Skech185 x Jeff Markey-He Left Nothing tor the Swim Back

Backwoodz Studioz put out my favorite releases last year, hands down. I will automatically trust that if they release it, it’s going to be fire. Enter Skech185, the mysterious emcee whose last full length came out twelve years ago. He drops bars with a furious urgency that takes your breath away. Every line is a grenade lobbed with destructive intent. And his aggressive rhyming is backed up by head-nodding, underground production from Jeff Markey equally influenced by jazz and soul as it is industrial. This is the first new release of 2023 that has really blown me away, no-reservations.

Thrice–Artist in the Ambulance Revisited

20 years ago, a hardcore/punk band from Irvine, California who had some moderate underground success with The Illusion of Safety (which would go on to become a cult classic) reinvented themselves with a major label release and set a trajectory that would lead them to become one of the most innovative post-hardcore bands of the last 20 years. That album was The Artist in the Ambulance, and it is pure gold. As a surprise to all of their fans, Thrice rerecorded the album in its entirety. The production breathes new life into the record with lush, full instrumentals that were lacking punch on the original version. And Dustin’s voice which has changed and matured over the years sounds so perfect and powerful on these tracks. There are some interesting guest spots, which for the most part sit in the background, providing choral harmonies that wouldn’t be noticed as not being from Thrice if their names weren’t attached. But the inclusion of these artists shows the influence and effect TAITA has had in the scene over the years. I listened track by track to the reimagined version versus the original this week, and I cannot imagine going back to the OG except for nostalgia. This was an album revisit that was clearly worth the effort. Check out our full review of The Artist in the Ambulance Revisited HERE.

The Smashing Pumpkins–ATUM Act II

It’s big, overwrought, pretentious, and a little gaudy. Part II of Corgan’s three-part rock opera is an apparent conceptual sequel to Melancholy and Machina, which we have all been informed are concept albums (and have been the whole time). Your dedication to the Pumpkins will determine the mileage you’ll get with this project. There are some interesting guitar parts and plenty of synth work. If you liked part I or are a Smashing Pumpkins ride-or-die fan, then be sure to set aside some time for these eleven tracks.

Budge-“Breathe”

Least-“Alexandrite and Pearl”

Frank Ivy-“New State of Mind”

World Gone Cold-“Opposites Attract”

New single from hard rock supergroup featuring members from Inhale/Exhale, P.O.D., Attack Attack, Demon Hunter, and The Letter Black. World Gone Cold will be playing at this year’s Audiofeed Festival, not to be missed!