Say what you will about Deathcore, but that goddamn subgenre refuses to die or give an inch. More power to it, I say. While it may not have reached the commercial heights of its sister subgenre, Metalcore, one could argue that that the former has been just as active as the latter.
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel … thoroughly pissed off. That seems to be the thrust of Finnish metallers Lost Society and their latest If The Sky Came Down (Nuclear Blast).
Say what you will about Deathcore, it is nothing if not persistent. Not that the idea of mixing Death Metal and Hardcore is a new one (i.e., Suffocation) but when the term deathcore is applied today it recalls the halcyon years between 2007 and 2012 when a young man’s worth was determined by his throat tattoo, the size of his gauges and his MySpace networking skills. If you had a pig squeal, a breakdown and a dream it seemed like you too could be handed an Earache Records deal. But when did that dream end? Well, according to Lorna Shore’s …And I Return to Nothingness (Century Media) it didn’t.Continue reading
Let’s take a minute and give a proper shout out to the lovely state of Kentucky because despite not being typically known for its extreme music scene it is somehow home to the bruisers in Knocked Loose. Not familiar with Knocked Loose? Well, just know that in the span of two LPs and a handful of splits and EPs they’ve secured themselves a plum spot in the modern Hardcore pecking order. Let’s skip the formalities, A Different Shade of Blue (Pure Noise) is only going to further entrench these gentlemen into the hearts of slam dancers and tough guys alike.Continue reading
Recent times have seen a resurgence for Metalcore that puts it on its strongest footing since its exciting early days, even perhaps exceeding them. Not only have stalwarts such as Killswitch Engage remained beloved and reliably great as ever, Parkway Drive have grown into absolute powerhouses, and the likes of Architects and While She Sleeps have put a British scene on the map with differing but equally excellent takes. Continue reading
Suburban Scum. Photo Credit: Sean Sullivan
Suburban Scum is streaming “Death Is Destiny”, off their debut album Ultimate Annihilation, out this summer via Closed Casket Activities, here.
They have just wrapped up production on their debut full-length release at the Machine Shop in Belleville, New Jersey with producer Will Putney (Body Count, Vision Of Disorder, The Acacia Strain), the man also responsible for mixing and mastering the album. Now confirmed to wear the title Ultimate Annihilation, the new album takes the riotous, straightforward energy of the band’s previous recordings to a dynamic new level of ferociousness through a dozen crushing tracks of full-bore Jersey hardcore. Ultimate Annihilation also bears guest vocal contributions from Justice Tripp (Trapped Under Ice, Angel Du$t), Brendan Garrone (Incendiary), and Gregory Falchetto (The Mongoloids), and has is fitted with cover artwork by Jesse Schallart (Skeletonwitch, Xibalba, Discourse).Troy, New York-based Closed Casket Activities, also responsible for Suburban Scum’s split LP with Xibalba, will release Ultimate Annihilation on vinyl as well as through all major digital platforms early this Summer with a final street date to be announced shortly.
Ultimate Annihilation Track Listing:
1. The Beginning Of The End
2. Ultimate Annihilation
3. Forced Through Fire
4. Zero Tolerence
5. Love And Hate
6. Pain Is Promised
7. Ready For War
8. Misery Loves Company
9. Six Feet Under
10. Watch It Burn
11. The Calm Before The Storm
12. Death Is Destiny
Suburban Scum Tour Dates:
Mar 03: Korova – San Antonio, TX
Mar 04: Electric Banana – El Paso, TX
Mar 05: Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
Mar 06: Nile Underground – Mesa, AZ
Mar 07: The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
Mar 08: Metro Sideroom – Oakland, CA
Mar 09: RBU Davis University – Sacramento, CA
Mar 10: Holland Project – Reno, NV
Mar 11: Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
Mar 12: Marquis Theater – Denver, CO
Mar 13: Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
Mar 14: Minehaha Freespace – Minneapolis, MN
Mar 15: The Borg Ward – Milwaukee, WI
Mar 16: The Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL
Mar 17: The Foundry – Cleveland, OH
Mar 18: Legends – Covington, KY
Mar 19: The Demo – St Louis, MO
Mar 20: The Conservatory – Oklahoma City, OK Mar 21: Walters – Houston, TX
Mar 22: QuikTrip Park – Grand Prairie, TX (South By So What?!)
Apr 10: Game Changer World – Howell, NJ (w/ No Warning, Breakdown, Foundation, Think I Care, King Nine)
Apr 18: The Palladium – Worcester, MA (New England Metal & Hardcore Fest)
May 16: Webster Hall – New York, NY (Black N’ Blue Bowl)
Suburban Scum on Twitter
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Closed Casket Activities on Twitter
The 2015 edition of United Blood Fest lineup is now set for March 27-28, 2015 at The Canal Club in Richmond, VA and will feature:
Judge
Breakdown
Terror
Cold World
Down To Nothing
Code Orange
Crown Of Thornz
Rotting Out
Harms Way
Bracewar
Criminal Instinct
Give
Stick Together
Barge
Blistered
Broken Teeth
Break Away
Forced Order
Freedom
God’s Hate
Hardstripes
Heavy Chains
Malice At The Palace
Malfunction
Mizery
Snails Pace
When metalcore came along at the turn of the century to wash away the juvenile dross of nu-metal there was much rejoicing. After all, what could go wrong with bands delivering their own interpretation of Slaughter of the Soul’s legacy? Quite a lot in fact as the scene quickly reached saturation point with a seemingly endless parade of silly-haired whippersnappers recycling the same old riffs and same tired themes.
Orange County quintet Scars of Tomorrow never ascended above the D-grade despite releasing five albums in as many years on Victory Records between 2002 and 2006. After originally disbanding in 2007, they have reformed and recorded a new album, Failed Transmissions (Artery). The question is, if they weren’t good enough when the scene was in full swing what relevance do they have now?
The answer is none.
Absence has not made the heart grow fonder and Scars of Tomorrow have not learnt any lessons in their time off. They are still ploughing the exact same furrow they had exhausted of all resources back in 2006, offering up a thoroughly generic and uninspiring selection of Norma Jean-aping riffs combined with the odd It Dies Today-esque melodic flourish and of course, breakdown after goddamn breakdown in case you had forgotten that metalcore bands of this ilk wish they were tough enough to be part of the hardcore scene.
Featuring no memorable, heartstring-tugging choruses, riffs of any power, presence or anything approaching their own identity, the existence of this record is a mystery, for it serves no purpose. Metalcore is dead and buried, the kids have moved on to new and fresher things, and the members of Scars of Tomorrow should be devoting their time into producing music with half an ounce of relevance to today and not just assuming that a half-hour rehash of their old sound will be enough after so long away.
Utterly pointless and shockingly complacent.
3.0/10.0
JAMES CONWAY