Artist Record Label 1 FIT FOR A KING “Breaking The Mirror” [Single] Solid State 2 AS I LAY DYING “Destruction or Strength” [Single] Nuclear Blast 3 ASKING ALEXANDRIA “Down To Hell” [Single] Sumerian 4 CURRENTS “A Flag to Wave” [Single] Sharptone 5 INGESTED “Impending Dominance” [Single] Unique Leader 6 THE ACACIA STRAIN “C” [Single] Rise 7 THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Verminous Metal Blade 8 METAL CHURCH From the Vault Rat Pak 9 TESTAMENT Titans Of Creation Nuclear Blast 10 AUGUST BURNS RED Guardians Fearless
Porter Robinson recently announced his second album, titled “nurture,” on his Instagram. It’s been four years since he released his last single, Shelter, and six since the release of Worlds, his first album.
Porter released his most recent single, titled “Get Your Wish,” this past month. I definitely recommend giving it a listen, it is an upbeat mix of instrumentals and interesting vocals so reminiscent of Porter’s previous projects. There is definitely more of a pop/EDM influence in this most recent track, which I hope will continue with the release of the rest of the album. The single is Porter’s response to his four-year hiatus. He posted an explanation of the song on his Twitter, stating that the single is about “finding a reason to move forward, even if it’s not for your own sake.” Porter has been relatively open about his struggles with creating music and enjoying the process within the past few years, and this single reflects his renewed motivation and the reason behind all of it: to “move people the way music moves [him].” The song is available on all major streaming platforms, and the music video is already up on YouTube.
I’m so excited to see the storyline of nurture. Porter’s first album, Worlds, follows the story of a post-apocalyptic world where humans and machines collide. From my perspective, the Worlds album begins with a descent into a new world. The album progresses to depict the intertwined relationship of a human and a robot who depend on each other for survival in a world of chaos and war. The final song of the album, “Goodbye To A World,” is almost haunting. The human has left the robot (perhaps in death or by entering a different dimension), and the robot reflects on their time together before it shuts down forever. Each song on the album has a unique melody and detailed narrative. The stories Porter Robinson is able to create within all of his tracks and their visual counterparts are some of the most vivid I have ever found in music.
Ahh Jungle Rot, and no, I am not talking about Tropical ulcer, that is just nasty. I am talking about the American death metal band from Kenosha, Wisconsin. The first time I heard of and saw Jungle Rot was at the 2015 Mayhem Fest. Me and my dad mainly went to this festival to see King Diamond, and wow! At this festival, we also saw Thy Art Is Muder and Whitechapel. Right when we got to the festival, Jungle Rot was playing. At first, I thought it was Obituary! When I was waiting to get a Thy Art Is Murder shirt, Jungle Rot was at their booth meeting fans.
Fast forward to 2019, I started listening to Jungle Rot! I was hooked on their song Paralyzed Prey for the longest time. Their songs are about zombies, war, battles, and everything in-between! What I really like about Jungle Rot are their grooves. They are insanely groovy and it is the traditional groovy death metal sound. I love them so much; I never get tired of them. I got to see Jungle Rot with Deicide in June of 2019 and they were awesome!! I pushed my way to the front during Jungle Rot’s set and they absolutely killed it. I also go to meet their touring drummer at the time and he was really cool. I would definitely recommend seeing Jungle Rot when you get the chance.
Jungle Rot formed in 1992 as a side project by Jim Harte and Joe Thomas, members of the Illinois thrash metal band, Prisoner. The band’s name refers to Jungle rot, an infection of the feet, which people develop in the jungle when their military boots are left on. They are an aggressive style of thrash influenced death metal. They are known to integrate slow stomp melodies within their style.
Current Members:
Dave Matrise – vocals and guitars
James Genenz – bass
Geoff bub – guitars
Spense Syphers – drums
Discography:
Skin The Living (1996)
Slaughter the Weak (1997)
Dead and Buried (2001)
Fueled by Hate (2004)
Warzone (2006)
What Horrors Await (2009)
Kill on Command (2011)
Terror Regime (2013)
Order Shall Prevail (2015)
Jungle Rot (2018)
Favorite Songs:
A Burning Cider
Paralyzed Pray
No Mercy
The Unstoppable
Send Forth Oblivion
Demigorgon
Have you seen Jungle Rot? What are some of your favorite songs?
What’s going on Butcher Crew?! We have been cooped up in the Butcher Shop for one whole month! Can you believe it? I know that I said that there aren’t any exits in the Butcher Shop, but I’m kinda getting some cabin fever. Apparently, The Saw’s Butcher Shop is not essential. But that is okay! We can still stretch, hang, grind, and chop up some tracks from home!
This playlist is a part of the Viral Infection series, but it has been infected with some grooves! All these songs have the theme of rotting, viruses, infections, plagues, pandemics, death, the apocalypse, and zombies, etc. These songs are also very, very groovy. So get prepared to jam out to these tunes in your house. Blast these tunes all the time to spread the love of the Butcher Shop!
We find ourselves in unprecedented times so I curated this list of podcast recommendations of shows that will inspire you, provoke you, or make you laugh (or cry). With more of us (shout out essential workers) staying at home amid these anxious times there is need and yearning for connection. Let’s connect through the most fundamental human art form storytelling, stories provide us with a means to connect, inspire, and many more wonderful things. This list was curated with my personal favorite podcasts that I believe everyone will find interesting featuring shows about big ideas, to shows about the small interpersonal stories that tug at your heartstrings. So, let’s find a new podcast to binge!
Ministry Of Ideas
A small podcast about big ideas “that shape our society” from spiritual machines and transhumanism to the need to have an economy based on grace, this podcast tackles the big questions of society and definitely will engage you intellectually and broaden your perspective on various interesting topics.
Lore
A thrilling podcast about the dark side of history every two weeks host Aaron Mahnke explores true life scary stories. Well produced and well narrated this podcast is a very entertaining podcast that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Myths and Legends
Jason Weiser brings humor to classic myths and legends that we may or may not be familiar with. Jason Weiser narrates myths from different cultures from classical Greek to India and everything in between, think you know these classic stories? Well, listen to these classic stories with a witty spin.
Serial/This American Life
This American Life is a podcast about stories specifically American stories with content so diverse it’s hard to put into a few sentences. Check this podcast out for great stories that can inspire you, make you laugh and can definitely make you cry.
Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life is another podcast about stories, Serial takes one story over a season exploring different angles and depths of the particular story making it an engaging podcast that millions of listeners have enjoyed.
Civics 101
A podcast about civics, civics is so important to our lives that a podcast refreshing us about how our government works is so important. Even if you do not consider yourself a political person you should at least have fundamental knowledge of how government works and this podcast is a great resource.
This Land
An assassination in 1889 and 1999 murder case crimes decades apart play into an important supreme court case in 2019 that involves half of Oklahoma and five tribes. This Land is a limited series podcast that explores the background of a supreme court case that could be the biggest tribal land restoration.
5-4
The supreme court sucks! According to this podcast anyway, From the people who brought you Slow Burn this podcast explores different landmark court cases that involve hot topic issues like affirmative action, gun rights, and campaign finance hosts Peter, Michael, and Rhiannon breakdown the ideological battles in the courtroom through a progressive lens.
Wolverine Podcast
A scripted podcast from Marvel featuring one of its cornerstone heroes Wolverine, for my comic book fans and non comic book fans Wolverine the Long Night is a great gateway into the world of scripted podcasts.
The Left Right Game
A scripted podcast starring and co-produced by Tessa Thompson, the engaging story is worth a listen but it is backed up by amazing production with immersive audio; this story offers not just an suspenseful mystery story but an experience.
Jemele Hill Is Unbothered
An Original Podcast on Spotify featuring award winning journalist Jemele Hill. Jemele Hill interviews a who’s who in the entertainment industry but also politicians and activists to have interesting conversations.
Becoming Wise
In short episodes, most are less than 10 minutes, host Krista Tippett explores various topics that will make you wiser through the many interesting conversations she has with interesting people from Brene’ Brown to John Lewis become more wise with this podcast.
Optimal Relationships Advice
Optimal Living Daily is an audioblog where they narrate content to you and this particular audioblog is about relationships. And not just romantic relationships, although those are covered too, but other relationships everything from friendships and parenting. Get the best relationships content read to you for free, best deal ever.
How’s Work With Esther Perel
Couples therapist Esther Perel explores relationships at the workplace, from startups to family business and everything in between. In one time therapy sessions between co workers, co founders, and colleagues Perel unpacks the invisible forces that impact our relationships at work.
Good For You
Comedian Whitney Cummings interviews guests (friends, comics, celebs etc) every week. These interviews are never boring as Cummings comedic background is in full effect with every interview, listen for laughs….and more laughs.
Good One A Podcast About Jokes
A podcast about jokes sounds funny right but it is funny and informative. What makes a good joke? That is what this podcast is all about as comics break down their best jokes and find out what makes a good joke, you might see your comedic skills improve too.
Zig Zag
A business podcast about the changing course of capitalism? Sign me up, this podcast hosted by Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant this podcast will help you understand a multitude of things from cryptocurrency to identity at work and how work is changing plus many more pertinent topics to the modern workplace and modern life.
Listen if you like: Erykah Badu, Toro Y Moi, Flying Lotus
My favorites: I Love Louis Cole, Black Qualls, Dragonball Durag, Fair Chance
Hello all you cool thundercats and thunderkittens (sorry), I hope everyone is staying motivated and well-rested. Today, I want to discuss my thoughts about Thundercat’s new album, as well as a little bit of an artist background.
Stephen Lee Bruner, better known as Thundercat, has a long and diverse history in the music industry. He happened to be born to Ronald Bruner, Sr. who worked with iconic soul musicians like Diana Ross and The Temptations. From being in a boy band to working on the iconic album To Pimp A Butterfly, Bruner has gained prominence in the industry and has absorbed musical influence from a multitude of genres. Thundercat’s past works include the well-known album Drunk and features on albums by Flying Lotus and Mac Miller.
It Is What It Is has a funky and soulful vibe, and many of its tracks are more playful than Bruner’s past discography. The album has a surprising amount of artists featured like Ty Dolla $ign and Louis Cole. I especially love how each different voice comes together on Black Qualls, and I adore the vocals Childish Gambino and Steve Lacy provide. As one can expect, this album continues Thundercat’s trend of creating jazzy beats and rough, unfinished-sounding vocals. He delves into great emotional depth within this album. On Existential Dread he falsettos “I’m not sure, of what’s comin’ next/ But I’ll be alright.” The song fades perfectly into It Is What It Is, where Bruner wistfully sings out “So many things I want to say/ This is the end.” What impactful lyrics for all of us to consider at this time, when so much of the future is unsure. I find the questions of existence and love in the lyricism throughout the album to help guide me in my path of calmness amongst the calamity.
Hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think of this album.
This wholesome four-piece group from Vienna, Austria writes songs for a greater purpose than mere entertainment. Vitamin C, My Ugly Clementine’s debut album, tackles heavy topics such as gender equality, difficult breakups, and self-confidence. Though the band has been together for less than two years, it’s evident by this album’s impeccable composure that this group has already cracked the code to making ears perk up. The band is already known as a supergroup in the Viennese music circle, but are just starting to make promising strides in the U.S.
Instrumental on this album sounds very 90s, including guitar with an exact twinge of fuzz that makes you double check to see when this album was actually recorded. Don’t let the Summery sounds on this album fool you, there are are some meaningful lyrics at work. The first track on the album, Playground, has incredible sway, while clearly conveying the message that being a woman is not a handicap. The last track, Peptalk, is the slowest and most somber song on the album, but arguably the most uplifting, about a person reminding themselves of their individual value.
I appreciate the clear messages embedded in each and every song on this album. There are no excruciatingly vague lyrics that leave you struggling to figure out just what the heck the band is harping on about. I don’t mean to say that songs that leave some interpretation up to the listener are bad, but when lyrics are too generic, it just comes off as lazy songwriting.
Listen to this album if you’re having difficulty being alone with yourself during this quarantine, or if you’re in the process of defining your own identity. This album will empower you and remind you that you’re good enough. I’d also recommend this album to you if you like bands like Soccer Mommy, Haley Heynderickx, and Lucy Dacus.
Fun fact: I discovered this band in 2019 and I am kicking myself for not listening to this band sooner! I was strolling through some Instagram stories and multiple friends posted a screenshot of their album that came out in 2019, and I got to thinking, “who is this?” I started listening to their newest album and I fell in love with their sound. The pure intensity of the music with lots of double bass and blast beats combined with the deep gutturals of the singer makes my heart really happy. I have never seen this band live but I hope that one day I do. I feel like when the day comes that I get to see them, my reaction is going to be the same as the first time I saw Dying Fetus, in pure awe. They have easily became one of my favorite bands.
Devourment is an American death metal band from Dallas, Texas. Although they are considered death metal, I see them more as a slam band because the instruments are not played as “cleanly" as death metal. Slam has a more distorted and disorganized sound (though it resembles the beauty of chaos). They formed in 1995 following the breakup of the band Necrocide – the drummer, Brad Fincher, and guitarist, Braxton Henry then founded Devourment. The band has split up and reformed three different times leaving Fincher as the only original member. The band is currently signed to Relapse Records.
Members:
Ruben Rosas (vocals)
Chris Andrews (guitars)
Brad Fincher (drums)
Dave Spencer (bass)
Discography:
Molesting the Decapitated (1999)
Butcher the Weak (2005)
Unleash the Carnivore (2009)
Conceived in Sewage (2013)
Obscene Majesty (2019)
Favorite songs:
Cognitive Sedation Butchery, Sculpted in Tyranny, and Tomb of Scabs
Have you seen Devourment live? What is your favorite song by them?
So much attention is paid to “The Big Four” (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer). But this designation leaves out many important and influential bands from the two waves of thrash metal that swept through the country (Metal Church, Exodus, Overkill, and Death Angel, etc.). Testament is one of these bands, which had a huge effect on metal in the 80s and 90s, and are a major influence in much of the sound in many differing genres of metal today.
In 1987, the San Francisco Bay area band released their debut album, The Legacy (Megaforce). May of ’88 saw the release of The New Order and in August of ’89 the band’s breakthrough record, Practice What You Preach was released. Though the band has seen more than its share of musicians pass in and out, and despite the fact of two members being diagnosed with cancer (both, now, fully recovered), Testament has steadily released new music (12 studio albums through 2019).
On April 3, 2020 Testament’s 13th studio album saw the light of day. Titans of Creation (Nuclear Blast) brings great thrash/Death Metal/Hardcore sound, as you’ve come to expect from these… well, titans! And that great sound is brought to you on this record by nothing less than a literal “super group!”
Chuck Billy, with his powerful voice and equally powerful presence (he literally looks like a titan!) has been the “voice" of Testament on every single record – spanning 33 years. Eric Peterson (founding member, guitars) and Alex Skolnick (longtime member, guitars) weave some incredibly masterful riffs, leads, and pure groovy/crunchy licks on this album. Ladies and gentlemen, playing bass is the great Steve Di Giorgio (Death, Obituary, Autopsy, Control Denied, Iced Earth, Sadus, and no less than 20 other bands!!). Another legend, Gene “the Atomic Clock" Hoglan (Death, Dark Angel, Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory, Dethklok, and more than as dozen others) drives this record with his patented creative arrangements of machine-like double base, symbol work, and snare/tom combinations.
Testament recorded their last record, Brotherhood of the Snake (2016) with this same lineup, so this new record doesn’t break new ground but delivers on the full force sound that you’ve come to expect from these longtime heroes. Like every Testament album some songs stand out:
Favorite Songs: Night of the Witch ; City of Angels; The Healers
Rating: 8.5
Bonus: Favorite songs through the Testament Years: Into the Pit ; The New Order ; Disciples of the Watch ; Practice What You Preach ; Souls of Black ; Over the Wall ; Electric Crown
April has already been a fantastic month for releases, and it’s only been a week. I’m excited for this month of music, especially since a lot of artists are releasing content right now. Considering everything happening in the world it’s really nice to have comforting new music from people who are acknowledging the changes while focusing on trying to embrace the brighter sides of life. Whether the music directly relates to the state of things right now or not, I strongly appreciate all the artists who are continuing to put out their work and giving us all something that we can enjoy and let inspire us.
‘Level of Concern’ by Twenty One Pilots – Tyler chooses to acknowledge the struggles and heaviness of the world right now from the very first line of this track, and I have to say it’s an amazing comfort to hear from the band right now. Just this week, on the Get Psyched Podcast, my friend Darius and I talked about the history of the band and predicted that the band would be releasing something new soon. We even mentioned that we hoped they would come out with something that related to the current state of things, so I have to say the timing of this release is perfect (The link to that episode will be at the bottom of this article). The rest of the song definitely lives up to Twenty One Pilots reputation, but it has a very new and different sound, and it’s nothing short of amazing. It’s catchy, comforting, and has a very developed sound. I get strong ‘Indie Pop’ vibes from this song, it feels less ‘electronic’ in a certain sense of the word, and it definitely stands out from other works from the band. If a new record is coming with this new sound I’m here for it.
‘Chosen Family’ by Rina Sawayama – I’ve talked about this artist on the blog before, and her highly anticipated album that’s being released April 17th, and this latest single has me even more excited for the debut record. It’s a much softer song then the last track released, but the music still holds up to her style. Its harmonics, synths and even a moment with electric guitar blasting in at the end really make the track stand out and feel uniquely hers. The lyrics also tell a beautiful story spreading the message of what it’s like to be so close to someone that they become your family, regardless of blood. How powerful and important our ‘chosen families’ are. The message and her soothing vocals make this track a perfect one for feeling appreciation for those you love most.
‘My Friend’ by Hayley Williams – Hayley is another artist I’ve talked about recently on the podcast, who keeps blowing me away with her new releases, and just dropped a new track and video that warmed my heart. This track reminds me of Rina’s in the sense that the music is enticing, the vocals are smooth and beautiful, and the message is that of appreciation and love for someone close to you. The lyrics talk about being seen in every state by someone and staying close regardless, it’s heartwarming and engulfes the themes of true friendship. These new themes and sounds from petals to armor really show some growth, change and talent from the artist: it continues to excite me for what’s to come.
Now’s a great time to enjoy some new tunes and also take a moment to think of all of the people we love and appreciate most, and these songs are a great way to do both. There are definitely way more I haven’t mentioned, but you can find some more tracks in the playlist below. What are your favorite tracks that have been released this month?
