#mwe 2019

I took part in the Music Writers Exercise (MWE) on Twitter for the 2nd year. It’s a challenging exercise for me as I don’t review music on a regular basis but I got to listen to a lot of music for the past couple years that I missed out on. Some writers go with a theme, I decided to go in an alphabetic order. Here is what I listened to last month.

The dissonant guitars coupled with shrieked vocals create the soundtrack to your worst nightmare. Will haunt you for days to come.

One of the albums from last year that I missed out on. The 3rd full length album from Bane is well executed melodic black metal. Reminded me of the black metal sound of the early 2000’s.

Missed out on this gem from last year. The mix of death metal and 70’s hard rock/heavy metal sounds quite fluid. Stellar guitar work.

On their second album the Swedish doom trio flood the senses with hypnotic guitar riffs. Stellar release!

The first full length from Ergo I Exist is a slow burner. A potent cocktail of one part sludge and two of atmospheric Doom metal.

I was surprised to hear a new release from the renown thrash act. The band have not lost a step and the album is a packed to the brim with punchy riffs.

Thought Black metal was dead? The debut album from the German act proves otherwise. Over 5 blistering tracks, the band infuse their spirit into the black metal sound. Shout out to AOP records for signing the band. Definitely an act to keep an eye out for in the future.

Nexus of Teeth bludgeons everything in sight in its 33 minutes runtime. The album will leave fans of both Old school or modern death metal headbanging in approval. A belter of a release from Dark Descent Records.

The Polish metal scene has quite a few unheralded acts, In Twilight’s Embrace is one of them. Vanitas is inspired by the death of a family and friends, their darkest and bleakest release. A highly recommended listen!

Opiate Conquest is the first release from the band featuring members of Full of Hell.They pack quite a punch in 7 minutes with a mix of hardcore, punk, and powerviolence. Total chaos!

Geodesic beast is the first album from the Brazilian death metal act despite forming in 1999. The album is a relentless assault from start to finish and the band are firing on all cylinders firing, making up for lost time.

A furious mix of progressive metal and sludge. The Australian quartet extend beyond their post metal tag on their 3rd album.

Mass Hypnoisa pummel the listener into submission over the course of 10 tracks. This slab of South East Asian Thrash metal holds up nearly a decade after it released.

Black metal and sludge are a strange mix and Nest pull it off well. Metempsychosis will grow on you like mould. A devastating listen.

Ambiance is the soundtrack to the apocalypse, each track takes us closer towards our doom.

Indian act Popcorn Kid is a new entrant to the growing synthwave scene. Newness is a tribute to the TV series and movies of the 80’s. An artist to keep an eye out for in the coming years.

This is straight up, no bull shit death metal. The band channel the early Florida death metal sound with beefier production.

This album is all about the riffs as the name of the band suggest. Blues based hard rock with elements of stoner rock, overall an enjoyable listen. Crank it loud!

Gritty Rock and roll from the Lion City. In under 10 minutes, you will be convinced that the spirit of Motorhead is alive.

The band defy the stoner stereotype on this album. Each track varies in tempo, from raging punk to even thrash, it keeps you guessing. Overall an engaging listen.

The album is an above average brutal death metal release with some technical parts. The guitar solos provide a bit of relief from the brutality.

Halloween themed heavy metal from the live guitarist of Midnight. The album is quite catchy and avoids the horror typecast.

Chunky riffs coupled with spacey jam make the album the perfect soundtrack to the weekend beer or spliff.

This album is the delight of nerdy metalheads with symphonic black metal with extensive story telling.

The Sublime is a slow burner, Industrial rhythm with Black metal atmosphere bewitches the listener in a subtle manner. Promising release from the Blut Aus Nord mastermind.

The rhythmic approach of the band towards the album makes them stand out from the current instrumental/post metal acts. A mix of prog, jazz, and metal. Sounds interesting? Hit Play!