When I interviewed Zach Amster from the Denver, Colorado band Abrams for the Rich and Turbo Heavy Half Hour about the band’s new record, Loon, Turbo commented that their fifth would be their “breakthrough” album. I could not agree more, as the band doubles down on what the folks of multiple generations seem to be really into these days; stuff that sounds like it is from the 1990s.
Loon sounds more 90s than any of the Abrams records before it, but this is not the sound of some bullshit 4th wave grunge band. This is killer, post hardcore/grunge with frantic angry, scattered directions, and that hits all the right buttons to be a record that both sounds like it is from 2026 and 1993 at the same time.
Glass House kicks it off with this Quicksand/Nirvana hybrid thing going on, executed perfectly. I love how they just let it all go at the end of the track. The production on the record is perfect, with Andrew Schneider’s mix showing he really understands the band, the track White Walls showing this. This one also harkens to some of the Midwest “noise” rock bands, with maybe a touch of Jesus Lizard going on, even with those harmonies. How about Ryan DeWitt pulling out those double kick drums? Last Nail shows off how this band just gets melody. Rival Schools vibes all over the place. This would have been on the radio 30 years ago.
Glass House kicks it off with this Quicksand/Nirvana hybrid thing going on, executed perfectly. I love how they just let it all go at the end of the track. The production on the record is perfect, with Andrew Schneider’s mix showing he really understands the band, the track White Walls showing this. This one also harkens to some of the Midwest “noise” rock bands, with maybe a touch of Jesus Lizard going on, even with those harmonies. How about Ryan DeWitt pulling out those double kick drums? Last Nail shows off how this band just gets melody. Rival Schools vibes all over the place. This would have been on the radio 30 years ago.
The influence of Walter Schreifels is all over Loon (and really all over a lot of your favourite records, you may just not realize it). Said & Done stays around the Quicksand/Cave In realm of awesome and I am certainly here for it. I absolutely love Amster and Graham Zander’s guitar work on this one. Waves is certainly that same arena as well, as Amster’s vocals really show his growth as a singer. Abrams has always been a little shoegazey, and that lives on with A State Of Mind, bringing a kind of Swervedriver thing to the record.
It fits in perfectly as it leads to more post hardcore goodness of A State Of Mind and Home, the latter showing off excellent the rhythm section of Taylor Iversen and the aforementioned DeWitt. Quicksand vibes are all over Remains, which has a complex melody and could be a Manic Compression b-side. Like any good 90s record, the longest song (under 5 minutes!), Sirens, is the perfect mix of all of the amazing stuff that came before it on Loon. The harmonized, layered vocals, the big chorus, the relentless guitar, the quiet loud quiet perfection. There could not have been a better way to close out Loon, reminding me of how Quicksand ended their second record with It Would Be Cooler if You Did.
Loon really is a breakthrough for Abrams. This may be what the band is truly meant to sound like. Loon is a 34 minute psychic blast that is here then gone just as quickly, but ready to be queued up and re-experienced immediately. There is so much happening and so fast; the energy captured by Loon could power the time machine that takes you back to the 90s to hear something that sounded even close to how awesome the new Abrams record truly is. 10/10Victorius brings us an inventive and highly creative, 12 track album. World War Dinosaur is high energy, wacky and uplifting with a strong sense of story and most importantly – Fun.
With this new album, Victorius shows us exactly what 22 years can do for a band as they are technically strong with viciously sharp and interesting riffs alongside racing drums bringing pure energy throughout. The tracks are anthemic and catchy with gloriously satisfying harmonies which makes for a very memorable power metal experience, because that’s what World War Dinosaur is – An experience. If you don’t want to make a nuisance out of yourself, you’ll have to try very hard to stop yourself from singing along, it's the kind of album you pick to score a an anime / cartoon series or an album you put on for drinks and late night karaoke.
Victorius as a band is on a similar level of humour and theatricality as bands such as Ghost and The Darkness. They lean into ‘Silliness’ and put so much, thought, care and energy it to their overall production, lyrics and sound that it really shines through, and you can tell just how much they love their career and creating exciting new stories through music.
Overall, it’s very well made, there’s nothing to critique here as it’s very well done. It’s safe to say that it isn't an album for me personally as I tend to play it safe when it comes to my everyday rotation, I feel like this one is a little too stylised and to speak plainly, mental, for myself but if you're looking for something new and fun and would also like a break from the everyday. Let these guys take you on an out of this world adventure. Go for it, give this one a listen as it’s joyous. 6/10
American Sharks - Not Dead Yet (Permanent Teeth Records) [Mark Young]
I always find it disappointing when I don’t get on with a release. I get moody, because I always hope to like everything I listen to and focus on the good things instead of just battering something because I just don’t like it. Today is that day with American Sharks and their latest Not Dead Yet.
The three piece from Texas has called in a plethora of heavy music ‘Who’s Who’ on this, ranging from GWAR to The Sword to Red Fang, so it gives you a bit of an insight into these songs are going to run out. If you imagine a pop/punk/metal hybrid, that should further clue you in and possibly attract you. Or repulse you, depending on where you sit.
It’s unfortunate that I sit in the ‘not my bag’ camp, the songs are as scuzzy and full of energy as you might expect but they just didn’t land with me at all. They kick straight in with Not Dead Yet, an in your face quick fire blast that comes from the school of get in, get out quickly and move onto the next one. Its admirable in that it does exactly that but does it without registering at all. Each of the tracks follow with varying changes in approach, moving from the manic to the sleazy and back again dependent on who has been enlisted to assist.
Being honest the songs do work better when played at speed, Going Insane is an example of this, an urgent 3 minute bopper that you could dance to but that’s it. I find that I don’t have anything of real substance to say about the songs. They don’t elicit a strong reaction either way and I don’t want to say something just for the sake of saying anything. So let’s cut this short: If you like your guitar music to fall within the lighter side of heavy, with a dash of pop/punk then dig in. That’s about the strongest reaction I can give. 6/10
Catalysis - Serpentine (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Another chunk of Dundee based heaviness from Catalysis who are creeping up on their 10th anniversary as a band and while a lot of bands will have perhaps one or two releases in that period, these Scots have delivered two full length albums and five EP's.
Both of their albums have had critical acclaim and have featured guests from some high profile names from the groove/metalcore/modern thrash genres as well as some big slots on festivals and tours supporting recognised names.
However in 2024 they hit a big hurdle with their vocalist, guitarist and bassist exiting the band leaving just founders Drew Cochrane (lead guitar) and Calum Rennie (drums), to restart Catalysis from the ground up however only two months after this they returned to the stage with vocalist Andrew Downie, guitarist Jamie Paterson and bassist Robi Islam joining the band as Catalysis version 2.0.
Releasing another EP in 2025, they didn't slow down with tonnes more gigs and now their sixth EP Serpentine, which arrives with the hardcore driven Tremors and closes with the breakdown heavy Deathblow, filling the tracks in between with some loud but innately melodic amalgamation of groove, thrash and death.
The influences are notable but Catalysis craft them into their own style, from the dual vocal style of Trivium on Futile, or the savagery of Damocles which could be a Machine Head lost track, Catalysis are very firmly in their new era, as if the line up issues never even happened, it's all guns blazing with chapter two from one of Scotland's most prolific acts. 8/10
Catalysis - Serpentine (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Another chunk of Dundee based heaviness from Catalysis who are creeping up on their 10th anniversary as a band and while a lot of bands will have perhaps one or two releases in that period, these Scots have delivered two full length albums and five EP's.
Both of their albums have had critical acclaim and have featured guests from some high profile names from the groove/metalcore/modern thrash genres as well as some big slots on festivals and tours supporting recognised names.
However in 2024 they hit a big hurdle with their vocalist, guitarist and bassist exiting the band leaving just founders Drew Cochrane (lead guitar) and Calum Rennie (drums), to restart Catalysis from the ground up however only two months after this they returned to the stage with vocalist Andrew Downie, guitarist Jamie Paterson and bassist Robi Islam joining the band as Catalysis version 2.0.
Releasing another EP in 2025, they didn't slow down with tonnes more gigs and now their sixth EP Serpentine, which arrives with the hardcore driven Tremors and closes with the breakdown heavy Deathblow, filling the tracks in between with some loud but innately melodic amalgamation of groove, thrash and death.
The influences are notable but Catalysis craft them into their own style, from the dual vocal style of Trivium on Futile, or the savagery of Damocles which could be a Machine Head lost track, Catalysis are very firmly in their new era, as if the line up issues never even happened, it's all guns blazing with chapter two from one of Scotland's most prolific acts. 8/10
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