Band: Antropoceno | Album: No Ritmo da Terra | Genre: Post-rock | Bandcamp
The newest release from this experimental Brazilian act is a harsh and uncompromising record. Taking cues from glitch, avant-garde metal, and native folk, and with lyrics in Portuguese, Tupi, and Yoruba, No Ritmo da Terra is a truly autochthonous Brazilian album. The sound is often maximal, bursting with shining synths, biting guitars and rattling percussion.
Score: 77/100
Band: Beware of Gods | Album: Upon Whom the Last Light Descends III: Behead the Oracle | Genre: Sludge metal, Post-metal | Bandcamp
Beware of Gods’ latest album is full of groovy riffs and punishing walls of biting distortion. This band deftly uses texture and atmosphere to paint pictures, and there are a lot of creative and unorthodox choices in how passages and phrases are composed. The sci-fi story the album tells meshes well with the oppressive soundscapes, and this is an instance of things like sound effects and spoken dialogue adding to the effect of the record.
Score: 75/100
Band: Haken | Album: in a fever dream | Genre: Progressive metal | Bandcamp
This is the most I’ve enjoyed a Haken release since The Mountain. On Haken’s last few LPs, the band had leaned into a form of melodic djent, which, while dazzlingly technical, lacked anything all that memorable, at least to my ear. This new EP sees them take a step back from that and dip their toes back into more Dream Theater-style prog metal. This isn’t just the blatant DT worship of their first two records, though. The band has matured their sound and put their own unique stamp on things. They also include some great moody alt-rock and electronic flourishes, a la Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson.
Score: 85/100
Band: Kolm | Album: Yūgen | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
I like Kolm’s 2018 debut, Umbra, but it is also some of the most blatant and unashamed Tool worship I’ve ever heard. Eight years later, this L.A.-based trio is back with their sophomore album, Yūgen. Yūgen is still obviously deeply indebted to Tool, but the band has diversified their sound a bit. Cynic jumps out as an obvious influence, and they’ve also developed their songwriting and arrangements to be more uniquely their own. My main complaint here is that this is a very long record. A number of riffs and ideas feel drawn out, and the band definitely could have tightened things up. Beyond that, there are a lot of great textures, and the bandmembers are clearly skilled musicians. There are some nice electronic interludes, too. Ignoring the bloat, there’s a lot of good music here.
Score: 71/100
Band: Otobo | Album: Inside Machines | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
Otobo is a trio from Albany, NY, that plays a crunchy, aggressive band of progressive rock heavily influenced by alt-rock. The songs are all manageable lengths with minimal bloat, but they still contain exciting, dynamic composition. Noise rock, post-punk, and math rock get their turns in the spotlight, too. Otobo does a great job at keeping textures varied, and there’s a skilled balance of complex artiness and enjoyable hooks. The album does lose a bit of steam near the end, but it’s still solid overall.
Score: 74/100
Band: Panopticon | Album: Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet | Genre: Post-metal | Bandcamp
Billed as a conclusion to a trilogy of records (the others being …And Again into the Light and Rime of Memory), Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet, is another powerful and affecting release in Pantopicon’s discography. The soundscapes swell and bristle, exploding with scouring-yet-abstract black metal riffs. Bluegrass and other forms of American folk music are prominent. Panopticon has a definite sound, so there’s only so much that can be said here that wouldn’t just be describing other records. But this features many of the band’s strongest elements.
Score: 82/100
