Lost in Separation, Lost in Separation
SBG Records, 2026

If you’re into pop-leaning post-hardcore and metalcore with djent edges, Lost in Separation is a solid time. The Dallas five-piece know what they’re doing: clean intros opening into walls of djent riffing, melodic choruses, breakdowns placed exactly where you’d expect them, and a production polish that keeps the dynamics popping. Not everything sits 100%, but the album has real moments, and the pop-meets-heavy formula ... read more

deary - Birding
Bella Union, 2026

There’s a moment about thirty seconds into “Smile”, when Dottie Cockram’s voice is already drifting somewhere above the mix and Ben Easton’s guitars are folding in on themselves, where Birding stops asking for your attention and just takes it. You don’t choose to be inside this record. You look up and you’re already there. Pure Lush-style immersion, a universe opening up on the first track. That’s the trick deary ... read more

Cold 2 The Touch sees Angel Du$t embracing a new level of heaviness while still moving fluidly between punk, pop, and hardcore. The band sound more pissed off than they have in years, bringing back a sharper edge and real bite without abandoning the melodic instincts that defined their recent work. It feels like a deliberate recalibration, tougher, leaner, and more direct.

Comparisons to Turnstile are often thrown around, but they miss the point. Both bands have been reinterpreting hardcore in ... read more

Asap Rocky’s greatest strength has always been controlled chaos, and Don’t Be Dumb understands that. The album is at its best when he leans fully into unpredictability, warped flows, unconventional production choices, and moments that feel slightly off balance in the most intentional way. In those flashes, his artistic instincts feel razor sharp, reminding everyone that he is not just influential, but genuinely visionary when he wants to be.

The most unconventional tracks carry a ... read more

With Arson, Story of the Year take a heavier direction than some might have expected, yet it still does not fully recapture the individuality they seemed to lose after their mid 2000s run. The riffs hit harder and the production feels modern, but the songs rarely develop a distinct identity of their own. It is a solid and competently written record, but nothing here feels dangerous or truly memorable. In the end, it is simply okay and never more than that.

Ice Water is a hard-hitting beatdown hardcore EP that sounds raw, mosh-heavy, and straight to the point. The riffs are thick and punishing, the breakdowns hit with real weight, and the overall energy is built for movement without feeling mindless. There is enough tension and anger in the delivery to give the record genuine bite, making it feel confrontational rather than just loud. It is aggressive, direct, and a good one for anyone looking for heavy hardcore with both fun and fury.

Dreamcrush sees Mol melding blackgaze, alternative, and metal in a way that often recalls Deafheaven, especially the exploratory spirit of Infinite Granite. Unlike a straight homage, Mol stay truer to their own rough edges — their approach softens the black metal shrieks just enough to broaden the sound without tipping fully into pop territory. Some moments verge on disorientation, where it’s hard to tell exactly what direction the music is headed, but the band repeatedly catches ... read more

Xavier is a hypnotic and quietly ambitious debut that floats between dreamy bedroom pop, cloud rap textures, and experimental, driving electronics. Melancholic undertones run especially deep within the soundscapes, giving the record an emotional weight beneath its hazy surface. Everything feels slightly dizzy and off balance in a deliberate way, as if the songs are drifting through fog while still carrying undeniable hooks. It may not be fully formed yet, but its atmosphere and instinct for ... read more

Second Attempt by Flyingfish is a solid debut EP that sits comfortably between alternative and shoegaze, showing real creative spark. The band brings interesting ideas to the table and builds nice atmospheres, but at times the execution feels a bit unfocused and sprawling. There are definite high points and promise here, even if the overall impact doesn’t fully land yet.

Recovery Language is one of the strongest UK melodic hardcore debuts in years. Featuring ex-members of Dead Swans, Throats, Brutality Will Prevail, Last Witness and Bring Me The Horizon, the band channel serious pedigree into a record that blends melodic hardcore urgency with a metallic edge. The riffs hit hard, the melodies cut through with purpose, and the aggression never feels forced. Heavy, cathartic, and confident from start to finish.

Ruin The Best Of Me is a tight two-song burst of melodic screamo, post hardcore, and metalcore energy. Holder blend chaotic tension with sharp melodic moments, shifting between urgent riffs and almost spoken passages that heighten the emotional weight. The sound feels raw and unfiltered, balancing dissonance and catchiness without overpolishing the edges. Short, intense, and straight to the point.

A raw blend of emo and metalcore, Sherane leans clearly into early-2000s sensibilities with promise and punch. The tracks mix melodic hooks with heavy, breakdown-laden moments that keep the energy shifting and engaging. It’s intense but varied, showing a band comfortable with tension and release.

A Dance; A Tragedy pairs two bands with a shared rough, emotionally driven foundation, though the results feel more solid than standout. Ends in Tragedy lean slightly more technical, offering tighter riffing and clearer melodic structures, while still holding onto a raw edge. Dance push further into dissonant and chaotic territory, bringing tension and abrasion to the forefront.

Both bands use clean vocals to create contrast, but not every moment lands with lasting impact. The split is ... read more

Heat Death of the Universe captures a strong 90s emotional core that feels raw and urgent. Rooted in shoegaze atmosphere, the album leans heavily into screamo and Midwest emo intensity, with sudden bursts of cathartic release cutting through layers of distortion.

Subtle keyboard textures and light indietronica elements add a fragile bedroom pop intimacy beneath the noise. The production feels warm and lived in rather than polished, which strengthens the emotional impact. When the band moves ... read more

Secret Love feels deeply personal, even when it turns its gaze toward society. Every observation is filtered through Florence Shaw’s perspective, and that subjectivity gives the record its quiet strength. This is not an album that explains the world from afar, it lives inside it and lets you sit with the discomfort.

What initially sounds ironic or detached slowly reveals itself as fragile and disarmingly honest. The spoken-word delivery feels less cold than guarded, constantly shifting ... read more

Pirouette feels vibrating, dark, and constantly in motion. It is an album that never truly settles, always pushing forward, always restless. Even in its most minimalistic moments, it carries an intense physicality. The sound is lean and stripped down, but never empty. Every beat, every guitar stab, every vocal phrase feels deliberate, like part of a tightly controlled nervous system.

The overall atmosphere is dark, but it is not suffocating. Model/Actriz know how to loosen things up just in ... read more

With Feels Like Heaven, Within Dreams tap into the emotional core of late-2000s melodic hardcore and emo, recalling bands like Break Even while weaving in modern touches reminiscent of Basement and Fiddlehead. The foundation is strong, but the record does not always hit with the same urgency or memorability as its influences.

The album leans into atmosphere and restraint, building a quiet intensity through layered guitars, warm distortion, and slow-burning melodies. At times this subtle ... read more

Pain to Power thrives on chaos, contrast, and controlled disorder. Maruja throw post-punk, hardcore, alternative, and art rock into a volatile mix, and it’s precisely this collision that makes the album feel so alive and distinctive. The songs shift between ferocity and restraint, abrasive intensity and surprisingly gentle moments, creating a sound that feels restless but intentional.

At times, the record brings to mind Bright Green Field-era Squid, especially in its nervous energy and ... read more

Even in Arcadia feels like a bold and deliberate step into something truly operatic. Sleep Token expand their existing universe with confidence, folding grand, theatrical arrangements and deeply emotional songwriting into a cohesive and ambitious whole. Framed this way, the album succeeds spectacularly. It feels epic, immersive, and carefully constructed, as if the band are finally realizing the full scope of what this project was always meant to become.

It’s easy to see why the record ... read more

The Sword & The Soaring is, for me, the best alternative hip hop album of the year. Navy Blue operates on a lyrical level that feels deeply assured and intentional, balancing introspection, spirituality, and lived experience with remarkable clarity. The opener The Bloodletter immediately sets the tone, its dense and reflective writing carried by a beautiful piano motif that evokes clear Medhane vibes without ever feeling derivative.

Throughout the album, Navy Blue reflects on grief and ... read more