SH*T THAT COMES OUT TODAY – THE JULY 5TH, 2011 EDITION
Facedown and Mediaskare are all over the new releases this week, and we have new records from Unearth, Intensus, Exhumed and Harm’s Way as well. Let’s check it out.
Call To Preserve – Validation (Facedown)
Fairly standard melodic hardcore that it is, Call To Preserve have the right amount of heaviness added to an accessible and interesting guitar delivery. The tunes are finely crafted, and have an instant spark to them as well. The band is currently on the road, and the group has announced this will be their last tour.
Draconian – A Rose For The Apocalypse (Napalm)
The follow-up to 2008’s Turning Season Within is the gothic doom band’s fifth release overall. To be honest, I always found this band kind of mediocre, and listening to a few sample tracks from the record did nothing to change that notion.
Exhumed – All Guts, No Glory (Relapse)
With a proven track record such as Exhumed’s, you know exactly what you’re in store for with a reunion. Formed in 1990, the gore/death/grind band reunited in 2010 with sole original member Matt Harvey, and this is the first product from the new phase of the band. Spastic ripping tracks of a sadistic lyrical nature are all you will get from Exhumed, and that’s why the band continues to rule. Stream the entire record right here on MS.
Hands – Give Me Rest (Facedown)
Hands fuse different forms of sludge, post-rock and hardcore on Give Me Rest. The result is very awesome. The songs have sections with dynamic songwriting and clever and surprising twists, which makes this record a must-listen. Hands’ last record was 2009’s Creator.
Harm’s Way – Isolation (Closed Casket Activities)
A year after the release of the No Gods, No Masters EP, Harm’s Way deliver eight new cuts of their metallic hardcore. The Chicago band has always delivered some intense hardcore music, and Isolation will be no different.
Heights – Dead Ends (Mediaskare)
The first full-length record from UK hardcore band Heights is an angry record of loud, noisy, aggressive music that must be listened to. The band has already released an EP entitled The Land, The Ocean, The Distance, and this record follows up the killer tracks presented there.
Hundredth – Let Go (Mediaskare)
Generic metalcore. This is Hundredth’s second record, following When Will We Surrender. There’s really not much to say here, as the band extremely rarely (if at all) breaks from their genre’s confines; the lack of any real thought makes the record suffer.
Intensus – Intensus (Metal Blade)
The one-man project from Knife the Glitter/Burden/Normal Love drummer Eli Litwin has been discussed on the site already, and this is one release where I completely agree with the consensus around here. The tracks push the boundaries of extreme metal and feature tons of cameos from BTBAM’s Tommy Rogers, Chris Alfano (East Of The Wall, Postman Syndrome), Robert Meadows (A Life Once Lost) and more. Take a listen to the track “Outlast Robinsum,” which we’ve been streaming since June 14th, and see for yourself.
Knuckle Up! – Motivation From Misery (Mediaskare)
New Jersey hardcore band Knuckle Up! Drop their debut today. They play a mosh-worthy style of aggressive hardcore that, while not the most original thing to come out this year, still kicks ass in its own right. The record features a few guest appearances, including Terror’s Scott Vogel on the title track.
Murder Death Kill – Investigate Infiltrate Annihilate (Mediaskare)
I had never heard of this band before this week, but the Demolition Man reference is a good start for me. Unfortunately, MDK are a pretty bland hardcore band, playing mid-tempo chunky riffs with no stylistic elements to enthrall the listener.
My Epic – Broken Voice (Facedown)
An acoustic EP from the melodic post-rockers My Epic. The songs were written at the same time as the tunes from 2010’s Yet. The aforementioned album was much better than I expected it to be, so I’ll give this a listen.
Stream Of Passion – Darker Days (Napalm)
Another gothic metal release, this one on the more symphonic side. Stream Of Passion are pretty interesting, and make use of some interweaving orchestration between their female vocalist and instruments such as violin and keyboards. The result is haunting and dark, and pretty well done overall. This is the band’s third album, following 2009’s The Flame Within.
Unearth – Darkness In The Light (Metal Blade)
The fifth release from metalcore kings Unearth sees the band parting ways with drummer Derek Kerswill and collaborating with Justin Foley of Killswitch Engage, who helped out the band in the studio. The follow-up to 2008’s The March was produced once again by Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. Stream the track “Ruination of the Lost” right here at MS.
Whitehorse – Progression (At A Loss)
Brutal doom from Australia. With most of the tracks clocking in at more than six minutes, the band continues to deliver its experimental yet rocking form of sludgy doom. This is a re-release, as this record already came out (under indie Sweat Lung Records). The band has been in existence for more than seven years down in Australia, and this is their first for At A Loss.
-VV
All of these releases are available at Amazon
