Enslaved
Yesterday I promised that today I would post a Part 2 of a mid-week roundup of new songs and videos, even though I hadn’t yet made the choices, much less written it. I hate to break promises, but I’m rapidly running out of time before I have to do some paying work. And my dirty laundry isn’t going to wash itself, nor are our cats going to clean their own litter box. So, although you’ll find lots of good new metal below, you won’t find artwork or as many words as I normally like to dish out.
ENSLAVED (Norway)
“Forest Dweller“: Prepare for big gloom-ridden stomps and exotic Eastern melody, soft strumming and somber and soulful singing, elements of mystery and mesmerization, and plenty of brazen racing and ravaging. Gorgeous video, I assume shot in Iceland.
From the album Heimdal, due out March 3rd on Nuclear Blast.
https://enslaved.bfan.link/heimdal.yde
http://facebook.com/enslaved
MAJESTIES (U.S.)
“In Yearning, Alive“: Prepare for another great track from the fantastic debut album by these members of Obsequiae and Inexorum. Per the band:
“‘In Yearning, Alive’ is an ode to one of the finest examples of melodic death metal – the godly 1995 EP Subterranean. In it, we dismiss the idle and pervasive notion that ‘the repetition of the riff’ is a sign of mature songwriting across all styles of heavy music. For those who lack the ability to pay attention to detail, you fortunately have melodic death metal post-1996. For those who instead want to feel the harmonic fabrics woven throughout the short-lived tapestry of sound, and who want the teetering-on-disorienting frenzy of riff-smiths like Alf Svensson, this is for you.”
From the album Vast Reaches Unclaimed, due out March 3rd on 20 Buck Spin.
https://20buckspin.bandcamp.com/album/vast-reaches-unclaimed
MARIANAS REST (Finland)
“Diseased“: Prepare for heaving and harrowing heaviness, punctuated by gut-busting drums and vox that are both scalding and blood-freezing, and interwoven with eerie tremolo’d melodies that glisten in chilling, hypnotic, and splendid ways – plus a riveting video.
From the album Auer, due out March 24th on Napalm Records.
https://lnk.to/MarianasRest-Auer
https://www.facebook.com/marianasrestofficial
ROTTEN SOUND (Finland)
“Suburban Bliss“: Prepare to be mauled and mangled down to the marrow of your bones, and to be trampled by a herd of wild stallions while a violently crazy man screams in your face.
From the album Apocalypse, due out March 31st on Season of Mist.
https://orcd.co/rotten-sharing
https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/rotten-sound-apocalypse
https://www.facebook.com/RottenSoundOfficial/
UNEARTH (U.S.)
“The Wretched; The Ruinous“: Prepare to get thrown into a war zone of rapid cannonades, slow bludgeoning, frenzied fretwork, bursts of dual-guitar melody, and howling vocal fury, plus a big breakdown with grim singing and a crowd of madcap Japanese moshers. The song has more than nostalgic appeal, thought it has that too.
A new single released January 25th by Century Media, from an upcoming album (no details on that yet).
https://CenturyMedia.lnk.to/TheWretchedTheRuinous-Single
https://www.facebook.com/unearthofficial
OBRIJ (Обрій) (Ukraine)
“Відьма” (“Witch”): Prepare to be methodically bludgeoned, dragged through tarry troughs of misery, jackhammered into submission, howled at in raw and wrenching tones, and boiled in poisonous cauldrons. Excellent video too.
From the band’s November 2022 split with Vidmershiy Shmat.
https://neformat.bandcamp.com/album/vidmershiy-shmat-obrij-split
https://linktr.ee/obrij_metal
https://www.facebook.com/obriymetaluzh
DEATH FEAST (Portugal)
“Crossing The Fire“: Prepare for menacing and marauding blackened death/thrash, nothing very fancy but evil through and through. The video clips are from the movie The Abominable Snowman (1957), directed by Val Guest.
From the album Risen From The Tomb, due out January 31st from Haloran Records and Larvae Records.
https://haloranrecords.bandcamp.com
https://deathfeast.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/deathfeastpt
CRONENBERG (UK)
“Psionic Monster“: Prepare for a hulking and hammering death metal monstrosity queasily oozing sonic suppuration and squirming in weirdly ecstatic fevers, led by a domineering growl from hell. Insidiously infectious stuff.
From the album Grandiose Throne of Grotesque Flesh, out on Jnuary 27th on Blackened Death.
https://blackeneddeath.bandcamp.com/album/grandiose-throne-of-grotesque-flesh