Renacer is without-a-doubt Senses Fail’s most ambitious release to date, their first album in 3 years that will divide and shock devote fans of the band. The guys have turned things up to 11; this record is heavy-as-fuck, it’s fast, it’s melodic, it’s beautiful. This album cannot be compared to anything they’ve released in the past.

You’ve never heard Senses Fail like this before and it’s hard to believe this is the same band who wrote crowd-favorites ”Calling All Cars” and “Lady In A Blue Dress” — for some the heavier sound will be a bit too much to swallow and for others it’ll be a welcome change and expose the band to a new and much deserved fan-base.

The record explores a multitude of genres like hardcore, metal and punk that they’ve managed to pull off surprisingly well. The change in sound could have been a game-ender for the band, but I guess you could say Renacer is a game-beginner because this is the start of a whole new direction, I guess the translation of Renacer is “to be reborn” in Spanish, a title that couldn’t be more fitting.

At times there are nods to other established heavier/experimental acts like Deftones (as can be heard in track, “Glass“), Slipknot, Thrice, Every Time I Die and even Far. One of the more enjoyable tracks on Renacer is without-a-doubt “The Path” which is to put it quite simply: fucking bad ass. It’s indescribable; the groovy bass line, the catchy Deftone’s-esque clean melodic vocal hooks and riffs and not to mention the fantastic drum work.

From start to finish the albums weaves in and out with catchy hooks and powerful screams from front-man Buddy Neilson coupled with impressive performances from every instrumental aspect of the album and fantastic production.

I could talk all day long about how great this album actually is or you can head out and buy it knowing you’re purchasing one of the best albums of 2013.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

The return of Jesse could have been the beginning of a new chapter for the band (well, more of a re-written chapter of an old book) but instead what you get on their latest Disarm The Descent is pretty much the standard Killswitch fare.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do love good metalcore (As I Lay Dying especially) and even though the guys have always stuck with the same sound, they’re one of few metalcore bands who can do metalcore right (honourable mentions to August Burns Red, Parkway Drive and Oh Sleeper). It’s hard not to feel let down by this record, even though it is great, it’s nothing the guys haven’t already done before and not the great Jesse Leach comeback album everyone including myself was expecting.

The production on Disarm The Descent is somewhat of a let-down and it’s not like guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz is a bad producer in the slightest (he’s arguably one of the best in the metalcore genre). The guitars sound somewhat sterile, well the lead guitar riffing in most of the tracks sounds great but it’s the lack of power in the rhythm department that lets the album down. The album is comprised of predictable and repetitive song structures as well as meaningless generic vocals, but worse of all is Jesse Leach’s vocals. Lets get this straight, Howard Jones was a far better vocalist in every way and on Disarm The Descent it’s more than obvious Jesse’s vocals have been altered in the production department quite a lot (a fact most even without a train hear will notice).

I understand the guys are currently in a period where they don’t want to dramatically change things considering they just changed a major aspect of their band, but I feel as though Killswitch need to evolve and a new vocalist is the perfect opportunity to change things up and be given some leniency from fans given the line-up change. Disarm The Descent is a slightly above average metalcore album with great solos and riffs but let down by bad production and horrible lyrics.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

People, Hell & Angels is the last of Hendrix’s unreleased studio material and undoubtedly some of the best Jimi Hendrix material you will ever hear. What you get on this record is a glimpse into what Jimi would have done next, stepping out of his usual comfort zone and experimenting with triangles, guest vocals, saxophone and even piano. The material you hear on this record was planned for Hendrix’s follow-up to 1968 hit release Electric Ladyland.

The production and sound quality on this record is second-to-none, it’s so unbelievably great and refreshing to hear something that sounds so clear and concise. They don’t produce albums like this any more, a perfect testament to Hendrix’s legacy as a musician and person.

The 12 unreleased studio tracks on People, Hell & Angels  (some of which you’ve already heard, just not like this) offer an unrivaled listening experience. Go out and buy this album, it’s worth it.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

Live By The Code is Terror’s sixth full-length album and undoubtedly one of their best to date. What you get on this album is very much an amalgamation of Terror’s previous releases; the dirty & raw sound of Lowest Of The Low and the two-stepping groove of their debut record One with the Underdogs. Vocally Scott Vogel is without-a-doubt one of the few remaining vocalists in the hardcore genre who actually sounds genuine, on Live By The Code you get the standard Vogel affair, no gimmicks, just straight-up stripped back angry hardcore vocals.

Production wise Live By The Code sounds like it was recorded in 1995 with a few slight modern twists. Everything about this record has a 90′s hardcore feel to it in the same vain of Madball, Agnostic Front and Sick Of It All. There is nothing not to like about this record, there aren’t many bands still putting this kind of music out that sounds as genuine as this album does.

Lets face it hardcore is still seen as a subset of music for clean shaven guys in Hatebreed singlets and camo pants who like to trouble and hurt unsuspecting crowd goers when in reality those who love hardcore just appreciate hardcore music for what it is: simple, and authentic music that has a message most people can relate too. Not to mention Terror songs are made for live settings, there is no doubt this album will be responsible for plenty of windmill kicks and tough-guy shoving.

While Live By The Code might not be as “heavy” as Keepers of The Faith, it still swings with both arms with barrages of riff kicks and vocal fist pummelling courtesy of Vogel. The album as a whole stands on its own and beside anything Terror have previously released, it’s no surprise that Terror are one of the biggest hardcore bands in the world. Stand out tracks on Live By The Code are all of them but if I were to pick a single definitive track it would have to be, “One Blood“.

I implore anyone reading this to checkout Live By The Code, it will probably be one of the best hardcore records you’ll hear in a very long time. This isn’t just another hardcore album, this is a Terror album and a great one at that.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Singularity is a hard-hitting riff filled bag of djent-wrapped Christmas gifts for metal loving orphans and non-orphans alike. The Meshuggah like influence in the guitar riff department is hard to ignore but by no means a bad thing, combined with Architects style guttural screams and you’ve got yourself one hell of an interesting album that’ll have you questioning why people still refer to Northlane as a metalcore band.

The album opens up with track, “Genesis” which comes in at 1:30. You don’t get any more djenty than this track which is more of a teaser of what you’re about to get on the album. Beautifully leading off with a lead guitar riff that transitions into the first complete track on the album.

First actual track on the album, “Scarab” goes straight for the jugular. Frenetic lead guitar riffs, intricate djent off-beat timing, varied and solid drum-work and attention-commanding vocals that sounds like something you would have heard on Architects last album, Daybreaker.

One thing that might be immediately noticeable is the fact the guys have taking their love for djent style riffing in the vain of Meshuggah to the next level. There are some extremely prominent djent-style riffs and irregular time signatures being used throughout this album. Discoveries as great as it was never did quite feel as varied as Singularity seems to feel upon your first and subsequent listens and don’t worry I’ll try to keep my use of the word djent down from here on in.

As obvious as it is that everyone in Northlane have stepped up their a-game, the most obvious improvement is in the vocals department. Lead vocalist, Adrian Fitipaldes is without-a-doubt one of Australia’s best metal vocalists and Singularity further proves this fact. Whether it be gutturally screaming in “Scarab“, spoken word/scream alternation in track “Worldeater“, showcasing his beautiful clean singing voice over cymbals in “Dream Awake” or aggressively screeching at the top of his lungs in the middle of “Masquerade“, Fitipaldes breaks the album up with his ability to seamlessly transition through many different vocal techniques.

Production on Singularity is second-to-none. The guitars sound punchy (no overly cliché scooped mids on this album), the drums sound great; the kicks don’t sound like someone playing on an electric drum-kit, the snare is tight without being laced with too much reverb (like a lot of metal bands have been doing lately) and variation in cymbals is crisp & clear. The production showcased on Singularity somewhat reminds me of For The Fallen Dreams debut album Changes (produced by Joey Sturgis), the album feels like it has depth and substance with a few eerie elements thrown in for good measure.

While Singularity isn’t anything you haven’t already heard done before, Northlane prove you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to release a solid sounding album. The only bad thing I have to say about this album is the instrumental title track, “Singularity” which features Terence McKenna speaking over the top of soft piano feels like a filler track, I love instrumentals as much as the next guy but there is far too much talking and it’s not until the end of the track that the instrumental gets better.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Earth Rocker is a highly refined, bursting at the seams record that will knock you to the floor in a biker bar and beat you unconscious with a pool cue. After Clutch’s last couple of albums which had more of vintage/blues rock feel you’d think they would continue along the same path but on Earth Rocker, instead what you get is something a little more stripped back, heavy and modern sounding than anything the guys have ever done before.

Something that immediately stands out on Earth Rocker when compared to Clutch’s last couple of records is there is less focus on sounding solely bluesy and more of a focus on sounding just straight-up bad-ass rock. The core Clutch sound is still there, but make no mistake this album is fast tempo’d, heavy, and places more emphasis on simplistic guitar riffs than ever before (a fact that is backed up by the explosive opening self-titled track, “Earth Rocker“).

The production duties much like their 2004 release Blast Tyrant were handled by non other than Machine. While Machine might have more post-hardcore and metal bands on his recording CV, make no mistake this is one of the best produced rock albums you’ll ever hear. Applying his low-end approach to recording to Clutch, the results couldn’t have worked out better.

Even though the album is exceptionally produced, it still has a very unrefined and raw feel too it. Compared to Blast Tyrant, Earth Rocker is definitely not as produced but to be honest if this album were any more produced the tracks on this record wouldn’t nearly have the same direct impact that they do.

Every drum hit sounds like it was recorded live (listen for that prominent ride cymbal in basically every track), the guitar work from Tim Sult has a very vintage rock feel about it, Dan Maines plays some of the best bass lines we’ve ever heard him play, Neil Fallon sounds like a fucking beast, but it’s drummer Jean-Paul Gaster who steals the show on the record. Seriously, Jean-Paul is a severely underrated drummer (his technique is solid, he’s a great guy and he offers a lot of variation in his playing even when he’s playing a basic drum beat).

While some might be saddened that the blues aspect of Clutch has been somewhat stripped away track, “D.C. Sound Attack!” which features a very bluesy harmonica and some of the most creative drum-work from Jean-Paul Gaster you’ll hear on the whole album brings some of the blues back (albeit not completely). Another track worth noting Gaster’s impeccable drumming is, “Oh, Isabella” which also features some exceptionally great guitar soloing from Tim Sult.

While 99% of this record is pure rock, Clutch throw us a curve-ball half way through the album in the form of, “Gone Cold” which I honestly expected to hear someone like Nick Cave singing on (this is a very Nick Cave-esque track). It has a jazz/blues feel to it with a tinge of southern guitar, this is one of my favourite tracks on the record. Not everyone will like this track, but even if you don’t, you can surely appreciate Clutch’s decision to write something different. The bass line in this track is awesome to say the least.

Without-a-doubt one of my favourite tracks on this album is, “Book, Saddle & Go” beside being most catchiest song they’ve ever written this song has some pretty infectious guitar work (the main verse guitar riff is genius in its simplicity and how great it sounds) but Neil Fallon definitely steals the show on this song. Out of the whole album, I’ve probably played this track the most and a close second, “The Face” which is also a great track in its own right with more catchy riffing and a killer bass line.

There is no filler on Earth Rocker (something not many bands in 2013 can say), just straight-up real music. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this record and for a band that has been together 20 years and has written and released a lot of music that’s a pretty damn impressive feat considering even the biggest of bands release a bad album or two, maybe Clutch are the exception.

If I were to pick stand-out tracks on Earth Rocker it would have to be: “The Face“, “Book, Saddle & Go” and “The Wolf Man Kindly Requests“. Go out and buy this album, seriously. It’ll probably be the best album you purchase in 2013.

Rating: 10 out of 10.