Reviews

For fans of: As Cities Burn, Tiny Moving Parts, Mansions

Longtime metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada is back with an incredible album that should be the surprise of the year. Let’s be honest, metalcore has become somewhat predictable with only a few bands making quality music. Even still, it’s become stagnant as there has been very little growth in the genre over the past decade. This is where The Act comes into play. The group’s 7th album travels into unknown territory and gives us a glimpse of what metalcore can be. The Act is a multi-dimmensional album spitting of fury, emotion, and angst.… Continued →

Two thousand and nineteen has proven to be quite the year. One day, a bunch of rowdy hooligans on Facebook are planning how best to invade Area 51, and the next, there’s a War of Ages occurring on planet Djent. Void places an emphasis on groove, which is kicked into full gear by track three, “Blood of the Earth.” That being said, the more conservative fans need not fret; War of Ages are still our metalcore heroes from Mars. “Sulphur and Salt” – a Star Wars metal opera – capitalizes on what is perhaps the band’s greatest virtue: epic choruses.… Continued →

I usually like to have some Kenny or Dolly playing on the turntable in the background as I start writing a review. It gives me the inspiration I need. NOT, but now that I have your attention I must point out that the opening track to this album comes blazing off the starting line at full speed. It’s a skull crushing track and the epic start of an album that brings back that late 80s hardcore punk vibe, and although I didn’t experience that era live, the videos and stories people tell bring it to life.… Continued →

The Belgian lo-fi Christian scene himself, Bram Cools, is back with a fourth album. More quirky weirdness accompanied by lyrics that tackle a wide range of social topics. I don’t know how familiar IVM readers are with this Belgian artist, but Bram makes eccentric lo-fi indie pop/rock with socially-conscious lyrics from a European viewpoint. He has over a dozen albums under his belt and Civilised is his latest full length. It stays within the lo-fi umbrella, yet true to that genre, touches on a variety of styles including indie rock, electronica, spoken word, trip-hop, etc.… Continued →

  The fan base of crust punk may be slim, but the music is significant. Returning to the studio is Sweden’s Svarteskerm. Sung entirely in Swedish, the four song EP, Illojala Till Slutet, delivers a blistering fast and aggressive look at the political and social turmoil found in their native country. But each of the song topics transcend borders. These are concerns that hit home for all of us. “Diognetus” reminds us that it’s too easy to have national pride take away our sensibilities by failing to recognize that all the countries of this earth are our home.… Continued →

SPOILER ALERT: This is a fantastic release! 3 different bands playing 3 different styles (sub-sub-subgenres) of black metal. Each band contributes 2 songs, and while it would be logical to assume that 6 songs equals an EP, this album clocks in at 37 minutes, so I’m gonna call that a full-length. First up are TIMŌRĀTUS (from Louisville, KY), who continue to surprise and amaze me! Every album they do is in a different style, and amazingly they somehow manage to do them all well. Previous efforts I’ve heard have been in post-metal or drone metal territory and others have touched on experimental metallic sounds.… Continued →

Josh Garrels has been making a name for himself for quite some time now, even as far back as 2011’s Love & War & the Sea in Between. Despite your opinion on his music, it’s certainly evident he consistently aims big and doesn’t take shortcuts. His catalog consists largely of long-form albums with layers and layers of instrumentation, harmony, and production nuance. Nonetheless, it’s also not unreasonable to find his music perhaps a bit too sleepy. When an album is over an hour long, it can get tiresome – and the risk only increases when it’s acoustic instrumentation paired off with falsetto.… Continued →

I got my first taste of Skillet in the early 2000’s just after I came to know the Lord. I was drawn to their raw, gritty, heavy sound because, musically, I heard some similarities to Marilyn Manson, a band I’d been a tremendous fan of in my B.C. days. As the years went by, as is to be expected, the band’s sound changed a bit, mellowing here and there, adding string sections, adding electronic sounds (or at least making them a bit more prominent), having a much more produced sound, songs that are more radio friendly…the list goes on.… Continued →

Coming off of their undeniably best album to date, Wolves at the Gate is back with their fourth release. Eclipse begins with “The Cure,” which was the first single released for the album. Already, lyrics are beaming from the album. “I can taste the misery, spitting out the remedy. All I’ve been through, all that I’ve seen, these eyes, this heart still can’t dispel the lies.” The opening song serves as what to expect for the rest of the album in respect to the lyrical tone.… Continued →

Although this was released around Easter of 2019, I only recently stumbled across this gem while perusing the Zap Records page on bandcamp. As it turns out, its history is even deeper than, having been recorded and self-released in 2010. Hailing from Pittsburgh, the band has roots in the punk scene in that area, but UHWU is a completely different animal. The union was formed to create “authentic church music . . . devoid of hype.” So I guess you could call this a worship band, but it’s not what you think.… Continued →

A-Duff is no Calvin Harris; and coming from me, that’s quite a compliment. Well, at least my perception of Calvin Harris – I’ve never really given him a fair listen. In any case, there’s enough cheese-ball EDM in the world to go around. Some of A-Duff’s material could be on the radio (e.g. “God is Real”), but he clearly values creativity. Opening track “Don’t Stop Believing” kicks things off with an optimistic mood and some groovy brass, while “Block Rocking Flammable” reminds me of playing SSX 3 on PS2.… Continued →

Salt Creek's sophomore EP leans heavily on alt-rock for a catchy blend of radio-friendly songs.

Atmospheric, floating, literary and lush. Leem of Earth has completed their trilogy with the June 7th release of Chapter 3,  the third EP in their belletristic series: Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. In all three efforts, the band from Pensacola, Florida, creates a fragile wall of sound that hearkens between the fuzz and soundscapes of 90s 4AD shoegaze bands and the ethereal charm of Mazzy Star, The Sundays, Cocteau Twins and The Innocence Mission.

Right off the bat, it’s loud and energetic.  This is melodic, yet noisy indie rock, reminiscent of the classic 90s Britpop with hints of 70s glam (think the rock riffs of Suede meet the swagger of The Divine Comedy).  But don’t be fooled, this isn’t simply nostalgic stuff, stuck in the past.  There is a real energy and drive to this music that captures one’s attention right off the bat. For those who don’t know, MrENC is Eric Collins’ nom-de-rock (formerly of Denison Marrs).  Lyrics deal with the need for love and compassion—both the giving and the receiving—through the chaos and noise of life. … Continued →

Chris Bernstorf is the poetic equivalent to a bowl of jelly beans. Well, unless you study those jelly bean guides, but that’s beside the point. Opening track “Swing” lives up to its name, offering a dizzying array of topics from water parks, to The Mentalist, to online classes, all pointing to the theme of overcoming personal vices. That probably sounds random – which it is – but that’s precisely what works for It’s All Joy: the negative “without rhyme or reason” is turned into a positive.… Continued →

My Epic returns with their long-awaited follow up to Ultraviolet, and it's aimed to be one of their most provocative releases to date.

This 5-song EP contains 3 songs of melodic death metal (tracks 2-4) sandwiched in between 2 longer, unusual songs that genre-wise feature a hybrid of nu metal, doom metal and some classical instrumentation. Stylistically, the middle 3 tracks are similar to bands like Pantokrator, World to Ashes and similar melodeath bands (or In Flames and At the Gates from a mainstream perspective), but there is not a huge emphasis on the lead guitar. These are the strongest tracks with the most cohesive sound. The first and last tracks are more original, but ironically also weaker.… Continued →

It'd be remiss to think Fair was simply Aaron Sprinkle's backing band. Subways on the Sun is fronted by Fair alumni and offer listeners an eclectic blend of grungey alt-indie that demonstrates their songwriting prowess.

Starflyer 59 are back. But, what does even mean when they never went away? Christian indie rock’s most prolific band have just released their 15th full-length album (not counting their 9 EPs, 4 live releases, 3 box sets/collections, numerous vinyl singles and LP variants or compilation appearances—I didn’t even mention the side projects: Pony Express, Bon Voyage, Dance House Children, The Brothers Martin, White Lighter, Neon Horse and Lo-Tom) making them probably the second most prolific band in all of indie rock (second only to Guided by Voices, who are at something like 100 releases).… Continued →

Kings Kaleidoscope has shifted gears a bit on ZEAL, incorporating a heavy focus on production and hip-hop elements.

American Arson's Facedown Records debut is a great entry point for new fans.

Death Therapy appeared on the scene for many with their debut album, “The Storm Before the Calm”, in early 2017. An album that just dripped of a mix of industrial and metal, it was met with a positive response from both fans and critics alike. It elicited such a positive response in fact, that even at the time, it was hard to ignore that it set a pretty high bar for whatever might come next. Fast forward to March 2019, just a little over two years later, and we’re about to find out how the new album, “Voices”, one of the more anticipated releases of 2019, stacks up.… Continued →

Grindcore. You either love it or think it’s not music and wonder why it ever existed. There’s not a lot of in-between. It’s possibly the most extreme form of music that exists (it’s either that or some form of harsh noise). Flactorophia hail from Ecuador, have been around for quite a while. In fact, Redemption of the Flesh was originally released in 2006. The band released this one album and a few split releases, before its sole member, Jose Barragan tragically died in a fire at a local gig, along with several other members of other bands.… Continued →

Sometime last year, Brandon was kind enough to introduce me to a band named Relent. At the time, the band only had a 2 song ep available called “Embers”, but it was more than enough to pique my interest. What we have in these guys is a what I’m going to call a new nu metal sound. Normally, when I’m putting together a review, I like to make comparisons to other bands to help give an idea of what to expect sound-wise, but here that’s a little difficult.… Continued →

So, it’s been a couple weeks since Zac reviewed Demon Hunter’s “War” album. If you haven’t yet given it a read, you can find it HERE. Go check it out, I’ll wait. Caught up? Good. Now that we’re all on the same page, it’s my turn. Let’s talk about the other album the band released on the same date (yes, a double release), “Peace”. When it came down to reviewing one of the new Demon Hunter albums, I’m not gonna lie, I was a little disappointed to find I’d be reviewing “Peace” rather than “War”.… Continued →

  When a band includes members carrying the names, Agent 57, Colonel K, Donnie Murdo, Isambard Sinclair, and Penfold, you know their music is destined to be far from ordinary. Their Throats are Open Tombs have returned with a follow-up to their 2016 self-titled debut. Defining OF PSALMS & SNAKES is an impossibility. It’s grindcore, it’s electro, it’s punk, it’s noise, and it’s undeniably fast and chaotic. And it’s brilliant. The album gives the struggles and the triumphs encountered while living a life of faith. The delicate piano on “Nachsinnen”, the opening song of OF PSALMS & SNAKES, gives no indication of what’s to come.… Continued →

If you’re reading this review, chances are you’re aware of Nate Allen. Released a ton of folk-punk albums with wife Tessa as Destroy Nate Allen. DNA was energetic, fun, and although there was always a message, it was generally focused outward (“Jesus, Keep us Safe from the Cops” and “Boobie Bar” come to mind). Good Saint Nathaniel is Nate’s latest project, a solo outing, in which he turns inward to personal reflection and resolution. And the results are surprisingly good. Stylistically this is indie folk. Closest comparisons I can make are Damien Jurado’s darker stuff (there are no pop songs here), or even some of Mark Kozelek’s stuff (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon), but with more uplifting content.… Continued →

Be Clean Again feels like a Sunday. The weather is somber, you’re feeling introspective, and everything just seems rather slow. Very little of Heath McNease’s latest effort (save for “Believe”) could be deemed upbeat from a musical or lyrical standpoint. This album is 54 minutes of slow hip-hop meets folk, never lacking in sincerity or seriousness. While McNease is most proficient at handling this task – being the guitar playing and singing, yet thought provoking rapper, that he is – Be Clean Again made my eyes (and heart) feel a shade heavy.… Continued →

Check out one of Chroma Artist Collective's first releases of the year!