2019 Albums Round-Up (Part 1/4)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

In an attempt to actually cover more albums throughout the year, I've given myself the task of reviewing releases on a quarterly basis (whether this was a good or bad idea is yet to be seen, but we'll see how it goes). As I can't listen to everything, this is only a brief look at what has been released in the first few months of the year, so feel free to send me over stuff I've missed in the comments or over on the socials!

So getting into this, I've managed to throw some words down about 12 albums, as well as some (fewer) words about some other albums I've enjoyed during this quarter. Most of these I know I like but haven't had the time to get right into them in detail. This will probably be a common theme within these round-ups. I expect you will see a few of these at the end of the year in what I hope will be a RWEI 2019 Awards post. But I'm getting well ahead of myself there...

Getting back to the main topic, here's some more recent albums:

1) Cane Hill- Kill The Sun 
(18^th January: Rise Records)

The second EP from Pennsylvania's premier nu-metalcore band takes a very different approach from their first in that it is an almost entirely acoustic EP a la Alice In Chains. And the similarities don’t stop just at this conceptual theme.

Sonically, there are some Alice-esque vocal drawls and harmonies, as well as a really great interplay between the often chord driven rhythm guitar and the slightly bluesy lead lines (as seen in ’86 – No Escort’, ‘Empty’, ‘Save Me’). ‘Acid Rain’ is probably the song where all of these elements come together in a way which sounds most like Alice in Chains’. More prominent however, is the influence of contemporary pop and R&B, which gives the EP an interesting flavour.

In the first three songs particularly, there is an abundance of subtle drum electronics which give the songs an urban feel that is crucially not overstated or obnoxious. The inclusion of Latin style guitars (‘Empty’), a piano accompaniment (‘Save Me’) and an absolutely unexpected but completely glorious saxophone line (‘Kill The Sun’) really shows that Cane Hill are spreading their wings further than they have before. And this works pretty well, in my opinion. Elijah Witt’s smooth (and sometimes high register) vocal lines are particularly pleasant to listen to here, and tend to compliment the music well.

Overall, I did enjoy this little release, and I have a large amount of respect for Cane Hill for trying something a little different. Although the individual elements of this EP are not sonically ground-breaking, the prospect of some these styles being incorporated into future material (as hinted towards in the closing song ‘Smoking Man’) does make me even more excited for this band’s future. This is a nice little listen, and at 22 minutes long, it won’t take up much of your time.

Songs to check out: '86- No Escort’,‘Kill The Sun’, ‘Acid Rain’ (if you’re really short of time)

2) FEVER 333- STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS 

(18^th January: Roadrunner Records/Wreckords Crew)

There has been a lot of attention around FEVER 333 due to the high profile dismantling of Jason Butler's previous band Letlive. and the prominent political messages which have accompanied this venture. I was never all that keen on Letlive., or the rap-rock EP that FEVER 333 released last year so I can’t say the bar was all that high for this album. Due to the hype they've received so far though, I did hope they would finally click with me.

Opening with a spoken track, '…' introduces the band as a political force which could unite all people everywhere. Quite an ambitious move there. Sadly it's also a statement that never really makes me feel like it’s justified in the 40 minutes that follow. Quite frankly, this is a clunky, disjointed mess of an album. Even within individual songs, the change in musical styles never flow in a pleasant way at all for me. There are points where I like the decent groovy RATM-esque guitar riffs (‘BURN IT’, ‘PREY FOR ME/3’, ‘THE INNOCENT’), the moments where Butler really pushes his distinctive yelping vocals a la Letlive. (‘PREY FOR ME/3’, ‘INGLEWOOD/3’, ‘THE INNOCENT’). Hell, even the sections where he spits bars at fast speed sound pretty decent, and this is coming from someone who isn't really into that sort of thing (‘OUT OF CONTROL/3’, ‘COUP D’ETALK’).

But any of these decent moments are incredibly fleeting and are only then replaced with something that sounds dire to my ears. Nearly every song here has a chorus which sounds so unbelievably syrupy, I just can’t stand it. Any momentum or message which has been attempted throughout a song ends up just sounding shallow as a result. That’s not to mention the bizarre decision to channel the sounds of early noughties Clubland Ibiza with those overly altered vocals and out-dated electronics. Total turn off when this happens in ‘INGLEWOOD/3’and ‘COUP D’ETALK’. Speaking of the former, ‘INGLEWOOD/3’ is perhaps the best example of what is wrong with this album in 7 difficult minutes (awful mid-tempo rapping and all).

Although there are a few decent moments in this album, that is really all they are. What is most sad is that I feel like STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS is well intended but the execution of it is so messy, it almost makes the whole thing feel a bit cynical. Save yourself some time, listen to ‘INGLEWOOD/3’ then proceed to listen to another album if you don’t like that song. If you do, go for 'BURN IT'… I guess. 

Songs to check out: ‘INGLEWOOD/3’, ‘BURN IT’ 

3) Papa Roach- Who Do You Trust? 
(18^th January: Eleven Seven Label Group)

It’s been a good while since Papa Roach have felt entirely relevant. For myself, the last album I paid attention to was 2015’s F.E.A.R, which mixed together everything the band has done up until that point. With conflicting levels of success. I never really gave the follow up Crooked Teeth much time, but it was definitely more of a return to the rap-rock Papa Roach of old. I suppose this move didn’t have the desired effect though, as they’ve went back to integrating that resurfacing electronic contemporary pop rock sound back into their sound here.

‘The Ending’ and ‘Better Than Life’ sound very much like contemporary US radio rock bands a la Shinedown, but somehow don’t provide all that much in the way of memorable hooks. ‘Renegade Music’ and ‘Who Do You Trust?’ are similar expect for the fact they have decent Rage Against The Machine vibes in the ways that the guitars and drums play off one another. The underwhelming and forgettable vocal melodies tend to erase much of these songs’ power though.

This is something which makes ‘Problems’ and ‘Better Than Life’ incredibly boring, as they contain only these melodies over some minimalistic beats that Shaddix raps over occasionally. ‘Maniac’ brings this recurring sense of boredom together with some really disorientating bleeping sounds that bounce from the left to right speakers. This only points out how bizarrely misguided this album is at times. And it isn’t even the worst example.

Not The Only One’ and ‘Elevate’ attempt to sound contemporary and catchy, but just end up sounding out of touch as the downtrodden lyrics clash intensely with the chirpy melodies and later heavier guitar sounds. The former’s tropical acoustic guitar and dance-y drum tracks reminds me of Pharell Williams’ ‘Happy’, and I hate that song so much… I also hate the sound of modern Fall Out Boy and ‘Elevate’ has this sound in spades with those bloody high-pitched woahs and ‘big’ synthetic brass and bass sounds.

‘Come Around’ takes a more pop punk approach which works a lot more for me, even if it does sound a little too 5 Seconds of Summer in that sugary chorus (I’m a sucker for a cheesy rock ballad, so forgive me for that one). ‘Feel Like Home’ takes this pop punk approach to the instrumentals but combines it with a melody that sounds like Papa Roach when they went a bit glam. This is great for me, but will be less so for others. ‘

I Suffer Well’ on the other hand will be a welcome relief for most heavy music fans as it’s a pretty mental and super thrashy punk tune. Sorry, but where did that one come from? Channelling pre- Infest Papa Roach, this is the most furious and funnest song on the album. But it’s so out of place.

That brings together what’s wrong with this album. Like Fever 333’s offering, it tries to appeal to too wide an audience, using too many disparate styles to do so and failing far more than it ever succeeds. As such, it’s really inconsistent and plays like an aging identity crisis in audio format. A common theme of their career, I suppose...

Songs to check out: ‘Come Around’, ‘Feel Like Home’, ‘I Suffer Well’

4) Weezer- Teal Album 
(24^th January: Atlantic/Crush)

Following their cover of Toto’s ‘Africa’ last year, the twelfth album from Weezer sees the band moving even further into internet meme territory. Dropping out of nowhere a few weeks before their main release of the year (see my review of this further down the page), it’s hard not to see this covers album as a cynical marketing ploy. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t any fun. In the slightest.

With 5 out of the 10 songs being from the 80s and having the pleasure of being absolute pop-rock bangers, Weezer aren't pulling any punches here (‘Africa’, ‘Everybody Wants To Rule’, ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’, ‘Take on Me’, ‘Billie Jean’). The Miami Vice-esque album cover also makes it clear that Weezer are very self-aware of the potential accusation of being 'sell-out' bastards and they fully embrace the tropes.

These 80s tracks are the ones that are most true to their originals, to the point where they sound almost identical until Rivers starts singing. Generally, the only variance here is the occasionally different guitar tones or little added flourishes (the Michael Jackson-isms are particularly amusing. The timing of their cover in such controversial times makes the cover that bit more silly and awkward though. Oops). I'm not sure many other bands would be able to pull off such a blatent copy of a song so well though. Regardless of whether it's due to the strengths of the originals but Weezer's takes on both 'Africa' and 'Take On Me' can't help but make me feel fuzzy inside.

Perhaps more musically interesting however are ‘Happy Together’ and ‘Mr. Blue Sky’, which update the 60s and 70s classics with crisp guitar lines that build to more distorted versions of those huge choruses. These are perhaps the best fits for Weezer's sound, as they are a bit reminiscent of 'Island In The Sun' in all its Beach Boys glory.

Taking a different tact,‘Paranoid’ has a really fun, loose feel while Brian Bell does his best (or should I say worst?) Ozzy Osbourne impression. This one is a lot sillier than the original, but I can't help but enjoy this one a lot as a huge Black Sabbath fan and the fact that they sound like they're having a blast. ‘

No Scrubs’ has gained the most attention due to the change of style and perspective from the original. If it’s bad to feel heart-warmed by Rivers singing those lyrics, then so be it. Such a fun cover. Finally, ‘Stand By Me’ is perhaps the most drastically different cover from the original, with a glorious arena rock style guitar solo towards the end. This one sounds a good bit sweeter and cleaner than the original without taking too many risks in the approach, but again, I had a great time listening to it.

Yeah, this album is almost entirely a marketing play, but I can’t help but by impressed by the balls to even attempt such massive covers and, (*whispers*) sometimes improve on the originals… Sorry, but... I’m not even sorry. And this isn't even as ridiculous as Weezer get in 2019 so far. Oh boy...

Songs to check out: ‘Take on Me’, ‘Happy Together’, ‘No Scrubs’, ‘Paranoid’

5) King 810- Suicide King 
(25^th January: self release)

5 years on from the release of the first album from Flint, Michigan's King 810, it seems like things have taken their toll on the band, as only vocalist David Gunn and bassist Eugene Gill remain out of the previous four. Perhaps as a result of this, Suicide King has far more of a hip-hop sound that relies more on electronic beats, bass and rapping vocals.

'Heartbeats’ and ‘Braveheart’ completely show off the unhinged vocal style of Gunn which fluctuates from cartoony villian mania to gruff spoken word sections, growls and rapping. The songs are a bit strange, but also quite satisfying when the band locks together into those infectious grooves. Perhaps the best of these is ‘A Million Dollars’ though. Gunn’s catchy vocals switch from clean and mournful to harsh and groovy for the chorus which sounds a bit to me like Children of Bodom meets Lamb of God to me. 

The opposite could not be truer for the rap heavy songs though, as Gunn’s oftentimes clumsy and cringy lyrics saps any potential substance about the songs. ‘Bang Guns’ is simple and childish; only seeming to reduce issues of poverty and gang violence to being gun obsessed for the sake of it. I’ll give it to them for having a catchy vocal section in the middle but the lyrics really are gash. Maybe they're intended to be really simple as it is coming from the view of a child, but to me, it just comes across as bad songwriting when the whole album is in a similar vein.

This only continues into the worst song in the entire album, ‘.45’. Gunn takes on the role of Eminem gone gangster during a midlife crisis, with the accompanying lyrical depth of a puddle. We get it, you like guns. We don't really need to know that you like to have sex with a gun attached to your side. That's a bit weird and also. Cringe. Strangely,‘What’s Gotten Into Me’ and ‘God is Watching’ sound more cohesive as the lyrics are markedly better, but the subtle electronic beats with very little else going on only contributes to a sense that this feels more like a David Gunn solo project than anything else. ‘Sing Me To Sleep’ has some intense vocal layering that brings back MySpace era metalcore memories. Weird as hell.

What’s frustrating about this album is that Gunn is capable of better, and this is shown through ‘Black Rifle’ and ‘Wade In The Water’. The former embraces the mournful jazzy piano and orchestral driven Nick Cave sound that was used in parts of King’s last album, before ending with a dramatic gospel choir and guitar solo that just sounds epic. ‘Wade In The Water’ places this gospel choir against a subtler bluesy organ sound and expressive, vulnerable vocals that are suitably poignant for the subject matter of Flint’s ongoing water crisis.

It’s on this note that I feel that Suicide King is an annoying listen, and as such, is the worst King 810 album yet in my opinion. Gunn tends to paint himself as only having a hard-on for guns and violence throughout rather than addressing the themes which surround the need for these things in the first place. The result is an album which isn’t as bluntly heavy, honest or impactful as their first album, and definitely not as mature, intelligent or experimental as their second. Check out Le Petit Mort if you want King 810 at their best instead. 

Songs to check out: 'A Million Dollars', 'Black Rifle', 'Wade in the Water'

6) Bring Me The Horizon- Amo 
(25^th January: RCA Records)

Let’s just get this out of the way. I’ve never liked Bring Me The Horizon. They have been one of the most experimental and influential bands of their type however (as much of modern metalcore goes to show; for good and quite regularly, for bad...). After BMTH’s last few albums, the addition of keyboardist Jordan Fish and the desire to do something different have taken them even further away from rock music and more towards an ever more electronically driven sound. It’s no surprise to me, and it really shouldn’t be to anyone else either that Amo is BMTH’s most contemporary pop sounding album yet.

Flip flopping between a minimalistic electronic sound that seems to be everywhere right now (‘i apologise if you feel something’, ‘ouch’, ‘fresh bruises’, ‘I don’t know what to say’), to more in your face dance music with a distinctive, almost darkwave vibe (‘nihilist blues’), to poppier tunes (‘in the dark’, ‘medicine’, ‘why you gotta kick me when I’m down’, ‘mother tongue’), the album feels incredibly zeitgeist-y. That’s not to say that there are no heavier moments on here though.

'MANTRA’ harks back to ‘Happy Song’ with a chunky guitar sound, harsher vocals and a really big chorus which is destined to be featured in football adverts.‘wonderful life’ is another heavier track, but that guitar riff and brief cameo from Dani Filth alongside that pop-rock sound manages to feel quite jarring to me. ‘sugar honey ice & tea’ ramps this up to the Nth degree however, smushing all of the above elements together in a way which just feels really clumsy and reflects my issues with the whole album.

Amo really doesn’t sit right with me. But I didn’t ever expect it to. BMTH say it best themselves in ‘heavy metal’ where they distance themselves from the whole rock scene in its entirety. Besides the pretty awful lyrics (which exist through much of the album. Oli’s vocals may just be the weakest part of Amo, to be entirely honest), I agree that moving away from rock is the best thing BMTH can do at this point. They’ve gained more success as a band and seem to have a greater understanding of modern electronic pop music than modern metal or rock music. Just take a look at some of the more recent interviews from the band about the state of rock music just now, and you'll see what I mean.

I can’t imagine many people who have strong feelings about BMTH either way will change their mind with this album, as this sonic move has been a long time coming. But by severing the ties with the rock and metal scenes they have came from, it seems easier to just let them get on with what they’re doing. Honestly, fair play to them for continuing to do something different, but it’s clearly not meant for me. And that’s quite alright.

Songs to check out: ‘i apologise if you feel something’, ‘MANTRA’, ‘nihilist blues’

(P.S: Fellow RWEI contributor Ross wrote a review of this album a couple of weeks ago over here if you want to get a more in depth and slightly different take on this album. Go read it!)

7) Puppy- The Goat 

(25^th January: Spinefarm Records)

It’s safe to say that my anticipation levels for this London cult alternative band were pretty high after being converted by their earlier EPs a few years ago. With a band that loves metal as much as they love 90s alt rock but aren't afraid to traverse other musical styles in their path, I couldn’t wait to see what they brought to the table here.

'Black Hole’ introduces a chunky riff and rhythm section that sounds a bit like CKY’s heavier material before launching into those nasally, feminine vocals that sound a bit like Billy Corgan meets Tobius Forge. They’re definitely not for everyone, but if you can tolerate Ghost then you shouldn’t have a problem here. Those soaring harmonic choruses definitely compete with the Swedes there, yet the Ghost comparisons don’t end just with the vocals. Songs like ‘Poor Me’, ‘Entombed’ and ‘World Stands Still’ take heavy cues from that band on their first two albums with those spooky, psychedelic vibes.

Perhaps strangely to some, the other main influences which come through in this album are Weezer and Iron Maiden style NWOBHM. Both of these influences come through in Puppy’s utterly majestic guitar solos. The former exude euphoric Blue Album 70/80s guitar hero worship (‘Poor Me’, ‘Entombed’, ‘Handlebars’), and the latter have dual guitars and mad noodling aplenty (‘Nightwalker’, ‘Demons’).

But honestly, I could probably go on for days about how many bands I can hear traces of here. Heavy skatepunk that sounds a bit like Sum 41 when they go full-on metal? You’ve got ‘Vengeance’ and ‘I Feel an Evil’ for that. KISS-esque 70s glam rock vibes? See ‘And So I Burn’ and ‘World Stands Still’. Low end late 90s metal riffing in the style of Korn, Pantera or Helmet? ‘World Stands Still’, ‘Handlbars’, and pretty much at least one element within each song have got you covered there. The sheer level of scope within this album really is astounding, and the fact that it congeals so well at times is simply masterful. I suppose the only issue is that this is isn’t always the case.

The songs that don’t really feature so much of that awesome chunky tone from the instruments seem to lose my attention a bit. A good few songs have the guitars and bass receding or becoming slightly muddy in the mix during the verses. This isn’t helped when some of the vocal melodies here just aren’t as memorable (‘Just Like You’, ‘And So I Burn’, ‘Bathe In Blood’, ‘Nightwalker’). Thankfully, most of these songs either deliver a huge chorus or wicked guitar solo to kick things back into gear, but I can’t help feel that the verses are the weakest part of this album.

More generally speaking, The Goat does at times feel like there’s almost too much going on, and the band are throwing everything onto a wall and seeing what sticks. That’s not to say the things that don’t work are bad, but it just isn’t as good as when it is seriously awesome. I’m happy to say however that this album works far more than it doesn’t, and that’s an accomplishment in itself. At first, I’ll admit that a lot of this passed me by. I was still of the opinion that the rerecorded version of ‘Entombed’ was the only really excellent song until a few listens ago. Now, there are definitely a few others which challenge that, and this will probably only heighten with further listens. 

Puppy have aimed high with their debut, and it’s the most ambitious album I’ve heard in a long time. The band only need to retain those insane influences but maybe just focus that little bit more on those bits that really work and spend less time on those that don’t. If they do, we’ll be onto a winner, if not a stone cold classic. In saying that, I may feel that by the end of the year if it keeps growing on me…

Songs to check out: ‘Black Hole’, ‘World Stands Still’, ‘Poor Me’, ‘Entombed’ 

8) Astronoid- Astronoid 

(1^st February: Blood Music)

As this album from Astronoid was the first time I had ever listened to this band, I had only a brief idea that the album which came before this was quite revered in ‘blackgaze’ circles. After finding that out, I was really surprised because of how un-metal this album is.

Astronoid presents an incredibly sugary sound that never lets up throughout the album and is mostly driven by those prominent, divisive lead vocals. These are high pitched, nasally, layered and deliberately monotonous in their range and rhythmical structure. I normally hate this in heavier music but Astronoid has such a grasp of melody and immersive sonic textures that allows them to compensate for this. This was one of the rare albums that I could remember a lot of the key parts of songs only upon on my second listen (’A New Colour’, ‘I Dream In Lines’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Ideal World’).

The driving rhythms from the drums, which take up so much of the mix throughout alongside the vocals, contribute to a sound this is in equal parts frantic, ethereal, expansive and super melodic. In the rare cases where these elements aren't placed front and centre however, these songs tend to be a good bit slower, more sonically downtrodden and have some of the more heavy effect laden guitarwork on display (‘Lost’, ‘I Wish I Was There While The Sun Set’, ‘Beyond the Scope’).

The overbearing nature of the vocals and drums is a criticism which seems to have resonated with fans and critics here. I can kind of understand that, as Astronoid sounds less like a ‘blackgaze’ album than a weird meld of Sigur Rós, My Bloody Valentine and early noughties pop punk. Even as a fan of these things, I would never have expected that combination to actually work. But I actually think it does. Quite a lot. For an album that's weirdly monotonous, there are some incredibly catchy vocal melodies for absolute days.

Although Astronoid is a tad on the long side for what it does, this odd combination of sounds has made me come back to this album more than I would have expected upon first listen. As with other shoegaze material, you’ll probably get more enjoyment out of this if you take it as a mood piece. But honestly, there’s some hella catchy songs here if you can get your head around the vocals.

Songs to check out: ‘A New Colour’, ‘I Dream In Lines’, ‘Ideal World’

9) Weezer- Black Album 

(1^st March: Atlantic/Crush)

Weezer really are in internet meme territory. For their thirteenth studio album (and now sixth self-titled), they’ve went with the Black Album. Any connotations you may have with Metallica’s effort are immediately quashed as soon as the album starts and Rivers Cuomo’s more recent spreadsheet approach to song-writing are made clear.

Opener and first single ‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’ has a Latin feel, modern production and lyrics about the struggles of being an Uber driver. Yup. This is a stupid song, but there’s something quite endearing about the quacky bass lines, the mariachi brass sections and that insanely catchy chorus. Guilty pleasure material for sure. There’s a few tracks like this throughout the album where Weezer are quite clearly trying to write hooky modern pop songs. To varying levels of success.

‘Zombie Bastards’ has a chirpy acoustic guitar that reminds me of a more edgy, sadder sounding Jason Mraz, which does not chime well with me. The addition of contemporary blooping electronics and mad disorienting vocal layering also makes me recoil slightly when I hear it. ‘California Snow’ sees Rivers attempting (and failing at, may I add) soundcloud rapping alongside super fuzzed up electronic synth bass. Whatever effects that are put on the vocals here make him sound super monotonous and robotic in the style of late 2000’s Black Eyed Peas. You’re only a decade late there, Rivers.

Somewhat more successfully, ‘Living in L.A’ and ‘Too Many Thoughts In My Head’ have a contemporary Maroon 5 sound, with the former being loaded with woo’s, funk-infused trebly guitar lines and a huge chorus. The former sounds so made for radio, and it doesn’t hurt that the hook is annoyingly huge. Another guilty pleasure there, I’m ashamed to say. The latter song has a bit more of a downer vibe during the verses but reverts back to a funky feel in the chorus accompanied with falsetto vocals.

Alongside 'I’m Just Being Honest’ and ‘The Prince Who Wanted Everything’, these songs are more recognisable as Weezer of old underneath that overly sleek production job. The first example sounds a bit like the more pessimistic material from the White Album; the second is a plodding power pop sound and nursery rhyme-esque lyrics that just exudes the 60s. This typical Weezer trait of harking back half a century is evident in a few other songs as well. ‘High as a Kite’ and ‘Piece of Cake’ are both bittersweet piano driven songs that sound a little bit like The Beatles at their most whimsical and dreamy (pipes, whistles and orchestra included). These songs with their more laid-back nostalgic sounds stand out considerably against the other more synthetic sounding songs.

This relates nicely to what I think about the album as a whole. Although Black Album is a disjointed and jarring experience which pins up songs that sound like a 50-year old man trying to be ‘down with the kids’ (which either have the effect of being catchy yet lyrically sterile, or just plain embarrassing) against those that hark back to earlier iterations of Weezer, I still can’t say there’s much that I actively hate about this album. Even on my first listen, this was far more interesting than their previous album Pacific Daydream, and there was enough to keep me at least interested, if not totally a fan of.

In terms of Weezer’s discography, this doesn’t sit anywhere near the heights of their brilliance but it certainly isn’t the worst thing they’ve ever released. I know that says a lot about the complete shitshows they’ve brought out, but c’est la vie I suppose. If there’s anything I’ve ever learned in the time of listening to this band, you’ve just got to let Rivers do his own weird thing every now and then before he writes something amazing. Ah, life as a Weezer fan is anything but boring. Especially in 2019.

Songs to check out: ‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’, ‘High As A Kite’, 'Piece of Cake', ‘I’m Just Being Honest’ 

10) While She Sleeps- So What? 
(1st March: Sleeps Brothers/Spinefarm Records)

After releasing their third album You Are We independently, Sheffield’s (arguably) best metalcore band somewhat continue that trend with their fourth album by releasing it alongside Spinefarm Records with the same producer they’ve had since their debut album. It’s quite confusing how different this album sounds from anything else they’ve ever done then.

‘ANTI-SOCIAL’ points towards this with its almost whispered verse vocals, weird minimalistic rapped section and urban steely drum fills alongside the questionable lyric: “I’m not anti-social, I’m anti-bullshit”. I can’t say that I loved this song initially, but it has since grown on me quite considerably. It’s not until the second track, ‘I’VE SEEN IT ALL’ that one of my main issues with this album arose. The production is pretty wack. Instead of having that awesome chunky tone seen on previous albums, the guitars end up sounding grainy, muddy and low in the mix under some overbearing vocals (‘INSPIRE’, ‘THE GUILTY PARTY’, ‘HAUNT ME’,‘GATES OF PARADISE’). I wish it was just a case of poor production though.

I found a lot of the songs here really underwhelming, for a few reasons. I really can’t get into the clean vocals. On You Are We, the harmonisation between Mat and Loz’s harsher vocals worked well, but here a lot of those clean vocals sound pretty weak on their own. I don’t think this would be so bad if the rest of the instruments didn’t also fall away along with the harsh vocals, leaving it with even less bite (‘I’VE SEEN IT ALL’, ‘ELEPHANT’, ‘BACK OF MY MIND’). That feeling of weakness is something I can’t shake when a fair few choruses here are pretty forgettable for WSS’ standards, such as ‘INSPIRE’, ‘SO WHAT?’ and ‘SET YOU FREE’.

That brings me to the last bad thing about this album, before I end on a more positive note. The incredibly out of place bloopy electronics on this album (‘I’VE SEEN IT ALL’, ‘INSPIRE’, ‘THE GUILTY PARTY’, ‘GOOD GRIEF’). What were they thinking? If you ever heard ‘Feels Like I’m Dying’ by The Amity Affliction last year, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Bleh…

With all that, it may seem like I hate this album, but I’m actually just disappointed, as there are quite a few good moments throughout. From the typically furious, low end technical riffing and killer breakdowns that made While She Sleep’s Brainwashed one of my favourite albums (parts of ‘INSPIRE’, ‘SO WHAT?’, ‘THE GUILTY PARTY’, ‘HAUNT ME’, ‘ELEPHANT’), to some of the better melodic choruses and lead lines that were great on You Are We (‘I’VE SEEN IT ALL’, ‘HAUNT ME’, ‘SET YOU FREE’, ‘GOOD GRIEF’), there are some really good parts on here that, much like the Fever 333 album, come and go so quickly you’d almost think you’d imagined them. Maybe it’s something to do with that pesky caps lock…

This was a hard one to review as I’ve loved While She Sleeps ever since I first heard them, but I still feel like this is by far their weakest album. It seems harsh to say, due to the struggles the band have went through making this album (check out their documentary here), but this feels like a confused set of individual tracks rather than a cohesive album of good quality. There are no clear themes to grab onto, and the songwriting, lyrics and production are really just not often that good. I’m just hoping that the presence of some genuinely enjoyable moments means that this was just a misstep in an otherwise solid career for one of the best modern metalcore bands out there.

Songs to check out: ‘ANTI-SOCIAL’, ‘HAUNT ME’, ‘ELEPHANT’ 

11) Mark Morton- Anesthetic 

(1^st March: Spinefarm Records)

Anesthetic sees Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton produce his first solo effort, bringing in different vocalists for each song a la Slash & Friends. This is the closest point of reference I have regarding collaborative solo albums, so apologies if I unfairly compare the two here.

To begin with, there is a sense that much of the personality in this album comes from the vocalists rather than Morton himself. That’s not to say that his playing style doesn’t suit the vocalist; the opposite is true most of the time, but this only directs more focus to the singer. ‘Sworn Apart’ (feat. Jacoby Shaddix) has a radio friendly chorus reminiscent of Papa Roach material, but never really gets as big as some of those songs get. This is similar with the Myles Kennedy track (‘Save Defiance’), which features those typical soaring vocals and a chunky Tremonti riff. Ultimately, it doesn’t have the same driving chorus that Alter Bridge are really good at though.

Some other songs have a better result when the vocalist is at the forefront, such as ‘Axis’ (feat. Mark Lanegan). This has a chilled country rock vibe and Lanegan’s gravelly, slightly haunting Cash-esque vocals really give this song a sense of character. Likewise, ‘Reveal’ (feat. Naeemah Z. Maddox) has an interestingly sedate 90s alt rock sound which sounds a bit like Skunk Anansie meets Blind Melon with some Jerry Cantrell soloing for good measure. This is one of my favourite songs on the album just because of how left-of-field it is. Doesn’t harm it that it’s right up my street musically as well.

Some other tracks I vibed with include ‘Blur’ (feat. Mark Morales), a sludgy southern rock tune reminiscent of Corrosion of Conformity or Clutch’s heavier material. Somewhat surprisingly, I also enjoyed the Josh Todd led ‘Back From The Dead’, which has the Buckcherry vocalist sounding more aggressive (and less embarrassing) than he has for a long time. Sure, the chorus has an overly radio friendly rock sound, but it’s far better than I expected.

On the other side of the coin, some songs sound more like Lamb of God musically, such as the groovier ‘Cross Off’, which supports one of the best vocal performance of Chester Bennington’s career. ‘The Never’ (feat. Chuck Billy & Jake Oni) is another album highlight for me, due to those thrashy latter day LoG guitar riffs, pacey drums and low guttural vocals. Ironically, this song and the Randy Blythe/Alissa White-Gluz track ‘The Truth is Dead’ sound more like Mark Morton than his only true solo song in the album, ‘Imaginary Days’ due to that distinctive guitar tone. The latter has a 4/4 sludgy blues riff with Morton’s vocals reminding me of Ozzy Osbourne’s track on the Slash & Friends album. A decent song, but it doesn’t really feel as much of a vocalist-centric track as some of the others.  

I think that song kind of sums up my feelings as whole. Anesthetic is certainly an interesting album due to the surprising vocal choices. These ensure there is something for most people to engage with. I’m not sure how much of it will stick beyond a surface level for those who aren’t already fans of said people, however. A fair chunk of the songs don’t congeal into something more memorable or are as good as some of their respective vocalists’ best works (with the notable exception of Todd, because... obviously).

I would still recommend checking this out, but just don’t expect anything ground-breaking. This is an album with some killer guitar playing and largely decent vocal performances which result in average-to-good songs. Slash definitely wins in the collaboration front, but this is a fun first solo effort from Morton.  

12) Zeal & Ardor- Live in London 
(22nd March: Universal)

Although I’ve been a fan of Zeal & Ardor ever since their first album in 2016, it wasn’t until I saw them live at Download last year that I went totally head over heels for this band (see my review of that here, if you'd like). When I heard that they were going to be releasing a live version of their London show last year, I was pretty stoked. The Glasgow date on that same run had been simply breathtaking and I was dying to hear an even longer set from them. The only concern I had was whether a live album would be able to capture the sheer intense atmosphere and energy of a Zeal & Ardor performance on record. I needn't have worried.

Mixed and mastered by Kurt Ballou and Alan Douches, this album which takes material from both albums released so far, is flawless in terms of its clarity throughout its 22 songs. All without ever sacrificing atmosphere in return. There is very little stage banter with the crowd in between songs here (as vocalist Manuel himself points out just before the ninth song ‘Fire Of Motion’ is played, and only talks again before the 3 song encore), but there is always a sense that there is an audience present alongside the band without them being too overpowering. Not that I think that would actually be possible when the band in the room is Zeal & Ardor.

Whether there is a section of the bluesier songs where the crowd is singing along (‘Come On Down’, ‘Blood In The River’, ‘Row Row’, ‘Gravedigger’s Chant’, ‘Devil Is Fine’), or the entire band is blisteringly thrashing through the heavier material (‘Waste’, ‘Fire Of Motion’, ‘Cut Me’, ‘Children’s Summon’) or when you can almost hear a pin drop in the eeriest material (‘You Ain’t Coming Back’, ‘Waste’, ‘Stranger Fruit’, ‘Coagula’), Zeal & Ardor have the crowd in the palm of their hand throughout the album. The sheer dark, almost spiritual energy that bounces between the crowd and band is palpable. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing them live, you only need to close your eyes while listening to this and you could feel like you’re in a small room with the band searing through your head. It would be stupid to neglect how good the band actually sound here as well.

Manuel’s vocals range from soulfully smooth, to huskily emotional, to epically huge, to insanely brutal in those black metal sections. One of the best vocalists in music at the moment. Period. Repeating what I’ve said previously, but man, the band that surrounds him in the live environment just make everything sound that bit more powerful. The two backing vocalists are particularly intense. Just wow.

By the time I got to the end of this album, I had almost forgotten that I’d just heard a couple of new songs as well, as they slotted perfectly into the tracklist (‘We Never Fall’, ‘Hold Your Head Low’, ‘Cut Me’, ‘Baphomet’). None of these sound too far removed from what the band have done to this point, but instead build on some of their strengths. It will take a few more listens for me to fully absorb them, but at this point, they sound really pretty stellar in a back catalogue that’s already packed with unreal songs.

Honestly, if you haven’t seen Zeal & Ardor yet, you really should try and fix that as soon as possible. Until that time, this album is about the closest substitute to a live act that I’ve ever heard. And if any band deserved such a stellar production job on a live album, it had to be Zeal & Ardor. Simply unreal.

Songs to check out: ‘Blood In The River’, ‘Gravedigger’s Chant’, ‘Built On Ashes’, ‘Don’t You Dare’, ‘Devil is Fine’  

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Honourable Mentions

ITHACA- The Language of Injury 

(1^st February: Holy Roar Records)

The debut album from ITHACA really does emphasise that UK hardcore really is in a good place right now. Under 30 minutes long, this album contains far more than that running time or even style of music would suggest. Taking cues from the likes of Converge and Code Orange with those frenetic, yet still coherent turns of pace, and sonics which range from utterly hideous to tranquil and atmoshperic (apologies but that typo is staying in), ITHACA are one of the most furious yet musically interesting hardcore bands I’ve heard in a while. Holy Roar, you’ve done it again.

Songs to check out: ‘The Language of Injury’

Blood Youth- Starve 

(22^nd February: Rude Records)

The third album from this UK metallic hardcore band sees them taking more cues from the past than ever: the 90’s and nu-metal in particular. Fusing Korn-esque low end riffing and bass lines, Slipknot’s more haywire approach to songwriting with a melodic choruses and an underlying hardcore feel throughout, this album reminds me slightly of Cane Hill’s earlier output at a far more palatable level. This isn’t a particularly innovative album, but it is definitely the most I’ve ever enjoyed a Blood Youth album. Fun listen, even if it definitely isn’t as good as its influences.

Songs to check out: ‘Cut Me Open’

Pkew Pkew Pkew- Optimal Lifestyles 

(1^st March: Dine Alone Records)

With their scrappy brand of beer-soaked skate-punk with a melodic tinge (and a silly name to give an interesting first impression), Pkew Pkew Pkew’s third album reminds me of a more upbeat, breezy version of Toronto neighbours, PUP. And that can only be a good thing. With a raucous, but just on the right side of chaotic, delivery of such uplifting three chord punk songs a la The Ramones in addition to some awesome use of the hallowed sax, this is one of the most joyful albums I’ve heard this year yet. One for fans of summery suburban punk with a touch of Americana, that’s for sure.

Songs to check out: ‘I Don’t Matter at All’, ‘Point Break’

Venom Prison- Samsara 

(15^th March: Prosthetic)

Having built a name for themselves on their first album, Samsara sees one of the UK’s best new extreme metal bands emerge from the underground. Instead of turning to the mainstream however, Venom Prison have produced an album that incorporates NWOBHM licks and groove infused death metal wizardry to make an even more furious sounding album than their last. The huge production makes such intense sonics all the more devastating as well. Not for the faint of heart, this album is one hell of an intense yet wonderfully interesting death metal album.

Songs to check out: ‘Asura’s Realm’

Blaqk Audio- Only Things We Love 

(15^th March: Kobalt)

The fourth album from the AFI’s side project containing half of those members presents the most 80s influenced material this electronic act have written yet. Harking back to bands like Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears and Dead or Alive with a modern approach, this is an album that merges dark poppy hooks with interesting, textured electronics that I have had on repeat several times. Some of those choruses have been stuck in my head for days. This is one of the most ‘authentic’ modern synthwave albums I’ve heard yet, and I think fans of 80s new wave will really dig this one.

Songs to check out: ‘Infinite Skin’, ‘The Viles’

Devin Townsend- Empath 

(29^th March: HevyDevy Records)

Devin Townsend’s eighteenth studio album sees the Canadian maverick producing the most accurate representation of his vast musical outputs to date. Throughout this 74 minute sprawling epic, technical heavy guitar riffs and punishing growling vocals accompany summery steel drums, majestic church choirs, classical chamber music and a mammoth 23 minute rock opera. It will probably take me until the end of this year to fully get my head around this album, but I think it’s pretty wicked so far. See you at the end of 2019 for a better description of this glorious headfuck of an album.

Songs to check out: ‘Genesis’ 

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So there you have it. From what I've listened to this year so far, there have been a few albums I've really liked, but there does seem to be a distinct lack of jaw-dropping albums so far. Disappointingly, this accompanies a weird fascination with misplaced electronics (you all know who you are. Even if you weren't all mentioned here *cough* Within Temptation *cough*).  It is early days though, and I'm sure the rest of 2019 will deliver on the goods towards the summer and autumn months as there are a few big albums on the way (you also all know who you are...).

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If you would like to listen to some of my most enjoyed songs from each album mentioned above, and a few other singles, feel free to check out the playlist below. And while we're at it, go give RWEI a follow on there, as well as on the rest of the socials.

Please leave a comment below and let me know which albums you've been enjoying in this first quarter, which ones you feel like I'm wrong about, and which of the many albums I've missed that you think I should've covered!

As always, thanks for reading. Cheers!