Empire State Bastard
March 27, 2023| Dan Hillier |FEATURES
Empire State Bastard, Saint Agnes, Calligram, Covet and More: New Noizze – The 14 Must-Listen Tracks Of The Week
From Empire State Bastard to Mother Of All Bastards to bastard heavy black metal, last week saw a whole load of bastard good music. Here's the best singles from last week.
Empire State Bastard – Harvest
Empire State Bastard by name, Empire State Bastard by nature. Simon Neil, Mike Vennart and Dave Lombardo joining forces is on paper a force to be reckoned with and ‘Harvest’ has quickly proven this to be true. Before anyone asks – Biffy Clyro, this is not. Rather, it’s an amalgamation of the darkest, most horrible parts that has added extra intrigue and depth to Simon and Mike’s work over the years in the moments they have wanted to add the last dab of hot sauce to the mix. Pulling heavily from the worlds of thrash, grind, hardcore and sludge this is a chaotic bombardment of heavy music. Dave’s drums feel like an avalanche of boulders crashing down of you as Simon uses every last dying breath to belt out his lyrics. You’ll need a lie down and a cup of tea to calm down after taking this in. Additional props to Empire State Bastard for taking former Bitch Falcon bassist Naomi Macleod under their wing and having relatively new Leeds band Grub Nap as support for the upcoming and surely wild debut live shows this week. – Adam Vallely
Calligram – Ex-Sistere
On the surface, one wouldn’t assume the latest track from Calligram to be a joyous affair. After all, a furious and frigid amalgamation of D-beat and black metal, ‘Ex-Sistere’ sounds like the pure musical equivalent of woe and misery. Yet amongst the tremolo picking and screeching stands something celebratory indeed. The first track to be taken from the London-based international band’s second record Position | Momentum – released July 14th via Prosthetic Records – ‘Ex-Sistere’ see’s the band stepping into a more spaciousness and atmospheric sound whilst defying some of black metal’s most stereotypical tropes in a way that’s not alienating, but wholly progressive. Recorded alongside Russ Russel (Napalm Death, At The Gates, Dimmu Borgir), the track see’s the band further ratcheting up the intensity whilst vocalist Matteo Rizzarddo details the tales of pain, trauma and anxiety that formed him in his native Italian. However, this is not a record of woe and nor is it a vessel for catharsis. Instead it’s one of jubilation, with the album as a whole serving a somewhat of a chronicle of Rizzardo’s journey from the darkest times of his life, detailing the acceptance, learning and ultimately joy that came inherent with recovery. With that in mind, and with ‘Ex-Sistere’ being utterly jaw-dropping in scope and delivery, it does well appear that Position | Momentum is bearing all the hallmarks of the one of the best black metal releases of 2023 already. – Dan Hillier
Covet – Lovespell
Beloved west coast math rock band Covet are back with a new single track that balances impressive technicality with chill, sparkly vibes. After 2022 left the trio with an entirely new lineup apart from original guitarist Yvette Young, Covet have rebuilt their sound from the ground up, focusing less on Young’s intricate riffs, instead using them as one layer in a rich, vibrant soundscape. ‘Lovespell’ also incorporates some subtle synth textures and a tasteful saxophone solo from Alex Rose of Minus The Bear which seamlessly weaves into the track, playfully trading lines with Young’s guitar. – Tom Bruce
Saint Agnes – Bloodsuckers
Emboldening the damaged, deflated and downtrodden among us with a heavy dose of terminal ferocity, the East End native horror thrash quartet Saint Agnes, drag us out of the depths of despair with their sharpest assault on noxious external influences with the title track of their upcoming album Bloodsuckers. In being galvanised by denying peripheral elements the chance to diminish their shine, lead singer Kitty A. Austen has funnelled the pinnacle of their most outrageous savagery towards all constraining and supercilious entities in their midst. While appealing to hardcore zealots, its further evident appealing stature as a defiant call to arms for all whom strive for a dependable, accepting and authentic support system, especially in times of tremendous sorrow just expands the sense of awe into rather gargantuan realms. With the release of this addictively monstrous banger, the accompanying news of their imminent sophomore album’s release date has left us utterly exultant due to our expectance of high-grade musical explorations to ready their loyalists into a riotous bash in the pits. – Bennie Osborne
Worriers – Never Quite Kicks In
Taking a more contemplative and experimental approach to their work, Brooklyn indie punk band Worriers take aim at toxic positivity on new single Never Quite Kicks In. Much like the two other singles released in the run up to their fourth album Warm Blanket, ‘Never Quite Kicks In’ uses a more synth focused approach to songwriting with a warm, fuzzy synthesiser backing singer Lauren Dentizio. Worriers juxtapose the calming instrumentation and Dentizio’s lyrics that encourage an active, aggressive role in your life, rather than the usual “chillwave” unconventional escapism. The track only clocks in at a minute and a half, taking its shot at toxic positivity and moving on, not outstaying it’s welcome but leaving the listener wanting more. – Tom Bruce
The St. Pierre Snake Invasion – The Overlook
The third full length record from Bristolians The St Pierre Snake Invasion, Galore, explores themes of growth for vocalist Damien Sayell and crew not just musically but in life and this second single is solid proof. Their widening musical influences laid out with pointers to the likes of Soulwax as a prime example. Patrick Daly and Szack Notaro’s guitars mixing their cemented ‘St Pierre’ hardcore stylings with flourishes of electronica, as if the wiring in your brain is malfunctioning, sparking and bursting into flames. Even as the rhythm section is heavy on the gut and hammering on the neighbour’s wall, ‘ The Overlook’ maintains an almost hypnotic flow like you’ve taken one drag too many on a joint and the world slows down ever so slightly. You are woozey but this hits the spot. – Adam Vallely
Handcuff – The Judge
Delightfully raw and unfiltered, the latest single from London’s Handcuff wondrously encapsulates the group’s mission statement of writing short ragers for bored people. A straight up, no-frills, two-riff jab at the toxicity that comes with seeking affirmation, ‘The Judge’ sounds like it was ripped straight from the confines of a hardcore garage show in the way in thanks to it’s energy, vitality and sheer bluntness. In an age where many an emerging band are polishing their work to the point of erosion, ‘The Judge’ is a welcome return to the halcyon days of punk and a track that’s perfect for anyone with even the slightest penchant for DIY gargage hardcore and fast punk. – Dan Hillier
Chat Pile – Cut
Oklahoman sludge/noise outfit Chat Pile return with the announcement of ‘Brothers In Christ’, a new split EP with Nerver, debuting one half of their contribution: ‘Cut’. Falling somewhere between ‘Why’ and ‘Anywhere’ from debut album God’s Country, ‘Cut’ opens with crunchy guitar chords before the band explodes into a brief moment of intensity. This leads straight into the verse, with unnerving spoken vocals, reflective of past trauma, underpinned with methodical grooves, slowly building the anxiety and frenzy of the vocals and instruments to a fever pitch before collapsing back into the verse. ‘Cut’ operates on a simple repeating structure, pushing and pulling the ferocity over the course of almost five-minutes, progressively getting more unhinged as the vocals scream ‘I don’t want to be caught on the roadside, I don’t wanna be… CUT’, black metal inspired tremolo riffing and blast beat drums furiously sitting a top the angular groove of the bass leading into the final moments of deliberate fervent tension. Chat Pile look to continue their fascination with cultivating distressing audio landscapes and lyrical content, the April 14th release date can’t come soon enough. – Harry Shiels
The Ocean – Sea of Reeds
Progressive post-metallers The Ocean recently announced the conclusion to the geological quadrilogy of albums, Holocene, and ‘Sea of Reeds’ is the latest single to be taken from it. As before, it shows a more expansive, less obviously metal sound; synths, horns and even old 70s vibraphones are the order of the day in its opening minutes. Inspired, as many of their songs, by tales in the Old Testament, this time the Israelites’ flight from Egypt, it seems in part to examine the idea of having to place faith, or fear, in an all-powerful deity lest it too drown you in a sea of reeds, as it did the Israelites’ pursuers. ‘Sea of Reeds’ delivers its message through intricate time signatures, mind-bending drum patterns and those aforementioned horn segments that backdrop its meandering melodies. While it may be on the softer side, you can be sure with The Ocean that the swell and the crash of waves won’t be far behind. – Will Marshall
As Everything Unfolds – Slow Down
The final single taken from their upcoming second album Ultraviolet, ‘Slow Down’ is As Everything Unfolds in a nutshell; giant hooks, a pop sensibility and knack for choruses, and vicious breakdown section, all wrapped up in melodic post-hardcore that comes straight from the heart. It’s also carrying on in the vein of the other singles of introducing new elements, showing a band comfortable in their skin and wanting to evolve, to push their sound places it hasn’t been before. This time, there’s a distinct nu-metal flavour of the Linkin Park variety, particularly in the synth work that not only opens but underpins the entire song. Vocalist Charlie Rolfe says of the inspiration behind the song, “sometimes people will try to manipulate you into thinking they’re your biggest supporter, but jealousy can lead those same people to drag you down leaving you confused… Push through it and be the best version of you that you can be.” – Will Marshall
Bury Tomorrow – Begin Again
British metalcore stalwarts Bury Tomorrow further tease the release of their anticipated new album ‘The Seventh Sun’ with the release of fourth single ‘Begin Again’. As alluded to by its title, the track centres around the changes the band have seen over the last few years and is a perfect blend of the Southampton sextet’s signature sound and the direction their future lies in. As thick and chugging as the previous three singles, ‘Begin Again’ serves up more positivity and more uplifting singalong opportunities with its soaring chorus, all the while being underpinned by frontman Dani Winter-Bates’ hallmark barks. ‘Erase me, completely’, is a refrain that is sure to be bellowed back at them by legions of loyal supporters on their upcoming album release tour and with it, Bury Tomorrow once again reinforce their reputation as leading lights in the UK scene. – Jordan Aldridge
Halflives – Everything Sucks
After the huge success of previous single ‘everybody knows it’, pop rock outfit Halflives have dropped their latest single ‘Everything Sucks’, an odea – unsurprisingly – to negativity, but to overcoming and refusing to be brought down, rather than wallowing in it. The song was inspired by project mastermind Linda Battilani texting back and forth with her team about when things weren’t going so well (but the “because of you” certainly doesn’t refer to them). The end result is a bass-driven stomper that throws in handclaps, swagger and the hooks Battilani has made her stock in trade over the years as Halflives. It’s a strong, anthemic tale of taking a negative and redirecting it into something more positive, again something her fans have come to look to her for, and one that’ll be relatable to likely everyone that hears it. – Will Marshall
They Watch us from the Moon – M.O.A.B.
For those who miss Black Moth and love The Otolith, then rejoice as six piece They Watch Us From the Moon are beamed down for our pleasure on the former’s first label New Heavy Sounds. ‘M.O.A.B’ (Mother of all Bastards) brings twelve minutes of glorious riff heavy, lysergic spacey Doom. Built on a massive, slowly built (Tony Iommi stylised) riff, interjected with soaring guitar solos, spacey electronic effects, and Luna Nemesis and Nova 10101001’s gliding ethereal vocals. This heady brew melts, weaves and swirls to transports you to somewhere way beyond our universe. An absorbing musical head trip, which leaves you wanting the journey to just continue forever on. – Andy Little
Thy Art Is Murder – Until There Is No Longer
Australia’s finest deathcore demolition crew return in grand fashion with their first new material since 2020 and once again show everybody why they are considered royalty in their field. Forming part of the upcoming ‘The Aggression Sessions’ split with fellow deathcore bruisers Fit For An Autopsy and Sheffield’s finest groove merchants Malevolence, ‘Until There Is No Longer’ is a slab of pure, unfiltered heavy goodness. Fans of Thy Art know what they are getting by now but that is by no means a stick to beat the band with; they are masters of their craft and the classic combination of frontman CJ McMahon’s trademark roars and sneers and drummer Jesse Beahler’s pounding percussion are accentuated by an almost Meshuggah-esque final breakdown, showing that even a band this far into their career can still add more strings to their already impressive bow. – Jordan Aldridge
