Top 3 albums/eps of the week.

[Nasty_Cabbage]

Thanks for posting that Ondfødt album Goatmaster. Reminded me that I started listening to it, but was interrupted by life and it's pesky responsibilities. Enjoying it so far.

 

Without a doubt my favorite album of the week has been Defiled's The Highest Level. I can understand people's issues with the production, but the quality of the material itself easily overcomes what I'd honestly consider to be a mild hangup. Have some death metal my friends:

 

[MacabreEternal]

Miserere Luminis - Ordalie (2023)

Utterly immersive yet suitably driving black metal that is not afraid to ease back on the intensity and use some quite melodic chiming guitar work alongside a vocal style that reminds me of Gaerea very nicely.  There are times when I wish they'd turn the bass up to an almost Drudkh on Microcosmos level of audibility but it is just a minor quibble. 4.5/5

Dave Lombardo - Rites of Percussion (2023)

Not my normal bag, in fact I would go as far as to say that the prospect of an entirely percussive record would normally sound dull as fuck, however it turns out there's more to this than just Lombardo showboating his skills.  There are some hints at ambient textures and the creation of atmospheres undertaken along the way also.  The album never quite falls into predictable tribal beats although he most certainly is embracing many elements of world music in his exploration and experimentation.  It does not sound like a guy just cocking around on his selection of drums either.  Although I suspect the album is not 100% composed pieces there is no obvious shabbiness to proceedings.  If anyone has any lingering doubts that Lombardo was only good when he was in Slayer then (should their mind allow) this record will dispel such illusions as his creativity is obvious throughout Rites of Percussion. Forget the blistering performances of his thrash heyday, this is beyond that and more than worth a quick listen through at just 35 mins long. 3.5/5

Just the two for this week.

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Went on a big death metal spree over the summer, but as it's started getting cooler in the mornings and we've had to start wearing long pants and jackets again I've started bringing black metal back into the mix. These are the ones getting the most play the last week or two:

 

Actum Inferni - Uzurpator Niebiańskiego Tronu, Poland

 

Signs of the Dying Summer - Promenada Ciszy, Poland

 

Demonic Being - Invocations From the Ancient Path, Mexico. Definitely my most listened to album of the last few weeks, expect to see this on my list come January.

 

KYY : Apotheosis - The Light of All Lights, Finland. The big Finnblack record I've been waiting for this year.

 

[MacabreEternal]

Perennial Isolation - Portraits (2021)

Spanish atmospheric black metal that thankfully carries none of the warmth of the temperatures associated with their homeland:

The Infernal Sea - The Great Mortality (2015)

UK black metal that has the affliction of being downright catchy at times:

Praise the Plague - The Obsidian Gate (2021)

German blackened doom crew (my initial fears of this genre mixing meaning they were just undecided on a musical direction were unfounded).  Shit band name that makes them sound like a deathcore act but not a shit (or a deathcore) album.

 

[MacabreEternal]

Hexvessel - Polar Veil (2023)

Blackened folk/psychedlic rock/ doom that possesses a haunting and ethereal atmosphere throughout.  Some of the tracks are straight up too cooky for my liking but overall it is a strong album that permits easy immersion into.

Obscure Sphinx - Epitaphs (2016)

More of a progressive doom and post-metal combo than Hexvessel and Epitaphs is proving a lot more challenging to get into as on the lengthier tracks they seem to veer off with a regularity that honestly makes me wonder if I am listening to the same track (that'll be the progressive element - duh!).  I still keep coming back to it though as I am hearing bits that indicate if I sit down with it and risk some headphones I will truly understand it.

Baest - Danse Macabre (2018)

In a week where I have gone a little trippy on my usual bag, I still thoroughly enjoyed giving some more familiar fodder some rotation also in the form of Belgian deathsters Baest.  Some cookie-cutter death metal elements for sure but still an entertining record in the same way that Bloodbath or even Bolt Thrower can throw out accessible riffs without losing that underground appeal.

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

I really do mean to keep up with this thread, but every time I make a post here I then forget all about it for the next few months.

 

Bokluk - Taphonomy, Spain 2014. I've definitely listened to this album far more than any other over the last few weeks since I stumbled over it on YouTube. Probably click on it two or three times a day, I can't seem to stop myself. They're billing it as old school death metal and that's not a lie, it is, but it's not a clone of Morbid Angel or Deicide or Dismember or Entombed. There's definitely quite a bit of grindcore present and some crust influence worked in here too. But that's the way I like it, which is why I don't really ever listen to any of those four 90's bands I just mentioned.

 

Machetazo - Mundo Cripta, Spanish deathgrind 2008. Could have chosen any Machetazo album because I've been playing the shit out of all of them lately, but tonight I picked this one. 

 

The Atomic Bitchwax - Scorpio, NJ 2020. Riff heavy stoner rock from New Jersey. Catchy. As. Fuck. Their 3-piece lineup has changed a few times over the years, but the three current members responsible for this latest album have all played together as hired guns for Dave Wyndorf in that other notable Jersey shore stoner rock band Monster Magnet. But this album is better than anything Magnet's done in at least a decade.

 

The Lords of Altamont - Midnight to 666, LA 2011. Another random find on YouTube. Garage rock, punk rock, psychedelic rock, whatever you want to call it, I love this stuff when I'm not death-grinding it up. I think I keep coming back to this one at least partly for the Ain't It Fun Dead Boys cover. But still it is a great album all the way around.

 

[SuperHumanDeathMachine]

Aborted Vault of Horrors

Necrophobic In the twilight Grey

Semirotted Barrage of Brutality

[MacabreEternal]

Misotheist - Vessels by Which The Devil is Made Flesh (2024) - Norwegian BM that reminds me of the Icelandic sound of a Svartidauði or Sinmara which is never a bad thing.

Exhorder - Mourn the Southern Skies (2019) - Since I listened to their latest offering and quite enjoyed it, I back tracked to this one and find it much better in all honesty. Pat O'Brien is not a patch on Vinnie Labella or Marzi Montazeri as a lead guitarist and the rest of the band seem to pick up rhythm guitar unlike on MtSS making this 2019 offering superior in riffing as well as lead work.

Orchid - The Mouths of Madness (2013) - I get it guys, you like Black Sabbath, almost to the point of plagarism.  However, there's still entertainment here and that vocalist is a perfect fit so it's all good.

 

[navybsn]

Sarcofagus - Envoy of Death (1980) traditional heavy metal goodness from "the first" Finnish HM band. I caught wind of it last year and finally tracked down the CD last weekend. It's a concept album from what I can tell, and I'm a sucker for that shit.

They Came From Visions - The Twilight Robes (2024) black metal with a folk tinge and horror subject matter from Ukraine. Not quite sure this is a lot different from most of the other BM releases this year except the extremely catchy melodies. Similar to their fellow countrymen Drudkh and svrm.

Various Artists - No Future, No Past: Finnish Speed & Thrash Metal Explosion 1986-1992 - killer Svart records comp of obscure/underground Finnish acts from the period. Not a single group I'd ever heard of. Some of the best speed/thrash I've run across in a while. The Finns know their black metal, but their speed metal might be even better.

 

[MacabreEternal]

Samael - Blood Ritual (1992) - Often overlooked for being much cleaner in production but I think it works really well with this almost blackened doom style.  Paired back from the debut to the point of being almost basic but still a thoroughly enjoyable black metal album.

Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments (1991) - I battle with Malevolent Creation if I am honest, probably because I came to them late and therefore they have offered very little colour to my already well established death metal palette.  Nothing wrong with this one though, plays as a thrashy Floridian dm record.

Civerous - Maze Envy (2024) - Stupid album name aside, this is a bit of a patchy release overall.  Album highlight Shrouded in Crystals is bookended by two instrumental tracks which smacks of filler straight away just 3 tracks in (on a 7 track release).  There's promise here though, just not very well represented on this canvas however.

[AlSymerz]

Punching Moses - Live Short And Suffer.

Concrete - High Evolution

Catbreath - Slice 'Em All

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

The new Coffins album Sinister Oath that dropped 10 days ago as well as the one before that from 2019. Can't get enough of them.

 

Also I can see that Fluids binge I was on last night continuing. Love that band. Like a modern take on Mortician except even better.

Not Dark Yet 2021