All Pigs Must Die - Hostage Animal

 

Every music fan I know has a musical sweet spot, the middle of a venn diagram wherein resides the music they absolutely fucking love.  They may "listen to everything (except country!)," but it's that intersection that represents their absolute favorite musical sensibilities, regardless of genre.  For me, that melting pot looks something like a stew of slow- to mid-tempo, atmospheric, ten-plus minute songs with progressive shifts, strong melodies, a bit of groove, and harmonizing vocals.  I love bands and songs that stray from those tendencies, but when an album lands right in that sweet spot... that's the fuckin' jam.  There's a comfort there, a knowledge that you as a listener have heard enough to know what you like.  I bring this musical g-spot up because to me, the only thing better than finding something new that fits into an established idea of "favorite" music is finding something new that doesn't check any of your Favorites boxes, but still gets your head banging, your pulse racing, and your motor running.  From the title of this post, I'm obviously talking about Hostage Animal, the third full-length from All Pigs Must Die.

Dakhma - Suna Kulto

 

Last year, Oathbreaker landed on many a year end list for blending ambiance with the aggression of hardcore. While it was a release that I thoroughly enjoyed, it seemed to delve too far into tranquility, without striking the necessary balance with the volatile energy that hardcore is known for. I loved the idea of the sound, but ultimately wanted something a little more relentless. "Ask and you shall receive" is what I remember thinking to myself immediately after listening to Suna Kulto, the latest release from Grand Rapids, Michigan three-piece Dakhma. Every year there's bound to be an album or two that I miss out on before I put my year end list together; you can count this one as a huge miss for 2016.