Wormhole Media

Abaddonia is a 5-piece symphonic deathcore band from the midwest USA. They just released their debut album titled "Dawn of the Serpent" on all major streaming platforms and on CD. It's a total ass-beater of an album and you need to check it out if you enjoy deathcore.

At 5 tracks clocking in at just over 20 minutes, this bite-sized release is the perfect length to give you a dose of what Abaddonia is about while leaving you wanting more. There's no clean vocals to be found here, but a wide range of screams. From high-pitched black metal shrieks to low death metal growls, you're gonna hear some seriously gnarly vocal sound on this project. Very "Lorna Shore-esque" in terms of vocal range and variety of sounds.

One thing I often find lacking in this style of music, is a groovy or catchy guitar to accompany the vocals. Too often, it's just technical virtuosic playing to show off skill. Abaddonia has no shortage of guitar chops and tasty riffs to go along with the skill. That's what I'm looking for. Sick riffs. They have them.

Deathcore isn't my "main" genre, but one I find myself enjoying pretty often. So take my opinion for what it's worth to connoisseurs of the style. This is a killer record, especially for a debut. I will absolutely be coming back to this record. Find all their info below.

Overall: 8.5/10

Favorite track: Holy Water

For fans of: Lorna Shore, deathcore

Firebreather is a 3-piece stoner/doom metal band from Sweden. I first heard about them when Monolord brought them on tour. They were on tour promoting their new album called "Dwell in the Fog". I decided to check it out. I may be a little biased, as this is pretty much my favorite genre of music.

This album has everything you need for a killer doom album. The riffs are awesome, the guitar tone is HUGE. The huge chords and tasteful licks in between are really the best part for me. The vocals remind me of some kind of wizard or shaman from a fantasy world. Very cool vocals, although it did take a short while for me to warm up to them. The compositions are long, but they feel like a journey that's worth taking. Have a listen below.

For fans of: Riffs, Electric Wizard, Sleep

Favorite track: Dwell in the Fog

Overall 9.5/10

First off, I'd never heard of Bloodywood before this, and that was pretty lame of me (even though I can't help it). Regardless, I listened to them and now I want to tell you about it. Bloodywood is a metal band from India known for seamlessly fusing Indian folk instruments with metal.

Rakshak is Bloodywood's most recent album just dropped in 2022, and it totally rips. The sound reminds me of nu-metal, but with an Indian spin. There's a nice mix of rapping, singing, and screaming vox throughout. There's also some electronic elements that fit really nicely.

One thing I really look for in metal, is catchy riffs. I'm all about the riffs. This album is slightly lacking in the types of riffs I look for, but makes up for it with the addition of some instruments that are a little unconventional in most metal. They use flutes, sitars, and other instruments with select scales to really instill a Indian vibe to the songs. There's even a super sick flute solo. I never thought I'd be saying that.

Sick album, if you dig nu metal, or metalcore, or just hard rock I think you can get down with some Bloodywood. Listen to the album below.

Favorite track: Aaj

Overall: 7.5/10

Jacc Breeze has made himself a staple artist in the 217 Hip-Hop scene, and there's no doubt we're witnessing his next level with this new album, "Death in December".

This project is clearly an ode to struggle, pain, and loss. You can feel it in the music, before you even read into the lyrics. As I was jamming it, I found myself surprised at some of the melodies Breeze came up with, he's on a new level. His bars and singing parts are all on point. It's got something for anyone who's into hip hop.

The album has some really strong opening tracks, but doesn't let up as some albums do by the halfway point. There's also a few mystery features on this project who I couldn't pinpoint based on their sound, but all the features were good and fit the vibe perfectly. You can check out the album for yourself below, I highly recommend it. Bangers.

My favorite track: Push Start

Overall: 8/10

Today I checked out "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand" by DevilDriver. I wasn't really familiar with these guys before this listen, besides hearing their name every now and again. Boy do I regret that.

Totally impressed by this album. It's got everything. It's got songs that sound kinda black metal, some like death metal, some like nu metal. It sounds sorta-of like a bastardization of tons of metal thrown together (in a good way). I'm pretty sure if you're a fan of metal in general, there's something for you in this album Riffs are usually my main interest when listening to metal, often making or breaking the release for me. There's tons of riffs on this album I loved. I did not expect to enjoy this album this much, and will likely revisit in the future.

Overall 8.5/10

Favorites Tracks:

End of the Line

Sin & Sacrifice

Before the Hangman's Noose

Hempress is a stoner doom metal band from Gatineau, QC Canada. Formed in 2021, the lineup consists of Kurtis Labelle (guitar/lead vox), William Gunn (bass/backing vox), David Lamonthe (guitar), and Jeffrey Ponce-Carre (drums).

On May 1st, Hempress released their debut album titled "Masters of the Trade". With huge fuzzy riffs, slower tempo stomping grooves, trippy leads and haunting vocals, fans of Electric Wizard will find everything they're looking for in this album.

It kicks off with groovy riffs, and a swinging beat to start the head nodding on the very first track. Those with short attention spans will be pleased at the lack of many long intros, as all the tracks are in full swing before the 1-minute mark.

The actual songwriting is there as well, proven by the dynamic soundscapes. The riffs hit hard, and the more trippy sections are the perfect setup for a huge riff to slam in right afterwards.

The production on this album is really top notch. The mix sounds modern, while retaining that huge wall or sound that stoner doom is often known for. Guitars sound massive, drums punch, vocals sit perfectly in the mix. Hats off to whoever recorded and mixed this project.

I'm a huge fan of this genre, and this album is probably a 9/10 for me. It's an absolute killer album, besides the fact that's only their first. Super excited to hear what these come up with in the future. I expect we'll see their next project released through a label, because these guys have massive potential. They're moving merch, making content, playing shows, and writing music. They're checking all the boxes on the to-do list for success.

If you're near Ottowa Canada, you can catch these guys playing with a few other bands at the Rainbow Bistro on June 15th. Check the Hempress Facebook for details.

Favorite Track: Distress

Added most of the tacks to my regular rotation.

Engine Huey is a 3-piece punk rock outfit based out of Peoria IL. Their sound can best be described punk rock with blues overtones sprinkled with grunge.

Their debut album "Tight, But Whole" released in April, and displays their various influences that all combine into the sound of Engine Huey. The project starts out fast and hard with "Eh" and "Murder Trust". Murder Trust in particular delivers everything you'd expect from a punk song, but with the Engine Huey spin. The halfway mark of the album "Fly Away, Go Away" really showcases the bands ability to stray away from their punk roots while staying true to their sound and maintaining a consistent sonic identity. The pacing and order/sequencing of the album is perfect. Each song flowed into the next nicely, and there were no abrasive transitions between tracks. The production quality is also perfect. Polished enough to be easily digestible to pretty much anyone, but raw enough to maintain the DIY feel that's often associated with punk. The recording of the album was done with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio.

I'm not typically into much punk, but I still wanted to check this out and see what Engine Huey is all about since they're from my general area. By the 3rd track, I was fully on-board and excited to hear the rest. Clocking in at seventeen-and-a-half minutes, you can easily listen to this whole project on your way to work, going for a jog, working out, pretty much anywhere. Will be listening to this album again. If you manage to get your hands on a hard copy CD, you also get an additional bonus track not on any online streaming services. Check below for a preview of the album, and you can find all their online info at https://www.enginehuey.com

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Favorite track: Go Away, Fly Away

Honorable mention: Murder Trust

The beginning of this album pulls no stops, and comes in hot. Tons of bars, catchy hooks, and sick beats. Springfield IL artist Xtortion Tha Don brings tons of old-school flavor and style and pairs it with modern production quality for a union that any hip-hop lover will enjoy. It’s got everything to appeal to the old heads, while lacking none of the elements also essential for todays mainstream radio hits.  This album also has some great features from other 217 emcee’s, including Junior Pasare (of Zippir Collective), Dre Madison, and more.  All the features are killer, but Junior Pasare’s R&B-like vocal style is often the perfect contrast to Tha Don’s chopping bars, creating tracks that stand against any of todays radio hits.  At 18 tracks, this project is almost double the length of some artists albums. It’s a welcome listen for anyone who prefers listening to music in album-format, rather than hitting shuffle on a playlist. Even at 18 tracks, it’s all killer, no filler. 

Formerly known as Truth aka Trouble, and one half of the dynamic duo Trouble Chasin’, Illinois artist Sandman Slimm is back with his debut solo project, the Beautiful Chaos EP.  This project is packed with 6 hip-hop bangers. The EP touches on many of the current events from 2020, and manages to bring a thematic consistency despite all the different styles Sandman delivers. The sound is definitely different, in a refreshing/good way, compared to most other hit-makers in the 217. No two tracks on this EP sound the same, but they all have a sound that leaves the impression that Sandman has refined his signature sound.

Another artist from the rural 217, is  producer/musician “Inoka”. Recorded during the covid 19 shutdown in early 2020, Inoka released his album, “March of The Wanderer” on Bandcamp in April 2020. As you listen through this album, you feel as though Inoka is taking you through a fantasy-based apocalyptic adventure that leaves a memorable impression, often striking the listener with a feeling of dread. Definitely different than what you’re probably already listening to, but worth it if you’re into dark themes, black metal, or any combination of those.   All the songs were written, performed, and recorded by the entity that is Inoka. Inoka posted their release onto a subreddit (r/dungeonsynth) where it quickly started spreading in the Dungeon Synth community. Soon after, he was approached by Dungeon Tapes (a Dungeon Synth Label) and offered a product deal to release the album on cassette. Be on the lookout over at outofseasonlabel.com to pick up the album on cassette, or purchase digitally over on Inoka’s Bandcamp page (linked at the top of this post).

In the midst of a pandemic, 217 artist Kxynggami still manages to work, proof being his single "Lifestyle". With solid production quality, catchy vocal melodies, and flow for days, Lifestyle stands up to any modern day radio hit. The track also features 2 other midwest rappers, Kid Ziggy (of Zippir Collective) and 6randon to put the icing on the cake.