Craven Idol
This is another SEEN AND HEARD collection, but I decided to give the title a twist today because I’ve leaned so heavily into death metal with the following four songs. The first three come from forthcoming records, and the fourth seems to be a stand-alone single.
CRAVEN IDOL (UK)
I could have sworn I’d already written something about the first single from the new Craven Idol album, but can’t find any evidence that I did. So, time to make up for lost time. But first, gaze upon the full gatefold cover art created by Eliran Kantor — which is stunning:
As for the song, “Iron Age of Devastation” is pure molten madness, thanks to deranged, squirming riffs and shrieking leads that get stuck in the head damned fast. Pummeling drumwork and crazed vocals amplify the feeling of mania and murderousness, and while long chords generate a feeling of terrible grandeur, the soloing goes off in a mutilating paroxysm. This will spin your adrenaline spigot all the way open.
The album, which conceptually acts as a sequel to the Greek myth of Typhos, is named Forked Tongues. Dark Descent Records will release it on CD, vinyl, cassette, and digital formats on July 23.
PRE-ORDER:
https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/forked-tongues
CRAVEN IDOL:
https://www.facebook.com/cravenidol
DECREPISY (U.S.)
Next is a diabolical song that pounds with the force of massed cannon fire, scampers like an armored lunatic, erupts in bullet-spitting blasts and chaos-zone guitar madness, and oozes gruesome pustulence as it drags through a charnal pit of horror. It also serves up gargantuan, cavernous vocals and a plethora of otherworldly soloing. Reminds me of Acephalix, which is intended as high praise.
“Embodied Decomposition” is from a debut album by this Portland band named Emetic Communion. It’s being released by Seed of Doom Records.
PRE-ORDER:
https://seedofdoom.bandcamp.com/album/emetic-communion
https://decrepisy.bandcamp.com/releases
DECREPISY:
https://www.facebook.com/Decrepisy-101533198428178
SHRIEKING DEMONS (Italy)
The opening solo of the next song is indeed a shrieking demon; the ax-like snare beats compel motion; the bellowing vox are beastly; the riffing is cruel and infernal, the rapidly quivering leads channel madness; and there’s a lot more soloing, which darts in a fever and spits like an out-of-control flamethrower. Highly infectious old school death.
“Hidden Cathedral of Diseases” is from the debut EP Diabolical Regurgitations, which will be regurgitated by Caligari Records on July 30th.
PRE-ORDER:
https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/diabolical-regurgitations
SHRIEKING DEMONS:
https://www.facebook.com/Shrieking-Demons-100257432293169
OBRIJ (Ukraine)
Now we come to that single I mentioned at the outset, from Обрій (Obrij). The full name of the song as it appears on Bandcamp is “Країна ментальних калік – за уч. Рома (True Tough)“, and seems to be a tirade against certain types of Ukrainian citizens.
This heavy, decaying musical beast crawls, gets to its feet and lumbers ahead, and then puts its monstrous head back and begins to bound and bray in a kind of savage ecstasy. The song will jackhammer your head into motion; the scraped-raw vocals on the song are riveting, and so are the cavernous growling sounds (which might or might not be human), and the eerie, incandescent solo.
DOWNLOAD:
https://obrij.bandcamp.com/album/true-tough
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/obriymetaluzh