Did you think it was over? Did you think you were safe? I rise once more from my slumber to unleash the freshest and sickest of releases upon the world! Fresh new look for the blog too, there are PICTURES now, so there's no excuse not to read it, even if you can't read!
To Bare the Weight of Death by Andracca
Kicking things off with a bang with the latest release from UK-based Black Metal up-and-comers Andracca. Punchy and raw but keeping a firm sense of melody and atmosphere throughout, love the production and the drumming here, and the riffs just don't stop! Very much looking forward to catching them live later this year at Fortress.
Melodeath? On one of my lists? A rare but welcome occurrence! This drop from California's Upon Stone is some real early In Flames worship, with a little bit of Hardcore flavour mixed in to keep things fresh.
Lord Dying's previous offering, Mysterium Tremendum, came out about 4 years ago now, and to this day remains one of my all-time favourite Sludge records, if not one of my favourite albums of all time. A beautiful and incredibly underrated meditation on death, the void, loss and what might wait beyond. This album is their long-awaited follow-up, and it hits hard. It's a worthy successor, and whilst it lyrically takes things in a slightly different direction, musically they've iterated on and improved upon so much from their last album. An absolute epic, Sludge at heart but with Post-, Melodeath and all kinds of other interesting influences sprinkled in. Once I'll be coming back to a lot for sure.
This is simply gorgeous Norwegian Atmospheric Black Metal. 13 years since their last release, Vemod have returned older, more melancholic and nuanced than before, with this sweeping epic of an album. Some little almost Post-y moments serve to really elevate the whole experience IMHO. Lovely stuff that sits somewhere between Alcest and Agalloch.
Swords of Dajjal by Necrowretch
Thrashy Black/Death outta France, this album kicks ass. Riffs for days, power, aggression, just a blast end to end. Scratches a lot of itches that Cloak does for me, if you're after some Behemoth but good better, stick this on ASAP and thank me later!
The only thing wrong with this frankly spectacular Death Metal release from Portland is that it comes so soon after Ὁπλίτης's latest drop, but for me to mention the two in the same breath is an incredible compliment in and of itself. This is amazing stuff, at times Techy, at times Dissonant, but constantly spectacularly creative and breathlessly spectacular. Sheer maddening chaos that's clearly held so tightly together through pure force of will by the band. If you like Hath or Wake, get this in your ears IMMEDIATELY.
I was walking, alone and at night, through a lightless section of woods on the far side of Holyrood Park, and in my infinite wisdom, I decided to put this on. About 5 minutes later I had to turn it off as I felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack. Absolutely anxiety-inducing 'Funeral Grind' as they put it, it takes a lot of inspiration from vitriolic Avant-Black and makes it its own. This will fuck you up, prepare accordingly. Amazing stuff!
A side project from one of the Falls of Rauros gang, this album absolutely took me off guard first time going in. Nominally Black Metal, it veers all over the place with just so much groove and melody it continually had me stopping whatever I was doing to pay attention to it. Fun and creative, abrasive and catchy. [BONUS LINK]
What's this? TWO Melodeath releases in one blog? Don't say I don't spoil y'all sometimes. That's right, this Austrian act are some stellar Gossow-era Arch Enemy worship, and I fucking love me some Gossow-era Arch Enemy. Not to say that's all they do, there's a lot of character here, and I'll be keeping a close eye on them! Me and the Magpie caught them live last year with Be'lakor and they were absolutely excellent.
Hellfenlic by The Infernal Sea
The Infernal Sea have been a UK-based Black Metal act that I've heard a fair bit of buzz about but never quite 'got' until now, but I'm happy to say this latest release absolutely slaps! 2nd wave crustiness balanced out with big old splashes of Heavy Metal influence at points, thrashy interludes and the album's core conceit, being told through the eyes of notorious Witchfinder General Mathew Hopkins, really ties the whole endeavour together and lends it such a vibe.
Divine Laughter by Cave Sermon
A late entry but holy SHIT what an entry. I'm writing this fresh off a first listen, and just before I dive in for another dose and I am reeling. Post-Blackened Death (I think?) out of Australia, just a carnival of delights for the ears. Bizarre, experimental, surprising and just heavy as all hell, January has been absolutely awesome for genre-defying, spectacular Death Metal.
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