Bosses
It's been a little over a year since I last discussed Chicago's Bosses, but the group has released a handful of singles recently that continue to impress with their brand of 'gazy/dreamy alternative rock. Stylistically, it'd most closely fall into the "grungegaze" category, but does tend to offer a slightly wider variety of textures, and lands with higher quality than average, too. Of the latest batch, "Dogwoods" probably strikes the finest balance of all that the band has to offer; while "Siren" and "Grace" delve into more of a surging, atmospheric heaviness; and "Halocline" dishes out the moody, slow-burn type of vibe. Nicely done.
As popular as this style is these days, I'm genuinely shocked that no label has scooped Bosses up for a 7" or a 12" EP or something. I mean, come on!? As far as I know, all of their output to date is digital-only, and you can purchase through Bandcamp. If you prefer streaming, hit up Spotify, Apple Music, or whatever else.
Contain
I know almost nothing about Contain, but a friend recommended 'em earlier this month and I was quickly impressed by their take on raw, mid-'90s metalcore centered around relentless chugs with dashes of darker dissonance and pissed vocals. They might have paired well on a split with Abnegation in 1996 or something. The songs are surprisingly short, which might just be a sign of the times, but everything is aptly produced and loaded with utterly awesome riffs. Just tons of ass-beater mosh parts without sounding like modern, over-the-top "beatdown" groove, you know? Killer.
Prayer for Violence is digital-only, and not on Bandcamp, so... Spotify or Apple Music or wherever you stream is the likely go-to. I had to grab mp3s from Amazon, damnit.
Drop Out
The latest single from Denver, CO's Drop Out, "Regression," has been my first exposure to the group and their churning, breakdown-fueled metalcore that leans into a Slipknot-ish form of nu-metal. Say what you will, but they certainly have an aesthetic—that cover art is pretty exceptionally striking—and are quite good at what they do. This piece is professionally produced and presented, and possesses enough potential that I'm surprised I hadn't heard about this band sooner. I definitely need to find the time to dig into their prior EPs. I'm intrigued...
"Regression" is digital-only, so my first stop is always Bandcamp. Also find it (and their other output) through Spotify, Apple Music, and so on.
Kingdom of Heaven
I read about Louisville, KY's Kingdom of Heaven via No Echo a few weeks back, where they admitted to being more or less Integrity/Cleveland worship, which—when accurate—is pretty much all it takes to sign me up! While the influence is obvious on occasion, I will say that they're not as much of a full-on clone as some can tend to be. The vocals are more of a burly yelling style, while the music can at times lean toward a thrashier edge or take a slightly slower, dissonant churn. Make no mistake, however, as there are a few undeniably Integrity-esque mid-paced power chord rhythms and melodic lead lines that bear the mark of Melnick. A promising start, so it'll be interesting to see how the band develops moving forward...
Divinity/Damnation is digital-only and also not on Bandcamp that I can find, so I procured mp3s from Amazon again. If you stream, Spotify and Apple Music and such will have you covered.
LMI
I believe Failed To Feel It is the fourth full-length from Lansdale, PA's LMI, who continues to explore a peculiar brand of hardcore/punk that one could actually describe as progressive, though certainly not in a traditional sense. Their music is not something that feels technical or complex on the surface, but it's not simple. Listen closely and you'll pick up on a lot of strange quirks amidst their sludgy, post- textured hybrid of noise rock and punked-up hardcore. Dense power chord rhythms are almost always just slightly askew in some manner—presenting windy, back-and-forth riffing at times affected to seem slightly out-of-tune, but in a manner that feels intentional and creates a fitting sense of unease rather than anything "wrong." There are some weird, watery "clean" passages and some psyched-out, stonery stuff as well; with vocals that shift from harsh yells to more guttural fare, plus some half-sung/half-spoken moments. You damn sure have to give them credit for developing their own sound—an increasingly uncommon feat!
Failed To Feel It is limited to 300 copies on black vinyl as a co-op between Handstand Records (who also has it on Bandcamp), Chumpire, Killer Tofu Records, and No Less Records. It looks like Astralands did tapes, and Horror Pain Gore Death (!?) handled CDs. Streamin' types can load up Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
Onsloow
Trondheim, Norway's Onsloow have actually acquired a new vocalist since the last album (Helene Brunæs, also of Lille Venn), which does alter their sound a bit, but Full Speed Anywhere Else demonstrates early on that you're generally in for the same vein of pop-tinged emo/indie with fantastic choruses. I have to admit that part of me does miss Johanne Rimul's more identifiable approach, but these songs are interesting in that they often counterbalance the pop energy by dialing back a touch to retain plenty of that classic emo jangle/shimmer for a pretty-but-not-too-lush aesthetic that's well-textured and explores a subtly wider range than the band's prior work. It's never easy to replace a singer, but Onsloow have succeeded in delivering another very strong set of tunes that may well broaden their fanbase.
Full Speed Anywhere Else is out now on 200 beer/burgundy or 300 black LPs through Tiny Engines (or Devil Dog Distro outside the U.S.). Of course, you can also stream on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
