I got a tip about the two releases featured in this post by NCS contributor KevinP. In this instance, I think he paired these recommendations because the two bands happen to be playing together on August 22 in Orlando, Florida, where Kevin lives (details here about the show). Sometimes he links me to music because he thinks I’ll like it, without commenting whether he likes it or not. I’m okay with that, because after all, it’s my own opinion that counts.  And here are my opinions:

GENOCIDE PACT

Genocide Pact are from Washington, D.C. They aren’t a new name for me, but they’re a welcome name — in June of last year I reviewed their 2013 debut demo, which I liked a lot. Thanks to Kevin, I discovered that just a few days ago Baltimore’s A389 Recordings released a Genocide Pact album — or maybe an EP, depending on the length you demand before calling something a full-length — named Forged Through Domination.

Genocide Pact generate a death metal sound that’s titanically heavy, with riffs, bass notes, and drum beats that you can feel from the soles of your feet straight up through your endangered skull. They prefer to stay in mid-paced or slow tempos, all the better to ensure that when they’re chugging or pounding, they can methodically flatten anything and everything in their way (including your cranium). When they do start ripping (and revealing their crust influences), it almost comes as a surprise, and the sheer contrast makes those up-tempo eruptions even more decimating. Continue reading »