New Stuff This Week… 8/4/14
Nachtmystium
The World We Left Behind
Century Media
I’ve always thought of these guys as sort of a Pink Floyd of black metal, a bit more technical, maybe a bit more epic and out there, experimental, proggish, but something about it I haven’t ever really been a huge fan of. Well, with lots of band drama and the mainman spending some time in jail, and rehab, this was going to be the last album and the band was to be disbanded, but apparently he changed his mind and we may yet see a future for this band… probably a good thing, this album is pretty cool.
COLUMNS
Please Explode
Relapse Records
Grindy death metal, has a bit of a Napalm Death thing going on, but probably a bit more on the heavier/thrashy in-you-face side. Interestingly enough, the singer for this band is also the frontman for last week’s top add Wretched (on Victory Records)
MASTODON
Remission – Reissue
Relapse Records
Seems like a good time to capitalize on a new album from Mastodon, right? Reissue and older album from the catalog? sure!
Brimstone Coven
Brimstone Coven
Metal Blade Records
Another throwback to the old school 70’s hard rock, a bit of a Led Zep/Sabbath/BoC vibe.
Blues Pills
Blues Pills
Nuclear Blast USA
A bluesy metal throwback, catchy female fronted stuff with a 70’s thing going on. While doing these reviews, I found myself not wanting to move on to the next one… so, yeah, it’s pretty good stuff for this new wave of 70’s throwback metal.
Belphegor
Conjuring The Dead
Nuclear Blast USA
Brutal, catchy, technical death metal. These guys have been at it for a while, and they are on top of their game. Just a full on death metal thing going on with great punchy production.
DARKEST HOUR
Darkest Hour
Sumerian
Modern thrashy technical melodic death type stuff. Crazy to think these guys have been around almost 20 years! Well, it’s a pretty cool release, from some death metal stuff, to more metalcore tones and some like, Soilwork/In Flames sounding stuff. pretty cool
VANDENBERG’S MOONKINGS
Vandenberg’s Moonkings
Mascot
Yep, Adrian Vandenberg! That guy from Whitesnake and stuff… so this is a 90’s hard rock sounding thing with maybe a bit of a Whitesnake vibe musically, other than that, some anthemic hard rock stuff going on here.
I AM GIANT
Science and Survival
Sony
Some proggy hard rock type stuff… a bit like Karnivool, Tool, Fair to Midland…along those lines. Doesn’t get all that heavy… and it’s pretty cool, however, probably not super great for the Mosh Pit. I’ve said it before and here it is again, I’d love to do a whole different show for this type of stuff.
Alestorm
Sunset On The Golden Age
Napalm Records
One of the better and more fun folky metal bands, or as they call themselves, Pirate Metal. So, yeah, fun catchy pirate themed euro-sounding metal with folky stuff too. Metal is supposed to be fun too, remember?
ENTOMBED A.D.
Back To The Front
Century Media
The newer members of Entombed didn’t want to go the route the older members of Entombed were doing, so they just kept doing what the band was doing and made an album, slapped “A.D.” on their name. So they are following their most recent death and roll stuff, and it sounds pretty good.
Star Insight
Messera
Inverse
A bit of a melodic/symphonic death metal going on here. A bit of a euro proggy power metal music sound with some melodic death stuff too with harsh screamed and growled vocals.
Fractured Spine
Memoirs Of A Shattered Mind
Inverse Records
Classic black metal in one track, then some experimental post-metal stuff the next… hrmmmm.
Cemetery Fog
Towards the Gates 12″ MLP
Iron Bonehead
Doomy black metal
Gnosis of the Witch
Dauðr Burðr Þrysvar 12″ MLP
Iron Bonehead
Wall of noise black metal.
Diabolical Messiah
Satan Tottendemon Victory!!! LP
Blood Harvest
Chilean death metal. This album came out in 2010, so it must be a new issue with this label or reissue on vinyl or something. It’s your basic blast beat growly gurgly death metal.
Lelahell
Al Insane… The (Re)Birth Of Abderrahmane CD
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions
Death metal from Algeria, pretty decent production, catchy riffs and solos, intense drumming, a couple different vocal styles, some abrasive screamy stuff and guttural growls too.
Vardan
Enjoy of Deep Sadness
Moribund
Three really songs that if I had to enjoy, I’d have deep sadness. Depressing noisy melodic black metal. Just a one man project and, well, it’s not working for me.
DEAD SEASON
Dusting the Rust
Self-Relased
Melodic thrashy proggy metal
MALHKEBRE
Revelation
I, Voidhanger Records
Black metal with vocals that kind of sound like a robot shouting into a fan.
NUKLEAR FROST
Subjugation
Self-Released
Black metal from Minnesota, decent production, that cold black metal guitar sound, brutal drumming, cool melodic riffs with some catchy stuff here and there, and just well, an overall good black metal release.