As the end of September approaches, we’ve arrived at another hectic #NewMusicFriday.With almost 30 releases making up the list, this week’s round-up highlights much-anticipated albums from Origami Angel and Heriot. While we say goodbye to Our Hollow, Our Home. You can read my thoughts on these below.
However, there are several other releases that I couldn’t quite dedicate my time to. Amongst them is the return of London indie-punk duo Happy Accidents. Their fifth album, ‘Edit Undo’, comfortably breezes by with introspectiveness and rich execution. Rain City Drive state ‘Things Are Different Now’ yet their new album serves up a downpour of super-slick post-hardcore and pop-rock. A new look Sløtface sees Haley Shea work with a revolving door of collaborators, giving way to expand beyond their punk foundations. Along the way, Shea utilises the influence of film and TV as a lyrical crutch allowing her to share charismatic stories.
There are also a handful of noteworthy releases, including Death metal stalwarts The Black Dahlia Murder as they overcome the tragic death of vocalist Trevor Strnad by returning with ‘Servitude’. Pale Waves are seemingly loved up on ‘Smitten’. Rolo Tomassi demonstrates their powerful live prowess with ‘Live at The Electric Ballroom,’ and The Amity Affliction celebrates 10 years of ‘Let The Ocean Take Me’ with re-recorded release.
If that’s not enough for you, there is music from Show Me The Body, Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, Maximo Park, Mimi Barks, Light Grey, Daughtry, October Drift, Half Me, High Parasite, Crows, and more.
Origami Angel – Feeling Not Found
Washington D.C. duo Origami Angel are on a wave of momentum. 2021’s ‘Gami Gang’ and last summer’s addictive mixtape, ‘The Brightest Days’ have made them one of emo-punks most exciting and versatile bands. However, as they return with their third full-length, ‘Feeling Not Found’, it seems all is not well.
For vocalist/guitarist Ryland Heagy, living in an overtly digitally reliable world has led him down a road of introspection. ‘Feeling Not Found’ strung together by songs of anxiety, longing for a purpose, and generally feeling lost. It contrasts the joyful and dynamic sound Heagy and drummer Pat Doherty conjure up.
While the ominous synth-laden ‘Lost Signal’ set out the album’s lyrical narrative, it’s soon interrupted by ‘Dirty Mirror Selfie’ spiky riff, kickstarting Origami Angel‘s pop-punk attack. ‘Where Blue Light Blooms’ plays into a jazzy haze as Heagy’s lyrically anchors down behind locked doors and firewalls. All the while, the pair demonstrate a healthy load of melodic flair and flawlessly dart around genres.
‘Wretched Trajectory’ bounces with lyrical yearning, playful riffs, and soothing piano keys. ‘Living Proof’ glazes on driving emo-rock, eventually tipping over into chugging hardcore territory with angsty vocals before instantly snapping back. ‘Fruit Wine’ dives in with an easycore breakdown amid its radiantly harmonious chorus. ‘Sixth Cents (Get It?)’ rumps up the hardcore punk with a venomous tongue aimed at the modern-day, algorithm-reliant music industry. It’s brilliantly followed up by the rampant ‘secondgradefoofight’ with its angelic intro giving way to distorted vocals and Doherty’s effective drums. Whereas ‘Higher Road’ is considerably classic Origami Angel with its steady emo verses, jagged riffs, power chords, and towering melodic chorus.
The title track rounds out this 14-track effort with a lyrical sense of comfort. Doherty’s riveting drum fills vibrantly explode alongside Heagy’s resolute words; “I can be as here and as real as I want if I want and you’ll never take that away”.
Assisted by Will Yip (Movements, Tigers Jaw, The Menzingers, The Wonder Years), ‘Feeling Not Found’ is Origami Angel‘s sharpest effort to date. Its insightful, and at times, thought-provoking lyrical content hasn’t seen the usual copious amount of energetic hooks be abandoned. Heagy and Doherty continue to demonstrate their musical versatility with assured finesse, while showing maturing lyricism.
Heriot – Devoured by the Mouth of Hell
After emerging as one of the UK’s best young metal bands in recent years, the time has come for Heriot to deliver their debut album. Questionably arriving with heightened expectations, ‘Devoured By The Mouth of Hell’ sees the quartet acutely reach them.
While Heriot’s bread and butter is a mix of thrash, sludge and black metal, ‘Devoured…’ is far from a sheer barrage of noise. Where others would have leaned into the traits that got a band like Heriot to this point, instead they’ve used the opportunity to expand and explore their sound. For every raw onslaught of meaty metal there is, like opener ‘Foul Void’, there are moments like the electronic drum pumping and shoegaze alluring ‘Lashed’. Yet it never comes off as disjointed, constantly maintaining a sense of swirling demonic descent. Take ‘Siege Lord’ for example. It’s a gut-punching, chugging behemoth aided by an industrial errieness.
Partly due to the production efforts of Sylosis’ Josh Middleton and Sikth’s Justin Hill and the mixing work of the renowned Will Putney, each member of Heriot are able to shine. Whether it’s drummer Julian Gage’s penetrating pounce on ‘Sentenced To The Blade,’ Erhan Alman’s swirling guitar solo on ‘Harm Sequence’, Debbie Gough’s thoroughly dynamic vocals, or bassist Jake Packer’s guttural roars.
‘Devoured…’s pacing is perfectly intense, delivering ravaging blasts with occasional moments of atmospheric beauty. Like ‘Lashed’, ‘Opaline’ and ‘Visage’ stop you in your tracks as Gough provides an evocative vocal display. On the latter, her melodies melt across a dystopian wasteland as rumbling instrumentation eases its way in before Packer’s screams take over its final moments.
While their stock has certainly risen since 2022’s ‘Profound Morality’, Heriot has used their experiences and opportunities to their advantage. As a result, ‘Devoured By The Mouth of Hell’ bites down on their extremities while allowing them to flesh out textured and atmospheric elements with ease. It’s unlikely you’ll hear a metal band so well-rounded on their debut full-length anytime soon.
Our Hollow, Our Home – Hope & Hell
So after eleven years, Our Hollow, Our Home are bowing out. Their fourth and final album, ‘Hope & Hell’, comes after a tumultuous couple of years for the Southampton metalcore outfit. Early 2023 saw all but vocalist/guitarist Tobias Young depart, leading him to rebuild the band. Gaz King (vocals), James Hackett (guitar), Matt Thomason (bass) and Kieran Tonks (drums) joined Young on this final outing, albeit an unplanned one. While Young has cited caring for his sick mother as the reason for the split, it seems that’s not the whole picture.
Nevertheless, away from stirring up any internet drama, OHOH‘s farewell doesn’t quite serve up the grand impression its members, or at least Young, had hoped for. Throughout their various forms, Our Hollow, Our Home have comfortably delivered an assured brand of metalcore. Early efforts such as 2018’s ‘In Moment // In Memory’ maintained their potential, yet there has been little sign of progression since. As a result, OHOH remain in the shadows of their more popular peers.
Undoubtedly, ‘Hope & Hell’ ticks all the right boxes when delivering a passable album in this genre; heavy riffs, a blend of aggressive and melodic vocals, dense, pounding drums, etc. Straight away ‘Castaway’ and the title track showcase this strongly. While Young’s clean, soaring hooks shine on ‘Burial Season’ and ‘Funeral Verse’, despite heavily relying on a tired formula. ‘Lifeline’ doesn’t achieve the same effect, coming off as the most generic offering here.
To their credit, one element OHOH do get right is their ability to sound huge. ‘Veil Walker’ is a hulking on slaught carried by Hackett’s riveting fret play and Tonk’s momentous drum work. ‘The Worst In Me’ is equally hefty with its headbanging tempo and overall density. Whereas ‘Grave Warden’ momentarily utilises orchestration, before diving headfirst into some of King’s most vicious vocals.
Considerably ‘Hope and Hell’ sums up Our Hollow, Our Home‘s career. It’s filled with plausible hooks and impactful breakdowns, yet rarely shows signs of evolution, if any. As a result, by the time ‘Bloodmoon’s final chords ring out, you’re somewhat thankful it’s over, not just for you, but for all connected to Our Hollow, Our Home. Where others have evolved, and taken risks in their sound, Our Hollow, Our Home bid goodbye while being stuck in the mud of a tried and tested formula.
What is out on #NewMusicFriday?
Heriot – Devoured by the Mouth of Hell
Origami Angel – Feeling Not Found
Our Hollow, Our Home – Hope & Hell
Rolo Tomassi – Live at The Electric Ballroom
The Amity Affliction – Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)
The Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude
Show Me The Body – Corpus II EP II
Pale Waves – Smitten
Sløtface – Film Buff
Happy Accidents – Edit Undo
Rain City Drive – Things Are Different Now
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows – Until God Shows
Catch Your Breath – Shame On Me (Deluxe Edition)
Maximo Park – Stream Of Life
Daughtry – Shock to the System (Part One)
October Drift – Blame The Young
Mimi Barks – This Is Doom Trap
Light Grey – Nightm@res
Half Me – Opium EP
High Parasite – Forever We Burn
Crows – Reason Enough
Awake The Dreamer – Holocene
Xiu Xiu – “13″ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips
Socks and Ballerinas – A Bit Jumpy
Oceans – Happy
Swamp Coffin – Drowning Glory
The Bad Ups – Life Of Sin
Brackish – Rear View
cohen_noise – Some Things Aren’t Forever, But For A Reason, Vol. 2
Plague Mind – Always On The Outside
Lizzard – Mesh
If you think I’ve missed something or have a new album/EP/song to tell us about, tell us about it here.
If you’re looking for the latest tracks focusing on rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, and everything in between, then check out our ‘Newish Music’ playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
