Do you hear that? It’s New Noise, your weekly roundup of new metal releases from the Bay Area over the past seven days!
5/27
Hellbender – Skumlordz (EP)
I’m not going to say that the vocals on Scumlordz are particularly cheesy compared to MANY MANY other hardcore or metal albums, but when the vocalist delivers every line so clearly, in such a stereotypically angry, in-your-face manner, it detract from the final product. They aren’t bad per say, and it may simply be a matter of taste, I can’t help but picture a corny YouTube parody music video to pair along with the music when the vocalist jumps in on “Front Towards Enemy” or “Mirror Black”. But guess what? The instrumentation and songwriting are actually damn fun! The guitars and bass actually have darkly striking tones, and hell, these riffs, while not particularly avant-garde, hit hard! Open up the fuckin’ pit. You should have seen my unintentional stank face throughout the closing song, “Wreckage”, its got some absolutely nasty grooves and a killer guitar solo too. I might not be the biggest crossover enjoyer, and I may not be the biggest advocate of this album either, but there’s talent in this group. If you like blunt, rebellious, politically charged crossover thrash, this album may be perfect for you.
5/28
Houkago Grind Time – You’re Canceled, Master Roshi (SINGLE)
Who can complain about new output from Andrew Lee? This most recent single from the ridiculously talented man behind Ripped to Shreds makes you want to smash your head into a wall (in the fun kind of way). That pingy snare drum is peak grind, and there’s so much bounce to the drumming, like when dropping water into a red-hot pan. Mr. Lee leaves nothing in the reserves; his riffing is simple yet top-notch nonetheless, and no one can say it lacks spirit. They have more than enough oomph to rip your face off. The layered range of vocals are a blast, too, from the shrieks to the gurgles to everything in between. Let the weeb-iness flow through you, and give this a listen if you haven’t already. Your ears will thank you.
6/1
All to the Grave – Defenestration (EP)
Is crossover death a thing? Or is just crust punk at that point? Regardless, maybe it’s just the extra rough production, but these extreme metal influenced crossover jams quench a certain thirst that I didn’t know I had. There’s an air of violence to this EP that you don’t want to get in the way of, and I’m all over it. Thrash-fueled drumming, dense chugs, layered tremolo picking, and Jesus that bass guitar is orgasmic. The two guitarists and bassist all contribute vocals, so I’m not sure who’s who, but damn, they leave nothing in the tank. I hope seriously hope their throats are okay. Each song is concentrated, to the point, and takes no prisoners. This is music to fight to. I’ll be keeping an eye on this band and think you should, too.
Deer Lord – Dark Matter (SINGLE)
I’m lying on my couch, my eyes are closed, and Deer Lord has launched me through the stratosphere to the majesty of outer space. Once past the influence of earth gravity, this single powers off into zooming, kaleidoscopic displays of psychedelia and fuzz. This is a fucking terrific mixture of stoner metal and space rock; so much atmosphere and hazy spaced-out textures, but the riffs carry massive amounts of energy, and the low-ends kick like a mule. The vocals were also at the perfect level in the mix to feel like they are calling out to you through millions of miles of smoke and space dust. If you like Elder, yeah, this is for you.
On a separate note, I almost feel that this song should have been longer by giving each section after the intro getting more time to expand on itself musically. The cadence of the song changes dramatically into something much more lively (jumpy, even) for about a minute or so before slowing down again and becoming spacy again for another minute while eventually speeding up, and then the rest of the song is ambient outro shenanigans. The intro and outro are both sick as anything else, but the middle bits could have used more time. Either way, this is a high-quality single, and I think it’s about time to listen to the rest of their discography again.
6/2
Houkago Grind Time – I Like Dubs Over Subs (SINGLE)
There’s a certain Frank Zappa-ness to Houkago Grind Time and sir Andrew Lee behind it all, willing to write the silliest, least-”serious” tunes that still absolutely slap, harder than most in the scene to be perfectly frank (I’m sorry). And with such a controversial yet brave opinion here, too! Of the few animes I’ve seen, I prefer dub over sub too, though not when the English dubs are blatantly awful. In any case, this song is hilarious but still retains all the musical integrity as any other “serious” song from Andrew Lee’s back category. This is also the second single from H.G.T. this week and I’m happy as a clam. Fun band, good song, ‘nuff said.