MDF week is upon us and while I can’t be there I know plenty of you that are. Hopefully soon I can live vicariously through your experiences, be safe and enjoy. For the rest of you, it’s another stacked week here on Initial Descent. And leading us off is the amazing prog/black/death metal debut Upon My Cremation Pyre from Jordablod. If you’ve ever heeded my advice I implore you to check this one out — scorching way to burst onto the scene here. Next up is Wode with their second full length Servants of the Countercosmos and as ridiculously good as their debut was this one is even better. The formula has been altered slightly but the results are astounding, count on this one staying the course the rest of the year. Sólstafir return with Bedreyminn and unshockingly they’ve done it yet again — blistering post rock collides with their signature metal style and it’s, simply put, bliss. Last of the top slots goes to Illustrations with Acts of God and if you missed out on this band’s debut do not make that mistake again. Hardcore is the foundation but many elements have been added to make this a heartfelt and colorful album, highly recommended. As usual, there is much more to sink your teeth into right after the jump…
Jordablod – Upon My Creation Pyre (Iron Bonehead) – black metal, cosmic death metal [full review]
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Wode – Servants of the Countercosmos (Avantgarde Music) – black metal [full review]
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Sólstafir – Berdreyminn (Season of Mist) – post-rock/metal
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Illustrations – Acts of God (Independent) – blackened hardcore
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Also on tap:
8kids – Denen die wer waren (Napalm Records) – post-hardcore
Alestorm – No Grave But the Sea (Napalm Records) – pirate metal
Animal Youth – Animal (Weyrd Son Records) – shoegaze/post-punk
Barrows – Obsidion (Tonzonen Records) – instrumental rock
Blackout – The Horse (RidingEasy Records) – doom/stoner
Comity – A Long, Eternal Fall (Throatruiner/Translation Loss) – experimental metal
Cydemind – Erosion (Independent) – progressive metal, instrumental
Danzig – Black Laden Crown (Evilive) – heavy metal
Desekryptor – Chasm of Rot, Cassette (Blood Harvest) – death metal
Direwolves – The Great Year, EP (Throatruiner Records) – hardcore
Endless Voyage X – Those Who Time Forgot (Fragile Branch) – blackened doom metal
EVO – Warfare (High Roller Records) – crossover punk
Final Void – Sounds of Absence (Inverse Records) – melodic metal
Future Faces – Revolt, EP (Throatruiner/GPS Productions) – hardcore
Heavy Temple – Chassit, MCD/MLP (Ván Records) – doom metal
Heavy Traffic – Plastic Surgery, Vinyl (Twin Earth Records) – psychedelic doom metal [feature]
In Reverance – The Selected Breed (Non Serviam Records ) – atmospheric death metal
Insanity – Toss a Coin (Bastardized Recordings) – hardcore
Karkaos – Children of the Void (Independent) – melodic death metal
Khasm – Asmodeus Rising, LP + 7″ (Iron Bonehead) – black metal
Legionnaire – Dawn of Genesis (Gates of Hell Records) – trad metal
Lord – Blacklisted (Heavy Hound Records) – sludge, hardcore [profile]
Mahakala – The Second Fall (Supreme Music Creations) – doom metal
Mähälium – Nar verkligheten golvar dig (Cramada) – punk
Narthraal – Screaming From the Grave (Inverse Records) – death metal
Neil – Black Flowers (Seahorse Recordings) – rock
Nocte Obducta – Totholz (MDD) – black metal
Nopes – Fun Limbo (Magnetic Eye) – punk, noise
Norse – The Divine Light of a New Sun (Transcending Obscurity) – dissonant black metal
NY In 64 – The Gentle Indifference of the Night (Magic Bullet Records) – instrumental hardcore
Område – Nåde (My Kingdom Music) – avantgarde metal
Paroxsihzem – Abyss of Excruciating Vexes (Krucyator Productions) – blackened death metal
Post Pulse – Halls of the Damned (Inverse Records) – death metal
Pyreship – The Liars Bend Low (Black Bow Records) – post metal
Qoheleth – God Is the Warmest Place To Hide (Independent) – noise [feature]
Rapheuments Well – Enders Door (Test Your Metal Records) – sci-fi metal
Rienaus – Saatanalle (KVLT) – black metal
Sarea – Black At Heart (WormHoleDeath) – modern metal
Sorrow Plagues – Homecoming (Independent) – atmospheric black metal
Soulskinner – Descent to Abbadon (Xtreem Music) – death metal
Suffering Hour – In Passing Ascension (Blood Harvest) – death metal
Tsar Stangra – Celestial Forger (Independent) – black metal
Ty Arthur – Light Dawning (Independent) – horror novel
Tytan – Justice Served (High Roller Records) – heavy metal
Varmia – Z Mar Twych (Folkvangr Records) – black metal
Vials of Wrath – Days Without Names, Cassette (Fragile Branch) – atmospheric metal
Voids of Vomit – Ritval Explation (Everlasting Spew Records) – death metal
WhiteNails – First Trip (Magnetic Eye) – hard rock
Wreche – S/T ( Fragile Branch ) – black metal
– Josh
