SH*T THAT COMES OUT TODAY – THE MAY 24, 2011 EDITION
Cave In’s White Silence is definitely the most anticipated release of the week, but new albums from Book of Black Earth, In Solitude, Inevitable End and two new ones from Boris make this a week to look forward to. Vic Vaughn goes at each one after the jump.
Acephalix – Interminable Night (Southern Lord)
Crust metal band Acephalix’s second full-length doesn’t stray from their previous output. The follow-up to 2010’s Aporia is a solid slab of unrelenting crusty death metal. Featuring three of the members of the band Vastum, Acephalix is much filthier than that band, and this slab of ripping metal madness is a must if you dig the scummier stuff.
Alpinist – Lichtlærm/Minus Mensch (Southern Lord)
Somewhat of a reissue, these records will be released together after only being available on vinyl previously. Alpinist break the mold of their hardcore/crust tags, using the label as a backbone to their musical palette. Yes, they have frantic drums and aggressive guitar and bass work, but they pepper in passages that would sound at home on a Red Sparowes record. The less-distorted, melodic style mixed with the grimy base makes for an interesting listen. These records are the first and second full-length release from the German band.
Book Of Black Earth – The Cold Testament (Prosthetic)
Crushing death metal with enough guitar flair to keep me interested. So often in death metal, a chunky, repetitive riff with guttural growls is enough for a band to call it a song. In BoBE’s case, they keep enough changes and shifts to keep me listening. It’s not leagues apart from a lot of other stuff, but it’s a decent slab of brutal death. The Cold Testament was tracked with These Arms Are Snakes drummer Chris Common, who has worked with Pelican and The Sword, and it was mixed and mastered by the legendary Dan Swano.
Boris – Attention Please (Sargent House)
Boris – Heavy Rocks (Sargent House)
Boris hit us with two new releases today. The Japanese experimental group delves into many musical styles, ranging from drone to sludge to noise and sometimes even pop music. Attention Please and Heavy Rocks follow March’s New Album, and the albums contain different versions of some of the same tracks, as well as sharing the track “Ailerion.” Heavy Rocks is also not to be confused with the 2002 album of the same name and cover design printed in a different color. Yes, it’s confusing, but Boris’s eccentricities are also represented in the music, which is always intense, surprising and awesome.
Bringers Of Disease – Gospel Of Pestilence (Translation Loss)
There isn’t a ton of info online about these guys, but the band features members of Acheron and Mouth Of The Architect, and this is their first EP. The sample track, “Doomed To Flames,” shows the band playing straightforward lo-fi black metal, and it sounds awesome. The track is streaming on their Myspace.
Cave In – White Silence (Hydra Head)
Easily the most anticipated release of the week. After a four-year period of inactivity they released the 2009 EP Planets of Old, and now we have the band’s first full-length in six years. Sonically, the band has moved away from the sound of 2003’s Antenna and its “radio-friendly” approach, and this album is no different. Alternately heavy, proggy and experimental, this shows a renewed Cave In with a mind for the future.
Devolved – Oblivion (Unique Leader)
Every once in a while people ask me why I don’t listen to a lot of death metal. This is the answer. EVERYTHING SOUNDS THE SAME. Don’t get me wrong, this is decent death metal, and there are some interesting parts present on the album (which is streaming at ReverbNation), but beyond that, it’s just not enough to keep me interested. Nothing too fancy on guitar, typical vocals, there’s just nothing here for me.
Drainland – And So Our Troubles Began (Southern Lord)
Drainland, a band from Ireland, play a style of grungy, sometimes even doomy hardcore. It’s dirty, dark and negative, and it’s definitely going to repel some listeners. And So Our Troubles Began was originally released independently (with only a 300 copy run). This is the band’s debut record, following a split with Irish band Grinding Halt.
Dynasty – Truer Living With A Youthful Vengeance (Strike First)
A loud but uneventful hardcore band. Dynasty show some potential, but ultimately they need to do something to differentiate themselves from a million other hardcore bands from the same mold to catch my attention. The tracks “Way Of The Wolf,” “Triumph And Truth” and “Worthless Will,” all streaming on their Facebook, just never get interesting enough.
For The Fallen Dreams – Back Burner (Rise)
Imagine your most hated pop punk band mixed with the most middle-of-the-road metalcore band you can think of. Those bands together are more impressive than For The Fallen Dreams. Playing standard overproduced metalcore with excessively layered vocals and making me question why this could ever come to fruition is what this band is best at. God awful.
Haemorrhage – Hospital Carnage (Relapse)
We already showed you the video for “Flesh-Devouring Pandemia” back in mid-April, and now the Spanish goregrinders’ album Hospital Carnage is out. If you can’t get behind a tongue-in-cheek goregrind/death band you can just stop reading this review right now, but to the rest of us this is a great piece of ripping, murderous metal.
In Solitude – The World, The Flesh, The Devil (Metal Blade)
The groovy heavy metal Swedes In Solitude release their second full-length today. A decent mix of old-school heavy metal mixed with modern production done in just the right amount, these eight tracks evoke classic albums from Angel Witch and Crimson Glory. The opening track, “Serpents Are Rising,” is currently streaming on Stereogum; the album is the band’s debut for Metal Blade.
Inevitable End – The Oculus (Relapse)
Sweden’s Inevitable End have made a conscious shift to incorporate more varied song structures and generally more progressive songwriting since The Severed Inception in 2009. While the move to a more original and interesting mode of songwriting is smart, the results on this record are less than dynamic. We’ll see about their next record.
Ipsissimus – The Way Of Descent (Metal Blade)
The debut disc from the Connecticut black metal crew is impressive. Impressive guitar bits and punctuated drumming fill the disc, and the whole package works very well. The Way Of Descent follows The Three Secrets Of Fatima, an independent demo from 2008.
-VV
These albums are all available at Amazon
