Welcome back to Finetuned! This is a high-energy, somewhat acquired taste kinda band. This week we are chatting about Tallah. They are so weird, but in the best way possible. Let’s bang them heads, lads! 🤘
Tallah is an American heavy metal band formed in Pennsylvania in 2017. Originally founded by drummer Max Portnoy (son of Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy, one of the goats), guitarist Derrick Schneider, and bassist Andrew Cooper, the band expanded their lineup with the addition of vocalist Justin Bonitz at the start of 2018. The story on how Justin became the vocalist for them is awesome as well. No joke, Mike Portnoy actually reached out to Justin (Justin has done YouTube for YEARS) and asked if he could join Max’s band and rock the vox. Of course, Justin immediately said yes to this request! Their lineup has since solidified to include Justin Bonitz (vocals), Derrick Schneider (lead guitar), Alex Snowden (rhythm guitar), Max Portnoy (now on bass), drummer Joel McDonald, and turntablist/sampler Ivan Little. Over time, they have released three full-length studio albums: Matriphagy (2020), The Generation of Danger (2022), and Primeval: Obsession // Detachment (2025) - and are signed to Earache Records.
Musically, Tallah inhabit a modern "nu-core" space - fusing the groove and emotional bite of early 2000s nu-metal with the raw aggression of hardcore and elements of metalcore, rap metal, industrial, and even electronic and deathcore touches. Their general vibe is anything but predictable: they aim to unsettle and disturb, blending gnarly, whip-crack riffs with thunderous drums, harsh and tortured vocals, abrupt shifts into melodic choruses, and layered electronic textures.
Tallah’s sonic landscape is characterized by pulverizing low-end riffs and hyper-aggressive rhythms, often down-tuned and rhythmically dynamic, underscored by frantic drumming and screeching snare (that classic PING) that echo both industrial and hardcore influences. Justin Bonitz’s vocals range from menacing shouts and anguished howls to haunting melodic moments, all layered atop dense electronic and turntable textures courtesy of Ivan Little. The music feels as if it’s teetering on the edge: chaotic, unsettling, and yet meticulously composed, forging an environment where sonic violence clashes with twisted melodic sensibilities.
Tallah’s third album and our rec today, Primeval: Obsession // Detachment, released in September 2025 via Earache Records, is presented (honestly) as their most ambitious and experimental effort yet. It is a fully live-tracked, sci-fi concept piece rife with sonic chaos and narrative depth. The recording process was raw and unfiltered that was captured live in Michigan without click tracks, edits, or safety nets with the goal of deliberately preserving imperfection as part of the music’s visceral identity. Texturally, the album is haunted and decaying. One of its tracks, “depleted,” is described as “one of the strangest and most textural songs on the album,” its atmosphere visually mirrored in a dystopian, rusted setting swarming with yellow jackets in the accompanying video. Reviewers have praised the record as both their most ambitious and experimental work yet, weaving familiar nu-metal brutality with unpredictable flourishes that give it a fresh and exhilarating unpredictability.
Lyrically and conceptually, Primeval: Obsession // Detachment unfolds on an alien planet, following Ana (a nurse) and Sheelah (an assassin) as they are each recruited by mysterious beings and pushed into morally extreme scenarios. Themes of duality, identity, morality, duty, belief, and societal positioning abound, culminating in mirrors of consequence and psychological tension. Adding to this, Justin Bonitz recorded all vocals in one continuous take during the time he believed he may have contracted HIV which sort of imbues the lyrics with a prophetic intimacy that resonates deeply in hindsight.
Why Listen? It’s a cinematic, auditory plunge into a dystopian sci-fi horror that pushes metal into experimental, emotional, and thematic frontiers. Its live-tracked authenticity delivers raw energy that forces listeners to feel every imperfect groove and visceral moment. If you crave concept albums with narrative complexity, genre-blending innovation, and unyielding intensity, this album offers all that and more, with layers of dystopian ambiance, moral drama, and sonic unpredictability that linger long after the final note.
tallah - primeval: obsession // detachment
Listen Wherever You Are ⤵
Finetuned Rec 👇
This album is a really cool journey both lyrically and sonically. I highly rec this album here if you feel like headbanging and letting out some energy that has been stored up for a little too long.
Enjoy the jams, Finetuners!
artist - Tallah
album - Primeval: Obsession // Detachment
album rating - 9.2/10
fave track - augmented
hon. men. #1 - A primeval detachment
hon. men. #2 - undone by fate
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See you all in the next one! 🙌
(Sources: Wikipedia, The Audio DB, MOKB Presents, Facebook, Metal Planet Music, Hold Tight, Boolin Tunes)