Das Plague - S/T

Tracklisting:

1. Ritmos Sincopados, Sonidos de Muerte

2. A Un Paso de la Determinacion

3. La Segunda Regla

4. Mimesis

5. La Marea de Piedras

Band Members:

Nelson - Vocals

Gabi - Guitar/Vocals

Blas - Guitar

Marcos - Bass

Javi - Drums

Imagine taking bits of Isis like post metal and then mixing it with crusty hardcore influence (think Recreant without violin). Then throw it in Spain. Das Plague. Seriously, this album is so masterfully done. The melodies, builds, and instrumentation blend perfectly to a beautiful, emotive, heavy experience. Sadly, I truly don't know much about this band and can't find much about them online. In light of this, this review is pretty short, so all I can say is LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM. You may be surprised, but you definitely won't be disappointed.

Support the band HERE

Download the album HERE

Cryptodira - An Unmarked Grave

Track Listing:

1. Descent

2. An Unmarked Grave

Band Members:
Scott Acquavella - Guitar / Vocals

Shane Kennedy - Bass / Vocals

Mike Monaco - Guitar / Vocals

Matt Taibi - Drums

Cryptodira: Seriously one of my favorite bands out there.This past year they put out a near perfect album, Recursions, (you can read my short review of it on my Best of 2013 blog entry) and now they're releasing a 2 song EP. Needless to say it's their most ambitious release yet. Everything they release is more mature and improves upon the formula they've already crafted of post metal interludes, prog/death metal riffs, and hardcore mentality, and An Unmarked Grave is no exception.

Vocalist and guitarist Scott Acquavella shines with this release. His harsh vocals are strong and his cleans are layered perfectly with reverb and harmonies that showcase his voice far better than their previous releases. Guitarist Mike Monaco has more vocal parts as well, which is a definite plus, bringing more of their hardcore influence to the forefront for a change. The guitar work is astounding, as to be expected, but then so are the bass and drums. Shane Kennedy is still one of the most impressive bassists I've seen and Matthew Taibi continues to blow my mind. Hell, here's a video so he can blow your mind too.

While the EP doesn't drop until Jan. 4th, both tracks can be streamed on the band's soundcloud page, and I highly recommend listening to them (I put them at the bottom for those of you too lazy to find it yourselves). If you're a fan of Converge, Isis, The Dillinger Escape Plan, or Cynic, there's something to love in this band. Even if you aren't a fan of any of those bands, Cryptodira are unique enough to set themselves apart from just about any band you've heard and they're worth your time.

Support the band HERE

Buy their other releases HERE