Shit That Comes Out Today: March 15th, 2019

I’m kinda tired of just using my regular old name on here. Once upon a time, I told Vince I’d come up with something catchy and hilarious, but in classic Kayla fashion, it never happened. Would it upset the natural order of the world if I were to change my title this late in the game? If not, I’d like to hand it over to the masses at this time. Drop some siqq names in the comments (ideally something that still incorporates my first name), and if you’re clever enough, you could determine my fate as a writer forever. Ready, set, go!

Fallujah
Undying Light (NB)
Listen “Dying Light”

We all know that the new era of Fallujah is gonna take some getting used to. If you’ve heard the singles, the first thing you probably noticed was the high-register, hardcore style vocals, which are a long shot away from the powerhouse death growls we came to know and love. The new vocalist, Antonio Palermo, is no Alex Hoffman, but he’s certainly doing his best. The fact that he even dared to step up and fill Hoffman’s beastly shoes warrants exactly one banana sticker from me.

Anyways, from what I’ve heard so far, Undying Light is pretty all right. With that in mind, a little bird told me it would be wise to save your final verdict until you’ve listened to the full album, cuz the singles don’t do it much justice out of context.

Venom Prison   
Samsara (Prosthetic)
FFO Code Orange, Full of Hell
Listen “Asura’s Realm”

Unlike the aforementioned release from Fallujah, the vocals on Venom Prison’s Samsara caught me off guard in the best way possible. It turns out that vocalist Larissa Stupar can do things with her instrument that are illegal in 6 states, with fittingly lethal virtuosity from her bandmates to boot. Right from the get-go, listeners are subject to incessant onslaught of flying viscera, so unless you’re into that sort of thing, a HAZMAT suit and basic biohazard training are in order before you get too carried away.

Body Void
You Will Know The Fear You Forced Upon Us (Seeing Red)
Full Album Stream

We hate fascism here at MS – surprise! But while there are plenty of bigoted douchebag bands doing dumb shit to make the headlines, bands like Body Void are actively fighting back by giving a voice to the victims of oppressive (and often hostile) behavior. “I honestly wished those people could live for just one day with the claustrophobic fear that so many marginalized folks wake up to every day,” says guitarist/vocalist Will Ryan. “Not knowing if they’re going to be attacked just for existing in public or knowing whether they’ll be separated from their family like it’s nothing. Not knowing whether they’ll be able to get the medication they need just to survive. It was just a lot and this was our small revenge in a way,” Ryan continues, regarding Body Void’s new EP You Will Know The Fear You Forced Upon Us.
Well, we definitely approve that message, but does the music hold up? It sure does! The new record veers in a much crustier direction than the band’s previous releases, with more frantic tempos and even moments of d-beat blasting through the chaos. This is the heaviest entity from Body Void thus far, and to be honest, I wouldn’t be sad if this signalled more filthy things to come in the future.

Thra
Gardens of Rot (Camo Pants)
FFO Primitive Man, Conan, Gatecreeper
Full Album Stream

My first encounter with Phoenix’s death/sludge outfit Thra was last year, sifting through artist submissions for some sort of contest. While I don’t recall what the grand prize even was, I do know that Thra won, as one of the very few entries with anything remotely interesting to offer. I’ve been keeping tabs on them since then, looking forward to the day when they would have more than a 3-song EP for us to enjoy. And that day is today, my friends! There are now 26 more minutes of punishing buzzsaw riffage available for our listening pleasure, which should hold us out until a full length finally comes along. Gardens of Rot is barbaric, dense, and delightfully raw — something along the lines of a more lively Primitive Man. It slaps hard, so watch your back or you may end up with a couple… ehm… scandalous handprints.

Noisem   
Cease To Exist (20 Buck Spin)
Listen “Eyes Pried Open”

I’m not super familiar with Noisem, so unfortunately, I can’t offer any meaningful commentary on how their sound has evolved since their last release a few years ago. However, I can confidently say that their latest deathgrind/thrash hybrid endeavor is surprisingly accessible. It’s impossible to classify Cease To Exist as a grindcore album because, simply put, it shreds way too fucking hard. The thrash and punk elements give new listeners (such as myself) a defensive layer against the abrasion of grind, making the experience marginally more pleasant than convulsing on a bed of nails. That’s not to say that the album is lacking in the brutality department — you still probably shouldn’t let your grandma touch this one with a 10 foot pole. Cease To Exist has found a home somewhere in the purgatory between acceptable and absolutely repulsive, giving both casual and highly elite metal fans something comfortable to hang on to.

OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY

Any Given Day – Overpower (SharpTone) listen
Contrarian – Their Worm Never Dies (Willowtip) listen
11Paranoias – Asterismal (Ritual) listen
Angel Du$t – Pretty Buff (Roadrunner) listen
Pickwick Commons – Weak Bones (self-released) listen
Oozing Wound – High Anxiety (Thrill Jockey) listen
Asthma Castle – Mount Crushmore (Hellmistress) listen
Triste Terre – Grand Oeuvre (Les Acteurs de l’Ombre) listen
Enisum – Moth’s Illusion (Avantgarde) listen
Akasha – Canticles of the Sepulchral Deity (Grey Matter) listen
Nattesorg – Resist the Devil (self-released) listen
Drawn Into Descent – The Endless Endeavour (Avantgarde) listen