LISTEN TO THIS — APRIL 29TH

This week’s music landscape is an incredible collision of genres, ranging from the frantic energy of London’s synth-punk outfit Powerplant to the high-gloss future of metalcore. Powerplant’s latest record sees them leaning into a darker, more cinematic "gothic" sound, while Nashville’s Snooper keeps things twitchy and lo-fi with their latest offering, "Guard Dog." On the heavier end of the spectrum, Portrayal of Guilt continues to push the boundaries of black metal and hardcore with their newest release, contrasted sharply by the expansive, star-studded deluxe album from This Is Lorelei. Featuring collaborations with indie heavyweights like MJ Lenderman and Momma, that record offers a sprawling look into modern experimental pop. To balance the new with the legendary, a revisit to Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot provides a masterclass in alt-country production, all while Northlane looks toward the horizon with their brand-new single, "Evian," which officially drops their signature heavy sound into a trance-influenced future.

1. POWERPLANT - BRIDGE OF SACRIFICE

When listening to Powerplant’s Bridge of Sacrifice, there’s an impulse to engage in music-evolutionary-biology 101, hypothesizing a common ancestor among black metal, dungeon synth, shoegaze, power pop, and lo-fi bedroom punk (besides the obvious: Dungeons & Dragons, studded leather, and a shared appreciation for black eyeliner). After all, Powerplant (the sole project of Ukraine-born, London-based Theo Zhykharyev) has produced a seamless synthesis of old-school black metal and his trademark fuzzed-out synth-punk sound.

Playing with genres is what Powerplant is about. The project’s debut album, 2019’s People of the Sun, was a lo-fi ripper, while the follow-up, Stump Soup, was mired in the dankest of dungeon-synth. 2023’s Grass EP seemed to evoke the prog pranksterism of Primus’ Les Claypool, and Zhykharyev embraced ‘80s hard rock with last year’s Heat. His dabbling never came at the sacrifice of his own musical identity, and this pivot into black metal is no exception.

2. SNOOPER - GUARD DOG

Nashville giants of egg punk — Snooper present “Guard Dog,” the second single/video from their new album, Worldwide, out October 3rd on Third Man Records. Following the “bubbly and jagged” (Glide) lead single “Worldwide,” today’s single “Guard Dog” mulls over the feeling of being boxed in and bogged down by other people’s perceptions of you.

3. PORTRAYAL OF GUILT - TOTAL BLACK

Deep into the runtime of ...Beginning of the End, Portrayal of Guilt throws a curveball that highlights their penchant for the avant-garde: a 66-second snippet titled "Chamber of Misery Pt. IV" featuring Houston’s Slim Guerilla. While the band is famous for shifting shapes, this particular detour avoids the tired pitfalls of the "hardcore meets hip-hop" trope.

Most contemporary attempts at this crossover result in either dated rap-rock relics or hollow, high-testosterone posturing. In contrast, "Chamber of Misery Pt. IV" bypasses the usual surface-level machismo. Instead of just mimicking the aggression of early 90s underground tapes, the track unearths the murky, psychedelic soul of gothic Southern rap, creating a rare moment of genuine stylistic synergy rather than a forced collaboration.

4. EYEDRESS - STONER OLYMPICS

Eyedress goes Shoegaze?? huh

5. THIS IS LORELEI - BOX FOR BUDDY (DELUXE)

Box for Buddy, Box for Star is a 2024 studio album by indie rock artist Nate Amos, of the band Water from Your Eyes, recording as This Is Lorelei. The album has received positive reviews from critics. It is the first release under this moniker that Amos has prepared as a traditional album release, including distribution by Double Double Whammy and a renewed focus on music-making after getting sober

On March 9, 2026, a "super deluxe" version of the album was announced that would feature both new and previously released covers of songs from the original album. The version also contains the original tracks, thereby serving as a double album. It was released on April 17, 2026.

6. WILCO - YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT (THROWBACK)

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Wilco, originally self-released on September 29, 2001, on Wilco's website as streamed audio, and later as a retail release on April 23, 2002, through Nonesuch Records. Recording sessions for the album began in late 2000. These sessions, which were documented for the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, were marred by conflicts including a switch in drummers and disagreements among the band members and engineers about songs. Despite this, the album was mostly completed by early 2001. The album showcased a more atmospheric and experimental sound than the band's previous work, and has been described as art rock and indie rock by music critics. It was the band's first album with drummer Glenn Kotche, and last with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jay Bennett.

7. NORTHLANE - EVIAN

Another bold step in Northlane’s evolution, “Evian” shapeshifts through a duality of euphoric trance and seismic breakdowns. The song expands and contracts as its affecting lyrics explore facing trauma to be better for the ones you love.

Frontman Marcus Bridge opens up about the track: “Evian is about self-improvement through confronting trauma then finding your way back to someone from a healthier place. It explores the choice to grow on your own rather than dragging others down with you, making a conscious effort to heal before your struggles start affecting the people you care about.”