DOOL – Summerland

On their debut album ‘Here Now, There Then’, Dool formulated a sound that blended goth, hard rock and a touch of trad metal to create a sound that drew a lot of influence from the early 90s, but in some ways sounded almost timeless. With elements of Killing Joke providing a core influence – especially in some of Job van der Zande’s chosen basslines – it was a record that had a relatively strong musical foundation, even if some of the songs weren’t especially memorable. A cover of ‘Love Like Blood’ flaunted their love of Killing Joke further on an EP in 2019 that, in the band’s own words, saw them growing in confidence.

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August Burns Red release new video for ‘Bones’

American metalcore titans August Burns Red released their ninth studio album ‘Guardians’ on April 3rd. A disc that’s been very well received by fans, it’s a record that presents the band in a very heavy mood, but also one that’s packed with great songs.

A new video for the current single ‘Bones’ appeared on YouTube on April 7th. It provides a perfect snapshot of what to expect from the rest of the new album. You can stream the whole clip below.

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ZHORA – Mortals

Since their arrival on the metal scene, zhOra have worked hard in forging a sound that takes sludge metal into more adventurous places than most. Armed with a relentless sound that mixes a hardcore crunch with the pure technicalities of progressive metal, the smatterings of death metal and a crushing doom element, their work isn’t for those who seek instant gratification. Their fourth album, ‘Mortals’ really reinforces any ideas that the band often values weight and heaviness over any genuine accessibility, yet at the same time, it is a truly impressive release.

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Listen: Dead Man’s Chest stream new 7″

At the time of this two track release, it’s almost been a decade since Dead Man’s Chest released their first full length album ‘Hateline’. In that time, the London-based purveyors of noise have played hard and toured even harder, sharing stages with the legendary Sick of It All, Madball and a whole host of great hardcore bands.

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STONE MACHINE ELECTRIC – Stone Machine Electric

To move forward, sometimes it’s important to take stock of the current situation and go back to the past. On this two track 7”, Texan doom duo Stone Machine Electric revisit the first songs they ever wrote together and in doing so go back as far as possible. Both tracks have been previously available, but this release marks their vinyl debut.

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