FLOODS

black/death metal out of Brooklyn. not all blast beats and tremolo picking here. theyre in there but this has a more progressive and busy structure. especially in the percussion. floods is kind of like a black metal version of "lifesblood/remission" era mastodon. one of the better debuts ive heard in recent memory. cant wait to hear a full length from these guys

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Savage Kenny- Conspiracies EP (2015)

Country: USA
Genre:  Noise Rock, Punk, Lo-fi, Crossover
Label:  Independent
Tracks: 3

Savage Kenny formed around 2012 and has a unique blend of noisy jazz rock guitars, minimally punctuated drums, and hypnotic meters in their songwriting.
On their EP "Conspiracies", over the course of three songs; they show three very different sides of their writing.
Opening up with some sludge noise before throwing you into punky two steps. This EP makes for an interesting listen. They never hit the same spot twice, yet never fail to hit their mark.

I feel personally that bands like this come alive on the stage, rather than in the studio. The depth and bravado of what Savage Kenny aims to do is definitely nurtured on this recording, and is a great glimpse of things to come!

FFO: Ken Mode, Swans, Garage Rock

Savage Kenny On Bandcamp
Savage Kenny On Facebook

Burnasack-Staring At The Wall EP (2017)

Country: USA
Genre: Hip Hop
Label: Self-Released
Tracks: 8
Length: 19.5'

Here's something different for the blog.  Burnasack is the hip hop project of Bobby Johnson.  Bobby Johnson plays in the band Canyons and runs the record label The Ghost Is Clear records.  Burnasack features interesting samples, a laid back vibe, and a cool stream of consciousness style vocal delivery that really works well with the vibe of Burnasacks's music.  I'm not going to even pretend to say that I know a lot about hip hop, but I get a cool Roots, Tribe Called Quest, and Shabazz Palaces vibe going on with Burnasack.  Staring at the Wall is Burnasack's debut eight song EP, which was released on March 1st, 2017.  Overall, Staring At The Wall makes for a great listen and is definitely worth checking out.  Great stuff!  Enjoy!

(Submission)

Burnasack on Bandcamp
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Cloak/Dagger-I Want Everything LP (2017)

Country: USA
Genre: Punk, Garage Rock
Label: Self-Released
Tracks: 9
Length: 22.0'

Cloak/Dagger are a four piece band from Richmond, Virginia who formed in 2006.  Cloak/Dagger play a tense, frenetic, and energetic style of music that incorporates elements of punk and garage rock within their sound.  Musically, Cloak/Dagger can be loosely compared to bands such as Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, and Obits.  Since forming in 2006, Cloak/Dagger have released a nine song demo titled Pinata Breaks in May of 2007, a thirteen song LP titled We Are in September on 2007, and a thirteen song LP titled Lost Art in November of 2009.  I Want Everything is the band's latest full-length LP, which was released on March 1st, 2007.  On I Want Everything, Cloak/Dagger offer up nine tracks of energetic and catchy as hell sounding punk and garage rock.  Overall, I Want Everything makes for an amazing listen and should not be missed.  Highly recommended!  Enjoy!

Cloak/Dagger on Bandcamp
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(Jap) Friendship-I&II Cassette (2017)

Country: Japan
Genre: Hardcore, Punk, Crust, Powerviolence
Label: Sentient Ruin Laboratories
Tracks: 12
Length: 23.7'

Hailing from the Chiba prefecture of western Japan, Friendship are one of the most vile, antagonist, and visionary grind/powerviolence acts to have ever emerged from The Land of the Rising Sun. Their absurdly devastating music comes together as a collapsing black hole that devours everything with maniacal ferocity, sparing nothing from the plain of existence. In perfect adherence to the tradition of Japanese extreme music where everything is always taken to ridiculous and mindless extremes, Friendship's music is like a chain reaction that can not be stopped - the devastating consequence of an uncontrolled nuclear fission of Japan's most praised and iconic musical extremities embracing the full scale auditive terror of legendary American powerviolence bands like Nails, Column of Heaven, Man Is The Bastard, Iron Lung, and Hatred Surge, and the tormented sludge dirges of masters like Swans, Godflesh, Corrupted, Noothgrush, and Dystopia. (Press Note)

*This is some harsh, abrasive, and vicious as fuck sounding hardcore, punk, crust, and powerviolence.  Seriously, this absolutely rips.  I&II was released via Sentient Ruin Laboratories records on February 17th, 2017.  Highly recommended!  Enjoy!

Sentient Ruin Laboratories on Bandcamp 
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Droughts-Stay Behind LP (2017)

Country: USA
Genre: Post Hardcore, Emo, Screamo, Indie Rock
Label: Skeletal Lightning
Tracks: 11
Length: 28.7'

Droughts are a four piece band from Chicago, Illinois who formed in 2010.  Droughts play a killer style of music that incorporates elements of post hardcore, emo, screamo, and indie rock within their sound.  Musically, Droughts can be loosely compared to bands such as Small Brown Bike, Old Gray, Frameworks, Sinaloa, Native, We Were Skeletons, old Pianos Become The Teeth, The Appleseed Cast, and other like-minded bands.  Since forming in 2010, Droughts have released a three song EP titled Unmoved in 2010, a split with William Bonney in February of 2010, and a ten song LP titled   All Together in March of 2016.  Stay Behind is the band's latest full-length LP, which was released via Skeletal Lightning records on February 24th, 2017.  On Stay Behind, Droughts offer up eleven tracks of killer post hardcore, emo, screamo, and indie rock.  Overall, Stay Behind makes for an amazing listen and should not be missed.  Highly recommended!  Enjoy!

Droughts on Bandcamp
Droughts on Facebook
Skeletal Lightning on Bandcamp
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(Bel) Gateway-Scriptures Of Grief Cassette (2017)

Country: Belgium
Genre: Black Metal, Doom, Sludge
Label: Sentient Ruin Laboratories
Tracks: 3
Length: 29.0'

100% DIY one-man death-doom destruction straight from the fucking kingdom of the dead. Belgium's Gateway plays sepulchral and bestial death-doom that will rot your mind and batter your flesh. A literal "gateway" to the underworld materialized through a comatose and rotting funeral march deep down into bowels of hades, Gateway's rotting music is an unforgettable sonic stampede delivered through a slow-motion crawl of colossal and mummified death metal riffs that will trample over the listener with the force of a behemoth unleashed from the most slime-ridden crevices of hell. An authentic triumph of rotting riff worship for fans of death-doom legends like Disembowelment, Undergang, Coffins, Winter and Thorr's Hammer. (Press Note)

*Damn this is some amazing raw and vicious as fuck sounding black metal, doom, and sludge.  You need this.  Highly recommended!  Enjoy!  Scriptures Of Grief was released via Sentient Ruin Laboratories on February 3rd, 2017.

Sentient Ruin Laboratories on Bandcamp
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Jon Shuemaker- Shadows Of The Mind EP (2017)

Country: USA
Genre: Post-Metal, Instrumental Rock
Tracks: 5
Label: Self Published


Multi-Instrumentalist Jon Shuemaker has been slowly and steadily releasing completely DIY albums over the last few years.
He first appeared as a drummer on the debut album of a progmetal band called Mind's I.
Since their dissolution, he has explored many different styles and genres; all centered around being somewhat left-of-center.

The music on 'Shadows Of The Mind' is rhythmically engaging while retaining a great sense of melodic direction. It is hypnotic without feeling pointless. It is hard to categorize in any particular category as it might bend genre from riff to riff.
Definitely a good palette cleanser, and definitely some of his heavier output.

Jon Shuemaker On Bandcamp

FFO: Dead Letter Circus, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Acid Jazz

HEISENBERG- THE EMPIRE BUSINESS (2017)

Country: USA
Genre: Death Metal, Slam
Date: 2017
Label: Unsigned

Engineered by Suffocation's Derek Boyer and introducing legendary Death Metal percussionist Kevin Talley; Breaking Bad themed slam band HEISENBERG return with their second LP.

"The Empire Business" lets you know right from the gate with a dome-crushing intro that leaps right into super pissed off Unique Leader era mid tempo punishment. These guys keep the energy up across seven brutal tracks without feeling stagnant or repetitive. Kevin Talley absolutely murders the kit, which is obviously to be expected.


Great production, Songwriting, Killer vocal performance (with some soul to it, so rare in this genre) and a fucking great bass tone really make this stand out for me.
Definitely not just for fans of slam, but I think most DM listeners will find this to be a very rewarding listen.

Listen/Purchase/Buy Merch Here: Bandcamp
Facebook

FFO: Suffocation, Severe Torture, Defeated Sanity, Devourment, Slam

HARM DONE- Abuse/Abused

Band: HARM DONE
Release: Abuse/Abused
Genre: PowerViolence, Hardcore Punk
Origin: Nantes, France

Hailing from Nantes, France; This violent 4 piece have taken what they delivered on previous releases "Hammer Tape '15" and their self titled debut and really honed in the songwriting. In what continues to be, in my opinion, a tightening grip on heavy music in the French speaking world.

Between the expert vocal delivery, tight drumming and brutal guitars really warrant repeated listens, which in a genre tree that can be saturated, it's relieving to see a group that has enough violence to cut through the bullshit.

FFO: Dropdead, Yacopsae, Despise You

Listen here: https://harmdone.bandcamp.com/
Buy: www.straightandalert.com
Contact: alexis@straightandalert.com