Polkadot Cadaver - Sex Offender

2007. We're listening to XM radio and a song by some band I've never heard of comes on. It's batshit insane, jumping from one genre to the next seamlessly, singing about morbid beauty, death, and lost love. I need to hear more. It's called "What's The Worst Thing That Could Happen?" by some band named Polkadot Cadaver. "What an awesome name for a band," I think to myself. So I grab the album and I'm instantly floored. It's heavy, frenetic, catchy, weird, and just plain fun. It touches upon nearly every genre of music imaginable without being pretentious about it. It's beautiful. The lyrics are darkly poetic and I find myself singing along almost instantly. I am in love. It's everything I've ever wanted in a band. Musically, my life has never been the same since. So you can understand my seething anticipation while I waited 4 years for what was surely to be one of the greatest follow-up records ever released. Did it live up to such high expectations? Well...

The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction

Change. It's the one certainty that everyone will experience in their life. Some are open to it, others resist it, but like it or not, it happens and it can be scary. Oddly enough, one of the most feared and loathed changes among the populace is the change of an artist's style or output, especially in regard to music. Music tends to affect people in a very visceral and personal way; a way that's oftentimes hard to describe or pinpoint. We are drawn to certain styles, certain artists, and their music and lyrics touch us in a way that we feel speaks to our lives. So when a band breaks up, or drastically changes direction, it is often met with much abhorrence and confusion. I know because I, being the die hard music fanboy that I am, have experienced this and been very disappointed and sometimes even downright angry. But there is something to be said about a musician who is so open with himself, and in turn with his fans, that the only thing he can do while staying true to himself is be a little selfish and make the type of music that naturally pours out of him, even if it's the exact opposite of what he has become known for. That's Devin Townsend in a nutshell. The once frontman of the schizophrenic and apocalyptic metal outfit Strapping Young Lad has grown out of his angry and loathsome shell and transformed into one of the most versatile musicians the (metal) world has ever seen. And nowhere is it more apparent than with his newest offering, the third installment in The Devin Townsend Project, Deconstruction.

Anaal Nathrakh - Passion

Homemade, DIY bands are becoming increasingly popular, but finding one of any significant value is almost impossible, as nowadays any old turd with a guitar and ProTools can make "music" while taking a shit. Bands like Cloudkicker and Agoraphobic Nosebleed have mastered the craft of "bedroom metal", but no one does it quite as ferociously and epically as Anaal Nathrakh. This necrotizing duo of esoteric filth are still leading the pack of grind infused black metal, and their sixth offering, Passion, is definitely no exception.

Despise You/Agoraphobic Nosebleed - And On And On...

This brand new split EP has been highly anticipated by nearly everyone familiar with grindcore. It features undeniable titans of the genre Agoraphobic Nosebleed and one of the originators Despise You. Apparently, this is the first new material from Despise You in over ten years, which is exciting, except I had never heard them before this release and was honestly more excited for new ANb material. Regardless of my familiarity (or lack thereof) with 50% of this split, 100% of it rules, and I'm definitely glad I gave it a shot.

Kruger - For Death, Glory, and the End of the World

Switzerland. Somehow not a nation that I would associate with badass death n' roll. But alas, Kruger have proven me wrong once again. I found out about this little-known act when I heard that Gojira's Joe Duplantier was doing guest vocals on their new album (this one). Being that my love for Gojira is borderline stalker-ish, I had to find out more about these guys. There was no way that Joe would put his name (and his glorious vocals) on an album that was anything but stellar. And damn if Mr. Duplantier doesn't have some good taste. This album is stunning.

Gorgasm - Orgy of Murder

The fact that this CD was even released seems like a god damn miracle to me. Gorgasm have always been one of the most promising brutal death metal bands, and when I heard they were breaking up (back in 2007) my heart broke a little bit. But here we are 4 years later and Damien Leski (vocalist, guitarist, main songwriter) found himself a new group of guys to fill in the empty slots and they have released arguably their best album to date, Orgy of Murder.

Debauchery - Germany's Next Death Metal

Pop death metal. Never thought you'd hear that phrase, eh? Well, I can't think of a better way to describe Germany's Debauchery. Sure, they're heavy, dark, and (sometimes) fast, but the straight-forward song structures and plain old catchy riffs make them as close to pop music as any strictly death metal band could ever be. It's really no huge surprise, considering they come from Germany, a country where metal in all its forms is much more appreciated and revered than it will ever be in the States. It may even be to the point that metal has become pop (meaning "popular") music in Europe, so the term 'pop death metal' could really be the most accurate way to describe these titans of death metal.