Bullet - Kickstarter
30

The competent but painfully generic instrumentation coupled with the cartoonishly horrible vocals make this feel like a parody, and not even a fun or funny one. I feel like I 'd hear this in a movie that really wanted an AC/DC song but couldn't even afford one by Accept, so they settled for this. No one should settle for this.

Bite Down - Violent Playground
70

A fun, short record. There's not a lot that I can really say about it, but good nonetheless.

Beyond The Black - Break The Silence
65

All the parts are there to make an album that I would love, blending some of my favorite genres and even having a feature from a band that I love. Unfortunately, they take those elements and distill it down to a mostly generic, fine but forgettable release.

Alter Bridge - Alter Bridge
70

Heavier and darker than I expected. I've not gone too deep into these guys, thinking they were another dated buttrock-for-divorced-dads band. While there definitely is that element present there are also hints of something more; moments that even hint towards some power prog, but never fully leave that hard alt/post-grunge that you would expect from the metal offshoot of Creed. I'm not sure if I wish the runtime was tightened up or the weirder interesting parts were expanded, but ... read more

Sleep Token - Even in Arcadia
65

The occasional instances of interesting modern metal are broken up by long periods of meandering builds that lead to unsatisfying resolutions. The composition is mostly destroyed by their attempts at creating "a vibe" and leaving the songwriting structures bloated and often boring. With the word "progressive" being thrown around so much I wish the album, and band as a whole, would actually progress instead of relying on the same old theatrics and vibes. A band with this much ... read more

Ghost - Skeletá
65

The teeth this band once had have long fallen out. This plays like a contemporary Christian album with an AI changing all instances of Jesus to Satan. While not truly bad it is the far worse outcome of no longer being interesting.

Estuarine - Corporeal Furnace
75

I really love everything that's going on musically but the mix feels rough. Overall the black metal flourishes make it interesting and a welcome addition but if it was mixed and mastered more like a modern tech death album and less like a black metal album I feel like it would be CRUSHING.

Edward Skeletrix - Museum Music
40

I love when artists take chances, but if the experimenting doesn't work it won't matter how many chances you take or how outside the box you were thinking... and most of the music here doesn't work for me.

Cage the Elephant - Neon Pill
45

The band sounded bored. So i guess it only makes since that I was too.
It wasn't BAD, but it also wasn't interesting in the slightest.

Mother Of Graves - Where The Shadows Adorn
85

A shockingly solid debut full-length album that nails what I love about death doom. It hints towards my favorite aspects of bands like Paradise Lost, Katatoia, and Opeth while staying true to their own gruff and melancholic identity.

Auralayer - Thousand Petals
80

A fantastic blend of doom, stoner, prog, and more. I love seeing interesting and varied music being made in a genre that is full of cookie-cutter tropes that are far too easy to fall into. The bass is also present and commanding throughout, which is always a major plus for me.

Quiet Man - The Starving Lesson
55

This album has the potential to instill a feeling of unease, but more often left me feeling impatient and unfulfilled.

0

It feels like a joke. I'm not laughing.

Wizardthrone - Hypercube Necrodimensions
80

Part of me thinks this was supposed to be a meme, and I'm definitely laughing at times, but this is also one of the better releases I've listened to this year. Fans of Nekrogoblikon, Alestorm, and Galaktikon should check this out ASAP.

Vader - Solitude In Madness
80

Another solid record by one of the most consistent bands in the genre.

Unto Others - Mana
95

An amazing blend of cheesy 80’s heavy metal and post-punk/goth rock.

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