Sonic Reducer

courtesy of the artist

The one-man band Archon is back with another Highborne project, Renewal of the Supreme Being, sure to disturb your sleep. Well-refined, Renewal is a blend of melodic black metal, raw black metal and atmospheric black metal, with hints of death metal peeking through to remind you of your own mortality. The Linnaean of metal may quibble over the labels, but it is clear that this is a horror film where your brain is the hero trying to escape. Maybe you should let it. If you like to spend your pandemic days questioning the illusion of free will, then crank up Renewal of the Supreme Being and, as the title track suggests, “Consume your innocence, commune with your demon.”

courtesy of the artist

By my count, Travesuras’ five-song EP clocks in 12 seconds shy of five-minutes’ worth of punk, giving you no excuse not to listen to it twice in quick succession. Delivered in both English and Spanish, Liberate is not an album that waits around mired in ambiguity. No sir! They get right to the point with songs like, “Trifecta of Nastiness.” Borrowing a line, presumably, from New Order’s “Blue Monday,” Travesuras asks, “How does it feel to treat me like you do?” then simply adds, “’Cause you don’t give a shit, and you don’t give a fuck, too.” Now you certainly know how they feel. It is comforting to know in a time of uncertainty such as this that you can at least count on Travesuras to give it to you straight. Maybe listen to it a third time.