Album of the Week: Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown | 2023 Week 15

Album of the Week: Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown | 2023 Week 15

Five years in the making, the sophomore record from one of the most interesting contemporary heavy bands was worth the wait + new albums from Feist, El Michels Affair & Black Thought, Kid Koala, Dinner Party, Metallica and more

Philadelphian metallic hardcore band Jesus Piece sure know how to start a record, taking less than two seconds to rip the lid off their new record, as opening track In Constraints assaults the listeners ears (in the most pleasurable way possible) with an all-out onslaught of guttural screams, blast beats and overdriven distorted guitars, wasting no time on things like “intros” or “build ups”... and their sophomore album …So Unknown is all the doper for it.

After releasing their acclaimed debut album Only Self back in 2018, Jesus Piece fans have been patiently waiting half a decade for a new full-length, as the band teased us with the recent singles Tunnel Vision and Silver Lining hinting as to the album’s depth and experimentation within the realms of metal-laden hardcore, offering interesting compositions with post-punk influences.

Short, sharp and sweet (in a heavy way), …So Unknown weighs in at 10 tracks, with an average run time floating around the 3-minute mark, which could risk the record falling into formulaic territory - but not Jesus Piece. Striking a satisfying balance between cohesion and diversity with more experimental and interesting compositions, the album traverses a range of tempos and styles, touching on everything from nu-metal to grindcore, while remaining crushingly heavy yet melodic and full of groove throughout.

On their new album the band say ‘Everything about us has always been a very unknown situation. We didn’t know what we were supposed to sound like, we didn’t know who we were supposed to tour with, and that’s stuck with us from the start. We’re a very enigmatic band.

With …So Unknown, I think we can more agree that Jesus Piece are “a very enigmatic band”, and a very heavy, awesome and important one at that.

Buy Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown (Vinyl)

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The best of the rest of this week's records:

El Michels Affair & Black Thought - Glorious Game [Big Crown Records] USA

Hip Hop

Buy El Michels Affair & Black Thought - Glorious Game (Vinyl)

Dave Okumu & The 7 Generations - I Came From Love [Transgressive Records Ltd.] ENG

Alternative

Buy Dave Okumu & The 7 Generations - I Came From Love (Vinyl)

Dinner Party - Enigmatic Society [Sounds of Crenshaw / EMPIRE] USA

Jazz / Hip Hop

Feist - Multitudes [Polydor] CAN

Indie / Pop

Buy Feist - Multitudes (Vinyl)

Fenne Lily - Big Picture [Dead Oceans] ENG

Indie / Pop

Buy Fenne Lily - Big Picture (Vinyl)

Kid Koala - Creatures of the Late Afternoon [Envision Records] CAN

Hip Hop

Metallica - 72 Seasons [Blackened Recordings Inc.] USA

Rock

Buy Metallica - 72 Seasons (Vinyl)

The Tallest Man on Earth - Henry St. [Anti] SWE

Folk

Buy The Tallest Man on Earth - Henry St. (Vinyl)

Xylouris White - The Forest In Me [Anti] AUS/GRE

Folk / Rock

Buy Xylouris White - The Forest In Me (Vinyl)

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