‘Left Hand Pass’ will be released worldwide on September 8. Pre-orders for the album are available now at the Season of Mist E-Shop.
The track list and artwork for ‘Left Hand Pass’, painted by Pär Olofsson (IMMORTAL, EXODUS, ABYSMAL DAWN, SPAWN OF POSSESSION and more) can be found below:
Posted by Metal Riot on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at 1:15 PM (PST)
THY ART IS MURDER have released the “Chapter 3: Stories of Desolation” trailer ahead of the release of their latest album Dear Desolation. The album arrives this Friday, August 18, via Nuclear Blast.
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at 3:13 PM (PST)
Many death metal disciples are rightfully rejoicing over Axis Mundi, the return offering from tech death vets Decrepit Birth. ‘Hieroglyphic’ is one of the most intimidating musical performances of the year and so what could be more perfect for the band to release as a playthrough track? You can check out the dizzying spectacle of complete and utter sickness below.
“We’ve gone through an evolution throughout the years” says founding member and primary songwriter Matt Sotelo. “The last couple of albums we had, Diminishing Between Worlds and Polarity, were more progressive death metal. They were different from …And Time Begins, which is a different genre of death metal. It’s more brutal. I’m the type of guy who likes to experiment. …And Time Begins has no solos. It’s all really fast palm-muted riffs. The other albums breathed more with the guitars. I let chords ring out on Diminishing Between Worlds and Polarity. Axis Mundi is combination of all the stuff I’m into. I like it a lot right now. It’s more melodic. The riffs repeat intentionally. I want to have fun with these songs”.
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at 2:50 PM (PST)
Sometimes I get accidentally death metal bougie and forget I have heard records before the release date often when the general public hasn’t. To be fair, I listen to a lot of promos for this site and it isn’t always easy to keep the release dates in mind. The most important thing though is to remember if the album is good and beyond a doubt Cormorant‘s Diaspora is one of the must hear releases for the scene this year.
No Clean Singing hosts the official stream today for the Bay Area band of the progressive deathers and it will blow you away. Do NOT be left in the dark regarding one of the most important extreme records of 2017, full of lengthy yet engaging and soul churning performances. “Preserved In Ash”
in particular is a tornado of intense emotion paired with the tempered focus skilled musicians bring to complex arrangements yet with neither subordinate to the whole affect (plus you gotta love that statement of intent drum intro).
No Clean Singing crowns Diaspora the band’s, “most extravagant and ambitious album yet,” furthering, “Whether it’s the feverish, chaotic drum work and snarling vocals of ‘Preserved In Ash,’ or the doomier, proggier strains of ‘Sentinel,’ CORMORANT rarely (if ever) seem content to simply rest on their laurels, and each of the four tracks which make up this album are absolutely packed with a wealth of unexpected twists and turns – moving swiftly back and forth between moments of ferocious blasting, moody melody, grandiose riffery, and ominous atmosphere – all designed to keep the audience on their toes and to prevent them from ever becoming too comfortable or complacent. As a result, Diaspora can be a challenging, even demanding, listen at times. At just over an hour in length it certainly isn’t for the faint of heart, and requires a solid investment of time and mental energy from the listener to appreciate fully, but this devotion is ultimately rewarded tenfold with one of the most diverse and dynamic musical experiences of the year.”
Diaspora will be released independently on 2xLP, CD, and digital formats on August 11th with US and European distribution through War Crime Recordings. Preorders are currently available at THIS LOCATION.
Posted by Metal Riot on Sunday, August 6, 2017 at 4:39 PM (PST)
Photo: Alex Morgan Imaging
ARCHSPIRE will take part on the forthcoming “Bloodletting North America XI” Tour. “Bloodletting North America XI” is slated to begin on October 20 and will continue through November. A full lineup and confirmed list of tour dates will be unveiled in the weeks to come.
ARCHSPIRE will be touring in support of their forthcoming new album, ‘Relentless Mutation’. The recently released a new track titled “Remote Tumour Seeker”. The track, another insane dose of masterful death metal musicianship, is streaming now at Lambgoat.
‘Relentless Mutation’ will see a worldwide release on September 22. The album was recorded and engineered by Dave Otero at Flatline Studios (CATTLE DECAPITATION, CEPHALIC CARNAGE, ALLEGAEON, NIGHTBRINGER) and features artwork from Eliran Kantor (HATEBREED, SOULFLY, HATE ETERNAL, and more). Pre-orders for ‘Relentless Mutation’ are available at the Season of Mist E-Shop.
Highly regarded critically yet not a household name by any means, the nonetheless awesome death metal band Spawn Of Possession have sadly broken up and released a statement:
Last week we decided to put SoP to rest due to several problems, mostly because we now realise we dont have the time to either finish a beast like a new album properly or do anything else with SoP for a long time. So the band has pretty much just faded away at this point. Anyway! We are very thankful for all the support we had through the years!
Cheers!
Metallum mentions that a follow up to final LP Incurso was planned, but now that the band is kaput we have no idea if this will ever happen.
Bandcamp has released a statement announcing that they are doing a fantastic pro trans rights campaign this week:
This Friday, for any purchase made on Bandcamp, we will donate 100% of our share of the proceeds to the Transgender Law Center, who support and protect trans rights on multiple fronts. Please read more about why we’re doing this, and help us spread the word.
As two of our writers are trans (myself included), it means a lot to us. I am starting my transition and am crowd funding HERE if you would care to support. I have found some love and support from various parts of the metal community (shout out to Karyn Crisis, My friend Drew Smerdon who was in Merauder and Unbalanced, Mina Caputo , Hammercult and Blake Judd for being extra awesome and supportive when I told them), but it would be a lie to say it feels like society as a whole is accepting. As Bandcamp elaborates:
Bandcamp is a platform for artistic expression, and all manner of variance in experience and identity, including gender and sexuality, is welcome here. We support our LGBT+ users and staff, and we stand against any person or group that would see them further marginalized. This includes the current U.S. administration, and its recent capricious declaration that transgender troops will no longer be able to serve in the military. That this announcement was motivated in part to help fund the border wall exposes it as part of the administration’s cynical, discriminatory agenda.
In response, we will be donating 100% of our share of every sale on Friday, August 4th (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time) to the Transgender Law Center, a nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to change law, policy, and culture for the more equitable. TLC does critical policy advocacy and litigation on multiple fronts, fights for healthcare for trans veterans, defends incarcerated trans people from abuse in prisons and detention centers, supports trans immigrants, and helps trans youth tell their stories and build communities.
A few great recent releases or just damn good purchases I would recommend for you music lovers are:
Holy shit. Cannibal Corpse has announced Winter tour dates n support of a yet to be named new record! Damn, this looks like it is gonna be the heaviest and most insane, high energy package to end out the year with a geyser of blood. Power Trip and Gatecreeper are the next big thing bands of the moment in thrash and death metal and paired with the legends of Cannibal you know you are seriously getting your money’s worth!
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Saturday, July 22, 2017 at 9:52 AM (PST)
Gloomy and introspective yet contrarily heavy and distorted tribal extroverts Atriarch spread their black wings on the timely monickered Dead As Truth (Pre Order from Relapse HERE). Imagine some of the barren dirge of older My Dying Bride if filtered through a West Coast penchant for organic punk and extreme metal scene history, harsher vocals and crescendos to match bands like Intronaut and Inter Arma (albeit with a much more sinister dynamic to the dynamics).
Dead As Truth could have been a two song with the opening crusher “Inferno” (one of the most compelling pieces yet from the group) and the almost Death Rock meets New Order by way of Rudimentary Peni sounding bassline genius of single length “Dead”. These songs are going to make the band really able to flex their muscle and range live in a way that I bet will be hard to ignore. Atriarch have refined their sense of dirge here while audibly coming together more as a unit. Their past work is great but there are certain jaw dropping moments of synergy here. 1:50 or so into “Dead” when the sheets of melting glass noise solo starts and into the next, more subdued nest verse is a key example, the band treating each section with respect and then exploding into the next heavy section due to the emotional weight of it all rather than for heavy style points.
These kind of tricks, authentic reaction versus trying to be “brootal”, makes this band or Deafheaven or even older bands in very different modes like the early stuff from The Used or Blood Brothers more interesting at times than some of their peers past and present in that whatever you say about the band’s various sub-genres or career preferences, you can’t deny they are/were feeling it.
“Devolver” is ok but kills the pace a little bit. The song is like banging an anvil with a sledgehammer and that is certainly awesome. Maybe it is because I chilled out with a joint before really digging into it. I am sure it will clobber with a certain early Swans/ Neubauten brutishness live. It isn’t bad just les original than the two songs before it which managed to subvert expectations while tipping the cap to predecessors.
Whatever your take away from this record, if you didn’t know the band’s earliest stuff you will still as a newer fan be stoked that the group are able to match the quality of “Bereavement” and prove their staying power. Check out “Inferno” for a song that uses the space of the intro to cast a thick spell, like clinging to a buoy in a foggy night as ghosts, regrets and the vague outlines of ships and memories pass you in the lonely night. The song conjures personal hells quite literally and would almost give Neurosis a run for their money in places. I am glad “Inferno” was a single because you won’t forget it and the song absolutely punishes. Some people might not like the growled spoken vocal style in the verses, but I think it works very well.
The record streets on August 11th and is an eye opening, ear bleed inducing morass of knotted emotion, leaving you feeling like old tree roots, tight in the shoulders and tired but braced to endure. You’ll likely wonder at impermanence and the things we can and cannot change about others and yourself.
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Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 10:57 AM (PST)
Mighty Asphyx are treating fans to a celebration of three decades of Netherlands extreme metal.
In addition to the previously announced and sold out anniversary show at the Turock venue in Essen, Germany on Saturday, November 18, 2017, ASPHYX have now announced a second (matinee) show in the same location for the day after, Sunday, November 19, 2017. These two “30 Year Anniversary” concerts will not only be supported by metal comrades Pentacle and Soulburn, but also feature long ASPHYX sets, special merchandise and Meet & Greet opportunities with former band members like Eric Daniels, Bob Bagchus, Wannes Gubbels, Ronnie van der Wey, Roel Sanders or Sander van Hoof.
Tickets go on sale today and will sell out quickly, hurry and reserve yours now here! Further details can also be found directly on the venue’s website: http://www.turock.de.
ASPHYX have checked in with the following message about the anniversary shows: “Salutations Asphyxians! Due to the unexpected, rapid sell out of our 30 years anniversary show in Turock, Essen, Germany on November 18th, for which our massive gratitude, we decided for those who could not obtain a ticket, to do an extra show the very next day. So, Sunday the 19th of November 2017. Same bill, same set, same goodies, same price. Just a little earlier, doors open at 15.00 hours, so everybody can get back to work on time the next day. Cheerz and see you all in November!”
November 17, 2017 will also mark the long overdue release date for a special and limited anniversary version of ASPHYX’s classic debut album, “The Rack”, as a double-album, containing both the original album as well as a special bonus version of the entire album sequence covered by friends and peers of the group. More details and formats of this project will be unveiled soon, so stay tuned!
ASPHYX‘s most recent effort, “Incoming Death”, was released worldwide last September via the band’s longtime label Century Media Records. It was once again mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound Studio and entered the official sales charts in various European countries upon release as follows: Germany: # 30, Switzerland: # 67 and Belgium (Wallonia): # 78.
Along with the album’s standard version on CD, Gatefold LP (with poster) and Digital Download, “Incoming Death” is also available as a limited edition 2-Disc Mediabook (with 3 stickers), including two bonus cover versions (“Servants Of The Warsmen” by Winter and “Master” by Master) as well as a DVD. Get your aural weapon of choice from CM Distro:http://smarturl.it/incomingdeathCMD
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 1:22 PM (PST)
Toilet Ov Hell is one of the cooler blogs in the clogged plumbing of the interweb. Today they premiere the new single from tech death outfit Inanimate Existence. Tech death outfit sounds like if Iron Man went like full blown evil and just started blasting people’s heads off when Tony Stark gets too wasted. Hmmm…tangent.
Anyway, Inanimate Existence recently announced their forthcoming fourth album, Underneath a Melting Sky. If that bad ass album title doesn’t make you want to take shrooms and lose your mind reading Lovecraft immediately, perhaps you are currently visiting the wrong website?
Says Toilet Ov Hell regarding today’s song premiere: “In Moonlight I Am Reborn” is the unification of the old and new, bearing the strong, full riffs of the band’s earlier efforts with the ethereal synths of their most recent. The beginning of the song illustrates this perfectly: you’re immediately greeted with a big meaty triplet riff backed with a subtle layer of synth and effects-laden clean guitar. The haunting atmosphere has the subtlety of their older work, but with the multilayered complexity of Calling. The two halves of their sound work together now better than ever before, and the resulting effect is something akin to meditating under a waterfall: relentlessly pummeling, but surprisingly contemplative.”
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 11:47 AM (PST)
Cannabis Corpse are streaming a new jammer from arguably the best named evil weed album in years, Left Hand Pass. The track, an overdose of weed-infused, brutal US death metal titled “In Dank Purity”, is streaming now at Revolver Magazine.
Left Hand Pass will be released worldwide on September 8. Pre-orders for the album are available now at the Season of Mist E-Shop.
The artwork for Left Hand Pass was painted by Pär Olofsson (IMMORTAL, EXODUS, ABYSMAL DAWN, SPAWN OF POSSESSION and more).
Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 11:52 AM (PST)
Unprecedented reigning tech death champs Origin have posted a playthrough for a new song “Accident and Error”. The song is from the band’s latest ear fuck Unparalleled Universe.
Unparalleled Universe was recorded and mixed at Chapman Studios in February 2017 alongside longtime collaborator and engineer Robert Rebeck (Tech N9ne). The band emerged with ten new songs including a cover of Brujeria’s “Revolución”, that were mastered in March 2017 by Colin Marston at Menegroth – The Thousand Caves (Altar of Plagues, Jarobe, Krallice) and wrapped in a cover prepared by Filip Ivanovic (Dismember, Cryptopsy, Heavy Montreal, Gorguts).
“It feels like an Origin album, but it’s unparalleled to what you might expect if you haven’t heard us for 10 or 15 years” says Paul Ryan. “To me, it’s a true reflection of ourselves. I compare it to an action movie. Our earlier material is filled with action from beginning to end. Now, the idea is to add a little more depth and dynamics. You could say there are some twists in the plot musically”.
Seven songs in fourteen minutes as vomited out by alumni from Exhumed, Lightning Swords Of Death, Intronaut and of course Repulsion? How could you possibly go wrong?!
This Expulsion project seems like the guys just wanted to have a total fucking blast while still showing their utter devotion to extreme grind and thrash. The songs are high speed, take no prisoners bangers that give Iron Reagan or Lock Up a fair fight in the over the top intensity department. Out mid Ju;y via Relapse, this is kind of a must purchase little record – even if they never make another one.
“Total Human Genocide” has more political lyrics from Exhumed’s Matt Harvey (akin to some of the excellent Necrocracy themes). “Altar Of Slaughter” gets more gory with classic Harvey stuff about eye gouging and laughing while sawing someone, etc. Everything is quite metal. All in all you are here for the overall effect than the lyrics on this outing.
Matt Olivo – Guitar, Danny Walker – Drums and Menno Verbaten – Bass do a tremendous job here. The hyper march of “Funeral Bells” or the many distorted and barelling down on you kick ass bass parts from Verbaten add perfect support for the riff-sanity from Olivo that all allows for Harvey to go off with ease. Not much more to say other than that for an idea conceived for fun, this smokes a lot of full time acts out there. But what would you expect from this cast of characters?
Nightmare Future was produced by Matt Olivo, mixed by Toxic Holocaust’s Joel Grind and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Mayhem, Faith No More, Halford). Physical preorders and bundles are available at Relapse.com HERE and digital downloads can be preordered via Bandcamp at THIS LOCATION.
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Posted by Morgan Ywain Evans on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at 11:43 AM (PST)
Holy shit. How do SepticFlesh always manage to top themselves? From art to musical execution, they truly never leave a stone un-turned. This freaky ass Aliens meets LoTR looking art gave me chills and along with the new Cormorant Diaspora art shows that the best bands care about everything from visual to musical impact.
The Greek legends SF’s new album is called Codex Omega you can hear a completely stunning new symphonic extreme metal masterpiece called “Dante’s Inferno” HERE. It sounds even heavier than some of the most intense stuff they have released in recent years! The drums are absolutely insane.
Available September 1, 2017 in North America on Prosthetic Records, Codex Omega will be available as a 2-CD set, on purple wax vinyl as well as a US indie retail store exclusive on white wax vinyl, and on all digital outlets. Preorders are up now and available at http://smarturl.it/SepticfleshCO.
Upstate NY's Surmiser are a grunge, hard rock and post punk marriage who play every note with the conviction of lifers who have long since given up the notion of turning back. The band is an excellent power trio and have just released their buzzed about latest effort Hold The Static.
Songs about depression, addiction and self assessment pair with focused but inspired soul eruptions that take you on a journey through a wide range of emotions. Surmiser are very much worth checking out, constantly working on ways to expand their impact and body of songs to mirror their experiences into something representative to their values in sonic form.
