Hello again, dear readers! We’ve officially reached the beginning of a new month, which means it’s that time once again to reflect on all of the killer new music that happened to catch your boy’s attention during the month before. All five releases I’ve picked out for you this time around have a wildly different sound from the next, so no matter what your musical preferences are, I hope you decide to stick around because I promise there will be something here for you…yes, you. 😉 Also, just a fun side note, four out of five of these bad boys came out on May 6th alone, making for one of the most fire release days I’ve experienced in a while. So, if you notice most of this list had to go by alphabetical order this time around, that would be why. Alright, I’ve taken enough of your precious time already, so how about we go ahead and jump right into some music?
Ibaraki – Rashomon
If you have any love for modern metal whatsoever, I’m quite sure you know and love Matt Heafy from Trivium, but this project is something I’m willing to bet even the most hardcore of Trivium fans didn’t see coming. Ibaraki is a black metal project formed by Matt and the legendary Ihsaan from Emperor, but that black metal label outta come with a big fat * because this thing has so many influences coming from other genres and cultures, Japanese mythology in particular, that its association with the sub-genre becomes loose at best. The traditional Japanese instrumentation on this album adds a really unique layer, and its presence is instantly made known on the intro track, “Hakanaki Hitsuzen,” which leads straight into “Kagutsuchi,” a track Heafy’s had on the back burner for over a decade now. Nergal gives an awesome feature on the track, “Akumu,” but the best feature on Rashomon is found on “Ronin” in the form of Gerard Way…yes, Gerard Way…doing black metal vocals…quite well actually. All and all, this is a really cool side project with a genuinely unique sound, and I really hope to hear more of this in the future.
The Juliana Theory – Still the same kids pt. 1
The Juliana Theory are certified emo legends, and their 2000 album, Emotion is Dead is one of my favorite albums of all time, but the question still loomed of whether or not Brett Detar and Joshua Fielder, the only two remaining members, still had it after all these years. Although this EP is a very different sound for these guys, I can confidently inform you that as far as quality goes, nothing has changed a bit. Even in only four songs (although the title hints that we can expect more of this to follow), there’s more than enough material here to get me on board with this new era of the band. What does this new era sound like exactly? The best way I can think to describe it is a blend of 90’s alternative and 80’s pop. Nostalgia-core, if you will. Fits for me, because the nostalgic vibes are huge as soon as “Playback ’99 (Burn the Cassette Deck)” kicks off, and it’s a vibe that’s carried all throughout this body of work. This thing makes for some perfect windows down, driving music, and I guarantee I’ll be bumping this stuff for a hot minute.
Silverstein – Misery Made Me
Silverstein are back right on cue with another new release, and if anything, you can’t say these guys aren’t staying consistent. I mean that both in terms of their every-other-year release schedule and in their musical style as well. Now, I will say that the subtle experimentation with modern pop elements on their last album, A Beautiful Place to Drown was both noticed and welcome, and I can see that here on Misery Made Me as well, but neither record strays too far from the Silverstein formula that’s been tried and true since When Broken is Easily Fixed in 2003. Nothing here is particularly mind-blowing, but if you’re a Silverstein fan, this will definitely be a good time for you. “Our Song” is a nice, fun, energetic opener, and “Die Alone” follows by cranking up the heaviness with a little help from Andrew Neufeld of Comeback Kid. From there, some of the other highlights on Misery Made Me include “Slow Motion,” featuring Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada, “Bankrupt,” and my personal favorite cut “The Alter/Mary.” Like I said, this isn’t gonna go down as the most unique and experimental record of 2022 or anything, but I’d be lying if said I haven’t been enjoying these highlighted tracks a pretty decent amount, and they’ll be sure to stay in my rotation for a while.
Upon a Burning Body – Fury
“Speak with honesty. Think with sincerity. Act with integrity. Expect nothing in return.” It’s not very often you find a deathcore record with a positive message, but that’s exactly what Upon a Burning Body have offered us with Fury. Although the deathcore label still fits for the most part, these guys have been playing around with more and more elements of metalcore and traditional hardcore in the past few years, and it’s given them a sound that’s very groove oriented and even somewhat (dare I say) accessible, but not at all for lack of brutality. “A New Responsibility” kicks off the record in a very deathcore worthy manor with a flurry of blast beats, chugs, and some of the gnarliest lows we’ve heard out of Danny Leal in a while, but the lyrics are where we first see a difference from the norm. It gives a message of not allowing yourself to remain trapped in a mindset of failure and rising above through ceasing to feed your flesh with chaos, which is again, a level of positivity that I think the genre would benefit from more of. This message is consistent throughout the entire record, with “Code of Honor,” the track I quoted above, being my personal favorite example. I was very late to the Upon a Burning Body party, having really only taken the time to get into them this year, but with this album, I am officially on board, and I already can’t wait for more.
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
..And now for something completely different. As far as the pop music world of the past half decade or so goes, Harry Styles stands as king of that hill in my eyes. His self-titled and Fine Line both stand as near flawless examples of what a modern pop album should sound like, and it doesn’t hurt that our boy throws in a little touch of rock n’ roll for good measure (would you have ever thought a song like “Kiwi” would exist back in the 1D days?) So, needless to say, I was pretty dang excited for Harry’s latest outing to arrive. The Verdict? This thing is…strange…but like…in a good way. To be honest, I was a little concerned about this record when I first hit play on “Music For a Sushi Restaurant.” I’ll admit it’s growing on me, but this is a weird song, man. Things pick up for me a great deal after that, with the incredible three song run of “Grapejuice,” “As It Was,” and “Daylight” doing a more than successful job of finally getting me fully invested in the album. However, it’s when we get to the track “Matilda” where I’m finally 100% sold on Harry’s House. I’m telling you, this song will ruin a man. The back half is slightly less memorable, but still enjoyable, nonetheless, and we still get some mighty fine standout cuts like “Satellite” before this thing closes out. Overall, it’s not quite on the level of Harry’s first two records, but Harry’s House still ends up being a worthy addition to his impeccable solo discography.
That’s all I’ve got for May 2022, folks! What music caught your attention last month? Be sure to let us all know! Thank you as always for reading, and be prepared for next month’s Music Monthly, because June is shaping up to be a big one.
