Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows I love Quicksand and that I think they have a perfect discography. So it should be zero surprise that I love the new record from Walter and crew, titled Bring On The Psychics. I always go in with an open mind when listening to a new record, if not with a little bias for one of my favourite bands of all time, but Quicksand has once again delivered what can only be called a banger, beginning to end, for 29 plus minutes.
I am a not big on saying things like “back to the basics” because there is nothing basic about Quicksand, but let’s just call it back to their roots, as the opener, Get To It, just rips it up, with the vibe of their early Revelation stuff and Walter being full on aggressive Walter. I love the stop and start again, which is sure to get the pit going. Regenerate is Slip era mid tempo awesomeness, with layered vocals and Walter’s voice as good as it has ever been, and the trio just sounding super tight.
Agency is bringing more of the aggression folks may have thought was missing on the later period Quicksand records, with the loud quiet loud executed perfectly as you always know it is coming but is always awesome. Crystallize is a killer melodic later period Quicksand track that shows the band can sound really big without ever sounding too polished in the studio, with Supercollider coming right after to bring those Slip vibes right back to the listeners who were hoping to go there again, even if it is a bit more brighter that Slip was production-wise. I love the chunky riff on this one.
In Full Color is the same vibe and just as great. It has been decades since Walter started Quicksand, and bands of his since then like Rival Schools, Walking Concert, and his solo stuff have leaned more towards indie rock and less post hardcore, all of them great. That is where Days You Run To will remind you of. This is the most pop forward track Quicksand has ever done, and it is a beautiful, spacy, melodic masterpiece that makes this record even better with the contrast it brings from the more aggressive material that Bring On The Psychics has delivered. Perfect stuff.
I say contrast, as the heaviest riff on the record from Cool Guy comes next, with one of those wall of sound guitar parts from Walter. Their former touring partners and contemporaries from back in the day Helmet should still sound like this one. Moving Forward is another one of those super solid late period Quicksand tracks that have made us marvel at how Walter just locks in when writing and recording as Quicksand. My only nit pick is the closing title track could have opened the record, because at under 30 minutes for the whole album this one leaves me wanting for more.
I love Quicksand. Bring On The Psychics does nothing to make me love them any less, only more. The band continues their string of having a perfect discography. Combine that with Walter playing and writing like it was 1993 and looking like he is having the time of his life, Bring On The Psychics only confirms that Quicksand is a top 10 band of all time for me and one of my go to references for bands I like to this day. 10/10
Ran Out Of Options is like a chainsaw, a persistent cutting motion that see’s a more muscular build to things. It’s one of the issues I have with ‘core’ music is that it sometimes feels like a chest beating exercise of who is harder, who is tough etc and it can get a bit samey.
I love Quicksand. Bring On The Psychics does nothing to make me love them any less, only more. The band continues their string of having a perfect discography. Combine that with Walter playing and writing like it was 1993 and looking like he is having the time of his life, Bring On The Psychics only confirms that Quicksand is a top 10 band of all time for me and one of my go to references for bands I like to this day. 10/10
Lunatic Soul - Transition II (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]
Lunatic Soul is the solo, and after the disbanding of Riverside, only project of Mariusz Duda. A more ambient, darker and instrumentally inclined project than Riverside, Lunatic Soul is in a state of flux as it is now the primary output for Duda, something it was never supposed to be so this release is an important one.
It features new track Realm Of The Weeping Willows, an organic epic that draws from folk traditions with a sprawling run time and a feeling for the occult or the pagan traditions, it's a song with a lot of history started in 2020 and worked on throughout the Through Shaded Woods sessions but never released on that record.
Coming in full form here as it looks toward more a lighter and brighter sound for Lunatic Soul after the culmination of the eight album The Circle Of Life And Death, with the remixes of Vyraj and Hylophobia from Through Shaded Woods, both taking new musical routes away from the often ominous introspective sound Lunatic Soul has cultivated.
The epic Transition II here in a condensed version (15 or so minutes) but is still a brilliant instrumental piece that's got Mike Oldfield influences throughout. Lunatic Soul release Transition II at just the right time, whatever Mariusz Duda decides to transition too, after this will be his most personal and unrestricted work for sure. 7/10
Poison The Preacher - Things I Want EP (Seek & Strike Records) [Mark Young]
Who doesn’t love an EP? Well Poison The Preacher have dropped a quickfire 14 minute salvo for your attention with the Colombian’s output showing no signs of slowing down. This is a blink and miss it affair, Things I Want (ft Speed) is their starter for ten and it’s just a straightforward kick to the skull that Is in keeping with their Vs The World album released last year.
Lunatic Soul is the solo, and after the disbanding of Riverside, only project of Mariusz Duda. A more ambient, darker and instrumentally inclined project than Riverside, Lunatic Soul is in a state of flux as it is now the primary output for Duda, something it was never supposed to be so this release is an important one.
It features new track Realm Of The Weeping Willows, an organic epic that draws from folk traditions with a sprawling run time and a feeling for the occult or the pagan traditions, it's a song with a lot of history started in 2020 and worked on throughout the Through Shaded Woods sessions but never released on that record.
Coming in full form here as it looks toward more a lighter and brighter sound for Lunatic Soul after the culmination of the eight album The Circle Of Life And Death, with the remixes of Vyraj and Hylophobia from Through Shaded Woods, both taking new musical routes away from the often ominous introspective sound Lunatic Soul has cultivated.
The epic Transition II here in a condensed version (15 or so minutes) but is still a brilliant instrumental piece that's got Mike Oldfield influences throughout. Lunatic Soul release Transition II at just the right time, whatever Mariusz Duda decides to transition too, after this will be his most personal and unrestricted work for sure. 7/10
Poison The Preacher - Things I Want EP (Seek & Strike Records) [Mark Young]
Who doesn’t love an EP? Well Poison The Preacher have dropped a quickfire 14 minute salvo for your attention with the Colombian’s output showing no signs of slowing down. This is a blink and miss it affair, Things I Want (ft Speed) is their starter for ten and it’s just a straightforward kick to the skull that Is in keeping with their Vs The World album released last year.
Its metallic, riffy and full of suggested violence. And of course there is the breakdown, that then lets them drop a Suicidal Tendencies special into the mix. Its immediate and just what an EP requires; energy and balls-out lead breaks. There is a hint that it runs a little bit too long, but in the context of an EP its about right.
We run from that razor sharp hardcore into some sumptuous Latin grooves on Last Time I’ve Seen The Sun, well up until they decide that big dirty riff is required. It changes tack from Things I Want; this is more of that hardcore/punk vibe to it than the metallic edge shown before. Of course they don’t forget that a massive breakdown is always required and drop it in, just for fun.
Ran Out Of Options is like a chainsaw, a persistent cutting motion that see’s a more muscular build to things. It’s one of the issues I have with ‘core’ music is that it sometimes feels like a chest beating exercise of who is harder, who is tough etc and it can get a bit samey.
Poison The Preacher fall into that trap with this one, probably because the song itself doesn’t hold up to those before or after it. Chicken Out attempts to arrest any slide in interest by upping its game and expending the energy required to keep the listener onboard by giving it kick, pushing what is a relentless closer on our ears. This one has some cracking metallized touches to it, with a guitar tone that could split rock.
Again, enjoyment of this and of the EP itself will depend on how you take your metal. If It ends in ‘core’ then you should be on this like the plague. Its heavy, it moves and on the whole the songs here will no doubt cause utter mayhem once they are deployed live. 7/10
No Cure – It Is Going To Get Dark (SharpTone Records) [Spike]
No Cure from Birmingham, Alabama have spent the last few years earning a reputation as one of the meanest, most relentless live bands in the current hardcore scene.
No Cure – It Is Going To Get Dark (SharpTone Records) [Spike]
No Cure from Birmingham, Alabama have spent the last few years earning a reputation as one of the meanest, most relentless live bands in the current hardcore scene.
I’ve seen my share of bands trying to make metallic hardcore sound dangerous, but these guys actually back up the threat. Their debut full-length, It Is Going To Get Dark, is a brutal, bone-breaking record that hits you with the weight of a stone press to the chest.
The band apparently wrote and recorded this deep in the Alabama woods in a remote cabin between gruelling tour cycles. You can feel that isolation and exhaustion in the music. The production is incredibly thick, with a heavy, low-end tuning that makes the guitars sound massive without losing their sharp, cutting edge.
The record kicks off with When The Spasms Cease, opening with the desperate scream of "How did we get here?" before launching into a flurry of frantic guitars and heavy call-and-response vocals. It leads straight into Oblivion Crusade, which is just pure, ugly groove metal built for the pit.
What makes this record work so well is how they integrate different styles without looking like they’re trying too hard. On Brain Matter Displacement, they bring in Jayway from NJ's Bayway for a guest verse. Putting a rap feature on a death-metal-tinged hardcore track is a high-wire act that usually ends in disaster, but here the transition is seamless because the beat drops so hard.
There's a real emotional weight behind the violence here, too. Slowly Turning Blue takes a hard, painful look at watching someone go through addiction, and the despair in Blaythe Steuer’s voice is genuinely uncomfortable. It’s immediately followed by Ironclad, an absolute standout straight-edge anthem featuring Tyler Short of Inclination that boasts some massive pinch harmonics and a heavy, rhythmic stomp.
The death metal influence is all over this thing, but it’s most obvious on Convulsing In The Dark. Steuer has openly talked about his love for bands like Death and Carcass, and you can hear that DNA in the fast tremolo picking and the relentless blast beats that drive the track.
For a band that proudly calls themselves "the world's most evil straight-edge band," they make sure their message is loud and clear. I Am Still Fucking Straight Edge is a 50-second punch to the jaw with no poetry, just raw vocals and pure conviction.
By the time the album closer Everything I Love Is Dead Or Dying hits its final, skin-splitting breakdown, you’re left feeling completely spent. This is one hell of a full length debut, this is a bleak, menacing masterpiece that doesn't offer any cheap comfort. It's easily one of the most honest and punishing albums to drop this year. Given we can’t give half marks this is a full on, flat out. 9/10
The band apparently wrote and recorded this deep in the Alabama woods in a remote cabin between gruelling tour cycles. You can feel that isolation and exhaustion in the music. The production is incredibly thick, with a heavy, low-end tuning that makes the guitars sound massive without losing their sharp, cutting edge.
The record kicks off with When The Spasms Cease, opening with the desperate scream of "How did we get here?" before launching into a flurry of frantic guitars and heavy call-and-response vocals. It leads straight into Oblivion Crusade, which is just pure, ugly groove metal built for the pit.
What makes this record work so well is how they integrate different styles without looking like they’re trying too hard. On Brain Matter Displacement, they bring in Jayway from NJ's Bayway for a guest verse. Putting a rap feature on a death-metal-tinged hardcore track is a high-wire act that usually ends in disaster, but here the transition is seamless because the beat drops so hard.
There's a real emotional weight behind the violence here, too. Slowly Turning Blue takes a hard, painful look at watching someone go through addiction, and the despair in Blaythe Steuer’s voice is genuinely uncomfortable. It’s immediately followed by Ironclad, an absolute standout straight-edge anthem featuring Tyler Short of Inclination that boasts some massive pinch harmonics and a heavy, rhythmic stomp.
The death metal influence is all over this thing, but it’s most obvious on Convulsing In The Dark. Steuer has openly talked about his love for bands like Death and Carcass, and you can hear that DNA in the fast tremolo picking and the relentless blast beats that drive the track.
For a band that proudly calls themselves "the world's most evil straight-edge band," they make sure their message is loud and clear. I Am Still Fucking Straight Edge is a 50-second punch to the jaw with no poetry, just raw vocals and pure conviction.
By the time the album closer Everything I Love Is Dead Or Dying hits its final, skin-splitting breakdown, you’re left feeling completely spent. This is one hell of a full length debut, this is a bleak, menacing masterpiece that doesn't offer any cheap comfort. It's easily one of the most honest and punishing albums to drop this year. Given we can’t give half marks this is a full on, flat out. 9/10
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