Sh*t That Comes Out Today: August 13, 2021
Ki-ki-ki ma-ma-ma…
Ænigmatum
Deconsecrate (20 Buck Spin)
Ænigmatum have a real commitment to their band name, from the warped image on the cover to the Lament Configuration arrangement of the solos. In other words: this is tech death. Thankfully, it’s mid-90s Swedish-style tech death and not the coldly clinical variant of the form that sprung up in Canada later on (although the Portland-based band is in fact much closer, geographically, to the latter). Their deconstruction of traditional song structure may feel blasphemous, but they unfold their puzzle boxes in a strangely mesmeric way.
Gost
Rites Of Love And Reverence (Century Media)
Like a lot of his contemporaries from the darksynth scene, James Lollar feels he’s said all he has to say within the genre’s (admittedly limited) confines. His latest still has plenty of synths, but they’re used in more of a supporting capacity here to underscore his tales of women scorned and the hex appeal they use to redress those wrongs. The harsh post-punk/industrial vibes fit the subject perfectly. Combine that with his ability to pen catchy tunes and you get rituals you’ll definitely want to join.
Quicksand
Distant Populations (Epitaph)
Like the unexpected reunions from fellow 90s heavy-alt iconoclasts Failure and Hum, Quicksand’s second act makes it seem like they haven’t missed a beat. Distant Populations shows exactly what made them so influential to acts like Thursday and the Deftones and also so much better — their post-hardcore isn’t so “post” that they use it as an excuse to ditch the songs. These deeply emotional tunes blow by in a little over half an hour, but the quality more than makes up for the quantity. It’s worth getting to know these distant populations for sure.
Unreqvited
Beautiful Ghosts (Prophecy)
If you’re disappointed that next week’s new Deafheaven record has a whole lot of heaven and not really any deaf (as in, the causing thereof), Unreqvited got you covered! This one-man Canadian band traffics in a similarly beautiful blackgaze but hasn’t ditched the shrieking for clean singing yet. It’s not entirely a fair comparison, either – Unreqvited has more of a euro symphonic black metal vibe that makes his journey to the center of the heart feel positively epic.
OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
Destruction – Live Attack DVD/CD (Napalm) Listen
Lorna Shore – …And I Return To Nothingness EP (Century Media) Listen
Sepultura – SepulQuarta (NB) Listen
Slaughter To Prevail – Kostolom (Sumerian) Listen
Spirit Breaker – Cura Nata (Solid State) Listen
The Ugly Kings – Strange, Strange Times (Napalm) Listen
