Hey, welcome to a new feature on Metal Insider, where it’s all about the best of the best albums released throughout the month. Get ready to catch up with me – January was about riffs and heavy metal brakdowns! Bullet, Kosuke Hashida, and Megadeth all have that trademark crunch to achieve results on wildly different ends of the heaviness spectrum. And they’re hardly the first to do so; Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi revolutionized the sound in metal and rock adjacent music, and the all new Health, Gluecifer and Gavial records you – defiantly – will check out wouldn’t be the same without Mr. Iommi’s musical DNA obviously or inadvertently spliced in. Every record that I listed is a living testament to this, as all of the artists put extensive time in as another year of fine albums is off to an ultra heavy start. Embrace the riff. It’s a wonderful thing.
10) The Jewelry, Powder (E.P) (Adventure Cat Records)
The Jewelry is building upon a foundation of punk-leaning rock in the Powder extended play. The band’s dual vocal attack – featuring their vocalists Aiden Jacques (guitar) and Vanna Rose (bass) alongside Sal Stinson (drums) – is a molotov cocktail of fast burning music as they cover themes of rebellion against societal norms through an aggressive and a snarling approach to songwriting.
RIYL: Amyl and the Sniffers, Garbage, L7, Mother Feather, Hole, The Headlines
Standout Cuts: 1. Cake, 3. Julie’s Lunch
09) Crystal Lake, The Weight of Sound (Century Media Records)
Offering up a commentary to excess, greed and religion, Crystal Lake’s sixth full-length proper is a 11 song rampage full of visceral aggression. Embracing the breakdown speed of hardcore, The Weight of Sound resonates like it supposed to in it’s lyrics and song writing.
RIYL: In Flames, Killswitch Engage, Unearth, Upon a Burning Body, Tetrarch, Trivium
Standout Cuts: 2. Crossing Nails, 7. The Weight of Sound
08) Health, Conflict DLC (Loma Vista / Concord)
A noisy project have been pushing their creative limits with every release, Health have mutated into the grimy industrial band they were always meant to be! A boundary breaking release of 12 bangers with machine loops and a maximized heft on the industrial genre.
RIYL: Crowbar, Godflesh, Indian, Ministry, Scour, White Zombie
Standout Cuts: 2. Burn the Candles, 8. Shred Envy
07) Stranguliatorius, Flies Don’t Lie (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
There’s a solid case for Stranguliatorius coming back with a vengeance so early in the year – driven by skull-smacking riffs and unfiltered death metal – Flies Don’t Lie is a fantastic addition to your already loud gym workout playlist.
RIYL: Bolt Thrower, Carcass, Exhumed, Hooded Menace, Molder, Skeletal Remains
Standout Cuts: 3. Acetone Dream, 10. AC/Necro/DC
06) Bullet, Kickstarter (SPV / Steamhammer)
Sweden’s favorite hard rock champions, Bullet, sound as sharp, raw, and as revamped as they have ever been – Kickstarter – offers fans a no holds barred celebration of rock music. Revisiting and paying respect to their heroes whilst also blitzing into a sharp future, Bullet is a fun display of high-impact Swedish heavy rock music.
RIYL: AC/DC, Crucified Barbara, Kissin’ Dynamite, Loudness, U.D.O, Sister Sin
Standout Cuts: 2. Caught in the Action, 9. Full Throttle
