With thanks a hard touring schedule, Oxfordshire based quintet I Cried Wolf found themselves constantly sharpening up their skills until their core sound became incredibly tight. Released just three years after forming, their 2015 release ‘Hollow Heart’ showcases five brilliantly uncompromising works, brimming with alt-metal and post-hardcore attitude, mixed in a way that it sounds absolutely fearsome no matter what the volume.
Tag Archives: metal
88 MILE TRIP – Through The Thickest Haze
Hearing the opening notes of this debut full-length LP from Canadian stoner rock band 88 Mile Trip has the unfortunate effect of making the listener want to turn off the disc in an instant. Frontman David Bell delivers the opening verse of ‘The Repressed’ a cappella style which, quite frankly, isn’t the best move. His huge voice has a natural tone, but much like hearing Glenn Danzig bellowing with no sense of occasion or restraint, in terms of over-singing, it’s incredibly overbearing. He wails through each word at full volume and really it’s not easy to listen to. Maybe the band wanted to make a statement and chose such uncompromising beginnings deliberately, but there’s also every chance that Bell isn’t quite the vocalist he aspires to being.
ARCADIAN – Fault Line EP
From Christchurch, New Zealand, Arcadian are a six piece alternative metal band with some really serious chops. On their 2015 EP ‘Fault Line’ they bring six tunes that are guaranteed to impress anyone who loves their metal with an alternative slant that’s heavily downtuned with aggressive vocals, but most importantly of all, brings a frightening array of sledgehammer riffs.
LIMB – Terminal
At the beginning of the second quarter of 2014, British doom rockers Limb unleashed their self-titled debut LP. An uncompromising barrage of heavy riffs and gravelly vocals, the London based quartet announced their arrival in a most unsubtle manner and although they were outshone by labelmates Black Moth in terms of doomy goodness, the elpee set them up as a force to be reckoned with and a band upon which everyone should keep a close eye. The subsequent live shows demonstrated an almost boundless fury: aside from their capabilities to bring the noise, one other thing was pretty certain – the next time around, Limb would drop an absolutely killer release.
AVERSION – Aversion
Four years after their formation, Canadian black metal troupe Aversion unleashed their debut release in the summer of 2015. Released two years after a demo, this record still has a very demo-like feel by black metal standards. With a sound that’s never going to win over a huge audience to begin with, the rough and ready feel this album has, Aversion seem set on keeping their audience somewhat selective, but looking beyond that, there’s some reasonable playing.