New Music Thread: 2020 & 2021 "Lockdown" Edition

I figured that I might as well take up the mantle since Hadoken101 and militantfreudian didn't seem interested in keeping the "New Music Thread" pseudo tradition going this year... or last year understandably. Hopefully Google didn't lie to me.

Just two things, though:

Embedding videos and large pictures is strongly discouraged. Links are preferred.

I know that you want to show off what you like, but creating a wall of video and large picture embeds is obnoxious among other things.

And since we skipped a year (assuming that Google didn't lie to me):

Music from 2020 can be mentioned.

So with that out of the way, let's get into it.

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For any Rammstein fans that happen to be around, Till Lindemann dropped "Ich hasse Kinder" in late May. It's a banger; has some Doom/Mick Gordon inspired industrial metal sound effects going on, and I can't get enough of Till harmonizing during the latter half. That said, the music video and the short movie feature some violent scenes including dismemberment, so just a heads up for those who don't wan to see it. My link is to an audio only version on YouTube, which may be temporary.

"Violence Unimagined" by Cannibal Corpse release last April. I'm not as big on Cannibal Corpse as I am with other groups, but I like it. The opening riff on the third track "Inhumane Harvest" really has its hooks into me at the moment.

Obscura released "Solaris" a couple of days ago. New Obscura album in November. 'Nuff said. Though, I wonder what happened with them and Relapse Records since A Valediction is releasing under Nuclear Blast.

And, since I said that music from 2020 is good to go, my favorite album from last year bears mentioning: "Verminous" by The Black Dahlia Murder, with my go-to track being "Removal of the Oaken Stake", aka, What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse 2 (not to be confused with their EP from 2001).

So, what are you folks listening to these days? Got any tech death recommendations by any chance?

Rather than a never-ending list of YouTube links, I'll post a link to my current 2021 Spotify playlist, which is all of the year's music that interests me...

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6HaVMykUnCqHdldsQp2ZDU?si=9dafc6d95f984e18

A lot of deathcore and slam, with some metalcore (and Gojira) in amongst it... Waiting for a few albums coming in the next few weeks/months, like the new Vulvodynia, A Night In Texas, Cognitive, Signs of the Swarm, and Spiritbox, a list that I have very high hopes for!

The Totemist - 2880 (2021)
My taste in music provides me with extremely slim pickings these days, i think my absolute highlight over the last couple of years is this 3 track EP from Rabea Massaad.

Van (2020)
Clown Core in a toilet was novel, but once they got in a van i was blown away, so consumed i was with the image of the van i decided to upscale a shot of it (original was 480x246) and make it my desktop background which i'm happy to share, on the left, because i've never been able to put images where i want them on this forum :P.

Chaoseum - Smile Again (2021)
I wasn't aware of Chaoseum until they released this song which started making the rounds, i don't like their other songs but this one's decent, they've quickly been labelled as a knock off of Korn, but i'm starving for music so i don't really care.

Bring Me The Horizon - Parasite Eve (2020)
I don't like Bring Me The Horizon but name a song Parasite Eve and i pay attention, i love ideas in music and this song's full of em, sharing themes with the game and the world in 2020, i think they nailed what they were going for.

And that's it, i know Jinjer has been releasing new music but i only liked a few songs on Macro and i'm not enjoying the new stuff.

Unleash the Archers is probably the thing I'm listening to most these days. Judas Priest/Iron Maiden style band with a female singer. This isn't really their best song, but it is a good introduction to the band, and the video is a bunch of SciFi/Fantasy crap that they are all about:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_yFH-O05uS0

If for some reason you are not already sold, let me attempt to persuade you further. I don't throw around Judas Priest comparisons all willy-nilly. Singer Britney Slayes really does stand toe to toe with the likes of Halford, Dickinson, or Dio. She is amazing, and I would encourage even non-metal fans to give the song a listen just to hear her pipes.

Their newest album "Abyss" is a concept album, and a sequel to their last full length release "Apex". It chronicles an Immortal warrior forced to serve, and then trying to escape an all powerful sorceress The Matriarch. When Abyss was released, the band did a livestream of them playing a DnD campaign based on story. These people are freaking awesome.

oh man, this is a fun throwback. though i'm not on these boards as much as i used to be- out of respect of the previous music threads and a vague sense of obligation- i'll throw my two cents in...

so it's interesting- around 2018 or so i found my interest in new music diminishing significantly- for a host of reasons both legit and personal; with the decline at its most severe at, let's say- summer 2020. but then a funny thing happened- without getting into it too deeply (unless someone wants to)- TLOU2 came out and the game had a very strong connection to music that resonated in me. cut to 2021, and i'm listening to a ton of music again. so i'm doing a lot of catch up, but here are the releases that i'm mildly obsessed with:

@judaspete oh my god, yes. you beat me to the punch but this unleash the archers' 'abyss' is fuggin amazing. this is metal that is obsessed with you having a good time- it's epic, extremely well-crafted, cheesy in all the best ways, and a legitimately tremendous piece of work. the title track is not to be fucked with- but it's the stealth power balled towards the end of the record that currently owns me. i love heavy music, and this record reminds me why with every spin.

the other two records that have completely dominated my attention have been hayley williams' (paramore) solo material; first 'petals for armor' and then 'flowers for vases.' i'll start by saying- i wasn't approaching these as an established paramore fan. also- it would be really difficult for me to distill the gravity and depth of artistry i get off these things- but suffices to say i think it's fucking outstanding to see an artist step out of their comfort zone and take some big risks- and i think they all completely pay off. hayley williams is the real fuckin deal (not that she wasn't prior)- but these records utterly cement that. in case you're curious- the first one trends towards more electronic- whereas the second record is more folk and traditional (and entirely performed by hayley, including all instruments...which is bananas).

https://youtu.be/7cuQa7gYVkA Trunkweed "happy ever after" (outer space)

2020 has been a while, so this list should give you a general idea of what i thought was neat. A good mix of old favs (Strokes, Killers, Weeknd, Tennis, Jessie Ware) and pleasant surprises (SAULT, Jess Williamson, Annie,Kylie, Poppy, Kelly Lee Owens, Waxahatchee).

Then 2021 rolled around and i found myself listening to Viagra Boys. Think the album name Welfare Jazz is a pretty great descriptor of how these sleazebags sound on here. The album has a looseness to it, but the songs are strong enough that it still feels well-crafted.

Next up, Black Country, New Road. These english kids have that nervous post punk energy and add a dose of yiddish klezmer music to the mix. It's fun and chaotic.

There have been like 3 King Gizzard albums released as well. You probably know if you're into that or not by now. This stuff is not their best work, but i always find a good amount of songs to enjoy on these albums.

New Nick Cave as well. Great album where Nick regains some of that swagger , but i do feel myself slowly drifting away from it as time passes on.

Okay here's a weird one, Hangyouth a dutch punkband made an short album that can be translated to 'everything needs to be better' in which they lament all kinds of social issues with sincerity and a wink. From Billionaires hoarding their resources, to the tax system not working properly to the public traffic not being all that public anymore. Definitly check out their Microsoft nerd cosplay musicvideo.

Little Simz delivered some more bangers . It's not something i seek out often, but when a song pops up i'm having a pretty good time.

After dropping 2 of my favs last year, Sault blessed us with yet another album. This one might be a bit more low-key, but it still has some very smooth soul and R&B on this thing.

Drug Church came through with a new EP that's pretty great. Bliss Out is short, exciting and hardhitting.

Just like all the other people i've given that Olivia Rodrigo album a listen too and Brutal is a fun little pop punk song.

For that instropective folk that i need a yearly dose of, i ended up listening to Matt Sweeney & Will Oldham's Superwolves album. Warm-sounding guitar songs that sound like they should've been around for decades. My Body Is My Own is a stand out song for me, but it's pretty great all the way through.

Finally, the new Marina album needs to be mentioned. I was fully on board with her first album The Family Jewels (genuinely a 9/10 fun pop album that i still come back to a decade later.

[Call To Action] CHECK THAT SHIT OUT [ Call To Action])

The double album she did before, was a giant bummer and it just felt like the quirky fun side of her was beaten down by the times. Luckily with this new album, she seems to have found a good middle ground between calling out what's wrong in the world without it always having to be a very slow piano ballad or sad EDM. A step in the right direction. this song has a very fun goofy sci-fi sound, but that 2nd half of the chorus is too quirky for me. Still a fun thing to witness though. Venus Fly Trap is probably the best song on this thing, although i dig the Avril 14th - Aphex Twin sound of Flowers quite a bit as well. That chorus just flows really nicely.

I still have like 10 albums on the mind that i have not yet heard though, so perhaps i'll end up in this thread at a later time with a bunch of different stuff.

I really loved the soundtrack to Birds of Prey, which came out early last year.

For me, the entirety of the last half of 2020 was defined by Run the Jewels and their incredible fourth album. I encourage anyone who enjoyed that album to to watch the live version of "Walking In The Snow," it's incredible. Blasting this with the windows open while driving past and flipping off the so-called "Trump train" that drove through my town was cathartic as fuck.

Say what you will about famous teens making music about their love lives, but "good 4 u" and "brutal" by Olivia Rodrigo are both catchy as hell. What can I say, I love an upbeat sounding breakup song. I got really drunk and listened to some Michelle Branch a couple weeks ago, but that's another story.

And most recently, K.Flay released her newest album, which is full of absolute bangers. I've been listening to K.Flay for a decade and I've seen her perform in Boston twice, so any new stuff from her is always welcome.

My favorites that are released between 2020 and 2021 are:

DRYVE - Synth on fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_9nhW6ibqY

DRYVE - City Lights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gNndx99RWc

These two made me feel like to virtually drive 80's sports cars ranging from Ferrari F40, Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach, Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2, Toyota Supra A70, Nissan 300ZX Z32, Chevrolet Corvette C4, DMC Delorean, and many others.

@mellotronrules: Awesome. While they seem to have a sizable following, I don't come across a lot of Unleash the Archers fans out in the wild. Thanks for posting.

I'll second the nods to the Killers and Weeknd's 2020 stuff. @danielkempster put me onto When Rivers Meet at the end of last year and that's a great debut (give Battleground, Did I Break the Law? and Walking on the Wire a listen). The Satin Jackets remix of Tycho's Japan was probably my favorite song of last year, and Sorry's 925 was my favorite album (give Right Round the Clock and Starstruck a listen).

2021, I'm really liking Black Keys' Delta Kream (especially Crawling Kingsnake and Walk With Me) and I seriously think it's one of my favorite cover albums of all time. It's a smooth thing beginning to end, and it covers one of my favorite artists in Junior Kimbrough, so of course I was going to love it. Julien Baker's Faith Healer is a hell of a song. And I'm really digging Japanese Breakfast (Be Sweet has a cool retro feel to it that isn't too played out - it practically belongs in a teen movie montage).

Oh damn i forgot about Puscifer, i'm a huge fan of MJK but i only like a few of the more serious Puscifer songs, but their 2020 album Existential Reckoning has quite a few i like.
Here's the MV for Bullet Train to Iowa.

I forgot to mention this in the OP since I was mainly thinking about metal, but, Call Me If You Get Lost by Tyler, The Creator. I didn't latch onto it during the first listen like I did with Wolf and Flower Boy, but I should go though it again during my next Fallout 76 binge.

Apparently Spotify has some video game soundtracks, so the Final Fantasy VII Remake OST is getting some plays, specifically the "Let The Battles Begin!" variants. The "A Merc's Job" mix gets down to brass tacks by updating the original riffs, but I greatly appreciate the buildup to those iconic tones in the "Break Through" mix. I probably would have mentioned this in a proper FF7R thread last year, but I have a lot of RPGs in my backlog.

And speaking of RPGs: "No More What Ifs" from Persona 5 Royal, but I'm recommending a cover by Lollia and insaneintherainmusic because Lollia's vocal performance exceeds the original. And "On my Way To Hell" from Cyberpunk 2077.

@himsteveo: It would probably take me two years to go though a 429 track long playlist, but Funeral Wake caught my attention.

@facelessvixen It's about the only way I can keep track of the music I want to stay on top of :) There's a lot of great stuff in amongst that list though :)

I would choose Killection from Lordi, released last year. I'm very fan from this kind of music.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2pDZtphviovvJQI99NrCDeurMFgBmiHF

I've barely listened to much new in the last couple of years. I was surprised to see I Like Trains came back after 7 years.

I Like Trains - The Truth comes from Kompromat which tells you pretty much where the album heads. Lyrically, it's still very cliched but the spoken word-ish nature seems to pull it together. So they've went from songs about The Scott Expedition, Bobby Fischer and now this. It's good to see them back and sounding probably at their best.

I found another reason to post more technical death metal.

Spotify kinda lied to me in suggesting that Deeds of Flesh is similar to Spawn of Possession; Deeds taking a more brutal nuance while Spawn leaned more towards the progressive sound signatures that I prefer. But, Nucleus is kind of a Planetary Duality II, in terms of lyrical content, that I can get behind endorsing. I wouldn't try to listen to this album when playing Alien: Isolation given the clash between trying to survive in the game while listening to a high-octane death metal album, but a couple of tracks can go on a DOOM playlist.

YouTube
Spotify

My 2020s playlist so far (spotify):
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0EGyQOoFCRBvXfxqYvkn1q?si=8cbaf12390654983

I'm old school i've been watching a lot of live Alice in chains concerts, however the new Gojira album is fantastic and Eminem's Music to be murdered by is probably one of his best albums - it's pretty phenomenal. Still loving the new Tool album as well, that cd was in my car for a good 9 months straight haha.

This is an interesting view on this one. Without derailing this too hard into metalhead dork land, its hard to find bands that land in a similar arena to Spawn Of Possession - especially since they've been dormant for so long. A lot of the current tech-death sphere came out of the brutal-death and deathcore realms, so they're very adept at the low end shenanigans. Nucleus is an enjoyable album, its also their first after the passing of project main man and guitar Erik Lindmark so I have no clue what the future holds for Deeds. It is however, a huge parade of different death metal guys who threw down to help finish up the release. I liked their prior discs Of Whats To Come and Portals To Canaan, but thats also where they really went head long into their aliens/sci-fi concept album territory.

I've always figured if people were looking for a followup to The Faceless' Planetary Duality though, then The Zenith Passage's 2016 release Solipsist was where people should take a glance. Guitarist Justin McKinney was actually a member of The Faceless for a solid block of time and I think that sort of rubbed off on his own group's first full-length release, down to some of the vocal work and songwriting.

2021 has been a weird year - obviously - so I've had a surprisingly hard time keeping track of what I've listen to so far. I have enjoyed Alustrium's A Monument To Silence, Fractal Universe's The Impassable Horizon, Betrayal's Disorder Remains, and Unflesh's Inhumation releases though, if you're hunting for four albums of prog-death flavored guitar shred.

@facelessvixen said:

I found another reason to post more technical death metal.

Spotify kinda lied to me in suggesting that Deeds of Flesh is similar to Spawn of Possession; Deeds taking a more brutal nuance while Spawn leaned more towards the progressive sound signatures that I prefer. But, Nucleus is kind of a Planetary Duality II, in terms of lyrical content, that I can get behind endorsing. I wouldn't try to listen to this album when playing Alien: Isolation given the clash between trying to survive in the game while listening to a high-octane death metal album, but a couple of tracks can go on a DOOM playlist.

YouTube

Spotify

@demigodraven: I guess my reasoning for my reaction to Soptify recommending the album to me can be boiled down to Christian Münzner and, more or less, being accustomed to his more elegant song writing based on Epitaph, Incurso and most of Obscura, while Nucleus has rougher texture to it. But at the end of the day, I fuck with Nucleus and I have another band to check out, so Spotify is starting to get to know me a bit more.

And as for Solipsist, I haven't fully listened to it yet, but, oh yeah; I can totally see this being the "true sequel" to Planetary Duality instead of Autotheism in someone's headcanon. Thanks for bringing it to my attention since my 2016 was basically Obscura's Akróasis in hindsight.

The Norwegian jazz musician Nils Petter Molvær put out a new album this year, and I've been kinda obsessed with the single "Nearly Invisible Stitches". Back in the 90s he was one of the pioneers of future jazz, incorporating elements of drum and bass. This most recent album leans a bit more towards progressive rock-ish vibes, but the electronic elements are still in there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wKEvdqgOaE