Upcoming Metal: Week of October 19th
Deteriorot
Awakening
Releases October 21st on Xtreem Music
Genre: Death Metal
After the eerie and ominous intro of the title track, “The Flame” definitely brings that gritty, gnarly production of death metal production you get from acts like Portal. Bass really has a presence on the track and adds that commanding thud to each drum strike. Though death metal in nature, songs like “In Battle To Survive” and “Horrors in an Everlasting Nightmare” have some very sludgy tone and play style, which I liked a lot. And “A Ghost in The Mirror” has some nice black metal elements in the guitar performance and some vocal delivery by Paul Zavaleta. For me, some of the songs were good and dug the musical creativity and genre-blending, but some were just ok or did hit with the same heft as others.
SCORE: 3.5 / 5
Cemetery Moon
Dominion of Ashes
Releases October 24th on Wulfhere Productions
Genre: Black Metal
”The Wretched City” kicks off with first wave black metal energy with Usurper flying all over the kit as the tremolo guitars try to keep up. Dabbling in melodic black metal, the song had me bobbing my head along with every snare strike. The same energy continues on “Boundless Heresy” but way more intense and faster. “House of Usher” and “Temporal Bloodletting” were standout tracks for me, as well as “Smoke Trails at Vespers”. If you just want no-nonsense, straightforward, forty minutes of blast beats, shrieking vocals and classic sounding black metal, than Dominion of Ashes will appease your dark masters as you light the flame for your dark lord.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Nine Treasures
Seeking The Absolute
Releases October 24th on Metal Blade Records
Genre: Folk Metal
”Until Now” brings that Chinese instrumentation and culture, before the guitars come roaring in. Accented by the instrumentation from the opening moments. When the song gets going, it brings a classic heavy metal tone on the chorus and main riff. “Indecision” continues the unique instrumentation and creative musical presentation. Drawing comparisons to other folk metal act The Hu and Bloodywood in their dynamic incorporation of culture into metal music. “Steel Falcon” was a banger of a track, while “The Ultimate Evolution” was another groove heavy track that just fits well to the musical direction the band is going for. Seeking The Absolute truly shows Nine Treasures potentially delivering their best record and an album that will hopefully help the band reach some of the success of their international acts like the ones mentioned earlier.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
Breath
Brahman
Releases October 24th on Argonauta Records
Genre: Stoner/Doom Metal
Described as “Meditative Doom”, I was definitely intrigued by the description of this band’s music (especially with myself being a fan of Om). “Monastery of The Seven Sages” brings a 70’s, psychedelic vibes and energy in the music and vocal delivery. Into thundering, doomy 70’s guitar riffs akin to early Sabbath. Steven O'Kelly’s on the album, especially on “Awen” and “Sanliurfa” truly bring that haunting vocal presence in the performance that matches his bass and percussion of Ian Caton. Though in a sea of bands in the stoner/doom genre, this did have moments that stood out and got me digging the vibe, but also feel that some parts went on a bit too long and could’ve been wrapped up a bit earlier. Hopefully not adding length to just add length. Good record and can get the ideology behind the tag of “Meditative Doom”, but I think with some longer parts shortened, it might make your high a bit more enjoyable.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Scorching Tomb
Ossuary
Releases October 24th on Time To Kill Records
Genre: Death Metal
“Stalagmite Impalement” delivers the brutality right from the opening moments. Philippe Leblanc continues the rifftastic playing, while Vincent Patrick-Lajeunesse delivers a pretty damn heavy growl that reminds me of Corpsegrinder in its intensity and delivery on the lows. And then bringing on Devin Swank of Sanguisugabogg on “Skullcrush” was a damn joy to listen to and my favorite track on the album. Those two just hit like a ton of bricks on their performance. Songs like “Sentenced To Rot” and “Bloodlust Sacrifice” were just instant pit-starters and brought the sheer pissed-off, hostile energy that death metal fans will love the holy hell out of. One hell of a debut in my opinion and showing that this Canadian death metal act has one hell of a bright future in the genre.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Darah
Holier Than Thou
Releases October 24th on Underground Syndicate
Genre: Death Metal
”Eternal Descent” kicks off this Singapore death metal acts debut album. Drums are just non-stop from the get-go as the guitars just never let up in intensity and heaviness in the mix. Mohamad Aidil & Iszzuan deliver sheer brutal death metal quality riffs akin to Dying Fetus or Cannibal Corpse on tracks like “Devour Us All”, “Dropped At Birth”, and “The Catalyst”. Hilman Eddie has a really good growl on the record, but is almost too low in the mix that it sometimes get overpowered by the sheer loudness of the guitars and double bass. A good debut and I dug since it definitely gave me that 90’s old school death metal sound I love in the genre.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Sunken
Lykke
Releases October 24th on Eisenwald
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
From the opening of the ten-plus minute track “Din røst malede farver i luften”, the album is soaked in beautiful soundscapes and atmosphere. When Martin Skyum Thomasen’s vocals come in, accented by the soaring guitars and spacious production, it just becomes so trippy and ethereal amongst the blast beats of Joachim Højer Larsen. “Og det er lykke” channels the DSBM sound of Silencer and Weakling, combined with almost eerily calm guitars and drums of blackgaze amongst the bellowing and anguishing screams of Thomasen. The album closer is also just an epic conclusion of beautiful sadness and melancholy, combined with the sonic barrage of blast beats and screaming. A record that any blackgaze fan will love and an album to truly put on with a good pair of headphones and just fall down the dark yet enlightening spiral that Sunken delivers with Lykke.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Goatfather
House of The Rising Smoke
Releases October 24th on Argonauta Records
Genre: Stoner Metal/Rock
”Stoner Dream” brings that bluesy/stoner doom guitar tone and bellowing vocals from Olaf Greuntsson. Bringing the early vibes of doom with a Pentagram/Sabbath vibe with the productions and guitars. “Eye of The Electric Mountain” is coated in sludgy groove and dirge like pacing before picking up the vibes to a more stoner rock, with elements of Clutch or Kyuss. I liked the almost southern rock riff and vocal style on “Night of The Blue Smoke”. “Rainbow Rider” had me bobbing my head along through the whole song with the drums, and “Space Weeds and Heavy Trips” is a strong closer that has so much thumping bass and groove to it that you can get lost in it. I loved the record and anybody that just wants classic stankface-inducing doom riffs, covered in fuzz-heavy effects and pounding drums, this record will set the house on fire as you smoke up and watch it burn.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Karate Steve
Time Under Tension
Releases October 24th independently
Genre: Stoner/Sludge Metal
On their second album, stoner/sludge act Karate Steve bring the doomy/hardcore vibes on album opener “Martyr”. With Ben Davis’ vocals delivering that bellowing, bitter and gritty shout over chugging guitars and driving drums brings that slow burn tendency that makes the genre stand out. The same vibe and delivery carries over into tracks like the album’s title track, “Suffer To Survive” and “Dopamine”. Bringing a bouncy groove to some tracks, while also delivering an aggressive vibe and sonic attack. A bit formulaic and songs sounding a bit too similar, it was a solid third album from the band and shows the band didn’t quite have the same impact in my opinion compared to their last album No Way Out But Through.
SCORE: 3 / 5
