Well shit, this year took a turn, didn’t it? In spite of all the insanity going on in this world, the gods have seen us fit to receive a seriously ridiculous amount of new music in the first three months of 2020 that ranges from good to great to spectacular. There are so many, in fact, that we felt simply limiting it to ten was a crime in itself, and so for the first time we’ve included a list of honorable mentions at the bottom. That honorable mention list quickly got to be very extensive and very much out of control, so I had to go back and edit it down a bit. I’ve been tracking and keeping up with new music on a weekly basis for about eight years now, and I don’t ever remember it being this rich and fruitful over a three month timeframe. I hope you find something new here that you love, and that makes these hard times a little easier on you. Bask in the glory!
Have We Met by Destroyer
I’ll be honest, this one was a lock on our lists the day it was announced. Dan Bejar’s main creative outlet has long been a favorite of mine. I’d gladly make a case for his output in the last 15 years as being the best in that timeframe. Have We Met seemingly tangents off of his fundamental sound once more, as all Destroyer albums do, building on it and altering it slightly by utilizing the tools he’s been honing all along. Bejar and Destroyer continue to evolve expertly, conjuring themes and atmospheres like no one else can.
– MCG
Splid by Kvelertak
Kvelertak have emerged once again as the mythical sun ship that they are. To even waste time and harp about a new singer joining the band this time around is moot, Kvelertak remain a unified vision and wrecking ball tour de force! With Splid they have stretched out and added some nuance and goth rock embellishments. Make no mistake, they will stampede you, Turbonegro you in the ballsack then rip out your heart like the dark priest in the Temple of Doom. Have you actually seen what these guys look like, imagine multiple Norwegian terminators sent from the future to rock your socks off. I hear writers say all the time that they would love to do just one thing in their life, that good ! Well, I’m gonna go one step further and say that I would just love to show up to band practice, plug in and produce a sound this batshit crazy yet tight as a virgin’s bunghole! Don’t even get me started with the music video for Crack of Doom, quite the soothsayer for the current state of affairs if you ask me!
– ApacheSlomo
The Neon Skyline by Andy Shauf
This one snuck up on me, sinking its hooks in with a great concept and smoothness that made it instantly accessible enough to enjoy multiple listens in a row. The replay-ability with this album is off the charts, leaning on a nostalgic feeling and expertly painted scenes that are as relatable as can be.
– MCG
Flesh, Steel, Victory… by Seed of Pain
The syncopated anvil drop in of New Age of Chaos gives way to a rifle onslaught of carnage! Who the fuck is playing drums in this band, the timing is absolutely out of this world. This is music you start your car to, music to put on when you have that strong cup of coffee in your hand and you say to yourself, ok for whetever it’s worth, I’m ready to run someone over! If you’ve ever seen a cyclops smash fists with a sasquatch then you know what caliber of band I speak of. They are comprised of pure rage and highly apropos in the current climate. If I played hockey, it would be to this, the clunky start-stops beating in time with every time I dig my skates in and change direction. Make no mistake Seed of Pain are not margarita music, they are here to peel back eyes and help you see pain!
– ApacheSlomo
Every Bad by Porridge Radio
The raw energy that builds throughout and the way the lyrics are repeated and carved into my ears until they become mantras made this album a revelation for me. I remember my first listen with headphones very vividly because I was overcome by these things. Every Bad isn’t an album, it’s a cathartic experience that yields a new perspective on things you might not have been sure were there ruminating in your subconscious. It’s a lighthouse for feelings you may have buried, intentional or not. Let it guide you.
– MCG
PEARS by PEARS
I’ve just always been able to relate to these guys on some level, mostly due them hailing from New Orleans! Now more than ever we need a band like PEARS, they will shake and bake you all day long, never steering in one direction for more than a few clips at a time. For fucks sake, Dial Up references Chumbawamba and the ol’ El Macarena in the same breath. Talk about combining the classic Fat Wreck sound with a 90’s freak show extravaganza. I did a little research on this one and found that while on the previous record they went in with most of the material ready to roll, on this one they went in with fractional ideas and structures. Well, that certainly blows me away and fuels my desire to seen them live, as they have alluded me thus far! If you’re in the market for some …And Out Come the Wolves shit, some Dookie shit as well as some, How to Clean Everything shit then plug in and get destroyed!
– ApacheSlomo
WHAT THE FUCK DID WE DØ TØ THE EARTH by SØØN
Just some pedal to the fucking metal hardcore, foaming at the mouth, spewing into the air, and clawing into the ground. This is a totally different type of cathartic experience. This is close your eyes and swing your fucking fists like you’re trying to split the atoms in the air until you collapse music. This is that “our-corrupt-government-was-negligent-and-failed-us-during-a-global-pandemic” type shit. Play it fucking LOUD and fucking OFTEN.
– MCG
Eyes and Tongues by Desert Colossus
Load up the boogie van, grab your flippies and silkiest pair of trunks cause this aroma permeates all the way from Zaandam, Netherlands. Now you normally wouldn’t expect such dank desert rock from Holland but these days the strain has spread to all parts of the globe such as Italy and Sweden. What Desert Colossus meld is the likes of Kyuss, Fu Manchu with a touch of Fear. Just check out the extended super jam of The One, as it starts off in slow trucker doom territory and eventually morphs into a stoner groove that would make Brant Bjork blush. With 7 songs in 43 minutes there is no doubt you get your money’s worth with this one. So if you find yourself wanting to hop in the car for a toke break, this would be the album to burn rubber and save your soul to!
– ApacheSlomo
Snapshot of a Beginner by Nap Eyes
This one arrived at the eleventh hour of our first quarter and bumped another great album out of the top ten. The sound itself is just about perfect for the beautiful spring weather I am experiencing here; sitting on a patio with a beer and the sun shining, with nothing to do and nowhere to go (like I have much of a choice anyway). The lyrics, however, are sort of a juxtaposition to the sound, offering deep thoughts, silly thoughts, nonsensical thoughts, sensical thoughts, existential thoughts, etc., and the balance that Nap Eyes walks this tight rope with is skillful and precise. The album flows like a melatonin-induced dream, intense and making no sense at all, yet still leaving you with a stark feeling when you wake up from it.
– MCG
South of Heaven by Fotocrime
When Coliseum broke up it cut me a little bit, mainly because they encapsulated what I love about dark rock n’ roll and they were getting better with each album. Plus, when Principle of Pain dropped in ’18 it just didn’t stick with me for some reason, I think it was the lack of Coliseum muscle. Well with the help of some dudes from Metz and Steve Albini, frontman and mastermind Ryan Patterson went out and got him that muscle. Now with South of Heaven, all the planets have aligned and we get those Depeche Mode synths with the goth rock swagger. The production is gorgeous and with headphones on, the subtle nuances reveal themselves. This beast was released at a crazy time for us and “Expulsion From Paradise” is a great way to soundtrack the uncertainty with love and hope for the future.
– ApacheSlomo
**BONUS EP**:
Lavender by Initiate
Oh shit! Another first! Not only have we never included a Honorable Mentions list before, but we’ve never had a Bonus EP! What a time to be alive, right?! Initiate took the brutal craftsmanship they slapped us with on 2018’s Before Long… and sharpened that shit up so nice that every song is now a deathblow instead of just a maiming to leave you crippled. On Lavender, Initiate have become both the unstoppable force AND the immovable object, reaching deep down to deliver eleven minutes of fury sure to have you clenching your fists and gritting your teeth in euphoria.
– MCG.
**Honorable Mentions**:
Hearts In Gardens by Kyle Forester
Empty Country by Empty Country
Void Moments by FACS
There Is No Year by Algiers
I Was Born Swimming by Squirrel Flower
Mercy by The Men
Collector by Disq
Swimmer by Tennis
Bloem by Fluisteraars
Uneasy Laughter by Moaning
Melee by Dogleg
Fungus II by Wasted Shirt
Love In High Demand by Too Free
Grave of a Dog by Sightless Pit
Delux by Bib
Speed Kills by Chubby and the Gang
Nothing by Ghouli
Conundrum by Hallas
Fever Dream by Mutually Assured Destruction
The Circle of Fifths 