Album Round-Up (August 2019)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

It's another big, metal heavy round-up for August over on RWEI, hence why this review is a bit late up this month. With the release of Tool's long awaited first album in 13 years occurring right at the end of August, this one will be featuring in a round-up post later on in the year, so keep your eyes out for that one (it gives us a bit more time to digest that one as well. We're gonna need it!). 

Nevertheless, there's plenty of other heavy releases to check out below if you want to listen to anything else from this month. So, let's get started.

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1) Northlane- Alien (2nd August: UNFD)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

Having been on the progressively minded (but arguably still very stale) metalcore circuit for a decade now, it makes sense that the Sydney band Northlane have moved into a slightly different musical direction within their fifth album, Alien. I got into this band just after they released 2015’s Node, and really thought that they were one of the better acts within their style of music. The 2017 follow-up Mesmer saw the band move further into experimental territories, beginning the shift in style which is more prominent in this album.

Although the band have long used electronic elements to give a slightly mathy, futuristic slant to their progressive metalcore ways, the opening track ‘Details Matter’ really puts these electronics to the forefront for the band in quite a different way. There’s an immediate flooding of in-your-face wasp like buzzing noises before the now iconic scream from vocalist Marcus Bridge comes in alongside some whooshing guitars and an EDM drum beat. Not being the greatest fan of this sort of dance sound, I found the reliance on these electronics throughout the track to be incredibly disorientating and overwhelming on a sonic level. The guitars are mixed in such an over-compressed way that I find it hard to actually hear what’s going on underneath the overpowering and frantic electronics. Although the chorus contains a more typically huge sounding melodic line, I still find the vocals to be very much strangled by these rather obnoxious and forceful electronics. The vocals sound quite different towards the end of the track as well, where Bridge pulls out a very Cane Hill-like drawling monotonous vocal line which signals the more nu-metal approach taken within this album.

The prominence of late 90s/early 00’s electronics and nu-metal leanings are very much present throughout so much of this album that it would be fair to call Alien another version of the ‘nu-metalcore’ style which seems to be everywhere within the genre these days. The Cane Hill references (and the subsequent references to Korn that this brings) are most evident in the second and forth songs ‘Bloodline’ and ‘Talking Heads’. The former exudes The Paradigm Shift era Korn with its (now slightly out of date) use of electronics, alongside Kill The Sun era Cane Hill vocals. This track definitely has more of a melodic feel than the song before, and the big moody chorus really lifts things in a nice way, even if it is not particularly distinctive from the bands it takes sonic cues from. This is one of the songs on the album where the guitars are more prominent within the mix rather than the more subtle electronics, but the breakdown towards the end has a similarly unsatisfying compressed feel to things that the previously mentioned song has. The section here actually unfortunately reminded me quite a bit of one of the Motionless in White breakdowns from the album earlier in the year (you can read that review over here). A firm "Hmmm" indeed to the mixing on this album already. 

'Talking Heads’ is another track which plays down the use of electronics here, upping the presence of the heaviness in other ways. There is a pretty conventionally heavy, technical riff which comes in after some subtle menacing synths that sound more like something you would normally hear from this band. Again, some of those drawling Cane Hill/Korn vocals come in before it is intersected by a pretty intense mathier riff and powerful screams of "Voices in my head". There’s a definitely sense of growth within the track, as can be seen with the addition of some light orchestration in the second third that builds to a sense of grandeur. This all leads to a final colossal sounding breakdown which sees the vocalist growling over some of the most low end squealing drops the band has done yet. With all of this in mind, ‘Talking Heads’ is perhaps the most similar the band gets to their older sound within this album, but there are enough additional elements which locate the album nicely in between the two contrasting sounds of the band. For my money, this is one of the best songs on the album, as a result.

Other highlights include the songs ‘Jinn’, ‘Vultures’ and ‘Freefall’, which again put the technicality of the band to the forefront of proceedings. Yes, I can also see a trend emerging here... But when you can pull out such attention grabbing low end, hammer-on riffing like you can on these songs, it’s not hard to see why these songs resonate with a greeb like myself. ‘Jinn’ showcases some higher pitched, somewhat angelically haunted but restrained vocals from Bridge in the chorus before those odd whooshing electronic effects and pounding drums come in again. This is an example of a song where the electronics are placed underneath what is going on elsewhere though, so it actually helps to create a sinister sort of mood rather than becoming overly messy and confusing. 

Similarly, ‘Vultures’ has these electronic elements in place but puts attention primarily on the thrashier riffing, pummelling beats and effective raplike screams from Bridge which see him, alongside the rest of the band sounding authentically furious in a cool way. The intensity builds up once again to lead up to an absolute gut punch of a breakdown and even snappier riffage which ends the song off nicely. This format is also applied to ‘Freefall’, where synths and gentle electronics introduce another heavier riff which then drops off to a gentle drum machine and a more melodic, morose floaty verse. The "I can’t feel at all" choral hook is another big one which competes with the above tracks, and the whole song is underpinned by some cool fast riffing and drumming. The second third of the track sees another impactful scream and breakdown become the centrepiece of the song as a whole. Bridge’s vocals then echo and fade out towards the end with some quirky, but largely unobtrusive electronics appearing towards the end of the song.

As signalled by the opening track ‘Details Matter’, however, this is very much an album of two halves in terms of musical style and quality, for myself. And it is the increased and more overt use of the electronics within the other 5 tracks on offer here that seem to point towards this drop in quality. There is a sense, within songs like ‘4D’, ‘Eclipse’, and ‘Rift’, that the band have very much went for a late 90s, early 2000’s industrial dance music vibe within these songs, to their detriment. Here, the songs have less of an effect of sounding futuristic in today’s world than sounding out-dated, obtrusive and clunky. The three songs here showcase this in slightly different ways.

'4D’ has a Prodigy and/or Pendulum sort of dance-rock feel, as the immediate in-your-face synths support a hectic rave beat and pulsing noises. Bridge’s vocals sound a bit strange throughout the song, where the verses sound more like Letlive’s Jason Butler in the half-rapped/half yelped melodic line. The pre-chorus vocals then have a bit of a Sam Carter (Architects) sound in its tone before the synths and soaring chorus comes in. This is definitely a song which will be one of the bigger songs on the album, and will probably receive a good response in the live environment due to the scale of the chorus. I can’t help but feel that Bridge’s identity as a vocalist is lost within this song though due to these blatant comparisons to others. Additionally, the unbalanced mix sees another overly-compressed breakdown being completely overrun by janky electronics once more. There is a nice melodic guitar solo here, but again, the mix of the song as a whole reduces the impact that this would normally have if the sound was more even throughout.

‘Eclipse’ then seems to opt for an industrial/nu-metal sound with its pounding electronic drum beat and a Rammstein (or if we want to be less flattering: a Powerman 5000) like mechanical guitar rhythm. There’s some more odd effects placed onto the vocals in the verse, before a very outdated sounding build occurs within the electronics before the chorus comes in. Even the screaming vocals feel quite small within this discombobulating, dancey mix though. In fact, it’s really hard to hear anything else among the noise here. This sounds very much like a track that would probably have benefited from being an instrumental song, as the vocals make very little impact within the scattershot song structure here. Other than the presence of the muffled vocals and flat breakdown in the second third, this track really doesn’t sound like Northlane and this continues to erode the band's sense of self. As the song ends with an odd plinky plonky sort of synth and piano line that buzzes along, you really get the sense that this is a really awkward attempt at doing this now largely old sounding and unfashionable style of music rather than merging two styles of music together in an innovative and smooth way.

This sentiment can very much also be applied to the following song ‘Rift’, where the odd, but slightly ambient noises bleed into this song where the vocals which are layered up to early 2000s era dance-pop levels. Giving off an utterly cheesy sort of feel almost immediately, this is just too much for me to deal with. The drum machine sound here pulls away at a synth that seeks to build a dreamy, contemplative vibe, but alongside those vocals, it all just comes across as a bit tacky to me personally. There’s no real grasp of a sense of intrigue here that keeps the song interesting either. It just kind of pulses along without any real hooks, change in pace or momentum. Not even the section around 3 minutes in, which sees more action with some more clunky electronics darting about a bit can really spice this track up to feel like anything other than filler material. As well as being sonically different from the songs which place the usual instruments at the forefront of proceeding, these more electronically focused songs are dramatically different in terms of their mix, and it really does contribute to an inconsistent feeling within the album. It literally does sound like many of the songs here were mixed by different people. And it's blatantly noticeable. Yikes.

Although I think the above electronically minded songs are not very well executed and actually make a good chunk of this album unappealing to me on a surface level, I do think there is some promise in this approach within the two remaining songs,‘Paradigm’ and ‘Sleepless’ which see Northlane work these two distinct elements together more effectively. In ‘Paradigm’, there’s automatically a cleaner sound within the intro of this track before the electronics are more subtly brought forward amongst a bigger riff and powerful screams. Although there is still some pointless electronics towards the end of the song, and there’s less of a vocal hook to grab onto here, the layering of the more organic sounding synths, guitars, bass and drums give a larger, but more familiar feel to things here. This song wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for those who enjoy the band’s earlier work, and it’s all the better for that. 

The following and last song ‘Sleepless’ follows in a more restrained fashion with some muted low end electronics, piano-esque synths and echoey vocals, which give things an automatically interesting flavour. The entire track actually has a bit of a bittersweet sort of quality to it as the vocalist pushes his vocals in a surprisingly soulful and powerful way. This peaks towards the middle of the track where a massive, epic sort of riff comes in alongside Bridge’s emotive vocals. Later becoming a brief chugging section, this then disappears once more into more ethereal soundscapes. There are definitely some interesting disparate parts in the song here which hint towards something potentially good from this band in the future, but I still do feel like this track struggles at pulling these distinct parts together cohesively. In particular, the sprinkling of some trap beats throughout the song very much feel out of place, and seems like it's trying almost too hard to be contemporary, in an album that is full of throwbacks to the past. An interesting way to end this divisive album, for sure.

It also somewhat sums up the incredibly odd nature of this album pretty well. Northlane always had a sound that was somewhat unique to them; with the flourishes within the guitarwork, the riffing and, perhaps more than anything else, Bridge’s distinctive vocals. There is a sense within this album that these elements are pretty thin on the ground, and as such, there is a very real loss of identity which occurs here. Clearly Northlane are trying to expand beyond their usual boundaries of progressively-tinged metalcore by going all out with the experimentation on this one. Taking influences from the past and failing to tie them together with what makes them one of the better bands of their kind however has the effect of making Northlane sound out-of-touch, out-of-date, and at times even just plain bad to my ears. Sure, there are some decent songs here and there are definitely some moments where this combination of sounds does work well. Overall though, this is a solidly inconsistent effort. 

I do appreciate the band taking such a big sonic risk and jumping out of their comfort zone here, but in this instance, they probably should have stuck to making baby steps before trying to run away entirely from what they know here. This one aint it.

Tracks to check out: ‘Talking Heads’, ‘Jinn’, ‘Vultures’

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2) Slipknot- We Are Not Your Kind (9th August: Roadrunner Records)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

The sixth album from the world’s most notorious masked maniacs, Slipknot, had one hell of a point to prove following two albums which saw the band nearly collapsing under the weight of personal issues and discontent within the 9-man unit. Although there were moments of greatness within 2014’s album .5: The Gray Chapter, the more understandably restrained album which chronicled the death of founding member Paul Gray ultimately didn't signal a complete return to form which was needed from the much-loved metal band from fans more broadly. With another 5 years to heal (and create) more scars in the Slipknot machinery, We Are Not Your Kind feels like an album which has the bit in between its teeth from the word go.

In what is now commonplace within Slipknot’s discography, the album starts with the largely instrumental track ‘Insert Track’ . This presents some glitching eerie sort of noises from the synths, drums and sound of machinery before the creepy “I’m counting all the killers” line (which re-emerges later in the album) comes in in an echoey manner. Just before the album starts properly with the next song then, this brief introduction sets up the more creepy and somewhat supernatural vibe of this album right off the bat.

‘Unsainted’ then opens with similar sort of noises and electronics before a high pitched choir comes in to accompany Corey Taylor’s “I’ll never kill myself to save my soul” line, giving things an automatically bigger and more creepy feel. Marking the first time Slipknot have used a choir within their material, it is clear here that the band are looking to expand beyond the scope of the last two albums, and this is a very welcoming sign. Equally welcoming is that incredible ear worm of a chorus that could definitely stand up against some of Slipknot’s more hooky material on Volume 3. Throughout the verses, there are some wicked chugging guitars which come in alongside Taylor's incensed sounding vocals which sees the song erupt in a similar way to older Slipknot material. One particular highlight in this regard is the incredibly heavy break in the second third which contains some ominous guitar bends and wailing turntable scratches that keep the song grooving along really nicely. After an especially infuriated scream form Taylor, the song kicks into double time towards the end before ending in an abrupt fashion. Already there is a sense here that the foundations of The Gray Chapter will very much be built upon. Marking the direction of the album which follows as well, there’s an increased vitality and aggression here that is reminiscent of the first two albums, an ear for melody, and a sense of experimentation that was particularly explored on Volume 3. All of this just happens to be tied together with a creepy theme which hasn’t really been since the debut album as well.  

Looking at the most heavy tracks on the album firstly then, there is very much a sense that Slipknot are within a more aggressive mindset on this album than they have been for a long time. After seeing the band simply rip Donington Park in half over the summer (as seen by my review here), this is not entirely surprising, but the level of intensity within a lot of this album is incredibly impressive. ‘Birth Of The Cruel’ is the first example of this, where the song starts off with some sinister clanging and a female spoken word track that’s reminiscent of the intro track in the debut album. A lingering bass line accompanies discordant guitars and a clean vocal line that sounds quite unlike anything Slipknot have done so far. It all does add to an overwhelming sense of unease while simultaneously adding a cocksure sort of manner, which is a cool combination. This very much carries forward into the half-rapped, half-screamed sections of “I’m all fucked up but I make it look good” which see Taylor’s throat shredding vocals rip powerfully. Bringing the supernatural elements to the fore, some beeping electronics are present throughout the song alongside industrial scratching sounds that make the song seem like it’s about to dismantle entirely. Although this never happens, the song very much reminds me of 'Pulse of the Maggots' from Volume 3. in terms of its style and attitude, and this is definitely a winner in my eyes.

Following the first of several interlude tracks (which I’ll go into a bit later), ‘Nero Forte’ and ‘Red Flag’ up the intensity to levels not seen since Slipknot’s early years. The former song launches into one of the most pacey riffs in the band’s back catalogue. Bringing in the pounding additional percussive elements, there’s a real nu-metal sort of intensity which is firmly planted into the ground from the start. Taylor’s quick screams of “I haven’t felt like this in years” unleash a real sense of intense energy that is once again reminiscent of the band’s debut album. During the verses of the song, it seems like this one is entirely one for the fans of the older material. Then the band throws in the first real curveball of the album within that chorus. With several members of the band layering up the slightly high pitched vocals, the melodic line here almost sounds a bit funky and… for lack of a better phrase… joyfully poppy. This definitely threw me off on first listen but after I got my head around it, the contrast between Taylor’s screamed vocals alongside this actually provides a nice sense of balance in the song. There’s a sense of knowing fun that’s very much evident in this moment, and you can almost imagine Taylor swagering about with a wry grin when playing this one live. Heavying things up again though, the middle section sees marching band drums accompany a ‘Duality’ like chug that breaks into an infectious bounce; very much evoking the sense of primitive pleasure of those earlier releases. This is such a fun, but incredibly heavy song that I can’t wait to hopefully see live.

Up next, 'Critical Darling' is another brutally heavy track, but this one finds itself occupying more low end territories than the previous track. After some initial odd sounds and effect laden bending guitars, a totally all-encompassing heavy riff and frantic drums come in to give the song an injection of energy before everything locks together in an awesome fast stomp the band are so good at. Again, Taylor sounds utterly pissed off here in this verse. Gang vocals punctuate these semi-rapped sections before some extreme metal tremolo picking comes in. As with the previous track, there’s another melodic chorus here, but this one is more similar to some of the better Gray Chapter melodies and this all manages to keep things sounding sinister and intense while the instruments continue underneath. Changing things up a bit towards the middle of the song, things ease off and the guitar tones get oddly dreamy and clean, while a scraping electronic sound fades in and out and some clean vocals resurface. Thankfully things don’t linger in this floaty territory for too long though. By bringing things back with furious blastbeats once more, this little section provides a nice contrast rather than making the song worse for it. Alongside the previous track, this is one of my favourites here.

My attachment to the song here pales in comparison to that of 'Red Flag' however, which is by far the heaviest song on the album here. There is a somewhat Sepultura-esque sense of groove to this one in the higher guitars before everything is bulked up with lower guitars which throttle away like no one’s business. The prominent use of squealing electronics, chaotic percussion and some utterly bone shaking dropped tuned guitar riffs see the band return to levels of intensity probably last seen in Iowa. This one grooves and bounces along so awesomely, and this doesn’t really let up throughout the track. I especially like when the intensity and speed seems to pick up within the second quarter of the track and there’s a real sense of reckless abandon that could only really be compared to the times where the band were practically killing each other on stage.There’s no real big chorus here, but it isn’t really necessary in a song that is practically designed to be a complete rager like this one is. Always a good thing, in my eyes, and it’s really incredible how they are able to perform songs like this so far into their career. There’s not much else to say about this one other than the fact that is a complete blinder and it will definitely resonate with those who adore the first album, like myself. Awesome stuff.

On a similar note, 'Orphan' is another blisteringly heavy track. Featuring a Code Orange style punch at the start of the song, it’s not long before the song then kicks up into another gear though, as another furiously trashy riff is proceeded by percussive keg smashes and intense drumming. There’s another similarly layered chorus to Iowa here that works well within the song, even if it is probably one of the less interesting choruses of the album. As a whole, when compared to the other heavier tracks here, I would say that this one is perhaps the least fluid, but my god; when Slipknot really put all of their energy into songs like this, it really gets the blood pumping in a way that’s hard to replicate elsewhere. Especially like when everything locks together in the “everyone has something” sections where the demented howls at the end of the track from Taylor sound so authentic, you could almost be mistaken for listening to a song from decades ago. In the best possible way.

By using these songs to delve back into the more brutal soundscapes of the past to satisfy older fans, the rest of the songs here are given the freedom to experiment in a manner which was, until this point, most recognisable in Volume 3. 'Liar’s Funeral' opens with a sorrowful sounding acoustic guitar that is reminiscent of songs like ‘Circle’ or ‘Snuff’, with its soft vocals and a gentle marching snare drum, piano and electronics. For some people who are less keen on this softer material, the opening to this song may have been a bit of an ‘oh no’ moment. Those people could be reassured when the curdling screams of “Liar!" burst out from Taylor in an unexpected manner less than a minute in, alongside some huge sounding drums and high-pitched guitars. Almost as if to say, “gotcha”, the band then goes back to that acoustic sound for the next verse but slowly builds upon this with more prominent pianos and an intensifying drum pattern. The second time the scream comes in, there is a subtly different guitar riff, the screams bellow in a lower register before the song stays in heavier terrain for the chanted “burn, burn” section, then the melodic lines sit firmly in morose Iowa era territory. Although the track borrows various aspects from different eras of the band, the song actually works really well due to its cohesive sort of anger and sadness that binds it together.

More odd than this song though is the track 'Spiders', where a few seconds of noise, some tinkling keys and a stabbing fuzzed up bass and cymbals accompany an almost ‘Killpop’ sort of odd vocal line from Taylor that is both clean and unsettling alongside those subtle carnival sounds in the background. The palm muted guitars that then enter in a stabbing sort of manner are actually reminiscent of Tool for a second or two until the chorus comes in. Throughout this, there’s some odd, almost bluesy cleaner guitars that accompanies these haunting vibes but this suits the song surprisingly well. The thoroughly odd nature of this song is then emphasised when some effects drenched guitars squeal all over the middle of the track in a way that I’ve not heard in a Slipknot song before. Equally creepy is the chanted “spiders, spiders” vocals section. Although I think this is the weakest part of the track, it does suit the weird vibe pretty well. Towards the end, the electronics come back in full force by following the melody of the earlier guitar solo section and a squelchy bass line brings together these industrial elements effectively. This is by far one of the oddest songs on the album, but as a result, it shows a band which are still incredibly willing to experiment beyond their usual musical boundaries. This one probably won’t work for everyone, but I think it’s a cool little addition to the album.

Although not by any stretch of the imagination failures, the similarly experimental songs ‘My Pain’ and ‘Not Long For This World’ don’t reach the same levels of quality in comparison. ‘My Pain’ takes a while to build a similar sort of creepy mood with some pulsing noises and it's nearly 2 minutes before the song eventually begins properly. Some creepily dissonant, plonky pianos create an unsettling contrast with the more gentle vocals from Taylor that sound almost like a haunted lullaby. This is one of the main examples of a section of electronic noise that could’ve been trimmed slightly to give the same effect but in a more efficient manner. Getting to the main content of the song, this tune plods along a bit as it tends to stay in this same sinister sort of zone for a little while before the vocals drop off and the pulsing electronics give the song a dark, post-metal sort of feel that is definitely a first in Slipknot’s discography. Although I personally found it quite refreshing to see the band explore new territories like this, and it certainly does work well as a mood piece within the context of the album, I doubt I’d listen to the song on its own much.

Similar sentiments apply to the penultimate track ‘Not Long For This World’, which opens with dissonant chorus effects on the guitars to give a sinister effect before subtle electronics come in once more alongside some odd echoey subdued vocals from Taylor. This song really does give off Gray Chapter vibes due to its more restrained material. Unfortunately, it does come with the musical baggage that these rather lacklustre tracks brought with them as well, and this is thoroughly solidified when the rather lacking chorus comes in. The middle of the song does have the benefit of including a section which sees some intense screaming from Corey to pick up the intensity of track for little while. Unfortunately, it does feel like these two different parts are a bit mismatched and the 6 and a half minute length of the track makes the song plod along rather than feel totally engaging all the way through. This song is by far my least favourite track on this album, and one which doesn’t really feel like it needs to be there. 

This is an important point to raise in conjunction with the previously mentioned interludes within this album. The two standalone interludes of ‘Death Because Of Death’ and ‘What’s Next’ are both short affairs which see Sid Wilson and Craig Jones taking the spotlight in their messing about on the keys and turntables. Like ‘Insert Coin’, both of these snippets further continue the unsettling vibes established throughout much of the album and very much contribute to the overall creepy and slightly extra terrestrial nature of things here. As with several other moments throughout the album, and with Slipknot’s debut album, these songs would be practically of no value to listen to on their own, but in the context of the album, they do add something a significant amount of presence. Less can be said about some of the lingering moments within songs like ‘Orphan’ and‘Critical Darling’ where the noises which are tacked onto the start or end of the songs feel slightly too long and could have been doing with a little bit of a trim to stop attention from wandering.

Bringing things back into more positive territory to end this review of the album though, the final track and second sing ‘Solway Firth’ brings many of the great (and weirdly extra-terrestrial) elements within this album together in one song. Marking the firth which separates the nations of Scotland and England, the title indicates the area where a famous photo of an ‘astronaut’ was taken in the 1960s. Alongside this, the band have stated in interviews that the song is inspired by the film Wicker Man. This makes the Celtic folky haunting sound of the “counting all the killers” line from earlier and within this song make total sense in retrospect. Taylor’s unusual pronunciations in this opening section have divided opinions severely, ranging from those who find it plain stupid, to those like myself who find it an interesting creative choice which really adds to the song. Luckily for the people who don’t like it, this section only lasts for short time before the song kicks up a notch once more with some of Taylor’s most throat shredding and deranged sounding vocals on the entire album. This is another song that doesn’t have a conventional sort of chorus, instead seeing industrial electronics flavour Taylor’s constant screaming throughout. The “I don’t need you to understand” line in particular sounds just like Taylor will destroy his voice in sheer rage here while the blast beat of the drums really up the ante. This is a song that will get crowds circle pitting like mad in the live environment, and is also another example of a song that doesn’t stay in one place for too long. There are several moments in the second third where you think the song could end but the band will throw in another vortex of slamming aggressive riffs, almost as if to tease the listener. By the time the song actually ends on the “you want a real smile, I haven’t smiled in years” line, it becomes quite surprising when the song then cuts off very abruptly. Of all the places where they could have put some eerie sounds on the album, that was probably the best place to do it yet they chose not to. Typical.

With that effective ending though, it becomes clear to me that this is an album which has exceeded my expectations of what this band can deliver at this point in their career. Sure, this album is not completely perfect, as the overly drawn out noise sections in parts, the inclusion of the second last song, and some experiments that don’t necessarily work on their own, go to prove. But overall, We Are Not Your Kind is both the most invigorated and cohesive Slipknot have sounded since (arguably) Volume 3 was released. Members such as Sid Wilson and Craig Jones who have naturally sat towards the fringes of the band within the last few releases are very much in the centre of the action here and it really does feel like every one of the 9 members plays an important role in the creative process. Perhaps this sense of unity that seems to bleed from the album is due to the fact that the band have probably now processed the loss of several band members; perhaps it’s that the internal struggles of the band in the last few years and months have cemented the band’s creative vision; perhaps it’s the emergence of a greater sense of competition with heavier bands in the last few years that have given Slipknot an incentive to show how they can still give something to the world. Perhaps it’s several of these things, or perhaps even none at all. We will probably never know. Ultimately the only thing that matters here though is that there is something which has given this band a push to remind the world exactly why they have always been so vital within the metal genre and continue to be moving into the 2020's.

The more I’ve listened to this album, the more impressed I’ve been with the scope and level of life that seeps through the vast majority of this record. Honestly, I think this is the best Slipknot album since (at least) Volume 3, and I doubt that opinion would be too controversial in the wider scope of things. Unless another dozen albums come up in the next few months to top this one, We Are Not Your Kind will be well up there in my AOTY list. Glorious stuff from one of the best bands out there this far into their career. What a wonderful, wonderful thing and long may it continue.

Tracks to check out: ‘Unsainted’, ‘Nero Forte’, ‘Red Flag’, ‘Solway Firth’  

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3) Killswitch Engage- Atonement (16th August: Metal Blade)

WORDS: Ross Donald

Killswitch Engage are a band that don’t need much of an introduction at this point. They have remained at the forefront of the metalcore movement since their formation all the way back in 1999 and remain a staple and leader of the genre to this day.

They’ve always been a band within this particular genre that even those who don't particularly like metalcore can still enjoy due to the heaviness of their music and uplifting lyrics. After 2016’s middling Incarnate though, I think the band needed a big album to show that they still belonged at the top of the metalcore table. The recording of this album got off to a bit of a tumultuous start as lead vocalist Jesse Leach needed throat surgery and the recording had to be halted for a few months. If things went wrong there, then we may not have gotten a new album at all. Thankfully all went well and Jesse returned stronger than ever with his vocals really hitting a peak in some places here.

The opener and first single of the album,‘Unleashed’ was a great choice for the first thing fans heard from the new material. While there may be stronger songs later on, this one really left an impression of how the whole album would sound. Jesse’s vocals are put to the test here and when he screams “Unleash me”, I think you’d have to be a robot not to feel some adrenaline hitting your body.

As good as the opener is though, it is almost nothing compared to the next track ‘The Signal Fire’, which features guest vocals from former Killswitch vocalist Howard Jones. This track is just tremendous and is one of the heaviest songs I’ve heard from the band in a while. There's some death metal growls before a catchy as hell chorus that Killswitch have pretty much mastered at this point. I’d also recommend checking out the music video alongside this, as it’s just an absolute joy to see these legendary vocalists feed off the energy from one another. This is a dream scenario for fans. Best song on the album by far.

'Us Against the World’ brings out the softer side of the band while still keeping a good bit of the heaviness intact. This also continues the common theme of feeling like you’re fighting against a much larger opponent but you keep going and don’t give up. ‘The Crownless King’ ends up being another album highlight as it’s an absolute thrasher of a track. As it should be, considering that Testament’s Chuck Billy is a guest vocalist here. Killswitch doing a thrash metal song is on the list of things I didn’t know I wanted, but I'm so glad that I have one now. This absolutely needs to be part of future setlists, as this is a song that will cause a few major circle pits in any given crowd.

‘I Am Broken Too’ served as the second single for the album and was one I wasn’t too big on when I first heard it. I’ve really come around on it since the album’s release though as it serves the album much better as a whole. For anyone dealing with anxiety or depression, it is quite the uplifting track as it’s trying to say that there are people to talk to out there and there are others who are experiencing the same things. Well done to these guys for putting out a song like this. This is yet another album highlight.

‘As Sure as the Sun Will Rise’ is another big track which sees the thrash elements making a bit of a comeback. Leading to another big catchy Killswitch chorus, Jesse really strains his vocal chords again throughout as the song continues the theme of pushing through major obstacles to get to the light on the other side. Up next,‘Know Your Enemy’ is thankfully not a Green Day cover and is the first real political track of the album. I know that Killswitch are not fans of the Trump regime so I’m not surprised that there’s a track like this that encourages listeners to "Resist the system" and "Bow down to no one". Another big track worth a listen in an album which is already very impressive so far.

Sadly, the next couple of tracks feel a bit like filler material in comparison though and this is a real shame, especially for an album that’s only 39 minutes long. I really wish ‘Take Control’ had some more memorable moments because as far as lyrics go, it’s one of the best of the album. It really speaks to those who suffer from mental illnesses as it tries to encourage those people to take control and fight back when the panic hits. ‘Ravenous’ is another heavy track but it doesn’t do much to stand out from the rest of the tracklist and is kind of just there. For a song less than three minutes long, it does feel like it drags on a bit.

Thankfully the next track, ‘I Can’t Be the Only One’, is another highlight for me and one that doesn’t get mentioned enough in other reviews. It really took me back to older tracks like ‘My Last Serenade’ with its really emotionally charged lyrics. It might not be the heaviest song on offer but it really stuck with me after my initial listen, and as such, is the track I’ve gone back to more than any of the others. The lyrics again focus on dealing with mental illness; more specifically about thinking you’re the only person in the world that has to deal with it. This is a great track with another suitably catchy chorus. I’m really hoping they play this one live.

The final track ‘Bite the Hand That Feeds’ may be the heaviest song from the band yet, as Killswitch go full death metal. The chorus here sounds like it could have been pulled from At The Gates’ ‘Slaughter Of The Soul’ album. This is the sound of a band throwing everything they have at the listener to leave one hell of an impression at the end. The song ends with a massive breakdown as the band asks what you would die for and what would you kill for. Heavy shit.

Overall this album was a blast to listen to. I’ve listened to it around ten times since its release and I don’t think I’ll tire of it for quite a while. It’s got such an energy that’s missing from a lot of modern metal albums while simultaneously sending out a positive message for a lot of people out there. The album is paced incredibly well with the softer songs mixing nicely with the much heavier ones, making for an even listening experience. Sure, there’s a couple of filler tracks but at least they're kept quite short so that they don't impact the album too much. This album is one of the highlights of the year for me.

Tracks to check out: 'The Signal Fire', 'The Crownless King', 'I Am Broken Too', 'I Can’t Be the Only One'

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4) King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard- Infest The Rats' Nest (16th August: Flightless Records)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

Ever wanted to listen to the sounds of retro, fuzzed up 70s metal tinged with a bit of 80s thrash intensity and NWOBHM guitar wizardry? If so, Infest The Rat’s Nest, by the Melbourne band King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard is something you need in your life. 

I have known about this band for a few years, but never really went in on their material, so I only really knew them as a hipster sort of psychedelic rock band. However, this band (which formed only in 2010) have realised an astonishing 15 albums, which take that psychedelic starting point and move it into a vast array of musical territories all the way from jazz to progressive rock, blues and- in the case of one of their five (!) 2017 albums- an entire record constructed around the use of microtones… After flirting with the genre of metal in several releases, it was probably only a matter of time before this insane band made a completely metal album. And with this concept album about the destruction of the planet, and subsequent colonisation of space, we definitely what two compatible things here.

Introducing Infest The Rat’s Nest (pretty damn metal) themes, ‘Planet B’ opens the album with a Motorhead-esque double bass drum fill before a chugging, fuzzed up thrashy riff comes in. There’s a lo-fi sound in the production here that exudes the garage rock influences shown within the band’s earlier work, but there’s a level of crispness as well which manages to make this sound vintage rather than out of date. Emphasising this sense of 70s fuzz, a prominent Black Sabbath esque bassline comes in alongside some fast noodling from the guitars and Stu MacKenzie’s gravelly vocals which more than slightly resemble Rob Halford’s singing style in the way he punctuates lines like: “Acclimatization, population exodus, monetization, civilization”. Really snappy stuff. There is a sense of melody here which is reminiscent of this late 70s Priest as well though which is thoroughly provided in the entirely catchy “there is no Planet B” chorus. As is a common theme within this album, the fact this band can get such a simple, brief line stuck in your head is pretty inspiring. Bringing some more thrash to the table however, the mid section sees a very Priest like chug and howl from MacKenzie before the solo sees the guitars skating all around the fretboard. This is a really effective, rousing sort of headbanging intro song that sets up the themes and musical direction of the album nicely.

The following song ‘Mars For The Rich’ moves more into a 70s hard rock sort of feel that evokes the likes of Thin Lizzy or Led Zeppelin. There’s an infectiously fun bluesy groove here which is sure to get audiences bopped their heads along to. This approach then hardens within the verse where the harsher Halford vocals come in among dense fuzzy guitars and a thunderous low end bass. The slightly moodier verses here provide a really nice sense of contrast with the more euphoric chorus that brings back that earlier bouncy riff. Again, the simple chorus of “Mars for the rich” is incredibly catchy and full of a sense of conviction that would feel totally communal in a live environment. This back and forth continues a few times until we get to the mid-section, which sees things pause for a second to give some killer low end Black Sabbath bass riffing alongside some wailing, effects laden guitars. Then enters a fuzzed up bass solo section that locks in nicely with the rolling drum fills before the song then ends on that killer riff. This is a super fun song which showcases the band’s garage and psychedelic background, all while giving it a bit more of a aggro metal bite.

This metal bite is more than a little bit more pronounced in the next song 'Organ Farmer' though. Clocking in at only 2 and a half minutes, this track is a total thrash tune where the frantic double bass drums lock into a Slayer-esque blast and speed. Again, the pointed vocal pronunciations and speed of the gritty lyrics very much sound like heavier Judas Priest, but the sheer speed of the riffing here and the mad atonal squealing lead lines that come straight out of the Kerry King playbook make this one sound almost exactly like what you would expect a Slayer song fronted by Rob Halford to sound like. And it’s just as cool as that would suggest. Throw in a bit of Black Sabbath in those wah drenched guitars and lumbering bass lines and you have a total winner here. Especially impressive is the last 30 seconds of this song which sees the mad thrashy guitars come in once again alongside some utterly furious vocals before the whole track ends with a very Slayer-like high pitched squeal and a fading out guitar chord which leads into the next track.

And the quality is kept sky high here as well. 'Superbug' automatically brings the Black Sabbath feels to the table with a slowed down doomy clean guitar riff. After throwing in some blatantly Tony Iommi influenced hammer-on leads, there’s a high pitched demented squeal which introduces the awesomely oppressive and doomy wah heavy Black Sabbath stoner riff. The groove here is something really damn cool for this fan of the Birmingham band’s slowest material. After some palm muted verses, this riff sounds utterly colossal when everything locks together in a dirgy way. The vocal line of “Superbug, in my blood” (which describes the rise of human killing insects that are immune to any medicine out there) sounds just as catchy as it does sound completely apocalyptic and horrifying. At this point, this is one of my favourite things I have heard this year. Even though the song doesn’t really move outside of that doomy sort of territory and only gets slightly more chaotic towards the end of the track, this is an example of a doom song that does everything right that’s so good about that sub-genre. Undeniably huge.

The first song on what would be the second side of a record is that of ‘Venusian 1’, another thrashy tune that describes the process of moving from the destroyed earth to a new planet. This becomes the central theme within the second half of the record. Here, cymbals and discordant chords are punctuated with bass and drums before those fuzzed up-lo fi sounding guitars and Halford punctuated vocals come in once more. There is another simple but catchy chorus of “Venusian 1” alongside some Van Halen-esque shredding and squealing effects. There’s a crackling sort of sound that runs throughout the track that makes the whole thing sound like it’s about to implode at any time. Very appropriate for song about blasting off into the void of space. Ending the song in an invigorating way, the second third picks up pace with an intensely thrashy solo before the letters of ‘Venusian 1’ are spelt out against against that opening riff once again. Some frantic drums come in to accompany the vocals and squeals that really do feel like an eerie trip into the stratosphere. Things are brought nicely to a close with the “there is one planet V” line, which refers back to, and contrasts effectively, with the sentiment brought up in the earlier track ‘Planet B’. 

With the four remaining tracks, there is a bit of a sense that what is brought to the table has largely been done before earlier on in the album, but nevertheless, there are some differences to the ways in which the songs are produced which give a slightly different vibe to the first half of the record. ‘Perihelion’ has more of a stomp to it than previous tracks, but it still retains that thrashy sort of feel and tone within the instrumentation. What you would think is the chorus here is more low key and less catchy than some of the others mentioned previously but it still works well here and did actually grow on me as time went on. But then it turns out that the main chorus here is actually the section that follows this, where a little Iron Maiden esque vocal hook and some dual lead guitar lines pop in which have a distant, echoing feel in the layering. This is probably intentional due to the subject matter of being stuck floating in space. Towards the end of the track, things get a bit more epic with what sounds like a lonely harmonica and a small choir giving off an eerie sort of feel to proceedings.  

This leads back into ‘Venusian 2’, a song which treads familiar territory with more Motorhead double bass drums and another thrashy riff that locks into place for the verse. There’s some early Metallica/Slayer vibes in the slightly higher, less gritty and more distant sounding vocals here that do bring forward that sense of space more than the other thrashier songs. There’s more NWOBHM guitar noodling, a bass solo and some drum fills before the odd backing vocals come in and jump from right to left speakers in a seemingly deliberately disorientating fashion. Like the previous song, this is a track where the focus is more on the riffing and feel rather the chorus hook, and this again makes sense considering the themes here. 

This can also be seen within ‘Self-Immolate’ which has those thrashy double bass drums again before a scratchy, scooped riff comes in. After a brief blast of a drum solo, everything is quiet for a few seconds then a more saturated riff comes in alongside a Van Halen esque wailing guitar solo. The gritty vocals come back in with that effective punctuating sound describing the ship of Venusian blasting into a fiery planet. High pitched guitars accompany the main hook of “Venusian sickness dire, I want to be set on fire” that sounds slightly off-centre and disorienting once more, but deliberately and effectively so. The mid-section sees a really cool circle pit worthy chug drop in before the pace picks up once more for another squealing guitar solo. Things continue like this for a while before the song ends on that chug once more with some bouncy gang vocals and the sound of oncoming carnage with a blizzard of guitars and drums.

After speeding along in such a way that the half hour of this album feels like nothing at all, ‘Hell’ ends things off in an appropriate note which sees the spaceship “infesting the rat’s nest” of the hellish fiery planet it has launched into. The song opens with a cleaner sort of brief opening here which becomes another Priest-like thrashy tune. As with the last couple of songs, ‘Hell’ isn’t the best example of a huge song here, and what is done throughout the song has largely been done elsewhere in the album. But this is still a fun little way to end things off nonetheless. There is a cool apocalyptic mid-section which sees everything blasting off in a sweet galloping section that sounds like a more sinister, harder edged Maiden song alongside a pummelling double bass. Locking into more headbanging chugging, this groovier section lasts for about 20 seconds or so before the song and album ends on the “Infest the rat’s nest” line; arguably leaving the story’s narrative here open for a future album... I would certainly welcome a return and expansion of this style and the cool story established here. 

Overall, although I would say that Infest The Rat’s Nest is sonically stronger in the first half of the record, the cool storyline and lyrics established here, alongside the little flourishes this band throws into things throughout, make this release a really interesting one from start to finish. Any longer than 34 minutes and this formula could’ve gotten stale but thankfully, the album never outstays its welcome. Although the band never really reinvent the wheel here, this is still one of the most fun I’ve had with a metal album in some time. Rather than coming across as a novelty sort of attempt to ‘do’ a metal album, the band understands what the most exhilarating, fun, disturbing (and occasionally absurd) elements of the genre are and they tap into this perfectly. This clearly comes from a place of love of the genre, particularly of those classic 70s and 80s bands mentioned throughout this review. Is there anything this band can’t do? Judging by this album, I reckon the answer to that is probably “nothing at all”. 

See you in a few months after I check out the rest of their albums…

Tracks to check out: ‘Planet B’, ‘Mars For The Rich’, ‘Superbug’, ‘Venusian 1’

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The Short List

5) Volbeat- Rewind, Replay, Rebound (2nd August: Republic)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

The seventh album from Denmark’s premier (and perhaps only) rockabilly-metal group brings forth a collection of songs which continue to meld the sounds of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley with the rhythmic chug of bands like Metallica and Pantera. With Volbeat's last two albums though, the metal influences have softened in favour of a more radio-friendly hard rock sort of sound, and this is very much on show here once more.

There are still heavier moments to be found (‘Pelvis On Fire’, ‘The Everlasting’ and the inclusion of Slayer’s Gary Holt on ‘Cheapside Sloggers’), but this is very much an album that mostly finds itself in radio friendly territory. On songs like ‘Last Day Under The Sun’, ‘Die To Live’ and ‘Leviathan’, the scale and catchiness of the choruses and the supporting riffing works well within this dynamic. Unfortunately, there are also examples which do not deliver at all, instead only giving the listener plodding, uninspiring tracks which have lacklustre vocal hooks (‘Rewind The Exit’, ‘The Everlasting’, ‘Under The Influence’ in particular). Perhaps worse than this however are the incredibly over-sappy ballads (‘When We Were Young’, ‘Cloud 9’, ‘7:24’, ‘Maybe I Believe’). One or two of these would have been fine, but having four is a bit too much to stomach. As such, this is very much an album that will appeal more to those who prefer Volbeat’s more melodic material. In saying that, I would still struggle to see there being many who love the softer songs here... 

For me personally, I can’t help but wish the band would have a bit more grit to their sound once more. In saying that, there are a few good tracks here that will sound huge live. As with other bands with their level of success and size, maybe a few excellent tracks are all Volbeat really need for their associated tour cycles. And that's fair enough for what it is... But please guys, more songs like 'Leviathan' and less like 'When We Were Kids' next time out, yeah?

Tracks to check out: ‘Leviathan’, ‘Die To Live’

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6) Carnifex- World War X (2nd August: Nuclear Blast)

WORDS: Ross Donald

World War X marks the third album from the Californfia deathcore band Carnifex to be released on Nuclear Blast, and this album also marks the first time I've properly listened to the band after hearing about them from other reviewers.

The album starts off strong with the title track detailing the forces of hell taking over the earth, setting the tone for the rest of the album. The symphonic elements mixing with the brutal nature of the song to really make it stand out as well. Sadly, the next few songs don’t do much to mix things up and the next ten minutes are a bit of a drag with a lack of urgency pretty evident here. The first single ‘No Light Shall Save Us’ is a nice highlight as it features the vocals of the wonderful Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz (even though her harsher vocals could have been put to better use here). It also features a nice chorus where the male and female vocals play off against one another quite well. Best song of the album for my money. Strangely it’s after this track that the album really picks up with the following three tracks showing more of that sense of urgency that I mentioned earlier. There's more than a few headbang worthy moments here, especially with ‘Brushed by the Wings of Demons’ and all in all, it’s not a bad album but it's not really my cup of tea. Many of the tracks lack originality and come across as filler tracks, with only a few songs worth mentioning at all. I’m not really tempted to check out the band’s past work.

Tracks to check out: 'World War X', 'No Light Shall Save Us'

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7) Destruction- Born To Perish (9th August: Nuclear Blast)

WORDS: Ross Donald

Formed in 1982, Destruction, alongside Kreator, Sodom and Tankard are considered to be part of the German big four of thrash metal bands, so the fact that the band are onto their 14th studio album shouldn't be too surprising. I hadn’t actually heard of the band before I’d gotten to see them as part of Overkill’s live tour (see my review for that here). They certainly made an impression given the fact that they nearly burst my eardrums with how loud and insane they were.

I was a little tentative going into this one though, as thrash releases that go on for about 50 minutes tend to drag on a bit. But thankfully that was never the case here with each track flowing along nicely and each brought something interesting to the table. Only the slightly excessive ‘Butchered At Birth’ needs a bit of a trim as it is nearly 7 minutes long and it does drag on a little. The first few songs absolutely rip and keep you wanting more though, with the catchy and political ‘Rotten’ being a particular highlight. Destruction really don’t mind saying "fuck you" to the establishment. The fast and furious track in the form of ‘Tyrants Of The Netherworld’ in particular aims to slag off the selfish leaders of the world with lyrics that are very relevant today. The album even ends with a nice bonus with a very fun cover of ‘Hellbound’ by Tygers Of Pan Tang. This one’ll lodge itself right in your head for sure.

Overall, this is a damn fine thrash album during a year that seems to be full of them. This is definitely one to check out. Destruction and other bands like Sacred Reich and Death Angel are showing that in 2019, the thrash subgenre is far from dead. 

Tracks to check out: 'Rotten', 'Tyrants Of The Netherworld'

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8) Conjurer and Pijn- Curse These Metal Hands (16th August: Holy Roar)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

Pressing play on this collaborative release from two of Holy Roar’s most musically dense and moody bands Conjurer and Pijn,you could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to a completely different band. 

'High Spirits’, in its 9 minutes of majesty, is lush in a way that is reminiscent of Deafheaven’s more soft and beautiful material. Throw in some triumphantly fist pumping and soaring lead melodies with some joyous Andrew WK-esque gravelly vocals, and you have something that sounds a bit like a more uplifting version of Baroness (as comically noted by the bands' merchandise since this release). Alongside this sense of musical similarity to the Georgia band, there is a similar sense of exuberance which can be found throughout much of this half hour 4 track EP. Even when the tracks themselves get more similar to Conjurer and Pijn’s normal musical output (particularly in the genre-flitting 8-minute ‘The Pall’ and the short but snappy ‘Endeavour’), there is a unity within the Alcest-esque lead lines and atmospheric builds within the softer sections that hark back to the beauty of the first track. This is perhaps most evident on the final track ‘Sunday’ which clocks in at over 10 minutes. Here, the shimmering guitars sprinkle over some Behemoth-esque moody riffs before a glorious three minute build up to Thin Lizzy style dual guitar lines is crafted which then ends the release on a joyous high note. 

It truly feels like Curse These Metal Hands is a collaboration between two bands who obviously love playing music together. Although it is unclear whether Conjurer and Pijn will continue to work on this project in the future, for now at least, this EP offers a refreshingly euphoric glimpse at what is possible when bands create something for the joy of making music with people they have a great time with. Cynically motivated side project bands should take note. This is how you do it.

Tracks to check out: ‘High Spirits’, ‘Sunday’

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9) Knocked Loose- A Different Shade of Blue (23rd August: Pure Noise Records)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

Living up to the hype built for 2017 debut album Laugh Tracks, the sophomore album from Kentucky’s most famous metallic-hardcore band, Knocked Loose, takes this promising foundation and builds an even more formidable structure upon it here. 

Sharpening the already anvil heavy riffing with an almightily hulking guitar tone, this album is one which storms out of the gate with ‘Belleville’, and it never really stops pummelling from there. Bryan Garris’ lead vocals sound more furious and aggressive than ever, while guitarist Cole Crutchfield provides a hefty lower register growl to counteract this, making the sound all the more intense. Influenced by bands like Code Orange and Kublai Khan, the riffing throughout this album is heavier than ever, the swaggering grooves are more infectious, the beatdowns are more rousing and the sense of threat is far more prevalent. While these aspects don’t stretch far beyond metalcore conventions, the bludgeoning nature of these songs means that such nuances would be almost pointless in the live environment anyway. Throw in some interesting appearances from Dying Wish’s Emma Boster (‘A Serpent’s Touch’) and Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley (‘Forget Your Name’), and you have an album and a band here that continue to refine their sound, all the while managing to sound heavier than ever before. This is definitely not the most technically minded hardcore album you’ll hear this year, but with this album seeming like it’s bursting out of the speakers, it is one which will utterly melt faces in the live environment regardless. 

Within this (knowingly) ignorant style of music, I’m not sure I’ve enjoyed a release as much as this in some time. I would thoroughly recommend checking this out if you want to feel like a juggernaut for half an hour or so. Oh, and do catch this band when they’re in the UK later in the year if you want an intense live show. You won’t regret it.  

Tracks to check out: ‘Belleville’, ‘Trapped In The Grasp Of A Memory’, ‘Forget Your Name’

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10) Sacred Reich- Awakening (23^rd August: Metal Blade Records)

WORDS: Ross Donald

If you thought waiting 13 years for a new Tool album was a long time, try waiting 23 years for a new Sacred Reich record. For anyone unfamiliar with the band, they are a thrash band formed in 1985 and this is their first studio album since 1996’s Heal. Was it worth the long wait? In a word: yes.  

Opener ‘Awakening’ is a classic thrash starting track, as the lyrics declare their return and the fact that they’re better than ever. One thing I do really love about the album is the production, as it sounds like it came right out of the late 80s without it coming across as dated. This really does separate the sound from a ton of the other bands out there just now. ‘Divide and Conquer’ is a rallying war cry about corrupt politicians who turn us all against each other to get our way: “Race, religion, colour or nation, Reasons to kill, Take your pick”. It gets pretty deep and feels like it’ll work well at live shows. As well as the politically more downtrodden lyrics, the band have some more uplifting words of advice to give to people fighting in this society. This is pretty evident in the album highlight ‘Manifest Reality’. It’s one of the heavier tracks on here but the lyrics are anything but brutal: “Putting others before ourselves, there is no limit to who we help, with the love that we share, that we spread everywhere”. Damn guys... that’s beautiful.

Overall, this is just a terrific album as it speeds through at only 31 minutes, and every song is great. There's also no filler here as each track has something to offer. Even some use of cowbell! We always need more cowbell... One of the best thrash releases of the year, and one which will be worth mentioning when it comes to the best albums of the year.

Tracks to download: 'Awakening', 'Divide and Conquer', 'Manifest Reality'

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Thanks to Ross for helping out with this album round-up for August, and thanks to you for reading! If you would like to listen to the recommended tracks from this review, there is a playlist above which contains those songs plus some other rock releases from this month. Feel free to leave a comment below to let us know which albums you have enjoyed this month.

Help support us by giving us a like/follow over the socials or get in touch if there are any submissions or contributions you would like to make to RWEI. 

Cheers!