Age of Strange Cults
I slipped up and forgot that Austrian bruisers Age of Strange Cults had released their debut eight-song full-length back in April. While not quite as pummeling as their debut when it comes to the production, this material actually sounds crisper and warmer, which deftly encapsulates their churning math metal rhythmics—interspersed with spiraling discordance and quirkily melodic accents aplenty; not to mention the occasional foray into droning, almost jazz-inflected territory. All of which is performed, mind you, with an admirable sense of utmost precision and clarity. Seriously, this band deserves to be far more widely recognized. If you've got a mathy noise rock/metal aficionado in your life, you need to do 'em a solid and point 'em toward Age of Strange Cults posthaste.
Age of Strange Cults appears to have been self-released on cassette (only 50 copies!) and digital, so procure either a hard copy or files via Bandcamp. Those who gamble upon streaming audio, load up Spotify, Apple Music, or some other such nefarious application...
If It Rains
Out of the New England area comes If It Rains—a new hardcore band with lineup ties to Anklebiter, Broken Vow, No Model, Pummel, and Ultimatum (most of which I've never heard)—whose debut demo came out back in March, but I didn't hear it until late-May. It seems there's a bit of a buzz building around their straightforward melodic hardcore, and I can very much hear why. The approach leans on an old school type of foundation, but not so much that it's stale. In fact, they nail this style perfectly, not unlike that recent LP from Meantime in that it brings to mind the Rivalry Records era of the early- to mid-2000s. If It Rains also adds the lightest dash of an almost post-rock shimmer at times, which further differentiates their sound a bit, but for the most part we're talkin' hard-hitting, mid-paced to moderately fast melodic hardcore the way it should be. Four songs in less than seven minutes, so... you'll definitely be left looking forward to more!
Delayed Gratification Records pressed this onto 100 cassettes, but I fucked up and missed out on a physical copy, and am unsure why the digital's priced at $999 on Bandcamp? Stream on Spotify or Apple Music, I suppose...
Meketa
I've generally lost interest in most experimental noise these days, but do still follow the work of the few artists who first introduced me to the genre back in the mid-'90s, thus I've recognized that Meketa—a new power electronics project led by former Lockweld member Steve Meketa (with Dwid/Psywarfare providing much of the electronics) is off to a rather productive start. The Apostles CD has been my first exposure to the outing, and it's extremely intense, to say the least. The Christian angle feels fairly unique in itself. Sure, other such artists have explored said realm in the past, but—even being irreligious myself—it's somehow more intriguing to hear a sincere take on such ideas presented with precisely the same aggression and intensity as any classic staple of the genre. There's a darkness to it, too. This is not material that has any modicum of joyous nor uplifting tonality to it, even if some of the vocal content is likely expressing some form of positive reflection. It's all here: hyper-distorted low-end throbs and drones, wispy midrange sizzle, tinnitus-inducing high-end; and vocals that chaotically shapeshift from half-spoken recitations to off-the-charts shrieks and wails, plus sparse moments of almost chant-like meditation. Perhaps the most menacing sermons you'll ever encounter?
The Apostles is out now on limited edition (100 copies) pro CD-R for just $7.77 from Black Claw Records. Bandcamp has your digital. The You Are Not Alone cassette EP is also out now, with more on the way shortly...
Neven
Neven is an up-and-coming Krishnacore band out of... Serbia!? Who'd've thought!? The U Svakom Srcu Gore Svetla (translation: Lights Burn in Every Heart) EP is their first proper release following a demo from the summer of 2022, and presents a chunky-yet-energetic form of metallic hardcore that at times leans on an unexpected sense of groove, but not without some melody, too. As the title would imply, none of the lyrics are in English, which allows for some pretty fast-paced and vigorous vocal patterns. In quite a twist, "Ostajem Pozitivan" even breaks out some ska-influenced horns during the breakdown, so there are definitely some unusual surprises herein. The closing track—which also happens to be the only piece that tops three minutes—is a straight-up kirtan chant, which isn't my thing, but I will commend them in that it sounds a bit more robust than most, and has an almost somber feeling to it. Pretty cool EP, it'll be interesting to hear what Neven explores moving forward...
U Svakom Srcu Gore Svetla is available as a one-sided 12" EP through Bandcamp or Geenger Records. Or, steer clear of "material miseries" and simply stream via Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
Olly Steele
I think it's been a little over a year since the last single from U.K. shredmaster Olly Steele, during which time I've been eagerly awaiting more, so I was excited to see Imbalance surface last week. Last time I blabbed about Olly's work, I described it as "technical and progressive shred metal with some of that contemporary 'djent'-y percussiveness," which still feels like as good a summary as any. The entire four-song EP features Aviations vocalist Adam Benjamin, however, so while an abundance of instrumental prowess is on display, the material does come across with a band-like feel. Olly's one of my absolute favorites when it comes to this general realm of modern metal, in large part due to the fact that beyond simply jaw-dropping techniques and musicianship, the writing just rules. Everything is creative but memorable and has emotion to it, so of course there are "holy shit" moments, but also: the riffs absolutely rip!
Imbalance looks to be digital-only, so grab files through Bandcamp. Stream using Spotify, Apple Music, or whatever else is available.
Roseneath
I touched on opener "Bleed for You" in the February roundup, but now that the Better Days EP is out in full, Roseneath's sudden transformation into more of a Depeche Mode-like synth-pop act is nearly on full display. It's intriguing because their knack for big hooks is still very much present, they've just been almost completely transposed outside of that "grungegaze" context. I mean, "Video Games" even aptly has some chiptune-sounding elements goin' on!? The title track and "Safe Where" do actually throw in some fairly central guitars, however, so at times vague hints of that past life are offered, and the combination works quite well. In fact, those moments where synth-pop kinda rocks are actually the most successful. Having been such a fan of the band's early work, sure, there's some degree of mild confusion or the feeling of "missing out" on what this could have been as a full-on "rock" EP, but luckily I enjoy many forms of music and am fascinated by mind-blowing stylistic shifts, so... in that sense, who cares!? 'Cause this is still pretty damn good!
Better Days, too, is digital-only, so purchase for a mere $1 on Bandcamp; or fire up a streaming service like Spotify, Apple Music, and so on.
