Kitchen Toonz

Polish black metal band Mgla dropped their newest release Age of Excuse  last month. It crushes, combining savage vocals and biting cold riffs with melodic songwriting and speed. Their drummer, Darkside, is an absolute machine. He does a lot of work on the kit to spice up the rhythm section, utilizing a lot of splash and china cymbals alongside consistent blasts and aggressive sounding kick drums. The end result is an amazing backbone for the rest of the band to play over, helping this album go from solid to fantastic. The album art is also haunting. Similar to their previous releases, it's highly detailed monochrome cover that gives you a sense of dread. I love it.  Checks this out if you're at all into black metal. In my opinion this is one of the best black metal albums to come out in 2019 - you don't want to miss this one. Top Three Songs Age of Excuse I I love the atmosphere this song puts out right from the beginning. It sounds like a skeleton j...

West of Corey recently put out their debut album Slammed a few weeks ago and it's been making waves. I had the pleasure of listening to one of their singles,  Misty Mound, and it was a refreshing blast to the past .  The Minnesota three piece bring their extensive musical experience together to craft a song that sounds like it rocketed straight out of the 70's. It has dynamic, smokey vocals layered over driving, riff based hard rock guitar and a solid rhythm section to back it up. The production is excellent - each instrument is clear and defined, sitting well in the mix. It's always refreshing being able to hear all the fun little transitions the bassist is doing without having to turn up the volume an absurd amount. I think the highlight for me on this track are the vocals. Janine Taft carries this song with a powerful, in your face performance. It's almost too easy to picture her up on stage, mic in one hand and fist clenched in the other. Check this song out if ...

Brooklyn based hip hop artist Ace A CAped CrusAder put out his latest release The Anthology  late last month. Clocking in at only 22 minutes, the album is fairly short but it has no lack of substance. It delivers emotional and sobering verses over very smooth, relaxed keyboard and synths. Ace has an easy, laid back yet sorrowful sounding cadence and flow most of the time but he is able to turn it up on songs like The Switch Up  and 100 Jesus Pieces. The Switch Up is a more dynamic song that probably showcases Ace A's rhythm the best. It's also got some pretty cool instrumentation - towards the end of the song it sounds like there is some kind of Gamelan influenced percussion going on. Maybe not what he intended, but I thought it was cool nonetheless. The songs are short, averaging around two minutes with the longest one clocking in at 2:48. I don't think this is a bad thing though - they are able to deliver their message without getting bogged down in repetitive filler....

Liverpool based act Karl McCann released his latest album  KXI  earlier this September. It doesn't disappoint, providing a mellow, introspective, lofi acoustic journey. The guitar work is a highlight here, delivering somber, reflective riffs and interesting chords. They manage to be engaging while simultaneously providing a great background atmosphere and mood. Layered on top are low, shoegazey vocals that help create a really relaxing soundscape. What I really like about this album is that because of the talented guitar playing and song writing, it never feels stale or repetitive. Whether it be an instrument drawing you in or a fun vocal hook or chorus, each song feels unique while still maintaining the overall vibe of the album. Sad, wistful, introspective. You can get lost in the music and your thoughts, and I think that's a sign of good writing. I would say the only negative to this album is the production. There are moments where it feels like the mic is almost clippi...

Knocked Loose dropped their much awaited second LP last month and it's even heavier than their first. They bring back their signature sound from Laugh Tracks and throw in a few new sounds. I particularly like the incorporation of their guitarist's vocals and the more complex, death metal style riffing they do in songs like Forget Your Name  and By The Grave . I think that's where the love ends for me though. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike this album. I don't think I'm particularly fond of it either though. Maybe I hyped it up too much in my head and that's why I'm disappointed. It just doesn't pull me in or make me want to listen to it back to back, over and over. There are individual songs I'm happy to put on, but as a whole it doesn't do it for me. While heavy riffs are awesome, A Different Shade Of Blue  can feel very repetitive at times. I think the songwriting was actually a negative for me. Oftentimes it felt like it would...

2018 ended with a bang with the release of The Parallel's full length, 'Weaver'. Check these guys out if you enjoy progressive metalcore in the vein of Structures or Intervals. This album combines chaotic and dissonant riffs with melodic choruses and complex guitar work to create a really exciting listening experience. In my experience bands can often overdo the dissonant style riffs until it becomes almost boring to listen to, and the The Parallel does not do this. There are enough dynamics and change so the album doesn't become stale. The drummer Ron Totman does really great cleans, and I believe both guitarists participate in vocals as well. Brett Cox's vocals during choruses are a particular highlight, but they're all really talented. The ancient Greek theme throughout the album is also pretty neat-o. If you haven't checked The Parallel out yet, definitely have a listen. This is a pretty unique album, which is saying something in a world saturate...

Joyce Manor are a blend of punk, pop, and emo music. Never Hungover Again is their third studio album, released in 2014 and was my first introduction to this band, and holy guacamole what an introduction. This album is amazing, and my only critique is that it's finished too soon, clocking in at under twenty minutes. There's a mix of slow and fast songs, and each one is as catchy as the last. The band manages to capture that hopeful, angsty feeling of youth and blend it with their sound to create something really unique and honest sounding. This album is short and sweet, just like this post. Definitely check it out if you're on the hunt for something fun, catchy, and easy to listen to. Top Three Tracks: Heart Tattoo The introduction with the bass, drums, and vocals opens into a simple, catchy song that's easy to sing along to. The Jerk This song starts off incredibly strong, flowing into another fun, catchy tune. Heated Swimming Pool Str...