All reviews by Manus Hopkins
Abyssal: A Beacon In The Husk (Independent)
Though the production is muddy, it just seems to work for the dissident death metal onslaught that is Abyssal’s A Beacon In The Husk. A seven-part conceptual series, bookended by the brutal Dialogue and ambient Soliloquy, this is a record best listened to in its entirety. At times, the long songs take a while to really get going, but the atmospheric doodling is enjoyable if you’re in the mood. While the record is full of bludgeoning death metal, there is some eerie calmness in many of its slower passages too. Creeping riffs give way to double-kick-driven beatdowns and vice versa, and sometimes these two features are combined, bringing a special kind of terror to the death metal sound. 8/10
Abyssal: A Beacon In The Husk (Independent)
Though the production is muddy, it just seems to work for the dissident death metal onslaught that is Abyssal’s A Beacon In The Husk. A seven-part conceptual series, bookended by the brutal Dialogue and ambient Soliloquy, this is a record best listened to in its entirety. At times, the long songs take a while to really get going, but the atmospheric doodling is enjoyable if you’re in the mood. While the record is full of bludgeoning death metal, there is some eerie calmness in many of its slower passages too. Creeping riffs give way to double-kick-driven beatdowns and vice versa, and sometimes these two features are combined, bringing a special kind of terror to the death metal sound. 8/10
Nitrogods: Rebel Dayz (Nuclear Blast)
Kicking off with party-rocker Breaking Loose, Nitrogod’s latest offering, Rebel Dayz, maintains its energy throughout its 14 tracks. Within the first few bars, the tone for the album is set. It’s one rock ‘n’ roll banger after another, full of big licks, heavy drums and impressive Lemmy-style vocals. It’s a really fun record, even if it’s a little repetitive—14 songs is a lot when they’re almost all your standard three-minute rock songs. Still, there are lots of tunes here that would be a blast to hear live, and a live setting would probably allow the band to do a little more with these tracks than a studio setting. 7/10
Howling Sycamore: Seven Pathways To Annihilation (Prosthetic Records)
Kicking off with party-rocker Breaking Loose, Nitrogod’s latest offering, Rebel Dayz, maintains its energy throughout its 14 tracks. Within the first few bars, the tone for the album is set. It’s one rock ‘n’ roll banger after another, full of big licks, heavy drums and impressive Lemmy-style vocals. It’s a really fun record, even if it’s a little repetitive—14 songs is a lot when they’re almost all your standard three-minute rock songs. Still, there are lots of tunes here that would be a blast to hear live, and a live setting would probably allow the band to do a little more with these tracks than a studio setting. 7/10
Howling Sycamore: Seven Pathways To Annihilation (Prosthetic Records)
First off, cool band name and cool album title. Howling Sycamore have those two things going for them before this record is even heard, so let’s hope it’s not disappointing. And nope, it’s pretty solid. Some unique instrumentation, interesting song structures and a singer with a distinct voice make this prog album a captivating listen. Between the soaring melodicism of opener Mastering Fire, the slinking intensity of Initiation, and the grandiose epicness of Sorcerer, Howling Sycamore aren’t afraid to let the music take them where it wants to go on this record, and the payoff is immense. Too many prog bands try too hard to make their music “prog”. Howling Sycamore don’t, and their music is better for it. 8/10
Superheist: Sidewinder (Black Mountain Music)
Metal purists may turn their noses up at any nu-metal revivalist band, but if there’s one to give a chance to, Superheist is a good candidate. Their second album since their 2016 comeback, Sidewinder manages to feel nostalgic and fresh all at once. You cant fight this groove—you’ll have to just them string you along for the ride. You may even find that you actually enjoy it, whether you want to or not. It’s no secret that Australia was never the hub of nu-metal, yet here is a group from down under that’s managed to produce a comeback album that leaves Coal Chamber’s in the dust. The guitar is surprisingly heavy, but between that and the pounding drums, the jumpy, hip hop-infused songs are given a kind of power most of the 90s band must wish they could capture.
Songs like The Riot and the very nu-metal titled Crush The Crisis are fist-in-the-air anthems, while Shockwaves features some electronic keyboard dance bits and pop vocals courtesy of London. There’s everything you’d expect to hear on a nu-metal record here, whether you think that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s all done incredibly well for what it is. This could be a textbook example of what the late 90s scene consisted of; all the parts are there. 8/10
Superheist: Sidewinder (Black Mountain Music)
Metal purists may turn their noses up at any nu-metal revivalist band, but if there’s one to give a chance to, Superheist is a good candidate. Their second album since their 2016 comeback, Sidewinder manages to feel nostalgic and fresh all at once. You cant fight this groove—you’ll have to just them string you along for the ride. You may even find that you actually enjoy it, whether you want to or not. It’s no secret that Australia was never the hub of nu-metal, yet here is a group from down under that’s managed to produce a comeback album that leaves Coal Chamber’s in the dust. The guitar is surprisingly heavy, but between that and the pounding drums, the jumpy, hip hop-infused songs are given a kind of power most of the 90s band must wish they could capture.
Songs like The Riot and the very nu-metal titled Crush The Crisis are fist-in-the-air anthems, while Shockwaves features some electronic keyboard dance bits and pop vocals courtesy of London. There’s everything you’d expect to hear on a nu-metal record here, whether you think that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s all done incredibly well for what it is. This could be a textbook example of what the late 90s scene consisted of; all the parts are there. 8/10