SH*T THAT COMES OUT TODAY – THE MARCH 15, 2011 EDITION
Vic Vaughn likes it dirty! His picks of the week are new albums by Assaulter, Rotten Sound and Trap Them in a week that also includes new releases by Across the Sun, As Blood Runs Black and Mastodon’s live DVD. His take on all of those and more after the jump.
Across The Sun – Before The Night Takes Us (Metal Blade)
Although they formed back in 2004, this is Across The Sun’s first full-length record. After releasing three EPs, the melodic metalcore band signed with Metal Blade last July.
As Blood Runs Black – Instinct (Mediaskare)
Pretty standard metalcore/death from Los Angeles. Their first disc since 2006 sees the band retain the same sound, albeit with 3/5 of the members of 2006’s Allegiance replaced. The band has two new guitarists and a new vocalist joining founding drummer Hector “Leche” De Santiago and Nick Stewart, bassist since 2005. The band is currently on the road with Darkest Hour and Born Of Osiris.
Assaulter – Boundless! (Metal Blade)
This is why I love Tuesdays. I had no idea who Assaulter were before writing this column, and this band is siiick. Blackened thrash/speed metal that stays busy enough to keep you interested. The band features S. Berserker (ex-Destroyer 666) on guitar, bass and vocals and Peter Hunt, drummer of Razor of Occam. This is the band’s second album following 2008’s Salvation Like Destruction.
Deadlock – Bizarro World (Lifeforce)
There’s a fine line between symphonic or gothic metal and music that is clearly pop music written by metal fans. Bizarro World has the heavy guitars, drums and bass of metal, but the slick production, female vocals and synth/keyboard parts make this one almost unlistenable to me.
KEN mode – Venerable (Profound Lore)
Canadian post-rock/spastic noise band KEN mode play some dark, heavy, spastic tunes on their sixth record since their 1999 formation. Venerable is the band’s first for Profound Lore, with the vinyl version being released on South Dakota’s Init Records. The record was recorded with Converge’s Kurt Ballou at Godcity Studios.
Mastodon – Live At The Aragon (Warner Bros.)
Mastodon’s very first live record was recorded last October at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom on the Crack The Skye tour. The album includes the aforementioned album in its entirety as well as four tracks from the band’s back catalog and a cover of the Melvins’ “The Bit.” The package will be sold as a CD/DVD set.
Rotten Sound – Cursed (Relapse)
With albums already out from Noisear, Total Fucking Destruction and Drugs of Faith, as well as new records from Wormrot and more on the way, 2011 looks to be a great year for grindcore. Rotten Sound’s Cursed is their eighth album and the follow-up to 2010’s Napalm EP. The Finnish band blasts through 16 tracks of pummeling tunes, clocking in at just under a half hour.
Salt The Wound – Kill The Crown (Rotten)
Salt The Wound are back after they “hung up the towel” in early 2010. In November of the same year, the band announced their reformation and began work on the follow-up to 2009’s Ares. The band’s music infuses melodic death metal guitar lines and tones with frantic drumming and raspy death vocals.
Trap Them – Darker Handcraft (Prosthetic)
Another record of buzzsaw guitars and frantic rhythms. Trap Them’s fourth album is their first for Prosthetic, and if the rest of the record sounds like “Day 44 – Slumcult & Gather” (currently streaming on Decibel’s site), we have a winner. The LP version came out on March 1st while the CD finally comes out today.
-VV
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