White Hoarhound by Alunah Recommended by Dave Guzda

2012 demo by From the Bark Recommended by occasional guest writer Nick Duke of Trojan Horse

Possibly born in the wrong era, everything about Alan Bonner is vintage personified and Balladeer is a special, refreshing, album filled with ingenuity that’s simplicity connects on very unexpected levels.

Forgive me before I start ranting but I need to get this off my chest. I will try to build an honest argument and make sure all sides are accounted for. I feel I have to make a stand against the debacle of “entertainment” that invade our screens once again last week but it’s not just The Brits…this goes out to all you worthless award ceremonies….

As I said, if you like them, then this will fit just nicely. As it happens, I like them, so this sits well with me. In a way, they stand for so much that I could never judge them harshly, but even I sometimes yearn for variety.

Edinburgh doom/sludge quartet Atragon debut with the not to be missed release “Volume 1” on underground Witch Hunter Records.

With their fourth album “The Flood Inside” post-rock band Long Distance Calling’s career takes another big step forward, with the introduction of vocals thereby continuing to innovate their music.

Our metal writer Phil Johnston caught up with Andrew and Rachel from NYC based sludge/doom band Archon and chatted about their new album Ouroboros Collapsing and other things.

Moksha is the new release by this three-piece grindcore ensemble from Michigan called Cloud Rat. Grindcore at its finest.

Hands Out are a punk band based in London, consisting of three full time members, and a fourth part-timer who provides loops and noises, and things that are usually extraneous to punk. Well, traditionally anyway.

Humanfly have recently released their second album (Awesome Science, Brew Records) and, I think it’s fair to say, executed one of the most striking musical evolutions at the same time, delivering an incredible slice of progressive space rock / metal that we are confident will be up there with 2013’s best come the end of the year. We took the opportunity to speak to drummer Dave Jones to find out more about how it all happened.

With “This Disgrace” Art Of Burning Water have delivered an absolute pissed off monster of a record!

Powerviolence band Nails are back with their latest release on Southern Lord Records called “Abandon All Life”.

Crippled Minds, Sundered Wisdom is a more appropriate representation of who Ramlord are. Blackened crust doom sludge powerviolence from New Hampshire.

BATILLUS have excelled on “Concrete Sustain” creating their best work and to my ears a faultless album.

These are well-played, well-constructed and well-executed songs with a splash or irony and a large scoop-full of humour, broiling in a smelting pot of maritime madness.

Filthy pop punkers Comanechi are back with their second album “You Owe Me Nothing But Love”, throwing filthy riffs and boundary hitting sexually inspired lyrics at you.

After a few listens, the giddy excitement of OMFG IT’S A NEW MY BLOODY VALENTINE ALBUM!!! disappears, eclipsed by something more substantial and nourishing. It’s replaced by the complete enjoyment of listening to a band not finished exploring their otherworld, and not done returning to show us what they’ve found.

Poppy sludge mixed with elements of noise and post-hardcore? That’s what Canadian band Godstopper very successfully manages to do. Their album “What Matters” is full of brilliant catchy hooks, melody and heavy sludge riffs.

Short, sharp, fast and angry, False Light is a blast of powerviolence you’re not likely to forget for some time.

For now, I’d recommend Elara look out for the 2013 edition of the post-rock manual as things have progressed beyond the sounds created here.