Today, we are going to catch up on some of the past LPs and EPs and discuss them in as short of a manor as possible, because I missed a bunch of stuff last year.
Nails - You Will Never Be One Of Us
Grindcore is still kinda lame. I know half of the fun of grindcore and crust punk is screaming your ass off and saying “FUCK YOU” a bunch, but this LP ends up feeling like just another grind record on the pile, with the exception of some catchy riffs here and there.
Lich King - Cut The Shit (Demo)
Do I love this Lich King song? Of course I do. Lich King finally lets us see the video they have been teasing for ages, along with a demo cut of their new song “Cut The Shit” and by god it is great. Tom returns to absolutely crush it on vocals, while shitting on my favorite thing to shit on: metal elitism. If you love your thrash metal with a side of humor and ranting, this is the track for you.
Fleshgod Apocalypse - King
How in god’s name did you make an album with a damn near perfect track, with another 11 tracks of over-inflated filler? That’s actually kind of impressive. But seriously, if you want to hear what this LP should be, listen to the single “The Fool” and just move on.
Death Angel - The Evil Divide
In the off season, when none of the Big 4 or the Sub Big 4 just aren’t doing it for ya, make sure not to forget about Death Angel. Though they aren’t the most awe inspiring thrash band ever, they have been making consistent material for ages, and The Evil Divide is another continuation of that.
Aborted - Retrogore
Abnormality ended up dominating my time more than Aborted did this year, but Retrogore is another solid release for them. The riffs on this one are more simple and catchy, but it drags on a little long and just becomes exhausting.
David Bowie - Black Star
Fuuuuck dude… this album is weird…. I think I love it.
Nerf Herder - Rockingham
Guys… this is like a bad Bowling For Soup album what happened?
Serpentine Dominion - S/T
It’s the best Cannibal Corpse Album in years… doesn’t mean it’s great though.
Blink 182 - California
This album tries so hard to be a Blink 182 album rather than just being a good pop punk record. It reeks of the band trying to appeal to a fanbase that has far outgrown them. Why did you think you could get away with writing a song like “She’s Out Of Her Mind” when you guys are pushing 45?
Suicidal Tendencies - World Gone Mad
… At least it was over quick?
Infant Annihilator - The Elysian Grandeval Galèriarch
I can’t decide if I like this album or not. On the one hand, it’s some of the most technical, guitar-focused death metal I have ever heard, on the other it falls into every single slam/brutal death cliche in the book. When it wants to be technical it’s good, when it wants to be slam, it’s mediocre. It’s an enigma really.
Sumac - What One Becomes
Why does the metal community at large think that turning all music into Sun O)))) is going to bring Dio back?
Obscura - Akroasis
It’s another Obscura album, and it does its job well.
Gruesome - Dimensions of Horror
Why does everyone want old school death metal to come back so badly? It’s not like it was ever all that great… or not a piss-poor version of thrash.
Testament - Brotherhood of the Snake
This album is pretty good. Testament has been making some pretty solid material ever since “The Gathering” and this isn’t quite as good, but it’s more of a continuation of what they are good at. I wouldn’t mind if they went back to that style and made some heavier groove-thrash. Good album, just wouldn’t mind something a bit more diverse next time.
Death Grips - Bottomless Pit
Shitposting: The Album: V: The Return
Useless ID - State is Burning
I like this album, it’s punk rock album from an actual punk rock band and doesn’t waste your time. Listen to it. That is all.
Amon Amarth - Jomsviking
I don’t know what it is about Amon Amarth, but I never enjoy their music as much as I should. They’re good, I should love them, but I only like them. This album hasn’t convinced me to love them.
Gadget - The Great Destroyer
I like blast beats sometimes…
Skeletonwitch - The Apothic Gloom
*groan* I really wanted this to be good… and it’s just ok.
Sodom - Decision Day
This is the most generic thrash album I’ve heard in awhile. You know, I get that nobody liked “Epitome of Torture” but at least it was a bit more diverse and dare I say progressive than Sodom’s past material.
Weezer - The White Album
I don’t even remember finishing this album. I know this LP got some praise because it was a “return to form” for Weezer, and while I can’t compare this record to their previous work, I just didn’t find this album to be as engaging as The Blue Album, The Red Album or Pinkerton. Hell, at least Raditude didn’t put me to sleep. Cuomo’s vocals are fine, the production is clean, everything is ok, but the music is just so bland. The music isn’t catchy or energized, just kind of slow and predictable. I don’t know, if you’re a Weezer die hard, give it a try, but if not you’ll probably just find it boring.
Off With Their Heads - Won’t Be Missed
Hey you! Did you want an acoustic punk album that will make you cry like a bitch?! No!? Well too fucking bad! Seriously though, Off With Their Heads took some of their most emotional and serious songs and perform acoustic renditions of them. The result is some of the most gut wrenching punk songs I have ever heard. Ryan Young’s voice is absolutely incredible and his voice as it switches between his more emotional drone to his angry yell is the icing on this sappy but well meaning cake.
VHS - Wrestlemassace (2016 Single)/ Growing Pains (2016 Single for TBA release)
VHS had 1 full album and 2 singles released this year and somehow every single track they have released is terrible on a technical level. VHS’s brand of punky-horror grindcore is a ton of fun, but every single track is mixed in the worst possible way: with the bass cranked up so high that it sounds like they are playing in a room that is two doors down from your apartment, but they have shitty soundproofing, so you just hear muffled screaming and yelling. Not bad, just technically flawed.
Metal Alliegence - Fallen Heroes (EP)
Holy shit how does this happen? You have a super-group consisting of members of Dream Theater and Testament, plus guest musicians of Death Angel and Mastadon, release a kick-ass debut album, and cover some fantastic songs, yet somehow this is the worst produced record I've heard all year. Everyone on this record has talent, yet chooses not to show it off. The loud, heavy production of the debut record is gone, replaced with this hollow guitars that have no weight to them at all, and the vocalists sound like they're doing drunk karaoke in a dive bar. And this isn't a case of "oh it's a cover that's not as good as the original" these songs have actually been butchered by people who should fucking know better how to treat the music that inspired them. This only hurts even more considering that every track comes from an artist who recently passed away, specifically, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, David Bowie, and Glenn Frey of The Eagles.
The Descendents - Hypercaffium Spazzinate
Not bad at all, but The Descendents haven't really struck a chord with me the way they have with other people. Milo Goes To College and I Don't Want To Grow Up are classic albums, but recent Descendents records like Cool To Be You have become half punk rock records mixed with half of a Blink 182 record, and that kinda sucks. When The Descendents do fall back on that hardcore punk rock, it's good, the energy and the anger that made them famous is still there, with the more melodious tracks feeling like something off the aforementioned I Don't Want To Grow Up. But on the other hand, when the band takes a step further and goes from being melodious punk rock to.... Blink 182.... there isn't any real style or grace to any of it, it's just the band jamming about how they lost their girlfriends and it's so hammy. I don't know, if you're a die-hard fan, give it a go.
Ghoul - Wall of Death (Single)
Damn this is good. Why couldn't all of Dungeon Bastards be this good?
Ok so that's about it. Here's to saying goodbye to lists about 2016 and hoping 2017 will be better.
Metal Alliegence - Fallen Heroes (EP)
Holy shit how does this happen? You have a super-group consisting of members of Dream Theater and Testament, plus guest musicians of Death Angel and Mastadon, release a kick-ass debut album, and cover some fantastic songs, yet somehow this is the worst produced record I've heard all year. Everyone on this record has talent, yet chooses not to show it off. The loud, heavy production of the debut record is gone, replaced with this hollow guitars that have no weight to them at all, and the vocalists sound like they're doing drunk karaoke in a dive bar. And this isn't a case of "oh it's a cover that's not as good as the original" these songs have actually been butchered by people who should fucking know better how to treat the music that inspired them. This only hurts even more considering that every track comes from an artist who recently passed away, specifically, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, David Bowie, and Glenn Frey of The Eagles.
The Descendents - Hypercaffium Spazzinate
Not bad at all, but The Descendents haven't really struck a chord with me the way they have with other people. Milo Goes To College and I Don't Want To Grow Up are classic albums, but recent Descendents records like Cool To Be You have become half punk rock records mixed with half of a Blink 182 record, and that kinda sucks. When The Descendents do fall back on that hardcore punk rock, it's good, the energy and the anger that made them famous is still there, with the more melodious tracks feeling like something off the aforementioned I Don't Want To Grow Up. But on the other hand, when the band takes a step further and goes from being melodious punk rock to.... Blink 182.... there isn't any real style or grace to any of it, it's just the band jamming about how they lost their girlfriends and it's so hammy. I don't know, if you're a die-hard fan, give it a go.
Ghoul - Wall of Death (Single)
Damn this is good. Why couldn't all of Dungeon Bastards be this good?
Ok so that's about it. Here's to saying goodbye to lists about 2016 and hoping 2017 will be better.
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