Sh*t That Comes Out Today: February 11, 2022
Olympic-sized release day this week! Gold medals for all the featured releases.
Amorphis
Halo (Atomic Fire)
Amorphis do the one thing (Finnish folk-influenced melodic death metal) but it’s real easy to forget that not only do they do that one thing better than anybody else but it’s also really damn satisfying to listen to. 14 albums in and they somehow haven’t run out of giant hooks yet. “On the Dark Waters,” “When the Gods Came,” “Seven Roads Come Together” – absolute top-tier stuff.
Author & Punisher
Krüller (Relapse)
Not a whole lot of industrial metal albums named after doughnuts ,,but considering how delicious this confection tastes, there should definitely be more. While I’ve always liked the idea of Author & Punisher more than the music, Tristan Shone really comes into his own here, leaning harder into the the drone gaze side of his sound and using the heavy machinery to punctuate the emotional devastation. It takes you on a harrowing trip across his own internal Damnation Alley.
Cult Of Luna
The Long Road North (Metal Blade)
If there’s anything post-metal excels at, it’s taking the listener on a journey, so the themes of nature and returning home that run through Cult of Luna’s latest opus fit perfectly within that sound. Their immersive sound allows listeners to join in on their deep meditations. The Swedes may take you down a long, meandering road, but the destination proves more than worth it.
Hangman’s Chair
A Loner (Nuclear Blast)
This week’s requisite “gaze” release comes from Paris doomgazers Hangman’s Chair, a quartet who effortlessly combine the melancholic grandeur of Pallbearer with the melancholic feedback of Failure/Hum. This one leans heavier on the shoe-staring than their last release but certainly doesn’t lack for earthshaking bottom end. You probably don’t want to use this as background music for your Valentine’s Day dinner.
Napalm Death
Resentment Is Always Seismic – A Final Throw Of Throes EP (Century Media)
An odds-and-sods collection from some of the oddest sods out there, Resentment contains leftovers from the Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism sessions and a couple cover tracks (Slab!, Bad Brains) in a mini-album that’s still only three minutes shorter than Scum. Sure tells you something that this band’s castoffs are better than most metal acts’ greatest hits.
Night Cobra
Dawn Of The Serpent (Irongrip/High Roller)
Of course I had to sneak in a trad metal gem amongst all the big releases this week. What can I say, I’m a sucker for my favorite term: KILLER RIFFS. Like the firearm they share their name with, these Texan throwbacks pack some serious stopping power – only with guitars instead of, you know, bullets.
Voivod
Synchro Anarchy (Century Media)
40 years into their storied career and Voivod have somehow survived to see the effed-up future they warned us about. Not only survived – thrived. Synchro Anarchy is their finest visitation since Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain joined the fold — a dense, proggy, techy journey into a science fiction nightmare. Which, certainly, describes a lot of their albums, but extraterrestrial missives this weird shouldn’t also be this catchy.
Zeal & Ardor
Zeal & Ardor (MVKA)
I love the idea behind Zeal & Ardor but always thought that the songs themselves lacked cohesion. Their third, self-titled album doesn’t quite fix that problem – although weirdly it’s the powerful spiritual elements that make the crunchy nu-core bits feel soft in comparison. Still, when they hit, they hit big – “Golden Liar” and “Church Burns” both show the band’s apocalyptic potential.
SOME OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT THIS WEEK
Creeping Flesh – And Then The Bombs Came (Emanzipation) Listen
The Devils Of Loudun – Escaping Eternity (The Artisan Era) Listen
Near Death Condition – Ascent From The Mundane (Unique Leader) Listen
Nervochaos – All Colors Of Darkness (Emanzipation) Listen
Once Human – Scar Weaver (earMusic) Listen
Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators – 4 (Gibson) Listen
