pop/22\rox
ALBUMS
Deathrattle Sing For Me / Norma Jean
Future Classic / orphantwin
The Prestaliis / Hundred Suns
This year’s orphantwin and Norma Jean albums pair nicely with Cory Putnam’s (abandoned?) side project, Hundred Suns. Deathrattle Sing For Me is more experimental than 2019’s catchy All Hail and sees the return Norma Jean’s classic dissonance. Future Classic is an album of short “hypersongs” recorded during the pandemic by Cory and his brother Matthew. The Prestaliis is a polished hard rock debut from veteran performers.
Spirits / Nothing More
Nothing More address pandemic rage, the pseudo-spiritual nature of alcohol, love, and other real-life concerns. Their live shows are epic. A thoughtful group that has been perfecting their craft for over a decade. Emotionally intelligent rock. Lead vocalist Johnny Hawkins made a personality test to accompany the album. Take it here: spiritstest.com.
Voyeurist / Underoath
They’ve dropped a little post-hiatus, but Underoath are still better than 99% of metalcore. They remain catchy, and hard, and know how to write harmonies. I’ve watched Digital Ghost, the live performance of Voyeurist, dozens of times. You can view it in its entirety below.
Bloodmoon: I / Converge & Chelsea Wolfe
I’m a sucker for a one-two, clean-harsh duet and this album delivers.
