Release date: February 28, 2020
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Personnel: Sacha Dunable-guitar/vox, Dave Timnick-guitar/vox, Joe Lester-bass, Alex Rudinger-drums
At #3, we have another band whose very existence felt in jeopardy over the past few years. Their last album was released in 2015 and after extensive touring, the band took a much needed break. In the interim, original drummer Danny Walker was let go due to sexual harassment allegations. This loss seemed to put the band on what felt like a permanent hiatus. Luckily for all of us, the band regrouped and have released one of their strongest albums to date. They enlisted journeyman drummer extraordinaire, Alex Rudinger, to handle the drum duties. This album contains all of the pot influenced post-metal, jazz-tinged, progressive metal that you’ve come to expect from these guys. Just as tight of a band as there is in the world of metal. Fun fact: the was the only 2020 release that I got to see performed live prior to covid shutting everything down when they opened for Cult of Luna in February.
5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
3. Intronaut-Fluid Existential Inversions
4. Elder-Omens
5. Paradise Lost-Obsidian
6. Blues Pills-Holy Moly!
7. Armored Saint-Punching the Sky
8. Huntsmen-Mandala of Fear
9. Black Crown Initiate-Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape
10. Haken-Virus
11. Fake Names-Fake Names
12. Kvelertak-Splid
13. King Buffalo-Dead Star
14. Sylosis-Cycle of Suffering
15. Kirk Windstein-Dream in Motion
16. Oranssi Pazuzu-Mestarin Kynsi
17. Forming the Void-Reverie
18. Lamb of God-Lamb of God
19. Demons and Wizards-III
20. Killer Be Killed-Reluctant Hero
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 