Shit That Comes Out Today: August 16th, 2019
It is Friday, my dudes. Whatever that means to you — whether it’s an excuse to get hammered, maybe the start of a much-needed weekend getaway, or even if it’s just another day of benign existence — we’ve got a compendium of the latest heavy tunes to keep you going.
Pijn/Conjurer
Curse These Metal Hands (Holy Roar)
Listen “High Spirits”
Start your weekend off right with a little dopamine rush from UK acts Pijn and Conjurer. Originally conceived as a one-off performance at last year’s ArcTanGent Festival, Curse These Metal Hands bursts through metal’s grim overcast with rays of radiant light. We already knew that listening to metal can be good for you, but the Holy Roar labelmates reaffirms that idea in an ecstatic celebration of life. Like the human experience, the record is self-contradictory in nature — precise yet spontaneous, groovy yet atmospheric, uplifting but still strapped with weight — making for a playful and dynamic exchange at which one can’t help but break a smile.
Killswitch Engage
Atonement (Metal Blade)
Listen “Unleashed”
Read the Metalsucks review
Now two decades into their career, Killswitch Engage are as tight as ever. Their third record since the return of vocalist Jesse Leach, Atonement officially earns the enduring metalcore titans legacy status. While it doesn’t step far out of the band’s comfort zone, it still feels fresh and creative, toying with nerdy Lord Of The Rings themes, heartfelt ballads, and even a healthy dose of thrash made possible by Testament’s Chuck Billy. “There’s a reason Killswitch Engage have survived when many of their peers tripped over their ear gauges and fell by the wayside. They’re just really damn good at what they do.”
Cloudkicker
Unending (N/A) (out 8/15)
Full Album Stream
1349 originally had this spot, but let’s be honest: Cloudkicker is way more interesting. Yesterday, solo mastermind Ben Sharp surprise released his first new album in four years, forcing fans everywhere to give him all their money. It’s mindblowing, but I shouldn’t have to say that. Monumental soundscapes and ridiculously lush guitar tone are at the core of the sound, exploring new territory while still staying true to classic Cloudkicker. Fear not, prog is definitely still cool — if you were bored to tears by the new Tool song, reinvigorate your faith in the genre with Unending.
Uniform/The Body
Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back (Sacred Bones)
Listen “Not Good Enough”
The title to the latest undertaking between Uniform and The Body, Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back, is pulled from the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, dealing with the ugly, cyclical nature of tragic loss. Experimental ear-wrecking duo The Body and avant-garde noise rockers Uniform (who have appeared in the soundtrack to David Lynch’s Twin Peaks) fuse their individual strengths to form an ugly, misshapen beast, and while it’s not a huge departure from their last collaboration, it still pushes the limits of what the ears can handle. Whether the distress is brought on by industrial necromancy or the agonizing vocal performaces (with Uniform’s Mike Berdan offering angsty punk clamor and Chip King doin’ his thang), it all lends to an existential crisis in the end.
Shadow of Intent
Melancholy (N/A)
Listen “Malediction”
This band would have completely slipped under my radar were it not for patron saint Phil Boozeman, who gave Melancholy a perfect 5/5 horns and pestered me until I actually listened to it. Rightfully so! Why? Well, first of all, “Melancholy is a concept album about a wave of mass suicide controlled by a demonic goddess, the Gravesinger. Influenced by the curse, our protagonist kills himself and spends the rest of the album wandering through the underworld in an attempt to escape back to reality.” Pretty fucking metal. Second of all, it’s by and large the greatest anything-core feat ever accomplished. Flowing in intensity to compliment the conceptual lyrics, a dismal, blackened stench permeates the album straight through its heart, a sophisticated blend of symphonic deathcore. Lastly, Shadow of Intent are an independent band — holy shit! They’ve still managed to recruit some pretty big names for their project, including Francesco Ferrini (Fleshgod Apocalypse) on the orchestral work, and Trevor Strnad (The Black Dahlia Murder) taking guest vocals for a song.
I’ve said enough. Just go listen to this record. “It’s the kind of album that pushes the boundaries of what a genre can be. It’s the kind of album that gives you goosebumps every time you listen. It’s the kind of album where any flaws you find will be laughed right back at you for doubting its majesty.”
OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
1349 – The Infernal Pathway (SoM) listen
Abysmal Lord – Exaltation Of The Infernal Cabal (Hells Headbangers) listen
Anticosm – The Call of the Void (N/A) listen
Bound In Fear – The Hand Of Violence (Unique Leader) listen
Capture – Lost Control (Artery) listen
Cerebral Rot – Odious Descent Into Decay (20 Buck Spin) listen
Church – UnHUMAN Beings (Zombie Shark) listen
Concrete Winds – Primitive Force (Sepulchral Voice) listen
Detherous – Hacked to Death (Redefining Darkness) listen
Devourment – Obscene Majesty (Relapse) listen
Equilibrium – Renegades (NB) listen
Funeral Oration – Eliphas Love (Avantgarde) listen
HammerFall – Dominion (Napalm) listen
Hellvetron – Trident Of Tartarean Gateways (Iron Bonehead) listen
Here Lies Man – No Ground To Walk Upon (Hell Kill Destroy) listen
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Infest The Rats’ Nest (Flightless) listen
M.S.D. – Demo Sessions: Vol. 1 (Horror Pain Gore Death) listen
Reign In Blood – Missa Pro Defunctis (Iron Bonehead) listen
Shock Narcotic – I Have Seen The Future And It Doesn’t Work (Housecore) listen
Twilight Force – Dawn Of The Dragonstar (NB) listen
SHIT THAT COMES OUT AGAIN TODAY
Atreyu – In Our Wake Deluxe Edition (Spinefarm) listen
Malignant Eternal – Tårnet (Soulseller) listen
