Unsigned and Unholy: Andhera, Benoit, As I Destruct

Andhera know how to create gnarly death metal without following any of the tropes that dominate that scene in the late ’00s. No Entombed HM-2 worship, no mechanical tech-death, no reliance on breakdowns, no hyper-polished brute force… just artful, intricately crafted death metal with a bit of prog sprinkled in. Fans of Rivers of Nihil, Black Crown Initiate and Chimaira (stay with me) oughtta dig this.

Former members of Black Sheep Wall reconvene as Benoit to produce an aggressive, furious blend of hardcore n’ roll on their latest release Master. Like an angrier version of Cancer Bats with their blues-ified adaptations of ballsy hardcore riffs, Benoit will hit you where it hurts, right in the stomach, when you least expect it.

For the second time in this Unsigned and Unholy column I come back to Chimaira as a sonic touchstone, this time for As I Destruct. The band has a distinctly NWOAHM vibe with big, burly, vaguely nu-metal inspired riffs, deep grooves, death metal sensibilities and a knack for big hooks. The package has been updated for modern times, though — it doesn’t sound dates. As I Destruct’s single “A Question of Faith” has got me moshing for sure.