(In what follows Gonzo reviews and recommends four albums released in June 2024.)
Given that it’s been a few months since I’ve been able to crank one of these out, there’s no time like the present, right?
HORSEBURNER, VOICE OF STORMS
As of late, Appalachia is an unlikely breeding ground for all kinds of weird sounds, with Horseburner being the latest to throw their swamp-crusted hat into the ring.
Sonically, Horseburner has more in common with the fuzzy/psych sensibilities of Howling Giant than most of their Appalachian brethren, but the West Virginians have written an album that’s heavy on hooks and swagger; opening track “The Gift” (after interlude “Summer’s Bride”) crashes around like a drunk mule listening to Mastodon, and when “Heaven’s Eye” reaches its full form, it charges forth with an Anciients-like aggression.
Voice of Storms, as a whole, is an aptly named ride that isn’t afraid to take a few risks.
https://horseburner.bandcamp.com/album/voice-of-storms
http://www.facebook.com/horseburner
MY DILIGENCE, DEATH.HORSES.BLACK
If you didn’t get enough heavy psych with Horseburner, I have good news – the new record from Belgium’s My Diligence might scratch whatever’s left of that fuzzy itch.
Listening to Death.Horses.Black for the first time made me realize a) this band has managed to slip past my radar for all these years, and b) that’s a shame because they’re really fucking good at what they do – and what they do is write trippy, acid-washed riffs that sound something like Psychlona jamming with the Deftones.
Exhibit A: The song “Horses.” It’s a smooth, almost soothing listen until the distortion turns up and the post-hardcore influences start showing up around the halfway mark. It’s a brilliant song that intrigued me enough to include the album here by itself – but the rest of it is anything but a one-hit-wonder.
The angular riffs of “Black” lurch forth like it was written by Page Hamilton in 1994, and the weight of “Auspicious” brings Torche to mind as well. Actually, a lot of this album sounds like Torche, but manages to steer clear of obvious copycatting.
https://mydiligence.bandcamp.com/album/death-horses-black
http://www.facebook.com/mydiligence
SIBIIR, UNDERGANG
For some heavier stuff this month, Norway’s SIBIIR combines a dizzying array of styles into one multiheaded hydra, creating the powerhouse that is their newest record Undergang.
Scandinavian music is nothing if it doesn’t push boundaries, and SIBIIR fits the bill. Imagine Kvelertak trying to play blackgaze and you’ll get a decent enough starting point, but that description doesn’t quite capture how radiant a track like “Placid Waters” is. With shimmering leads that pulsate under Jimmy Nymoen’s spastic Puciato-like roar, it’s a track that I’ve been revisiting since starting this column – and still returning to it.
The doomy dirge of “Watch the World Burn” shows SIBIIR expanding their sonic template to an impressive extent, and the closing thunderclap that is “The Famine” seems to completely empty this band’s tank in just under five minutes.
Any band that can vacillate between chaotic post-hardcore and then flirt with the bleak despair of black metal is going to get my attention, and with Undergang, SIBIIR proves they’re a name to watch.
https://sibiir.bandcamp.com/album/undergang
http://facebook.com/SIBIIR
EVERGREY, THEORIES OF EMPTINESS
I’m still amazed we didn’t already review this one, but, hell – more fun for me.
Something that I’m even more amazed by: Sweden’s Evergrey has been consistently slinging out high-quality melodic metal for 25 years, and this is their thirteenth studio album. You’d be hard-pressed to find much filler throughout their entire catalog, so naturally, my expectations for Theories of Emptiness were high.
And like clockwork, the album is everything I’ve come to expect from the Gothenburg stalwarts. Bottom-heavy riffs that collaborate perfectly with atmospheric keys populate “Misfortune” and “Falling from the Sun,” and the downright addicting chorus of “Say” has been in my head for weeks.
The opening jackhammer stomp of “We Are the North” is especially fun, and further proves that no matter how heavy Evergrey wants to get, they never lose that impermeable soul that defines their sound so consistently. Bonus points for getting Katatonia’s Jonas Renske for guest vocals on “Cold Dreams.”
https://evergrey.bandcamp.com/album/theories-of-emptiness
https://www.facebook.com/Evergrey
Like what you hear? Follow my best-of-2024 playlist for selections from everything you’ve just read, and a whole helluva lot more.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7zWqE685GVpuB5M3qRDvog?si=08d80939b43e4d89