THE NEW WHAT NEXT

BERZERKER LEGION Hometown: “The Battlefields of Europe” Album: Obliterate the Weak out now via Listenable Records RIYL: Battle Metaphors. The Platonic Ideal. Nostalgia. Where Berzerker Legion immediately excel are in making the old feel fun and fresh again. This is the true, ideal sweet spot between classic, Swedish death metal and very early, melodic death metal. It’s sweeping, grandiose, and feels like the music the Allies would have played before storming Normandy to defeat the Nazis. Just when you think it’s all knuckle-dragging, extreme metal, a wonderful melody comes out to play—metalheads won’t mistake this with late-career In Flames or even Dark Tranquillity. This Legion is perfect if your ideal Valentine’s Day date was in Sweden around 1991. That feeling is intentional, as Berzerker Legion were created with the goal of metal veterans delivering their idea of how metal sounds in their head.

“To bring something new in the scene these days is not even possible anymore after four decades of metal, as everything has been done already,” says guitarist Alwin Zuur. “The best you can do is release a great album with great music. We just wanted to create music with that perfect balance between those harmonies and melodies and brutal, old-school death metal.” ��

EXMAID Hometown: New Jersey Album: Sorcery out Feb. 20, via Bangs and Burns

RIYL: Contrast. Empathy. Release. “Generally, I like the idea of noisy heaviness contrasting my somewhat-on-the-lighter-side vocals. That has been a goal since Exmaid started.” That spot-on assessment comes from Exmaid vocalist/ guitarist Miranda Taylor, and Sorcery highlights how damn well the group know how to keep this formula consistently engaging. It’s a record marked by that key contrast, but it’s brought together in a way that focuses on wonderful songwriting and haunting lyrical themes more than trying to cash in on a unique idea. In that way, Sorcery works as a great, grungy noise rock record, with just a dash of added heart and soul. This extra flair comes from Taylor’s pained and personal lyrics that make it feel like she rips open her ribcage to reveal what’s inside—it’s that brutally sincere.

FOOL'S GHOST Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky Album: Dark Woven Light, out March 20 via Prosthetic Records RIYL: Loss. Companionship. The Healing Power of Art. I’ve never been left so uniquely captivated as I have with the stunning musical suspense that Fool’s Ghost create. It’s sparse and haunting, yet there’s a heaviness that weighs on the soul while taking in Dark Woven Light. It’s clear that the duo bared every ounce of their being in creating this release. Musically, it’s difficult to compare Fool’s Ghost to other styles or groups—echoes of post-rock, doom, Americana, and soul exist, but barely scratch the surface here. It’s an experience that’s best left without expectations. The pained-yet-hopeful record is both honest and uplifting. The band reflect on how their bond created such a stirring masterpiece (my words, not theirs).

“[We came together through] shared personal loss and working through different stages of grief together,” says singer and keyboardist Amber Thieneman. “There's so much that words don’t get close to expressing, and that's where art and music come in, to help process and heal.”

“It really helps to know that someone is listening when you talk, and I felt that during the process of writing this record,” Taylor says. “I wrote exactly what I felt and hoped that someone would hear it. The things I was experiencing were overwhelming—and I am a pretty shy person—so it felt like the only way to say what I wanted to say was by writing these songs. I know for certain that so many people feel this, at some point at least, and I guess it is a testament to the virtue of being honest by whatever means necessary.” ��

TWINS Hometown: Throughout Germany Album: Soon, out now via No Funeral Records RIYL: Freedom. Feedback without Feedback. New Friends. Imagine Soon were a first-person shooter—stay with me for a second. This German act wield two distinct-yet-powerful weapons in their hands. On the left is emotional melodic post-hardcore of the variety that Epitaph Records (and really everyone) loves. On the right is a more pensive (but not wimpy) math rock of the TTNG style. Rather than firing at different intervals, Twins deploy both sides of their sonic arsenal at will and organically. It’s beautifully done and immensely captivating. This approach was the result of a new band having total creative freedom from the onset, as they collectively share.

“There was one thing in particular that we all enjoyed and that we often talked about, and that was the prospect of writing a record completely uninfluenced by opinions, bystanders, and critics. We had no deadline, no one who had given us any kind of feedback, except a few friends that listened to some rough snippets. Therefore, we were never afraid to do any experiment that came to our mind, no matter [how it] sounded.” ��

THE DEADNOTES Hometown: Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Album: Courage, out now via 22 Lives Records RIYL: The Cowardly Lion. The Brave Little Toaster. Redemption. Sometimes the best part of music discovery is finding something new without any preconceived notions or hesitations. Although they’ve been around for nearly 10 years, this German, indie punk act clearly have made one hell of a great impression. With a sound that takes the earnest nature and stadium-ready hooks of recent Deaf Havana while keeping one foot firmly in the anthemic punk world, it’s bombastic, heart-wrenching, and as immediately arresting as music can get. Maybe it’s the fact that The Deadnotes clearly give a shit and want to inspire others to make the world a better place, but it’s impossible not to root for a band this excellent, powerful, and easily able to put a smile on my face. On top of all of this, Courage is somewhat of a concept record, as the band discuss.

“I‘m not a huge fan of concept albums, but somehow it turned out that we wrote an entire album about the courage of overcoming fears—whether they‘re political, social, or personal [in] nature—and about making changes for the better, whether they will affect yourself, the society, or the whole system we live in.” ��

THE GONERS Hometown: Eskilstuna, Sweden Album: Good Mourning, out March 13th via RidingEasy Records RIYL: Cowboys. Sobriety. Old Records. Not to make light of rock bottom, but sometimes you have to fall in order to pick yourself up again and start over. The Goners’ vocalist and guitarist Nate Gone (ex-Salem’s Pot) reflects on how this new project is a much-needed mulligan for him.

“I have been nothing but gone for the last decade,” he says. “Eventually, it left me without the band I was playing in and some of my best friends. Even more would follow. I didn’t even understand why at the time, so I went on a blackout for another year or so, until I burned one too many bridges and realized I had to face the demons and sober the fuck up.”

Now, it’s also very important to note two things here. One, that absolutely sucks what Gone went through, and I’m very glad that friends and music helped him get back to being a force for good. Second, if a country-western version of throwback heavy metal sounds remotely interesting, then Good Mourning just might be the best thing you’ll hear in 2020. Thank God for second chances and great records.��

O ZORN! HOMETOWN: Long Beach, California, California ALBUM: Your Killer, out March 20 via Seeing Red Records RIYL: Sweet Noise. Loud Noises. Finding Beauty in Chaos. O Zorn! are what happens when people who know how to make a proper racket on their own come together and make the best possible racket. Your Killer is interesting in how it skirts around different vibes and subgenres, but it can really only realistically be called loud noise rock. It’s sludgy, grungy, and punchy, but stop arguing over genre and get on this wonderful noise.

The chaos is reflected in the tone of the album, as vocalist and guitarist Bill Kielty states.

“[It’s] a product of the three of us, all being super mixed up in our personal lives. A lot of inner confusion and disappointment—super sad, super pissed off, and then mix in a little tragedy. I feel we definitely captured some of that energy. Thematically, I tend to feed off sadness and negativity. It's where that [creative] part of me lives. The stories and meaning behind each song reflect that as well. Every storyline has a certain perseverance throughout, and just as the music does, crescendos, and then ends with some sense of acceptance or relief.” ��

TERMINATION DUST HOMETOWN: Anchorage, Alaska ALBUM: Growing Down out now via Self-Release RIYL: Comforting Discomfort. Embracing the Imperfect. Harmony. Termination Dust exist in a universe where Taking Back Sunday were a bright, indie rock band instead of a heavy punk band, oh, and with dual female vocalists instead of high-pitched, male voices. Humorously, some of Jaybird’s and Steffi’s vocals on this album might actually be lower register than TBS, but whatever. That weird comparison actually gets to the core of who Termination Dust want to be and why they’re so endearing and exciting. Growing Down is such a distinctly human record, drenched in the highs and lows of existence and empathy. It’s also remarkably catchy and instantly memorable. That duality is part and parcel of the band’s identity, as they note.

“We wanted to capture the imperfectness of the human condition, the different layers experienced during the healing process, and focus on personal growth through intense self-reflection. We also really wanted to make some bops!”

“We have a tendency to write songs that are a little confusing to the palate,” they continue. “There is absolutely angst in the feeling behind this record, but more importantly, we wanted express forgiveness to others, but foremost, to ourselves. That’s why we named this record Growing Down. Life is fucking hard, and everything doesn’t always seem upright, but with a little bit of work, it’s beautiful.” ��

WHITE STONES HOMETOWN: Uruguay/Sweden/Spain ALBUM: Kuarahy, out March 13 via Nuclear Blast RIYL: Heritage. Delivered Promises. Watershed Moments. Not that they needed defending, but White Stones are one hell of a response to the notion that bassists in metal are unnecessary. This is the solo project from Opeth bassist Martin Mendez, and it’s both a love letter to his personal and artistic past and one of the most primal, visceral, and glorious death metal releases in recent memory. Born of an era before guitarists discovered the famed HM-2 pedal, Mendez masters a slithery, progressive take on the style that fans of Horrendous and early Opeth will appreciate. This is the absolute pinnacle of retro death metal.

All this talk of the old gets to the elemental reason that White Stones even exists in the first place.

“Well, I guess it’s all nostalgia,” Mendez says. “I left Uruguay when I was 17 years old, but still have a strong connection with that place and the history. White Stones (Piedras Blancas) is the place I grew up in Montevideo. To make the connection stronger, I took the sun from the Uruguayan flag to create the logo of the band. It is a nostalgic record, but it’s not a theme that defines the project. The next record might not have anything to do with that place. It just happened on this one.” ��

GLASS BEACH Hometown: Los Angeles, California Album: The First Glass Beach Album, out now via Run For Cover Records RIYL: Math. Emotion. Moving Cross-Country. For those of us who have moved around in our lives, there’s always a stress in the unknown—whether it’s a new school, new job, or just trying to make new friends, we never really know how it will turn out. Imagine moving all the way across the country just to start a band—that’s what Glass Beach did. Members came from Texas and Minnesota to the sandy shores of L.A., and that confluence of people and place exists in the sonic experience that is The First Glass Beach Album. Imagine if early ’00s emo/punk were filtered through the lenses of experimental synth, math rock, showtunes, and even autotuned R&B. There’s really nothing like Glass Beach anywhere, and it’s clear the resulting debut was worth the road trip.

Drummer William White reflects on the band’s ethos: “Simple answer—whatever we wanted. Early on [vocalist/guitarist/ keyboardist] J preached an attitude of limitless creativity. We make every choice and experiment with every influence we can, regardless of if we can make it work. It’s like, ‘Write as much as you possibly can, then edit.’ If we dumped everything out and something didn’t work, we just wouldn’t use it. Like, every idea is precious until it’s not. And we agree as a band, fully, if that’s the case.” ��

GODTHRYMM Hometown: The U.K. Album: Reflections, out now via Profound Lore Records RIYL: Valentine’s Day. Love. Frustration. Comprised of some true titans of doom metal (members of My Dying Bride and Anathema), Godthrymm is what doom lovers’ hearts have been longing for. Renowned vocalist/guitarist Hamish Glencross knows his way around music that tears through your heartstrings, and despite his truly monumental pedigree, Reflections might go down as his most impactful and powerful record to date. Some of that has to do with the benefit of time and experience: we’re all better at what we want to do now than when we first started out. However, there’s more at play here, as Godthrymm express a greater range of sonic and lyrical emotion throughout this nearly hour-long series of lamentations. There’s an appreciation for the highs and lows here, a recognition that our sorrows hold meaning because of our exaltations. Reflections spends time on the gamut of the human soul and is so much better because of it.

“I remember being in awe when I first discovered that music could be both incredibly heavy and ugly, yet haunting and beautiful at the same time,” Glencross recalls. I found that amazing dichotomy perfectly in doom metal and so wanted to be a part of that. We wanted to explore every aspect of what makes us unique as humans—the highs and the lows, the love and the loss, the anger and the peace.” ��

CHOKED UP Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Album: Dichoso Corazon out now, self-released

RIYL: New Spins on Old Tales. Pulling Heartstrings. Pop Punk. “A pop punk telenovela in English y Español.” That’s how

Choked Up succinctly sum up this record, but that doesn’t really get at the heart of why Dichoso Corazon is so passionate and powerful. It translates to “fucking heart,” and vocalist Christy C. Road notes the frustration that fueled this beating heart.

“I wrote many of these songs when I was absolutely sick of my heart: trauma, healing, cutting ties with toxic people who I loved, and losing my grandmother who raised me,” she says. “Dichoso was a prefix [my grandma] always used about annoying shit—dirty clothes, the government,” Road continues. “These songs came from that!”

It’s unsurprising, then, that the record grabs the listener through these tales of “annoying shit.” However, that’s not the first or second thing I noticed about Dichoso Corazon. No, it’s how immediate and arresting Choked Up’s version of gritty pop punk is. Road’s voice grabbed me from the start, and I was in the band’s world from the first note. This telenovela isn’t afraid to say something, either, as there’s a clear through line about reclaiming your heart in the midst of fascism and a world of hate. Choked Up’s aim is to tell their tales while still giving a shit—this is impassioned punk for those who want to help out their fellow humans while telling Nazi punks to fuck off.

Dichoso Corazon is a lovely little musical adventure that lives up to its happy name. Despite dealing with the harsh realities of the world around you, it's a triumphant listen. ��

IZTHMI Hometown: Seattle, Washington Album: The Arrows of Our Ways, out now via Within The Mind Records RIYL: Old Favorites. New Loves. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. There’s something elemental and spiritual at the heart of what makes Izthmi tick. Musically, there exists an appreciation for some of the best ideas in extreme metal over the past decade. Echoes of early Opeth-ian progressive death metal; Wolves In The Throne Room’s haunting Cascadian black metal; and Insomnium’s elegiac melodeath are just a part of Izthmi’s musical arsenal. Indeed, it’s less about the sounds of now-classic extreme metal on The Arrows of Our Ways than it is about the way those styles made those of us who loved them feel. That sentiment of what we love is why Izthmi speak more to the soul than you might initially expect, as they collectively discuss their aspirations and aims:

“We wanted to reflect the honesty of the human experience within today’s social climate and atmosphere. As we continue to disrupt the natural balance of things, we only see that we suffer more and inflict more suffering on others.

PHOTO BY COLLEEN ROSE

GRUMPSTER Hometown: Oakland, California Album: Underwhelmed out now via Asian Man Records RIYL: Bent Not Broken. Oscar The Grouch. Grunge. Grumpster is a bit of a misleading name, not because the band write buoyant, bright bops, but because the feeling that this grunge/punk group evoke is happy, despite the themes of the record. Maybe it’s because of the slightly nostalgic feel of the band’s sound—think very early pop punk before it became glossy. Maybe it’s because there’s a sense of catharsis and honesty that highlights the healing power of getting shit off your chest. Whatever it is, Underwhelmed will leave any listener impressed and hopeful that we’ll hear more from the band soon.

A sense of perseverance oozes through the speakers, and that was clearly intentional, says vocalist Falyn Walsh.

“Though these songs are about my personal struggles, the lyrics leave room enough for those listening to take what they will from it and apply it to their own lives or whatever they may have going on. I wanted to do for other people what some of my favorite records did for me, something they can listen and relate to.” ��

SHADOW SHOW Hometown: Detroit, Michigan Album: Silhouettes, out now via Burger Records RIYL: Motown. The Film Pleasantville. Smart Escapism. Very little about Silhouettes feels connected to any sort of Lynchian, dark undercurrent. However, beneath a brilliant, ’60s, psychedelic, garage homage with some local (read: Motown) flair, there is something hiding in the shadows. On the surface, it’s impossible to deny the sheer toe-tappin’ genius on display throughout—this trio exhibit a real mastery of harmony, haze, and atmosphere. That only makes the underlying thematic depth that much more rewarding.

“Considering the absolute absurdity of the times we live in, we wanted to create a world where you can claim your dreams, your inner visions, as reality,” they collectively mention. “In many ways, the lyrical imagery of our record is a method of escapism, but words don’t always mean exactly what they say. At the center of the mystique and madness, there’s an internal dialogue questioning identity, communication, and the meaning of life. One could say, at the heart of it all, this is the diary of a madcap on full display, fueled by her feminine gaze and existential crises. It’s all relative.” ��