Radikal Guru - Beyond The Borders (2020)

Radikal Guru is a Polish producer, Beyond The Borders isn't his mots recent release, but its most recent album. It's all about top quality dub featuring excellent vocalists with a variety of styles. Recommended.

 

The BC page. 

Babylon Dead - Book of the Dead (2020)

Book of the Dead (released five years ago, if you missed it, here's a new chance, don't fail to take it!) is the second album from Babylon dead (J Man and Ilinformed with various MCs : Badness, Daddy Freddy, Devilman, Irah, Jamalski, Killa P & Rider Shafique, if you're into UK hip-hop it's likely you've heard some of them already...). Their music is a kind of US hip-hop meets UK hip-hop with the production rooted in boom-bap, evoking the Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep and even Gravediggaz in its grimiest moments, while the vocals are ragga style (and excellent!). Highly recommended stuff!

 

The BC page. 

 

GAUDI - 100 Years of Theremin (The Dub Chapter) (2020)

GAUDI is an English dub producer who has worked with the best in the scene. On this very special release, 100 Years of Theremin (The Dub Chapter), called he's paying tribute to Theremin  (the theremin is an electromagnetic instrument invented by Russian inventor Leon Theremin in 1920) with a dub album with theremin. He's playing the theremin and invited the best dub producer to craft the riddims : Mad Professor, Scientist, Prince Fatty, Dennis Bovell, and Adrian Sherwood among others. So we have theremin melodies over dub riddim and the result is really catchy and trippy. Highly recommended!

The BC page.

 

Today is the Day - No Good to Anyone (2020)

No Good to Anyone? This latest album from Today is the Day is probably good for you, and for sure I do enjoy listening to it. It's a finely crafted mix of all TITD have done in its career, from the Am Rep twisted noise rock to the more recent extreme metal elements, and there's also a large dose of doom metal as well, showing it can fit very well Today is the Day. Interesting songs, interesting album. And a good way to enter the world of Today is the Day if you don't know it yet. Recommended!

The BC page.

 

Blacklisters - Fantastic Man (2020)

Hardcore? Yes, kind of. Noise rock and post-punk, definitely. Blacklisters from Leeds (UK) is all that. But maybe the best way to describe their latest album Fantasic Man (released in 2020, due time for another one guys!) is that the band it reminds me the most is Nirvana, not bad isn't it? Check it!

The BC page.

 

No Negative - The Last Offices (2020)

No Negative if a band from Montreal (Québec) and with their second album The Last Offices (and the rest of their discography) they deliver some excellent music on the psych/noise side of post-punk. Or is it on the noise-punk side of psych rock? Well, you get the idea! If not, maybe you can also imagine a mix of Ice Age, The black Angels, The Stooges, and Black Flag, or Brainbombs... Even better : just listen to their music! Worth your time, I tell you... The epic final track is something.

The Bandcamp page.

 

SAN LEO - Mantracore (2020)

Discovered SAN LEO at a gig where they opened for Unsane. I've been impressed and really enjoyed their set. The music of the Italian duo (one is drumming, the other playing guitar and electronics) could be described as psych/kraut/noise or as they dub themselves "mantra-core" and "trance noise". This album called Mantracore is also live, not as good as seeing them live for real, but good enough to let you feel the energy they radiate. Sometimes more melodic, sometimes more raw and noisy, always strongly trippy. Good stuff!

The BC page.

 

Pale Divine - Consequence of Time (2020)

Pale Divine have been around for 25 years now, But their latest album Consequence of Time proves that time is kind to them. It's maybe their best album, and what is sure is that it's an awesome one, starting with the 10 min long title track masterpiece. It's hard to find better if you're into traditional doom, very Sabbathian and early heavy metal infused, with the organ parts adding even more to the 70' feel of the music. Heavily recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Quoit (aka Mick Harris) - Collection (2020)

Quoit is the old school drum & bass / jungle project of Mick Harris (Scorn, Fret, Blood of Heroes, Painkiller, and Napalm Death a long time ago). As expected this is not party music/clubbing DnB, this is the darker, harder, more industrial sounding stuff. And as also expected from Mick Harris it is excellent. This Collection release (with tracks from singles and compilations) is released by the also reliable Ohm Resistance label. Submerged (who's also part of Blood of Heroes) also collaborated on some of the tracks. Enough said, check it!

The BC page.

 

Ambush - Infidel (2020)

Infidel, released two years ago, is the third album of Ambush. It sees the Swedish band going a bit more personnal, keeping the very strong Judas Priest influence (Accept as well) but less permanently blatant. The result is a solid and enjoyable traditionnal heavy/speed metal album, with good songs, musicianship and excellent vocals. And they maintains the cheesiness inherent to the style at the right level (enough for the fun, but not too much).

 

Their website.

 

BadYearXXXX - Peak 2020 (2020)

Peak 2020 is the first release of BadYearXXXX, and it's an awesome mix of power electronics and noise rock. Only thing that's not great is that it's just four short tracks. I'm waiting for an album guys! Keep going!

The BC page.

Yura Yura - Substance Noire (2020)

Substance Noire is the third album from French producer from Dijon Yura Yura, all have been released by the good industrial/tech label Hands, and indeed he's been doing well from the start, but Substance Noire is its best so far. Substance Noire takes you in a dark journey into powerful industrial techno and rhythmic noise territories, with also dark ambient elements, and if you're into this kind of stuff there's absolutely no reason you wouldn't enjoy it as I do. And if it's not your usual kind of listen it would do an excellent introduction to the more industrial and dark side of techno (or the more techno/rhythmic side of industrial/noise?). Recommended.

The BC page.

 

Bill Laswell - Against Empire (2020)

Bassist and producer Bill Laswell is always releasing a lot of music, so it's hard to keep up, but I'd say its best album in recent years is this one, Against Empire (released last year). What is sure is that it's excellent. The music is in a fusion jazz vein, but Bill Laswell style, with of course his trademark bass playing style and sound, and around him is an impressive crew of musicians, with no less than Herbie Hancock on the electric piano and Pharoah Sanders on sax (bringing a spiritual jazz feel), with also Peter Apfelbaum on sax, flute and keys and sharing the drumming duties : Jerry Marotta, Chad Smith, Hideo Yamaki, Satoyasu Shomura, and on percussions Adam Rudolph. Four long tracks with no dull moment. Recommended !

The Bandcamp page.

 

 

Fuck On The Beach / Endless Swarm - split 7'' (2020)

This split 7'' bring together two good powerviolence/grind band, the Japanese Fuck On The Beach whom I discover, with pleasure, and Endless Swarm from Scotland whom I follow since some years now (I reviewed their latest album HERE). This is old school and relentless goodness, no surprise it's been released (last year) by To Live A Lie Records. 

The BC page.

 

Roadwolf - Unchain the Wolf (2020)

 

If you're into traditionnal / NWBHM heavy metal, the first Roadwolf album Unchain the Wolf  (released last year) is a great pick. An album filled with great songs reminding the early works of  Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Really cool stuff. 

Roadwolf website

 

USA Nails - Character Stop (2020)

Character Stop is the fifth album from UK post-punk/noise rock band USA Nails. Softer than Unsane but maybe noisier than Idles. With good vocals and an uninterrupted festival of high quality sharp riffs this album is excellent from beginning to end. I also recommend their back catalogue, USA Nails deserve more recognition.

The BC page.

 

Cancer Bats - You'll Never Break Us - Separation Sessions Vol. 1 (2020)

To be honest I have never been interested in Cancer Bats usual records, but I'm really happy I gave a chance to this EP called You'll Never Break Us - Separation Sessions Vol. 1 and featuring acoustic reworking of 6 of their classic songs (with banjo, guitars, organ and drums and percussion). I totally dig this EP. Less electricity, more intensity! Whether you like Cancer Bats, hardcore, metal, metalcore, folk, country, and whatever, just try it.

Highly recommended !

The BC page.

 

Boris - NO (2020)

No, released last year is the most "metal" album released by Boris since a long time, with moments of crushing doom heaviness as well as fast punk parts. But of course it is Boris so it's also very different from a usual metal/punk album. Not their most experimental album at all, but a very enjoyable one. 

The BC page.

 

Amon Acid - Paradigm Shift (2020)

Unlike many psychedelic doom band Amon Acid (yes the name is more than a hint!) is not just slightly psychedelic, in fact on Paradigm Shift (released last year, their fourth album, I really have to check their back catalogue!) they are most of the time closer to Hawkwind than to Black Sab' or Electric Wizard, vintage synths included as well as the proto-heavy metal epic moments. They also bring a nice touch of krautrock at times. That's cool, and since the songs are nice and memorable, all this makes a really enjoyable album. 

The BC page.

 

Hostia - Carnivore Carnival (2020)

Carnivore Carnival, released last year, is the second album from the Polish grinders Hostia. They play a fine grind/hardcore that is firmly rooted in old school but delivered with a modern sound. Good stuff. 

The BC page.