By this point Woe are practically considered veterans of the burgeoning New York City black metal landscape, and they’ve anchored their place in the city’s often experimental scene with a damn good, straightforward-but-modern take on the genre. Withdrawal came out early in the year, so perhaps some might need a reminder that this album, Woe’s best, destroyed when it arrived. Woe excels with riff-forward songs set to blast, and mastermind Chris Grigg has a knack for crafting catchy, groove-rich breaks. As cool as it is to have so many bands experimenting with weird takes on black metal, it’s just as exciting to hear a fresh take on the classic sound. –Wyatt [LISTEN]