Aster Tracks

 So I’m going to level with you guys. I was not as enthusiastic this week but it was only because next week's post is going to be a big deal. I got a head start on that list and just have been listening to this week’s records and tracks and it’s gonna be huge. That being said we still have some stuff for you this week! A Scent Like Wolves - Mystic Auras (We Are Triumphant) Never heard of A Scent Like Wolves before this week but this record is a nice callback to those earlier days of post-hardcore and is a really enjoyable listen. Also has some big name features from the genre today. My only complaint is it’s 10 tracks with an intro and interlude so it really boils to 8 and goes by a little fast for what it is. Harakiri for the Sky - Maere (AOP Records) This one comes as a bit hard to swallow and suggest as it’s a 10 track, hour and a half long, record where the production on the vocals make them sound just so quiet. It is a good metal record compositionally however so give it a sho...

 I listened to a lot of albums and EPs this week and… to be honest was pretty let down. Not a lot of quality in what I heard. That being said we got a ton of quality singles, a lot of alternate versions of existing songs, but nonetheless quality. Take this week to listen to some songs and I’m sure we’ll have some good records to come. Black Sabbath - Vol.4 remastered Nothing new to report here. A classic ‘72 metal record whose audio has been cleaned up. Give it a go if the history is something you’re interested in and want a gateway into the classics. Black Dresses - Forever in Your Heart Managed to sneak in listening to this at the last minute. Black Dresses, a band I thought was defunct, (later turned out that this was true) has come out with this new record that I believe was a surprise. Had no prior experience with the band outside of a feature but this absolutely blew me away. Dan Campbell - When I Face Into the Wind (Loneliest Place on Earth and Miscellaneous Recordings) Ever...

  Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight (Roswell records) I am so excited that this is good. Foo Fighters music has been pretty bland for about a decade. To be fair, that’s what happens to a lot of these radio smash hits. They lose steam but not fame, so it outputs a lot of pretty mediocre music into the world. This, however, really put a smile on my face. Even the first single, “Shame Shame,” which nearly put me to sleep on release makes a lot more sense in context with the record. Hayley Williams - FLOWERS for VASES/descansos (Atlantic records) Surprise album from the Paramore front woman. Petals for Armor, her 2020 release really left a great impression on me but it was very much in the realm of comfortability for her. This takes things to the next level and puts Hayley into a league of her own. Its very much of a quarantine album and has Hayley working basically by herself. Looking forward to listening to this more throughout the course of the year. Underoath - THEY’RE ONLY CHASI...

Every once in a while one of these bands that you THINK you know comes up. Like you see the name float around, you attach it to the bands around it and you think you know exactly what they sound like. In most cases you’ve probably never even heard a track! It just becomes easy to attach them to crowd their put in. For a very long time I knew The Dirty Nil existed and for whatever reason, I don’t even know why, I pinned them as somewhere in the metal camp. For exactly 9 seconds into Fuck Art I was convinced I was correct. Before “Doom Boy,” the opening track on this effort becomes a radio-ready but also very moshable pop punk banger, it has an intro riff sounding like something out of a trash metal 80s band. As these opening seconds played out I thought “okay, I was right, I power through and we call this one an in between and don’t even mention it.” Then that shift happens. What follows is a familiar yet somehow fresh sing-along able song where the narrator is courting a girl, asking h...

 As we start to get into mid-February the year is finally “starting” in terms of music. Each week is packed with releases! I listened through 11 releases and 36 singles to write this very post! Something special about this week is just how many artists who I expected to NOT enjoy who really floored me this week. Especially bands I thought were far past their prime. Weezer - OK Human (Warner) Last week I could not BELIEVE I liked “All My Favorite Songs” the lead single and opening track on this. Now I can’t believe I like this, a Weezer project in 2021. This isn’t the usual emo-pop-rock sound it’s more of a baroque pop record kind of in lieu of The Beatles. Also strangely makes for a great quarantine soundtrack despite the fact that it was written in 2019. A Day to Remember - Live at the Audio Compound/Everything We Need (Fueled by Ramen) Easycore legends in ADtR released this acoustic EP, it was live streamed on Monday and posted to streaming services by Friday. Wasn’t expecting to...