A distinct sense of alienated non-belonging courses through the new LP Last from the hardcore band Loma Prieta as the band struggles over questions of purpose, permanence, and the will to make a change.

We expect warzones to be horrifying, but what about the eerie quiet that settles right behind the front lines? As the media turns its attention to the hardships of life in Ukraine, Микрокульт gives us a unique view into the situation on the ground in Russia.

What happens when you combine an incredible collection of worldwide folk instruments, a cabin in the woods, and a love for black metal?

Like a burning church, this album creaks and crackles with dissonant orchestral tones and ritualistic chanting that threatens to summon something sinister. If the Old Ones really are responsible for inspiring this phenomenal release, I for one welcome our new experimental sludge metal overlords.

If you’re into the classic indie rock records of the 90s, pay attention, because I’ve just found you a band that probably would’ve made one of those if they’d been born 30 years earlier.

Aphorisms consists of sparse sound collages which reveal the suffocating silence Lambkin finds himself in, encouraging him to fixate upon the most miniscule of household sounds.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that someone put shoegaze together with washed-out drain gang vocals, but I’m pretty blown away by how well it works for this band.

Gira here sounds exhausted, but this bodily need to step back from his intense art bumps up against his desperate will to cling to life.

This record ferries listeners from this realm to somewhere much, much stranger. Between wailing saxophones, cut-up noise samples, there is a Burroughsian quality that lends an otherworldly atmosphere to this experimental album.

This record from LA-based musician Elon Katz showcases the other side of post-pop, after the party is over and you wake up the next morning alone on the bathroom floor.

For such a long-running and fascinating institution, the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra still largely flies under the radar. 60 Years, a live album commemorating the jazz collective’s sixtieth birthday, examines the mission and message of the group thus far.

Bridging the gap between prog, hardcore, and good ol’ post punk, Satan and the Dying Baby has me convinced that this sound still has more to offer to us before we discard it for the next big thing.

For those worried about choosing between deep themes and fun music, let Paurro show you the path where you get both without sacrificing anything.

Inside Voice / Outside Voice offers a crash course in creative communication, a mode of speaking that transcends culture, time, and place to bring people together.

Some comments we had on some of this week’s more popular releases.

People often misrepresent psychedelic experiences with over-the-top maximalist art, but in reality Big Blood’s understated and elegant new avant-folk record First Aid Kit really strikes at the heart of psychedelia.

This one may be the most disturbingly embodied album you’ve ever heard.

London-based post-rock act Legss writes songs that build to nothing, locking the listener into an anxious spiral.

A fantastic summary of everything that makes death metal great.

A review of a truly experimental album from London’s Lunch Money Life.