Norwegian black metal band Mayhem’s groundbreaking career is often overshadowed by the macabre events that defined its early years. The murder of founding guitarist Øystein “Euronymous” Aarseth and the suicide of vocalist Per “Dead” Ohlin only scratch the surface. Suffice it to say, there’s a reason this band and the…

After completing a definitive comeback album streak, New York experimental rock titans Swans once again transformed. Mastermind Michael Gira has reinvented his band numerous times since 1982, but he now settles on a six-member core band, along with several contemporaries, friends and inspirations. This new lineup takes the 15th…

Clockwise from top left: Alice Merton, The Midnight Hour (Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge) featuring Loren Odeon, Grace Carter, Louis Prince, Basement Revolver and Harrison Storm. Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips. Artists on platforms like Spotify and Bandcamp are plentiful, and the…

After striking gold with 2016’s space odyssey Splendor & Misery, L.A. experimental hip-hop trio Clipping now takes a more sinister approach. The underground subgenre known as horrorcore is now the vocation for rapper-actor (and Broadway star) Daveed Diggs’ technical, intense flow and the harsh, immersive textures of co-producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes.…

Jónsi Birgisson and Alex Somers, Courtesy: Lilja Birgisdottir. LOS ANGELES — If the new analogue remaster of Riceboy Sleeps caught some ears, the long-awaited orchestral performance of the record rattled the soul. Ten years after Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi Birgisson and film composer Alex Somers released their immaculate ambient project, the…

Rob Halford, “Celestial.” Frankly, anyone who doubts Rob Halford’s ability this late in his career isn’t paying attention. The quality of last year’s Judas Priest album, Firepower, more than proved his staying power as a heavy metal icon. That’s why it’s safe to at least assume his upcoming holiday album…

If anyone has ever had a case of followup blues, it’s Refused. The Swedish rockers broke up shortly after releasing 1998’s The Shape of Punk To Come. The album has lived up to its name, standing the test of time as a standard-bearer for post-hardcore. This explains the polarized…

Deep diving into Sufjan Stevens’ catalog reveals he’s far more than an indie folk visionary—from collaborative space operas and glitched-out indietronica to Grammy-nominated soundtrack contributions. So his stints in ballet scoring shouldn’t surprise anyone. In fact, The Decalogue isn’t even his first time working with choreographer Justin Peck for…

When R&B visionary Blood Orange announced a classical album, what would result was anybody’s guess. Devonté Hynes traces his musical interest back to composers like Claude Debussy, so in many ways these compositions are a full circle moment for him. He wrote and conceptualized Fields on a digital interface,…

If a band remotely associated with pop tours with The Dillinger Escape Plan, something special is going on. Boston’s Bent Knee has indeed honed a colorful style. The band has carved out a singular spot in modern rock, holding heavy prog rock, baroque pop and even industrial music together…