Growth Archives - NO CLEAN SINGING

GROWTH – UNDER THE UNDER

Mar 182026

(Andy Synn was an early supporter of Growth and their debut album, so it only made sense for him to cover their long-gestating sophomore record, out next week)

Good things come, or so they say, to those who wait.

And, goddamn, have I been waiting for the new record from underground Aussie sensations Growth for a while now… ever since I discovered them and their outstanding debut album (which you can, and should, read more about here) back in 2020, in fact.

Sure, it may have taken them longer than I might have liked (though not as long as some of their countrymen, who I’m still waiting on) to produce the goods, but if good things really do come to those who wait, then surely the extra long wait means it’ll be extra good?

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: WITCH RIPPER, CNOC AN TURSA, DIABOLUS MECUM SEMPERTERNE, UNMOTHER, GROWTH, MIRE, SLÔDDER, SUNDOWNER, MALUM

Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 3 Responses »

Jan 242026

(written by Islander)

A quick note before embarking on the new songs and videos I’ve collected for today: Tomorrow there will probably be no SHADES OF BLACK column. I’ll be over the water in Seattle tonight for a big annual party. Between getting ready, getting there, partying, and getting back, I won’t have much time for NCS and I don’t expect I’ll have a clear head whenever I wake up tomorrow.

And then tomorrow will also serve up a couple of NFL playoff games I want to see, especially the second one.

As for what I’ve picked for today’s roundup, out of a really mammoth week of new releases, I’ve leaned further into shades of black metal than usual because of the likely absence of the Sunday column, and for the same reason I’ve made this collection bigger than usual. I’ve also probably leaned pretty hard into music that seems in line with my perception that the world is going to hell even faster than I thought it would, with way too many people beginning the year still thinking thoughts like these. Continue reading »

ANDY SYNN’S MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS OF 2025

Forthcoming Albums No Responses »

Jan 132025

(Andy Synn looks ahead to what we might expect from 2025)

Is it just me or does 2025 seem to be off to a bit of a slow start?

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve already written about a couple of gems (Am I In Trouble?, MEM//BRANE) and I’ve got my eyes on a few upcoming releases (including one which, having heard it in full, is probably destined for my “Disappointing” list) but, for the most part, it feels like 2025 has yet to properly kick into gear.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, since it gives us a bit more time to get our shit together and start planning out the year to come… which in this case means highlighting some of the albums which I really hope make an appearance, and make an impact, some time over the next twelve months.

UNSUNG HEROES OF 2020: GROWTH / OBSIDIAN MANTRA / YASHIRA

Album Reviews No Responses »

Dec 222020

Growth

(As the year limps to the finish line Andy Synn continues to recommend 2020 albums we haven’t yet covered in detail, bringing us three more reviews today.)

For today’s edition of “Unsung Heroes” we’re looking out towards the edges of the nascent (and slightly controversial) “Post-Death” scene, with three bands who – each in their own way – have taken a sound rooted in the firm foundations of Death Metal and nurtured it, cultivated it, in a much more expansive and progressive direction, cross-breeding it with outside elements and influences in an attempt to produce a new, hybrid-strain of heaviness which is more than just the sum of its varied parts.

Have they been successful? Well that, to an extent, is in the eye of the beholder, but I’d say that each of the three bands featured here shows a lot of promise and potential (in some cases a frankly incredibly amount), to the point where some of them (perhaps even all of them) may one day become future leaders and trailblazers in this slowly evolving sub-scene. Continue reading »