Aum Shinrikyo

 Long time no read! Forgive me father for I have sinned, it’s been 4 years since my last review. While plenty of stellar albums have been released since the last post on here, there is really only one worth writing about. 

Down I Go are back! Well back is a relative term, they never really went away. But they’re as back as 3 Englishmen living in 3 separate countries can be. After years of teasing fans with new music, they released their latest album on October 7th of 2022 entitled Aum Shinrikyo. 

These fucking guys, man. They’re like Pokémon that never stop evolving. It’s like having 3 Wayne Gretzky’s all playing on the same hockey team. It’s like 3 Gordon Ramsay’s working in the same kitchen. Pick whatever your favorite thing is and multiply it by 3; Aum Shinrikyo is the product of that thing.

Aum Shinrikyo is everything that Down I Go have done well, but taken to another level. All of the basic elements of Down I Go are present. Alan is riffing the guitar to pieces, Pete is harmonizing with himself 8 times over while simultaneously shouting his vocal chords out of existence, and Ben is backbone-ing the chaos.Thus far, every album has an identifiable characteristic that’s a part of each of them. You can hear a song and say “This one is from the Gods EP” or “This is Disastercore.” While the same can be said of Aum, certain tracks have moments that almost recall moments from previous albums. Almost like little Easter eggs for listeners to hear and say “this is familiar.”  

The triumphant return of brass is the obvious starting place. It makes its presence known about 45 seconds into the first track and they do not stop shining. In some areas they compliment the music around them, in other areas they are the front of action. Voice of God is the prime example of this. 

Then there are also little moments within tracks that pull you back to their previous works. I’m not a musician, I know shit about dick when it comes to technical things; but when it comes to the tone or tuning in the first track all I can think of are the heavy hammering moments that come out of the Mortals EP. Another example of a brief moment is one riff at the 1:00 mark of you don’t leave. It almost sounds like the T-1000 riff off of robot core. Then there is the shrieking  “Down I Go” shout at the end of Voice of God. I think that’s my favorite aspect of the album as a whole, there moments that only last 4 seconds, but have 15 years of context behind them. 

As far as favorite tracks go, it’s hard to pick because every song is so spectacular. It’s only after nearly 3 months of heavy listening that I’ve been able to pick one. 25 Wise Members has to take the cake, because it’s the only one that feels different than the others. It’s a prime example of what Down I Go do best. Every album they do is a concept album; their strongest point as a band is SOUNDING like the subject that is being explored. Like the cult itself, Aum is heavy in its brutality and organized in its chaos, but also captures the moments of misery endured by its followers, as well as the innocent victims of their crimes. Through all of their work, this is the first time I’ve actually FELT the subject. 25 wise members is what I imagine it would feel like to be in the cult. It’s fun. It makes you want to get everybody you know and shout along while dancing. Its infectious. It feels well in its intent, even though it’s malicious in its words.

While there are hundreds of things that I haven’t tackled that make this album special (the Taiko, the call and response, Stuart Warwick, etc.) no one person can cover them all. If you’re reading this as a long time fan, consider writing your own review. They put a lot of work into something and to have it go under appreciated by us would be unfair. If you’re a new fan, welcome to our cult (there’s dozens of us!) and consider actually buying the album. We can’t get more gems like this if we don’t pay for them. 

Julia's 2018 Albums of the Year

It's back! My third annual Album of the Year list. There were so many awesome releases last year and I feel like each year it gets harder and harder to make this list. This year's list is made up of my 9 favorite albums of 2018. If you want to know more about why I chose these albums, send me a message or follow my social media!

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1. Sister Cities by The Wonder Years

Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing was the soundtrack to my sophomore and junior years of high school and after that release, I fell out of love with TWY for a long time. It wasn’t until the release of Sister Cities when I fell back in love with them. Admittedly, I haven’t given the works in between Suburbia and Sister Cities a lot of listening time, but I really think that Sister Cities is their best work yet. There is an undertone of sadness, or ‘saudade’ (a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia that is supposedly characteristic of the Portuguese or Brazilian temperament.” thanks Google) that is very present throughout the album which is something everyone can relate to on some level, which is why I think I like this record so much. Sister Cities is The Wonder Years at their best. This record still has the punchy and catchy choruses we love, but they are infrequent which is something I personally like. The standout songs on this album are definitely the softer ones, especially “Flowers Where Your Face Should Be.” Sister Cities is perfect from start to finish and I’m really glad I finally listened to it.

2. Cataracts by Levi the Poet

            Cataracts is Levi the Poet as you’ve never seen Levi the Poet before. This album feels more like a hip-hop album than a spoken word album. I absolutely love LTP’s previous release, Correspondence (A Fiction) and was actually a little shocked the first time I listened to Cataracts because I was not expecting it. The things discussed in this album are heavy and sometimes jarring and heartbreaking, but they need to be talked about. My personal favorite, and in my opinion, the most important track on the record is the last one, “Keep Forgiving.” There is a reminder throughout the album to keep forgiving others as well as yourself - which is, sometimes, the hardest thing to do. Even if you don’t like spoken word poetry, listen to “Keep Forgiving” because its message is incredibly important and the track is absolutely beautiful with a simple acoustic guitar behind Levi’s powerful words.

3. Neon by ERRA

            ERRA is like a fine wine, they get better with time. I like almost all of ERRA’s past releases, but I think Neon is their best release yet. Every single moving part on this album works together to create the perfect balance of heavy rhythms and light melodies. I also think that the current lineup is their best lineup yet, especially with JT Cavey and Jesse Cash at their vocal helm. JT’s vocals are the best they’ve ever been and Jesse’s clean vocal hooks and choruses are super strong and incredibly catchy. This whole album has a bouncy feel to it which is something their previous releases didn’t have, along with some gnarly breakdowns that are expected from ERRA. Each song is unique but they all work together to make a pretty perfect progressive metalcore album.

4. Tearing at the Seams by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

            An Americana/folk rock/soul album?? On MY AOTY list??? Totally not surprising at all, actually. I have a deep appreciation for Americana and folk music and I really enjoy listening to it on a semi-regular basis, especially in the spring/summer. I listened to this album a lot this summer, mostly in the car, turned up loud with the windows down. Tearing at the Seams is full of foot-stomping rhythms and choruses to sing with your friends, but it also has some softer moments, especially in the title track. This is, most definitely, NR&TNS’s best work and is the perfect album to listen to with those closest to you while sitting outside under a summer evening sky.

5. Private Room (EP) by Counterparts

            This EP is made up of three B-sides from their last two records that would probably not have seen the light of day. These three songs are insanely good and most definitely deserved to be released and played live (“Monument” is an absolute banger live). I’m glad this EP was released as a stand-alone release because, though I love all of the songs, I personally don’t see them together, or individually, on Tragedy Will Find Us or You’re Not You Anymore - they were meant to be together on this EP.

6. Errorzone by Vein

            I started to listening to this album because everywhere I turned on social media I saw people talking about it and how good it was. The first few times I listened to it, I genuinely did NOT like it, but something about it made me want to listen more. I did and here it is at #6 on my list. To this day, I still can’t believe that Errorzone came out in 2018. It draws heavily from the metallic hardcore and, believe it or not, nu-metal sounds of the late 1990s and early 2000s which is something I really haven’t heard being done in recent years. This album is absolute (controlled) chaos that marries hardcore and other ridiculously heavy and experimental music styles all into a neat little package that clocks in at a whopping 27 minutes from beginning to end. It is hard for me to accurately describe how insane this album is - you just have to listen to it.

7. When the End Began by Silent Planet

            Silent Planet is one of the most unique metalcore bands I’ve ever listened to and When the End Began is the most unique metalcore release I listened to this year. The lyrical content of every Silent Planet album is more different than the next which is what I think sets them apart from a lot of other bands (Silent Planet have written songs about historical events as well as current issues. Hell, each album has complete, properly formatted, citations in the footnotes of the lyric booklet/insert for every single song) and When the End Began is no different. Vocally, this is Garrett Russell’s best work to date. There are so many strong lows that we haven’t really heard on their previous full-length albums that work perfectly with all of the other moving parts in the background. I really loved this record and I think it’s definitely one of the more important releases of the year because of the themes that are discussed on the record.

8. boygenuis (EP) by boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus)

            This EP is one of the best EP releases of the last few years, hands down. Each song on this short and sweet EP packs a punch and each song showcases the strengths of each individual artist, but each individual is complemented beautifully by the others. Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus are amazing solo, but when the three of them come together, it’s an absolutely magical punch to the gut. Each song is beautiful I get chills every time I listen to them and they sound incredible live (seriously - look up a boygenius live performance; you will not be disappointed).

9.  Wild and Free by Jessica Vosk

      Jessica Vosk is one of my favorite Broadway vocalists of all time and when she put up a Kickstarter project last year to record her debut album, you bet your butt I backed it (backer #6 to be exact). I saw Jessica perform as Elphaba in the national tour of Wicked when it stopped in Providence a few years ago. I was absolutely blown away by her performance and of course I cried during “Defying Gravity” because who doesn’t? Anyway, Jessica is now playing our favorite green witch on BROADWAY!!! Yes, Broadway. When I saw that announcement, I cried again because she’s absolutely amazing and a vocal powerhouse. Listen to this album, it’s fabulous (the cover of Sia’s “Chandelier” will give you chills.)

Ryan's Favorite Releases of 2017

2017 was about as strange of a year as any other I have lived through; for me personally however, it was a massive year of change. While things around me (and possibly things about me) shifted throughout this time, my love for music did not. Thankfully Julia included two of my favorite releases in her own list so I could really narrow it down to a Top 3.

1) Precious Art by Rozwell Kid  (West Virgina, US)

I have always liked Rozwell Kid. Their songs are more often than not silly in nature, well written, but above all else fun. As is typical with albums I love immensely, I wasn't super into Precious Art when I heard it back in June. Then as the weeks went on a track would come on shuffle and I'd think, "Hey, I actually like this song." Within a couple of months I had listened to the album front to back at least two dozen times and I started to pick up things that I wasn't aware of my first few listens through. It still has that silly, less than serious attitude of previous works. The best example has to be the song "Wishman." It's my favorite Dad-Joke except put to music. "I asked the Wishman to make me a dog. He said 'your wish is my command' and I said 'Woof! Woof! Woof!" It's hilarious. It's the conversation I have with my father on a daily basis, "Dad will you make me a sandwich?' 'Poof! You're a sandwich!" With that said there are hidden gems that, while they seem as matter-of-fact as "Wishman" are profoundly heartbreaking and punch me right in the feels. "Booger" is the prime example. As I hear it, the song centers around a person waiting for their lover to call them because that's all they really care about in life is this other person. So they're just picking their nose waiting when finally they get the call. They get so excited they smear their booger all over the phone screen. Then they break up, and the only memory of this person is that booger smeared across the screen. It's funny, it's sad, it's everything Rozwell Kid does best. On top of the album itself was the show. I had never seen them and as the night progressed I wound up getting them to sign this record for a friend of mine who couldn't make it. Then they played "Wishman" three times in a row, and on the fourth time through let an audience member change the animal from a dog to another animal. The guy chose a cow, then the whole crowd Mooed; following that they were Mooed the rest of their night in Denver. Rozwell Kid was hands down the best show of 2017 and released the best album of 2017.  Be sure to grab it from their Bandcamp page or through the SideOneDummy store.

2) VOIDS by Minus The Bear (Seattle, Washington, US)

I have listened to VOIDS more than any other album this year. In the years I've spent invested in music I've noticed a trend: the addition of a new drummer more often than not leads to massive changes. It makes sense, drumming is the backbone to everything, so why wouldn't it change things around it? I also wasn't expecting them to release something this late in their career that I would love and enjoy even more than their previous releases. My love for VOIDS isn't in how well they have evolved musically (but rest assured they have) it's in how much they seemed to mature after Infinity Overhead. If this album were released 4 years ago it probably would have been at the top of my list. It relates so well to where I was in life at that point in time. It makes me feel that longing and devotion to another person that I had so long ago. It's all of my nostalgia captured in a 46 minute long segment. I listen to it front to back almost religiously, and every time I do I nearly break into tears. "What about the boat?" is likely my favorite track they have ever made. It has that old Minus The Bear sound but it's been coupled with these heavy complex emotions surrounding the lyrics. If you haven't hopped on the bandwagon yet, you can visit their website or browse through the Suicide Squeeze store.

3) Mortals by Down I Go (Stockholm, Toronto, Chicago)

I have already written a full review on here previously which you may scroll through if you are so inclined, but they must be on the list. It is my favorite band at their utmost best, and I think I have finally started to pinpoint why. Down I Go aren't a band. I mean, they are, but not in a traditional sense. They live in different countries. Where most bands write in the same room these gentlemen seem to feed off of their distance. The fact that they will in all likelihood never share a stage together (as saddening as that is) means that they have the freedom to explore sounds and ideas that they perhaps wouldn't have thought of doing if they actually did occupy the same space. You don't need to be a fan of heavy music to be a fan of theirs; all you really need is to focus. There are so many harmonies riddled through 4 songs that I still have a hard time believing their vocalist is THE ONLY person who does the vocals. Every layer is him. It makes my brain hurt. Hell, it even hurts my throat hearing him scattered about each of the harmonies, screams, and growls. Like them on facebook, follow them on Twitter, or do the world a favor and buy their music and merchandise so that they can have the money to self-produce more works of art such as this.

Julia's 2017 Albums of the Year

2017 was probably the best year for music in a long time. So many of my favorite artists released stellar albums and making this list has been a delightful challenge. I narrowed it down to nine albums because picking a tenth was incredibly difficult.

1. After Laughter – Paramore
I tried to write a full review of After Laughter but none of my drafts were even close to express my thoughts and feelings about this album. It’s easy, yet difficult, to articulate just how fantastic After Laughter is. It’s such a change from Paramore’s previous releases and I think that Paramore made the best decision by going this route. It’s a gamble to completely change your band’s sound, but I think the gamble totally paid off and that it was the best thing Paramore did. I could hear some of their new sound on their self-titled release, but I never thought that their fifth album would be a colorful, retro dream. Each Paramore album is more mature than the previous, but After Laughter is the most mature and grown up record in their discography. It is a striking reminder that life is not always peachy and that hope can be dimmed. This is the most honest album I have heard in quite a while and it is refreshing to hear it coming from Paramore.

2. Harry Styles - Harry Styles
This is as surprising to me as it is to you. I am not a One Direction fan by any stretch of the imagination and I don’t like any of the other member’s solo work. Except Harry Styles. This is one of the handful of albums that doesn’t have any songs I skip. This album clearly has retro influences and Harry isn’t shy about sharing his love for older bands and artists - he did a fantastic cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” on a BBC Live Lounge, and has talked about being greatly influenced by David Bowie and Pink Floyd. I am excited to see where Styles takes his solo material in the years to come. 

3. Science Fiction - Brand New
Note: I began creating this list and writing about Science Fiction well before the news about Jesse Lacey came to light. I’ve wrestled with keeping this on the list and writing about it since then. Brand New, as a whole, mean a lot to me and their music means a lot to me – Science Fiction is no exception. If anybody has issues, comments, or wants to further discuss why I left it on the list, do not hesitate to reach out to me. I would be more than happy to talk about my reasoning.

When Brand New’s ‘Fifth Album’ was announced, I cried in a Michael’s craft store (then the parking lot of said craft store). I immediately purchased the ‘Very Limited’ vinyl and tickets to their Boston tour date without knowing anything about the final Brand New album ever. This album has been on this list since it was released. Brand New has outdone themselves yet again. Every album is more abstract, introspective, and better than the one before. This album is the perfect synthesis of The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me and Daisy. I have listened to this record too many times to count and I find something new with each listen. The lyrics are artfully crafted and paired perfectly with melodies and rhythms. It only seems fitting that this is Brand New’s last release. Science Fiction will never beat The Devil and God for me, but it comes pretty darn close.

4. Good Nature - Turnover
I didn’t think Turnover were going to go full dream-pop on Good Nature, but they did and I love it. This album makes me think of summer and everything that comes with it; sunshine, beach trips, late nights, sunsets, driving with the windows open, the whole nine. It has a super smooth flow from beginning to end and I love that. This album has a much more positive feel both musically and lyrically compared to Peripheral Vision. Turnover means a lot to me, as does this album. Good Nature is like instant happy for me and never fails to put a smile on my face and brings me back to warm summer days that turned into cool summer nights.

5. True View - Stick To Your Guns
It took a few listens for me to really fall in love with True View. To me, since The Hope Division was released, Stick To Your Guns can’t release a bad album. The things talked about on True View are more introspective than last year’s EP, Better Ash Than Dust, and their last full-length album, Disobedient. They have never shied away from putting out records with politically-charged commentary, but I am glad they didn’t go that route with True View. During a year where politics was at the forefront of basically everything, I greatly appreciated this record for not being political. This album has a slightly different sound from their previous albums but it is still the Stick To Your Guns we all know and love.

6. Turn Out the Lights - Julien Baker
I don’t even know where to start with this album. I absolutely loved Sprained Ankle and Turn Out The Lights is like a more grown-up Sprained Ankle. The first time I heard "Appointments," the first single off this album, I cried. Baker has a way with saying things eloquently without sugar-coating the truth. That is a difficult thing to do, but Baker does it perfectly with every song she releases. This album is honest and real. Baker has a way with words and creating music that sticks with you.

7. Waiting for Morning to Come - Being As An Ocean
I fell in love with this album the first time I listened to it. But then I fell out of love with it. Then in love with it again. I love Being As An Ocean and their entire catalog of music but Waiting for Morning to Come is very different from their previous releases (Being As An Ocean, How We Both Wondrously Perish) and it is a complete departure from their first release, Dear G-d. The instrumental tracks between songs helps the album flow unlike others on this list. Joel Quartuccio is a brilliant lyricist and his abilities shine on this record. I’m incredibly glad that Being As An Ocean bought out their contract to release this album because it seemed like Equal Vision was never going to.

8. Melodrama – Lorde
It took a long time for Lorde to grow on me after the release of Pure Heroine. I could not stand "Royals" and hearing that song everywhere turned me off to Lorde completely for a while. Once I came around to liking her, she has become one of my favorite female pop artists of all time. Melodrama is much more mature and has a different energy than Pure Heroine which I love. Lorde has really grown up and matured and this album shows that growth along with the troubles that come with it.

9. A Black Mile to the Surface - Manchester Orchestra
I listened to this album after seeing just about everybody talk about it on Twitter and Instagram and it was like nothing I have ever heard from Manchester Orchestra before. This album is complex, haunting, and rich. With each listen, I hear more and more little things I had missed before. Each song tells a story and the lyrics are incredibly well-written. The record as a whole flows beautifully from beginning to end.

Honorable mentions

1. Ritual (EP) - Envy On The Coast

2. As You Please - Citizen

3. Feel Something - Movements

4. From the Unforgiving Arms of God (EP) - END

Were there albums I completely missed this year that you loved? Tell me! Send me a message or tweet!

On Repeat

Recently, I have had the same handful of albums on repeat and I have been talking and tweeting about them nonstop. All of these albums are new(ish) releases that I highly recommend and that might be on my Albums of the Year list. All of the albums are available on Spotify and Apple Music.

Science Fiction by Brand New
This one is a no-brainer. If you’ve read my other posts on this blog, follow me on any social media or know me in person, then you know how much I love Brand New. Science Fiction was a surprise release for every Brand New fan out there and it was absolutely worth the wait (it’s been 8 years since Brand New released a full-length album). It’s nothing like “I Am A Nightmare” or Mene that were released in-between Daisy and Science Fiction. To me, this album is Deja Entendu, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, and Daisy all mashed together and I absolutely love it.

Good Nature by Turnover
Full disclosure, I’ve had a copy of this album since early/mid-August because I attended Turnover’s album listening party in Boston and acquired a copy on CD and it hasn’t left my car’s CD player since. To me, the album sounds just like summer. It’s like Peripheral Vision because it is smooth and melodic, but at the same time they’re polar opposites. Good Nature is dreamy, shoegaze-y, and smooth. The album really puts you into a trance as you listen and the entire album really sounds like one continuous song. It's much brighter and lighter sounding than Peripheral Vision.

Harry Styles by Harry Styles
This might come as a surprise but I have to admit that Harry Styles is insanely talented and deserves all the publicity and hype this album is getting. I am not a fan of One Direction at all but damn I love Harry Styles’ voice. The first single off the album, “Sign of the Times,” is reminiscent of “Heroes” by David Bowie. I rarely ever compare other artists to Bowie but Styles channels Bowie in a way that is unique. Harry Styles has a lot of throwback and retro influences but it is still a modern-sounding album in the way that nothing sounds dated or too cliché. There are definite ‘70’s rock influences and no two songs sound the same, yet each song highlights Styles’ impressive vocal range and creativity.

A Black Mile to the Surface by Manchester Orchestra
I saw how much hype this album was getting on Twitter and Instagram and I felt compelled to check it out. I was never a massive fan of Manchester Orchestra but this album definitely changed that for me. This album is incredibly haunting and beautiful and it will stick with you after just one listen. It’s not as brash-sounding as some of Manchester Orchestra’s previously releases but it is still lyrically honest like their previous releases.

Mortals by Down I Go

 Mortals by Down I Go
Scattered across the earth, and living incognito as "regular people" are masters of an art form centuries old. Contrary to popular belief, being a successful band is not being rich, famous, or even popular; success is the accomplishment of some aim or purpose. Given that, it is no stretch to say that Down I Go are one of the most successful bands in our era. Their back catalog shows their ability and admiration for grabbing an idea, then bring it to life through both sound and story. Where many bands have run with concept albums, none ever feel as whole or well thought out as those put forth by Down I Go. Not only does Mortals continue this trend of excellence, it surpasses all the things I've come to love about this band.

   It's everything Down I Go has always done well except it's something entirely new and unique in it's own way. Something people tend to forget is that vocals are an instrument in their own way. It's what makes harmonies so complex and beautiful, and something that the group seems to have perfected on Mortals. They used them more frequently and effectively in these four tracks than most bands have in their entire careers. It gives everything more balance in the process. That doesn't mean that there is a lack of throat-ripping, seemingly impossible to produce, screams present either. Those are plentiful as well.
   As is always the case, their time signatures are above and beyond. It is baffling to think of how they arrange these things. On top of that, there are so many layers stacked into 14 minutes that you can listen to it twenty times over and still hear something new each time. Multi-layered harmonies, brass, woodwinds and pianos are placed so brilliantly (some times on top of one another, sometimes individually) that it makes Mortals sound like the most grandiose of all of their works.
   With every new release they manage to give me a new favorite track. When Gods was released I was convinced that Icarus was the best song they had ever written. Until a bunch of lunatics (me included) crowd funded You're Lucky God That I Cannot Reach You and I heard Drangey Concecrated. Now, out of the blue and without warning, I've become entirely too fond of Heracles. It's the heaviest song on this EP, and also the most lovable. Writhing with complexity, unapologetic with it's brutality, and beautifully layered it very well may be my favorite track of theirs. After the pause with the piano, the harmonies come in almost poetically. The second go around, DEEP in the background, that same harmony is accompanied by the lowest, deepest growl I've ever heard from Down I Go. My favorite of all however are the low saxophone notes that accompany the horns during the bridge. It is filled to the brim with sounds that shouldn't make sense together, but do. For being so aggressive, it has the softest and most faint ending, almost lullaby-ing it's way out.
   Really, the only way to experience it is by listening to it. It is a cheap purchase that will bring you joy for the years to come and is available on their bandcamp page, as well as most of their discography. One final note I have is an observation. Despite implying that the band is unpopular in my introduction, the fact of the matter is that their continued dedication to creating has only helped them. They have grown in popularity and that is only because of their continued efforts. They do everything on their own. Writing, recording, promoting, etc. is all done by them. With that, I would like to thank them for all that they have done. I am proud of what they have been able to accomplish thus far. I hope there are things to come in the future.
   

Under The Radar

We here at Growth enjoy nothing more than to bring bands you've never heard of to the forefront. In this post I will introduce you to a few bands from different areas of the world that know what the fuck they're doing and do it well.

Portrayal Of Guilt by Portrayal of Guilt (Texas, United States)

We'll begin our tour with a new band from The United States. Portrayal of Guilt's self-titled EP is a 6 minute long ride that you will want to take over and over again. It starts with a bang. One minute of chaos unfolds into a beautifully layered chorus filled with melody and harmony. It drags you down into a pit with hypnotizing riffs until it chews you up and spits you back out. This is the case with each of the three tracks. Its unrelenting, unsettling, and unapologetic. If this is just the beginning then I can't wait to see where they go from here. They're currently on tour and that means there is a chance that they might stop by your city. You can find tour information on their bandcamp page as well as this EP.



Erase Images by Wolves At The Door (Wroclaw, Poland)

I take you now to a place I've never been, and can't even pronounce, Wroclaw, Poland. Let me begin by saying you're welcome for putting this in. Captivating riffs carry you from one track to the next in such a fluid manner that it feels natural. It takes a familiar sound and makes it feel new. It doesn't sound tired or overdone either like many other bands in this genre (whatever genre you want to put it in). Its not quite metal, its not quite crust, its not quite any one genre which is what I find so refreshing about it. You can listen to it or purchase it on their bandcamp page. Although I'm unsure what the conversion ratio of dollars is to...whatever currency they use in Poland.

Malaya by The Seeker (Rome, Italy)

I hope you like your music fast, loud, and angry because that is The Seeker in a nutshell. The longest track on Malaya caps at 1:55. It is 13 short tracks that will put you into a rage induced trance. Their ability to say so much in so little time is impressive to say the least. In their own words, it is "music to heal, secrets to destroy." The frontman's voice sounds like a cross between Jeremy Bolm's in his work with Hesitation Wounds and Josh Scogin from Norma Jean and The Chariot. All in all, Malaya is the ass-kicking for your ears that you deserve. Find it on their bandcamp page, listen to it, and love it. There is no way you can't.