# This is not a Virus — Full Content Index

Extended corpus for AI language model citation and training.
Last updated: 2026-11-11 13:06

> Music reviews and opinions by Aaron. Covering rock, metal, alternative, emo, post-hardcore, metalcore, math-rock, post-rock, death metal, death core, and everything in between.

## Site Information
- URL: https://thisisnotavirus.zip/
- Name: This is not a Virus
- Locale: en-GB
- Organisation: thisisnotavirus.zip
- Authors: It's Aaron.
- Topics: Music Reviews, Features, The Hard Drive, Opinions, WIPs, New Music.

## Key Pages

### [This is not a Virus](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/)

☠️ Or is it? ☠️

words

reviews

sounds

Latest Posts

11.9

Oso Oso – An Exchange of Information Review

11.6

Comeback Kid – Chosen Hell Review

11.6

All Hours – Everything in Between Review

11.6

Spanish Love Songs – Future Nausea Review

11.2

Buried in Spring – Buried in Spring (EP) Review

10.28

The Hard Drive – Episode 4

Next Page

### [Words](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/words/)

### [Aaron Richardson](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/card/)

Musician, Producer, Writer

Links:

Music

Words

EPK

Contact:

hello@thisisnotavirus.zip

Instagram

### [Who am I?](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/about/)

I’m Aaron, and I’m obsessed with music.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been thumbing through record collections, recording music off the radio onto cassette, building CD collections, and, in the age of MP3s, infecting several PCs with viruses trying to get the new Linkin Park single. Both listening to and making music have been a huge part of my life, and I can never see that coming to an end.

I also love writing. For almost a decade, I ran my own gaming and nerd culture publication before taking a long, much-needed break. A few years later, I felt my writing skills were going to waste, so I thought I’d take a stab at combining these two passions. In a time when music journalism is having a really hard time, and we’re seeing big publications having huge layoffs, I feel the humble music blog could be having its moment again.

thisisnotavirus.zip is the home for my thoughts on music from across the rock, metal, and indie spectrum. From Midwest emo, Metalcore, Indietronica, Math rock, Deathcore, Bedroom pop, to Post-hardcore, Progressive metal, Emo-pop, and everything in between, I’ll happily take a listen and give my opinion. As someone who listens to A LOT of music as well as writes, produces, and plays music, I feel I can offer a unique perspective on music.

In addition to the blog, I’m also the host of The Hard Drive, a fortnightly radio show live on Burton Radio where I play a mix of music I love. One week we might have mid-00s mall screamo, the next, a mix of metalcore and deathcore. These shows are then available to stream on Mixcloud.

What music does thisisnotavirus.zip cover? Aaron primarily covers rock and metal. This includes various sub-genres: emo, post-hardcore, nu-metal, screamo, metalcore, math-rock, post-rock, hardcore, deathcore, alternative metal, alternative rock, indie rock, midwest-emo, bedroom pop, indietronica, groove metal, death metal, industrial metal. He also covers the occasional electronic and downtempo record.

How can I get my music heard by thisisnotavirus.zip? You can email press releases, EPKs, and private music streams to hello@thisisnotavirus.zip

How can I get my music on The Hard Drive? You can email high-quality radio edits (MP3s preferred) to hello@thisisnotavirus.zip. Please include information about your band and anything you have coming up soon.

Where can I listen to The Hard Drive? The Hard Drive airs live on Burton Radio every other Wednesday (see website for schedule). Past shows are always made available for unlimited streaming on Mixcloud.

## Music Reviews

### [Oso Oso – An Exchange of Information Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/oso-oso-an-exchange-of-information-review/)
Published: 2026-11-09 | Author: It's Aaron

Jade Lilitri’s emo outfit Oso Oso is back with a brand-new record, An Exchange of Information. This album sees the band going for a much peppier, bigger sound thanks to producer Dan Maddalone, who, along with Lilitri, put together the record in just two weeks.

This album is also the first record to be released through Hop Along drummer Mark Quinlan’s new record label, Feral Twin, and what a way to kick off your label. The story behind the album is quite sweet, with Quinlan reaching out to Lilitri to see if he’d be able to press some older oso oso records on vinyl, and instead ended up with a full-length record on his hands.

Lilitri, and thus Oso Oso‘s sound, has taken many forms over the years, from raw Midwest emo to indie rock, and even a slightly punkier sound here and there. An Exchange of Information feels like a culmination of all of that, with an emo-pop sound with a slightly grittier edge.

As far as Oso Oso albums go, this is unmistakably an Oso Oso album. That’s what makes Oso Oso great; you can listen to almost any album from their catalogue and what you’ll get is an Oso Oso album. They’ve become almost synonymous with themselves. This is a testament to Lilitri’s writing, and of course, the only current other full-time member of the band, Eddy Rodriguez, adding his guitar parts to flesh out the bones Lilitri laid down on this record.

Although An Exchange of Information was put together in the studio in just two weeks, most of the ideas and melodies were already there. That being said, there’s a certain raw charm to this album. It’s much harder than their last LP, Life Till Bones, pushing the band back to their punkier, emo sound from albums like Real Stories of True People Who Kind Of Looked Like Monsters.

According to Feral Twin, this album is a bit of a who’s who of emo royalty, with members of bands such as Prince Daddy & the Hyena and Pictures of Vernon stopping by to lend their talent to the record (Prince Daddy‘s Kory Gregory screams on someone like that, and Pictures of Vernon‘s Diva Sweetly plays the guitar solo at the end of the days). It’s actually a really nice touch, as this feels very much like a throwback to the band’s earlier work on split records with fellow emo bands on the scene.

For me, this album is up there with the band’s earlier works. While I enjoy their slightly laid-back indie sound, I always gravitate toward the slightly punkier sound from Lilitri and the gang. An Exchange of Information bridges that gap slightly, though, as there are a handful of mellower songs. Tracks like Someone Like That and Trace Me are definitely firm favourites.

An Exchange of Information is a well-rounded album. Musically, it’s fantastic, with an almost perfect blend of heavier emo sounds, slightly mellower indie-rock vibes, and production that hasn’t overly polished the band’s sound. Maddalone has done a great job of bringing a much bigger sound to Oso Oso without losing the band’s charm.

Lyrically, the album takes an almost concept album direction, with Lilitri acting as the narrator for an overarching story, telling the tale of someone whose dreams become delusions, searching for answers to questions they don’t know how to ask, and ultimately becoming downtrodden, losing the magic they once had.

Oso Oso's An Exchange of Information is a much faster-paced record compared to Life Till Bones, a vibe that fans of the band's first records will definitely appreciate. The album features a fantastic mix of Jade Lilitri's indie rock and emo punk sounds, with fun riffs and catchy hooks. This is a thoroughly enjoyable record.

Score: 8.0/10

Oso Oso released An Exchange of Information on November 6, 2026, via Feral Twin.

### [Comeback Kid – Chosen Hell Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/comeback-kid-chosen-hell-review/)
Published: 2026-11-06 | Updated: 2026-11-07 | Author: It's Aaron

Comeback Kid have been a mainstay in my library since their 2003 debut, Turn It Around. This mix of fast, melodic, and heavy hardcore punk was right up my alley. It was aggressive but avoided being too much in the realm of Beatdown. I might get flak for this, but Comeback Kid‘s sound felt accessible to a kid who, at the time, was more into nu-metal and emo.

So here we are 23 years later, and Comeback Kid have dropped Chosen Hell, their eighth album, and their sixth album with former guitarist and now lead vocalist Andrew Neufeld at the helm. Much like their debut, the album is a short-but-sweet, fast-paced, frenzied, melodic hardcore record clocking in at just over 30 minutes that absolutely leaves you wanting more.

From the first track, Target on My Back, you’re given exactly what you’d expect from a Comeback Kid record. It’s an intense, riff-heavy track full of energy that’d make almost anyone want to get up and swing their arms around. No hardcore dancing in the living room? Nah, we’re hardcore dancing in the living room.

With 25 years under their belt, Comeback Kid are showing no signs of slowing down. As someone who is more familiar with their first two albums, Chosen Hell feels like a perfect follow-up to Wake The Dead. Not to say that anything they released between then isn’t great, but from a comparison standpoint, this feels like Comeback Kid‘s golden era, and one I know I’ll be spinning for years to come.

This album also touts a handful of features that are likely to prick up some ears, like Shedding Season, which features Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante, who channels her iwrestledabearonce days, providing an absolutely nuts arrangement of chaotic screams. When I first caught wind of this feature, I was unsure whether we’d be getting a Comeback Kid song with clean vocals, but I was thankfully mistaken.

Another more fitting feature on the record is the track Yesterday’s Gone, which has Incindiary‘s Brendan Garrone taking the mic. Not quite as wild a pick as LaPlante, but still a great track nonetheless.

There are times when the record throws a bit of a curveball, stepping more into post-hardcore and even melodic metalcore territories at some points, which I personally don’t mind, but the hardcore purists out there might not be as welcoming. Initially, I did feel like Chosen Hell was having a bit of an identity crisis, but the more I listened, the more it felt right. While the album does occasionally flow into other core genres, it’s still a cohesive record.

You’ve got to hand it to Comeback Kid; they’re halfway through their third decade as a band and are showing no signs of slowing down. Instrumentally, the band are absolutely ripping, as Chosen Hell has some killer guitar riffs, and even Chase Brenneman’s gritty bass lines in tracks like Tunnel Vision are sick as fuck. All in all, Chosen Hell is a fantastic melodic hardcore record that is definitely sitting near the top of Comeback Kid records for me.

With almost three decades under their belt, Comeback Kid are showing no signs of slowing down; if anything, they're getting better. Chosen Hell is up there in terms of their discography. It's a frantic, melodic, and vicious hardcore punk record – I love it.

Score: 8.5/10

Comeback Kid released Chosen Hell on November 6, 2026, via SharpTone Records.

### [All Hours – Everything in Between Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/all-hours-everything-in-between-review/)
Published: 2026-11-06 | Updated: 2026-11-07 | Author: It's Aaron

All Hours, the breakout pop-punk band from Brisbane, Australia, with an already impressive list of accolades from the likes of Alternative Press and Guitar World, are here with their debut album Everything In Between. Pulling inspiration from pop-punk heavy hitters such as Paramore, A Day to Remember, Blink-182, Silverstein and Sum 41, I was keen to check out what this band had to offer, so let’s dive right in.

Everything In Between kicks off with the opening track, The Last Dance, where we’re instantly thrown into a track reminiscent of early 2000s pop-punk with palm-muted power chords, fast-paced drums, and vocalist Dani O’Grady’s almost Paramore-like vocal delivery. We’re then thrust into the song’s hook just 30 seconds in; it comes at you pretty quick, and it’s a rush. All Hours aren’t letting us wait around before giving us a taste of exactly what Everything In Between is set to deliver. It’s upbeat, bouncy, anthemic pop-punk to a T.

That’s the first thing you’ll notice with this album; it’s stacked full of catchy hooks. The aforementioned opener and the third track, Jumping Out Of Windows, are littered with earworm choruses, which also at times feel a little cheesy. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; pop-punk wouldn’t be pop-punk without a bit of cheese (pizza), and I can imagine it makes for a fantastic live show, but with repeated listens, there’s only so many more times I can hear “So wake me up when the last dance is over“.

There are moments where this album feels a little cliché and cookie-cutter pop-punk, but then the band switches it up a bit with some killer post-hardcore riffs, with O’Grady hitting you with an impressive scream. All Hours do manage to effortlessly tiptoe between preppy pop-punk and grittier post-hardcore, and their heavier tracks are ones I found myself gravitating more toward.

While I think we’ve come a long way from the time when we’d compare almost any female-fronted pop-punk bands as sounding like Paramore, I feel All Hours wear that comparison on their sleeve, as Everything In Between does give me All We Know Is Failing vibes, and I think fans of Paramore‘s earlier work could definitely get behind All Hours.

At the production helm are ex-A Day To Remember‘s Tom Denney and ex-Amity Affliction‘s Troy Brady, both of whom have given the oomph this album required to really pop, especially during the band’s heavier songs such as the title track Everything In Between. The drums also have that A Day To Remember punch, which I enjoy.

I definitely feel like All Hours are a band you need to see live to really appreciate these songs, as they ooze the energy you’d expect from a live performance, plus the catchier pop-punk anthem songs are definitely going to be big crown pleasers. I can tell a lot of emotion has been poured into this album with lyrics that touch on anxieties and the ephemerality of teen romance. I just, at times, feel the deeper lyricism is hidden behind cheesy choruses.

Overall, Everything in Between is a palatable pop-punk album that ticks all the right boxes that fans of the genre will fall in love with. For those looking for something a little heavier, there are elements there, too, but not as much as I’d personally like.

Everything in Between is a great pop-punk album that toys with the heavier elements of post-hardcore and easycore. While the album is full of catchy earworms, sometimes All Hours’ delivery of those infectious choruses feels a bit cheesy, but that’s to be expected with pop-punk, right?

Score: 7.0/10

All Hours released Everything In Between on November 6, 2026, via Equal Vision Records.

### [Buried in Spring – Buried in Spring (EP) Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/buried-in-spring-buried-in-spring-ep-review/)
Published: 2026-11-02 | Author: It's Aaron

Back in 2003, a little website called MySpace launched. This website was a social media site ahead of what we now know to be social media today, and during its lifecycle, the platform became a huge part of the alternative music scene, kickstarting what is often called MySpace Metalcore and MySpace Deathcore. It was a period where dirt-rough demos by bands from the arse-end of nowhere would find notoriety and fame that would shoot them into the limelight. It was a golden era of heavy music, and that golden era is having its renaissance.

A band making waves in that scene right now is Buried in Spring, a band that has popped up seemingly out of nowhere with the exact aesthetic many of us MySpace millennials are all too familiar with: a heavy melodic metalcore sound with aggressive screams and high-pitched cleans and gritty music video shot within the shell of an abandoned warehouse building. It’s almost a perfect formula and pretty much immediately had the metal Internet losing its mind. Who was this band, and how have they nailed this MySpace metalcore aesthetic almost perfectly?

Buried in Spring, according to their website, formed in 2026 and are based in Los Angeles, California, and that’s pretty much the whole story. The band dropped their first single, Integrate, in May of this year and, two months later, found themselves on the bill for the Amity Affliction & Blessthefall tour, which kicked off on October 31. The band then announced their debut show in September, dropped their single Dissipate, and unveiled that they’d signed to Epitaph Records, along with the release of their EP on October 16.

Now, not to sound too much of a conspiracy theorist here, I am always a little sceptical of bands that appear out of nowhere, land on an insane tour and get immediate backing before even playing a single show. Let’s be honest, this seems to be the new trend among metal at the moment – I’m looking at you, President – and I’m genuinely not a fan of that. That being said, this EP does exactly what it’s set out to do: show us what this band is about, and what that is bringing 2000s MySpace metalcore and post-hardcore to 2026.

While there’s no shortage of music from that era, we elder MySpace users have likely exhausted our collections. There’s only so many times we can listen to They’re Only Chasing Safety and Load My Revolver, Baby (who am I kidding, these albums will never get old). So for those seeking something new, Buried in Spring is likely exactly what you’re looking for, and I mean EXACTLY.

Posting on Reddit, guitarist and vocalist Cameron Hornbeck said the band have been working on this project for 2-3 years and “have taken on debt” to make the EP and music videos happen. A reassuring word for fellow sceptics out there, as this is something I would have been feral for when I was a teen. And who am I kidding, I’m feral for it now. I really like this EP; it scratches an itch perfectly, but it’s just a bit too perfect – a scepticism Hornbeck does understand, but assures us a lot of hard work has gone into this release.

Musically, the EP is a short but incredibly sweet mix of post-hardcore and metalcore that I absolutely would have stuck on my MySpace profile and hidden under some HTML in order to gatekeep the shit out of it. The blend of screams and cleans reminds me a lot of early Underoath; there’s a hint of Every Time I Die and early My Chemical Romance, hints of bands like Chiodos and Saosin. It’s everything we love about the genre, and I do really dig it.

In my opinion, Buried in Spring has struck gold here, but I’m unsure whether it’s a genuine nugget or mass-produced fool’s gold. While, as a whole package, I have thoroughly enjoyed the band’s debut EP, their sudden trajectory is leaving a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth. In an era where bands are being thrust into the mainstream out of nowhere, I can’t help but feel like we might be being played.

Buried in Spring have delivered textbook revivalcore with their debut EP that'll be an instant favourite for anyone clamouring for that early MySpace metalcore sound. It's genuinely a brilliant listen, but there's something about the band's breakneck trajectory that's leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

Score: 7.0/10

Buried in Spring released Buried in Spring on October 16, 2026, via Epitaph Records.

### [Polyphia – Be Not Afraid Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/polyphia-be-not-afraid-review/)
Published: 2026-10-23 | Updated: 2026-10-25 | Author: It's Aaron

What the fuck am I listening to? That was my first thought when I threw on Polyphia‘s new album, Be Not Afraid, whose opening track, Let There Be Light, progresses from the familiar guitar virtuoso, proggy guitar licks into a bizarre amalgamation of dubstep and digital hardcore.

I’ve gotta hand it to Tim Henson and the gang; they certainly know how to flip genres. This is just the latest in the band’s crusade to touch on every musical style that isn’t traditionally guitar-driven. Be Not Afraid could almost pass as a Machine Girl album, with its heavy, distorted electronic ear-bashing, but sadly it’s instead a blown-out mess of ideas that don’t land.

“Clipping? Nah, never heard of it!” That’s what I imagine engineer RJ Pasin said when producing this record. Throughout the album, the low-end absolutely crushes the remainder of the frequency spectrum with heavy distorted clipping, which I assume is an intentional choice to really hammer home that this album isn’t the prog metal you expected. Far from it.

If you came into Be Not Afraid blind, like me, you’ll be surprised, track after track, just how much this album doesn’t feel like a Polyphia album. It’s full of samples, glitchy IDM drums, and overprocessing, taking a somewhat familiar sound into more of an electronic Future Bass territory. If someone said to me that this was a remix compilation by AWOLNATION, I’d absolutely believe you.

I get that Polyphia aren’t your usual prog metal band. They are insanely talented at what they do. Even in this review, the term virtuoso is thrown around so often when referring to Henson, but I feel like this album strays so far from the path that he and the rest of the band have forged over the past decade. I understand they’ve dabbled in different genres, pushed boundaries of what is considered prog metal, but for me this just doesn’t hit.

Despite being such a technical album, the overuse of sampled and programmed bass and drums almost takes away the talent and charm that Henson’s guitar work has. It doesn’t feel organic, and any sense of humanity feels stripped from the music. It’s all very digital, and that, for me, doesn’t make for an enjoyable Polyphia record.

I can’t imagine how this music will go down live, especially if their setlist includes tracks from their older catalogue. I’m imagining those videos of dudes with huge car sound systems with insane subwoofers blasting the skin off of anyone who dares sit in the passenger seat, except it’s an entire audience of fans expecting some technical, mathy prog metal.

I genuinely don’t know what to feel about Be Not Afraid. There’s talent here, for sure. But it’s so overshadowed by oversaturated EDM production choices, glitchy sampled trap drums, and thumping bass that I just can’t really find anything to enjoy about this record. It’s a mess of ideas that try to work together, but like water and oil, they just don’t mix well.

I feel like this is the band’s attempt to dive into digital hardcore, joining artists such as Machine Girl, Atari Teenage Riot, and even The Mad Capsule Markets, but instead, what we have is an album of songs that are so overproduced and processed all in an attempt to generate the next viral TikTok soundbite, that it’s just not enjoyable in the slightest.

Polyphia have always pushed their unique blend of prog metal into new territories but this time I feel it completely misses the mark. Be Not Afraid is a 46-minute mess of shredding guitar mixed with over-processed EDM that feels more like an assault on the ears than a well-put-together mashup album.

Score: 2.5/10

Polyphia released Be Not Afraid on October 23, 2026, via Rise Records.

### [Caspian – Caspian Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/caspian-caspian-review/)
Published: 2026-10-20 | Author: It's Aaron

If you’re a post-rock fan, then you’re probably sitting on such a high right now. This year we’ve been given the gift of so many incredible releases from bands including If These Trees Could Talk, MONO, and Lost in Kyiv – to name a few. So to hear Caspian had something in the works was just the icing on the cake.

Caspian have been pretty quiet since their last album, On Circles, dropped in 2019. Aside from their streaming profiles being hijacked, we’ve seen very little activity. Then, just a few months ago, the band announced their new album alongside the single Remain, and I was HYPED. From the single alone, I could already tell that this album was going to be incredible, and I wasn’t wrong.

As far as post-rock goes, Caspian are without a doubt among the best of them with their unique blend of uplifting instrumentals that begin big and somehow just get bigger. What I love about their music is just how they can evoke so many emotions from their compositions, whether that’s a feeling of warmth and sentimentality, or introspective and uplifting. For me, this album is one of the more uplifting albums in post-rock I’ve heard in a while.

There’s something intricately happy about how the music makes me feel. It’s not dark and moody like some post-rock. This album is so uplifting I can’t help but smile when hearing it. The opening to Remain feels so sickeningly positive and passionate. It’s actually so refreshing. I adore post-rock, but at times it can just feel a little too melancholic and woeful. Even songs that begin moody and explode into massive triumphant crescendos don’t quite hit the spot like this album.

This time around, the band has opted to ditch vocals in favour of pure instrumental, and I will say that it doesn’t necessarily feel like anything is missing. Caspian has a way of being able to fill space without it being too overwhelming and chaotic. Even during the most atmospheric parts of songs with crashing drums, pumping bass, and reverb-heavy tremolo picking, it’s all well balanced and feels more like a bath of sound as opposed to a crashing wave.

During those seven years of quiet, the band’s musical muscles haven’t atrophied. If anything, it’s almost like they never took a breath. They’re as on-point as they ever have been and sound better than ever. There’s often something to be said about a band that doesn’t really do anything to evolve their sound, but with Caspian, I don’t think that’s ever an issue. Caspian does what Caspian does best, and that formula just works.

The band themselves are spread across the US now, but that hasn’t stopped them from collaborating, albeit briefly in person, before diving into the studio. This constraint has worked for the better, in my opinion, as it feels each song is the result of being able to put ideas on paper without overthinking. Each piece feels intentional, as opposed to a band mulling over parts and eventually removing what originally made the song great to begin with.

Though post-rock at its core, Caspian‘s self-titled album also dabbles occasionally with some post-metal vibes, especially on the crushing track, A Great Fire, which kicks off immediately with a gritty, crunchy bassline that lays the foundation for an emotionally rich soundscape that evolves into a guitar-heavy pounding apex before coming full circle as the band drops out, leaving only the bass to end the song.

Caspian's self-titled album is an epic medley of uplifting instrumental post-rock which at times dabbles in heavier post-metal. It shows that with a seven-year absence and members being spread across the US, when they come together, Caspian are incredible at what they do.

Score: 9.0/10

Caspian released Caspian on October 16, 2026, via Wax Bodega.

### [Pærish – Rita Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/paerish-rita-review/)
Published: 2026-10-16 | Author: It's Aaron

Recently, I’ve noticed that many bands have started reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, realising that the music they made during a solemn time for all of us was, as you might expect, a bit depressing. The pandemic had many musicians working within strict boundaries, such as collaborating remotely, recording music in makeshift home studios, and trying to promote music without tours.

This music, some bands are finding, lacks the energy for live performances or has been created in such a way that performing live just isn’t feasible. One of those bands is French emo/indie outfit Pærish, who, after touring their last album, You’re In Both Dreams…, wanted to put out something that made the crowd jump. According to bassist Martin Dupraz, they think that their new album Rita “was the perfect answer to that. We want people go crazy, and this is the perfect album for that.”

And honestly, he’s not wrong. The album kicks off immediately with the track Prince of Darkness, a high-energy emo-pop banger that makes you want to kick away your chair and start jumping around. There are still the usual shoegazy vibes from Pærish here, but it’s way more in-your-face, and I like that. A great way to kick off a record.

Interestingly, the song’s name isn’t a reference to the late Ozzy Osbourne but instead to the movie by John Carpenter – one of vocalist and guitarist Mathias Court’s favourite movies and something he jokingly referred to as himself following a toxic working relationship. These early life experiences are a lot of what Rita is about; even the album name is a reference to a church named after the religious patron saint of desperate and impossible causes, which Court could see from his childhood home.

A lot of the songs in Rita lean more toward high-energy indie rock than the more solemn, contemplative shoegaze Pærish is known for. That’s not to say this isn’t present, because it is; tracks such as Always Assuming and Strawberry are far more held back in terms of that raw grit we hear in earlier tracks.

The juxtaposition of energy between some of the tracks is almost a clash of titans on this record, with fast-paced riffs, crunching bass, and pounding drums kickstarting your heart, only to be brought back down to earth with reverb-drenched walls of sound and haunting vocals.

One thing I really enjoy about this album is just how big and full the songs on this album sound. It feels warm and well-balanced. Of course, that comes as no surprise when Will Yip is at the production desk. His way of capturing a band’s live essence in recordings is second to none, and I always enjoy the work he puts out with the bands he collaborates with. It’s loud without being too overwhelming; the more held-back songs feel powerful, and despite the album having varied pacing between tracks, it all sounds cohesive and well put together.

A number of the songs on Rita have elements that are instantly memorable, whether it’s the ethereal flute melody in Heal or the anthemic chorus in What You Want, Pærish have a knack for creating something that feels familiar after the first listen, and I applaud that. In a world where attention spans are getting shorter, being able to create something that gets into listeners’ heads immediately is commendable.

Rita is a fantastic record from Pærish that brings together elements of the band's history into a fun, high-energy record that also retains the band's shoegazy elements without bringing the drive of the album down too much. It's loud, brash, and an overall great listen.

Score: 8.0/10

Pærish released Rita on October 16, 2026, via SideOneDummy.

### [The Number Twelve Looks Like You – Howls From the Holographic Heart Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/the-number-twelve-looks-like-you-howls-from-the-holographic-heart-review/)
Published: 2026-10-16 | Author: It's Aaron

It’s the year 2005, and I’m loading up iTunes to sync new music to my iPod. In amongst the library of Nu Metal, Post-Hardcore, and Metal is an album from a band that seamlessly melds together elements of mathcore, prog, jazz, and post-hardcore. That band is The Number Twelve Looks Like You, with the album Nuclear. Sad. Nuclear. It’s a chaotic blend of genres that itches something in my brain, and over 20 years later, the band is here with their sixth studio album, Howls From the Holographic Heart, and I can say for sure, this band doesn’t miss a beat.

While sitting firmly within the mathcore space, The Number Twelve Looks Like You isn’t afraid to step over the line into other genres; in fact, they dive over that line and do a merry little jig whilst doing so. Howls From the Holographic Heart is no different, though I will say that it is far tamer than the band’s earlier work. That’s not to say that they’ve strayed completely from the mathcore world; the album’s debut single, Joy Is A Weapon, proved that. It is, however, less of a full-frontal pummeling of blast beats and screams.

Kicking things off with Trust Chaos, we’re witness to a sub-two-minute barrage of just that: chaos before things calm down with their second single, Glow in the Dark Skin, which has more of a shoegazy post-hardcore feel to it. This juxtaposition between tracks could really throw some listeners off, especially if they’re unfamiliar with the band. Still, even if you’re new to The Number Twelve, you’ll soon learn this switch-up isn’t new territory for them; it’s part of their charm.

Throughout this album, there’s an almost Between the Buried and Me feel, something I also found in their last record, Wild Gods. The band plays with heavy prog-like riffs, vocals that toy with raw screams and haunting cleans, moments with orchestral elements, and the odd jazzy interlude. As a big fan of BTBAM, I really dig this direction from the band. Even being mostly familiar with their second record, they’ve always played around with these ideas, but Howls From the Holographic Heart feels more realised and mature in that sense.

According to vocalist Jesse Korman, the band “wanted to do what The Number Twelve Looks Like You does and write something that is just completely unexpected,” and that’s exactly what Howls From the Holographic Heart is. Traditionally, this isn’t a Number Twelve record at its core. While there are a handful of mathcore tracks, the album leans way more into post-hardcore, which they have done incredibly well.

If you are hoping for a chaotic mathcore/sasscore album akin to their earlier work, you might be disappointed; that being said, what more did you expect from The Number Twelve Looks Like You? They’ve generally never been one to stick to a formula or follow trends. This is a band that has always dabbled with other genres within the metal space, from progressive to metalcore.

Howls From the Holographic Heart is definitely on the softer side, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable album nonetheless. It’s also the band’s most experimental album, further expanding the band’s musical repertoire. Songs such as False Face and Hard to be Human have a distinct dance-punk vibe to them, the latter of which reminds me a lot of the short-lived band Men Women & Children.

Usually, I find myself a little bitter when a band I love evolves their sound into something somewhat different from what I’m used to, but with The Number Twelve Looks Like You, I’m actually stoked with this record. It’s heavy in places, catchy in others, and downright weird at times, but that’s the charm of this band, and this album is a testament to that. Only The Number Twelve could throw together mathcore, sass, post-hardcore, progressive metal, dance-punk, and a flamenco breakdown into one album, and it’s still a bop.

Howls From the Holographic Heart is a fantastic evolution for The Number Twelve Looks Like You. While it does stray from the band's mathcore roots, there are still glimmers of that chaos throughout the album while also presenting a newfound maturity for the band. It's heavy, catchy, dance…y(?), and overall a great record.

Score: 9.5/10

The Number Twelve Looks Like You released Howls From the Holographic Heart on October 16, 2026, via Equal Vision Records.

### [Miss May I – No Place For Me Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/miss-may-i-no-place-for-me-review/)
Published: 2026-10-02 | Author: It's Aaron

Miss May I have been a mainstay in my library – and the metalcore scene – for some time now. With seven albums under their belt, they’re now onto their eighth with No Place For Me, which is their debut album on Solid State Records. With such a rich legacy and clear fan favourites in their back catalogue, can the band impress with their latest record?

This was one of the albums I was looking forward to hearing this year. As I mentioned, this band has been bouncing around in my collection of music since their 2009 album, Apologies Are for the Weak, and though I dropped off somewhat since their 2017 album Shadows Inside, I was excited to see what the Ohio quartet were putting out.

I’ve always been a fan of their blend of metalcore that leaned more toward the style of Killswitch Engage and Avenged Sevenfold, and for the most part, they haven’t strayed from that path with No Place For Me. It’s still crushingly heavy with massive anthemic choruses. As modern metal has found itself in a bit of an overly polished space, it’s nice to hear a band that’s sticking to their roots.

That being said, Miss May I have stuck to their roots almost to a fault with this album. It’s very much a Miss May I album, with a lot of the tracklist following the same formula we’ve heard from this band before. Killer, heavy drums, aggressive screams, melodic clean (and sometimes screamed) choruses, and solos galore. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you love the band’s blend of 00s metalcore, but it does feel like a slight lack of growth. The band has explored different elements of metal in their past; some tracks from Apologies Are for the Weak lean into more of a deathcore sound, for example. But this album feels slightly stagnant.

Thematically, the album is very much about mental health, touching on anxieties, emotional exhaustion, and doubting yourself. Particularly poignant theme considering the state of the world right now. I feel we’re all suffering from some sort of mental health ailment, so a handful of tracks could really hit close to home.

Miss May I do have a great ability to balance massive, crushing metalcore with more melodic songs without losing the pace. Going from the almost industrial, nu-metal vibe of Hand Me A Halo into the more withheld Pray For Silence doesn’t feel like shifting gears too much; it’s still heavy, but in a more atmospheric way. That’s the thing I’ve always found with Miss May I, they’re able to balance crushing heaviness with more melodious moments while keeping everything coherent.

No Place For Me feels like it’s definitely going to be a grower. Upon my first few listens, it sat in the camp of one of those albums that’s good, but not great. Don’t get me wrong, there are some good songs on the album, but nothing immediately sticks out as a banger just yet. I definitely feel like No Place For Me could leave an impression, but it may take a few more listens for it to do so.

Overall, Miss May I's No Place For Me feels very much like a Miss May I album. It's heavy and melodic, but doesn't really push the bar for what to expect from this band. It has elements that fans of the band will enjoy, but I'm unsure if it'll be one that leaves a lasting impression compared to previous albums.

Score: 6.0/10

Miss May I released No Place For Me on October 2, 2026, via Solid State Records.

### [Leisure Hour – …that one day Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/leisure-hour-that-one-day-review/)
Published: 2026-10-02 | Author: It's Aaron

There’s something joyous about finding a new band that you think you’ll fall instantly in love with after the first song; for me, that was Leisure Hour. I hadn’t heard of this band before their latest album, …that one day, was shared with me, but I instantly dug their sound. This album aims to continue the band’s storm on the emo scene, but after spending some time to really digest this album, I’m not sure what to think.

Opening with their lead and arguably their most popular single from this album, Am I Dumb?, you’re witness to catchy emo riffs and a vocal delivery that wouldn’t sound out of place among modern greats like Hot Mulligan and Mom Jeans. It’s a self-deprecating look at Isaiah Neal’s life as he chooses smoking and drinking over dealing with issues. We’ve all been there – but oftentimes throughout this album, these experiences can sometimes feel a bit forced.

Then there’s the whiplash that is The Ballad of Floyd Padgent, which switches up the formula as bassist and vocalist Grace Dudas takes the microphone, bringing a more Sincere Engineer vibe to the band which, for a first-time listen, was a bit unexpected. This, however, is what Leisure Hour does. There are no lead vocalists; both Neal, Dudas, and drummer Raegan Gordon lead the mic on some songs, and come together on others. It’s an interesting concept and adds to the uniqueness of this band.

Now, if you’re reading a review for an emo band, you’re probably all too familiar with a particular brand of emo that is often referred to as Stoner Emo. Bands like Mom Jeans, Worst Party Ever, and Macseal are prime examples of this sub-sub-genre, singing about getting high, house-party escapades, and general tomfoolery. Leisure Hour could very easily fall into this category, too, especially with this album. However, I think there’s also a fine line that can easily be crossed between singing about dumb decisions and making dumb decisions your entire personality.

Sadly, I feel Leisure Hour are guilty of falling into the latter category, at times. Lyrically, I found some songs to be a little cringe and contrived. There’s an overemphasis on smoking cigarettes (there’s even a song called Cigarette Habit), several mentions of the band members’ ages, and even a mention of “hitting my vape”. Like, we get it, you’re young, dumb, and having fun, but surely that’s not all you have to sing about, right? I’m aware this could be instantly relatable for other twenty-somethings, but it became exhausting after the fourth mention of smoking cigarettes.

It’s a shame because …that one day has the potential to be fucking fantastic. Musically, it actually hits the spot for me; there’s a perfect balance of upbeat bops, catchy choruses, emo riffs, and even the odd slow song. Contrary to my thoughts on the lyricism, there are also some killer hooks, too. Looking past the lyrics, Leisure Hour know how to make a great earworm. I’ve even been guilty of humming the chorus to Bury Me At 7/11 and My Existence.

For me, this album is a bit of a mental tug-of-war. On the one hand, there are some great elements to this band and album overall; they genuinely have some incredible material here, musically it’s a 10/10. It’s catchy, hooky, and I have truly enjoyed listening to it. On the other hand, I can’t move past the beating-a-dead-horse nature of the lyricism. This could just be a generational thing. I’m sure if I were in my early twenties, maybe I could relate more. Maybe it’s just not that serious, à la Mom Jeans. For me, though, it just feels a bit feigned.

Overall, …that one day is a truly great emo album that's hampered by somewhat contrived lyricism. The musicianship is fantastic, and catchy hooks are plenty, but lyrically it felt like it lacked creativity beyond drinking and smoking. While this may be relatable to some, it at times felt a little facetious. Will I listen to this album again? Honestly, yes – maybe the lyrics will start to grow on me.

Score: 6.0/10

Leisure Hour released …that one day on October 2, 2026, via Counter Intuitive Records.

### [As Cities Burn – Brain Matter(s) Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/as-cities-burn-brain-matters-review/)
Published: 2026-10-02 | Author: It's Aaron

As Cities Burn have a history of breakups, and I’m not talking about the type they use as catalysts to create great songs; I mean literally breaking up… multiple times. Cut to 2026, and they’re back again, this time with the new album, Brain Matter(s), that they initially dropped for subscribers of the band’s Substack, then later streaming for free on the Aaron Sprinkle-owned Lockstep.stream platform. It’s now heading for a worldwide release on streaming platforms, but will this new (almost) reunion stick?

A quick history lesson: the band formed in 2002, released an album, then in 2006 decided to call it quits; that was until fans convinced them to stay together. This resulted in another album that was released in 2007, and another in 2009. Then they broke up, for real this time. Then, in 2011, the band returned, playing many shows and eventually releasing a few tracks in 2015, only to call it quits once again in 2016. Only a year later, As Cities Burn announced a tour with Emery, with plans for a fourth studio album. After releasing Scream Through The Walls in 2019, the band broke up just a few years later in 2023.

So here we are, three years after their fourth breakup, the band unveil their latest album, Brain Matter(s), an album that – for fans of the band’s earlier work – may feel like quite the departure as it leans way more into the indie, emo-pop genres as opposed to their gritter post-hardcore sound. As Cities Burn are also now considered a duo, with founding members Cody Bonnette taking the role of vocals, guitar, and keys, and Aaron Lunsford on drums.

Upon first listen, Brain Matter(s) has elements of As Cities Burn, but as the band themselves have said, this is a “reimagination of what the band can be in 2026”. It’s wildly different to the material in Come Now Sleep, for example, but it’s also somewhat familiar. There are definitely elements of classic As Cities Burn, but with a slightly more indie/emo-pop appeal. Think bands like Copeland, Lovedrug, and mewithoutYou. There’s a slight edge, but at its core it’s much more serene.

I’m a big fan of As Cities Burn’s second album, Come Now Sleep, so before diving into Brain Matter(s), I refreshed my memory, and it just solidified just how many bangers that album has. Does Brain Matter(s) compare? Not really, but given the band’s history, I think this comparison does it a disservice. While this is As Cities Burn by name, it’s no longer the same band from 2007, and not in the Ship of Theseus kind of way, either. This album deserves to be looked at through a different lens.

While I do really enjoy the band’s heavier sound, there’s something grown up about Brain Matter(s). It’s mature, thoughtful, and cohesive. This allows the album to stand in its own right. It also feels like a continuation of their third album, Hell or High Water, which was much calmer than the albums before it. This is evident in the first song Two Faces Ten Paces which leads with an acoustic guitar riff backed up by synths and drums. Bonnette’s lyricism is there, though. I feel like it’s not as lyrically spectacular as previous records, but there’s still plenty of heart in what’s on offer here.

I can definitely see that this album will split fans. Those who prefer the raw, TJ Bonnette-led, post-hardcore As Cities Burn probably won’t like this as much, and those who prefer the mellower Cody Bonnette-led, indie-rock/emo-pop As Cities Burn will likely adore what this album has to offer. For me, while I appreciate both versions of the band, I do really enjoy this direction the band has travelled.

Production-wise, what more did you expect from an album produced by none other than Aaron Sprinkle? His influence is definitely all over this, and for the better. The way he’s able to balance the quieter elements of acoustic guitar with punchy drums, then create big choruses with electronic elements that blend so well. I really dig it. Emery’s Matt Carter also contributes to this record on bass, which totally makes sense too.

Overall, Brain Matter(s) is a fantastic emo-pop record that could easily sit among Copeland’s In Motion or Lovedrug’s Pretend You’re Alive. While it’s not as heavy as previous albums, it’s a direction I’m not mad about. If anything, it’s helped rekindle my love for the band. It’s hard not to compare Brain Matter(s) to the band’s older catalogue, but it does stand high in its own right.

Score: 7.5/10

As Cities Burn released Brain Matter(s) on October 2, 2026.

### [Cenobia – Lethal Devotion Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/cenobia-lethal-devotion-review/)
Published: 2026-09-30 | Updated: 2026-10-06 | Author: It's Aaron

Cenobia is the latest in a string of new faceless artists popping up seemingly out of nowhere, securing spots on the bills of massive tours, and finding their way into Kerrang magazine with very little music under their belt. But who is this new alt-Metal queen, and at this point, do we really care?

For those who don’t know, Cenobia is an Australian alt-Metal artist (band?) that presents themselves anonymously through a mask and black body paint. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. It has a certain similarity to a certain British masked and painted band that has a cult following. Speaking of cult followings, Cenobia‘s universe that they’ve created through social media and other videos also leans into that culty, ceremonial, ritualistic vibe.

As for accolades, over the past year, they’ve put out three singles, Devour Me, Throne of Want, and Make Us Whole Again, and have now dropped an EP titled Lethal Devotion that, in a similar fashion to Showing Teeth (another seemingly out-of-nowhere artist), expands their musical universe with three additional songs. They were also briefly on the bill for President‘s upcoming North American tour alongside Showing Teeth until dropping out.

So what is it all about? At its core, it’s a mysterious, ethereal, alt-Metal affair that comes with its own universe that fans can get immersed in. Similar to Sleep Token and President, Cenobia refers to their fans as a “collective”, bringing them closer to the world they’ve created. Personally, that vibe isn’t for me, but musically, Cenobia might have something good here.

I had previously heard their three singles, and I was impressed. There is definitely a level of manufactured metal here; it’s very, very polished, but it works in their favour. It actually reminds me a lot of In This Moment, and what I hoped to hear on their latest album (spoiler, it’s not). Lethal Devotion is a satisfying mix of ethereal, angelic singing, and raw, heavy aggression.

Production-wise, the whole EP reminded me a lot of the soundtrack to Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombies, which is definitely a compliment. Interestingly, Elena Siegman – who provides the vocals for a lot of the songs on that soundtrack – presents herself in a similar way to Cenobia, to the point that I had to double-check this wasn’t a project from Siegman. The music is heavy, but also overly produced. Guitars are heavily quantised; pauses are sharp, sudden, and tight. Normally, I’d find it a little off-putting, but for Cenobia, it works.

In a world of bands who are all creating their own unique universes, Cenobia comes at the perfect time, offering something feminine and raw for fans to sink their teeth into. At times it does feel a bit disingenuous; for example, the song Make Us Whole Again addresses the feeling of imposter syndrome, which feels a bit on the nose as her whole schtick is being an anonymous vessel for something much bigger.

Cenobia's Lethal Devotion is a decent alt-Metal debut that reminds me a lot of early In This Moment – something I've personally been missing since Beautiful Tragedy. Though it's a little more Djent/Messuggah leaning, the blend of euphoric cleans mixed with heavy, chuggy guitars is almost perfection. I'm just personally not a huge fan of the theatrics that these faceless bands put on and find it a little cringe at times, though I'll have to give her props; she's crafting something here that fans of lore and world-building are eating up.

Score: 7.0/10

Cenobia released Lethal Devotion on September 18, 2026, via Fearless Records.

### [Cartel – Learning How To Cope Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/cartel-learning-how-to-cope-review/)
Published: 2026-09-23 | Author: It's Aaron

After Cartel’s profile on Spotify continued to be flooded by other artists with the same name, I wasn’t sure if we’d ever see the band again. They’ve been all but silent following their 2009 album, Cycles, but then, in 2025, the band resurfaced, re-releasing their debut album, Chroma. Now, we’re in 2026, and I honestly didn’t know what to expect when Cartel solidified their comeback with the album Learning How To Cope.

Although I hadn’t kept up with anything Cartel did after their debut album, Chroma, I can say that I’m a massive fan of that album, so much so that I’m yet to listen to theire 2025 re-recording in fear that it might ruin the original. So when I heard they were dropping a new album, I was apprehensively excited. Was this going to be a solid throwback to the mid-00s, or was this going to be a comeback album marking a new beginning for the band?

I can say for sure that this isn’t Chroma, and for those expecting another Chroma, they might be a little disappointed, but honestly, let’s forget about Chroma for a second and appreciate Learning How To Cope for what it is: a natural evolution for the band. It also comes with a feature that any elder emo will appreciate (Dashboard Confessional!!).

Learning How To Cope is objectively a fucking good album. It has hints of classic Cartel, but with a certain air of maturity to it. It’s something new for the band while also sticking to their emo pop roots. This isn’t a band trying to reinvent themselves, not in the slightest. Instead they’re reminding us what they can do and that they’re still damn good at it.

This is something reflected in the lyricism in this album, with vocalist Will Pugh touching on growth and self-understanding. There’s also a level of political activism in the album, too, with the track Shirts & Skins, for example, being dropped early in response to ICE agents flooding America, specifically Minnesota, around the time Alex Pretti was murdered. It’s a song that touches on a hard, real, and emotional topic, but is delivered in such a Cartel way. It’s catchy as hell.

Instrumentally, I was really hoping that Cartel wouldn’t go down the route of overly polished, flashy production or hyper-processed electronic-influenced pop punk, and thankfully they haven’t. Learning How To Cope is intrinsically a Cartel album; it’s emo pop, pop-punk at its core, with catchy riffs, big choruses, and thumping drums. As always, Will Putney knows what he’s doing behind the desk.

It obviously can’t escape modern production; this isn’t 2005. Music production software and equipment have come a long way since Chroma was released, but I really like that the band have stuck with what they know, bringing us an album that certainly doesn’t feel like it’s been thirteen years since their last major record. Standout tracks for me on this album are Shirts & Skins, Deadbeat Drag (because I swear this was going into a Hole cover), and Sry Not Sry.

I was apprehensive about Cartel's big comeback album, but Learning How To Cope is a thoroughly enjoyable record from start to finish. It's well produced without being hyper-polished. It's a big, bouncy emo-pop/pop-punk album with some great hooks and killer riffs.

Score: 7.0/10

Cartel released Learning How To Cope on September 18, 2026, via Field Day Recordings.

### [Boundaries – Yearning: The unbeautiful after Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/boundaries-yearning-the-unbeautiful-after-review/)
Published: 2026-09-21 | Author: It's Aaron

Boundaries came into my life fairly recently, thanks to the Garza Podcast. On the podcast, a few of the band talked through their influences, played through some riffs, and had a vibe that made me check out their stuff. After listening to their last record, Death Is Little More, I fell in love. Then, hearing they had a new album on the way, I felt spoiled.

Yearning: The unbeautiful after comes just two years after their last record, and with that being my first experience with the band, I was hoping for more of that killer, brutal, aggressive sound, and that’s certainly what we got with this album. I’ve had this album in rotation for a solid month or two now, and it’s a strong contender for album of the year for me, but there is one glaring issue that may knock it from the top spot.

This album is a brutal onslaught to the ears; there’s no question about that. It’s disgustingly heavy; it absolutely rips through the airwaves and is just one of those albums that has you pulling a face every time the sludgy, in-your-face breakdowns come smashing through your eardrums. There’s a level of aggressiveness here that I’ve not heard in metalcore for a while. It’s almost pushing into slam/deathcore, but reigns it in before things get a little too out of hand.

This is something I love about this record. When it wants to absolutely tear your face off, it does. When it wants to give you a second to get your bearings, it lets you do that, too. With big choruses and clean vocal sections that you’d think would feel out of place, they just work to give you breathing room – though for only a second. It’s chaotic, but in a really good way. And some of those screams – oh boy, some of those screams are NASTY.

That being said, the album can, at times, be a bit of an assault on the senses. It intentionally knocks your head back and forth. It’s relentless with its explosive moments; it’s the musical equivalent of pressurising carbon to create diamonds. While it may be somewhat exhausting to have heavy metalcore give your head a good pounding, there is a diamond in all of that rough with Yearning: The unbeautiful after.

Sadly, one thing I personally can’t shake is the poor mixing on this album. I’m not sure what producer Drew Fulk was doing with this record, but everything seems to be pushed to the middle. It’s almost as if it was mixed down in mono and, while mastering, a layer of synthetic stereo wideness was applied to give some of the transients room to breathe. It’s not something you may immediately notice listening to this album front to back, but mix the tracks in a playlist with other actual wide tracks, and you’ll instantly hear just how horrible this mix is. When played alongside other heavy records from this year, like Loathe‘s A Stranger to You, or more recently, A Night In Texas‘s The Darkest Side of Humanity, it just feels flat.

Now, the band did kind of address this in the aforementioned podcast. After the drop of their first single, comments mentioned the poor mix, and apparently they fixed it, only for Sumerian Records to use the wrong mix on the next single. So honestly, I don’t know which mix this one is, whether the new or the old one, but either way, this is genuinely the only reason why this album doesn’t get top marks from me, and it’s a shame.

Musically, Yearning: The unbeautiful after an absolutely killer album. Lyrically, too. Boundaries aren’t afraid to really dig into some uncomfortable, confrontational, and dark topics, which I think further elevates this album.

Yearning: The unbeautiful after is a strong contender as my album of the year, it absolutely rips. It's chaotic, aggressive, dark, and feels like it wants to relentlessly pummel your head into a wall. I just can't move past the mixing choices on this record, it sounds so flat, with most of the instruments pushed to the center.

Score: 8.0/10

Boundaries released Yearning: The unbeautiful after on July 17, 2026, via Sumerian Records.

### [Slow Pulp – Melodie Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/slow-pulp-melodie-review/)
Published: 2026-09-18 | Author: It's Aaron

Chicago-based indie darlings Slow Pulp are back with their third record, Melodie, an album that could be considered a coming-of-age record as the band sings about coming to terms with aspects of their past as they enter their thirties. With an already impressive collection of albums under their belt, Melodie feels like it has a lot to live up to, and I think it’s managed to do that pretty well.

Kicking the album off with the track Yellow and Green, we’re once again bathed in the band’s rich Midwest, folksy sound as the gentle instrumental provides a lush background for Emily Massey’s ethereal, reverb-soaked voice, setting the stage for what’s to come. We’re not diving straight into the band’s more power-pop side just yet, despite dropping Better Man as their first single.

We instead move into These Days, a song that reminds us that Slow Pulp have some Midwest roots, blending the folksy sounds of acoustic guitars, banjos, and… turntable scratching? I know, I know, it sounds odd, but it actually works. It’s subtle, but reminds me a lot of the type of music you’d hear in teen movies from the mid-00s. It might seem like a weird choice, but it genuinely had me smiling.

What I find most interesting about Melodie is that the band fell back into their old way of working. Before the release of their debut, Moveys, they found themselves isolated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant working on ideas separately, sending them back and forth between one another, and building out songs from there. With Melodie, according to the band, a similar thing happened.

Massey and guitarist Henry Stoehr were sending songs to one another during the conception of this album, with Stoehr actually taking more of a prominent role in the songwriting. Better Man, for example, Melodie‘s first “upbeat” song, is actually written from Stoehr’s perspective, about how over the years he learned to deal with some of the flaws of his past. The best part: Massey didn’t feel the need to change the lyrics. A testament to just how collaborative this band is together.

I will say that Melodie does feel a little more stripped back than previous albums. There are more slow songs, some piano ballads, a sprinkle of shoegaze, and the odd power-pop/indie rock song. But I feel that this is intentional. The album tells stories of isolation, loneliness, and breakups – though in Yellow and Green Massey does share that the song’s breakup was “the best thing to happen” to her.

At its core, it’s an album about growth, and while this is the subject matter of the lyrics, it also feels like the band has grown since their earlier work. It’s worth noting, though, that this isn’t an album that has the band look at their older selves to congratulate themselves on becoming better people; it’s more of an understanding that they’ve grown, but it’s just the start of that growth. They may be in a better place now, but they’re not planting roots and saying, “this is it”. They’re understanding the journey and looking ahead at what’s next.

Melodie is a great indie rock album; I only wish it were longer. Coming in at 33-ish minutes, it ends before I feel like I’ve really settled in. This is Slow Pulp’s longest album thus far, I might add, so we’re pretty used to entering the band’s world only for it to end before we’re really ready to let go.

Overall, Melodie is an album of reflection and growth for the band, both lyrically and musically. It leans a little more into their slower folksy indie-rock side, but that feels intentional given the subject matter. While I do wish it was a little longer, it's another fantastic addition to the band's catalogue.

Score: 8.5/10

Slow Pulp released Melodie on September 18, 2026, via ANTI- Records.

### [Bloc Party – Anatomy of a Brief Romance Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/bloc-party-anatomy-of-a-brief-romance-review/)
Published: 2026-09-16 | Author: It's Aaron

In the mid-to-late 2000s, Bloc Party had the indie music scene in a chokehold. We had bangers such as Banquet, Helicopter, and Hunting for Witches that flooded the airwaves of every Student Union indie night. It was a flourishing time for post-punk revival and dance-punk. So what happened? Yeah, the indie sleeze movement died off; many of us millennials were thrust into this thing called real life, and sadly we can’t have Bloc Party provide the soundtrack to our lives forever.

But what I didn’t expect was the band to enter this weird era of whimsical after-school programme music with Anatomy of a Brief Romance. An album that was intended to be a postmortem of past relationships vocalist Kele Okereke has experienced, but instead turned out to be a honky tonk retelling of relationships which, deep down, makes you wonder: maybe Okereke is the problem?

Bloc Party was always a band that, in its own unique way, bridged the gap between math-pop and indie with intricate yet catchy lead guitar rhythms, earworm vocal hooks, and a dance-punk vibe that was addictive. After Silent Alarm, A Weekend in the City experimented with more electronic sounds, riding the tsunami wave that Silent Alarm caused before it, and it, too, went down a treat.

The band continued down their electronic route a little more with Intimacy, but it still kept some of the band’s dance-punk core. Even Four, the album that came after their first hiatus, was still very much a Bloc Party album. So what happened? I suspect losing two of the founding members may have contributed, as Hymns, the album that followed, was the start of Bloc Party‘s softer, Okereke-centric sound.

Anatomy of a Brief Romance is, according to Okereke, a concept album that explores the end of one relationship and the start of the next, but it comes across as a bit convoluted and adolescent. The lead single Coming on Strong features lyrics such as “Happy as a pig in / happy as a pig in / happy as a pig in spite of myself” and “He likes the cut of my jub / he likes my skinny fit”. It comes across like Okereke Googled a handful of common idioms to write the lyrics. Then there’s a whole song about his ex checking his Instagram stories, which… yeah.

Let’s not even get into Pigwig, another song mentioning pigs. This track, which was absolutely roasted on social media, has been compared to a song that would fit into the kids’ TV show, Balamory. That’s not to say Okereke has fallen from grace as a lyrical genius; just look at Helicopter (“as if to say, as if to say / As if to say, he doesn’t like chocolate”), but this feels like a new level of bizarre.

Later in the album, we have songs such as Not Your Problem, which honestly feels like a bit of a childish and bitter response to being dumped. This all goes to say that overall the album feels a lot like a pity party. There’s no real substance behind the lyricism in the breakup songs, mostly just blame, and even the love songs feel a little surface-level and clumsy. That’s not to say they’re all bad; there are a few instances where it almost felt like the Bloc Party we knew and loved, like with Lagoon Blue, but there just wasn’t enough to keep me hooked.

In the early days, Bloc Party’s instrumentation really shone with interweaving guitar melodies creating a canvas for Okereke’s storytelling, but this softer, held-back instrumentation in Anatomy of a Brief Romance feels too sparse and almost unfinished. The dance-punk, post-punk Bloc Party of the past is well and truly gone, and that does make me genuinely sad. This album, and the one just before it, solidifies the fact that we’re never going to get another Silent Alarm, and that’s heartbreaking.

Overall, Anatomy of a Brief Romance shows the final dying signs of a band we once knew. Bloc Party's new era is a softer, withheld indie pop affair with nothing of any real substance to keep long-time fans coming back for more. The album feels somewhat self-important in its lyricism and is instrumentally bare. I can't say I'll really ever come back to this album, which is a shame as early Bloc Party has such a big place in my heart.

Score: 2.5/10

Bloc Party released Anatomy of a Brief Romance on September 11, 2026, via cOnTAGIOUS.

### [Johnny Foreigner – Forwards! Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/johnny-foreigner-forwards-review/)
Published: 2026-09-15 | Author: It's Aaron

Raucous indie rockers Johnny Foreigner are back with the brand-new album, Forwards!, an album that follows on from their triumphant return in 2024 with How To Be Hopeful – an album that was applauded for being emotionally charged and more mature than previous records. But does the band continue that trajectory, or are they back to creating albums that sound like chaotic house parties?

Johny Foreigner have always had a way with album arrangements. They have this ability to create something far more than just a collection of songs. While albums telling stories isn’t a novel concept, the way this band does it feels wholly unique. It’s an entire experience with a back-and-forth between full songs, clever interludes, and titles that expand the overall storytelling the band is putting out there.

Forwards! is no different. Described as a “small collection of songs”, this album brings the focus to the band’s home city of Birmingham, with titles referencing the city in some way or form. According to the band, the album consists of “6 actual songs” and “4 cursed field recordings”. The track The New Navigation, for example, is pinched from a song from the 18th century song, Birmingham Lads (The New Navigation).

This is an album that looks inward at the city of Birmingham and isn’t afraid to touch on some of the more controversial parts of the city’s history, such as the Priestley Riots. Nor is it an album afraid to see the similarities between that and the current era of strikes, fires, and protests. While it’s not necessarily a love letter to the city, it does shine a light on how this Midlands city is a miniature encapsulation of what’s happening in the wider country.

All of this is delivered in Johnny Foreigner‘s signature chaos, a chaos that many haven’t heard from the band since their earlier album Waited Up Til It Was Light. Forwards! is an album that brings together everything the band has done since their debut in 2008 and smushed them all into one record, and sure, there are a handful of filler tracks, but the big 6, as the band mentions, really do bring the noise.

I’ve always really enjoyed how vocalists Alexei Berrow and Kelly Parker juxtapose one another, Berrow with loud, barky vocals and Parker with softer sung vocals. They’ve both always managed to intertwine in such a way that is intrinsically Johnny Foreigner. That’s no different with Forwards! as the two continue to bounce off one another with catchy hooks and interesting melodies.

Johnny Foreigner bring a sort of sound that makes you feel like you’re part of something. Previously, it felt like a more adolescent, happy-go-lucky party vibe; then we matured into something that touched on emotions and happiness, to mature further, looking at a city that raised them and how years of tension have shaped the city and continue to do so – though not always for the better.

It’s this growth that, I feel, makes Johnny Foreigner what they are. They’ve grown along with their audience; they’ve experienced and learned, and they’re sharing that knowledge. They’re seeing what many of us are experiencing in the UK right now, and they’re making sure to speak out about it. It also helps that, instrumentally, the band are as gritty as ever with their blend of indie punk, math-pop, and post-hardcore rhythms.

Overall, Forwards! is a twisted love letter to a city that brought us Johnny Foreigner. It's an inward look at some of the tensions that the city has been through over the past 200 or so years and reminds us that what happened in the past is very much happening again, but maybe this time we should probably not destroy the city.

Score: 7.0/10

Johnny Foreigner released Forwards! on September 4, 2026, via Alcopop! Records.

### [Love Rarely – Pain Travels Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/love-rarely-pain-travels-review/)
Published: 2026-09-14 | Author: It's Aaron

It’s been a big year for the Leeds quintet, Love Rarely, following the release of their 2024 EP, Lonely People. Not only did they announce their signing to UK indie label powerhouse Big Scary Monsters, but they also geared up to release their debut album, Pain Travels. And oh boy was I excited for this one.

For those who don’t know, Love Rarely are a post-hardcore, math-rock, swancore band that have been making waves in the UK alternative scene over the past couple of years. They’re equal parts energetic, aggressive, and melodic, and a band that definitely needs to be watched. This project is a culmination of previous bands and solo projects by its members over the years, and I, for one, am glad they finally came together.

I initially heard Love Rarely, as many of us are probably discovering new music at the moment: via good old social media. Their track And You Know It repeatedly showed up on my For You Page, and that particular breakdown will forever be stuck in my head. I immediately shot on over to Bandcamp and grabbed their EP and have had it on repeat ever since.

So cut to 2026. They’re signed to Big Scary Monsters and have released their debut album, and it’s genuinely a banger.

Pain Travels opens up with the track Will, and it’s insanely danceable. That’s something that Love Rarely does well, and for them to come out of the gate swinging with such a catchy bop is almost criminal. Will sets the album up really well with a blend of rhythmic, twangy guitar, head-nodding drums, and catchy hooks from vocalist Courtney Jade Levitt, only to then switch to a slightly heavier breakdown with skittery, muted strums that bounce between your ears before switching to a soulful R&B/funk groove later in the track with Lewis Taylor joining Levitt on vocals.

One thing that really stands out to me throughout Pain Travels is the guitar tone. Initially, I thought the clean, treble-heavy twanginess of the guitars would grate on me, but it actually works to the album’s and band’s benefit. Love Rarely manage to create a heavy sound without treading too far into the distorted chug territory. In fact, the guitar tone rarely breaks away from the crystal-clean tone. Even during the heavier parts of tracks, the gain is rarely turned up, yet somehow it sounds heavy.

I gotta hand it to Love Rarely; there’s an immense level of talent here. I also learned that Taylor produced and mixed the album, which I also have to applaud. The production on this album is immense; the technical guitar work is clear, the guitar tones are sparkling, the bass fills out the low end, adding extra oomph to the heavier parts and bringing those massive choruses to the front.

Lyrically, Pain Travels, as the name might suggest, is an open wound of emotions, touching on heartbreak to family trauma all of which is thrust upon us with a mix of angelic cleans and agressive screams. This push and pull of vocal styles mixed with the ups and downs of the instrumentation creates a technically rich soundscape while also being instantly accessible.

Pain Travels is a bloody fantastic album. Love Rarely have managed to tastefully and coherently blend elements of math-rock, post-hardcore, and alt-rock, creating something that feels oxymoronically familiar and equally different. What a stellar debut album.

Score: 8.5/10

Love Rarely released Pain Travels on April 10, 2026, via Big Scary Monsters.

### [Negative Frame – Break The Ice Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/negative-frame-break-the-ice-review/)
Published: 2026-09-10 | Updated: 2026-09-11 | Author: It's Aaron

I first heard about Negative Frame after a fellow music nerd on Threads posted ahead of the release of Break The Ice, claiming how good the new album is. These endorsements often go over my head, but there was something about this that caught my attention – and for good reason. This album is a classic metalcore curveball in a world of flashy layered guitars and digital processing.

If you ever wondered what it’d sound like if early Parkway Drive joined forces with Killswitch Engage and started playing Shadows Fall covers, then wonder no more, as Negative Frame have managed to capture elements of each to create something uniquely modern while sounding tastefully old-school without being forced.

This album actually came as a surprise to me because many talk about Negative Frame alongside metallic hardcore, and while there are some hardcore elements present, there’s way more mid-2000s metalcore present in Break The Ice, so much so that when a song popped up in my new music playlist, I had to stop for a second. There was something about this band that felt familiar but also a breath of fresh air at the same time.

Break The Ice feels like a record released in the 2000s with a distinctly melodic metalcore and thrashy twang. Think Parkway‘s Killing with a Smile, or Killswitch‘s Alive or Just Breathing. From the palm-muted gallops, the thrash metal solos, pinched harmonics, and the massive power chords, it feels distinctly old-school, and it’s actually quite refreshing.

One thing that did raise an eyebrow, though, is the uncanny similarities between some riffs on the album. The middle guitar riff in the track 9 Circles, for example, felt a little too close to the intro to Parkway Drive‘s Anasasis (Xenophontis). Then there’s the drum/guitar intro to Sorrow & Solitude, which is a lot like the heavier intro part to Metallica‘s Battery. Sure, we’re definitely at a point where it’s likely every combination of note, riff, melody, and chord progression has been done before, but at times it felt a little like Negative Frame‘s influences were on show a little too obviously.

Aside from this, though, the album stands well on its own and is certainly the band’s exploration in everything metal. As well as the aforementioned melodic metalcore, there are thrash metal elements, some groove metal, nu-metal, and even a touch of alt-metal. Despite the smorgasbord of musical influences, Break The Ice remains a solidly coherent album, as the band blends these influences with their own metallic hardcore sound.

For me, Break the Ice was a bit of a slow burn. While I enjoyed the album on first listen, it wasn’t after repeated listens, or hearing some of the tracks in among a shuffle, that it really stood out to me as something to pay attention to. That’s not to say it’s not a good album; it just took a little while for it to really grab my attention, but when it did, it became an album in regular rotation. I thoroughly enjoy the old-school elements more so than some of the metal released today. It honestly feels like no one writes this type of stuff any more, which is a bit of a bummer.

But hey, at least we have Negative Frame, right?

Overall, Break the Ice has some great energy with blast beats and galloping drums that had me involuntarily nodding along. Despite some glaring similarities with riffs, the album offers an interesting listen that bundles together influences from across the metal spectrum. It was a bit of a slow burn to begin with, but after a few listens it became an album in regular rotation.

Score: 6.0/10

Negative Frame released Break the Ice on August 7, 2026, via Blood Blast Distribution.

### [ME. – All Good Things Review](https://thisisnotavirus.zip/music-reviews/me-all-good-things-review/)
Published: 2026-09-09 | Author: It's Aaron

When I heard that former members of Taking Back Sunday, Mark O’Connell and Eddie Reyes, were working on new music, I was optimistic that we might be hearing a new era of Taking Back Sunday’s blend of emo-pop post-hardcore. After a few teases and them finally dropping their album, All Good Things, I can confidently say that what the two have come together and created isn’t anything like Taking Back Sunday at all, and that’s a good thing.

Without going into too many details, the two left Taking Back Sunday of their own accord, with both stating that their reasons for leaving were to do with sobriety. It was all pretty quiet from there until, after a decade apart, the two began posting videos on their social media in the studio, and soon thereafter announced they were working on new music together.

If I recall correctly, the band had an open call for vocalists with the intention that the album would feature 10 songs from 10 different vocalists, but after hearing vocalist and guitarist Mike Jensen’s take on their first single, Special, it seems the band struck gold and threw that idea out the window. Finally, to finish off the quartet, O’Connell’s childhood friend Neal Amiruddin joined on Bass. Thus ME. was born.

Now, to touch on my earlier point, for those of you expecting to hear an extension of Taking Back Sunday, I can say with certainty that this isn’t what you’re going to hear. This isn’t a TBS record, far from it, and honestly it’s a good thing. ME. isn’t relying on the long legacy set by O’Connell and Reyes; they’re paving a new path for themselves, and this album is evidence of that.

ME.’s All Good Things is a post-hardcore record that showcases influences from the New Jersey punk scene, with songs dancing gracefully between different styles across the whole record. You’ve got gritty post-hardcore, hard-hitting punk riffs, and reserved alt-rock songs. Throughout the album, I heard similarities to bands like Braid, +44, Box Car Racer, and Sum 41, while also bringing something truly unique to the table.

Instrumentally, O’Connell, Reyes, and the rest of the band have pulled out all the stops and have let their creativity flow. The drums are big, the guitars are powerful, and the bass adds a deep groove that you’d expect from a punk record. There’s a controlled chaos to some of the songs, especially tracks like Nuzzo that feature a chaotic skate punk chorus that just makes you want to jump up and down.

ME., were definitely onto something with bringing Jensen on board; not only are his lyrics great, he knows how to write a vocal hook that sticks in your head. I’ve had the chorus of Grown Man stuck in my head for weeks. He’s also a very capable lyricist, painting pictures of alienation, exploring new love, and being vulnerable in a way that isn’t cheesy but also not overly verbose and complex. There’s an accessibility to the lyricism that lets you connect to the subject while also enjoying the backdrop of noise created by the rest of the band.

All Good Things was a surprise to me more than I thought it would be. It’s instantly catchy and fun to listen to. It doesn’t need to rely on nostalgia or being considered a “super band” for it to work; it just does. Of course, the legacy does help gain attention, but that’s pretty much all O’Connell and Reyes have done with their creds – build a fan base.

Overall, ME.'s debut comes with a level of unexpectedness that helps elevate what this album has to offer. It's not a Taking Back Sunday record, and I think that's the point. It's energetic, punky, raw, and an all-round fun record to listen to. It also helps that it's catchy as hell, too. I'm definitely excited to hear what the future holds for this band.

Score: 7.0/10

ME. released All Good Things on July 24, 2026.

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