Sh*t That Comes Out Today: April 3, 2020
The bad news? The world is still on fire. The good news? Not every new metal release has been dropkicked back to 2021 yet! Here are some of the best from this week.
August Burns Red
Guardians (Fearless)
Oh man, this stuff takes me back. This is some glory days metalcore shit. All the bad cops and good cops are here, plus penny-picking breakdowns, but y’know what? In the 17 years since their formation, the members of August Burns Red have developed some serious chops. There’s a lot of really cool Gojira-esque guitar work going on here. If you’re looking for some post-Christian heaviness that balances the heart-on-sleeves emotions with sweet musicianship, this is about as good as it gets.
Black Curse
Endless Wound (Sepulchral Voices)
Surprise early release! Filthy blackened death metal from members of Blood Incantation, Khemmis, Primitive Man, and Spectral Voice, produced by Arthur Rizk — that concept alone is enough to ruin the stitching on the crotch region of most DM fans’ sweatpants. Thankfully, the execution lives up to the promise. The cavernous recording makes these slices of bestial brutality sound absolutely massive. A must for anyone who enjoys primitive void-screaming.
Freeways
True Bearings (Temple of Mystery)
Of course these guys hail from Ontario. Everything about Freeway’s debut full-length SCREAMS Canadian, from the charmingly amateurish vocals to the ultra-melodic NWOTHM riffs to the RV traversing the snowy wilderness on the cover. Thankfully, they’re another throwback act that makes up for their retroactive sound with sheer passion. Shades of Def Leppard, Slough Feg, and even Loverboy inform these road warriors’ sound. Get in the van and hit the open highway with these guys.
Lady Beast
The Vulture’s Amulet (Reaper Metal)
It’s nice of Lady Beast to clarify the exact type of beast they are; it can be difficult to gender beasts without getting within decapitation range. It’s also a beast that likes Iron Maiden a whole lot (and who doesn’t?). While it’s not exactly Kevin Shirley level, this is the first time their production has lived up to the quality of their songs. And the songs are a lot of fun — derivative, sure, but if you miss the smell of sweaty leather, tunes like “Metal Machine” and “The Gift” will bring that sense memory right back.
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
Viscerals (Rocket)
Pigs x7 don’t sound like I’d expect a band with that name to sound — but then, I don’t know what the hell I would expect them to sound like. What we get is Monster Magnet dragged through tar pits and fronted by a shirtless guy wearing Rollins brand exercise shorts. Add in some no-wave skronk and noise rock piledriving and you have something that seems as appealing as the entrail pasta on the cover but actually winds up one of the more appetizing dishes you’ll shovel into your earhole this week.
Testament
Titans of Creation (NB)
Read the MetalSucks review
“Testament fans expect a certain level of quality with each new release, and this doesn’t disappoint, per se. God knows we need some kick-ass thrash right now, and anything Megadeth puts out in the near future is gonna have all kinds of questionable politics attached. Testament deliver on the ass-kicking. This just doesn’t really move the needle forward for the band. They’re still titans, but they’re not creating much new here.”
OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT THIS WEEK
Ad Infinitum – Chapter I: Monarchy (Napalm) Listen
Beggar – Compelled To Repeat (APF) Listen
Dynazty – The Dark Delight (AFM) Listen
Loviatar – Lightless (Prosthetic) Listen
Lucifer Star Machine – Devil’s Breath (The Sign) Listen
Night – S/T 7″ (The Sign) Listen
tētēma – Necroscape (Ipecac) Listen
Weed Demon – Crater Maker (Electric Valley) Listen
Witches Of Doom – Funeral Radio (My Kingdom) Listen
WVRM – Colony Collapse (Prosthetic) Listen
SHIT THAT COMES OUT AGAIN THIS WEEK
Villagers Of Ioannina City – Age Of Aquarius Reissue (Napalm) Listen
