Home Front Watch It Die:

 If you're a fan of hard-core punk or new wave this is a modern addition for both. Social commentary of modern international chaos and solid instrumentation for a new generation of fans, this is fairly straightforward. It's a little more relatable than their last record, but packs a very hard punch. Some of the lyrics in this outing are very interesting and important especially on an american level. "Dancing With Anxiety" is a standout point as is "Eulogy" as far as an example of thier sound. So many anthemic tracks on this, as chanting hooks and vocals are normal for this band. Terrific for fans of Singalong melody and rhythm. Lots of fun, even if the lyrics are poignant and pointed. 

Listen & Buy

Humankind - Monsoon Season:

 

If you've heard "Big Dawgs" you will understand "Monsoon Season". From the instrumentation to the lyricism, if you're a modern rap fan, this record is probably for you. 

A little screw music dripping on "Big Dawgs" leads into a pretty good experience for the rest of the trip. From the amazing amount of features on this mixtape, to the amazing sound crafted in general, this record flows with tenicity and anecdotal rhyme. Beyond all of the bells and whistles this album has, it also demonstrates a valid point: Humankind is likely here to stay if he wants to. Easily a ten star improvement over their first ep "Surface Level" which was also pretty good. Having Maxo Kream, and Denzel Curry never hurts anyone's probability in my opinion. The remix of his lead single is pretty outrageous and sick as well. Hit it up or be behind the vehicle that is Humankind. If you enjoy a soundtrack to hyperf focus related activity this album is for you. 

Listen

Sacrifice

 With the recent discussion of Big Four the canadian version, I figured we need to discuss this band. Their career is long and storied but this album is as thrash as thrash gets and equally as hard as anything from the US of A. From the opening number of Comatose to my favorite track Black Hashish,  the album as a whole works. Rob Urbinati shows up as always for this record, delivering his harsh crisp vocals as instantly recognizable Sacrifice. 

That being said, there are lots of elements here that span other genres. Personally,  it's what I look for in a thrash album, and this one delivers. Under no circumstance is this record anything other than pit worthy, but, it also showcases true growth and a chip in the game of thrash to argue for Canada being successor to the thrown. 

Joe Rico and Urbinati play off of each other in a winning combo with Pym and Watts bringing up the rhythm to match ferocity and pit worthy sonic violence. Hitting that progressive sound as well, all things considered you're missing out if you dont buckle down and listen in. A year old already this release is here to stay and cemented in the history of hard music forever. 

Buy

Peeling Flesh:

 

If you've never experienced the Oklahoma metal scene, or slam death metal, you're in for a treat. "Slamming Gangster Groove" as they themselves reference this music is full of rap samples,  blaxploitation samples, and hard-core grooves. From Damonteal Harris' growling vocals, to Jason Parrish & Mychal Soto's chugging guitars the sound is uniquely metallic.  Coupled with Joe Pelletier's rhythm section Austin Hirom (replaced by Chip Smith) had the bass answer. While gore, murder, and thuggery aren't for everyone, if you like metal in general this should be a no brainer.  Three years in, this album finds the band sitting on a throne all but there's in southern metal. OKC produced a maven of excitement and hopefully everyone buys it up. Already announced on the "Louder Than Life" festival in Kentucky, it may result in much needed national exposure. After 11 mistakes and this album they deserve it. Keep your ears peeled for more from them. 

Buy

Habak:

 

If you've never heard the term "Crust Melodico" you're probably behind in the times, and not alone. With a DIY ethos and a vibrant sound, this band "Habak" from Tijuana Mexico is for you. Although a language barrier may exist between listeners and lyrics, we as a world should start overcoming that, these days. From a crust (sub-genre of punk) sound with heavy melody, to some clean instrumentation this band is to be taken very seriously. A very mature, even grave lyric subject may be intense for some listeners, I do urge anyone to give it a try (internet translation is easy to find today) because you never know what your missing. 

The title track to this record is very good, and very resounding. Time enough to feel how you feel these days, enough said. I have to say the subject matter of "Condenadx Al Olvido" makes that track my favorite. From rhythm to melody, after the mesmerizing intro. But, I'll let you be the judge:

Condenadx Al Olvido

I see in my hands the passage of time—the marks left by the immortal monster.

Written upon my path is my destiny: to bear witness to humanity.

Time and space conspire against a being condemned to solitude.

We are tellers of a thousand tales—stories that time will soon erase; only man truly knows man, yet at the end of his era, not even he will remain.

Time and space conspire against a being condemned to solitude.

We are nothing...

Only man truly knows man. A being condemned to solitude.

Rivers Of Nihil:

  

If you dont know this album by sight (Dan Seagrave art), you may not know about this band. Constantly morphing from one sound to the next, with an ever changing landscape of musicians Rivers Of Nihil is here to stay. In my opinion, this album is the reason why they are cemented. The future and present of technical death metal, this album is a definition of sound. The lead single "Where Owls Know My Name" is more progressive in that arena with instrumentation not heard as often in technical landscapes. Zach Strouse from "Burial In The Sky" provides that sax. Brody Uttley is the driving force behind this album (and possibly the band) and the journey he steers is mesmerizing. 

Jake Dieffenbach's last outting with them brings ferocity unequaled in the following releases, some say. Though I tend to disagree. The trilogy on this record are definitely "Hollow", "Death Is Real", & " Where Owls Know My Name". I'll leave you with their description of it:

"Owls is essentially the story of the last man on earth. He was made immortal by the planet itself (the conscious seed of light, as it were) to be the sole intelligent witness of the death of the planet. Really though this is all set dressing for the more emotional content on display here, so looking too closely at the lyrics for story purposes is probably a bit of a futile effort in my opinion. It's really just about loss and getting older and coping with the things you've done in your life."

Buy it:

Yelawolf: Radioactive

I was already familiar with the Alabama rapper known as Yelawolf before this album was released. His mixtape, Trunk Muzik, was original and interesting so I was excited to see his first official release (on Shady Records, no less). It dropped in November 2011. 

I had a bad feeling about this CD when I heard the lead single, Hard White (Up In The Club), which I hated through and through, and it turned out to be a sign of things to come. I don't know what I was expecting, but I  wanted the raw, gritty sound that set Yela apart from other rappers. What I got was a slick, overproduced piece of... I don't know. It seems as if Radioactive was worked over in favor of hit records, and it lost whatever was essentially Yelawolf's individuality. His original flow and Southern fried lyrics are still there, and maybe I am being a whiny bitch, but the music itself almost seems second rate. I saw an argument recently that this is Eminem's influence on Radioactive, but I can't buy that since the Bad Meets Evil CD was good all the way through. Maybe this one was just a product of over thinking? It's like they just tried too damn hard. 

I'm not saying this record is completely awful, it's still marginally better that what's currently being marketed as rap these days. There are a few standouts on Radioactive, namely the second single, Let's Roll (featuring Kid Rock). Growing Up In The Gutter is pretty much what I was looking for with this CD, and The Hardest Love Song In The World is also memorable (and mentions Axl Rose). The Eminem feature, Throw It Up, which many people were anticipating, isn't much more than a let down. 

Like I said, this CD is better than most of the 'rap' acts that record companies are shoving down our throats.  And for that, I give Radioactive SEVEN STARS. 

Buy Yelawolf - Radioactive at Amazon.com.

Lamb of God: Resolution

Though most bands like Lamb of God are seriously too heavy for me, I have an affinity for these guys. Maybe it's because they're from Richmond, or maybe it's because my brothers (especially the older one) pretty much threatened me if I didn't listen to them. As with any music, what we don't understand can quickly become favorites if we take the time to appreciate them.

Resolution is Lamb of God's signature music. No departures here, they give us exactly what we ask for and have come to expect. I made a Face Book comment that I hope anyone who had a copy of this CD also had seat belts for their faces, because they were about to get blown off. I've read some other reviews for Resolution that were very negative and all I can say to those people is STFU. I wanted LoG to bring it, and they did.

Though I will admit to often needing the lyrics to figure out what the hell Randy Blythe is singing/screaming/growling, once I've got that down, the music itself begins to take on new meaning. Much like Pantera before them, Lamb of God does good business in making aggressive music. The music itself is a mosh pit junkie's wet dream. For me, the standout songs are Desolation, Ghost Walking and King Me. My one issue with LoG, and most metal bands in general, is that the music does get repetitive. Several songs into the album, I have to put it away for a while, and I'm sure this comes from not being a "true" hardcore metal fan. Opinions are always opinions though.

On a scale of zero to ten stars with zero being the worst, I'm giving Lamb of God's Resolution EIGHT STARS.

Buy Lamb of God: Resolution from Amazon.com.

Sublime: Greatest Hits

I made a comment on an earlier post where I wondered what Sublime would have been if Bradley Nowell hadn't died so young.

Then I got to thinking that a lot of people only know Sublime's two biggest songs, Santeria and What I Got. They were so much more than that.

Sublime's Greatest Hits, released in 1999 (three years after Nowell's death) is almost like a time capsule, a still-relevant time capsule. Their two major hits are there, along with Badfish, 40 Oz to Freedom, Date Rape, and my personal favorite - Smoke Two Joints. These songs really are timeless, and they take me back to drunken parties and driving all night. The music isn't technically genius, and, by themselves, the lyrics aren't the greatest ever. But, when they're put together, they create something that I doubt we'll ever have again. Sublime said what we were thinking, and now new generations of people are able to enjoy the splendor all over again.

Though Sublime has continued their musical journey with a new singer (and some nasty legal problems) as Sublime With Rome, I will be honest in admitting that I've never listened to any of their post-Nowell content. I know it just wouldn't be the same.

On a scale of one to ten with one being the worst, this album gets a SOLID TEN.

Buy Sublime's Greatest Hits (digital only) from Amazon.com.

For further looking Glass pleasure: Sublime Gold for sale.

Nicki Minaj - Black Friday

A relative newcomer to the world of hip-hop is Young Money Entertainment's Nicki Minaj. Her debut full length CD, called Pink Friday, was released in November of 2010 and has since sold over 1.2 million records topping Billboard's Top 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop and Top Rap album charts. Minaj is set to release her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded in April of this year. She has previously only officially released mix-tapes and features. (A feature, especially when applied to rap or hip-hop, pretty much amounts to a guest appearance.) Since Pink Friday's release, Minaj has become as associated with her wacky, often confusing clothing choices as she is with her music. And let's not forget her ridiculous Twitter war with Lil Kim.