If you like your death metal brutal, progressive, and quite possibly from another dimension then look no further than genre-bending quartet VoidCeremony. Formed in 2013, the Californian act’s second full-length studio album Threads of Unknowing (20 Buck Spin) delivers more of what was promised on their 2020 debut but with even more intensity and technical virtuosity.
Signed to Los Angeles-based Prosthetic Records (Yatra, ACxDC, Pupil Slicer, Vile Creature) Richmond, Virginia six-piece .GIFFROMGOD bring you their latest release, an EP by the name of Digital Red. It sees the band’s first recorded output since 2019’s full-length debut Approximation of a Human.
What was the first bit of heavy music you ever heard in your life? Did you level up, gaining mana from the ear-peeling riffs and shouts? Lovers of extreme metal surely have had experiences like this in their lives, where their entire world is tossed upside-down a new band, or a clutch of new demos from an emerging scene. This is how my ears felt hearing Grief Symposium, with a new take on the Death / Doom sub-genre with their debut, …In The Absence of Light (Church Road Records). Although mysterious and secretive, they did not set out to reinvent extreme music, but rather invent themselves, and a sound that should echo for a long time.
Imagine being a child and your buddy informs you that an outfit known as Bonecarver has a new album titled Carnage Funeral on Unique Leader. What do you do with that information? That’s like the most metal collection of words ever assembled. Carnage Funeral? Bonecarver? What in the world is a Bonecarver and why does anyone need it? So many questions trying to keep up with a rushing imagination.
To say that Revocation has another banger on deck seems a bit obvious, right?
Speaking only from this author’s perspective this Boston unit has never fumbled the ball on a studio album. Dispute that amongst yourselves in the comment section, just don’t tag me along in your spirited debates. Last thing I need are more notifications via my phone. So, the point is Netherheaven (Metal Blade) may as well be subtitled “Revocation continues to be awesome and David Davidson is more talented than you, will never run out of riffs and can make out with your special lady friend whenever they like”.Continue reading
When the death metal scene blew up in the early nineties, it was exciting to watch fresh new blood delivering a much-needed kick up the backside to many lethargic established acts. However, with little room for growth and proliferation of bands all covering the same ground, stagnation, and panic soon set in. Just as their predecessors had found, forward-thinking and experimentation were often frowned upon while the alternative was perceived as merely playing safe or laziness. It was survival of the fittest in a catch-22 situation and the fans were a fickle and unforgiving judge.
So, you like Death Metal, do you? Are you sure or do you like the idea of appearing to be a death metal aficionado? It’s an honest question. Okay, if you’re about this life then you might just appreciate Artificial Brain (Profound Lore) the latest album from a lovely New York crew operating under the same moniker.
I’m going to do my best to word this the right way so people can get my point without seeming like I’m insulting the artist here. I’m not looking to have a Jane Campion moment here after all. I’ve listened to Wrack’s Repulsive Gravity, and I did enjoy it, but it seems like money was left on the table. Allow me to explain.
When’s the last time you listened to an album, and it completely knocked you on your ass? For me it was a few hours ago while sensibly driving around in my Volvo. Not to worry, no Swedish automobiles were harmed while repeatedly listening to Hath’s All That Was Promised (Willowtip). Well, maybe I punched the passenger seat once ‘The Million Violations’ swung into full gear with volleys of blast beats and guitar trickery. What’s a little cosmetic damage?
The peculiarity of Technical Death Metal is the capability of exploring itself, yet creativity begins to fade when there’s a vast repertoire of bands of this kind, which have made history on the underground’s music scene. Certain musical groups stick to follow a simple and uncomplicated path, keeping a comparable sound with many other bands that continue to perform in this genre. Let us consider the huge waves of Technical Death Metal in the eighties and in the nineties and how it reinvented itself to the present day. Bands such as Suffocation and Gorguts trace Technical Death Metal’s status as a whole, releasing records and records without losing its own legendary position, carrying bloody and filthy anthems for dozens of years. Continue reading