Sh*t That Comes Out Today: January 28, 2014
Okay so think. Every Tuesday, what’s it like for you? You’re at home, not doing any work. Actually, you’re probably at work not doing any work. Or you don’t have a job at all and you’re living life to the fucking fullest! Whatever your situation, we bring you as many clickables as possible because we want you, dear reader, to click all of them. What’s the point of loving metal if you’re not gonna check it all out, right? Some have asked me: “Do you actually listen to all the links?” My response is always “Yes!” but with a caveat depending the preceding weekend: “Yes … but I was drunk!” or “… but I fell asleep listening to Rivers Of Nihil!’ or “… but wow some of them were worse than dick sores.” But I always rock all the jams because nothing beats new shit — an unexpected package at your door addressed to you marked Shit That Comes Out Today. Do ya open it?
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Red Dragon Cartel
Red Dragon Cartel (Frontiers)
On a playlist with: Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Judas Priest
Listen “Deceived” (here) “Feeder” (here)
Y’all know Jake E. Lee. I’m sure you’ve heard Bark At The Moon (1983) and Ultimate Sin (1986). They’re not by any measure the best Ozzy albums. And while the guitar work was classic and fresh in its own right, it lacked the nuance and spectacle of Ozzy’s other guitarists, whoever the fuck they are. I guess with Red Dragon Cartel you get exactly what you expect: Recycled 1980s throwback riffs, basic song construction, and a frontman who can put out and make you groove. But overall, it bleeds mediocrity. And what kills boners worse than anything else? Not being special.
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Descend
Wither (Inverse)
On a playlist with: Enslaved, Emperor, Borknagar
Listen Wither full stream (here)
What’s great about STCOT is that every once in a while you run into a band you’ve never heard! Okay, duh. But even greater is when you listen to them and it feels like they’ve been on your playlists for years. There’s something frighteningly familiar about Wither. Maybe because it’s so meat-‘n’-potatoes? So grilled cheese and tomato soup? Maybe because it’s not outrageously original? It is indeed these things, but in the most extraordinary of ways. It’s digestible, straightforward, and doesn’t barrage your fucking brain with way too much tremolo picking.
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Fluisteraars
Dromers (Eisenwald)
On a playlist with: Dr. Duval, Mondvolland, Bong Breaker
Listen Dromers full stream (here) (here)
Make some time for some 10+ minute tracks and compare Dromers with Wither (above) for a good spectrum analysis of black metal. We’re talking completely opposite poles, except that each album is wickedly catchy despite somber and dastardly overtones. I might prefer Dromers, simply because it’s a bit more progressive and definitely a lot more psychedelic. Then again, it lacks some of the togetherness that I look for in metal, of which Wither has tons. I guess this is a good way to put it: Wither is for sober enjoyment, Dromers is for enhanced enjoyment. I’m not entirely sure why I picked these two albums for comparison, but maybe you could vomit some of your own thoughts below!
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Ring Of Fire
Battle Of Leningrad (Frontiers)
On a playlist with: Vladimir Putin
Listen Battle Of Leningrad samples (here)
Not entirely sure who decided on that guitar tone. Also not entirely sure who designed that wardrobe. Okay, so there is definitely this nerdy sect in metal that lots of people hate/fail to talk about. It exists! And I think it’s kickass that it does. In fact, I think it’s kickass that music like this can have a following. Because people like me who shower every day probably aren’t going to dig into the wails, dorky lyrics, and questionable musicianship. I’m just glad we live in a world where each personality type has a fitting band or two.
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Kampfar
Djevelmakt (Indie Recordings)
On a playlist with: Helheim, Windir, Taake
Listen Djevelmakt full stream (here)
R ead Excretakano MetalSucks review (here)
Wall of fucking sound. Djevelmakt is immediately one of those albums you want to see performed live in its entirety. Not only is there an excellent sense of cohesion in Djevelmakt, you can also scream “djevelmakt” and sound wicked badass all the time. It rolls off the tip of your tongue and then the “makt” makes you cough up the rest of it. Djevelmakt is phlegmy and emotional and 1000% European and it’s definitely the second best thing to come out today.
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Periphery
Clear (Sumerian)
On a playlist with: Haunted Shores, Monuments, Volumes
Listen Clear full stream (here)
Well I’ll be goddamned. I remember way back when Periphery wasn’t even signed. I’d pull up their MySpace page or check out Bulb’s library and my virgin ears were just delighted with the then-unbeknownst-to-me subgenre called djent. I had this giggly weird excitement that a band existed who could play upbeat, catchy, heavy songs with clean singing and still be metal as fuck. And not shitty clean singing like lol Fear Factory lol or some other bands who are hellbent on having clean choruses despite the lack in skill. And that’s what makes Periphery great. They have all the technicality in the world, yet they can still do pop. No surprise my favorite track on Clear is “The Parade of Ashes: Spencer.”
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OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
» Astrophobos Remnants Of Forgotten Horrors (Triumvirate) listen
Black Space Riders D:Rei (Cargo) listen listen
Bombs Of Hades Through The Dark Past collection (Pulverised) listen
Circle Hollywood reissue (Ektro) listen listen
Circle Sseennsseess live (Ektro) listen
¤ Demilich 20th Adversary of Emptiness anthology (Svart) listen
Descend Into Despair The Bearer Of All Storms (Domestic Genocide) listen
» False Prophet The Second Death vinyl reissue (Blood Harvest) listen
Metallica Through The Never DVD (Blackened) watch
Of Mice & Men Restoring Force (Rise) listen
Primal Fear Delivering The Black (Frontiers) listen
Sierra Pslip (Retro Futurist) listen read
The Smoking Hearts Victory! (Bullet Tooth) listen
Transatlantic Kaleidoscope (Inside Out) listen
Vornth Vornth (Iron Tyrant) listen
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