If there’s a silver lining thus far into 2022 it’s that at least we don’t have to wait too long for some good old-fashioned spine-busting metal. We’re barely out of January and we already have fresh releases from the likes of Enterprise Earth, Shadow of Intent and Fit for an Autopsy. Yes, I am aware that Omicron is all the rage back home and some folks are still under lockdown but believe me new riffs and blast beats go a long way in lifting one’s spirits.
The 2020’s has seen a process of metamorphosis for the Church of Ra and its members, and an evolution of its two leading artists. First Amenra abandoned the Mass honorific after six chapters for their excellent and bruising De doorn, their first full length for Relapse. Similarly, Belgian Black Metal visionaries Wiegedood have ripped themselves from the titling convention of the De Doden Hebben Het Goed series for their fourth full-length, the ominously titled There’s Always Blood At The End Of The Road (Century Media).
Metal legends Voivod continue hyping up their new album Synchro Anarchy, out worldwide on February 11th via Century Media Records. Today, the band have released their second single and opening track “Paranormalium”. Pre-orders are now live as well as the details for the deluxe edition. Watch the lyric video created by Cloud Music Typography below:Continue reading
Voivod have dropped a new single “Planet Eaters” from their just announced their new studio album – dubbed Synchro Anarchy, which is scheduled for worldwide release on February 11th, 2022 via Century Media Records. Jam out to the new song now! Continue reading
Forefathers of Progressive Metal – Voivod has announced their new studio album – dubbed Synchro Anarchy, which is scheduled for worldwide release on February 11th, 2022 via Century Media Records. The band commented: Continue reading
Consistency and identity – albeit a distorted, perturbed sense of being – are the cornerstones of the second album of The Lurking Fear – the “ugly step-child” (according to Tomas Lindberg Redant) of Swedish melodeath rejuvenants At The Gates. There has been a conscious effort to double down and to make clear what was originally “just” a side-project is, why it exists, and just what it’s purpose is. Indeed, as the parent group have taken further strides to redefine and push themselves since their return, particularly this year, so too the offspring has engaged in a campaign of scent-marking; defining their own identity on Death, Madness, Horror, Decay’(Century Media).
Say what you will about Deathcore, it is nothing if not persistent. Not that the idea of mixing Death Metal and Hardcore is a new one (i.e., Suffocation) but when the term deathcore is applied today it recalls the halcyon years between 2007 and 2012 when a young man’s worth was determined by his throat tattoo, the size of his gauges and his MySpace networking skills. If you had a pig squeal, a breakdown and a dream it seemed like you too could be handed an Earache Records deal. But when did that dream end? Well, according to Lorna Shore’s …And I Return to Nothingness (Century Media) it didn’t.Continue reading
On the heels of releasing their first ever live album, 20 Years Of Gloom, Beauty And Despair – Live in Helsinki, Finnish death doom metallers Swallow The Sun will release a new album – Moonflowers on November 19th via Century Media Records. Along with some of the album formats, there will also come a full bonus album featuring very special instrumental versions of all the regular album tracks. This instrumental album has been composed for strings and recorded at Sipoo Church in Finland. The strings were performed by the group called TRIO NOX from Finland. Starting today, all these instrumental songs will be launched as animated videos, which were created by Dronicon Films — one by one every week, leading up to the first single release of the main album. Listen to the instrumental version of “Moonflowers Bloom In Misery (Trio NOX plays Moonflowers by Swallow the Sun)” right now!
Death Metal is in rude health. It is a status that has been brewing and broiling over the last ten years, with pushes and spurts in pocketed sub-sub genres, until now the whole scene, and its multitude of variants and mutations and off-shoots, feels like it is not just doing alright, but burgeoning with a lush virility unseen since it’s fomentation some thirty years ago.