H E X - II

Latest release from H E X (August 2025), the follow up to their debut album in 2018 after a 7 year gap.  This new-ish release clearly escaped my orbit, but regardless I'm happy to see more material from them.  The sound is similar but in some different directions, namely with the inclusion (& I believe replacement) of two new members: Léa Martinez (vocals) and Wladislas Marian (bass).  The album is up on Bandcamp for name-your-price featuring 4 songs (as is/was their debut), but definitely show them some love if you like what you hear (*I certainly will after I sort out my new CC).

Vinyl is available at their label Humus Records.  

You can also check out another Switzerland band featuring H E X synth player Vincent Devaud, who also contributes synth & vocals in 'Loveress', for a completely different vibe switch.

Bandcamp

Point of No Return - The Language Of Refusal

 

Point of No Return is a straight edge hardcore band from São Paulo, Brazil.  The group made waves with their debut album, 'Centelha' in 2000, followed by their 2nd full length, 'Liberdade Imposta, Liberdade Conquistada' in 2002 following a 7 month hiatus.  The band often meshes vocals in both English and Portuguese (their entire 2nd album is in Portuguese), with a prominent aspect of the band being their unique blending of three distinct singers, sometimes merging together in familiar hardcore gang vocals.  

The band played their "final" show in 2006, but has re-emerged in 2024 with their latest full-length album, 'The Language Of Refusal', a collection of songs written from 2002-2024.  They also released a new live album, 'Ao Vivo na Verdurada' in October of the same year.  The band lineup is largely the same, while adding a new vocalist & bass player in 2024 (six current members and six past members, two of which were only active during their inception in 1996).

This release was a definite unexpected surprise for me (discovering it recently), and also a good starting point for anyone looking for an oldschool hardcore itch to scratch from some very pissed off vegans.  I believe this is also the first release from them to ever be available on vinyl.

Bandcamp

Neurosis - An Undying Love For A Burning World

Neurosis have re-emerged with their first new album in 10 years, after their parting with longtime vocalist/guitarist Scott Kelly.  Some speculated (such as myself) that the band would end altogether, but instead they have shadow-dropped a new album, 'An Undying Love For A Burning World' on March 20th.  Aaron Turner (ISIS, Sumac, etc.) has filled the absence of Scott Kelly on both vocals and guitar, and the pairing not only makes sense but has expectedly delivered well (understandably as Aaron Turner has cited Neurosis as a huge influence on his music); also considering three other members contribute vocals the overall sound is much of the staple people would expect.  The album is currently in digital-only release, with physical releases slated later (May 8th for CD/Cassette and June 5th for Vinyl).

The band in its new iteration will perform live for the first time at the Fire in the Mountains festival in Montana (a non-profit on Blackfeet Nation lands dedicated to reducing youth suicide) in July.  Notably the festival is co-headlined with a reunion performance by 16 Horsepower (former band of David Eugene Edwards before Wovenhand), among an overall packed lineup.  Neurosis is known for being a great live band, and while I haven't seen them personally I can attest that ISIS put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen/heard, so I imagine they will be right as rain with the inclusion of Aaron Turner.

As for the album itself, I won't yap too much aside to say I enjoyed it, with probably the biggest takeaway being I didn't fully realize how much Steve Von Till's vocals mirrored or resembled Scott Kelly's, and overall while his presence is missed, of all the people I can think of to fill that void they found the most agreeable and obvious in Aaron Turner, both vocally and on guitar and more fundamentally his song-writing ability.  The near 17 minute closing track "Last Light" might highlight his most direct influence and possible direction of any releases in the future.

Bandcamp

 

Shintaro Sakamoto - Yoo-hoo

 

When I posted 'On-Gaku: Our Sound' in January, in a moment of synchronicity/oversight I came to realize Shintaro Sakamoto also released his newest album the same month.  'Yoo-hoo' is Shintaro's 5th full-length solo album, following 21 years of fronting Yura Yura Teikoku.

His former band had a more prevalent psych/rock aspect propelled by his guitar/singing, but much like his solo work exists a common thread of dreamy/dreary unconventional pop/surf that he continues to explore and refine.

This album sounds like lounge music in the coolest lounge in town, complete with sporadic traditional horn/wind/percussion instruments and outlier inclusions Shintaro's style is known for (e.g. whatever that little instrument is on "Is There A Place For You There?").  I won't bother dissecting this track to track, as fans of his past work will probably be onboard regardless, but for everyone else I would give it my rubber stamp of endorsement of being my favorite solo album he's released.  'Yoo-hoo' is maybe not his most experimental album, but likewise a reminder that you're always in for a surprise.  Ultimately the dreamy+dreary/surf-psych ventricle throughout much of his sound is (in my opinion) beating better than ever on 'Yoo-hoo'.

Can check out the three singles released below.  Bandcamp for prior releases (hasn't made its way there yet) and direct purchase link through his label.

Bandcamp

Purchase

Converge - Love Is Not Enough

Converge released their new album, 'Love Is Not Enough' today; vinyl is already sold out (on Bandcamp) but I'm sure more will be coming.  The album feels relatively short but it definitely checks all the "this-Converge-album-is-great" boxes.  Just one of the best bands to do it, and still excellent 30+ years into their discography.  Also recommend checking out their recent Audiotree performance.

Bandcamp

On-Gaku: Our Sound

I've been trying to commit to posting at least once per month in my spare time; being sick the past week or so and not having any albums recently that have blown my socks off, I figured I would switch it up and post a movie recommendation that is music-adjacent.

'On-Gaku: Our Sound' by Kenji Iwaisawa came out in 2019, based on the 2005 manga 'Ongaku' ("Music") by Hiroyuki Oohashi.  This movie has particular relevance to me/this blog, because one of the main characters, "Kenji" (center above), is voiced by Shintaro Sakamoto (singer/guitarist of Yura Yura Teikoku, now solo), the first I believe of his voice-acting credits.  Some of the voice cast is also handled by other venerated Japanese musicians.

I won't give a movie review/film essay aside to say it is a very visually (and auditorily, with Shintaro also contributing to the soundtrack) appealing anime featuring rotoscoping with hand-drawn emphasis, centered around three teenage delinquents who decide to start a band together -- with none of them having any musical background.  As you'd imagine, the hijinks and roadblocks that follow make for an entertaining and inspiring film.  The plot builds to them performing live for the first time, and the result is indeed the "climax" in all senses of the film.

Just thought I would shout this out, sans an awkward scene (you'll know when you see it), it's a very enjoyable movie with slightly more deadpan comedy than drama, but overall a lot of heart; no doubt resonating with anyone who has jammed in a room with bandmates, especially for the first time.

I don't think any "regular" streaming services currently have this available (possibly Amazon for purchase?), so you might have to get creative or do extra digging to find it.  But physical copies can be bought from Amazon or wherever.

Steve Lyman - SIGNAL TO BURNING

I've been seeing posts of an upcoming project featuring Cedric Bixler-Zavala (At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta, etc.) and drummer/synth player Steve Lyman (Utah to Brooklyn, NY), whom I was unfamiliar with prior to this upcoming collab, 'SIGNAL TO BURNING', on April 1st, 2026.  

Lyman is primarily a jazz drummer/composer/educator mashing up electronics and occasional brass (woodwind if you want to get technical, which his music is), referring to his latest solo record 'SPIRAL' in 2024.  This conglomeration probably explains how he paired up with Cedric in the first place, mirroring his/The Mars Volta's often unconventional ingredients in a musical blender, while maintaining a strong jazz...exoskeletal? framework.  

His last solo record also features a number of collaborators I wasn't familiar with, sans the very jazz-centric Jimmy Chamberlin (The Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Chamberlin Complex), featured on the closing track "CIRCLE", which is probably my favorite track on the album.

There has been a couple singles released so far ahead of the album (below), and while I'm not positive Cedric is on all or more of them (he mentions other collabs on it with Tigran Hamasyan and Nathan Schram, the latter of which is also on the released single "BIRDS SINGING ON THE MOON"), the first two singles of the 14 total tracks have been their collaborations.

I'll link his Bandcamp below, which features the aforementioned 'SPIRAL' from 2024.  He had another solo record called 'Revolver' in 2013 that I haven't tracked down yet.  Their upcoming record 'SIGNAL TO BURNING' will be out on April 1st.

Bandcamp