Haut & Court - "La Vie"

French hardcore from Haut & Court on their "La Vie" release, packed full of short and sweet numbers that are filled to the brim with brutality and ingenuity. The guitar workouts on "Colision" are absolutely bananas especially, but definitely killer across the whole release. The drums are tuned awesomely and the vocals are just incredibly intense and heavy. Monstrous stuff right here.

Haut & Court - "La Vie"

- DCKR

Zillah - "Substitute For A Catastrophe"

Crushing metallic goodness here from Zillah, who offers up their entire catalog for free on Bandcamp. "Substitute For Catastrophe", their most recent offering, is definitely my favorite. This shit is six years old now, but still sounds as devastating as the day it hit the streets. Equal parts death metal, hardcore, progressive metal, and math rock, this shit is just pulverizing  and essential listening for all metal aficionados out there. I love the sound of the drummers snare so much!

Zillah - "Substitute For A Catastrophe"

- DCKR

Errata - "Cognac Al Dente"

Considering the literal definition of this band's name, I'd say it's pretty fitting they chose it as their moniker. Same can be said of this album title, perfectly fitting. Heavy and intense, soft and subtle. Serious business that's fun stuff, fun stuff that's serious business. Perfect for weekend afternoon puff'n'chug scenarios.

Errata - "Cognac Al Dente"

- DCKR

James Doesnt Exist - "The Return To Sanity"

I simply cannot fathom what goes on in this guys head. A one man grindcore outfit, which is pretty cool on its own but not terribly innovative, surprisingly. Where technical prowess and production value often lack or fail in such realms, James Doesnt Exist excels beyond what you could imagine a one man grindcore band to be.

Within a top notch overall sound, James Doesnt Exist manages to single handedly deconstruct your notion of what a grindcore band can be while vividly displaying some of the absolute best musicianship you've ever heard in such realms. Some might want to throw around "post-metal" references, "digi-grind" catch phrases, "math rock" chin-stroking, and other such inane pigeonholing - I'd just like to say that this is one of the best metal records you'll hear this year.

James Doesnt Exist - "The Return To Sanity"