Sh*t That Comes Out Today: March 12, 2021
Metal!
The Crown
Royal Destroyer (Metal Blade)
Eff yeah, smash the monarchy! Unless the destroyer in question comes from royalty. I dunno. Wreck some shit, is what I’m saying and what The Crown also propose. After a few years in the wilderness, the Swedish motordeathers realized they needed to reclaim their thrones as the deathrace kings. “Let the Hammering Begin!” and “Ultra Faust” sum up the (Satanic) philosophy of their eleventh record. Kinda like obvious influences Motorhead, their records seem like they sound the same but contain big differences under the hood.
Demiser
Through the Gate Eternal (Boris)
Band is called Demiser, vocalist is called Demiser the Demiser, track eight on their debut full-length called “Demiser the Demiser.” So you know this rules already. These South Carolinian Satanists summon riffs at a rate of 666 per second, bringing a venomous toxic holocaust to Sodom. It’s positively bewitcher-ing. While they hail from the same circle of Hell as other subterranean luminaries, Demiser are their own demons, their jaws full of razor sharp teeth. Warfuck demonlust ’til death!
Enforced
Kill Grid (Century Media)
Since it looks like Power Trip are gonna be on hiatus for a while at the very least, someone has to fill the circle pit-shaped void in our hearts. Enforced bust loose from their shackles with a haymaker right through a goddamn pile of skulls to bring us 42 minutes of razor-edged thrash. Arthur Rizk mixes and masters in case you need any more reason to check this out. Richmond has truly blessed us with some great thrash bands.
Eyehategod
A History Of Nomadic Behavior (Century Media)
Damaged howling over damaged riffs, oh hey it’s an Eyehategod record. Mike “IX” Williams’ demons still seem to be raging in his head despite newfound sobriety and lease on life and Jimmy Bower’s off-kilter string manipulations are the only things that can contain them; bad for his mental health, good for us. The songs on their sixth album stands up to any in their catalog — “Three Black Eyes” is catchy kinda like how leprosy is catchy.
Rob Zombie
The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (NB)
Call me crazy but Spider One’s big brother has been having a bit of a career renaissance now that he’s decided to go full psychedelic weirdo. Kinda weird that this only his seventh solo album. He’s been a busy guy! Anyway, it feels like he’s wrapping all his prior projects and influences into one crazy industrial hillbilly art-rock sixties shlock horror show extravaganza perfectly befitting his overblown visual aesthetic. It’s a musical collage that doesn’t lose sight of the need for the songs to be, y’know, songs. Dude should honestly get more credit.
White Void
Anti (NB)
Not a whole lot of bands basing their albums off the writings of absurdist philosopher Albert Camus, but leave it to a dude from Borknagar and Solefald to make the attempt. His pet project, White Void, sounds nothing like those acts — it’s a proggy hard rock thing kinda reminiscent of Ghost but with more Yes and less Blue Oyster Cult. Despite its accessible sound, Anti feels weirdly enigmatic. The inability to pin down the musical core means you can never quite know what to expect or expect what to know.
OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
Autarkh – Form In Motion (SoM) Listen
Conan – Live At Freak Valley (Napalm) Listen
Gizmachi – Omega Kaleid (Self) Listen
God’s Hate – God’s Hate (Closed Casket) Listen
Heart Healer – The Metal Opera By Magnus Karlsson (Frontiers) Listen
Marianas Rest – Fata Morgana (Napalm) Listen
Orden Ogan – Final Days (AFM) Listen
Pupil Slicer – Mirrors (Prosthetic) Listen
Thunderhorse – Chosen One (Ripple) Listen
Varmia – Bal Lada (M-Theory) Listen
