Week 2: Doubling Down

Alright it's week 2 and we've got some insane new material. Sometimes I simply can't decide what my favorite release from a week is and that's the case here. Between the new Knocked Loose album and some more new material from Car Bomb, I decided to go ahead and share both.

First we have Laughing Tracks, the debut LP from hardcore heavyweights, Knocked Loose. This band is really starting to blow up the scene with their genre bending sound. While I've listened to plenty hardcore bands, there really is something special going on with this group. I heard it on the first EP they put out as a split as well as their EP Pop Culture, and with Laugh Tracks they have really found their stride. This LP is 11 tracks of down-tuned brutality complimented wonderfully by Bryan Garris' intense and emotional lyrics. This band is willing to experiment and step outside of the typical hardcore boundaries and I can't get enough of their material.

Next up on the chopping block is Car Bomb. This veteran mathcore band have now released two singles from their upcoming album Meta. The first was From the Dust of this Planet which made me realize how much I've missed this band since their 2012 LP. However, the most recent track, Sets, is what I'd like to focus on. This track is ridiculous and seems to have shifting time signatures throughout. The grooves feel very obscure, even for math rock, but it works so well along with their dissonance to generate a truly unique sound. This track also features Frank Mullen of Suffocation which displays the caliber of musicians Car Bomb are respected with. Definitely interesting seeing him lend his vocals to this style of metal. As for the instrumentals, it can't even be explained. They are sporadic, heavy, technical, and strangely melodic. Definitely keep an eye out for this album, due out October 28th.