Sh*t That Comes Out Today – June 9, 2023
I’m high on the fumes of Canadian wildfires drifting to the East Coast, so let’s just get into the new release calendar while I can still breathe.
Godflesh
Purge (Avalanche Recordings)
Industrial metal pioneers Godflesh return with their latest effort, Purge. Inspired by and thematically picking up where 1992’s Pure left off. All the Godflesh hallmarks are here—clanging drums machine, downtuned, sparse riffing, tight rhythms and Justin Broadrick’s instantly-recognizable vocal delivery—and Purge definitely captures the same feeling as Pure. Songs like “Land Lord” and “You Are the Judge, the Jury and the Executioner” show that Godflesh have plenty of ideas left in the tank and take a different direction from 2017’s Post Self.
Kill Division
Thoughts and Prayers (Self-release)
Current and former members of Megadeth, Left to Die, Gruesome, Venom Inc., Soilwork and more team up for more old-school grind madness in Kill Division. Thoughts and Prayers puts a heavy emphasis on the band’s punk influences with covers of Minor Threat and Suicidal Tendencies, plus Slayer’s “World Painted Blood.” The title track kicks things off and is an original. If World Downfall is your classic grind record of choice, tap in to what Kill Division are laying down.
Scar Symmetry
The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph) (Nuclear Blast)
The wheels turn slowly, but the wheels turn. Melodic/progressive death metal give us their seventh album in the follow up to last year’s The Singularity (Phase I: Neohumanity). Of course, it’s been nearly 10 years since that album came out but Xenotaph confirms that Scar Symmetry haven’t lost their chops in that time. It took a long time for their seventh record to come to fruition, having been in the works to some extent since 2016, and sometimes the album feels a bit formulaic despite that. Still, it’s a minor gripe and it’s good to have Scar Symmetry back.
Slipknot
Adderall (Roadrunner)
Things have been fucking weird in the Slipknot camp—recap here if you need—and it seems to have culminated with the release of Adderall, the first EP in the band’s history. Presumably their last release for Roadrunner, it features the previously-released “Death March,” three versions of “Adderall” and new tracks “Red or Redder” and “Hard to Be Here.” The non-“Adderall” tracks are clearly mood pieces or interludes meant to bookend the various versions of the songs. Adderall is probably a mostly-for-the-diehards release, but it’s cool to see that Slipknot can still cause a stir with their weird theatrics.
Torture Rack
Primeval Onslaught (20 Buck Spin)
Let’s get right to the hackin’ and slashin’ with Portland, Oregon’s Torture Rack. Their new album, Primeval Onslaught, channels filthy old-school death metal vibes in a way that most of their peers fail to achieve. In large part, it’s due to the songwriting: Torture Rack’s music sounds and feels era-appropriate but their songwriting isn’t a total rehash. “Morning Star Massacre” and “Fucked by Death” take a deathgrinding approach to things while the other eight tracks will split you wide open OSDM style.
Other Shit That Comes Out Today:
Cynic, ReFocus (Cynical Sphere)
Extreme, Six (earMUSIC) Listen
Glass Casket, Glass Casket (Silent Pendulum) Listen
Gridfailure & Interstitia, Sunyata Ontology (Pax Aeternum) Listen
The Bleeding, Monokrator (Redefining Darkness) Listen
Our quest to bring culture to the masses doesn’t end with articles about what Corey Taylor thinks. We watch movies too, and not just Mortal Kombat ones, thank you very much. That’s why we’ve partnered with Thunderflix, to bring you the best in music films and documentaries. Sign up here.
Agalloch’s “The Silence of Forgotten Landscapes”
Heads up, metal legion! Thunderflix is blasting Agalloch’s epic concert film straight to your screens. Filmed at Belgium’s Biebob (still echoing with their riffs), this is the apex of black, doom, and neofolk metal. Their upcoming reunion show sold out faster than a double-kick drum beat, so don’t miss this chance to headbang with Agalloch in the comfort of your living room! Crank it up.
Recommended to Thunderflix by the creators of Heavy Metal Parking Lot, we’re thrilled to share this hidden gem with you. “1985 Indestructible” is a cross between Heavy Metal Parking Lot, Spinal Tap, and Class Action Park. This insanely fun documentary from Rudy Childs has been on repeat at Thunderflix HQ, and we can’t get enough of it! Step into the past and explore the explosive heavy metal scene of the 1980s, immersing yourself in the stories and untamed energy that defined a generation of metal fans. Trust us, this one’s a must-watch.
