Sylosis

Alright kids, I've been saving this one for a while; if I doled out all the choicest stuff at the beginning, I wouldn't have much of a blog, now would I?  British metalcore outfit Sylosis is the truly great thing that I eventually discovered to replace Himsa, the single greatest metalcore band ever to exist, after the members of that band chose to call it quits while they were still at their peak.  While Sylosis differs somewhat from Himsa in style - less punch and anthem, more darkness and storytelling - the elements are all still there: hardcore vocals, thrash and classic-metal playing, and big, thunderous tracks held together just enough by theme and style to be identifiable, but not so much to be yet more failed theme albums.  Now, I've had a tough time deciding which tracks to give you, so you need to do what what I always want you to: explore beyond what I've posted here; these guys have a great deal to offer.  With that said, I still felt I needed to give you two today: "Empyreal", which I feel demonstrates a wide range of what they boys have to offer, and one of my personal favorite conceits, the breakdown-heavy "Altered States of Consciousness."  CRANK EM!

Gothminister

It's Gothminister today - CRANK IT!

COC

Alright kids, it's Corrosion of Conformity today.  Where to begin?  Are they excellent at thrash?  Yes.  Are they greats of the stoner tradition?  Ayep.  Have they equal mastery over acoustic ballads and southern hard rock?  Undoubtedly.  Obviously, you'll want to explore for yourself, but here's a taste to wet your whistle - it's "Vote With a Bullet" - CRANK IT!

Flashback - Souls At Zero

Improbably, it's that time again - FLASHBACK!  Today we remember an excellent band that just never could get its due - Souls At Zero.  Now, some of you may remember an earlier band called Wrathchild America; Souls at Zero was exactly the same guys, but whatever happened between the last Wrathchild album 3-D and the self-titled Souls At Zero record, it was angry-making.  The snarkiness and thrash of "No Deposit, No Return" and "Surrounded By Idiots" were replaced by the cynicism and sludge of tracks like "Grey World" and "Thrown Down."  I had the privilege of seeing them play once - the privilege.  Remind me sometime and I'll tell you about it.  Anyway, here's the soundtrack of rebirth: it's Souls At Zero - CRANK IT!