Editors' Picks: Strikeforce Diablo / Ammi / The Secret

Scott: Strikeforce Diablo have been dormant far too long from the post-hardcore landscape. First making their mark in 1997 on scream-filled split 7-inches with Twelve Hour Turn and I Hate Myself, the band took a rather long hiatus, retooled their lineup a few times, and finally delivered their debut full-length, The Albatross And The Architect, in 2004 on No Idea Records; it only took them the better part of a decade to do it. If you take Dead Reckoning-era Small Brown Bike and mix it with To Bury Within The Sound-era Engine Down, you'll have a pretty good idea of what this record sounds like. "Sharp Tongue, No Teeth" is the first track off Albatross; "Akimbo" is also on Albatross, and originally appeared on their split with Twelve Hour Turn.
Strikeforce Diablo - Sharp Tongue, No Teeth
Strikeforce Diablo - Akimbo
You can also currently stream two more songs off the record, "All Things Cloven" and "The Stretch," at the band's purevolume page.

Brian: Chicago's Ammi delivers some pretty considerable versatility of the [genre] variety on their latest EP, Laodicea. They touch on everything from Mineral to Appleseed Cast to a more aggressive ...Trail Of Dead, and it works well for the band's uniquely budding sound. Both these tracks come from Laodicea, out now on Common Cloud Records:
Ammi - Blue Screen Brain
Ammi - Faux

Aubin: Italian quintet, The Secret, who recently released their Goodfellow debut, Luce, have a remarkable ability to intersperse moments of polyrhythmic, chaotic hardcore with elegant post-rock like that of Mogwai or even Isis. I must admit that it's not an entirely flawless record, as it does degenerate into Botch-style guitar squealing on occaison. Still, those minor misteps aside, the bulk of the record represents a truly inspired entry.
The Secret - Memento Mori