Forged at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass by a group of highly skilled musicians, Myth of I was born. And now, seven years later, Myth of I is an “…eclectic album with influences from all over the world and is sure to be something you can’t find anywhere else” as described by the band, and I’ve found that statement to be true. It’s a creative blend of musical styles from progressive metal, to black metal, to jazz fusion, to electro—with expert instrumentation by four talented musicians and no vocal tracking. Myth of I bring such strong power and expression through their instruments that vocals are not needed and are not missed, surprisingly. Continue reading →
All too often, technical death metal may feel soulless, as if its impressive technicality lacks a pulse. Similarly, progressive strains of death metal may end up meandering without proper direction, impetus or impact. Both styles strive to push the envelope, but frequently fall short. With a new 4-track EP Aletheia, Sutrah shows how all this is done with resounding success and spectacular results.Continue reading →
Still in the afterglow of another Devil’s Night. I’m planning on keeping the pumpkins out and the spirit alive to push back against the thought of Christmas rearing its head before it’s even December. Feel free to do the same, you rebels. Anyway, the list is a little shorter this week but there’s no shortage of good metals to wrap your ears around and spend your cabbage on so let’s get to it.
Avantgarde black metallers Schammasch really can do no wrong and prove it with yet another epic length, mind bending journey into the deepest recesses of the psyche. This one will be an EOY list buster for so many. We featured a track premiere from Forest of Tygers recently and in case you missed it, this band’s approach to blackenedpunksludgenoise is some of the best you’ll hear this year so do jump on this new release. Very few bands fold melodic and progressive into their death metal as successfully as Iapetus do and on their sophomore effort they do it better and more cohesively than on their debut – this is another epic length album that is a MUST. Closing out the top slots, Immanifest wield a seriously sharp edge of symphonic black / death metal on their incendiary full length debut that’s full of twists and turns and nightmarish speed. Yea.
Remember to keep those pumpkins burning and keep that horror spirit alive. But whatever you do, support as much of this list as you possibly can, right now.Continue reading →
As I was expecting, Darkthrone’s Old Star does not disappoint so make sure you check it out while perusing what this week has to offer. Speaking of, there’s plenty so let’s get after it.
Cave In literally had the wind knocked out of them with the loss of bassist Caleb Scofield in early 2018 and with even a cursory listen to Final Transmission, last works with Caleb, you can feel it in every note and especially the tear jerking opener which is 100% him – not gonna lie here, it’s a tough album to get through for any fan but ohh so worth it to experience and immerse yourself in this phenomenal album. Next up, with a little extra time on their hands post Caustic recordings, Primitive Man went back in the studio and punched out Steel Casket which draws on their recent forays into noise, ambient, and drone but make no mistake; this IS a Primitive Man release and it destroys. Moving along is the debut, Steeping Corporeal Mass from Fetid, a band that picked the right name based on their nasty, corpsecrushing sound – dirty old death metal done right. Last up top is debut, Flub, from the somewhat star-studded Flub who offer up a dizzying, technical, and avantgarde approach to death metal that has something new around every corner and layers that take double digit spins to peel back. Need different? Right here.
Alright then, jump in and see what other treasures await.Continue reading →
When a band mentions re-recording an album, there seems to be a general consensus that it might not be a good idea. After all, fans enjoy the material initially, even when said band can looks at all the things they could have done better if time, money, or technical capacity had been on their side. However, Inferi made the right choice in not only re-recording their album — titling it as The End of An Era (Rebirth) — but also in updating their sound to something cleaner and more cohesive. As Rebirth will attest, this sonic update is a feast for ears. The cleaner production and the additional elements makes Rebirth a fully actualized and fleshed out affair. Continue reading →
Nine Circles 