Dyscordia: Delete/Rewrite (Road Mark Productions) [Rich Oliver]
Delete/Rewrite is the third album by Belgian progressive metallers and comes four years after previous album Words In Ruins in 2016. Apparently the band wanted to take their time to write the best album they could and to be honest the results speak for themselves. This is the first surprise for me in 2020 in that I went into this album not expecting much and ended up enjoying it thoroughly. Dyscordia are a melodic progressive metal band but also straddle the line between power metal and melodic death metal. A lot of the riffing has that signature Gothenburg melodic death metal style to it and guitarist Martijn Debonnet provides plenty of harsh vocals in tandem with the clean vocals of frontman Piet Overstijns. The opening title track gets things off to a steady start but from second song This House onwards the band really come out of their shell all guns blazing.
The riffs and melodies are all strong and in your face and the album has an urgency and confidence about it. The guys in the band know these songs are good and aren’t afraid to show it from the power metal leaning Castle High to the strongly melodic and progressive Silent Tears to the punchy The Curse Of Mediocrity which is my favourite from the album. The band clearly had a ball writing and recording this album and that resonates throughout especially on album closer Rise And Try which is an acapella song. Dyscordia very much impressed me with Delete/Rewrite. It’s a bold and confident release which will appeal to both those who like their metal on the melodic or the heavier side. 8/10
Prospective: All We Have (Long Branch Records) [Matt Bladen]
Djent is a dirty word these days most of the bands who play this style prefer to be called progressive metal, or progressive metalcore. Prospective are an Italian progressive metalcore band, so expect tonnes of crunching palm muted riffs, technical dexterity and songs that blend aggression with emotion due to the dual vocal style that pairs soaring cleans with raw harsh shouts. All We Have is an album that has been born from countless sleepless nights but when it brings anthemic numbers like Disobey which also has a thumping breakdown at the end of it. These Italians are very well versed in their craft and much like many of the genre leaders such as Monuments and Northlane they have moved away from the more heavier technicality of their previous records pursuing a more emotionally-driven sound that focuses on more deeply personal themes as they bring electronic touches to Dust And Memories which is a moving number underpinned with thick distorted riffs. All We Have is another album that shows the evolution of the genre previously called djent, if you like impassioned progressive metalcore then this Italian five piece have made an album you will want to snap up. 7/10
Prowess: Blacktop Therapy (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
AC/DC riffs? Sneering vocals? Band name with an umlaut? There aren't many rock n roll cliches Carolina's Prowess don't adhere too. Blacktop Therapy is the band's first full length record following on from two EP's and ti's Planet Rock fodder at it's most blatant, they are a band that sound abit like many other bands you've heard, their songs are based in the blues and the lyrics are all about partying, rock n roll and birds. It's not big or clever but it'll keep your attention for a bit especially Tombstone Blue the best track on the record. Radio friendly rock n roll that sticks to a formula. 5/10
Syryn: Beyond The Depths (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]
Beyond The Depths is the debut album from Canadian metallers Syryn which is a concept album centered around the mythological creatures who lured sailors to the deaths which is the namesake of the band. Syryn perform a mix of thrash and power metal though the thrash element to their sound is more in the riffing style being more on the power metal side of things. Unfortunately it just isn’t very good power metal. Whilst a talented bunch of musicians who show promise, that promise isn’t realised in the songwriting department with Beyond The Depths being a rather amateurish release with very few stand out moments. The first half of the album suffers the most as things to pick up later on with some tasty riffing on Paradise For Demise and a great hooky chorus on Dead Men Tell No Tales. It also doesn’t help that the album has an abundance of intros and interludes which really disrupt the flow. The band do show promise and potential with singer Sloan Voxxkills having an impressive voice on her but the songwriting does need a lot of work. 4/10
Prospective: All We Have (Long Branch Records) [Matt Bladen]
Djent is a dirty word these days most of the bands who play this style prefer to be called progressive metal, or progressive metalcore. Prospective are an Italian progressive metalcore band, so expect tonnes of crunching palm muted riffs, technical dexterity and songs that blend aggression with emotion due to the dual vocal style that pairs soaring cleans with raw harsh shouts. All We Have is an album that has been born from countless sleepless nights but when it brings anthemic numbers like Disobey which also has a thumping breakdown at the end of it. These Italians are very well versed in their craft and much like many of the genre leaders such as Monuments and Northlane they have moved away from the more heavier technicality of their previous records pursuing a more emotionally-driven sound that focuses on more deeply personal themes as they bring electronic touches to Dust And Memories which is a moving number underpinned with thick distorted riffs. All We Have is another album that shows the evolution of the genre previously called djent, if you like impassioned progressive metalcore then this Italian five piece have made an album you will want to snap up. 7/10
Prowess: Blacktop Therapy (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
AC/DC riffs? Sneering vocals? Band name with an umlaut? There aren't many rock n roll cliches Carolina's Prowess don't adhere too. Blacktop Therapy is the band's first full length record following on from two EP's and ti's Planet Rock fodder at it's most blatant, they are a band that sound abit like many other bands you've heard, their songs are based in the blues and the lyrics are all about partying, rock n roll and birds. It's not big or clever but it'll keep your attention for a bit especially Tombstone Blue the best track on the record. Radio friendly rock n roll that sticks to a formula. 5/10
Syryn: Beyond The Depths (Self Released) [Rich Oliver]
Beyond The Depths is the debut album from Canadian metallers Syryn which is a concept album centered around the mythological creatures who lured sailors to the deaths which is the namesake of the band. Syryn perform a mix of thrash and power metal though the thrash element to their sound is more in the riffing style being more on the power metal side of things. Unfortunately it just isn’t very good power metal. Whilst a talented bunch of musicians who show promise, that promise isn’t realised in the songwriting department with Beyond The Depths being a rather amateurish release with very few stand out moments. The first half of the album suffers the most as things to pick up later on with some tasty riffing on Paradise For Demise and a great hooky chorus on Dead Men Tell No Tales. It also doesn’t help that the album has an abundance of intros and interludes which really disrupt the flow. The band do show promise and potential with singer Sloan Voxxkills having an impressive voice on her but the songwriting does need a lot of work. 4/10