January of 2024 has been an incredible month, with hot releases from the likes of Splitknuckle, Sympathy Pain, Infant Island, and Casey. This article covers other records that might have slipped under the door, featuring records that are gritty (Chainlink, Cosmic Joke, Rejoice), cryptic (The Violent Youth, fallingwithscissors, Erythh), and kaleidoscopic (glass beach, GHUTS Fainting Dreams).
Chainlink – Fully Autocratic (Independent)
Chainlink are a part of the rising hardcore surge, representing Norwich with their blend of metallic and punk-core. Their debut album features a quality mix that sets them apart from the community, bringing the vocals right to the front with clarity and diction. The guitars are absolutely on that ‘metallic’ end of the tone and writing spectrum, but get even attention between the plucky bass and ecstatic drum performance. The record hits full swing in its latter half, onwards from “Overconsumption“. “The Moderator” has a spine-tickling tempo shift near its end, “Uptempo” is their heaviest track yet, and “Blood On The Flag” is that classic ‘big‘ closer with title drops and two-step riffs galore. Londoners should catch them on upcoming dates supporting Kill All The Gentlemen (New Cross Inn) and Do One / Grandad (Signature Brew Blackhorse Road).
FFO: Grove Street, Going Off & Wise Up
Cosmic Joke – Cosmic Joke (Triple B Records)
Not everything in the US is bigger: Cosmic Joke is a debut record clocking in at a punky 14 minutes. The bands boasts boisterous-stacatto vocals, riffs that are dumb as hell with rhythms to match, and, somehow, six members. They’re in great company on Triple B records (label mates include Initiate, Koyo, and Madball) but offer something more upbeat than the rest. Clearly there’s much more to LA than wrung-out bands like the Chilli Peppers.
FFO: Life’s Question, Destiny Bond & SCARAB
The Violent Youth – Na Igle (Artoffact Records)
Now for something completely refreshing – a post punk revival record with Belarusian vocals. The Violent Youth have got those jiving synths and faultless drum machines with frigid vocals. Na Igle (“addicted”) maintains the tempo of previous releases and grasps a new atmosphere they only hinted at before: the “coldwave” timbre with unconventionally peppy vocals and back-seat guitars.
FFO: Choir Boy, The Black Queen & Molchat Doma
fallingwithscissors – the death and birth of angel (Independent)
fallingwithscissors are on top of the modern trend towards hyper-detailed metalcore. Their embrace of the glitch is more than just aesthetic, as they’ve been bit-crushing their fills and maxing out their chug-buffers from front to back. The electronic edge to tracks like “D.I.T.B.” and “blissful” make for an aural treat, and it doesn’t get in the way of the performances themselves – the bellowed takes on “gh0st.shell” are absolutely cutting. Heart and soul abound in the melodic moments too particularly on “Atrophy:Angel“. the death and birth of angel has been well worth the wait and should put fallingwithscissors onto – and perhaps beyond – the modern metalcore scene.
FFO: fromjoy, Soulkeeper & Loathe
Erythh – ANIMOSITY (Independent)
ANIMOSTY is a breakcore/drum and bass project that dives into atmospheric depths. The all-important rhythms are lush and benefit from Erythh‘s many years of experience within the genre. A lovely detail on ANIMOSITY is the variety in the vocal samples, always taking a backseat but defining the mood. “Y2K Warrior” and “Celeste” employ female vocals at a distance, hip hop rhythmns and screams are squashed into the backdrop of “FTK” and “Oblivion“, and XXXTentacion is poignantly sampled on “luv“. You’ll also find a bounty of purely rhythm focused tracks (“Amnesia” and “Hypnosis“). The two closing tracks bring guitar and sax in respectively, nodding at vaporwave before the record bows out. ANIMOSITY is a mature, fully realised project that deserves plenty of attention.
FFO: Trashiii, wiv & Nedaj
glass beach – plastic death (Run For Cover)
Stretching the definition of “may have missed”, but we reckon the significance of the record merits a mention on the site, and it’s plenty DIY enough to be underground. The elder titans of bedroom emo, glass beach throw the kitchen sink at us once again on plastic death. Just one advancement of so many on plastic death is the Layne Smith‘s noodly and heavy guitars, joined by skramz vocals to match on tracks like “slip under the door” or “the CIA“. It’s urgently catchy – “rare animal” was a stellar single and “puppy” is a slice of genius. The songwriting still remains irreverent as ever, without rules. The undersea atmosphere personally threw me right back to early 00s avant garde metal for no good reason whatsover, so dive in and see where it takes you. The band seem to be influenced by everything and nothing, constantly shapeshifting. The only consistent element is the semblance of the idea that there might be a rock band under all of this.
FFO: Weatherday, Rat Saw God & Sweet Trip
Rejoice – All Of Heaven’s Luck (Delayed Gratification Records)
Ohio blackened hardcore band Rejoice land with their defining release, the 17 minute All Of Heaven’s Luck. It’s not often a hardcore album feels like it’s being played out in a church. There’s divine hatred backing the vocals which are barked into an empty, beckoning space, and all the while the guitars are direct and rhythms furious. Surely a captivating live act, here’s hoping this is the document that gets them going around the US circuit.
FFO: Calligram, Great Falls & Candy
GUHTS – Regeneration (New Heavy Sounds)
Just as Sunbather‘s cover hid its true colours, Regeneration is a disgusting record under its ombre haze. GUHTS are proud to be post metal with a fresh sound defined by Amber Burns‘ livid vocals. The heavy vocal layering and infinitely thick guitar hark toward genre titans Neurosis. The band are often locked in a slow tempo that feels terminal on tracks like “White Noise” and “The Wounded Healer“, looping simple but effective ideas. Beyond the harrowing guitars there are also synths on “Handless Maiden” and “Eyes Open” that hover nervously. “Generate” is a sleeper hit at the back of the record, here to show us that post metal can be catchy at high and low volumes.
FFO: Julie Christmas/Battle of Mice, Subrosa & Helms Alee
Fainting Dreams – Those Left Untouched by the Light (Independent)
Crossing screamo, slowcore, shoegaze and doom metal, Fainting Dreams dropped an LP so good that you wonder how long it will be till a label picks them up. Those Left Untouched by the Light has production that is in an extremely sweet spot, where soft vocals parry pitched feedback, and extremely raw takes juxtapose delicate moments. This is managed without copious effects, just the humble communication between a speaker cabinet and guitar pickups. Dual vocals are extremely effective as both guitarist Elle Reynolds and bassist Francys Andros demonstrate their prowess with every take, whether screamed or near-silent. It’s front to back brilliant, but I draw particularl attention to the final tracks which make for an unfolding puzzle: “6:59” mixes idyllic choruses with esoteric vocal twists, and brilliantly transitions into “Distillate” which relinquishes all structural rules for drone worship.
FFO: Holy Fawn, The Angelic Process & Senza