Sh*t That Comes Out Today: January 17, 2020
It’s Friday, which means it’s new metal day! Look forward to my usual idiosyncratic recommendations as well as things people actually want to hear about.
Odious Mortem
Synesthesia (Willowtip)
California is known for its tech companies, but what about its tech death? It’s been twelve years since Odious Mortem’s last record, and apparently they’ve spent that time coming up with a million riffs to cram into this one. That crazy dissected mountain on the cover actually does a good job of summing up the experience of listening to this: a disorienting, awe-inspiring display.
Ryte
Ryte (Heavy Psych)
Wooly mammoth, pyramid, mushrooms, bubbling goo, plumes of smoke — gee, wonder what this sounds like. It sounds like FREAKING AWESOME, that’s what. Fans of Earthless take note. Or anyone who likes a good groove. Or anyone who wants a soundtrack for riding a mammoth into battle. I dunno. This rules.
Steve Moore
Bliss OST (Relapse)
It’s Steve Moore from Zombi. Doing a vampire movie soundtrack. You already know it’s gonna be great before even pressing play. It’s not metal, but Moore creates a way spookier and more intense vibe with his synthesizers than [insert black metal band here] could with all the screaming and tremolo picking in the world. It’s a crime that such a brilliant composer is still stuck scoring low-budget features and not Hollywood productions.
Svarttjern
Shame is Just a Word (Soulseller)
I’ll be honest, this is the kind of band where I had to Google “Svarttjern Nazis” while deciding if I should include them. Thankfully, they seem clean outside of some general misanthropy, so feel free to listen to this ripping black metal goodness sans guilt! And it’s pretty kick-ass stuff — evil shredding in the Watain and Immortal mode and songs that’ll make you laugh maniacally as they spin you into the void.
Victorious
Space Ninjas from Hell (Napalm)
Hoo boy. Here we have Dragonforce-worshipping Germans pretending to be ninjas. I’ve seen more than my share of goofy 80s Cannon ninja movies where they put white or Filipino stuntmen in heavy eye makeup to make them look Japanese. This kinda feels like that, only somehow dumber and with more Guitar Hero soloing.
OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
Bonded – Rest in Violence (Century Media) Listen
British Lion – The Burning (Explorer1) Listen
Darktribe – Voici L’Homme (Scarlet) Listen
Horned Almighty – To Fathom The Master’s Grand Design (Scarlet) Listen
Magnum – The Serpent Rings (SPV/Steamhammer) Listen
Mark Morton – Ether EP (Rise/BMG) Listen
Sons of Apollo – MMXX (InsideOut) Listen
