Mastodon Find Blood in the Bone on ‘Marrow Deep’
The familiar Mastodon is still roaring on Marrow Deep, though there are some new gears slipped into the engine, discovering how strange the band can become.
alternative metal
Fear Factory, Static-X, and Dead Bands’ Future Identities
Metal bands Fear Factory and Static-X cope with their mortality in the usual fashion, but the technology they embrace might radically change their identity.
Quicksand Embrace Positivity on ‘Bring on the Psychics’
Quicksand are still standing where peers have fallen off. Their patented sound is evergreen. Smart, upbeat lyrics and chugging riffs will always find an audience.
Loathe Lace Metal with Soul on ‘A Stranger to You’
Loathe changed the face of metal six years ago. With a new sound in tow, are they still capable of reaching those heights with A Stranger to You?
Master’s Ashes’ New LP Delivers with Valiant Force
Master’s Ashes’ debut, How the Mighty Have Fallen, is a strong reminder of a forgotten time and scene, and how brilliant that was.
Nu Metal Anomalies Slipknot, System of a Down, and the Strange Math of Mass Appeal
Nu metal’s ecosystem in the 1990s allowed unexpected forms of extremity to break into mainstream success, and Slipknot and System of a Down exemplify that.
When the Door Nearly Closed on Evanescence
With the success of Evanescence’s Fallen and The Open Door, which held to Amy Lee’s vision, she should have earned Wind-Up’s trust, not its vitriol.
Shinedown’s ‘Rock the Country’ Controversy Proves Nothing Is Safe from Politics
Years of kindness and calls for unity from a band like Shinedown, whose very name implies radiant light, warrant a thoughtful, rather than reactive, pause.
Deftones Are a Glorious Dichotomy of Extremes
Welcome to a Deftones show, a glorious dichotomy of extremes where tenderness is drawn from belligerence and fans come not just to purge but also to soar.
Noise Rock Band Unsane’s Chris Spencer Is Committed
The lead singer of the New York noise institution Unsane, Chris Spencer, talks about the reissue of their classic Occupational Hazard.
Babymetal’s “Elevator Girl” and Echoes of the Elisa Lam Case
Whether intentionally or not, Babymetal’s “Elevator Girl” feels like an unspoken pop culture echo of one of the most chilling and inexplicable deaths of the digital era.
Babymetal’s Classic “Gimme Chocolate!!” Mixes Pop, Art, and Id
Babymetal’s “Gimme Chocolate!!” video, like your favorite B-movie, combines one part pop culture, one part art, and one part id as well as catharsis.