ovo

Initial Descent: February 2 – 8, 2020

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envy
envy

One month down and eleven to go. January was a good kick off month for metal in 2020 and February shows no signs of letting us down either. So, score one for the music but hey, Doctor Death, how about stick that sickle up your ass and chill for a bit. Anyway, in the interest of new metal — as we feature here every week — branch out a bit and take a chance on something new or something you might view as outside your realm. You never know what might be found lurking just outside of that comfort zone. On that note we’ve got new stuff from top-tier screamo legends envy, melodic and emotionally heavy hardcore from Giver, off kilter and wildly avantgarde sounds from OvO, and mind blowing instru-prog-tech-death from Thoren. Plenty of stuff here that’s out on the fringe so take a chance and check them out. But, as always, there’s so much more to dig into so do that. Enjoy. Continue reading →

Profile: Bruno Dorella from OvO

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OvO
OvO
Italy’s avantgarde duo OvO just released their ninth full length album, Creatura, last week. The outcome is further testament to the limitless avenues available to those who challenge the status quo as well as themselves. Creatura throbs with raw, industrial noise as it methodically drags the listener into a trancelike state. The atmosphere and vocals are as terrifying as anything Gnaw Their Tongues has done but OvO knows precisely when to pull back, just enough, to keep the harshness from taking over. It is a challenging listen but ultimately a rewarding one for anyone seeking something far outside the boundaries of normalcy. And really, as evident here, different is a great thing in the hands of those who dare to be creative. We recently got the opportunity to ask Bruno Dorella (drums, synth) our series of Profile questions so read on to see what he had to say.

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Initial Descent: December 4 -10, 2016

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Zao
Zao

December came in like a rowdy drunk with the first real blast of cold air we’ve had. Between that and the already horrible traffic made far worse by the throngs of christmas shoppers armed with their lists and checking it twice I’m severely longing for summer to return. But, like always, I’ll impatiently await its return. As we get closer to kicking 2016 to the curb new releases are slimming but that doesn’t mean quality is taking one on the chin. For example, the mighty Zao are back from a 7 year absence with The Well Intentioned Virus and within the first 3 minutes it’s crystal clear how much their brand of thoroughly engaging metallic hardcore has been missed. Moving on, Bearstorm kick up some serious southern swagger on their EP Biophobia but of note is how well they combine that with black metal and death metal (bonus points for that beautiful album cover), avantegarde noise drone duo OvO offer up Creatura and honestly if you’re looking for something completely different from the norm and terrifying at the same time look no further, along the same lines but harsher is Gnaw Their Tongues‘ Hymns For the Broken, Swollen and Silent, and Terra take a chance on their 2 song album, Mors Secunda, but the risk pays off with intense yet brooding black metal peppered with post rock and heavy atmosphere. As stated before the quality hasn’t waned in the least but the list that follows is a bit shorter so jump in and see what’s left. Continue reading →