It’s hot folks, summertime is definitely upon us. Which means it’s time to make shorts out of those raggedy jeans you’ve been hanging onto for no apparent reason. Or you could find some water, a cooler full of cold refreshments or sit in front of a fan. One thing’s for sure though: we have the soundtrack to however you plan to deal with that case of swamp-ass on this plentiful edition of Initial Descent. Starting things off with a nasty, noisy bang is the second full length, Contempt, from Couch Slut and if you’ve yet to hear it I honestly don’t know what you’re doing with your life — this thing rules in so many ways. Next up is Byzantine who quite literally show just how blistering modern heavy metal can be on The Cicada Tree. Moving along, Less Art gives us a bleak but extremely powerful post-hardcore debut on Strangled Light — an outstanding experience from start to finish that does exactly as its title implies. Closing out the top spots is the vicious second EP, Voima on Oikeutta, from Finland’s satanically inclined death/thrash phenoms Huoripukki. So, a fantastic week already but you have no idea how much more great metal is in store (seriously, this week is STACKED) — kick back, cool off, stay awhile and enjoy…
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Couch Slut – Contempt (Gilead Media) – noise metal [full (audio) review]
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Byzantine – The Cicada Tree (Metal Blade) – metal [full review]
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Less Art – Strangled Light (Gilead Media) – post-hardcore [full review]
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Huoripukki – Voima On Oikeutta (Caligari Records) – death metal
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Also on tap:
Abhorrent Decimation – The Pardoner (Prosthetic Records) – death metal
Aeraco – Baptized by Fire (Dark Star Records) – hard rock
Afterbirth – The Time Traveler’s Dilemma (Unique Leader) – death metal
Atonement Theory – Illumination, Digital + Bonus Track (I Defy Records) – melodic metal
Backswing – SOS, Vinyl (Demons Run Amok) – metalcore
Bastian – Back to the Roots (Sliptrick Records) – hard rock
Black Vice / Haunter – Split (Red River Family Records) – black metal
Bloodrainbow – Upheaval (Neverheard Distro) – death metal
Converge – I Can Tell You About Pain, 7” EP (Deathwish/Epitaph) – extreme metal
Divinity Compromised – Terminal (Qumran/No Dust Records) – progressive
DVNE – Asheran (Wasted State Records) – doom, progressive rock
Elder Devil – Graves Among The Roots (Medusa Crush Recordings) – grind
False – Hunger, EP (Gilead Media) – black metal [full review]
Gravespawn – Inexorable Grimness (Folkvangr Records) – usbm
HeadCrusher – Death Comes With Silence (Independent) – extreme metal
Helvetestromb – Demonic Excrements Cursed With Life (WormHoleDeath/The Orchard) – death metal
Hexenklad – Spirit of the Stone (CDN Records) – black metal
King Zog – S/T (Independent) – doom metal
Kval – S/T (Hypnotic Dirge) – atmospheric black metal
Laces Out – S/T, EP (Nefarious Industries) – noise, post-punk
Loviatar – S/T (Prosthetic Records) – post-rock/doom
Nexul – Paradigm of Chaos (Hells Headbangers) – death metal
No Limited Spiral – Into the Marinesnow (WormHoleDeath) – death metal
Pan’s Emissaries / Nick Noro – Split (NBRD) – eccentric rock
Scalpel – Methods to Delusion (Independent) – death metal
Sweet Apple – Sing the Night in Sorrow (Tee Pee Records) – power pop
Temple of Void – Lords of Death (Shadow Kingdom/Hells Headbangers) – doom/death metal
The Blight – Meditations On Insignificance (Tridroid Records) – noise
The Midnight Ghost Train – Cypress Ave. (Napalm Records) – southern sludge rock
Uhtcearu – For Darkness to Subside (Independent) – melodic black metal
Urn – The Burning (Iron Bonehead) – blackened thrash metal
Venomous Maximus – No Warning (Shadow Kingdom) – heavy metal
– Josh
Nine Circles 