State Faults - Children of the Moon
🥈#2 | S Tier
The Bay Area’s very own State Faults cements their legacy as one of the premier Screamo bands of this generation, encapsulating the enigmatic nature of Bay Area Skramz with Children of the Moon. The band has always had a Post-Screamo feel to their music, but the term seems most relevant in describing their latest album, a monumental 1+ hour atmospheric sojourn, dwarfing the lengths of their previous outings by quite a bit. Although the immediacy found in their previous albums has dissipated somewhat, their use of melody, particularly in the newly added clean vocals, elevates them to a different plane entirely.
Febuary - February
#4 | S Tier
One of the most refreshing takes on Screamo in years, Febuary actually takes inspiration from the Screamo greats of yore, such as Portraits of Past, Saetia or I Have Dreams. Despite the weight of their influence on this “self-titled” album, February isn’t content to just worship these bands. Instead, they twisted the grand sonic textures these groups created to fit their needs. This album exemplifies quiet-loud dynamics in the most natural of ways, often at either crescendo or decrescendo. The manic dual vocals shriek and scream with passion and fervor, and they just have that “human element” that makes you feel the anguish behind every line. If you like classic 90s Screamo with Midwest Emo and Post-Rock vibes, this is one of the best albums in recent memory to listen to.
Clay Birds - Bled Out and Painted Blue
#5 | A+ Tier
Perhaps rating their debut EP a C+ last year was a bit too harsh, but Bled Out and Painted Blue is a marked improvement for the band in terms of songwriting and production. Despite the varied song structures and styles, Clay Birds still maintains their signature chaotic and dark atmosphere. The volume dynamics on this album are very natural as the band finds the perfect juxtaposition of solemn and lonesome clean sections with menacing and raw Screamo. With their first LP, Clay Birds have canonized themselves in the grand tapestry of Socal Skramz.
drive your plow over the bones of the dead - tragedy as catharsis
#7 | A+ Tier
One of the noisiest and most unrelenting Emoviolence albums of all time, tragedy as catharsis is a Hell of a debut LP from native Canucks drive your plow. The arrangements are tumultuous and suffocating, aided by the ultra-distorted guitars and boisterous drumming. However, this wall of sound that’s created as a result belies the supreme technicality under the hood; blistering chord progressions, time signature shenanigans and subtle intensity dynamics showcase a band handily biting off in less than 20 minutes one of the most ambitious Emoviolence records ever. Although the deafening dissonance and cacophony are one of the album's strongest points, slightly clearer production could have improved this.
your arms are my cocoon - death of a rabbit
A Tier
In 2020, YAAMC controversially released their s/t EP, singlehandedly establishing Bedroom Skramz as the genre of the times. Beloved by many, it remains unlistenable for a huge swath of Emo fans. Fast forward four years into the future and YAAMC has released their first proper full-length record. While Bedroom Skramz hasn’t really evolved since it was introduced in 2020, Tyler Odum took the last four years to mature his sound. death of a rabbit is fragile and cathartic with many quiet instruments like acoustic guitars and soft synths juxtaposed against harsher synths and desperate screams. Listening to this album feels like prying into someone’s diary, a document of their private thoughts. And while it almost feels wrong, the near 45-minute runtime evaporates with each listen. Definitely listen to this whether you liked the 2020 s/t or not.
