Wipe the blood from your teeth and get in the pit: it’s time for a recap of this week’s best hardcore, metal, and punk rock. It’s a new year and the perfect time to get amped up on some new heavy tunes. Looking for some new death metal to bring into your life? Got you covered. Need some grindcore to get your wedding reception off on the right foot? Say no more. Strap in, kiddies; it’s time to rock.
Earlier this week we helped announce Converge’s new live album, Jane Live. The album was recorded at Roadburn Fest, where the band played through the album Jane Doe in its entirety.  We had the honor of premiering the track title, which you can hear below, and it’s a 13-minute masterpiece. It’s a monster and absolutely brilliant sounding. The band is self-releasing the album and if you are hoping to score one of the vinyl editions, you best hurry because they are nearly sold out. Jane Live will be released February 24th and we are counting down the minutes. Can’t wait, folks. Can’t. Wait.
Iron Reagan’s new album Crossover Ministry will be out on Feb 3rd, but the band decided to unleash some new tunes on us early in the form of a flexi disc single. “Take the Fall” is a kickass Iron Reagan jam, no doubt, but it’s also a special one since they’ve dedicated it–with a vile fury–to a certain political figure. They even made a poster to go along with it that really showcases their feelings on the inauguration. You can check it out here and listen to “Take the Fall” below.
(Noisey)
Also coming this February is the new album from Power Trip. The band has graced us with another track from the record and it’s a real beast. “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” has a sinister groove and an old-school hardcore vibe. You can’t listen to this track and not bang your head. It’s catchy and brutal; a mean and rockin’ number that hits like a haymaker. Power Trip’s sound is so crushing and so raw, it’ll leave you blistered and bloodied. We love this band and we’re so excited for Nightmare Logic.
Ugly times call for ugly tunes, so we’ll direct you to the latest album from The Great Old Ones. EOD: A Tale Of Dark Legacy comes out Jan. 27th and it is a black metal nightmare. It’s the soundtrack to your worst fears and darkness desires, seductive and vicious. You can hear the whole thing right now and there is certainly something comforting about the thrashing intensity of it during these bleak and cold times. While the sun hangs low and the end creeps near, give The Great Old Ones a spin. It won’t make you feel better, but it will help your soul slip into shadow and that’s strangely fitting, right? The soundtrack of our times, no doubt.
Crystal Fairy is band made up of members of Le Butcherettes, At the Drive-In, and the freaking Melvins. That alone should be enough to get you interested in this, but if you really need convincing you can listen to “Chiseler.” It doesn’t sound particularly like any of those bands, it’s more straightforward rock with a flair of punk and ’90s alternative. It’s good, whatever it is, and we’ve had it on repeat for days now. Look, adding the words “featuring members of the Melvins” is pretty good way to get us to checkout just about anything, so the fact that this rocks hard is sweet cherry on top. The band’s debut album will be out in about a month and if you live in California you’ll even be able to catch them live as they do a brief tour. These supergroups never stick around long, so enjoy this awesomeness while it lasts.
Naming your band Dying Whale is a bold choice. It invokes all sorts of imagery and expectations in the listener’s mind. We all probably have an idea what a dying whale would sound like, right? Something like the way Dory sounds when she speaks whale? Well, Dying Whale the band doesn’t sound anything like that. They sound like a relentless hardcore band with a dash of noisecore thrown in for good measure. There are hints of bands like Unsane in this sound, but Dying Whale is faster and more technical. It’s good stuff, no doubt, and it sounds nothing like you’d expect. Some noise-driven hardcore is just what the doctor ordered, so turn up the volume and crank Dying Whale. You won’t regret it.
(idioteq)
That’s it for us this week. Got a grindcore, deathcore, hardcore, metal, or punk jam you think the world needs to hear? Let us know about it in the comments below.
Image: Converge/Florian Bertmer
Gif: 2oth Century FOX/ The Simpons
Benjamin Bailey writes for the Nerdist and can be found on Twitter talking about Godzilla, comic books, and hardcore music.
