ANAL TRUMP?!?!

Just in time for election day we have been graced by the gods with an extreme grindcore project similar to the likes of 'Anal Cunt'. From the minds of Rob Crow and Travis Ryan, this album is 30 tracks of old school dirtied up grindcore. The whole project is coming as a joke from these two artists but is quite the fun listen for fans of this dying breed of metal. Songs are anywhere from 1-13 seconds so don't expect a game changing album here. In fact the whole album is in and out in just three minutes. Just a fun find for you to check out this week and distract yourself from the actual election with.

Check it out below and find the full album for free on bandcamp here.

Spooky Metal

Happy Halloween headbangers! In traditional Halloween fashion, Code Orange decided to release one of the spookiest singles of the year. This shit makes me wanna crowd-kill while walking down the street. So excited to know that we have another album from this group right around the corner. The single bears the same name as the album, Forever, and shows us some of the heaviest material I've ever heard from Code Orange. Very reminiscent of I Am King LP, but at the same time, I sense evolution here. This track satisfies that power-violence-hardcore itch with a flurry of instrumentals and brooding violent vocals. Honestly even thought to myself, "shit is this Code Orange or Nails?" at one point. I'm excited to hear if the album fully fleshes out this new Code Orange, and can maintain the brutal sonic-sphere that has been laid down by this single.

Enjoy!!

PUT ME IN A COMA

Coma Cluster Void. Holy shit. This might be the most badass debut LP I've ever come across. Mike DiSalvo is back with some insane musicians alongside him. This band takes everything we knew about math metal, and cranks it up to 11. Imagine blending the dissonance of Gorguts with the sporadic riffs of Ion Dissonance, and then adding even more batshit crazy rhythms and tunings. The only other band that comes close to this level of sonic brutality is Frontierer, and I feel that Coma Cluster Void even passes them by without comparison. 

I've listened to this LP front to back about 5 times now and I'm still having a hell of a time trying to find the time in some of these songs. The technicality and musicianship on display here is overwhelming and insanely obscure.  This is truly one of the most unique and experimental metal albums I have ever come across, and it will most definitely be one of my favorite releases this year.

You can check out the full album stream below. The full album is available on the band's bandcamp page!

Week 4: Malignant Metal

Woooooo!!! Malignancy is back! While I was a fan of their latest LP (Eugenics), the veteran tech-death outfit is returning with a short and sweet EP that seems to be right up my alley. Titled: Malignant Future, this EP focuses on our dive into a desensitized and impotent future, fueled by technology and our quickly fading social competence. The instrumentals are as unrelenting as ever and even for only being a three song EP, it feels extremely coherent. Riffs are sporadic and technical while the drums have a perfect punch in the mix. This EP is in and out before you know it but it leaves you beaten and bruised. The lyrics are definitely the highlight here as I love this view of our society and there has clearly been some thought poured into this EP. Check it out for some classic tech-death!!

Week 3: Low Teens

Yet another crazy week for metal, especially the hardcore scene, with new albums from Every Time I Die, Expire, and Stick To Your Guns. While these are all great releases, Low Teens is a standout album from the ever eccentric Every Time I Die. This album is essentially the dark personal diary of frontman Keith Buckley during some of the hardest times of his life. He speaks about almost losing his wife and newborn during childbirth, as well as personal drug troubles and much more. These lyrical themes along with his deliveries and performances make this the band's most emotional and heart wrenching release yet. And let's not forget the rest of the band, Andy and Jake have some of the most brutal tones and guitar work we've ever heard from the group. The riffs are damn strong with this album. Stephen adds plenty to the mix with his great bass work, and the addition of Daniel Davison on drums elevates the sound to new heights. His grooves and the way he moves around the kit really shines through and helps push a lot of these tracks to the next level.

The band and the mix on this LP sound absolutely phenomenal. The mix punches you in the face while Keith proceeds to melt it off with his vocals. It's one of the best mixed ETID and hardcore albums (in general) that I've heard in a long time. Certain tracks definitely are reminiscent of some of the hits off From Parts Unknown, but this is in no way a negative. If anything, this shows that the band is pushing the boundaries of their sound while sticking with what suits them best. Some of the standouts from Low Teens include Petals, Glitches, and Map Change. While these are some of the best tracks, in my opinion, please listen to this album all the way through. It is truly a special release from a special band and should not be ignored.

Check out two of the videos from this release below!

Cheers!

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.

Week 1: Welcome Aboard!

Welcome to week 1 of my new blog: The Metal Detector! I will be posting my favorite song or new material from the week that I think people should give some attention to. This does focus on metal, but my music taste is quite varied so don't be surprised to find something not quite the norm!

As for the first week I'm actually starting with an album from earlier this year. "Set Course For Andromeda" by Sithu Aye. Sithu is an independent guitarist and he's primarily focused on solo work such as this album and his previous LP from 2012. Long story short, this album is a masterpiece. The first half plays more like a standard album with varied ideas and not necessarily many connections between the songs. However, when you switch into the second half with The Andromeda Pt 1-6, you truly find something magical. An insanely progressive and beautifully melodic journey where I still find new intricate details every time I give it another listen.

This is my first choice for a weekly post because I feel this album truly has something that can appeal to everyone. Sithu progresses through soaring ambient melodic sections and then transitions perfectly into heavy djent based verses, all with ease. Also being instrumental, listeners are able to truly appreciate the fidelity of this mix and musicality. Plenty of other talented musicians lend their hands on multiple tracks, but this is Sithu's masterpiece. Definitely one to give your full attention to.