The new year has kicked off just as strongly as 2023 finished, with already a number of standout releases dropping from the whole spectrum of -core related genres. It's always a challenge come December at comparing these January releases to newer albums that you've only had weeks or a month to digest, yet I think it's fair to say I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of these stand the test to make some end of year lists. The -core side of metal is thriving and showing no sides of slowing down, and neither will we. -Trent Bos The Wall of Death Knoll - As Spoken (blackened deathgrind)  Ten ..read more

October was yet another banner month for the greater -core spectrum of genres, offering quality everywhere you look. Particularly in the heavier, more metallic, weird and esoteric corners of the genre. Mathcore and screamo in particular continue to have amazing years, but this revival of 00s metalcore, and metallic hardcore is feeling even more noticeable. If that sort of thing tickles your fancy, well we've got some goods in store for you. -Trent Bos The Wall of Death Dreamwell - In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You (screamo, post-hardcore) Rhode Island’s Dreamwell are like a hardcore jack ..read more

Your favorite everything-core column is back, wrapping up some of the best of September (and a sneaky August) releases. This was a pretty stacked month for the genre and obviously we weren't able to get to everything, so we shined some light on a few releases that may have flown under your radar. There were big names like Harms Way (which does kick ass) and Polaris (eh), but the more memorable ones seemed to come from the underground, and particularly internationally this time around. The standout feature this month has to be given to the excellent comeback from experimental grind masters Gri ..read more

The dead speak! (bad Star Wars reference). Yes, Rotten to the Core is back after a summer hiatus with a new editor (hello), to wrap up some of our favorite -core releases from June and July. Shoutout former editor Calder for his amazing work steering this ship over the past three years. Moving forward, we’re looking to get things back to the same monthly schedule you’re used to, as August already has delivered some heavy hitters we’ll get to soon. Oh and don't sleep on the The Circle Pit list at the bottom. There were too many releases in the past two months to cover in one column, and certai ..read more

I’ve come to expect a certain sound, or perhaps just a particular approach, when I learn a band is from the Birmingham area. That is to say, I expect to feel like I’m being flattened and molded by hammers like hot steel on the forge. Newcomers Grief Ritual are no different in this regard — their riffs have a gravity all their own, and sparks fly when they’re deep in a pummeling groove. It’s easy to lose yourself under the weight of their crossover annihilation and be reborn in the crucible as a pit fiend ready to lay waste to your surroundings. That’s all by design of course. Though this is on ..read more

Longtime readers know I like to get up here on my soapbox sometimes and get blustery about something or other. The collapse of society, the evils and banalities of mankind, crushing the throat of your oppressor. There are plenty of those sentiments swirling (among many, many others that boil the blood) and honest to god, there may never be a time in our lives again where we can truly rest easy. I don’t say that to alarm or depress you. I say that to say this: we are, all of us, one people under a singular heel. May we be the nails in its sole so that one day, we might all be free. We love you ..read more

Welcome back to Rotten to the Core, my fellow geriatric, retired mosh warriors. If your joints are still in perfect working order and ten seconds in the pit don’t wind you: fuck you, get out! Just kidding. I’m pretty sure our target audience are icing their knees this very instant at the thought of coming out of retirement, but if your body hasn’t betrayed you yet, we’re rooting for you from the bar, bud. Anyway, this past month saw the massive return of some of UK’s finest southern rockers, as well as the advent of a certain Twilight Zone-themed mathcore unit, some primo new screamo, and fuck ..read more

Let’s start fresh, shall we? As the first official drop of the 2022 musical calendar, we have a lot to cover and only so much of your attention span. We appreciate you taking time out of dying on stream playing Elden Ring to come peruse our wares. Really — we’re trying to get back to watching you. But did y’all realize we haven’t had a proper sit-down since the infamous Deathcore Day of 2022? And that feels like so long ago! Hello, we have things to discuss! As always, we aim to cover a wide variety of offerings throughout the greater -core arena, with more hidden gems at the end we couldn’t g ..read more

I open with an apology. Despite a rotating roster of talented characters willing to write about the forbidden step-siblings of their trver metal kin, sometimes there’s just too much good stuff that comes out in a month and not enough minds to opine. So it’s with a heavy heart I must announce we are not covering (but you should definitely check out if you haven’t) the new Frontierer, Vildhjarta, or Dying Wish, all incredible records from bands at the forefront of their sounds. Despite being high-profile releases, we here at Heavy Blog have never kowtowed to what we ‘should’ cover, and instead l ..read more

Welcome back, friend. It’s been a hell of a month for mosh enjoyers like us. We have been absolutely drowning in killer releases, so much so that even through our combined efforts, we could only cover a fraction of what you need to be listening to. Mea culpa. We are but simpleminded slaves to the rhythm of the pit and any coherent ramblings hereafter are simply coincidence. Let’s fucking go! -Calder Dougherty The Wall of Death Spiritbox – Eternal Blue (progressive metalcore) Finally. There have been tons of long-awaited or highly-anticipated albums dropping recently, but Vancouver’s Spiritbox ..read more