New Releases:
October 26th, 2018
This October has been one of the most outstanding months in recent history for new metal. It's sad to see it draw with a close, but very encouraging to know that it's going out with a massive bang. From death metal brutality to progressive madness and even noise rock, check out this vast array of killer new albums, and of course have a wonderfully macabre Halloween!
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Hate Eternal - Upon Desolate Sands
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There are few in the metal world who would deny the talent of Floridian mainstay Erik Rutan's talent. But now with the addition of German percussion virtuoso Hannes Grossmann, Rutan's long-running group Hate Eternal is an undeniable absolute unit. Delivering yet another offering of ferocious, masterful bare-bones death metal, the band has finally unveiled their seventh record Upon Desolate Sands. Losing absolutely no momentum, Hate Eternal has graciously given us a worthy follow-up to 2015's Infernus, crushing skulls with what might be their best album yet.
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The record is streaming in full on YouTube, and can be purchased on Hate Eternal's Bandcamp.
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Hissing - Permanent Destitution
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Seattle's sinister blackened death noise trio Hissing has been rapidly building a mean reputation as one of the West Coast's most capable up-and-coming groups. With a major US tour supporting Sunn O))) and a split with Sutekh Hexen already under their belts, Hissing now presents their debut LP Permanent Destitution. Describing their sound as "avant-death noise", the group combines frenetic, unhinged instrumentals with indecipherably howled vocals and industrial noise elements to create a truly terrifying onslaught of brutality.
Permanent Destitution is out now on Profound Lore and can be streamed or purchased via the group's Bandcamp.
You can also check out my full review over at Invisible Oranges.
Weltzschmerz - Illustra Nos
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As usual Cleveland-based label Redefining Darkness continues to bring us fantastic, left-of-center extreme metal. This weekend we have been blessed with the sophomore LP from Norwegian black metal band Weltschmerz. Delivering a sound that successfully mixes the soupy despair of 90's second wave BM with more modern production value, Illustra Nos sees Weltschmerz taking massive strides within the realm of underground metal. With some luck, this fantastic and introspective record will help the band achieve the major worldwide recognition that they rightly deserve.
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Purchase Illustra Nos or stream it in full via Redefining Darkness's Bandcamp page.
Devouring Star - The Arteries of Heresy
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Continuing on the theme of majestic underground black metal is The Arteries of Heresy, the second full-length LP from Finnish black metal group Devouring Star. Now signed to Colorado's Dark Descent records, the band presents an offering of unforgiving and uncompromising black metal. Of the record, Defining Darkness has stated that "the 5 tracks on The Arteries of Heresy see the band expertly command chaos and sonic violence: the cold and calculated opener "Consummation" threatens the listener with imminent dread, before "Sin Assimilation" unleashes an onslaught of unforgiving molten steel."
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You can purchase or stream Devouring Star's new record on Dark Descent's Bandcamp page.
Haken - Vector
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London prog sextet Haken has been serving up their delicious brand of eclectic and truly idiosyncratic progressive metal since 2007, gaining more and more fans with each exciting release. Now presenting their follow-up to 2016's wonderfully retro Affinity, Haken has released their sixth album Vector. Replete with beautiful soaring melodies, djent-tinged rhythmic breaks, and sprawlingly epic tracks, Haken's latest effort is right on the money, proving themselves yet again as one of the forerunners of the modern prog scene.
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Vector is out now via InsideOut Records, and can be streamed in full on Youtube or purchased via the band's website.
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Bloodbath - The Arrow of Satan is Drawn
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Sweden's ever-shifting death metal supergroup Bloodbath has had a long and varied history, passing through multiple lineups accompanied by respective aesthetic shifts. Now releasing their fifth album, the group has consolidated the approach of their last record, which was largely divisive amongst fans, and the classic sound of their first two LP's into an effective mix. It's Bloodbath, so there's not much to be said here other than the fact that, well, if you love death metal, check this one out ASAP!
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The Arrow of Satan is Drawn can be purchased via Peaceville Records' website, or streamed in full on YouTube.
Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want
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The definite outlier of this week's lineup (and of any list, to be frank) is Daughters' latest LP You Won't Get What You Want. Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, the group continues to reinvent their sound from record to record, with their latest being no exception. Adding bleak industrial elements into their bizarre mix of grindcore, hardcore, noise, and math rock, Daughters provides a truly unique listening experience on every single one of their compositions. If you're into deeply experimental music, YWGWYW is the album for you, as it provides a truly challenging, mind-boggling experience.
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Stream or purchase the record via Daughters' Bandcamp.
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Glacial Tomb - Glacial Tomb
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Denver has been on fire lately in the realm of sludgy, disgusting death metal. Now unveiling their eponymous debut LP, Colorado natives Glacial Tomb are among the most ferocious and technically inclined within their scene. Released through Gilead Media, the record is "unrelenting, calculated, and intense, with each of the 7 tracks seeing the band draw inspiration from death metal at a time where the genre relied on unforgiving sonic brutality as much as it did masterful musicianship." Glacial Tomb is simultaneously wickedly brutal and surprisingly complex, providing an interesting perspective within the world of modern death metal.
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Check out the album on Gilead Media's Bandcamp.
Cryptopsy - The Book of Suffering: Tome II
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This week, I've saved the best for last: Quebecois tech death legends Cryptopsy have returned at last with the second volume of their latest offering of lightspeed obliteration, The Book of Suffering: Tome II. One of the foundational bands of Quebec tech (before the scene blasted off for interstellar space), Cryptopsy have been melting faces since 1994 with their debut record Blasphemy Made Flesh. 24 years later, it seems they have no intention of slowing down; Tome II is as fast and brutal as ever, and a satisfying follow up to Tome I. Together, the two EP's combine into something more diverse and extensive than the group might have achieved with a single record, and thus their creativity lives on as well.
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Purchase or stream the EP in full on Cryptopsy's Bandcamp.
Posted October 27th, 2018