Tasty Licks…yum.
Wasted Space – Dipsophilia (LP)
If you’re like me, you had to Google the meaning of this album title. No results. But you come up with the definition for dipsophobia, which is aversion to alcoholic beverages due to fear or apprehension about being drunk all the time, then you apply what you know about English language suffixes and learn an awful lot about Buffalo, NY post-hardcore outfit Wasted Space.
Don’t make the mistake of believing that Wasted Space is exclusively about partying and excess. On Dipsophilia, their latest LP, the band offers some pretty shockingly honest expressions of dissension, chaos, irreverence, and angst. You’ll appreciate how congruent the album is, in that all the components match each other better than a lot of music being released right now – the lyrics, the riffs, the vocals, the drum beats, even the stark, aggressive production. Every aspect of every moment of Dipsophilia is marked with intensity, frustration, and ferocity, with just a dash of schizophrenia for good measure.
While the record is pretty consistent from start to finish, the standout track for me was “Don’t Be Rude,” which, even in its most chaotic moments, provides some undeniably catchy rhythms and cadences. It’s also a shining example of Wasted Space’s effortless blurring of lines between heavy music genres. If you’re a fan of energetic and visceral metal-ish-hardcore-ish jams, or if you need a soundtrack for your undiagnosed ADHD, Dipsophilia belongs on your playlist.
Dread Engine – “Burning Up” (single)
In an age where heavy bands are all trying to say something new and separate themselves from the pack, Columbus, Ohio’s Dread Engine are carving out their own space in an increasingly crowded landscape quite nicely. On their new single “Burning Up,” the band covers a lot of ground sonically, and does it in a way that doesn’t feel forced or unnatural, which is a beautiful thing.
“Burning Up” has the ingredients of a modern prog-metal opus (including the technical chops), but with groove and melody that make it accessible to a much wider range of listeners. Scathing guttural vocals, shimmering cleans, spot-on riffs, headbanging rhythms, and expertly crafted synth and electronic beats round out this four-and-a-half minute gem. Each component complements the next one musically and tastefully, while avoiding predictability.
If one were to browse the rest of Dread Engine’s catalog, they would find that “Burning Up” is not a fluke, but rather an exemplification of what the band is very good at and a signal for the direction they are heading.
Divine Fallacy – “Ghost in the Graveyard” and “Made Made Disaster” (singles)
If you were losing hope in the state of modern metalcore and the idea that bands are still good at it – let Divine Fallacy assuage your unease. “Ghost in the Graveyard” and “Man Made Disaster,” new singles from upstate New York’s Divine Fallacy, are pretty irrefutable evidence that metalcore is alive, well, and evolving.
Containing all of the power and polish that you expect from solid metalcore tracks, Divine Fallacy give just a little more to their listeners, with expertly crafted riffs, virtuoso-level technical prowess, and memorable, shout-along choruses. The songs are structured as well as anything you’ve ever heard before, and the orchestrations and production value are second to none. Gentlemen, start your air guitars.
On both tracks, the band is equal parts aggression and melody, calling back to all the greats like Killswitch and August Burns Red while still retaining an identity of their own. Spin these two songs and just try not to headbang.
Grizzly Run – “Hibernation Sickness” (single)
Pay attention, bands. Write good songs, then give them titles that pique interest. I.e., be like Grizzly Run. I’ll let you make your own connections with Buffalo, NY’s Grizzly Run and their newest offering “Hibernation Sickness”- be it Han Solo’s unpleasant process of thawing from carbonite or the simple fact that grizzly bears hibernate. I was thinking about both when I first got the tip on this track, and I couldn’t help but click.
I’m always talking about the challenges of being in a metalcore band in the present age of heavy music. One of those struggles has got to be the difficulty in conveying believable frustration and aggression. At some point, to be a listenable metalcore band, the polish and technicality has to eventually give way to the “core” (which comes from “hardcore,” which is a shortened form of “hardcore punk”) in a way that’s actually palpable. “Hibernation Sickness” tells a story of involuntary isolation (anyone experience this over the last four years?) through sharply poignant lyrics and brutal musicality, speaking to the parts of us that are still grappling with necessary adjustments to a new world. Everything is supposed to be normal, but we can’t so easily rejoin a so-called “normal” society. These are the kinds of themes that Grizzly Run expertly addresses, both lyrically and sonically.
“Hibernation Sickness” is rattled with the complexity and reality as I hoped it would be when I first saw the song title. Gritty, explosive verses give way to anthemic hooks in the choruses, twisting and turning just the way you want a good metalcore song to do. Production is solid, with a few more organic touches than you might expect, which I love seeing in the current wave of heavy music.
The concept of “hibernation sickness” is something that will probably strike a chord with many of us. I can’t think of a better way to continue the process of reconnection that getting together with some friends, spinning the new Grizzly Run track, and headbanging together.
– James Reza
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