I listen to a lot of music. No, really. If I’m not catching up on what my dudes recommend with The Indie Inspection and Ska Punk & Other Junk, or doing homework for the Crushed Monocle Podcast, I’ve got my ear to the ground for what’s next. There’s so much music out there that it’s hard to keep a cohesive list. While the podcast is a great way to discuss a few records each month, I feel I’m undercutting some of the other records that got repeated spins. What’s the remedy? This column! This is The Showcase.
Welcome to The Showcase for April 2025!
Putrid Offal – Obliterated Life
With a band name like this and a record called Obliterated Life, you probably already know what you’re in for. But if you’re too fainthearted to hit play, the album has more than enough guts to make up for it. Literally. They’re smeared across the walls and floor. The record is a relentless assault of brutal death metal, delivered with the speed and fury of hardcore punk. So yeah, whatever you were imagining based on the title, you’re probably not wrong.
Robby Bloodshed – Under The Marbled Arch/Tell All The People
As the frontman of horror-punk outfit, Mourning Noise, it’d be easy to peg Robby Bloodshed as just another genre regular. But while there’s no shortage of Danzig-style bravado and eerie theatrics, his vocal style leans more Freddie Mercury than Misfits clone. This 7-inch captures both sides of his sound: one track broods like a gothic dirge, while the other soars as a full-blown anthem complete with guitar solos straight out of Brian May’s playbook.
Dream Phases – Velvet Knife/Mrs.Songbyrd
While sychedelic rock often pulls from other genres, it usually leans in heavier territory. But Dream Phases takes a different route, weaving in sun-soaked Americana and ’60s style power-pop for a warm and nostalgic sound. Originally released digitally, their Velvet Knife / Mrs. Songbyrd 7-inch now gets a well-deserved vinyl pressing via Nomad Eel Records, and it couldn’t arrive at a better time. It’s the perfect sonic kickstart to spring.
USA Nails – Feels Worse
After a decade together, most bands start to settle down and play it safe. Not USA Nails. On their seventh album, Feels Worse, they attack with the intensity and urgency of a debut. Sharp, chaotic, and fiercely assertive, the record delivers a blistering critique of UK authoritarianism. But its message hits just as hard on this side of the Atlantic, too. It’s the kind of record The Showcase believes we need right now. Maybe more than we even realize.
SIRE – Prophets Of Pestilence
Everything I know about Providence, Rhode Island’s noise rock scene comes from my longtime friend, and frequent BGM contributor, Brandon Perras. He’s a musician, filmmaker, writer, actor, and all-around authority on the underground. He turned me on to Sire a while back, and I was hooked from the first listen. What really grabs me on their latest record is the ever-building tension in every track. The lo-fi production makes it feel like you’ve stumbled across a Satanic audio snuff film. You know, for the kids!
Sabriel – Through The Cherry Gates
After years of being hailed as a neo-soul prodigy, Las Vegas native Sabriel makes a triumphant proclamation with her long-awaited full-length debut, Through The Cherry Gates. Following a string of dreamy, genre-blending singles, the album expands on her signature sound with a lush fusion of silky R&B, jazz-funk, and Prince-esque flair. It’s a record that shape-shifts through moods and textures, moving from sensual slow-burners to shimmering grooves, yet never loses its sense of direction. Despite the tonal variety, Through The Cherry Gates displays like a unified vision: focused, fluid, and unmistakably Sabriel.
Tunic – A Harmony of Loss Has Been Sung
Few things hit as satisfyingly hard as a distorted bass line. But the true power of A Harmony of Loss Has Been Sung isn’t just in its gnarly, Slint-meets-Suicide post-punk chaos. It’s the raw, unfiltered emotion. Across every track, Tunic lays bare the painful journey through grief, turning anguish into something visceral and real. Sure, it’s not an easy listen, and it’s not meant to be, but this level of brutal honesty is a rare find in noise-rock. Not like this anyway.
Dauber – Falling Down
I’m not here to impose my taste on anyone. The Showcase is more about recommendations. But let’s be honest, the world doesn’t exactly feel very pop-punk right now. That familiar upbeat, four-on-the-floor bounce seems out-of-step with the current mood of the world. However, sometimes we need a break from all the doom and gloom. Falling Down delivers a refreshing change of pace, with tight, melodic hooks and a youthful, defiant energy. Maybe a dose of Dauber is exactly what I should be listening to right now.
Idle Heirs – Life is Violence
Back in the day, the only time I heard Coalesce mentioned was in debates about which metal bands were Christian. That’s a surefire way to make any self-respecting metal head roll their eyes. So yeah, I kind of missed the boat on them. Spoiler: they weren’t a Christian metal band.
Fast forward to now, and frontman Sean Ingram has returned with a new project, Idle Heirs. Surprisingly solid, Life Is Violence carries the emotional weight and intensity of metalcore but delivers it with the precision of post-rock. I didn’t know what to expect, but the vulnerability in the lyrics gives the whole thing an unexpected edge. And you know what? It works!
Messa – The Spin
Hey, you already knew The Showcase for April was gonna have at least one goth record, right? This genre often comes with a checklist: operatic vocals, romantic yet eerie lyrics, layers of chorus-drenched guitars, and a touch of synth pulsing through the rhythm section. The Spin ticks all those boxes.
Just don’t mistake it for formulaic. Messa, now over a decade into their evolution, continues to reinvent with each release. This album feels like the work of a band unafraid to explore. Longtime fans will find familiar shadows here, but the album stands strong as a gateway for newcomers to their brand of modern goth. It’s rich, moody, and refreshingly self-assured.
Kemi Ade – The Fix
With ’90s alternative making a big comeback in mainstream pop, it’s high time that R&B and soul from the era got the same love. Enter Kemi Ade. The Fix draws heavily from early ’90s soul, but this isn’t some surface-level cosplay. It’s an honest-to-goodness reflection of an artist’s heart and soul. Each track dives deep into the emotional push and pull of toxic relationships, romantic or otherwise. Kemi Ade clarifies one thing: anyone can be the villain or the victim, but it’s up to you to decide who plays which part.
Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong
Black Country, New Road’s first album without founding member Isaac Wood is a bold reinvention. Led by the formidable trio of Georgia Ellery, May Kershaw, and Tyler Hyde, Forever Howlong is a chaotic kaleidoscope. With wild tonal shifts, narrative twists, and jaw-dropping instrumental flair, it’s like Black Midi scoring a Disney film. Beneath the baroque-pop frenzy lies a deeply emotional core, where each whimsical arrangement carries real heart. Start to finish, Forever Howlong is a captivating, unpredictable joyride.
Outer Head – Erevos
Unfortunately, Outer Head is no longer functioning as a band. Erevos stands as their swan song, a final offering made up of bits and pieces of their last bit of recordings.. Even if you didn’t know it’s a farewell, the looming sense of finality seeps through every doom-soaked, psychedelic-noise-drenched track. Endless riffs, eternal gloom, and yes, even nudity on the album cover: What more could you ask for from a gothic stoner metal sendoff?
Moros – Recrudescent Horror
If you like your death metal with some nihilistic heft, look no further than Moros. Recrudescent Horror is dark, grizzly, and well, horrifying. And as a bonus, the cover art looks like a deformed Cacodemon from the original DOOM. You know what? This album sounds like a deformed Cacodemon from the original DOOM! That rules.
Deadpop – OHM
What is the highest honor a noise rock album can earn? Bring the riffs. But OHM by Deadpop doesn’t just bring them, it is one giant, snarling riff incarnate. Built from distorted bass, bone-crushing drums, and industrial samples scraped straight from a factory meltdown, Deadpop sounds like the Melvins’ deranged British cousin locked in a basement. It’s gloriously ugly, brutally cathartic, and unlike anything else crawling out of the scene right now.
Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution
Regarding death metal, I’ve always leaned more toward the thrash-influenced side than the progressive stuff. Ancient Death strikes a compelling balance between the two while weaving in touches of noise and shoegaze. Ego Dissolution delivers all the blast beats and guttural growls you’d expect, but the songwriting is richer, more atmospheric, reminiscent of Blood Incantation’s record from last year. The standout for me? That sick fretless bass!
Previously, outside of The Showcase
Ministry – The Squirrely Years Revisited
Al Jourgensen takes another stab at his early dark-wave roots. Read the full review HERE.
Djo – The Crux
Musician turned actor turned musician again contemplates growing older. Read the full review HERE.
Grinding Eyes – Out of Focus
Aussie noise trio is keeping the scene alive and kicking. Read the full review HERE.