Upcoming Metal: Week of August 31st
Black Moon Cult
Ophidian Future (The Children of Yig)
Releases September 4th on Black Doomba Records
Genre: Psychedelic Doom Metal
Channeling a trippy, stoner metal aesthetic that draws similarity to Kyuss’ Welcome To Sky Valley album, Black Moon Cult delivers that heavy 70’s trippy, psychedelic vibe on the opening of “Moonchild Ritual”. With addition of gritty/growl-esque vocals, it adds that heavy cloud of doom and classic heavy metal that I adore in the stoner/doom metal genre. Songs like “Supernova” add that gritty, classic heavy metal approach combined with a matching production of the era. I adore the synth-heavy lead on “Sunfish”, truly capturing the retro-vibes of early heavy metal. If you want to hit the bong and enjoy a trippy, hazy journey of 1970’s doom metal with modern day production, this is the record for you.
SCORE: 3.5 / 5
Tine
A Winter Horrorscape
Releases September 5th Independently
Genre: Black Metal
From the opening of “Winter Comes”, I was instantly hooked on this record. The beautiful string arrangements and vocal cadence truly encapsulates a dynamic and almost melancholic nature that matches the band’s sound. When the bombastic drumming of “A Feather From Lucifer’s Wings”, it just hits with such dread and hopelessness, that it reminds me of Mergae Maris Profundi from three years ago. Count Murmur’s vocals really shine on tracks like “A Path Through Frozen Woods” and “The Scathing Blizzard”. A blitzkrieg of one-man black metal that delivers that cold, frostbitten darkness that I love in the genre and that Tine delivers well on this release. Though some songs might sound too similar to one another, it is a good release from the band and will appease long-time fans and could be a good intro record to new fans of the act.
SCORE: 3.5 / 5
Green Carnation
A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores of Melancholia
Releases September 5th on Season of Mist
Genre: Death Metal (early); Gothic/Progressive Metal/Rock (later)
A legendary act in the death/doom tone of the genre, Green Carnation return with their first new album in five years. Kjetil Nordhus’ vocals on album opener “As Silence Took You” captures the doom and gloom tone that I love with acts like Katatonia. Combing the dread and bleakness of classic doom metal, with tinges of post-metal and modern prog rock. “In Your Paradise” has a nice, bouncy, almost optimistic and hopeful musical tone to it. “The Slave You Are” almost opens in a black metal aesthetic similar to second wave black metal, but with modern production and hits like a ton of bricks as a standout track for me. A diverse, unique and creative record that encapsulates elements of the band’s discography. Worth a listen if you want more proggy doom that adds such diverse genre-blending and creative musical output throughout the album’s forty-two minute runtime.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Cult Burial
Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust
Releases September 5th independently
Genre: Black/Death/Doom Metal
Cult Burial’s third album, Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust, brings together so many different hybrids of metal genres to create an unholy sound that this duo delivers tenfold. Album opener “Vincula” has that ominous blackened death metal sound to it that sweeps over the listener. Mixing bombastic and intense drumming, among soaring atmosphere and Cesar’s guttural growls adding an ominous presence to the track. While songs like “Collapse” add a doomy, sludgy bass lead that adds that eerie and feeling of unknown and dread throughout, until the track takes on a heavy, thrash-inspired riff. “Mire” and “Beseech” are standout tracks for me. Just unmitigated heaviness and a huge step-up in musicianship and production compared to the band’s last album Reverie of The Malignant. If you want a true, creative and complex band that is picking up the torch of black metal/death creativity that bands like Anaal Nathrakh were doing, this is the band to follow and will not be disappointed with Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Shardana
The Monarch
Releases September 5th on Rude Awakening Records
Genre: Epic Black Metal
Album opener “Awakening” will immediately gets fans of Behemoth interested in this band’s third album. Aaron Tolu has a unique vocal delivery, with a unique mix of Matt Heafy of Trivium and Nergal from Behemoth. Songs like “Sleep of The Righteous” form a blackened death metal sound with a metalcore-esque chorus, which you think wouldn’t work together but surprisingly do. “The Landing” is probably the best example that defines the band’s description of Epic Black Metal. Though the songs I do mention hit really good and are heavy tracks, in my opinion, a lot of the tracks were just “ok” in my honest opinion. Musically, for me, I don’t know if I was expecting more “epicness” like strings or choir on some of the tracks. Which I think would enhance the song’s power and message. If you’re gonna be epic, GO EPIC. A solid record overall and definitely worth a listen if you want your black metal to have a bit more grandeur in it
SCORE: 3.5 / 5
Autrest
Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves
Releases September 5th on Northern Silence Productions
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
On this one-man black metal act’s sophomore album, the atmosphere and beauty is truly stepped-up from the debut. I loved the sweeping strings on album opener “Lobos (Offering)”, with the instrumentation continuing into “Ashes From The Burning Embers”. Soaring guitars just wash over the listener and a driving, but simple drum beat kicks the song off as Matheus Vidor’s cavernous vocals try to pierce through the sheer wall of production and layering. Giving off vibes of Summoning in the sheer scale and musicianship. Dabbling in blackgaze as well on “Ruins of The Lost” that was a beast of a track in a good pair of headphones. “Forsaken” captures the frosty cold of Norwegian black metal in its opening and throughout the track. Overall, for me, I think the vocals could have been a bit higher in the mix, with Vidor’s screams almost getting buried amongst the wall of sound effect of the mix. Really good record and an act I will be keeping my eye on to see where their sound takes them amongst the sea of great up-and-coming acts this year.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Nailed To Obscurity
Generation of The Void
Releases September 5th on Nuclear Blast Records
Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal
”Glass Bleeding” kicks off with that crushing melodic death metal tone right out the gate, before hitting the brakes to an atmospheric, doomy dirge. Raimund Ennenga’s vocals shift from a gritty, gravelly growl to an almost melancholic, somber clean vocal emphasizing the band’s death/doom sound to a great delivery. Volker Dieken & Jan-Ole Lamberti bounce off eachother so well on guitars throughout the album. Perfectly shifting from brutally heavy to slowed-downed sadness on songs like “Liquid Mourning” and “Spirit Corrosion”. With moments dabbling in classic heavy metal on the album’s title track. At just under an hour, it also hits the sweet spot of death/doom where it doesn’t go long “just to go long”. Solid record and potentially could be the band’s best record since Opaque.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
Ritual Mass
Cascading Misery
Releases September 5th on 20 Buck Spin
Genre: Death Metal
On their debut album, Ritual Mass start the album off with sheer dissonance and booming, deep bass on “Obsidian Mirror”. Creating Lovecraftian dread and bleakness that acts like Portal nail to a T. Cavernous vocals amongst blasting drums and anxiety-inducing guitars add that feeling of unknown, bleakness, and sheer terror. “Immeasurable Hell” gave me classic old-school death metal vibes. While “Looming Shapeless” brough back the dissonance and dreary nature of the band’s themes on mysticism. “Frozen Marrow” was a true standout on the album. With the chugging guitars of R. Mauck & P. Trona, it’s heavy in all the right places and is just a sonic assault of sheer death metal and cavernous vocal shrieks and growls from N. Dudash. Strong debut record and delivers complex, brutal and sheer terror throughout the entire runtime.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Eternal Returns
Let There Be Sin
Releases September 5th on Brutal Records
Genre: Groove/Thrash Metal
“Sloth” kicks off this Indian act’s second album. With moments of sheer, ear-piercing shrieking and driving guitars and drums. It is a strong album opener. Songs like “Lust” have that groove metal, American heavy metal sound acts like Lamb of God really helped pioneer and bring to the table, but add elements of synths and electronic drums. I LOVED “Greed”, that track was a heavy track, with a pretty good clean vocal performance, mixed in with high screaming vocals underneath it on the chorus. Definitely an improvement from the debut, but I do think the sound is a little too similar to a lot of other groove and metalcore acts out there now. Which could have the band getting lost in the sea of countless other acts. I like the band’s debut Hunchback Hatred, but I think the band needs something to help them standout from the rest and though this record was a step in the right direction, the steps might need to be a bit bigger to make a bigger impact for the band.
SCORE: 3 / 5
Falling Leaves
The Silence That Binds Us
Releases September 5th independently
Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal
Having similarities to the forefathers of doom like My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost, Falling Leaves’ second album truly embodies that sound for the modern-era. “Carvings” instantly takes me back to that time of doom metal. With its chorus-heavy piano and accenting strings, it instantly had me hooked from the get-go. I loved the slow-build of “The Angel on My Shoulder” with its rising strings and synths, before the chugging guitars and double bass kick-in strong and add a pulse to the band’s bleak and dark lyrical delivery. I loved the classical piano vibes of “Shattered Hopes”, truly embodying the true hopelessness and tragic tone of the genre. Combined with the booming, yet dark spoken-word pieces and a nice bass lead underneath. If you love the classic sound of early doom metal and the orchestral elements to really add that feeling of nothingness and nihilism, than The Silence That Binds Us will check all those boxes for you and will deliver a true audio journey of neverending sadness and bleakness.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Condition Critical
Degeneration Chamber
Releases September 5th Independently
Genre: Thrash Metal
“Wretched Aggression” kicks off with that thrash metal revival sound and production prevalent in the late 2000’s when Municipal Waste was growing in popularity. With Tony Barhoum being a damn riff-machine throughout this track and the entire album. “Deconstructive Horrors” has a gnarly and nasty bass lead by Mike Dreher that I loved and took me back to the height of the age of crossover thrash on the track. Songs like “Hydroponic Mutation” have an aggressive, bombastic opening drum/riff combo that just hits the ground running and doesn’t give the listener a chance to breath. At just over 30 minutes, the album is straight-forward, intense and heavy thrash that will appease any die-hard thrash fan and will get your head banging throughout the entire runtime.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Korp
And Darker It Shall Become
Releases September 5th Independently
Genre: Black/Thrash Metal
On their fourth album, Korp channels that first wave of black metal perfectly on album opener “Blood Upon The Throne”. Creating that thrashy, aggressive crust-punk/black metal fusion. The drumming barrage of “Furious Tempest Rise” was another strong, headbang inducing track. “Bloodstorms” has an almost groove metal feel, combined with the band’s thrash/black metal sound, while “Heaven Ablaze” adds that modern metal drive and tone, interspersed with elements of classic black metal in the vocals. A hydra of thrash metal, black metal, crust and a bit of traditional heavy metal that I think Korp combines beautifully. Showing that whatever head you cut off from this record, Korp grows another head that delivers a hell of a sonic punch to replace what was lost.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
