HAYWARDxDÄLEK (2025)

This album is a collaboration between English drummer/composer (here also playing keyboards) Charles Hayward (This Heat, Camberwell Now) and American MC/producer Will Brooks aka dälek. Overall this is amongst the most minimalist/atmospheric works from dälek, and also amongst my favourites. The dreamy atmospheres are great, and the drumming brings more variations than usual beats. I love the overall feel of the album, and I think its more instrumental nature makes the vocals more impactful, making it sound always very deliberate, controlled and to the point. This combination will make some of the tracks classics amongst dälek already full of masterpieces discography. Between the word and the drum, Breath slow, As children chant, are totally awesome. A great collaboration, a great album, highly recommended! 

 

The BC page. 

 

Rwake - The Return of Magik (2025)

The Return of Magik is the Fifth Rwake album, and we could also say it's a magical return, since Fourteen years after their previous album Rawke are back with their best one, a masterpiece in southern progressive doom (with some aggressive sludge vocals). I love the atmosphere they manage to create with these songs. Their music, somewhere between Crowbar, Mastodon and Neurosis combines nicely heaviness, epicness and melodic subtleties (including the use of acoustic and pedal steel guitars). Warmly recommended!

 

The BC page.

 

Vacuous - In His Blood (2025)

After a promising first album in 2022, Vacuous (from London, UK) is confirming with their second album and Relapse debut, In His Blood, that they are among the best new bands in the old school death metal scene, with a sound evoking Incantation, Autopsy and Immolation. I'm pleased to see that Relapse records are still sometimes releasing stuff as out of fashion and underground as old school death metal, but it's not so surprising, Vacuous quality is obvious, and it's fully deserved.

 

The BC page. 

 

The Bug - Machine (2024)

Last year, The Bug (producer Kevin Richard Martin) released a series of five EP called Machine, from I to V, and then compiled some of its tracks on this Machine album released by Relapse. As expected from The Bug, it delivers the best dark and industrial dub. This time it's all instrumental, perfect for feeling the power of the beats and getting lost into the pulsating bass. Strong stuff!

The BC page.

 

Candy - It's Inside You (2024)

Candy is a kind of new mutation of hardcore, and it keeps evolving. In their new album It's Inside You, beatdown is still the main component, but the Full of Hell style blackened & noisy hardcore nearly disappeared, and the nu-metal element is getting more prominent, including Slipknot style cuts & jungle breaks samples and some melodic chorus. The result is more straightforward and mainstream, but no less effective and satisfying. Most purists will probably stay away from it, but some might enjoy it as a kind of "guilty pleasure".

The BC page.

 

Incantation - Unholy Deification (2023)

Unholy Deification has the slower doomier parts for which Incantation are known for, but it seems to me that overall this album is faster than their usual. But one thing doesn't change : they deliver top quality old-school death metal, with excellent songwriting, catchy riffs and nice leads. Being so consistent at being so good for such a long time (13th album!) is no small achievement. Another great album by an awesome band. 

The Bandcamp page.

 

Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg for Death (2023)

Make Them Beg for Death sounds like a continuation of Dying Fetus previous album (Wrong One to Fuck With), and also start with an instant classic track, here "Enlighten Through Agony". And again it delivers the best from Dying Fetus : the catchy riffing, the relentless beating and the heavy grooves. Maybe slightly not as good as Wrong One, but I don't know, maybe some people will prefer this one... they are in a similar vein in any case, and both are definitely top quality death metal, as we expect from DF.

The BC page.

 

Candy - Heaven is Here (2022)

On their first album (Good to Feel) Candy was more or less a good metallic hardcore band, with Heaven is Here they positively turned into a monster. A bit like Full of Hell, but in a different way, they added more modern and extreme elements to their already dirty metallic hardcore, with bits of death-doom, industrial / noise, and a large dose of beatdown. The result is cohesive and nightmarishly brutal. Signing them was definitely a good move from Relapse Records, this is the best and hardest hardcore album this year so far.

The BC page.

 

Author & Punisher - Krüller (2022)

On this new album called Krüller, one man industrial metal band Author & Punisher (Tristan Shone writing the songs, crafting the machines, playing it and singing), is focusing on his more atmospheric side, with an album that sounds more like a soundtrack (would do totally fine for a dystopian road movie!) than a collection of songs, except two tracks that are a bit different from the rest of the album : the Portishead cover "Glory Box" (not bad, but maybe a separate release would have been better for this one) and "Blacksmith" with its breakcore elements from co-producer of the album Jason Begin (Vytear). I'd say "Melk En Honing" remain my favourite A & P album, but Krüller is a nice and interesting addition to its tremendous discography.

The BC page.

 

Terminal Bliss - Brute Err/atta! (2021)

With Brute Err/atta!, the first Terminal Bliss album (released by Relapse Records), we already have a first outstanding hardcore album for 2021. A new band, but with experienced musicians (including vocalist and guitarist form Pg.99 and drummer from Darkest Hour and Iron Reagan). It is fast, noisy and angry hardcore, and it's done totally how it should and works deadly well. Simple but great stuff. Hardcore at its best.

 

The BC page.

Pig Destroyer - The Octogonal Stairway (EP 2020)

The Octogonal Stairway is the new EP from grinders Pig Destroyer. First three tracks are straightforward grind with a good heavy and powerful groove, especially the fastest first two tracks are really strong, the third mid tempo one being OK but less memorable. The second half of the EP is composed of industrial/noise tracks. I love industrial/noise music, but in my opinion these tracks are more fillers than anything else. But the firsts tracks are excellent and really worth your attention.

The BC page.

 

Zonal - Wrecked (2019)

Zonal is formed by Kevin Martin (The Bug, King Midas Sound) and Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, JK Flesh) who teamed already in Techno Animal, and they are joined by Camae Ayewa (alias Moor Mother) on the first half of the album, the rest being instrumentals. As expected the result in this first album called Wrecked (released by Relapse), is industrial hip-hop/illbient/dark trip-hop, in a more quiet style than Techno Animal was. Both half of the album (the first half with Camae Ayewa vocals and the second instrumental one) are very good. Maybe the first half being more interesting and memorable. It's not the best album they made (either together or not) but still it's excellent and if you like what they did before you'll enjoy this one as well.

The Bandcamp page.

Full of Hell - Weeping Choir (2019)

Full of Hell were among the bands that set the trend in today's hardcore to add  more violence with elements from extreme metal and noise. with their new album, Weeping Choir, their first one with Relapse records, they are making sure no doubt is left they are also among the best and fiercest doing that mix. Wepping Choir is probably their most brutal album, where the hrash noise parts feels like they are the quiet moments. easily one of the most striking hardcore/metal album of the year so far.

The BC page.

Cripple Bastards - La Fine Cresce Da Dentro (2018)

Oh shit, I love Cripple Bastards and alwats expect great stuff from them, but witht their new album they managed to impress me, La Fine Cresce Da Dentro, is even better than what I expected. In this 7th album, after 30 years of grindcore, they managed to do more catchy, and even, yes, more melodic(!), songs  while maintaining their level of speed and relentless aggression. there was already a bit of that in the previous one, they just pushed it a bit further. It's surprising but it's working really well. A great album!

The BC page.

Author & Punisher - Beastland (2018)

Beastland, the sixth album from Author & Punisher (the first on Relapse) sounds quite similar to Melk En Honing, with also those melodies shining through the industrial sound. Is that a problem? not really because Tritan Shone is really good at doing this and it results in another great album. But still I expected more change, maybe a subtle addition of some new elements and I feel slightly disappointed it's not really there. But maybe next album will be more surprising, and for the moment I'm happy to have this new excellent album for A & P to enjoy.

The BC page.

Ilsa - Corpse Fortress (2018)

I don't know if Ilsa's previous four albums (a few splits as well) were less good or if there was something wrong with me when I listened to it but I felt it was ok but not much more than that. But their new one, Corpse Fortress, grabbed my attention and won me at first listen. Their old school death metal reminds both Bolt Thrower and swedeath (with some death-doom elements as well), with good riffing but their strongest force is the heavy groove. Yes, the groove, what sets apart the best death metal band is not the brutality or the technique, it's the groove. And Corpse Fortress is full of this groove. Really good stuff, highly recommended!

The BC page.

Mammoth Grinder - Cosmic Crypt (2018)

If you're in need of your dose of old school metal/punk then Mammoth Grinder's Cosmic Crypt is exactly what you need. The trio with two Iron Reagan and a Power Trip delivers what sounds very very close to a mix of Entombed, Slayer and Discharge. If you like those bands you'll like Cosmic Crypt because Mammoth Grinde ris really good at playing this mix and they crafted a very well done and enjoyable album. They keep it short, straight to the point and pertfectly efficient, with no dull moments.

The BC page.

Incantation - Profane Nexus (2017)

Incantation is one of the oldest death metal bands (starting in 1989), also one of the first to include slow paced death-doom parts. They are also one of the best, and with albums like Profane Nexus, their tenth one, this is not about to change. Old school death metal may have been long ago surpassed by modern death metal in terms of speed, heaviness and technical playing, but with such a mastery of the groove and atmosphere we found in Incantation's songwriting we are sure the old school will stay relevant for a while. Profane Nexus feature the best Incantation can do in excellent riffing and evoking a thick atmosphere of crawling evil, with a variety of rhythm, from blast-beats to mid-tempo to the slower funeral paced doom parts (like in the excellent and very funeral Incorporeal Despair for exemple). Profane Nexus is maybe even better than Dirges of Elysium (released in 2014, already a good album) and anyone into death metal will enjoy it.

The Bandcamp page.

Dying Fetus - Wrong One to Fuck With (2017)

Wrong One to Fuck With is the first Dying Fetus album since Destroy the Opposition to managed to grab my attention. Can't say exactly why but I'd say that i feel with this one they went straight to the point, wih a songwriing really focused on the key elements of the Dying Fetus style : catchy riffing and fast technical lead guitar combined with heavy breakdowns. On this album, maybe more than on the previous ones they kep it simple, the song are based on a few ideas and it helps making it more memorable  and puting aside the unnecessary. So even if you lost interest in DF in the last fifteen years I suggest you try this one, another really enjoyable album from Dying Fetus. Really nice!

The Bandcamp page.

Ex Eye - Ex Eye (2017)

Ex Eye is another exemple of a "supergroup" that is producing good results, with this first self-titled album (released by Relapse). The band is composed of the renowned forward-thinking saxophonist Colin Stetson (most known for his bass saxophone play), Greg Fox on drums (also in Liturgy, so yes there are some blast beats parts), Shazad Ismaily with synth (he also plays in Secret Chiefs 3) and Toby Sumerfield on guitar. Their music can't really fit in a genre category nor really sounds like some other bands. They produce some mysterious and quiet melodies wih a nice combination of the sax, synth and guitar, but they also bring some heavy grooves, especially with the good drumming, and the bass sax tones. Really good and interesting music.

The Bandcamp page.