Jordan Blum
Reviewer
CALIGULA'S HORSE Rise Radiant
From Jordan's review of Rise Radiant:
"As always, there’s a perpetual air of poetic release and meticulous artistry that continues to elevate the band above virtually any other act aiming for the same sort of progressive metal poignancy."
Listen to "Salt."
HAKEN Virus
From Jordan's review of Virus:
"Virus improves upon virtually everything that gave Vector its identity while also feeling very much like an extension of it."
Listen to "Prosthetic."
IGORRR Spirituality and Distortion
Few other metal artists even dare to aim for such extensive wackiness, intellectuality, classiness, and overarching variety all at once. Sadly, even fewer do it this well.
Listen to "Camel Dancefloor."
KATATONIA City Burials
City Burials offers a continuation of Katatonia’s tried and true sound, resulting in some of their most handsomely poetic, cohesive, and somber pieces to date.
Listen to "Behind the Blood."
PURE REASON REVOLUTION Eupnea
Eupnea will surely be remembered as PRR’s magnum opus since it’s such a relentlessly gorgeous, arresting, and inspiring experience.
Listen to the title track.
Riley Rowe
Feature Writer and Reviewer
CODE ORANGE Underneath
The evolution of this experimental hardcore project is undeniably impressive. Although their earlier releases showed hints of industrial noises and clean, melodic passages, it was so exhilarating to finally hear them fully embrace those aspects on this album. With catchy, radio-hit singles side by side with abrasive, dystopian bangers, Code Orange proves themselves to be a force to be reckoned with regarding musical diversity, innovation, and energy.
Listen to the title track.
IGNEA The Realms of Fire and Death
Hailing from Ukraine, this act has been on my radar ever since the "Queen Dies" single dropped a year ago. It's difficult to slap a label on their style considering they bring so many subgenres to the table from prog and folk metal to blackened death metal and nu-metalcore. While that variety strengthens the enjoyable listening experience, it was the gripping vocal performance by Helle Bogdanova that truly had me captivated through the whole LP. I definitely recommend this band's unique blended identity for fans of both modern and old school metal.
Listen to "Disenchantment."
IGORRR Spirituality and Distortion
So many of us writers at Metal Injection were blown away by Igorrr's previous record, Savage Sinusoid, however, the avant-garde project's follow-up is easily the superior album for a myriad of reasons. Mastermind Gautier Serre's grasp on abrasive electronics and wacky genre-fusion has been gradually getting stronger with each release, yet he truly knocked it out of the park here with a greater focus on songwriting and eccentric flavorings that allowed each track to not only push the envelope but also feel catchy and fun too.
Listen to "Parpaing."
POPPY I Disagree
I truly did not see this one coming, but Poppy’s latest album absolutely blew me away. There are moments of alternative metal clashing with pop and industrial music in such a well thought out and composed Babymetal-meets-Between the Buried and Me concoction. Even though I Disagree is only a mere thirty-five minutes, many moods are packed inside and flourish to spectacular heights. For your dose of self-loathing, check out “Concrete.” To obtain some much-needed self-empowerment, give a listen to the title track. And if you’re struggling with quarantine, lend an ear to “Don’t Go Outside.”
Listen to "Concrete."
VULKAN Technatura
Prog fans are an interesting breed. Most metalheads are on the hunt for the next heaviest thing, but in the prog community, it’s all about the search for the weeeeeiiiiirrrrd. Haken, Between the Buried and Me, and even The Mars Volta have been the masterminds of breaking boundaries in this realm, but young blood is always welcome. Vulkan is a very recent discovery and I was immediately hooked when diving into their latest LP, Technatura. Although they do have their own voice and identity, there's plenty of easter eggs to discover that hint at the band's wide range of progressive influences. I'm excited to dig deeper into the layers that this record holds and I highly recommend it for any other open-minded metalhead.
Listen to "This Visual Hex."
