Upcoming Metal: Week of July 27th
Pulpit Vomit
Hospital Lens
Releases July 27th on Broken Curfew Records & Rottweiler Records
Genre: Grindcore
The debut from this California grindcore act, Pulpit Vomit’s debut delivers that brash, hostile production style I love from classic grindcore releases like Napalm Death’s Scum and Carcass’ Reek of Putrefaction. This trio delivers a sheer onslaught of sonic destruction from the get-go of the album opener’s “Razor Jaw”. Adding a doomier, broodier tone on “Ghost in The Bedroom Closet” to chugging/slam death metal guitars on “The Filth”. Seth Metoyer’s growls hit with such gravitas and vigor, especially following his banshee-esque shrieking highs. “No Place in Power” is so unhinged and unrelenting in its heaviness, especially from the chugging breakdown at the halfway mark into a distorted and macabre solo. Interspersed with spastic drumming from Tim Olson. At just under twenty minutes, it’s a heavy, get-in/get-out attack of grindcore that will appease any fans of classic grindcore.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Vertebra
The Same
Releases July 29th on Xtreem Music
Genre: Death Metal
This debut from Brazil’s Vertebra has a distinct sound of 90’s death metal, combined with classic heavy metal and hints of thrash. From the vocals of Arildo Leal on the album’s opener “Oblivion”, the sound has that classic snarl and angst of classic thrash, with the galloping guitars and double bass of classic heavy metal. Songs like “Humanity”, “The Same” and “Overcoming The Void” give off Individual Thoughts Pattern-era Death in its sound and instrumentation. Leal and guitarist Fernando deliver a barrage of intricate and proggy riffs while Tiago Vargas’ gurgly bass peaks through the mix. If you like proggy, thrashy death metal, than this album will scratch that itch.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
Burial Tree
The Power of Myth
Releases August 1st on Subcontinental Records
Genre: Jazz Metal/Sludge
A unique act combining jazz, progressive, and doom, Burial Tree’s third album delves into a true mindscape and mental exploration. With just three songs, each over eleven minutes in length, the sound is to truly test sonic soundscapes and dark dynamics. With the album opener “Sigils”, the eerie and ominous guitars of Monte Cimino, mixed with the thumping and pulsing bass of Bill Laswell, add this funeral-doom dirge like pacing and post-metal aesthetics. Drums come in like a roar of thunder and the pacing and anxiety-inducing dread kicks in. “Veve”, featuring Dave Lombardo of Slayer fame on drums, adds that power, hell-like intensity and call-to-arms tone in the presence of the mix. The title track closes the album delving more into the droning sound of acts like Sunn O))), Earth and Boris. Overall, heavy in an artsy, avant-garde kind of way. Might not be for everybody with its ambience and crushing song lengths, but if you make it through, the journey will be worth it.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Ancient Malice
Accept The Vile Gifts of The Dead
Releases August 1st independently
Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore
On this Irish band’s debut album, Ancient Malice deliver a bombastic homage to classic old school death metal. “Horns of BLZBVB” and “Pesitilent Grave” give off a booming, heavily distorted guitar tone mixed with deep guttural vocals by Stephen Maher. “Endless Conflict” has such a grindcore/hardcore call and response feel in it which I adored. And “Lethal Retribution” is a beast of a track and truly is a solid-rage for the entire runtime. The music did seem a little “same note” after a couple songs, with some not varying enough or bleeding into similarities from the previous. Solid debut, and would like to see where the band will go with a little more variety, and a little bit of production polish on their follow-up.
SCORE: 3.5 / 5
Arkhaaik
Uihtis
Releases July 25th on Eisenwald
Genre: Blackened Death/Doom Metal
Switzerland’s Arkhaaik and their second album opens with “Geutores Suhnos”. With a foreboding and dreary building drum and folk-like horns give off a viking-like warcry before beginning the pillage. The doom tone comes full circle with K.’s thundering guitar strikes. V.’s thundering and tribal drumming truly adds to the battlefield delivery and pulse of a thousand armies. “Hagrah Gurres” adds a pounding and cavernous guttural attack that matches the abrasive and harsh guitars throughout. Though some will like the historic, Bronze Age vibe of the aggressive drumming and vocal delivery, the ten-plus minute song lengths for all four songs will be a dealbreaker to some. And I do agree there were some moments that if you cut some of the song lengths, it would be a more solid album. But nevertheless, the album is a true heavy journey into history and worth a listen after you have pillaged the land and claim the dead.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Barbarous
Initium Mors
Releases August 1st on Creator-Destructor Records
Genre: Death Metal
From the opening moments of “Injection of The Exhumed”, the band just goes for that pounding, unrelenting aggression that Suffocation delivers. Travis LeBarge’s vocals have that deep, gurgly guttural sound, but also a deep presence that makes his vocals understandable but still heavy. “By Lead or Steel” also captures that old-school death metal barrage of just blast beats, tremolo guitars and chugging. The album’s title track and “Conscious Decomposition” were standout tracks for me. A heavy and brutal debut for this death metal act and definitely makes me curious where they will go with their follow up. I can also picture them being strong openers for acts like Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation and Cryptopsy live. Worth a listen for sure if you love that 90’s Florida death metal sound or brutality of the New York death metal scene.
SCORE: 5 / 5