Sh*t That Comes out This Week: October 29, 2021
Happy Halloween! Don’t eat the candy with the razor blades in it – it provides some good iron but the downsides are pretty significant.
Beast in Black
Dark Connection (NB)
While not quite as immediately catchy as From Hell with Love (but what is?), this sci-fi sidetrack from the Finnish power metal powerhouses still satisfies. Their heavy reliance on big AOR melodies, catchy choruses, and, of course, a kiloton of keyboards may make them too cheesy for some. If you can make a dark connection with them, however, cyberpunk data dumps like “Hardcore” and “Moonlight Rendezvous” will insert a virus into your ear that you’ll have a hard time cleaning out.
Kayo Dot
Moss Grew On the Swords And Plowshares Alike (Prophecy)
The multi-talented Toby Driver’s main project has never been predictable, exactly, but it turns out that spending a lot of time in your parents’ house during quarantine listening to your high school music collection can influence the material you’re working on. To whit, Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike takes a hard left turn towards 90s Gothic doom bands like Tiamat and My Dying Bride. Still experimental and still a fair amount of black metal influence but now it’s even more bummed out! Still great, though.
Lucifer
IV (Century Media)
Johanna Sadonis is just hanging out and hoping you’ll join her for another exemplary collection of throwback occult metal. While it doesn’t necessarily look comfy up there, I suggest you accept her invitation. Album number four contains their usual impeccable hooks and creepy atmosphere, sure, but nobody does it better. A lot of Sabbath, a little bit of Slayer, and a groove that just won’t stop – just in time for Halloween, no less!
Mastodon
Hushed And Grim (Reprise)
If you’ve been bitching for the last 15 years that Mastodon need to make another great album, well, here you are – two discs of absolute prime pachyderm. An impressive amalgamation of the various styles they’ve played with over the years, the songs on this epic journey feel distinctive and provide an overview of everything they’ve accomplished. This has some of the heaviest stuff they’ve ever recorded and some of the quietest, and it all flows together beautifully. Even if you’ve been disappointed by their last few albums, don’t miss this one.
Monolord
Your Time to Shine (Relapse)
I hope that bunny rabbit is just sleeping but based on Monolord’s music I’m not getting my hopes up. Despite its title, the Swedish doom trio’s second full-length for Relapse does not prove any more upbeat than their previous releases. One might almost think it was ironic! That said, if you’re going to do depressing trad doom, this is how you do it – a little bit of psychedelic, a little bit of swing, a lot of despair. It’s a mood for sure.
Whitechapel
Kin (Metal Blade)
I’m definitely not minding this trend of deathcore bands ditching the “core” in favor of sweet progressive twists – I’d much rather listen to impressive musicianship than pig squeals. Probably a lot easier on the singer’s throat, too! Kin finds them venturing even further from their origins, working in acoustic guitars and Corey Taylor-style alternative clean singing. The dynamics actually work really well even if it isn’t necessarily what people want from Whitechapel. First album of theirs I’ve listened to all the way through, if that tells you anything.
OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
Ad Infinitum – Chapter II – Legacy (Napalm) Listen
American Teeth – We Should Be Having Fun (Fearless) Listen
Archspire – Bleed The Future (SoM) Listen
Bad Wolves – Dear Monster (Better Noise) Listen
Bastardur – Satan’s Loss Of Son (SoM) Listen
Be’Lakor – Coherence (Napalm) Listen
Black Veil Brides – The Phantom Tomorrow (Sumerian) Listen
Bobby Liebling and Dave Sherman Basement Chronicles – Nite Owl (Svart) Listen
Burning The Oppressor – Damnation (Candlelight) Listen
Ghost Bath – Self Loather (NB) Listen
Goat Torment – Forked Tongues (SoM Underground Activists) Listen
Jerry Cantrell – Brighten (Self) Listen
John 5 – Sinner (Big Machine) Listen
Motorhead – Everything Louder Forever (BMG) Listen
Running Wild – Blood On Blood (SPV/Steamhammer) Listen
Thulcandra – A Dying Wish (Napalm) Listen
