Ah tech death: my comfort genre. I have kinda missed writing about tech death and I’ve been looking for a reason to pick it back up. Maybe a weird thing to say, but we actually have quite a few on staff who appreciate tech death in all its permutations and glory, if you can believe it. I proudly count myself among the fold. As much as I vibe with music that is deep and emotionally affecting, sometimes I just want crazy fretboard acrobatics for their own sake and nothing more. Fortunately, on Greylotus’ debut full-length record Dawnfall, I don’t have to choose!
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CANTO: Cloak, Bewitcher, Greylotus, and More
At least it’s finally nice out and stuff. Mondays still suck.
- It looks as though Cloak is going to spend most of 2022 on the road, and that is good news for all of us. Following their current run with Acid Witch, they’ll embark on a brief tour with Bewitcher in June and July. No dates near me, unfortunately.
- Speaking of Bewitcher, let’s also take this opportunity to recall all the touring they’re doing in the near future. Preceding the tour above, they’ll be on the road with Municipal Waste and Integrity, and then in August they’ll be part of the Vile Ascension Tour with Goatwhore, Incantation, and Caveman Cult. It’s gonna be an epic 2022.
- The first of two new videos today comes from Dawn of Solace. The new EP, Notes Of Perdition, is out now through Noble Demon, and the video for “White Noise” can be seen here.
- And from there, we’ll wrap up our Monday with the new single and music video from Greylotus for “Chiaroscuro”. Their debut full-length, Dawnfall, will see a July 8th release through The Artisan Era.
“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb
Initial Descent: February 7 – 13, 2021
Hello one and all to another edition of Initial Descent where I’ve got nothing quippy due to it being Monday and all. And, I’d love one more weekend day but that ain’t happening so here we are. New stuff, we got it and you want it so let’s get after it… This week we’ve got a couple of tech death albums from Abiotic and Demon King, but holy crap look at that Abiotic album artwork! Kung Fu movies anyone? The answer is yes with this playing in lieu of the tv sound. Elsewhere we have a death metal banger from Humanity’s Last Breath and one that has made our very own Zyklonius happy; the misery pop of Emptiness who travel waaaaay outside the lines of expectations and offer up a whole lot of something, or in Zyklonius’ words: ‘something and nothing at the same time.’ Decode that and you win the week. Speak with him for your prize. As always, much more follows these four so dig in.
Continue readingAlbum Review: Inferi — “Of Sunless Realms”

2020 is a year that, as we know, is chock full of surprises, and it seems that the overwhelming majority of them are of the unpleasant variety. It seems that all we can do to keep sanity and optimism hanging around is to do for each other and look out for the ones who are in it the deepest, not the least of which are the artists and musicians among us. While not a complete surprise, tech-death darlings Inferi have decided to give back and spread some good vibrations with the release of their impromptu EP Of Sunless Realms.
Continue readingInitial Descent: October 4 – 10, 2020

Huxley once said “Maybe this world is another planet’s hell.” Think about that for a second, the current perspective is surreal. Anyway, another load of new metal this week and a load of it presented below is, yet again, outstanding. Speaking of outstanding, the death metal dream duo of Johansson & Speckmann deliver their fifth full length, Tennessee’s tech-death titans Inferi roll out an EP, Venom Prison offer up a collection of re-recorded EP’s and two new tracks, and an anthemic yet melodic post-punk return from Bootblacks. Read through the list, pick out several that strike a chord, then go give them your support. They’ll appreciate it and you’ll have some shiny new tunes to enjoy, SCORE.
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