Territory’s Edge – The Best New Metal of March 2022, featuring Vein.fm, Holy Fawn, and more

March 2022 was stacked with new hardcore and metal music. The Singaporean grindcore band Wormrot – who gained worldwide attention in 2011 from a goat who attended their shows – are back with a new single “Behind Closed Doors”.  Also, in addition to the new Vein.fm album, March was a particularly solid month for metalcore. Charismatic Seattle newcomers AVOID dropped a double single, Wolves at the Gate unleashed their fifth album Eulogies, while Erra released a special edition of their self-titled 2021 album with seven extra tracks, including an excellent cover of Muse’s “Stockholm Syndrome”. Below, I give a rundown of the month in metal and delve into the five new releases that caught my attention the most.  And while outside the realm of rock and metal, you really should check out lyrical rapper (and metal fan) Denzel Curry’s latest project Melt My Eyez, See My Future if you haven’t already.

Vein.FM – This World is Going to Ruin You

“There was a lot of feeling of being taken advantage of, so it’s like a wounded animal or a scared child getting revenge.” Vein.fm vocalist Anthony DiDio described the band’s new album in no uncertain terms.  Make no mistake, this album is vicious, occasionally incorporating softer, haunting elements, but mostly creating chaos and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.  Ferocious, brief tracks like “Versus Wyoming” and “Welcome Home” make that abundantly clear.

However, This World is Going To Ruin You displays plenty of versatility within its short 32-minute runtime. “Wherever You Are” is an ambient, dark interlude that leads into the fast and furious “Magazine Beach”.  And while primarily a chaotic mathcore track, “Fear in Non Fiction” includes clean vocals from Thursday’s Geoff Rickley around the 1:40 mark.  An ominous atmospheric synth at the end of the chaotic tenth track forms the prelude to the Loathe style “Wavery”.  This is the strongest and the most dynamic song on the album.  “Wavery” begins with floating, tenuous clean vocals across an atmospheric industrial backdrop.  Later the cleans intertwine with the harsh vocals and crushing riffs that follow later.  Finally, “Funeral Sound” closes out the album on a seven minute abstract, amorphous piece that includes whispery vocals over piano, an answering machine message, lyrics that reference the album title, and heavy riffs.

 

Holy Fawn – “Death is a Relief”

Ryan Osterman simply describes his band as “loud heavy pretty noises”, playing shoegaze with elements of doom and black metal, as well as post-rock and post-metal tendencies.  While Holy Fawn tends to emphasize post-rock more than black metal, a similar wild, nocturnal ambience lurks beneath.  The band’s 2018 full-length Death Spells exemplifies the grace and restless nature of a deer – one that also carries a formidable, sharpened rack of antlers.  Holy Fawn’s latest single covers both sides of that dichotomy, and is reminiscent of some Deafheaven material.  “Death is a Relief” is a dark, atmospheric song that may lull the listener into a false sense of security at the start.  While beginning as an ethereal alternative rock song, it slowly builds up, and unleashes furious, raspy screams at the climax.  Need another reason to pay attention? Metal icon Randy Blythe of Lamb of God is a major Holy Fawn fan, deeming Death Spells his favorite album of the year.

 

Murals and Garrett Russell – “Out of Sight, Out of Spine”

On this track, Silent Planet frontman Garrett Russell joins Murals, an instrumental post-hardcore collective led by former Hail the Sun guitarist Shane Gann. “Out of Spite, Out of Spine” is written about the current civil war and human rights violations occurring within Ethiopia’s Tigray region.  Garrett Russell, whose band Silent Planet recently raised $13,918 to directly benefit Ukrainian refugees, stressed the importance of not turning away from suffering when humanitarian crises occur.  A third of the proceeds from this track go to benefit Refugees International.  Beyond the meaningful lyrical content, this is a fantastic self-produced post-hardcore song in its own right.  While Garrett is primarily a screamer in Silent Planet (though he sung on sections of the band’s most recent album), he shows a softer side to his delivery as well.  Here, his subdued clean vocals and signature screams complement Shane Gann’s dynamic guitar riffs.  Additionally, Shane’s other project Sufferer, which utilizes three different vocalists to represent an individual’s struggle with anxiety and depression, is worth checking out.

 

Wolves at the Gate – Eulogies

This is bit of a “safe” album for Wolves at the Gate that goes for a Octane sound, but by no means a bad one.   Wolves at the Gate got their start as an aggressive post-hardcore/metalcore band with some subtle Thrice influences.  Much like Thrice started out as a heavy punk band and transitioned to accessible but deep rock, Wolves at the Gate has gradually become more radio-friendly over their last three albums.  “Lights & Fire” is an entirely melodic rock track that exhibits Wolves at the Gate at their most accessible, and in fact has been receiving some attention from rock radio, particularly satellite rock radio station SiriusXM Octane.  Most notable is that “Lights & Fire” has no screamed vocals, which is rare for a non-acoustic Wolves at the Gate track.  “Silent Anthem” closes the album on a strong note, with a sound that hearkens back to “Oh the Depths” from their 2011 debut EP We Are the Ones.  Eulogies doesn’t top their first three, but has its share of moments that prove “radio-friendly” doesn’t always mean stale.

 

Animals as Leaders – Parrhesia

Simultaneously melodic and technical, Parrhesia continues the band’s status as forerunners of instrumental metal/djent.  The dazzling, jazz-influenced fretwork from guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes is front and center as always.  However, Animals as Leaders emphasizes organic melody as well, which shines through on tracks like “Asahi”.  While all nine songs are well-crafted, of particular note is track one “Conflict Cartography”, which capitalizes on dynamics, with a satisfying groove and chord progression.  Overall, the production is clean without sounding overly polished, and comes courtesy of Misha Mansoor, Periphery’s guitarist and founder.  Additionally, Misha Mansoor has mixed two earlier Animals As Leaders albums, the self-titled debut and The Joy of Motion.

 

Other Notable Releases

Singles

Kublai Khan – “Loyal to None” (Mar 2, hardcore)

Hollow Front – “The Price of Dreaming” (Mar 2, metalcore) – The Price of Dreaming (album) releases May 27

Gravemind – “Deathtouch” (Mar 3, deathcore)

CRYPTA – “I Resign” (Mar 3, death metal)

Rammstein – “Zeit” (Mar 9, industrial metal)

Tallah – “Telescope” (Mar 9, nu metal)

Miss May I – “Unconquered” (Mar 9, metalcore)

Alexisonfire – “Sweet Dreams of Otherness” (Mar 10, post-hardcore) – Otherness releases Jun 24

Cancer Bats – “Lonely Bong” (Mar 10, hardcore) – Psychic Jailbreak releases Apr 15

Motionless in White – “Cyberhex” (Mar 10, metalcore)

Aviana – “Transcendent” (Mar 10, deathcore/metalcore)

Conjurer – “It Dwells” (Mar 11, sludge/death metal) – Pathos releases Jun 1

Cave In – “New Reality” (Mar 15, post-hardcore/alternative rock) – Heavy Pendulum releases May 20

Wormrot – “Behind Closed Doors” (Mar 17, grindcore)

AVOID – “Cowabunga”, “Split/Kill It” (Mar 18, post-hardcore/punk)

Crosses – “Initiation/Protection” (Mar 18, darkwave/electronic rock project from Deftones and Far members)

Northlane – “Carbonized” (Mar 23, progressive metalcore) – Obsidian releases Apr 22

A Night in Texas – “God’s Throne” (Mar 23, deathcore)

BAEST feat Trevor Strnad – “Gargoyles” (Mar 25, death metal)

Dayseeker – “Neon Grave” (Mar 25, post-hardcore)

Rose Funeral – “Father Death” (Mar 27, deathcore)

thoughtcrimes – “The Drowning Man” (Mar 31, hardcore/mathcore)

 

Albums/EPs

Silvercord – Umbral EP (Mar 4, metalcore)

Hath – All That Was Promised (Mar 4, black metal/death metal)

Crowbar – Zero and Below (Mar 4, sludge/doom)

Vio-Lence – Let the World Burn EP (Mar 4, thrash)

Wolves at the Gate – Eulogies (Mar 11, metalcore/post-hardcore)

Arkaik – Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts (Mar 11, technical death metal)

Claustrofobia – Unleeched (Mar 11, thrash/death metal)

Ghost – Impera (Mar 11, doom metal/pop metal)

Messa – Close (Mar 11, doom metal)

Haunted Shores – Void (Mar 11, instrumental metal/djent from Periphery members)

Shaman’s Harvest – Rebelator (Mar 11, blues rock/alternative metal)

Distinguisher – Under the Weight of Things I Couldn’t Change EP (Mar 11, deathcore)

A Mourning Star – To See Your Beauty Fade EP (Mar 17, metalcore/melodic death metal)

Erra – Erra (Deluxe) (Mar 18, progressive metalcore with 7 extra tracks)

Joshua Travis – No Rest EP (Mar 18)

A Sense of Purpose – All the Grief was Gone EP (Mar 18, progressive metalcore)

Aeviterne – The Ailing Facade (Mar 18, technical death metal)

Stabbing Westward – Chasing Ghosts (Mar 18, alternative metal/industrial)

Crown Magnetar – Alone in Death (Mar 25, death metal)

Abbath – Dread Reaver (Mar 25, black metal)

Dream Widow – Rise of the Insane (Mar 25, heavy metal project from Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl)

Falls of Rauros – Key to a Vanishing Future (Mar 25, black metal)

Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems (Mar 25, hardcore punk)

Desolate Shrine – Fires of The Dying World (Mar 25, death metal)

New Fury Media’s March Features From the Underground