Unsigned and Unholy: Dead Again, Water on Mercury, Raedon King

It’s hard to resist points of reference that are fresh on your brain, and since I wrote an article about Howl earlier today I’m going to say that Dead Again remind me quite a bit of Howl. Comparing them to just one band would of course be a disservice — Dead Again have their own vibe going on — so I’ll add that I also hear significant hardcore influence in their music too, like, say Enabler, another recent sign-post reference. So, yeah: Dead Again sound similar to Howl + Enabler, that’s pretty close. Stream Ocultus Lake via Bandcamp:

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve featured Water on Mercury in this space. Will some label please sign this guy? He just keeps getting better and better. Ultimately I guess the market for instrumental metal is limited, but damned if Tim Gavin isn’t one of the most talented musicians currently funneling his talents into the instrumental metal underground. Here’s new release Amphigory in full, via Bandcamp:

I was about to classify Raedon King as another instru-metal band until the vocals kicked in — nearly 6 minutes into the first song on their latest EP. The focus is clearly on the moods created by the ebb and flow of the instruments, though — think the peaks and valleys that make bands like Isis and Cult of Luna such a fun ride — and the vocals are more of an afterthought, although they do add something as an instrument of their own. I really dig the big, crystal-clear production and mixing job here, atypical of bands in this genre. Stream End of Days via Bandcamp: