Sh*t That Comes out Today: November 5, 2021
November’s coming fire.
Emma Ruth Rundle
Engine Of Hell (Sargent House)
Emma Ruth Rundle’s new record is simultaneously the least heavy and most heavy thing I’ll cover on here all year. Not much more going on here beyond voice, guitar, and piano instrumentally, but emotionally this thing hits like a sack of bricks inside a freight train. It’s all about the atmosphere. Like Johnny Cash and previous storytellers of that caliber, her appeal lies in her ability to wreck your day using minimal tools. Her most stripped-down album proves that she doesn’t need anything more.
Omnium Gatherum
Origin (Century Media)
It’s pretty easy to forget about Omnium Gatherum even though they’ve been around for almost as long as more well-known Swedish melodeath acts like Soilwork. Their highs have never been quite as high as their peers, but the lows also not as low. This is definitely one of the highs. Top-shelf riffs and a lifelong dedication to a sound help make this a must-listen for fans of the style.
Portrayal of Guilt
Christfucker (Run for Cover)
The Internet informs me that Portrayal of Guilt are “blackened screamo,” a term I absolutely hate so I will not be using it. That said, their latest set of anthems to the Welkin at dusk feels much more blackened than otherwise – some Converge-style breakdowns but this thing is a face-ripper for sure. I mean, that album title is pretty black metal – Dani Filth is probably super jelly. If you’re looking for something to punch the wall to, look no further.
SpiritWorld
Pagan Rhythms (Century Media)
We premiered this album last year when the band self-released it, but a lot has happened since then, so now that it’s getting a re-release from Century Media and the band has been announced as the opening act on the Decibel Magazine Tour it seemed prudent to offer a reminder: this record kills. Serious Power Trip energy going here. They aren’t just copycats, though – the Integrity and Ringworm dirty hardcore influences give these pagan rhythms their own heathenous beat.
Thangorodrim
Liberation in Unbound Chaos 666 (Blood Blast)
Occult rock was a fun little movement but proved an evolutionary dead end – its practitioners seemed to get stuck casting the same spells over and over. Thangorodrim (haven’t we run out of Lord of the Rings shit to name bands yet?) came pretty late to the coven. Fortunately it’s been long enough that their offerings seem fresh again. Their commitment to the progressive side of the sound makes them more than just The Devils Blood clones. A double album debut is kinda asking a lot, but there are enough devilishly catchy hymns to make it worthwhile.
OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT THIS WEEK
Altareth – Blood (Magnetic Eye) Listen
Black Map – Melodoria (Minus Head) Listen
Bornholm – Apotheosis (Napalm) Listen
Bullet For My Valentine – Bullet For My Valentine (Spinefarm/Search & Destroy) Listen
Churchburn – Genocidal Rite (Translation Loss) Listen
Crazy Lixx – Street Lethal (Frontiers) Listen
Diablo Swing Orchestra – Swagger & Stroll Down The Rabbit Hole (Candlelight/Spinefarm) Listen
Fans Of The Dark – Fans Of The Dark (Frontiers) Listen
Gaahl’s Wyrd – The Humming Mountain EP (SoM) Listen
The Glassing – Twin Dream (Brutal Panda) Listen
Insane Clown Posse – Yum Yum Bedlam (Psychopathic) Listen
Mol – Diorama (NB) Listen
Mortiferum – Preserved In Torment (Profound Lore) Listen
Scarecrow – Raise The Death’s Head EP (Relapse) Listen
