Shit That Comes Out Today: August 25, 2017

I just did a video shoot with Trevor Strnad at Summer Slaughter, which went so much better than anticipated — my death growls were surprisingly decent. As was expected, The Black Dahlia Murder fucking ripped apart their 15 song set, and hearing Nocturnal in its glorious entirety was an absolute treat. However, other than that, I feel like I owe Oceano an apology. We bag on them a lot here at MetalSucks, myself included, but that was before I saw them live. Vocalist Adam Warren has probably the most absurdly heavy live vocals I’ve ever heard. Seriously, every scream from him was like a punch in the face with brass knuckles. So yeah, Oceano, you’ve won me over. Now let’s see if any of this new music can do the same.

Brendon Small
Galaktikon II: Become The Storm (Megaforce)
On a playlist with Dethklok, Amon Amarth and Mastodon
Listen: Full album stream

If you’re still depressed over the current state (or lack thereof) of Metalocalypse, then I have some good news for you: Galaktikon II is a Dethklok record in every way imaginable other than the name. If no one told you that this wasn’t Dethklok and played it for you, then you would absolutely think that this was another Dethklok record. I suppose I could describe what the music sounds like, but I’ll go out on a limb here and say that we’re all pretty familiar with Brendon Small’s brand of melodic death metal and the Nathan Explosion screams by this point. If you listen to this album and then go watch Metalocalypse, you owe me $5.

Queens Of The Stone Age
Villains (Matador Records)
On a playlist with Foo Fighters, Eagles of Death Metal and Arctic Monkeys
Listen: “The Evil Has Landed”

You’re telling me that Queens of the Stone Age have more songs than “3’s & 7’s”? I was positive that the bands on Guitar Hero III formed only to release one song for the video game, which means Metallica were waaaaaay ahead of schedule when they released “One.” That’s what that means, right? RIGHT? Kidding, but the one thing I’ve noticed about the music I’ve heard off this album is that it just sounds… I don’t know, flat. Something about the sound is just missing the energy and feel that made me like Era Vulgaris so much. I’m sure that this is just a production issue and I’m sure the songs sound great live, but I try not to be an armchair producer even though here I’m not sure where else the fault with the sound would lie.

Leprous
Malina (InsideOut Music)
On a playlist with Ihsahn, Devin Townsend and Soen
Listen: “From the Flame”

I had the chance to see Leprous once when I was watching my dudes in Existem open for them at a show in downtown Kansas City. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances revolving around me needing to take the kind of shit that a doorless venue bathroom just couldn’t handle, I had to leave before they went on. Although I wouldn’t say that Leprous are really my type of music, I remember the ridiculous amount of TV screens they had brought in for their set. As such, I have concluded that these guys would be an absolutely incredible band to trip acid to while watching live. So until I do that, I’m going to hold off on my own opinion of Leprous and just give you a link to Excretakano’s review.

Nervecell
Past, Present… Torture (Lifeforce Records)
On a playlist with Hideous Divinity, Decrepit Birth and Heretic Soul
Listen: “Proxy War”

My dumb ass thought that Nervecell was some sort of fancy foreign word for metal until I realized that it actually was just nerve and cell together. So yeah, that’s the kind of week I’m having. But nonetheless, Nervecell are far and away the heaviest release this week and to top it off, they’re a Middle Eastern metal band, which is not something you see too often considering how the majority of that part of the world views metal. For anyone seeking something extreme to listen to then this is absolutely the band for you.

Bobaflex
Eloquent Demons (Thermal Entertainment)
On a playlist with Pop Evil, Royal Bliss and Black Stone Cherry
Listen: “Long Time Coming”

How was this band name not taken years ago? If you’re like me, then the name Bobaflex immediately put images of a juiced up dude in the gym taking the 130 dumbbells for a ride on the incline while wearing a bro tank and a Boba Fett helmet. However, rather than being brocore like Brojob or Broflex, Bobaflex are more up the Southern rock avenue. It’s certainly a 180 from what I was expecting, but you know what? It’s not half bad. If I were listening to the radio, I definitely wouldn’t change the station on these dudes. That’s actually saying quite a bit since the only time I don’t listen to AM sports radio is when they talk about NBA or MLS.

OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
Able Baker Fox Visions (No Sleep/Arctic Rodeo) listen
Akercocke Renaissance In Extremis (Peaceville) listen
Alazka Phoenix (SharpTone Records) listen
Alpha Tiger Alpha Tiger (SPV) listen
Bumblefoot Little Brother Is Watching (EMP Label Group) listen
Conveyer No Future (Vinyl) (Victory Records) listen
Crimfall Amain (Metal Blade) listen
Dagoba Black Nova (Century Media) listen
Dead Lord In Ignorance We Trust (Century Media) listen
Der Weg Einer Freiheit Have Finisterre listen
Dirkschneider Live Back To the Roots: Accepted! (DVD/DC) (AFM) listen
Drudkh/Paysage D’hiver Somewhere Sadness Wanders / Schnee (IV) listen
Eden’s Curse Eden’s Curse Revisited (AFM) listen
Edguy Monuments (2-CD/1-DVD) (Nuclear Blast) listen
Ektomorf Warpath (Live and Life on the Road) (CD/DVD) (AFM Records) listen
Ewigkeit Cosmic Man (Svart Records) listen
For The Win Heavy Thoughts (Victory) listen
Ildjarn 1992-1995 (Vinyl) listen
Inanimate Existence Underneath A Melting Sky (The Artisan Era) listen
Korpiklaani Live At Masters Of Rock (Blu-ray/CD) (Nuclear Blast) listen
Ledge Cold Hard Concrete (Translation Loss/Hibernation Release) listen
Leng Tch’e Razorgrind listen
Low Flying Hawks Genkaku (Magnetic Eye) listen
Marduk Fuck Me Jesus (Vinyl) (Osmose Records) listen
Marduk Opus Nocturne (Vinyl) (Osmose Records) listen
Marduk Those Of The Unlight (Vinyl) (Osmose Records) listen
Mogwai Party In The Dark (N/A) listen
Morbid Evils Deceases (Svart Records) listen
Motley Crue Girls, Girls, Girls (Reissue) (Eleven Seven) listen
Neurosis The Word As Law (Reissue) (Neurot Recordings) listen
Overkill The Grinding Wheel (Vinyl) (Nuclear Blast) listen
Portrait Burn The World (Metal Blade) listen
Puppy Vol. II (Vinyl) (Spinefarm) listen
Revenge Behold.Total.Rejection listen
Ruby The Hatchet Planetary Space Child (Teepee Records) listen
Sannhet So Numb (Profound Lore) listen
Serious Black Magic (AFM) listen
Sólstafir Köld (Vinyl) (Spinefarm) listen
Sólstafir Masterpiece Of Bitterness (Vinyl) (Spinefarm) listen
The Haunted Strength In Numbers (Century Media) listen
The New Roses One More For The Road (Napalm Records) listen
The Quill Born From Fire (Metalville) listen
Vatican Ache Of Eternity (Sorrow Carrier Records) listen
Winterfylleth The Divination Of Antiquity (Vinyl) (Spinefarm) listen
Winterfylleth The Ghost Of Heritage (Vinyl) (Spinefarm) listen
Winterfylleth The Merican Sphere (Vinyl) (Spinefarm) listen
Winterfylleth The Threnody Of Triumph (Vinyl) (Spinefarm) listen