The hype is insane on this one, so I’m excited for everyone else as I listen to Blood Incantation’s new album Hidden History of the Human Race for a pre-release review. The moment I pressed play the silence was broken so abruptly that it legitimately frightened me, so early signs are promising. I also have a fondness for bands that use long and mysterious titles and track names which Blood Incantation understand and deliver on. Cosmetically The Hidden History Of The Human Race is top notch. […]
Written by Zax Eschaton Death Obsession Tech Death/Deathcore USA September 13, 2019 Unique Leader Records 7.7/10 Bandcamp – Spotify – Metallum Eschaton are an American tech death band signed with Unique Leader Records. The first […]
I know that opening sample orb-like sound, for sure. It’s either from an Elder Scrolls game or STALKER game, or maybe I’m plain wrong but what is supposed to be THE fractal generator is definitely a sound I’m familiar with. Or maybe this band really does make music about software for fractal pattern processing. Whatever it’s about, one thing is certain, this is a very cinematic technical death metal album that stays on the heavier side of the genre while also offering some mind washing sounds. […]
This is no doubt a divisive release and there’s a lot of context to consider such as a subversive band history. I’ve always considered Tool to be reliable, I don’t think they’ve ever released a bad album but I can definitely see how their fanbase tainted their image in the social media age. Like many frontmen in the history of music, Maynard has had plenty of cringey moments that get stuck in the spotlight. On a purely musical level, the decades of experience and their connection to the music is still apparent and at the bare minimum is a stellar performance. The question is, whether or not you will care about it I guess. […]
With a name like Blood and Brutality, and an album cover with several different torture devices on it, you know you’re in for a good time as a metalhead. Blood and Brutality is an American death metal band that formed in 2008. Their new album is heavy, dark, and surprisingly melodic. […]
Free Bandcamp Wiki 2021 (click)
A project started in 2020 to collect good albums released on Bandcamp as Name Your Own Price. A new page for each new year. I personally use this resource to review albums for the Free Flush column at Toilet Ov Hell.
Submitting Music and PR Services
For clarity’s sake, I don’t write about my own PR clients on this site. The reviews and features here are honest and there are ZERO paywalls. Black Lodge PR services are a separate thing that goes down mostly in Gmail and social media.
Just hit submit to potentially get covered for free on this very site. Use this same email if you’re interested in joining the team as a reviewer or interviewer.
Hit PR if you’re interested in getting a release featured on every other website as well as marketing planning and social advice.
Commissioning Artist List (click)
I’ve always gone out of my way to credit the visual artist when I can and so it led to the creation of this list for bands to find new artists. Huge variety of underground artists can be found here for a variety of pricing points. Updated every month or so.
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