SH*T THAT COMES OUT TODAY – THE JANUARY 10TH, 2012 EDITION
So it’s been a few weeks since I’ve put out a column, and in that time I missed one item worth mentioning. Let’s take a look at that release and this week’s new records after the jump.
Whores – Ruiner (Brutal Panda)
Whores are a sort of sludge band that recall some elements of hardcore as well, so of course I’m going to love it. The vocals switch from a simple delivery to some pretty shrill screams sometimes, and the band is unique enough to keep you listening all the way through. Check it out here.
And now on to new releases…
Dies Arae – Secret Veils Of Passion (Chaos)
This Mexican crew have been dormant for a long time, last releasing Naïve in 2001. The music on Naïve was a good blend of melodic death and technicality, and the band continues this on Secret Veils. This time around the band has tweaked their sound slightly, incorporating melodic vocals (which I’m normally against, but it’s done well here) and elements of post-rock into their sound. The result creates some good tunes, and I hope to hear more from this band.
Haemoth – In Nomine Odium (Debemur Morti)
Haemoth have been dormant since 2005, but they return in full force with In Nomine Odium. They play dark, blistering black metal and they’re damn good at it. Beyond that, there’s not much else to say… they aren’t doing anything that hasn’t been done in black metal, they’re just excelling at using the template. This is Haemoth’s third full-length record.
Majestic Downfall – The Blood Dance (Chaos)
This project is mostly the work of one man, Jacobo Cordova, who has released two full-lengths and a split with Majestic Downfall. Most of the drums are completed by a session drummer, but Cordova does everything else here. The music has a dark death metal base with melodic guitar leads and an almost doomy pace and style. Overall, the music is a great mix of styles and stays interesting throughout.
Nightwish – Imaginaerum (Roadrunner)
Nightwish’s seventh full-length record is released stateside today. The record is a concept album telling the story of an old composer on his deathbed, which is also the plot of a Finnish film produced in cooperation with Nightwish. The film is set to be released sometime this year, and includes music from this album. As far as the music, if you’ve ever listened to Nightwish, you pretty much know what to expect. The compositions are tight, and it’s melodic as hell. Nightwish are more of a rock band with many elements of a symphonic metal band, and they pull it off very well.
Thy Catalfalque – Rengeteg (Season Of Mist)
On this Hungarian band’s previous releases, they’ve showed talent at creating avant-garde metal that’s progressive, interesting and melodic. The band mixes metal stylings with heavy amounts of electronics and several different vocal styles. The band master their craft with the release of Rengeteg. The compositions are complex and tight, the melodies are perfect and the whole package is done extremely well. It might polarize some metal fans with its melodicism and complexity, but you can’t deny the talent used in creating this album.
2012 already has a ton of huge releases scheduled for release. I mostly just can’t wait for the new self-titled C.O.C. album, which is set to come out sometime in February. Stoked!
-VV
