I’ve talked here before…or maybe in another piece, I can’t remember (old and I’ve slept since then)…about how much more music means when there’s true progression. I”m not talking about your textbook switching up riffs or blasts, I’m talking true forward movement. Since the calendar ticked over to 2018 I’ve been extremely pleased with the amount of artists doing just that. Seriously, it’s been a blast and there’s been at least a handful of artists each week that shine brighter than ever in that regard. Color me tickled. Anyway, more of that this week as we jump in with Ihsahn‘s Àmr in which he continues to forge his visionary and exemplary progressive black-ish metal. For those of you with promos, go directly to the actual release and be amazed at the difference in sound. Next up is Thou who are getting some ridiculous criticism for actually doing something different (shame on you internet) on The House Primordial which is slow and scathing with its noise backbone. Listen, Thou haven’t changed, they’ve only grown more vicious so lay off it. Continuing with Corpse Flower Records’ stellar tribute albums, this week sees release of the Samhain tribute We All Want Our Time In Hell which is ridiculously good and features a killer cross section of artists — any fan of Samhain or metal in general would do well to pick this up. Last up in the opening slots this week is NYC’s Aeviterne with their swirling death metal on debut EP Sireless — membership here touches Castevet, Tombs, Flourishing and Artificial Brain so you already know it’s a treat for the ears. Get on that. Pushing boundaries all around with these four but there’s so much more waiting below. Hop to it.
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Ihsahn – Àmr (Candlelight Records) – black / progressive [full review]
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Thou – The House Primordial (Robotic Empire) – doom / noise [feature review]
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Various Artists – We All Want Our Time In Hell – Samhain Tribute (Corpse Flower Records) – punk / metal [full review]
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Aeviterne – Sireless, EP (P2 Recordings) – avantgarde death metal
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Also on tap:
Adversvm – Aion Sitra Ahra (Iron Bonehead) – funeral doom
Archelon – Tribe of Suns (Sludgelord Records) – progressive sludge
Axminister – The Crucible of Sin, EP (Independent) – heavy metal
Bodies on Everest – A National Day of Mourning (Third I Rex) – drone/noise
Boghaunter – Writhe, EP (Seeing Red Records) – doom
Bong – Thought and Existence (Ritual Productions) – doom / drone
Cyclopean Blood Temple – Unholy Union, EP (Independent) – grind / hardcore
Darkest Color – Deal With Pain (No Remorse Records) – thrash
Dead Cross – S/T, EP (Ipecac) – hardcore
Dead Season – Prophecies (Dissonances Music) – progressive metal
Death. Void. Terror. – To the Great Monolith (Iron Bonehead) – black metal
Depravity – Evil Upheaval (Transcending Obscurity Records) – death metal
DI’Aul – Nobody’s Heaven (Argonauta Records) – stoner / sludge
Dod Beverte – Polarination (Independent) – industrial
Ecstatic Vision – Under the Influence, EP (Heavy Psych Sounds) – rock
Fallen Angels – Even Priest Knows (Sliptrick) – 80s glam rock
Faus – Apestate (Blackhouse Records) – punk
Katari – Ave, Rex Ivdaeorvm! (From Deepest Records) – black metal
Lik – Carnage (Metal Blade Records) – death metal
Manacle – No Fear To Persevere (No Remorse Records) – heavy metal / speed
Moloch – The Other Side (Via Nocturna) – dark synth
Monsterworks – Scale and Probability (Eat Lead and Die Music) – heavy metal
Necroracle – MMXVII (Caligari Records) – blackened death metal
Nekrokraft – Servants (The Sign Records) – black / thrash
Ommadon – End Times (Dry Cough / At War With False Noise / DGRecords / Medusa Crush) – doom
Orgullo Nativo – Entre el campo de batallo (Morbid Skull Records) – speed / thrash
Professor Black – You Bastard! (Ektro) – heavy metal
Raven Throne – I Miortvym Snicca Zolak (Non Serviam) – atmospheric black metal
Ride The Sun / The Trikes – The Second Coming of Heavy, Chapter VIII (Ripple Music) – psych rock
Ruach Raah – Under the Insignia of Baphomet (War Arts Productions) – black metal
Subduer – Death Monolith (Dunkelheit Productions) – death / noise
The Ever Living – Herephemine (Chromism Records) – cinematic metal [premiere]
The Lazys – Tropical Hazards (Golden Robot Records) – rock
The Sloths – Dwarves Meet The Sloths (Eternal Sounds Records) – rock / punk
Thy Catafalque – Geometria (Season of Mist) – avantgarde
Trevor’s Head – Soma Holiday (APF Records) – stoner rock
Twilight – Trident Death Rattle, EP (Ascension Monuments Media) – black metal
Urfaust – The Constellatory Practice (Ván Records) – black / ritual
Vampillia – Happiness Brought By Endless Sorrow, EP (Temple of Torturous) – orchestral metal [full review]
Velo Misere – Genealogia del Eterno Desasosiego (Hexencave Productions) – black metal
Verilun – Through Fire…In the Sun (Sliptrick) – death / black
Voidthrone – Kur (Independent) – black / death
Wet Specimens – Demo 2018 (Independent) – hardcore
Wolvhammer – The Monuments of Ash & Bone (Blood Music) – black / sludge
– Josh
Nine Circles 