Category: Blog

It’s that time of year again, where we count down our favorite things of the year while welcoming in the new year! I will be counting down my top 10 favorite albums that I have been jamming out to this year. I will be writing mini album reviews for all these records, you’re welcome. 2017 was a great year for metal, a lot of bangers and heavy hitters were released this year. Did any of your favorites make the list?

IMPORTANT!!!! I play these albums, along with many others, during my set on WKNC!! Come head bang with ya girl on Friday nights from 10pm-midnight! To listen online, go to WKNC’s website and click on “MP3” in the “High Quality” section. Don’t be lame, come hang out with The Saw!

10. Obituary –  Obituary

 

Obituary is a classic; I had to put them on my list. This self-titled album is the band’s 10th studio release. This album contains the best parts of Obituary that any fan will love. There is a good combination of great vocals, incredible drumming, and funky riffs that are just plain groovy. There are great things about each song on this record that make them  really unique. This whole album is a bop, if you haven’t checked this record out you really need to.

– Rating: 9/10

-Favorite song: Sentence Day

 9. Fit For An Autopsy – The Great Collapse

The boys in Fit For An Autopsy never disappoint me. Like any other Fit For An Autopsy record, their songs talk about problems in the world. For example, the song “Iron Moon” talks about how we all live to work and that we it should be the opposite: we work to live. There are other songs on this record that talk about more deeper problems. You don’t want to skip any of these songs, because they are all bangers.

-Rating: 8.5/10

Favorite Song(s): Heads Will Hang & Black Mammoth

8. Dying Fetus – Wrong One to F*** With

Would this even be a favorites blog if I didn’t write about Dying Fetus? This band is one of Death Metal’s finest and I absolutely love them. The song “Fixated on Devastation” gives you a taste of the entire album. This song is a mixture of how all the songs sound on this record. You have some groove and technical brutality with the drums and guitars that will have you ~~~SHOOK~~~ This band came out with a bang too because this is their first record in five years and it was well worth the wait. Their sound on this record is the same with their other records and hey, I’m not complaining about that.

-Rating: 9.5/10

-Favorite Song(s): Fixated on Devastation & Panic Amongst the Herd

7. FRCTRD –  Fractured

This deathcore band from France has really impressed me. I discovered them a couple of months ago and I was hooked. This is their first EP so go ahead and hop on the bandwagon now. This band is going to be big. They open up their EP with an instrumental track, which isn’t a surprise. But then they go full-on deathcore. The riffs are chunky, the breakdowns are heavy, and the vocals are strong. Holy pig squeals, dude. They talk about some world problems in their song “Crow,” which talks about the terrorist attack in Paris. This record will leave you breathless (no pun intended… even though they have a song called breathless).

-Rating: 9/10

-Favorite Song: Negative

6. Arch Enemy – Will To Power

Hey! I’ve done a full-length album review on this record already. The music on this record is really impressive and shows how gifted this band really is. Alissa’s voice is so strong and we can see how diverse she is with her vocals on this record. For example, in “Reason To Believe” she sings in clean vocals that are really beautiful. This record gives me 80’s vibes that I’ve been digging recently. Check out my full album on this record on WKNC’s website!! 

-Rating: 8/10

-Favorite Song: First Day in Hell

5. Slaughter to Prevail – Misery Sermon

It has been a good year for deathcore my dudes. This is the band’s first full-length album, and it is a beating. The main thing that makes this band distinct are the vocals. Alex Shikolai (Alex Terrible) has a very strong and brutal voice. He has some of the most powerful growls and screams that I have ever heard. This record is very powerful in all aspects that makes a great deathcore record. If you like Thy Art Is Murder, then you will love this band.

-Rating: 9/10

-Favorite Song: King

4. Currents – The Place I Feel Safest

It’s about time I put some metalcore on this list!! I discovered this band in June when I saw them on Miss May I’s Shadows Inside tour. And I must say, I am really impressed with this band. They are your typical metalcore band with the breakdowns and clean vocals, but they put their own style on each of their songs. This band has been around since 2013 and now they are coming on the scene. They are one of my favorite metalcore bands (they are also really nice, they gave me a sticker when I met them, and they follow me on Instagram). The vocals on each song are very strong and it shows the different depths that he can go to, it’s really impressive. The instruments on this record are also really impressive, I love the riffs and the breakdowns.

-Rating: 8.5/10

-Favorite Song: Night Terrors

3. Wage War – Deadweight

 

I swear, Wage War is going to be the next big thing. Just wait. This is the second album from these guys and it’s such a banger. This album has the best aspects of metalcore and what metalcore is. There are a lot of great breakdowns on this record that will make you want to get in a moshpit. The riffs are amazing and they are really chunky. That, I really enjoy. And don’t get me started on Briton’s voice… he has one of the best vocals in metalcore. During the breakdowns he will throw in a random “BLEIGH,” that makes me go C R A Z Y!!!!! Literally, there are so many songs that he does this on. The clean vocals are really good, and they transition really well. There are some slower songs on this record that make me go into my feels but hey, I’m not mad about it. There are also a lot of bangers on this record that will make anyone bang their head.

-Rating: 9.5/10

-Favorite Song(s): Stich & Gravity

2. Miss May I – Shadows Inside

You already know my boys in Miss May I are on this list. With that being said, I am biased when it comes to this band and to me, this band could never release a bad album. This record has a very positive, uplifting vibe to it. The melodies are really strong and thay will totally get stuck in your head. They really emphasize the elements that they are good at in this record. There are some great breakdowns, along with some really catchy riffs. OG and new Miss May I fans will enjoy this record. There are a lot of clean vocals in this album but they pull it off, the songs are all great, and there isn’t one that I would skip. There are slight moments in this record where you can hear how much strength that Levi has in his voice. He can do some great snarls and some pretty good gutturals that had me ~~~SHOOK~~~ They keep the metalcore genre interesting by doing different styles within their songs. I love it.

-Rating: 9/10

-Favorite Song(s): Swallow Your Teeth & Crawl

1. Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation

And a deathcore album is in for the win!!!! If you haven’t listened to this record… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GO LISTEN TO IT RIGHT NOW!!! This has to be one of my favorite records of all time. Thy Art has stayed consistent with their overall sound only making a few minor adjustments that worked out for the better. In this record, you have blast beats and breakdowns for days. Don’t even get my started on CJ’s voice, it is so powerful and distinctive. With his vocals and the insane drumming technique, this record is an overall masterpiece. This album is an a complete heavy hitter and banger. It has the best elements of deathcore that just make me really, really happy. This record will not disappoint you, I promise.

-Rating: 10/10

-Favorite Song(s): Puppet Master & Dear Desolation

THE SAW 

At WKNC, we wish everyone the happiest of holidays and breaks from college and work. Here is a list of some of our DJs favorite albums of 2017!! 

DJ Lean

1.       What Now, Sylvan Esso

2.       Onism, Photay

3.       Ctrl, SZA

4.       Art:Work, ANIMA!

5.       Green Twins, Nick Hakim

6.       Flower Boy, Tyler, the Creator

7.       Wallflower, Jordan Rakei

8.       Parallels, Nosaj Thing

9.       Communicating, Hundred Waters

10.   At What Cost, Goldlink

Action Jackson- Asst. Music Director

1.Kendrick Lamar- DAMN

2.Nick Hakim- Green Twins

3.King Krule- The OOz

4.Tyler The Creator- Flower Boy

5.Alex G- Rocket

6.BROCKHAMPTON- Saturation II

7.Thundercat- Drunk

8.Vince Staples- Big Fish Theory

9.The War On Drugs-Up All Night

10.Curtis Harding- Face Your Fear

The Captain

1. BROCKHAMPTON – SATURATION II

2. Remo Drive – Greatest Hits

3. Dryjacket – For Posterity

4. BROCKHAMPTON – SATURATION

5. Oso Oso – the yunahon mixtape

6. Sinai Vessel – Brokenlegged

7. Aminé – Good For You

8. Sorority Noise – You’re Not As ______ As You Think

9. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory

10. Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds From Another Planet

Double Duchess, Promotions Director (In no particular order)

Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds From Another Planet

The Front Bottoms – Going Grey

SZA – Ctrl

Perfume Genius – No Shape

Sorority Noise – You’re Not As ____ As You Think

Beach House – B Sides and Rarities

Cherry Glazerr – Apocalipstick

Thelma – Thelma

Cults – Offering

Adult Mom – Soft Spots

The Fuzz

Naked Naps- Year of the Chump

Downtown Boys- Cost of Living

Paramore- After Laughter

Aye Nako- Silver Haze

Soccer Mommy- Collection

Bully- Losing

Astro Cowboy- We Have Astro Cowboy and You’re Never Going to See Them Again

Two Knights- Effing

Jay Som- Everybody Works

Mourn- Over the Wall

DJ GU3

1. Iglooghost – Neo Wax Bloom

2. Forest Swords – Compassion

3. Various Artists – Mono No Aware

4. Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement – Ambient Black Magic

5. Amnesia Scanner – AS Truth

6. Bibio – Phantom Brickworks

7. Gas – Narkopop

8. Brockhampton – Saturation II

9. Ryuichi Sakamoto – async

10. Slowdive – Slowdive

Favorite Songs of 2017

1. Slowdive – Slomo

2. Blanck Mass – Hive Mind

3. Forest Swords – Raw Language

4. Yves Tumor – Limerence

5. Kendrick Lamar – Feel

6. Mount Eerie – Soria Moria

7. Iglooghost – Infinite Mint

8. Brockhampton – Milk

9. Perfume Genius – Alan

10. Xiu Xiu – Get Up

Goldi, Afterhours Music Director

1. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar

2. Masseduction by St. Vincent

3. Rocket by Alex G

4. Drunk by Thundercat

5. Green Twins by Nick Hakim

6. Ctrl by SZA

7. Phases by Angel Olsen

8. Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator

9. Boo Boo by Toro y Moi

10. Mister Mellow by Washed Out

DJ Emotionally Unavailables Top 10 Jawns

1. Lapsang Souchong- Kool A.D.

1. Sweet- BROCKHAMPTON

2. Hollywood Dropout- Mackned

3. Doubt- DJ Lucas

4. See You Again- Tyler, the Creator ft. Kali Uchis

5. Butterflies- Samsa

6. Feel It- Young Thug

7. Water- Joe Gifter ft. Frontstreet

8. Doozy- Triple One

9. I Know You So Well- Xfruge, Shiloh

Jamie Halla, General Manager

1. Vince Staples- Big Fish Theory

2. Corbin- Mourn

3. Incendiary- Thousand Mile Stare

4. BROCKHAMPTON- Saturation II

5. Entire Lil Peep Discography 

6. Lil Pump- Lil Pump

7. SZA, Ctrl

8. Sampha- The Process

9. Integrity- Howling, For the Nightmare Shall Consume

10. Tyler, the Creator- Flower Boy

 Dan, my old roommate (jamie) 

1. Vince Staples- Big Fish Theory

2. Corbin- Mourn

3. Alvvays- Antisocialites  

4. King Krule- The Ooz 

5.Candy- Candy Says  

6. Power Trip- Nightmare Logic 

7. Tyler, the Creator- Flower Boy

8. Phoebe Bridgers- Stranger in the Alps

9. Full of Hell- Trumpeting Ecstasy

10. Playboi Carti- Playboi Carti 

Annelise Thorn, Operations Manager

1. Saturation II by BROCKHAMPTON

2. Saturation III by BROCKHAMPTON

3. Ctrl by SZA

4. Peak by Choker

5. Steve Lacy’s Demo by Steve Lacy

6. Split by Current Joys and BOYO

7. Soft Sounds from Another Planet by Japanese Breakfast

8. Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes

9. Powerplant by Girlpool

10. I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone by Chastity Belt

Case Sensitive

1. horse jumper of love – s/t

2. kendrick lamar – damn.

3. vince staples – big fish theory

4. alvvays – antisocialites

5. spencer radcliffe – enjoy the great outdoors

6. joey bada$$ – ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$

7. syd – fin

8. (sandy) alex g – rocket

9. strange ranger – daymoon

10. the xx – i see you

 

Jules Conlon, Music Director

1. Blacnk Mass- World Eater

2. DRAB MAJESTY- THe Demonstration

3. Michelle Blades- Premature Love songs

4. Moses Sumney- Aromanticism

5. Meatbodies- Alice

6. Miya Folick- Give It To Me

7. Circuit des Yeux- Reading for Indigo

8. Institute- Subordination

9. Charli XCX- Number 1 Angel

10. Widowspeak- Expect the Best

Thank you for reading, it appears that a lot of our DJs loved Kendrick Lamar and Brockhampton this year, with solid love for Vince Staples, SZA and Japanese Breakfast to possibly round out the definitive WKNC top 5. We hope to have y’all keep listening next year and attend Double Barrel Benefit 15, have a great holiday! -jamie 

It’s that time of year again, where we count down our favorite things of the year while welcoming in the new year! I will be counting down my top 10 favorite songs that I have been listening to all year long. 2017 was a great year for metal, a lot of bangers and heavy hitters were released this year. Did any of your favorites make the list?

IMPORTANT!!!! I play these songs, along with many others, during my set on WKNC!! Come head bang with ya girl on Friday nights from 10pm-midnight! To listen online, go to WKNC’s website and click on “MP3” in the “High Quality” section. Don’t be lame, come hang out with The Saw!

10. Attila – Three 6

I’m back at it with my Attila jams. Okay, so this song came out on Halloween and I was ~~~SHOOK~~~ Attila is that band where party metal is acceptable. I honestly feel like I need to go to a rave or something after seeing them. This song goes back to their “heavy s***” as Fronz likes to put it, and I agree with him. This song is more of a banger because the anthem is so catchy. “If you’re down with the devil say hell yeah, I’m burning down your church like 666.” It reminds me of their song Party With The Devil and I’m vibing with it. The riffs are super chunky and that is a 10/10 in my book. Ever since I heard this song I instantly considered it a bop. Say what you want about Attila, they put out some really catchy music.

They seriously need to tour with BROJOB. I would love to see that, it would be super weird but very entertaining.

9. Make Them Suffer – Vortex (Interdimensional Spiral Hindering Inexplicable Euphoria)

This song is off Make Them Suffer’s newest record, Worlds Apart, and this is my favorite song off that record. It has that metalcore aspect that I like with the clean vocals but with riffs that still make it heavy. You just want to mosh it up and jump around when this song kicks in. The singer also throws in some “BLEIGH” that we all know I go insane for. Honestly how can you not get hyped when they start randomly growling weird things in the mic. Is it just me? Okay, moving on. The vocals are really great, you can hear the highs and lows, along with the harmonizing with the keyboardist. They incorporated a lot of different aspects in this song and they pulled it off. It is such a bop. I love it so much.

8. Code Orange – Forever

Code Orange snuck up on me this year. I’m really digging this band recently. I didn’t get to see them when they came through North Carolina… stupid finals. BUT this song is a banger, the opening riff just makes you want to bang your head. If this song was on a “try not to headbang” challenge… yeah, I would lose immediately. Jesus Christ the riffs in this song are just great, I listen to it almost every day because I love how chunky this song is. Their new record is such a bop 10/10 would check it out if I was you.

7. Volumes – Finite

Now this song is kinda mellow for me, but hey, it’s a bop. It is like my party song because I sing it when I’m in the shower. It’s so groovy and I do some really weird dance moves when I play it. Honestly, Finite is just so catchy and the guitars really make it a bop. I feel like this song would be in some YouTube sorority recruitment video because it just makes me want to run around with my girlfriends and awkwardly smile and do hand symbols at the camera. But that wouldn’t happen because 1) I am not in a sorority and 2) they wouldn’t play this song in one of their videos.

6. Wage War – Stitch

You know I gotta put my boys in Wage War in here! This is the first song I heard off their new record “Deadweight” and if you’re sleeping on this band, you are definitely missing out. This band is going to be BIG; just wait. So again, going along with my theme of literally every song that made this list, the riffs are great. Briton’s voice is amazing and his deep growl that he does on the end makes me want to throw chairs around and mosh. You just want to bounce and headbang when this song comes on. They are literally one of the best metalcore bands that I have ever seen and heard. This entire song is so catchy and really shows how they are developing their sound. 

5. Arch Enemy – First Day in Hell

This is literally one of my favorite Arch Enemy songs of all time. Alissa’s voice in this song is really powerful and I love the eerie vibe that I get from the beginning. The reason I like this song so much is because of the chorus and how there is a breakdown after it. It’s a banger and will literally make anyone bang their head. Like I said before, if this song was on a “try not to headbang” challenge, I would totally lose. The guitars’ harmony is really beautiful and really make this song complete.   

4. FRCTRD – Negative

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. FRCTRD is a new deathcore band from France and I am so happy that I discovered them. The guitars are really chunky in this song have some type of electronic sound in the background and it sounds so cool. The singers voice is very thick and his pig squeals are a major key. He can pig squeal and then transition to deep growls flawlessly. Now what makes this song so great is the ending. The breakdown at the end has me ~~~SHOOK~~~ it is an offbeat sound with chunky riffs that just make you want to go into total mosh mode. This band is something else, I love them.

3. Thy Art Is Murder – Puppet Master

This song is such a heavy hitter – oh my god. CJ’s voice is incredible and I can always tell when Thy Art is on because he has such a strong, distinctive voice. The drumming technique is amazing and really brings this song together. How this guy drums is awesome, I don’t know how he sits there with a straight face and pounds away. This song has a bouncy vibe to it that you can’t help but jump to. And when the breakdown hits, oh boy, its’s great. I can’t help but start jamming out when the breakdown hits. Puppet Master really sets the vibe of how their whole record goes.  

2.  Miss May I – Swallow Your Teeth

Obviously, I had to put one of my top favorite bands on this list. This song is a complete anthem and makes me want to bounce. The riff that starts in the first few seconds of the song reminds me of “Hero With No Name.” This is a sing along song that I really enjoy. The chorus is very catchy and has great harmony from Levi and Ryan. Speaking of Ryan, when he sings his clean vocals before the breakdown hits, oh my lord, it is beautiful. Then Levi comes in with an “OHHH” and BAM breakdown begins. I absolutely love it. The song basically talks about the fact that you shouldn’t put up with anyone’s crap and that people just need to learn when to shut up sometimes. It has a mainstream vibe to it that I can see being played on the radio (minus the cussing), but all in all, it’s a banger and you should check it out.

1. Dying Fetus – Fixated on Devastation

If you listen to my DJ sets on Friday nights, then this song shouldn’t be a surprise (and if you don’t listen to my set, what’s up man? You’re really missing out). This song starts off like a typical death metal song but then it gets groovy. AND I LOVE THE GROOVE TO THIS SONG!! I do some weird dance move with my hands that I can’t really describe but it’s great. They played this live when I saw them at Summer Slaughter and I automatically fell in love with it. If you could dance to death metal, this would be the song. It has components of death metal that are very traditional but then they start jamming with a groovy breakdown that I have never heard another band do. Around the last few minutes of the song, they start to groove again and bring in a slow breakdown that just makes me lose my mind. When the groove starts with the guitars, and the deep growls, it is impossible to stay still. This song is an automatic bop. If you are trying to get into Dying Fetus start off with this jam, you won’t regret it.

The Saw