Connor’s SEPTEMBER ROUND-UP!
Well, in September, I turned twenty two, finalizing my embrace of manhood…or something. But that was nowhere near the most important thing that happened. Check out the list of incredible albums that came out this past month!
Well, if you weren’t sure whether or not September was going to be a stacked month, this release should have sealed the deal for you. Released on the very first day of the month, Sustenance started things off right with loads of dissonance and gobs or grotesque, groove-laden heaviness that is sure to break necks with catchiness and shatter backs with brute-force aggression. Even though Grey might have a monotonous name, it is packed with diversity and vivid anger.
4) Vanities – Dead Beats [EP]
In a day where so much emphasis is mistakenly placed on a band’s appearance rather than their sound, Vanities do it right—delivering a gritty, intense sound that vanity aside for balls-to-the-wall, hair-pulling insanity. Detailed with boundless, but tasteful, hints of nu-metallic riffing and slight dashes of poppy catchiness, Dead Beats is an EP that is just heavy enough to appeal to chuggaholics, yet smart and sly enough to appeal to fans of more intricate and delicate post-hardcore sensibilities.
3) Serpent Bearer – Dark Matter [EP]
Few releases are capable of capturing the true meaning of diversity like Dark Matter does. Serpent Bearer take all the burning intensity and slow, smothering darkness of a down-tempo band and spike it with sludge metallic ambience and enthralling progressive soundscapes to make a release that is a truly standalone example of how creative—yet crushing—deathcore can be.
2) Wraiths – Hollow [EP]
If Serpent Bearer were the dukes of diverse and dynamic deathcore, then Wraiths are the overlords of evil, over-the-top down-tempo. Hollow is simply one of the most unique offerings the new, budding genre has seen to date: by combining the deepest and grittiest guitars the listener can fathom with grating, screeching screams, Hollow is an experience that feels like the listener’s ears are getting rammed with pinecones covered in sandpaper; blistering, bloodying and brutalizing in the best way possible.
1) Continent – Wasteland [EP]
I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t bummed when Continent’s release didn’t drop mid-summer as originally planned. It was an album I was almost too excited for—and being forced to wait for its release through We Are Triumphant didn’t help my anxiety. However, even after the wait, worry and loathsome loads of hype, I can safely say that this is one EP that completely blew my expectations out of the water. Crushing from beginning to end, speeding up only to transition to even slower, heavier breakdowns, Wasteland is the perfect follow-up to the band’s debut release, giving old fans more to love, and offering more than enough talent and promise to lure new ears to the slaughter.
