Chopped Up come out of the gate swinging. If you like horror movie intros/outros, old school death and blood-spattered grindcore, you'll dig deep into these dudes. Chopped The Fuck Up, is a really fun and gorey ride. I love the pace of the four track EP. It's never self-indulgent or overly technical. Tracks all come in under 3:00 minutes which makes this one a great relisten. I'm a big fan of the combo pig squeals(used just the right amount) and the gag reflex triggering, gutteral vocals. My favorite track off this EP is Meat The Cleaver, which begins with a spasdic Ratamahatta-Max Cavalera style scat. I really respect the band's take on the genre. This is one you can throw on and rock out to. No pretense and it doesn't leave you feeling queasy.
****And before anyone says, "but you didn't make mention of the band members who are well known Pro Wrestling veterans who've toured the world spilling their opponents (and their own) blood on mats around the world". Yes Shlak(CZW, etc) and Dirty Daddy(ROH/NJPW) are prominent members of this band (and several others over the years). I give this a Dave "what's his face" FIVE STARS. Happy? Now throw this on and frogsplash ya mother.
It's rare that I will promote an album or track that's sent to me out of the blue by a label the same day I receive it. I have to sit with music for a little while before I can tell if it's something I want to pass onto our readers. I'm happy to say although I've never heard of Altar of Betelgeuze before nor the label Transcending Obscurity, their track "Among the Ruins" is definitely a shareable Listen of the Day! The saying all good things come to those who wait can be applied to the pace of this tune. The instrumental slowly plods along until the real breathy and hoarse death metal vocals kick in. Quality clean singing adds to the simple but catchy groove throughout. I did find myself in a swaying trance as the song plays on which makes this a perfect mid afternoon listen.
For More Info Follow The links Below
Altar of Betelgeuse Bandcamp - https://altarofbetelgeuze.bandcamp.com/ Altar of Betelgeuze Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Aobofficial/ Transcending Obscurity Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/transcending... Transcending Obscurity Records Site - http://tometal.com/
Obituary are back in a big way! It's been some time since I've heard such an exciting Death Metal offering. These Florida legends are poised to drop one of the most impactful Metal albums of the year. Inked in Blood is their first release on Relapse records. It will hit stores on October 27th and can be preordered via the band's bandcamp. Check out the new single and also see a live fan filmed version of the album's title track below.
Well, here we are halfway through 2014 and here I am once again expounding my metalness upon the masses. It's been a solid , if not spectacular year for new music. Obviously being a list of 50, not everything is going to blow your socks off but that isn't my aim. Precious few of these will maintain my attention throughout the year but all are worth a lesson by any metalhead looking for a diamond in the rough.
This is what I want out of Acid Witch. Massive Death/Doom riffs and pronounced, spooky keyboards. The vocals are also better here. Not sure if there's a new vocalists or he's just mixed better but I hope the new Acid Witch LP sounds like this. As far as Nunslaughter goes, I've never given them much of a shot but that changed after hearing this EP. I'll go a little more in depth about Nunslaughter at a later date but needless to say I loved it.
[HARDCORE/BLACK/CRUST] YOUNG AND IN THE WAY - WHEN LIFE COMES TO DEATH
Young and In The Way are a band I've had an eye on for a couple years and I feel like they came into their own on this one. The hybridization of Hardcore, Black Metal and Crust has become something of an underground trend but YITH are the best of the bunch. If you want raw and aggressive, this is the album for you.
[SLUDGE]EYEHATEGOD - EYEHATEGOD
Eyehategod's classic albums are about as grimy as it gets. You feel like you need a shower after listening. They're like an episode of Intervention set to southern sludge metal. While every bit as filthy as past albums, something seems a bit more mature. I guess that will happen when you don't put out an album in 14 years. In this case maturity does not mean boring as this is right up there with their best work.
[BLACK] FUNEREAL PRESENCE - THE ARCHER TAKES AIM
A Negative Plane side project has much to live up to. While Funereal Presence keeps that Negative Plane vibe with the keyboards and riff style, this is still much more straight forward Black Metal. It does throw some curve balls at you though and they all fit perfectly. The songs are a bit long winded with 3 of the 4 going 10 minutes plus but this is still my favorite Black Metal album this year. A little trimming and this could have been a classic.
[DEATH]INNSMOUTH - CONSUMED BY ELDER SIGN
Think Bolthrower doing songs based on Lovecraft rather than war. Need I say more?
In the first installment of this column I wrote about how the dam has broken in terms of good Death Metal this year. I gave some examples of some classic bands that made great albums and now it's time to transition into telling you about the many lesser known DM bands that put out great material in 2013. There's a lot so let's get moving.
PROSANCTUS INFERINoctambulous Jaws Within Sempiternal Night
Probably the most traditionally vicious of the bunch, Prosanctus Inferi has improved tremendously on their second album. They don't let you breath through their wall of sound for a second and those vocals, ooooh those throat ripping vocals!
SACRIPHYX The Western Front
I've gushed about this band here before in my best of the first half of 2011 column so I'll just leave you to the music.
KATECHON Man, God, Giant
Great mix of Death Metal, Black Metal and even some Hardcore.
LANTERNBelow
Another album I've raved about here already. Listen.
IRKALLIAN ORACLEGrave Ekstasis
What happens when Diocletian and Teitanblood have a baby?
ABYSSALNovit enim Dominus qui sunt eius
The name says it all. Truly an abyss of sound.
BOLZERAura [EP]
Only an EP but already qualified as Death Metal's Deathspell Omega.
Long gone were the glory days of early 90's Death Metal. With each passing year there were less and less quality DM releases. The peak of DM dropped with the rise of Black Metal. Bands like Darkthrone, Burzum and Mayhem replaced names like Cannibal Corpse, Obituary and Carcass. The denim clad, sleeveless shirt wearing every man of DM was replaced with the demon looking, all black wearing, spiked, seemingly woods living heathens of Black Metal. Death Metal guys talked the talk, Black Metal guys walked the walk. The autopsy table stories of DM'ers coundn't compare to the BM'ers killing each other, killing homosexuals and burning churches. The surgical steel precision of DM musicians fell to the raw, sloppy, under produced sound of BM. Black Metal since the early 90's continues to be not only full of sloppy, raw, under produced music but also home to some of the most progressive, forward thinking, genre bending acts in Metal period. It's become the place to go to experiment. Death Metal on the other hand, tried to move on, tried to progress and became less and less appealing.
In the past 5 or 6 years though, there's been a large group of young bands (and old favorites) looking back to the birth and early 90's peak of Death Metal and regressing back to those days. In my eyes, that regression has been progression. It's been termed OSDM or Old School Death Metal, but to these ears it's just plain ol' Death Metal. Each year this trend seems to grow and each year there's a few more quality Death Metal releases. In 2013 though, the dam has burst. In my opinion 2013 has been the resurrection of Death Metal.
Going into Carcasses Surgical Steel, I had ZERO expectations. After such a long layoff I didn't think they had it in them but thank god I was wrong. Surgical Steel may not surpass their best works but goddamn if it isn't close.
Autopsy has made a couple new records in the past few years that were just OK. Headless Ritual though, may be their best since Mental Funeral.
Exhumed never really stopped making solid records but Necrocracy may be their best.
Gorguts has also made a huge comeback with Colored Sands, their best album since Obscura. Seeing the trend yet?
While maybe not as widely known as the above classic bands, Portal has been dropping their own brand of Death Metal for a decade now. Maybe even more sinister than the rest. Check out a live version of "Awryeon" from the album "Vexovoid" to see the true vicious nature of Portal.
And that's that. In Part II of this post I'll be recommending 2013 albums from newer DM bands like Katechon, Lantern, Irkallian Oracle, Abyssal, Bolzer, Horrifying, Ogru Jihad, Prosanctus Inferi, Sacriphyx, Antidiluvian, Ulcerate and Tribulation. You're in for a long one, so get your headphones ready. They're coming to get you, Barbara!
Hello Heavy Metal Textbooks readers! I am Professor Fork Tongue and I'm here to answer your Heavy Metal questions, just make sure to raise your hands first. Anyway, I'll being doing a column here where I'll be covering great new releases and old obscure gems that have been buried by time and dust. In the mean time to familiarize you with my tastes, allow me to introduce to you my top 10 releases of the first half of 2013!
#10. PRIMITIVE MAN Scorn
Audio doom. And I don't mean the style of metal. I mean, dread, despair and DOOM. While this is Doom Metal, it isn't your grandpappys style of Doom. This is heavy, blackened, sludgy doom in the vein of the mighty Coffinworm Nothing peaceful or serene, just uncompromising, bludgeoning riffs.
#9. LANTERN Below
Simply put, one of the best Death Metal releases in the last several years. Old school early 90's Death Metal without sounding like a retread OSDM act . Great production also with a real cavernous sound but yet still very clear. Add in some heavy atmospherics and some Doom elements and you have yourself a contender for Death Metal album of the year.
#8 DEVIL Gather The Sinners
Metal is rarely this catchy especially when it's Garage Rock Doom Metal complete with 70's analogue production. The thing that sets it apart from the other bands of this ilk are the more gruff vocals and the Punk spirit that runs throughout. To me Doom is the premiere form of metal at the moment and Devil is one of the best at it.
#7 JOEL GRIND The Yellowgoat Sessions
How can you go wrong when the main man behind Toxic Holocaust decides to do a side project dedicated in sound and aesthetic to early era Bathory? You can't, that's how.This whole album rips and I've probably listened to it more than all but my #1 but I gotta take some points away for essentially being a cover band.RIP Quorthon.
#6 DARKTHRONE The Underground Resistance
If you haven't heard Darkthrone since their Black Metal heyday then you're really missing out. They've made great Crust Punk albums since and with this one they go (almost) all out Traditional Heavy Metal. I'm talking Agent Steel, Mercyful Fate kind of stuff. Seriously. Without a bad album in their catalogue and constantly evolving, Darkthrone is easily the most consistent band in Metal.
#5 MAGISTER TEMPLI Lucifer Leviathon Logos
This is a band that came out of absolutely nowhere to me. This is their debut LP, I heard no buzz about them beforehand, no demos, no nothing. When I happened to come across a teaser track they leaked online I was blown away. Traditional Heavy Metal in the old style with some NWBHM influences, what really carries it are the vocals. I'm not sure if they are for everybody but goddammit I love 'em. Oh, and RIFFS.
#4 TORTURE CHAINMutilating Astral Entities
This here badboy was only released on cassette at Chaos In Tejas a few weeks ago and is completely sold out. Nor is it on Youtube. Truly kvlt. But relax, it's too good to not be released in other formats. US Black Metal. If you think USBM can't stand up to our brothers from Norway, you're in for a surprise. Every demo Torture Chain has done before this is great and really upped my expectations for when they release a full length. Well, expectations meant. I wish I could provide a sample but here's there full demo from 2012 so you can get a taste.
#3 ENFORCERDeath By Fire
Call them a retro retread act, call them cock rock or a novelty, call them whatever you want. Enforcer brings us back to a time when Metal was more about fun than who can be more grim than the next guy. They balance somewhere between NWBHM and Speed Metal and goddamn is it awesome. If you can't enjoy this than you're just an asshole, it's that simple. Great musicians, great songwriting and songs you're going to actually remember months from now! Gasp! What a novelty. Memorable songs are a rarity in Metal these days and trust me there's a bunch of songs here you'll be waking up with in your head.
#2 SACRIPHYXThe Western Front
In their debut LP Sacriphyx takes Death Metal, elements of Doom and Black Metal combined with war themes and creates what is destined to become a classic. Other bands have done this but not the way Sacriphyx has. While most bands focus on the violence, Sacriphyx focuses on the emotions of war. Fear, despair, honor, valor and tell a story. The whole album is based off of WWI battles and even with growled lyrics they are able to convey all these emotions perfectly. A well thought out history lesson of a Death Metal album. Whodathunkit?
#1 MAGIC CIRCLEMagic Circle
Local Massachusetts Hardcore kids from bands like The Rival Mob who thought the could make a Doom Metal album and uh boy, where they right! Loosely musically comparable to bands like both Pagan Altar and Pallbearer and of course the indominable Black Sabbath,what really sets it apart is the vocal performance. Ozzy-esque with out the nasally voice it really pulls the whole album together and they are even better live. Great, memorable songs that can be played over and over without getting sick of them. The marks of a true classic.
There you have it you pencil neck geeks, my best of the first half of 2013. Hopefully the 2nd half is just as fruitful!!! See ya soon!
