We’re getting onto the thick of it now, with massive releases competing with outstanding efforts breaking out of the underground.
Acrónica – Sociedad caníbal
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
We start the week off with some riff-happy Spanish death metal from this relatively fresh faced band. There are elements of hardcore in here, and some classic melodeath riffs every now and then, but the overall impression is closer to death thrash. It’s a bit rough still, but with some maturation this could be promising.
Atramentum – The Wrath Within
Genre: Doom/death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A German death doom project that isn’t interested in getting bogged down in layers of atmosphere or trying to sound like a ponderous, decomposing cave behemoth. This is more in-your-face and visceral, with a touch of black/gothic, so in a way more like old school doom in that regard. It’s not all-out aggressive though, slowing down for extended sections of menace. It is, however, quite the chunk to get through, with no great variation to speak of, so could have needed some serious weight shedding.
Bad at Life – Bad at Life
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
The album starts as a blood-pumping mix of black and thrash metal, and adds even more death metal heft on the second song, then transitions into more or less completely straight black metal for the remainder. If not for this disappointing inconsistency, this could have been a real sledgehammer blow of a release. It’s by no means bad, just not as satisfying as it could have been.
Century – Sign of the Storm
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
Century is one of those bands that sound like they practiced their skills and style for 30 years before emerging from their cave and releasing anything to the public. Their brand of doom-touched, ever so slightly sullen old school-style heavy metal seems to fit them like a chainmail glove. The crisp production, with just the right amount of vocal reverb, is completely on point – not too punchy, not too clean, and yet taking nothing away from the performances. Regardless of the fantasy-leaning, gloomy themes, and sometimes full-on doom choruses, the playing always, always takes you back to riff- and solo heaven, which feels inexplicably reassuring, like a car accelerating in perfect accord with the decreasing g-forces as it comes out of a tight bend. For me, it’s almost too consistent, nearly becoming predictable, but at a sub-38 minute runtime, this will keep fans of the style thoroughly invested for many repeat listens.
Highlights: “Sacrifice” and “Sign of the Storm”
Clear Sky Nailstorm – Problem Solved
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is heavy, angry German thrash flirting ever so slightly with hardcore, and employing a death metal-ish vocal style. As you can probably imagine, it’s a riff beast. The drums certainly keep up, although they leave a slight bit to be desired in terms of refinement. Overall, it’s not terribly inventive, and sometimes a bit clunky in its progression, but also delivers some standout, badass thrash-love moments.
Descarnado – El eterno odio de las almas desterradas
Genre: Deathcore/technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
To all non-Spanish speakers out there, the title of this album translates to “The eternal hatred of banished souls”. As a listening experience, this hatred takes the shape of inexhaustible fury, as the band lays into you with gun sentry-drums and berserker-rampage-cyborg guitars, precisely flailing blades and sonically assaulting you with blurts of scrambled alert noises. As far as tech deathcore goes, it has a slight blackened edge, with beastly, deep-snarling vocals, and so tonally it matches the demonic frenzy depicted on the album cover. For those not too fond of deathcore or tech death, be warned that this album leans into pretty much all the tropes you’re guaranteed to be averse to, but it doesn’t overdo them. I found most of my favorite tracks in the bottom half of the album, and so found the overall structure a bit off, but that could definitely be a me thing.
Highlight: “Abduccion”
Digester – Grandmother
Genre: Sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Cranky, crusty, mid- to low tempo sludge that’s like a rags-clad skeleton screaming out the remainder of its vocal cords to rhythmic, doom-like riffs. It’s a spartan, focused sound that goes very right much of the time, although can’t quite deliver on an engaging level on all its tracks.
Disrupted – Stinking Death
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Disrupted is a Swedish band playing… classic Swedish death metal, no shocker there. Style wise they get it all right, with slightly hoarse, ripping vocals, ultra crunchy guitars and an oppressive bass end. The three singles off the album are all awesome, but the rest unfortunately come up lacking in originality and variation. On a casual listen they will easily blend together. Still, if you enjoy this sort of thing, there’s nothing on here that will repel you.
Fleshbore – Painted Paradise
Genre: Technical death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
US-based Fleshbore play meaty, mean tech death not too unlike Archspire, although not quite as obsessed with inhuman speed (although they play very, very fast). And that’s where they differ in an interesting way from a lot of other tech death acts in that the focus is more on crushing, precise heaviness and moderate melody than on breaking the record for how many notes it’s possible to cram into a single song. This thing thunders like an unending series of artificially triggered earthquakes, and although it’s certainly a distinctly modern style of death metal, it refuses to let go of the core savagery that birthed the subgenre. It’s a well-composed, well balanced, absolute beast of an album that might win over a few straight death fans to the tech side.
Highlights: “Setting Sun” and “LaPlace’s Game”
Goatlord Corp. – Temple of Serpent Whores
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Off-the-hinges aggressive black metal out of France, from a band that got started in the late 90s, and has now re-emerged with their first full-length. The album hits astoundingly hard, with a massive, mountainous low end and a demonic drive, plowing entire landmasses out of its way on its relentless march of hate. With unapologetically acerbic and warlike song titles, it manifests some of the old-school devil-may-care and rebellious attitudes of the subgenre, and supercharges its sonic expression with tons of force. Not all the tracks are as strong, but the highlights are evenly spaced, keeping you engaged throughout,
Highlight: “Slave Disciplin”
The Great Old Ones – Kadath
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 4.5/5
Objective rating: 4.5/5
“Kadath” is not an understated or gentle atmospheric black metal experience. Taking on Lovecraftian horror, the band delivers potent and carefully constructed drama with a delicate, lingering aftertaste of unease. It is a full, rich soundscape of tragic melody and powerful natural forces that feels as steady and intentional as it is unpredictable. The production is exquisite, letting through the full spectrum of detail, honoring the band’s exemplary ability to compose organic, balanced structure that never really lets up and never becomes repetitive. The mix of harsh and gentle is executed masterfully, leaving you with a feeling of having experienced something significant and inevitable.
Highlights: “Under the Sign of Koth” and “Me, the Dreamer”
Haine – Fertile Void
Genre: Deathcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Deathcore from Malta, that leans far more in the direction of tech death than metalcore. It’s heavy and brutal, certainly a tad mechanical and precise, but utilizing the fierceness of death metal rather than the typical over-reliance on down-tuned, djent guitars and breakdowns as means to sound heavy. It’s suitably melodic, decently varied, and delivering above expectations in terms of technicality.
Highlight: “Hindrance”
Harakiri for the Sky – Scorched Earth
Genre: Avant-garde black metal/melodic hardcore
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
Get ready to be enveloped by Harakiri For The Sky’s signature, emotionally laden, immersive style of significantly expanded black metal. Despite its melancholy temperament, it’s a joy to listen to, masterfully melding serene, beautiful melody with driving, heavy force and grief-stricken harshness. It’s a sound that’s practiced to perfection, taking you on a somber journey of withering flowers and anguished outrage. That being said, if you’re not completely sold on the tone and emotional weight, it can get overpowering and a tad repetitive. But for its chosen approach, it’s a solid, astoundingly well-considered release.
Highlights: “Heal Me” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”
Sabhankra – Nocturnal Elegies
Genre: Melodic black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A distinctly produced melodic black metal album, sharp and crisp, but in no way weak, and with harsh vocals passed through a filter seemingly to give them an 8-bit-like simplistic feel. It’s a standout feature that works well. There are elements of death metal in the mic, as well as a few thrash riffs, but aside from this, my biggest note to the band would be to get even more adventurous with the sound, as it gets a tad predictable for certain spans of the runtime.
Tormentor Tyrant – Excessive Escalation of Cruelty
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
There’s no hesitation with Tormentor Tyrant. This stuff lunges at you at every opportunity, trying to rip your face off and revel in your agony. It’s ultra-aggressive old school-leaning death metal that’s mostly short and sweet except for a couple of 4+ minute tracks, resulting in a sub-27 minute runtime, which feels spot on for this style. The album is a highly engaging mix of groove and savagery, throwing you morsels of spine-tingling riffage just long enough to get you properly hooked before they move on, keeping you itching for the next one. It’s in no way exploratory or particularly innovative, but damn does it deliver on bloodlust-inducing ferocity.
Highlights: “Cosmic Wild Hunt” and “Pit of Anguish”
As always, if you think I’m completely off on an observation, unfairly dissed your favorite band, or need to give an album another shot, why not pop a comment down below?
The Metal Dispatch 