It’s only been a couple of months since Black Sabbath released a 4CD box set of their classic ‘Vol 4’ album, but in June 2021, they’ll be giving fans another vastly expanded reissue when a 4CD version of their sixth studio LP ‘Sabotage’ hits the shelves.
The arrival of ‘The Bitter Remains of Human Consumption’ marks the end of a near five year silence from Devilz By Definition. However, within about twenty seconds of hitting the play button on their 2021 EP, it’s clear that they’re not approaching their return in a half-arsed way. The lead track ‘Time Is Near’ absolutely thunders from the speakers with a perfect blend that combines twenty first century thrash and groove metal with a metalcore attitude. Moving through a barrage of jagged and intensely heavy riffs, the band show a huge love for Lamb of God and the more melodic end of DevilDriver, often showcasing a really tight musical symmetry between guitarists J. Couvillon and B. Munro as they use their sharp style to lock into T. Robert’s drum groove.
On April 30th, death metal duo Goregäng will release their new EP ‘Long Live The Grime’. Ahead of that release, they have a treat for you.
Their current single ‘Electric Head Part 1 (The Agony)’ is a cover of the White Zombie classic, treated faithfully but injected with a Goregäng twist via a death metal inflected vocal. Perhaps what’s most impressive about their choice of cover is the guitar sound; they’ve absolutely nailed the bottom end sound from J. Yuenger’s guitar that helped make the original cut so distinctive. What’s more, they’ve given the new recording a send off with the kind of trashy (and vaguely NSFW) video clip that Rob Zombie would surely approve.
Ohio pop punkers Cotter use their debut EP ‘On Sunset’ to deliver a barrage of emotionally charged messages. Its title, agreed on by the whole band, ‘On Sunset’ refers directly to their formation on Sunset Drive, but also – in their own words – how “heartbreak occurred, [the band] started and something beautiful came at the end of from it.” For those who’d rather not get too immersed in the song’s personal messages, most of the songs are loaded with absolutely classic pop punk riffs. Whether they’re tackling the Sum 41-esque bounce of ‘Blackout!’ or the obviously Fall Out Boy derived ‘Clumsy’, their musical talents shine brightly.
The End Machine’s 2019 debut for Frontiers Records presented almost an hour’s worth of classic sounding hard rock. Its sound was exactly as you’d expect from a couple of musicians associated with Dokken and the ex-vocalist from Lynch Mob. It’s higher octane tracks gave George Lynch every opportunity to hammer his fretboard, while the darker and slower workouts put bassist Jeff Pilson squarely in the spotlight. Most importantly, a lot of the numbers wielded huge choruses to great effect, often giving vocalist Robert Mason (ex-Cry of Love/Warrant) plenty to work with. In terms of melodic metal, it was a great disc – certainly much better than Dokken had managed in a few years.