(Andy Synn is hoping for even bigger things for all three of these bands)
If everything has gone to plan, while you’re reading this I’m going to be in Seattle getting ready to attend another edition of Northwest Terror Fest.
And if something goes wrong?
Well, at least you’ll have this edition of “The Best of British” to remember me by.
(written by Islander)
Roughly three years on from their debut album Keeper of Grief, the Russian band Gvorn will have a new EP named Lovecromancy released on May 13th by Satanath Records. It reflects a change in the band’s stylistic creativity as compared to that first full-length, a change heralded by the EP’s ghastly cover art.
While the debut of this group from Yekaterinburg included ingredients of funeral doom, they have mostly put those aside in favor of traditions of old school death/doom. But in case you assume they are merely plodding along in well-worn ruts, you will learn differently when you hear “Necromantic Dream“, the song we’re premiering today from the new EP. Continue reading »
cover artwork by Dave Melvin
(written by Islander)
Here we have a lineup that looks mighty impressive on paper and screens. To quote from Transcending Obscurity Records:
Technical death metal band Eschaton return after a gap of six years with a reinvigorated, star-studded line-up that undoubtedly elevates their sound to hitherto unexplored heights. They have none other than Christian Münzner formerly of Obscura and Necrophagist accompanying the band founder Josh Berry on guitars. For the vocals, they have enlisted the services of Mac Smith of Apogean and Abyssalis, and for the bass, they have brought on Scott Bradly from Inanimate Existence, while Darren Cesca of Pillory and formerly in Deeds of Flesh and Arsis continues to hold down the fort on drums.
Yes indeed, very impressive. That description might remind people (of a certain age) of a line from the movie The Dirty Dozen, in which Donald Sutherland’s pretend-general reviews ranks of well-dressed troops and comments to their commanding officer, “Very pretty, Colonel, very pretty, but can they fight?” We shall see…. Continue reading »
(Below we present DGR‘s review of a new album by California-based Ominous Ruin in advance of its release this coming Friday by Willowtip Records.)
Is it possible for a band to do a complete lateral in their music and yet feel as if they are starting from the same spot they stepped away from? Bay Area tech-death group Ominous Ruin have been around a little over ten years now, yet it sure does feel like with their new album Requiem the group have stepped out to soft-relaunch themselves.
You’d almost never guess it based off the gap of close to four years between releases – and a lot can happen in four years, mind – but it’s as if the Ominous Ruin crew effectively never stopped. Instead, they just did a step to the side and started over again with about the same bar in quality that they established on their album Amidst Voices That Echo In Stone as the starting point. The result is interesting, less cross-pollination among three different subsections of the tome of death metal and instead a laser-like focus on one particular chapter, the tech-death section. Continue reading »
(written by Islander)
“The Montreal band Serpent Corpse named themselves for a dead thing, and their brand of death metal does channel the stench of rot and ruin. But the great serpent brandished in their name still lives, a monstrous presence that will not be subdued, but finds an ally in death.”
That’s how we began introducing our last song premiere for Serpent Corpse two years ago, which helped pave the way for their debut album Blood Sabbath. And now we have the fiendish pleasure of premiering another Serpent Corpse song, this one from their new EP Retaliate, which will see release on June 27th via Transcending Obscurity Records. Continue reading »
(written by Islander)
Today we have for you the second song released so far from Contra Hominem, the debut album from the Italian duo Affliction Vector that’s now set for release by Iron Bonehead Productions on June 6th.
But before we get to today’s song premiere, let’s consider the first song from the album that has already exploded into the surface world — “Ephemeral Lifeless“. Continue reading »
(Andy Synn highlights four album from April which may have flown under your radar)
Look, I don’t have time to talk about everything I/we missed last month, so once you’re done reading about the four bands featured here today I recommend you go check out the latest releases from Felgrave, Supreme Void, Tigerleech, and Zeicrydeus… all of whom I wanted to write about, but couldn’t find time/space for (I could easily have done a second article on them, and maybe even a third for everyone I still haven’t mentioned).
But before then… enjoy this collection of four devastatingly dark and hellishly heavy albums from last month. You might just discover your new favourite!
(written by Islander)
Today’s blackening of the sabbath will be shorter than usual. After finishing yesterday’s Seen and Heard column I did chores, then conversed for hours with a visitor to our home (a good friend from across the water in Seattle), then spent the late afternoon and evening watching a great baseball game at the local sports bar, then slept for 9 1/2 hours. And now I’ve got to leave home soon for another activity with friends.
So there’s the excuses. I know you didn’t need them. A shrink would make good money trying to diagnose why I feel the need to make them, and more money trying to figure out why I feel equally compelled to do these columns instead of fucking off like a normal un-churched person on Sunday mornings. Enjoy! Continue reading »
(written by Islander)
It should be called “Bandcamp Week” instead of “Bandcamp Friday”. Every week ending in one of those Friday’s, including last week, tends to see a greater than usual volume of new-music releases, a reflection of the principle that “recency is primacy” when it comes to spending decisions. This “Bandcamp Week” phenomenon further complicates the preparation of these Saturday columns, but I’m still glad Bandcamp is continuing the tradition this year.
While I have your attention, I want to add a note about changes planned for NCS next week before we get to the new metal I picked for today. Continue reading »
(written by Islander)
The name chosen by Los Angeles based Putrescent is like a code word for aficionados of underground death metal. It sends morbid signals of ugly death and stinking decay, a foul vision of the rot that lies beyond life, and it leads us to expect music that manifests that malodorous decomposition.
But though the music of Putrescent is certainly capable of fulfilling all those expectations, it turns out to embrace darkness in savagely explosive ways as well, as you’re about to discover through our premiere of a song from their debut album — Darkness Embraced — in advance of its release on June 6th by Rotted Life Records. Continue reading »