A pandemic-induced shutdown has seemingly only emboldened and sharpened Royal Honey, a Pittsburgh act that has been making tasty cocktails out of equal parts glam and punk for several years now, their months-and-months-long quarantine resulting in a rather succulent sophomore effort called Sweet Heat that evokes good times, boozy vibes, and smoky little venues. Opener “Cut N Run” gets the dice rolling and the glitter flying with a spiked fruit punch that conjures UFO and...

Unassumingly releasing their very first cassette album (its only physical format so far) on Devil’s Night 2020, Vicious Blade, a new Pittsburgh death/thrash/crust project featuring members of Tartarus, Commit Suicide, and Complete Failure, deals swiftly and brutally with poseurs in blood-hungry Napalm Death-meets-Midnight fashion. Consisting of five brief tracks totaling over just thirteen minutes, this self-titled debut is punctuated by the frightening roar of Clarissa Badini and the deft guitarwork of Jeff Ellsworth and Erik...

For going on 11 years now, Horseburner have been on the run, making music and playing gigs as if there were prices on their heads. In August, Horseburner set off a bushel of fireworks in The Thief, a tricky stoner metal ode to the giants of the 70’s that was a watershed moment for the genre in 2019 and is worthy of some of your iPod space and headphone time. A short, titular instrumental sets...