Disperse - Living Mirrors

Slab of delicious prog metal anyone?? Disperse are a 4 piece metal band that are very much Poland’s answer to Periphery and similar melodic prog metal/djent bands. This sophomore effort is an absolute belter. They seem to find a perfect balance between lovely melodies and crunchy, crunchy, oh so crunchy, heaviness. The technical chops of the band are pretty impressive, especially the face melting guitar solos and riffs. It’s definitely a contender for progressive album of the year. Check out the fantastic “Message from Atlantis” in the link below.

8.7/10

Atoms for Peace – Amok

In a nutshell this is basically what the last Radiohead album really should have been like. Thom Yorke, with help from his pals including Flea (RHCP Bassist) and Nigel Godrich (long-time Radiohead producer), delivers a record which actually outshines his previous effort with his main band. Similarly to “The King of Limbs” this is an album for those who like their electronica with a bit of glitch in the mix. However, unlike TKOL it is much more consistent, catchy and accessible from the outset. Opening two tracks “Before Your Very Eyes…” and “Default” are wonderful openers and set the tone for the entire album. Flea’s input is not to be underestimated. Check out the decidedly bad-ass lick he contributes on “Stuck Together Pieces” below.

8.0/10

This Town Needs Guns - 13.0.0.0.0

This Town Needs Guns (or TTNG as they now prefer) delivered this number in January but for one reason or another we didn’t get around to reviewing it. TTNG are a math rock band hailing from Oxford, UK (incidentally the same place as Radiohead….see the review above!) The have a distinctive sound centered on the virtuoso guitar playing of Tim Collis and the gorgeous vocals of Henry Tremain. This album is their first since their 2008 debut and multiple line-up changes. It’s a pretty solid album however the multiple short interludes that intersperse the longer tracks can get a bit frustrating by album’s end. As with many albums the front end is notably stronger than the closing tracks. Glorious opener “Cat Fantastic” is here for you to enjoy.

7.4/10

Funeral for a Friend – Conduit

Funeral For a Friend have always been one of those bands who get included in the post-hardcore genre but probably also have one foot in the pop/punk camp (check out “Tales Don’t Tell Themselves”). With this LP released in late January they have definitely done their best at distancing themselves from the pop crowd. This is as harsh and uncompromising as they've ever been. The band sounds pretty damn tight as they rollick their way through 12 tracks in under half an hour. Cliché’ lyrics let them down at times but the instrumentation is good and the urgency they display makes this a very enjoyable listen. Have a spin of the outstanding third track “The Distance” here.

7.5/10

Killswitch Engage – Disarm the Descent

Melodic metal giants Killswitch Engage dropped this album at the start of this month. It’s their first album since the return of original vocalist Jesse Leach and also the first since 2009’s piss-weak self titled effort, leading to more than a little apprehension from fans upon into its release. However, their fear would have been short lived because this is a beast of an album and a massive return to form. One could quite easily argue that it is up there with (seminal Killswitch album) “Alive or Just Breathing” in terms of quality and consistency. There is hardly a weak track, though unfortunately for Killswitch they have always had problems with tracks sounding very similar to one another, meaning that there aren't really any standouts either. It’s still a very good album though. Check out single “In Due Time” here.

7.5/10

Dan Cottam