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22. Architects – the classic symptoms of a broken spirit (Epitaph Records)
21. Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse (Century Media Records)
20. Darkthrone – Astral Fortress (Peaceville Records)
19. KoRn – Requiem (Loma Vista Recordings)
18. Inclination – Unaltered Perspective (Pure Noise Records)
17. Turnover – Myself In The Way (Run For Cover Records)
Indie rock band Turnover supposedly set out to create their own ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ (The Beatles) or ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ (Pink Floyd) on ‘Myself In The Way,’ rather than draw from their usual alternative, emo, and dream pop counterparts. The ambition is there, but the end result feels a little less like groundbreaking classic rock and a bit more like you’re staying at a colorful resort in Palm Springs while the soundtrack to Mad Men plays. Yet the title track, which features guest vocals from Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, is worth the price of admission to that resort alone. It’s an airy, bright, and fun little pop record that stuck out to me in a year that was otherwise clearly dominated by heavy metal.
16. Goo Goo Dolls – Chaos In Bloom (Warner Records)
If there’s one thing certain in my life, it’s that whenever Buffalo, New York alternative pop rock band Goo Goo Dolls release a new album, it’s going on my “Best Of” list – no matter what. And although nothing will ever compare to the absolute perfect trifecta of back-to-back-to-back Goos records (1995’s ‘A Boy Named Goo,’ 1998’s ‘Dizzy Up The Girl’ and 2002’s ‘Gutterflower’), their thirteenth album ‘Chaos In Bloom’ is still incredibly solid. The Goos have a pretty predictable and specific formula at this point in the game. This may seem trite, but it also accounts for the fact that they’ve never really released a bad record either, which says a lot after being at it for well over 30 years. Track 7 - “Day After Day” is my personal favorite, as it has a huge chorus and guitar riff combo sounding like it was lifted straight from Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is A Highway.” The rest are a bit more stripped down and straightforward, somewhat harkening back to the band’s early, no frills punk rock days in the late 80’s and early 90’s. This is mostly due to the fact that main singer/songwriter John Rzeznik takes up production for the first time in the band’s history here, coupled with the fact that it was recorded during the isolated COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. This results in a little more “raw” sounding Goos, and if that works for one of the most hardworking bands in THE most quintessential blue collar working class city in the entire world? Well then it works for me too.
15. Drug Church – ‘Hygiene’ (Pure Noise Records)
I’ve always described Albany, New York’s Drug Church as a really pissed off version of Epitaph Records’ band The Menzingers. They’re too poppy to be punk rock, but far too angry to be pop punk. Everything about Drug Church is a little grimy and uncomfortable, right down to their album covers (especially this one – seriously: what in the actual fuck am I looking at here?); even their band name has a sort of “ick” feeling attached. But that’s sort of the appeal to the Church of Drug in the first place. These are the guys you were friends with in high school that your parents called dirtbags. And even though you knew they were secretly right, you also kept ‘em around because you enjoyed their antics for whatever reason. And then you hear the New wave-esque (albeit aggro new-wave) undeniably catchy “Detective Lieutenant,” and you think to yourself, “see? These guys aren’t so bad!” And besides, just like its lyrics state, “if we disappoint each other somehow it’s okay, we don’t share the same house.”
14. Municipal Waste – Electrified Brain (Nuclear Blast)
Another fun ripper from one of the most consistently solid thrash metal bands in existence. They never reinvent the wheel, but it’s kinda hard to do that when they’re drunkenly steering it at breakneck speed. Party!
13. Motionless In White – Scoring The End Of The World (Roadrunner Records)
Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Motionless In White have always worn their influences proudly on their sleeves. After all, even the band name itself is derived directly from an Eighteen Visions song title, and their fashion sense and style borrows heavily from old school AFI and Bleeding Through, yet is constantly evolving too – not unlike those same idols of theirs. So it’s no surprise that their sixth album, ‘Scoring The End Of The World,’ is chock-full of familiarities, guest appearances, worship and tribute, and tons of eyeliner. “Werewolf,” the album’s synth-heavy and strongest track that’s laced with plenty of pop sensibilities, even goes as far as to sample Michael Jackson’s/Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” hook in frontman Chris "Motionless" Cerulli’s lyrics. The beatdown breakdown heavy “Slaughterhouse,” which features guest vocals from Bryan Garris of Kentucky hardcore band Knocked Loose, might as well just be a new Knocked Loose song entirely. There were several times I had to remind myself that I was not, in fact, listening to a new Marilyn Manson record here, while simultaneously feeling like I had been transported back to the mid-2000s – AKA the golden age of metalcore. But is all this familiar ground a bad thing per se? Quite the contrary, actually. MIW mixes all their painfully obvious yet stylistically different influences into one apocalyptic blender, and the end result is that ‘Scoring the End Of The World’ is a “Masterpiece” (pun intended – it’s track number 6). Maybe it’s because I too grew up on nu-metal, worshipped Orange County hardcore, and dreamt of playing in an arena rock band as well, so I’m more than happy to go along for the ride. And what a fun one it is from start to finish, as the sci-fi inspired opener “Meltdown” kicks things off with their signature gothy/tongue-in-cheek lyrics like “on tonight’s series finale, we’re all gonna fucking die,” and concludes with the title track featuring guest artist Mick Gordon, the video game composer most famous for his work on the DOOM franchise music.
12. Stray From The Path – ‘Euthanasia’ (UNFD)
I’m a sucker for anything that Long Island, New York “nu-core” band Stray From The Path puts out. They never really reinvent themselves or switch things up too much, but they don’t need to either. Vocalist Drew Dijorio’s lyrical hooks and drummer Craig Reynolds always deliver the one-two punch to the gut that’s needed to fill the void that Rage Against The Machine left behind, and ‘Euthanasia’ is about as good as it gets. Every track is a banger, but the standout tune, “Guillotine,” perhaps captures the pure essence of SFTP perfectly: it starts with Drew’s muffled, rap rock lyrics “desperate people never stay desperate forever,” before it crescendos into the explosive end breakdown complete with dogpile and pit-ready gang vocals “off with their fucking heads.”
11. Candy – Heaven Is Here (Relapse Records)
Their name might be Candy, but they’re anything but sweet. In fact, ‘Heaven Is Here’ is downright nasty. From the album art (is that a…sewer orgy?) to its lyrical themes and everything in between, Candy’s Relapse Records full-length debut is definitely an acquired taste, but one that I have personally become strangely addicted to. Sludgy industrial tinged metallic d-beat hardcore punk that has enough muck and mire to rival even the nastiest…sewer orgy? Rearing its ugly head on songs like “Mutilation,” “Transcend to Wet,” “World of Shit” and “Perverse,” ‘Heaven Is Here’ is 10 tracks in just 30 minutes from one of the most exciting and unique new bands in the metal world. I love this Candy, even though it’s fucking gross.
10. Pixies – Doggerel (BMG)
Legendary alternative rock band Pixies start things off a little…weird on their eighth album, ‘Doggerel.’ So much so that I honestly almost didn’t make it through the first couple songs, much less the whole album. But boy am I glad I did stick it out, as it quickly ended up becoming one of my favorite albums of the entire year. Those looking for the standout hits like “Where Is My Mind?” or “Here Comes Your Man” from days of old, sadly won’t find anything of the sort on ‘Doggerel,’ as this is a much more “chill” record, but one that I repeatedly found myself coming back to time & time again regardless. If I would have followed Frank Black’s advice on the intro track, “Nomatterday,” ‘Doggerel’ wouldn’t be on this list: “don’t waste your time on me.” I’m glad I did, Frank, and it was time well spent.
9. Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9 (Epic Records)
Admittedly, I was scared to listen to Ozzy’s ‘Patient Number 9.’ No offense to the Prince of Darkness, but I thought 2020’s ‘Ordinary Man’ was a Crazy Trainwreck, so my hopes weren’t exactly very high for album number 13. But superstitions be damned, as “unlucky number 13” proves to be very lucky for Ozz, as he has seemingly struck gold again on these 13 (there’s that number again) old school sounding Ozzy tracks. At 74-years-old with a host of unfortunate health problems, Ozzy’s voice sounds as strong as ever here, and yes – somehow, he still manages to keep up with the absolutely stacked lineup of star power guests (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Tony Iommi, and Zakk Wylde of course). Probably because, as he states in “Immortal,” he’s just never going to die. Frankly, I think I believe him.
8. Vein.fm – This World Is Going To Ruin You (Closed Casket Activities/Nuclear Blast)
Vein burst onto the scene in 2018 with unrelenting ferocity on their debut album, ‘errorzone.’ The hype was definitely real, but was also proven more than justified, as their live shows set ablaze any notions that they couldn’t pull off the same recorded chaotic intricacies in a live setting. Now back four years later with their long-awaited follow-up sophomore album, this is definitely a new “Vein,” even down to their band name (which now sports a .fm at the end). A little less Botch, Converge, Daughters, or Dillinger Escape Plan, and a little more Slipknot and Korn, Vein.fm gambles their underground mathcore success for nu-metal worship, and it pays off for them tenfold. This is a much more tightly focused and easily digestible work of art than its predecessor, while still walking the fine line of keeping things nice and heavy without spilling over into cheesy rap rock territory. Like a horror movie come to life in an audible sense, ‘This World Is Going To Ruin You’ is constantly keeping you on your toes, wondering what lurks behind each and every unpredictable corner of their new sonic hellscape. And as the band has cited the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack as a major influence on this album, it definitely makes sense. I can’t wait to hear what comes next.
7. Fleshwater – We’re Not Here To Be Loved (Closed Casket Activities)
As the Vein.fm side project whose home even resides on the same exact record label, it only felt right to put these two releases next to each other, and surprisingly…Fleshwater beat the main act, albeit by a hair. “Hardcore kids playing 90’s grunge” is the thing you didn’t know you needed or wanted back when Blacklisted essentially started it many years ago. But as their 2022 debut ‘We’re Not Here To Be Loved’ proves, this “genre” has come a long way – and Fleshwater has seemingly perfected what Blacklisted first concocted. Frontwoman Marisa Shirar is the shining star here, as her voice is not only perfectly suited for this style, but it seriously almost surpasses all the female fronted alt-rock bands in the 90’s that Fleshater is emulating in the first place – from Hole to The Breeders, Veruca Salt and everyone in between. Fleshwater’s debut is a magnificent one, and although they claim that they’re not here to be loved, I can’t help but fall in love with everything about this surprising debut.
6. Polyphia – Remember That You Will Die (Rise Records)
For such a bleak album title, Polyphia’s fourth LP is sure a fun one. For those unfamiliar, Polyphia is a mostly instrumental progressive metal group from Texas led by guitarist Tim Henson’s technical wizardry. Their latest effort is a little less “metal” and a little more “this is what a Top 40 instrumental band would sound like” though, but it turns out that I am definitely more than okay with this. “ABC,” featuring R&B singer Sophia Black on vocals, is probably my favorite Polyphia song to date, and Deftones’ Chino Moreno appearing on “Bloodbath” is a welcome addition to this band’s cohesively impressive and vast catalog. Legendary guitarist Steve Vai even appears on closer “Ego Death” if that’s your thing. And it’s actually not my thing, which is why I’m constantly blown away by how much I love this particular band in a genre I could generally care less about. My only gripe? The bummer album title. I mean, couldn’t you have at least just gone with ‘Memento Mori,’ guys?
5. Counterparts – A Eulogy For Those Still Here (Pure Noise Records)
I’ve always sincerely had a strong affinity for Canadian hardcore band Counterparts. From their early, humble beginnings on the always impressive Victory Records (RIP) roster, Counterparts have perhaps gone farther commercially than possibly every melodic metalcore band ever (Misery Signals, Shai Hulud, etc.), and with the release of ‘A Eulogy For Those Still Here,’ it’s no wonder why. From beginning to end, ‘A Eulogy…’ crushes, both figuratively and literally. Sonically speaking, the crushing breakdowns are impenetrable, and the weight of frontman Brendan Murphy’s lyrics and vocal delivery will honestly crush your soul. The emotional, cathartic conceptual backdrop to ‘A Eulogy For Those Still Here’ is simple enough to feel like we’ve been here before, but yet ingenious enough to where we actually haven’t, as it deals with the concept of mourning the loss of someone that’s still alive, or saying goodbye to something that hasn’t actually left yet. In other words, this is the perfect record to cry and scream along to, even though you don’t really know why you’re so upset in the first place. Whatever the reason, it was made for us still here, and so we should be happy that we’re around to hear it.
4. Venom Inc. – There’s Only Black (Nuclear Blast)
You’re either Team Cronos or Team Tony, and I’m with the “Demolition Man” all the way. The 1989-1992 years of Venom (‘Prime Evil,’ ‘Tear Your Soul Apart,’ ‘Temples Of Ice’ and ‘The Waste Lands’) is my personal favorite era from the seminal “Black Metal” band, so it goes without saying that I absolutely loved when Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan decided to reboot his version of Venom under the umbrella Venom Inc. in 2015. I’ve been waiting patiently for five years for the follow-up to their 2017 debut ‘Avé,' and it has finally arrived in the form of ‘There’s Only Black.’ There’s a whole lot to love here if you have an affinity for the previously mentioned Venom albums, as this is a essentially a direct continuation (much like ‘Ave’ was). And there’s definitely a whole lot of black. Seriously: get your black leather jacket and your black Motorhead shirt, and go black in time with Venom Inc. High-speed “black ‘n’ roll” whose members’ have apparently aged like fine wine. Black wine, that is.
3. Slipknot – The End, So Far (Roadrunner Records)
In many ways, this feels like a battle between the end of a long era of Slipknot vs. an entirely new beginning for Iowa’s 9-piece. It’s their final album for Roadrunner Records, which the band has called home since 1998. It’s also dedicated to original drummer and Slipknot co-founder Joey Jordison, who may have already left the band before his death in 2021, but his absence likely doesn’t make it any easier for the band to cope with his sudden passing either, and the weight of that has clearly influenced ‘The End, So Far.’ It’s filled to the brim with new ideas, different directions, and hints of what might lie ahead for the band’s future. “Adderall,” an incredibly slow and vastly different song than the band has EVER done before, starts things off, which is a huge departure from say, album starters like self-titled's “(Sic)” or “People = Shit” (from ‘Iowa’). It doesn’t really pick things up on track two, “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” either, as it starts was a surprising acapella Corey Taylor intro. Things don’t drastically change course until track three, ‘The Chapeltown Rag,’ which shows this is still the Slipknot you know and love, or at least…sort of? It still feels reserved, like they’re holding back for something. Some of it pays off, a lot of it doesn’t, but one thing is clear: the sheer difference between this Slipknot and 1998’s Slipknot is striking. But then again, the unexpected twists and turns have always been the core of Slipknot anyway, so perhaps it isn’t the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning after all. It’s their own thing: it’s The End, So Far.
2. Ghost – IMPERA (Loma Vista Recordings)
Always polarizing, the love ‘em or hate ‘em occultists that make up Sweden’s arena pop rock and glam metal group Ghost have delivered something seriously special with ‘IMPERA’ here, and I dare anyone to not smile at least a dozen times during this concept album’s 46-minute runtime. Simply put, it’s just a blast to listen to from start till finish, and plays more like a “Greatest Hits” of Ghost compilation than a fully-fledged new album, and I mean that as the utmost compliment I can give this modern day opus. Every song plays like an incredibly ambitious #1 hit single, channeling the likes of ABBA and Styx. If that sounds too over the top and ridiculous, that’s because it is—and isn’t that why we all love this band in the first place? The opening track, “Kaisarion,” sets the stage for what’s to come in a purely dizzying spectacle, and rarely let’s up from the nonstop showmanship throughout the remaining 10 tunes thereafter. This is Ghost at their absolute peak, and ironically is themed around the eventual fall of every empire too, which begs the question: just what exactly is mastermind Tobias Forge trying to tell us here? Like the subject matter, will the empire that is Ghost come crumbling down after the curtain closes on ‘IMPERA?’ Or are we once again overanalyzing everything that spills out of Ghost’s expertly crafted but obviously overly exaggerated world? At the end of the day, we’re all probably taking a guy that cosplays as the Pope and sounds like Foreigner a little too seriously, but me personally? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
1. Lorna Shore – Pain Remains (Century Media Records)
Who would’ve thought? A seemingly unsuspecting New Jersey deathcore band that formed back in 2009 and has been plagued by various lineup changes would go on to produce this. It’s not only the best “deathcore” album of all time, but it’s one of the best heavy metal albums of all time too – period. Absolutely amazing and purely insane from start to finish, ‘Pain Remains’ is a landmark album that has changed the game forever. To push the genre forward in such an unpredictable way is a crowning achievement—one that has only been awarded to few and far between over the 50 or so years that metal music has been around. That crown now sits proudly on Lorna Shore’s throne. So how did we get here, and what exactly makes Lorna Shore’s latest one of the greatest of all-time? Pick your poison: epic blockbuster movie scale production, jaw-dropping musicianship, hauntingly beautiful lyrics and lyrical themes, combined with the catchiest and most memorable riffs in death metal quite possibly ever (yet while still managing to maintain its bone-crushingly heavy composure). And of course, the most batshit crazy vocals ever from newcomer Will Ramos, who just recently joined and was seemingly forged in Mordor itself. There’s a lot to unpack here, and just like trying to explain the emotional weight of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy to someone rather than having them experience it for themself, this is a journey that must be embarked upon personally, in order to understand and appreciate its gravitas.
Every once in a while, a metal band does something so out of left field and yet so remarkable that they completely uplift the face and course of the entire scene. Although I’m not old enough to have witnessed when Metallica transformed from an underground 80’s thrash metal band to the accessible hard rock juggernaut that they are today, I was lucky enough to see it happen to a band like Avenged Sevenfold, who cracked into the mainstream with 2005’s monstrous ‘City Of Evil.’ A band that partied and looked like Motley Crue but came from the hardcore scene, was all of a sudden getting their 5+ minute long power metal influenced songs played on MTV’s TRL of all places. For better or worse, Lorna Shore’s recent foray into the spotlight hasn’t come from MTV though (unlike Avenged’s), supporting a larger tour package, or a hit single on the radio like Metallica’s (although that would be funny). It essentially came from TikTok, which I admit is cringe. But to remind the older “gatekeepers” of the scene: it’s not 2005 anymore, and it’s definitely not 1989 either. The viral video reactions and impersonations of Will Ramos’ now infamous “man or beast?” squeals ARE the 2022 equivalent to the bombastic music videos in the 90’s, whether we like it or not. And just like the iconic acts mentioned previously, Lorna Shore has also achieved the impossible by not only turning people that have never really even listened to any metal before, into fans of this: one of the most disgustingly heavy albums released in any recent memory. And with their recently completed and completely sold-out headlining US tour, they brought death metal veterans Aborted and Ingested along as the openers, exposing all the younger TikTokers in the crowd to brutal, non-commercial mainstays in one of the most inaccessible (to casual listeners anyway) sub genres of heavy metal. A bold and highly respectable move for one of the hottest “new” young bands in town, and one that will surely payoff in spades down the road. They may be current leaders of the herd, but they still know where they came from.
And speaking of which: where exactly does Lorna Shore go from here? After the viral reactions fade, will they alter their sound to try and enter a new arena outside of deathcore, which they have very clearly already mastered? Or do they stay the course and attempt to produce a follow-up to this 10/10 monumental insta-classic? Whatever happens, it really doesn’t even matter, because one fact remains: ‘Pain Remains’ is one of the greatest and downright heaviest metal records this generation, bar none. All hail Lorna fucking Shore.
Honorable Mentions:
Comeback Kid – Heavy Steps (Nuclear Blast)
This is a bold statement, but it needs to be said: this is Canada hardcore band Comeback Kid’s best album since their 2005 breakthrough, ‘Wake The Dead.’ Before you’re even one minute into the opening title track, they’ve got you hook, line and sinker. Almost 20 years have passed since their seminal album, and they’re back bigger and better than ever. I guess that’s why they call them the Comeback Kid.
Heilung – Drif (Season of Mist)
Traditional Viking tribal collective Heilung are back with their most accessible material yet. Get transported back to the “old world” in nearly an hours’ worth of minimalistic “pagan doom folk,” and experience the audio-visual sensory overload that this collection of nine “songs” interweave with one another to create the musical quilt that makes up ‘Drif.’ There are so many layers here, so much to hear and even “see” (as weird as that sounds), that it really is just on a whole other level. If you can make it to a live Heilung “ritual,” I highly recommend you do so. But if not, ‘Drif’ will make you feel like you’re right in the middle of some ritualistic demonstration anyway. I’m no cosplayer and the Renaissance Festival isn’t really my thing, but Heilung makes me want to adorn a loin cloth and antlers while chanting “Buslas Bann!”
Holy Fawn – Dimensional Bleed (Wax Bodega)
Remember the nauseating (but well-deserved) hype and praise that Deafheaven’s 2013 breakthrough ‘Sunbather’ received? Holy Fawn’s fourth release, ‘Dimensional Bleed,’ feels like it could almost reach that same groundbreaking potential. And although it sadly falls a little short of that career defining moment, it comes pretty damn close too, and feels like this very well could be the calm before the proverbial storm. In other words, Holy Fawn hasn’t quite broke yet, but mark my words: they will. ‘Dimensional Bleed’ is an atmospheric soundscape oozing with equal parts doom and shoegaze that checks every single genre-bending box with near flawless execution. It’s ethereal almost to a fault, as you definitely have to be in the mood to take in everything that Holy Fawn has to offer here. But if you can survive through the dense and epic thicket that ‘Dimensional Bleed’ lurks in, there is surely something special waiting on the other side.
Ignite – Ignite (Century Media Records)
Despite forming in 1993, this is somehow only Ignite’s seventh album. Yet even with their limited discography, I still rank them as one of the best melodic hardcore bands ever. And let’s face it, it’s all thanks to frontman “Zoli” Teglas, who has some SERIOUS pipes on him. So much so that he became the lead singer of legendary skate punk band Pennywise for a brief stint, and even fronted The Misfits for an even shorter period during their ‘American Psycho’ Michael Graves era. Only problem is, Zoli stepped down from fronting Ignite, and has been replaced by Eli Santana, guitarist for thrash metal band Holy Grail. Eli makes his debut on the appropriately self-titled new album (as this is essentially a whole new band), and I…have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it honestly doesn’t really sound like Ignite anymore. After all, Zoli’s unique shoes are incredibly hard, if not impossible, to fill. But it’s still a satisfying record that’s bursting at the seams with energy, invoking a very late 90’s/early 2000’s Southern California skate punk vibe from their homebase in Orange County. Plus, it’s still got that signature guitar style and tone that Ignite has ALSO always been notorious for too, so there are definitely hints of the good ol’ days. And don’t get me wrong, Eli is great, it’s just that this ends up sounding a bit more generic overall, as it was Zoli who elevated Ignite from being more than just a hardcore punk band. I still found myself coming back to it repeatedly, even though I will always be on Team Zoli.
Lamb Of God – Omens (Epic Records)
What more can really be said about American heavy metal band Lamb Of God at this point? They’ve been pumping out music for damn near 30 years now, and somehow have never missed the mark. I put LOG in the same category as Hatebreed: you know exactly what you’re going to get with each album, and that’s okay – I’ll mosh to that.
Megadeth – The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead! (Universal)
Meshuggah – Immutable (Atomic Fire)
Mindforce – New Lords (Triple B Records)
Russian Circles – Gnosis (Sargent House)
She Must Burn – Umbra Mortis (Grey Rock Records)
Holy hell I’m in love with this band. Although billed as a deathcore unit, they personally remind me more of bands like Bleeding Through, Cradle Of Filth and even Nightwish. VERY gothic, very symphonic, and very heavy. Keyboardist Valis Volkova’s operatic voice is beautiful, and I simply cannot get enough. Bravo!
Static Dress – Rogue Carpet Disaster (Self-Released)
I’m not sure what’s fueling all the new, early 2000’s-era “screamo” bands lately (the return of My Chemical Romance perhaps?), but I’m all about it. If Seeyouspacecowboy from San Diego is leading the current wave of studded white belts and size Youth Large black tees in the US, then surely the U.K.’s Static Dress are the ones spinning their guitars to hypnotize a whole new generation of kids who missed the original heyday of “emocore" on the other side of the world. This record is just as chaotic, energetic and spazzy as early Glassjaw or MCR, and the fact that it all ties into this “alternate universe” that the band has crafted in the form of comic books, “soundtracks” and other merchandise, puts it over the edge for me. One of the most exciting new bands to hit the scene…even if it means I’ve gotta somehow squeeze into a YL again.