It’s tough to release heavy music the same month as Knocked Loose. Here at Boolin Tunes we’ve also been amazed by Reliqa, Like Moths To Flames, and Graywave, to name a few – here’s the pick of the rest that we sorely hope won’t get lost in the noise.
Long Goodbye – i used to dream of drowning (The Coming Strife)
While there may have been a sense that the best of the old school metalcore revival would be confined to the shores of North America, Long Goodbye have more than disputed that their debut EP, i used to dream of drowning. A studious take at the genre that has a satisfying abrasiveness in the mix, with some of the best guitar work of 2024, makes for a listen that should see Long Goodbye capture the ear of many.
FFO: Balmora, Cauldron & Church Tongue
Doom Beach – Burden (Independent)
Burden is a remorselessly fuzzy two-piece project out of Conneticut. One guitar becomes a warbling choir over punk ditties. It would be easy to make a record based on this sound feel aimless and unrestrained, but Doom Beach keep it tight. “Escape” includes sharp cuts and grooves that will encourage you to move. A slowdown on “Atrophy” introduces industrial and no-wave influence. A trio of instrumental ‘noise interludes’ pepper the later half of the album giving it extra definition and just-right pacing.
FFO: early Swans, Lightning Bolt, White Suns
Demersal – Demersal (Independent)
Demersal really get of the fundamentals of mathcore: finding furiously good ideas and iterating upon them whilst never overextending. Their sophomore self-titled album demonstrates their meticulous approach to skramz. Tracks like “Lys I Natten” will bowl you over with their beat switches, little riff details, emotive streaks and bonus ideas (in this case, lushious horns). Gratifying moments come in bursts: two step swagger in “Bedrager” and “Androide Identiteter“, vocal duets in epic “Vakuum“, pure speed on “Be Kind“, and gracious slow-downs on “Something” and “Kunsten At Slå Tiden Ihjel” – not to mention the chills you will feel in the record’s closing moments. It would be a great shame if this record didn’t pick up more notice across screamo and hardcore communities worldwide.
FFO: Frail Body, EYES, Gospel
DURENDAL – Monument (Independent)
British newcomers Durendal have crafted an old-school metalcore masterclass in the form of debut EP Monument, captivating fans of the newly resuscitated sound with its punishing breakdowns, melodic guitar passages and a downright disgusting vocal delivery. Taking strongly to the genre’s roots, the Leicester outfit forgo polish in favor of a raw, chaotic sound that has aged finely and shows no sign of creative fatigue.
FFO: Razel Got Her Wings, SeeYouSpaceCowboy & Killing Me Softly
Unearthly Rites – Ecdysis (Prosthetic Records)
Death metal requires sadistic intent, and the Finnish Unearthly Rites find their own through misantropy toward capitalist industry. Edcysis (the process by which insects shed their skin) is a cavernous punk album whose recording feels completely live, oozing from your choice of speakers or headphones, preserving all the inadvertent clanging and scraping of studio life. Each track begins with a haze of noize from which a riff emerges to define the track. On “Capitalocenic Nightmare” it makes for an old school death metal vibe; on “Fuck Ecofascism” this becomes a lurching, short-form death metal track; and closer “Doomed” leads with bass to formulate an epic finale. There are technical and wild solos and talented bellows, but don’t come to Ecdysis for clarity – sink into their toxic mire.
Houses We Die In – Faces of the Suffering (Independent)
Taking influences from metalcore revival, and screamo with those essential hints of emo, Houses We Die in delivered their debut record Faces of the Suffering last month. An emotionally charged listen, it boasts plenty of panic chords alongside shrill and determined vocals. There is an unrelenting nature to Faces of the Suffering, as it explores the horror and harshness of emotions that the mind can offer, closing out on the bleak mantra of “Push everyone away, bottle up my pain deep inside, push everyone away, trust no one die alone“.
FFO: Since My Beloved, Azhara & Starve
Algor Mortis – Stages Of Death (Independent)
After a few years away from the studio, Algor Mortis made their return last year with single “Welcome To Hell“, which featured Waking the Cadaver. This and recent EP Stages Of Death, show that the Melbourne unit haven’t missed a step with their cocktail of sludge and bleak infused deathcore that is packed with pummelling riffs and nasty vocals from Keane. An absolutely stomping record that will doubt suffice the darker tendencies of listeners.
FFO: Graveview, Vulvodynia & Sanguisugabogg
Kulk – It Gets Worse (Human Worth)
May was a heavy month, and this overview is only getting heavier. Kulk are a UK based noise and doom duo who released the succintly intense It Gets Worse on Human Worth records. Guitarist Thom Longdin feeds their signal into both bass and electric amps for a disgusting tone, whilst drummer Jade Ashleigh keeps the tom beats bouncy and entertaining. Contrasting the aformentioned Doom Beach, this two-piece manage to find sonic definition from inside their realm of unhinged distortion – despite all the sonic chaos, the song-like elements shine through on “A Heavy Sigh“, as the mix of clean and harsh vocals blend clarity and rage. Tracks like “Mammoth” and “Out Of Reach” brim with ear-candy production details. The doom really emerges later on with the pairing of “Fountain” into “Life Will Wait” where both members take the mic. They’ll get the chance to demonstrate It Gets Worse at ArcTanGent this year.
FFO: Tuskar, Melancholia, Body Void
Wiltwither – The Yellow Wallpaper (Independent)
Metallic hardcore upstarts Wiltwither have crafted a truly unique mix on The Yellow Wallpaper. Listen out for the juicy electronic twists bristling around the wild and idiosyncratic guitar tone. Besides the immediately convincing singles “We Exist In Shades” and “For No One Else To See“, the EP brings three more tracks into the Wiltwither family. “Locked Away” is a fitting introduction to the swarm, and hints of melody step forward on “A Ceaseless Dream” that are immediately thrown aside for the EP’s most furious twists. “Become One” features Carson Pace of The Callous Daoboys for a nutty, tempo-sliding breakdown. For now, The Yellow Wallpaper will be Wiltwither‘s defining release, and with so much to love, that should keep them sorted for a few years.
FFO: cohen_noise, MORTAL REMINDER, Creak