Exocrine - Legend (2024)

Legend is Exocrine fifth album (and first one for Season of Mist, after having released albums with Unique Leader Records), and for sure it is strenghtening the French band (from Bordeaux) place among the very best tech death bands. Definitely technical, but with also songwriting skills enabling them to be as catchy as they are brutal. Legend is a worthy candidate for best technical death metal album of the year.

The BC page.

 

 

Night Beats - Rajan (2023)

Night Beats music can still be described as somewhere beetween The Black Keys and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, but on their sixth album, Rajan, their garage psych rock leans more on the psychedelic side, while keeping a pop/rock song structure. In any case it coudl be their (well, Night Beats is mostly Danny Lee Blackwell) best album yet. Laid back and groovy, fillled with memorable riffs and songs. Good stuff.

The BC page.

 

Enforcer - Nostalgia (2023)

Nostalgia is Enforcer sixth album, and we could indeed say say it's rooted in the past, but for the best.  They're burning bright with the hottest traditionnal heavy speed fire, shining in all its cheesiest glory (there's even some hair metal feel at times!). A masterfully executed and really fun album. Recommended!

The BC page.

 

Gateway - Galgendood (2023)

Is Galgendood, first album from Gateway, dirty death-doom or just funeral paced rotting old school death metal? In any case it's closer to a slower Autopsy, or to Undergang, than to Amorphis. But what actually really matters is that it's an excellent album.

The BC page.

 

High On Fire - Cometh The Storm (2024)

Already nine albums by High on Fire with Cometh The Storm. As expected it's another fine piece, on the raw, heavy, epic and rocking side of traditional heavy metal / doom, with Matt Pike singing as usual with a voice reminding Lemmy Kilmister (which can't be wrong!). Good stuff, I especially recommend listening to the title track.

The Bandcamp page.

 

The Body & Dis Fig - Orchards of A Futile Heaven (2024)

Yes, Orchards of A Futile Heaven is another collaborative album from The Body, this time with DJ and vocalist from Berlin Dis Fig (Felicia Chen). As expected, it's good, and it's especially recommended to people that like The Body music but are put off by their monotonous shrieking vocals. Here Dis Fig is doing most of the vocal, and she's did a great job, a lot more melodic and diverse, but also visceral and intense, fitting well the abrasive, dark and industrial sound produced by the trio. Among the most successful collaborative albums with The Body.

The BC page

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Ultra Razzia - Jusqu'au bout de la nuit (2022)

I'm not usually interested a lot in the street/oi! side of punk, but Jusqu'au bout de la nuit from Ultra Razzia grabbed my attention and I really like it. The band from Montréal (they sing in French) manage to bring extra dimensions to oi!/street punk by mixing it with speed rock/metal (Motörhead comes to mind, especially with the powerfull and catchy basslines) and a post-punk feel (the darker atmosphere and, again, the basslines). Give it a try!

 

The BC page. 

 

The Cosmic Dead - Infinite Peaks (2024)

Infinite Peaks is the ninth album from The Cosmic Dead, and even if it's maybe not the highest summit in their discography (I'd say their previous two albums sounded more personal), its two long tracks of instrumental space rock are still a masterclass in sounding very far away and trippy and being as well very heavy and rocking hard. Good stuff !

The BC page.