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.
A Rise (And Fall) of a Dilapidated Home - I'm Calling All the Lightes Out Now
B+ Tier
While this did release in 2023, it was on December 30th. Seeing as I made an exception for Chinese Football last year and already reviewed their EP Quit Running, featuring songs not used on this album. A Rise (And Fall) produces this fragile sound so delicate that the songs could fall apart at any moment. This one man project resembles Second Wave Midwest Emo as interpreted by a select few bands like BLA and Empire! Empire!, which is to say cathartic Midwest Emo with modern sensibilities. Infused with Post-Rock, this album is personal, confessional and serene, so please don’t miss out on this depressing musical adventure.
Respire - Hiraeth
B+ Tier
Simply put, this album is gorgeous. The Post-Rock soundscapes the band crafts in each song are dense, filled with rich sonic textures and heaps of grandiosity. The strings and horns in each song contrast the Blackgaze-inspired-Screamo perfectly, giving them a balanced sound that doesn’t stray too far into chaos territory. The band is the crown jewel of Toronto’s Screamo scene and with yet another epic release, they further their reputation in The Great White North. However, I’d argue there’s perhaps a bit more sizzle than steak on this record.
Foxtails - Home
B Tier
Foxtails is one of the most celebrated Screamo bands of the last decade, and with good reason. On this EP, Foxtails expound upon their last LP, playing atmospheric Post-Screamo with special mention to the sinister violin that colors the songs dark. June's punishing vocals permeate the agony of the lyrics with a mix of saddened cleans and merciless screams. Perhaps the only fault I can find is that the weight of their ambition sort of crushes this record. Had the grandiosity continued after the third and final song, this would be much higher.
Blame Art - Aneuma
B Tier
Aneuma is Blame Art’s first ever LP and is another entry in the longstanding tradition of Post-Rock-tinged Emo from Italy. They aren’t quite as Screamo as Raein, but not quite as soft as someone like KC Milian, balancing out quite well by using distortion and screaming more for aura than for ferocity. Most songs are over seven minutes, allowing the songs to slowly unravel themselves. Perhaps this is more Emo-tinged-Post-Rock, but it’s something you should give a listen to if you enjoy the marriage of these two epic genres.