Natasha Van Duser

Contributions

August Burns Red goes more heavy metal than metalcore in ‘Phantom Anthem’

August Burns Red Phantom Anthem August Burns Red are one of the best-known metalcore bands around, with a career spanning over a decade and seven studio full-lengths under their belts. However, one listen to their latest release, Phantom Anthem, and you might start to think they’re a heavy metal philharmonic orchestra. Over the years, ABR […]

Stray From the Path’s ‘Only Death Is Real’ is full of political outrage

Stray From The Path Only Death Is Real ROCKS LIKE: Rage Against The Machine, Terror, Stick To Your Guns WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The epic, liberal, punk album in response to Trump is finally here. But political outrage is not the only force driving Stray From The Path forward. The addition of drummer Craig Reynolds has shifted […]

In This Moment's Ritual the metal love child of art-pop, gospel, Morrissey and Johnny Cash

In This Moment Ritual FILE UNDER: Hard-Hitting Glam Metal ROCKS LIKE: The Pretty Reckless, Disturbed, Motionless In White WHAT'S DIFFERENT: In This Moment have matured significantly since their landmark album, 2012’s Blood. Stepping away from a heavy reliance on dissonance and industrial tones, Ritual brings together a polished sound oddly feeding off inspiration from influences […]

Sworn In's 'All Smiles' a post-modern art piece

Sworn In All Smiles FILE UNDER: Extra Emo Noise-Core ROCKS LIKE: Botch, Chelsea Grin, My Chemical Romance WHAT'S DIFFERENT: With openly emotional noise, Sworn In deliver a cohesive sound that surpasses screaming and half-heartedly singing over jarring instrumentals that sound like they were churned out by kids who went to undergrad for music composition. As […]

Volumes branch into more hip-hop-inspired rockcore with 'Different Animals'

Volumes Different Animals FILE UNDER: Melodic Aggro-Core ROCKS LIKE: Issues, Dangerkids, Periphery WHAT'S DIFFERENT: Gone are the lulling atmospheric instrumentals that defined Volumes for the first half of their career. Instead, the band have branched into more hip-hop-inspired rockcore, due largely to the addition of clean vocalist Myke Terry. WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Different Animals […]

Terror reaches beyond the world of hardcore in EP

Terror The Walls Will Fall EP FILE UNDER: Hardcore Groove ROCKS LIKE: Stick To Your Guns, Hundredth, Bane WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The Walls Will Fall adds a chug-tastic flair to Terror’s classic hardcore sound with guitar riffs reminiscent of Pantera’s golden age. Tracks like “Balance The Odds” and “No Love Lost” dip cautiously into the metal […]

Memphis May Fire's "This Light I Hold" expands past the standard palm-muting pigeonhole

Memphis May Fire This Light I Hold There’s a noticeable shift in the sound Memphis May Fire have pursued on their latest release. The Tennessee-based quintet return for their fifth studio album, blending elements of old-school Southern rock with abrasive unclean vocals resulting in their most engaging work to date. Having taken a significant amount […]

Fans of early-2000s alt rock will get an edgy round of déjà vu courtesy of I Prevail

I Prevail Lifelines Pop-Manic Post-Hardcore ROCKS LIKE: The Ghost Inside, Crown The Empire, Jimmy Eat World WHAT’S DIFFERENT:  Fans of early-2000s alt rock will get an edgy round of déjà vu courtesy of I Prevail. Lifelines encompasses the guttural nature of hardcore (“Come And Get It”) mixed in with the catchy, upbeat choruses of pop punk […]

‘Low Teens’ perfectly captures the history of Every Time I Die into one solid release

Every Time I Die Low Teens It’s been 15 years since Every Time I Die dropped their debut full-length album, and a decade and a half later the heavy hitters haven’t lost an inkling of steam. Their eighth studio record, Low Teens, might not start off with guns blazing, but it does ring out as […]
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