Bob Vylan - Bob Vylan presents The Price of Life (2022)

Bob Vylan presents The Price of Life is the first album from English duo Bob Vylan, UK Hip-hop with guitars, with some trap metal, some grime, some ragga, elements reminding The Prodigy, or maybe The Beastie Boys as well. A bit like City Morgue / ZillahKami, but more grime and less grim, and very UK. Cool stuff!

The BC page.

Bifid Corpse - REAL RAW DEATH (2022)

After a few demo or EPs that left me wanting for more here's at last a longer (20 min) Bifid Corpse release! And REAL RAW DEATH don't disapoint, the death/grind of the Chicagoan duo alterning nicely bursts of pure savagey and dirty heavy grooves. Filthy, Brutal, Groovy. Highly recommended!

The BC page.

Ooezpus - Your Limit (2017)

You guys really should test Your Limit, latest release from Oozepus, a band with members from death/doom Coffins and the industrial Linekraft. Is it so surprising that they play some evil and sludgy Godflesh worship. Nope. Is it surprising that they do it so well? Nope (if you don't know Coffins and Linekraft, well, check them!). On a similar note, is it surprising that it has been released by Malignant Records? Nope. My only complain is that it's only fouur tracks, an album would be welcome!

The BC page.

 

Sammal - Aika laulaa (2022)

Aika laulaa is the fouth album from Finnish progressive rockers Sammal, this time as a quartet after one member left. The arrangements and songwriting feel less polished than it used to and I wouldn't say it's my favourite Sammal album. But it's also the most rocking, with maybe even a somewhat proto-heavy metal feel. Why not. At least it's a bit different and they kept their identity with a typical Finnish melodic touch in the vocals and guitars and keys parts. All in all it's another very nice and enjoyable album from Sammal. Still a great band.

The BC page.

 

KEN Mode - NULL (2022)

I listened to, and liked, all KEN Mode albums since Venerable more than ten years ago, so it was due time I review one of them. Why not before? Probably because I felt their metallic hardcore / noise rock was a tad too generic. But the level of quality has been consistently high all the time, and I like the direction they took since the previous album Loved and continue on the new one NULL, with the inclusion of new member Katryn Kerr, the sax parts, the more dissonnant twisted feel. Recommended!

The BC page.

Intensive Care - Antibodies (2022) + That We Be Made Worthy (2022)

Couldn't decide which one of these new Intensive Care releases review, so I'm doing both... Antibodies is release by the excellent Iron Lungs Records, and I think That We Be Made Worthy is self-released. Intensive Care is a Canadian duo with Andrew Nolan, ex Column of Heaven and Endless Blockade. What they do can be described as an industrial mix of noise rock and power electronics, and if you're into these kinds of sound I guarantee you'll dig it. Also recommended are the recents Andrew Nolan solo / split releases (he's been very active this year and I sure won't complain about it). 

Iron Lungs  BC page for Antobodies

Intensive Care / Andrew Nolan BC page for That We Be Made Worthy

Kill Division - Peace Through Tyranny (2022)

 

Kill Division is the grind project of two ex-Malevolent Creation, Gus Rios (guitar) and Kyle Simons (vocals), with also Dirk Verbeuren (ex-Aborted, Megadeth) on drums. Their first album called Peace Through Tyranny delivers some grind with a strong old-school death metal flavour (Do these guys also death metal in their sleep? probably). Everything is in place and groove hard and fast. Really a nice piece of old school death/grind.

The BC page.

 

Exordium Mors - As Legends Fade and Gods Dies (2022)

As Legends Fade and Gods Dies, the second album from Exordium Mors may be not as awesome as their first one (I urge you to listen to The Apotheosis of Death), but it's another excellent one anyway, among the best recent metal releases. They polished a bit their sound, and I'm not sure it really makes it better, but it's ok, I suppose some will prefer it this way. Othersiwe they are back with another assault of epic black/death/thrash/speed, with high level songwriting skills, and old school in spirit but modern and quite technical in execution. Highly recommended!

The BC page.

 

Traître Câlin - De la Ruine (2022)

Traître Câlin are not so easy to label, but I'd go for industrial rap madness, De la Ruine is their third and best yet album. Vocals are screamed, rapped or spoken in French, with smart lyrics somewhere between Baudelaire and Anorexia Nervosa, over beats that are boom-bap or trap, with also various elements of power electronics, free jazz samples, etc. in general various industrial noises and sound in a way or another. It could evokes Sadistik, Dalek, Kabal, Picore, The Bug, that kind of stuff. This new album is maybe less French rap rooted than the previous ones (which I recommend as well), going further in a noise rap / trap / power electronics directions. Disturbing, different and finely crafted. Recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Wormrot - Hiss (2022)

 New album from Asian grinders Wormrot, returning six years after the previous one, and for a last time with their vocalist. Hiss delivers modern grind, fast and tight, and also like they use to do it provides many surprising elements along the way, like a bit of clean vocals, guitar solos, crossover parts, a bit of neocrust riffing, violins, etc. Sticking to grind basics but bringing in more diversity. Another good album from Wormrot.

The BC page.

 

 

Reverend Beat-Man and The New Wave - Blues Trash (2018)

Blues Trash is probably the best album from Reverend Beat-Man and in my opinion among the best garage rock albums of the XXIth century. Mastering totally the basics of garage rock with it's stipped to the bone blues based raw riffing drooling with honky tonk boogie, and having one of the best demented maniac psychobilly style vocalist with Reverend Beat Man, its also totally pushing further the boundaries of a style that is too often too standardised. They succeed as well with some accordion tango, organ and sax additions, noisy guitar playing bordering dark psychedelia. Now wave experimentation coupled with primitive roots garage rock, and with excellent songwriting and inspired playing it works awesome. Highly recommended.

The BC page.