Sh*t That Comes Out Today: June 5, 2020
It seems strange to do a new release column when we’re currently living the lyrics to “Refuse/Resist,” but here’s some new music to fuel your rage against the police state.
-(16)-
Dream Squasher (Relapse)
-(16)- talk the talk and they walk the walk — they earned their sludge scars the hard way. Not only is their street cred unimpeachable, so is their discography. Dream Squasher continues their reign of misery. They drag an impressive range of sounds through the muck, from Sabbath-y doom to hardcore fury to Southern-fried groove. My Decibel bro Justin Norton even provides some killer blues harp. It’s as good a time as you can have feeling bad.
Covet
Technicolor (Triple Crown)
Sometimes you need some chill prog fusion to balance out the blasts of rage. Covet work in a similar space to Chon or Scale the Summit, using their instrumental mastery to both impress and inspire. The trick with this stuff lies in making it feel effortless and effervescent. This trio nails that. Listening to Technicolor feels like bathing in a rainbow, something we could probably all use right now.
Exhumed/ Gruesome
Twisted Horror (Relapse)
In the unlikely event that this EP were to be a clue on Jeopardy!, the answer would be “What is death metal?” Twister Horror presents five songs from Exhumed and Gruesome, two of the current masters of the form. This is unadorned, straight-ahead meat-and-potatoes death metal. Considering the consistent quality of the two artists’ work and the relatively brief 20-minute run time, even Alex Trebek might be able to appreciate this superlatives demonstration of BWARRGH.
The Ghost Inside
The Ghost Inside (Epitaph)
Metalcore seems almost quaintly nostalgic at this point – “Hey, remember the good old days when we only had the second worst president in the nation’s history?” The Ghost Inside formed around the tail end of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, but they honed their melodic hardcore assault over the next decade until a van accident in 2015 nearly put an end to the band (figuratively and literally). Their rekindled appreciation for life comes through in every scream and breakdown, making this triumphant self-titled record truly essential.
OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT THIS WEEK
Currents – The Way It Ends (SharpTone) Listen
Dätcha Mandala – Hara (Mars Red Sound) Listen
End – Splinters From An Ever-Changing Face (Closed Casket Activities) Listen
Frost – Others EP (InsideOut) Listen
Hanging Garden – Against The Dying Of The Light EP (Lifeforce) Listen
The Sword – Chronology: 2006-2018 (Craft)
The Sword – Conquest Of Kingdoms (Craft) Listen
SHIT THAT COMES OUT AGAIN THIS WEEK
Devin Townsend – Empath – The Ultimate Edition (InsideOut) Listen
Mercyful Fate – Don’t Break The Oath Re-Release (Metal Blade) Listen
Mercyful Fate – Melissa Re-Release (Metal Blade)
Mercyful Fate – Mercyful Fate Re-Release (Metal Blade)
