By Jack Rafferty
Poison Ruin, Harvest (2023).
Harvest is the first time I had the pleasure of listening to Poison Ruin. The unique choice to focus on medieval themes is an interesting way to explore the injustices spanning history. This punk group has a gritty sound that is still fun. It has old school tinges but still feels fresh and full of ideas. Really excellent stuff.
Fit For An Autopsy/Thy Art Is Murder/Malevolence, The Aggression Sessions (2023).
I feel like Fit For An Autopsy hasn’t sounded as heavy as they do on this collaboration EP since 2017. I’ve never been a huge fan of Malevolence, mainly due to the repetitive vocals, but they sound great here as well. The tracks from Thy Art Is Murder (including a cover of “Hammer Smashed Face”) are the most underwhelming parts of the EP. Not terrible, just didn’t grab me the way Thy Art Is Murder usually does.
Jesus Piece, …So Unknown (2023).
Jesus Piece has really been a highlight of the hardcore/metalcore scene in recent years. Their particular formula of relentless aggression and crushing heaviness hits the right spot for me. It seems like they hone what makes them great with each release into a more distilled and practiced version of what it was previously. Makes me want to break shit. Love it.
Fuming Mouth, Last Day of Sun (2023).
I’ve always loved Fuming Mouth’s tone. It is fuzzed as hell, but also clean and hefty. They’ve always had a really seamless blend of death metal, hardcore, punk, and more. Fuming Mouth never fails to get me wearing that snarling-nose, frowning-mouth, endearing look of satisfaction that any metalhead recognizes as a sign of a good riff.
Geese, 3D Country (2023).
It feels so great when you discover new music that is just like…what the fuck is this, this is amazing and new, and I’ve never heard anything like this before! Geese certainly struck me that way. There are many familiar elements in their sound, but the way they utilize them, their songwriting structure, is astounding in how fresh it is. It is bands like these that consistently keep me excited by music, and I love them for that.
Xoth, Exogalactic (2023).
If Carnosus didn’t exist, this would have absolutely been the tech death album of 2023. While it doesn’t quite achieve what Visions of Infinihility does, Exogalactic is absolutely the real deal. It checks all the boxes of what you want from this genre: blistering speed, blast beats, insane vocals, chunky bass coming through loud and clear, but does it to a degree of quality that makes it stand out among most others. Wickedly fun.
Sermon, Of Golden Verse (2023).
I’ve sort of distanced myself a bit from prog metal in recent years, but Sermon’s Of Golden Verse really scratched that dormant itch. This album is intricately crafted, and I imagine was made with painstaking attention to detail. While I do think it has a bit of a slow start, the middle and later sections of the album really shine. There is some fantastic songwriting on display here, and the latter tracks especially contain some excellent atmosphere.
Bogside Sniper Squadron, Demo (2023).
I never thought I needed IRA-themed blackened death metal in my life, until I found this band. Razor-sharp riffs steeped in Irish trad sound create an overall unique sound, and they pull it off in a way that does not come off as a gimmick. I especially love the demo cover. The style, formatting, and the inclusion of a Bobby Sands’s quote is just perfect. This is something genuinely exciting and new, and I am pained by how short of an offering it is. I will be keeping my eye on them for hopeful future releases.
Youth Lagoon, Heaven Is a Junkyard (2023).
After a deep struggle with health problems that left Trevor Powers unable to speak or sing, Heaven Is a Junkyard shows an immensely vulnerable picture of him coming to terms with suffering, powerlessness, depression, and acceptance. Trevor was still recovering from something he wasn’t sure he would recover from while recording this album, and the fragility is present in every note.
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