After an incredibly busy month for releases, we take a look back at some of the best May LPs and EPs that you may have missed. These include the energetic Anklebiter, the intricately written Iress EP, and the unleashing of deathcore grit with Thus Spoke Zarathustra‘s debut record.
Anklebiter – To Live and Withstand (Sunday Drive Records)
It will be difficult to find a record that is as compact with energy and emotion than Anklebiter‘s To Live and Withstand. Heartfelt and yelled lines of “No one understands, you made me who I fucking am. Engulfed sound of harps and mandolins; I finally let the violence in” can be found across the record and yearn to be yelled back in a live setting. There is a rawness To Live and Withstand which ensures it will be relevant and revisited for a long time to come. It further cements Anklebiter as an exciting prospect in the hardcore space.
FFO: Jivebomb, Big Laugh & End Game
Iress – Solace (Dune Altar)
In 2020, it seemed that Iress‘s potential had become realised. Flaw was a brooding release that saw frontwoman Michelle Malley‘s vocal become encapsulating behind a supporting sound that only further added to the weight of the record. Now Iress have shown their next iteration, in the form of Solace. Tighter production and intricate songwriting has added the final pieces to what should see Iress grow in stature; gorgeous tracks such as “Ricochet” are unforgettable, and one can only hope there is more of this to come sooner rather than later.
FFO: Svalbard, Slow Crush & Graywave
Thus Spoke Zarathustra – Act Like You Don’t Know (Ephyra)
2000s deathcore revivalists Thus Spoke Zarathustra unleash their latest with the heavy yet humorous Act Like You Don’t Know. Replete with screeching vocals, bouncing guitar chugs and hilarious audio samples, this debut record is a short and sweet eight-track affair that wastes no time in getting down to the nitty-gritty of the genre’s roots, harkening back to the roots of pioneering groups such as Chelsea Grin, Suicide Silence and Despised Icon. With Act Like You Don’t Know, these young upstarts have secured their place in the old-school hall of fame, standing tall alongside acts such as Tactosa and Tracheotomy.
FFO: PSYCHO-FRAME, Mantikore & CABAL
Nedaj – Alter Ego (NUMBPROMISES)
With their last LP out only seven months ago, Nedaj is clearly a prolific project. Alter Ego is their third album of electronic music which combines trance, breakcore and ambient techno to great effect. It’s like a browse through Soundcloud’s drum and bass backchannels, cohesively drawn into a full release. Rhythmically, the beats come as thick and fast as their Need for Speed aesthetics imply, but it’s Nedaj’s atmospherics that personally complete the project. As a diehard Burial fan, the spacious, luscious tones draw me right into the hypnotic grooves. Spotify listeners are sleeping on some of the strongest tracks, like the catchy and dreamy “Be There”.
FFO: hxly xo, LOMAJI & Passing Currents
Marked;Life – Rare Candy (Kontrolla Music Group)
Arizona metalcore outfit Marked;Life make a return to the scene with their latest EP, Rare Candy. A refined version of their heavy sound, it sees the group experiment with unusual song structures and melodic elements to create something truly interesting.
FFO: Alpha Wolf, Void Of Vision & Half Me
chemical-x – no high hopes, no reserves (Independent)
Blending melodic tones with hardcore and punk riffs comes North Jersey unit chemical-x. A smooth aesthetic is backed up with an underground sound that laments lines such as “I’m a worthless pessimist, just give up, life just sucks” that bounce around the mind. On no high hopes, no reserves, each element from the snare to the groovy riffs add to a what is a brief but yet enjoyable journey through chemical-x‘s sound.
FFO: Spy, Going Off & Skrewball
Burial Clouds – Last Days of a Dying World (Church Road Records)
If you trudge back through the internet archives, you’ll find that Burial Clouds took their first steps as an instrumental doom metal project. For their first fully-fledged release, they completed their line up with an array of vocal styles including cleans from singer-songwriter Michael Malarkey. The result is an experience that is well rounded: excellent vocal performances, engrossing instrumentals, and music that’s been thoroughly meditated upon before wide release. You’ll be transported to the Pacific Northwest where the band hail from, where wide-open guitars gnash against canyon walls and rasped vocals echo against the starry sky. Compositionally, the tracks also delight, from small details like the “country” style bendy guitars on “Beirut Shores” to the tragic trajectory of the title track. “Ether Fields” is the strongest track and aches even further with its impassioned outro. It takes quite the journey to get there. Furthermore, the mix on Last Days of a Dying World offers the polish and grit required. Comparisons can be made to Inter Arma sans black metal influence, or the gasoline haze-atmosphere of Neurosis. This is an album to be sampled by all those interested in post and doom metal.
FFO: Cult of Luna, Amenra & Bell Witch
Sledge – HELLWALK (Independent)
Krooked Tongue – Deathproof (Independent)
Running out of Bristol come indie rock trio Krooked Tongue. Evolving and refining their sound on their self-titled EP, there’s an evident progression of their 2010s indie rock sound that blends a nostalgic charm with punchy and melodic riffs. Swaggering vocals and thumping drums further add to what is is their strongest work to date, and is the ideal platform to see them take the next step up.
FFO: Foals, Sad Boys Club & JAWS