!T.O.O.H! or Total Obliteration Of Humanity…! have been grinding in the Czech Republic for almost 20 years. Their success is similar to that shared by bands such as Orphaned Land and Negura Bunget; taking a malleable metal template and putting a geographical spin on it has proven to be an effective method of producing unique aggressive music. Their final album, (final due to a shoddy little record label known as Earache) ?ád a Trest (Order And Punishment), is the ultimate manifestation of their style, utilizing folk grind (yes, really) and clever riffs that exude progressive jazz and death metal. Jan Veselý, or Schizoid, handles the vocal mayhem with a fine mix of maniacal outburst and tasteful intonation. While extremely exaggerated, his rhythms are driving and desperate, much like his other position’s output as drummer. The bass work from Petr Svoboda is densely complex, playing with the same nimble acrobatics as the equally impressive guitars (courtesy of the mentally unstable Wokus). On the percussion side of things, Schizoids’s landscape of the beat is constantly changing, adding jazz flourishes, and cymbals that are most evocative of their cultural origin. Alone, this album is a fantastic little grind gem due to the strengths of it’s expressive composition… As another brilliant addition to the travelogue of metal, !T.O.O.H! include their explicit cultural aesthetic to produce essential results. For fans of SiKth and Lykathea Aflame.

- Alec

Sure, Lineage Situation is a complete Neil Perry discography (which some may consider cheating), but as a compilation completing at the fifty-minute mark, I still consider it an album of sorts.  This is my Weekly Worship and I can do what I want.

What makes Neil Perry different from most violent screamo acts? Very little.  But when you take into consideration that Josh Jakubowski went on to be a major part of major scene acts like Joshua Fit For Battle and the almighty Hot Cross, Neil Perry’s impact extends far beyond the forty songs that the band put to tape.  However, unlike most screamo bands, the band rarely attempts pseudo-jazz passages, instead replacing them with frantic yells and blast beats.  Tracks like “Fading Away Like The Rest of Them” (which is one of the best songs of all time), “Shit Blows Up…It’s So Good”, “Nine Minutes of Non Fiction” and “Sorry For The Misunderstanding, Mr. Watts” show the band at their strongest, and while there are a few numbers that are skipworthy, Lineage Situation is a discography of a band that deserves more recognition for their contribution to the screamo scene, as well as their general awesomeness.

- Logan

Harvey Milk‘s first two albums are crushing. They’re droning, slugging, tireless behemoths of noise and artistry that I haven’t seen matched once through all the facets of metal, hardcore, or whatever genre that could even come close to synthesizing the Georgian band’s sound. On Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men, The Athens three-piece crafted a truly different and mind-boggling piece of art. Yes, this is artistry. It isn’t pretension, it’s something new and ultimately rewarding to those who will spend time finding its countless nuances. Guitars and drums trudge along in a swollen muck, droning for what appears to be hours until vocalist/guitarist Creston Spiers drops a line like, “my tears sting small eyelids” (on “Pinnochio’s Example”) and you discover the naked convection with which he sings. The record can no longer classify as a strictly heavy outing (though, believe me, it very well could be the heaviest record ever), but rather a hybrid of intersecting tastes. It’s a strange and unnerving experience, but Harvey Milk’s second album is without a doubt their magnum opus.

- Nick