Sh*t That Comes Out Today – March 31, 2023
Holy hell, it’s the end of March. I wonder what Nikki Sixx and Carmine Appice think of this…
Gel
Only Constant (Convulse)
New Jersey punks Gel return in an explosion of energy and breakdowns on their first proper long-player, Only Constant. Clocking in at 10 songs in 16 minutes, Only Constant picks up where the band’s collection of splits and EPs left off, turning a simple formula into something pure and potent. Vocalists Sami Kaiser skirts the tough guy bullshit that plagues hardcore in favor of lyrics about rising above and the power of self. If you’ve seen. Only Constant captures Gel’s intense live set, channeling the same energy as their Sonic show. In their own words: hardcore for the fuckin’ freaks.
Kommand
Death Age (20 Buck Spin)
Death Age is a slab of old-school death metal that’s for a different kind of freak. There’s DNA from Bolt Thrower all over Kommand’s songwriting, reminding us that simple and groovy death metal will never lead us astray; the opening assault of “Final Virus” and “Chimera Soldiers” sets the tone for what to expect and then Kommand don’t deviate, tearing through six songs and 26 minutes.
Rotten Sound
Apocalypse (Season of Mist)
Finnish grindcore purveyors Rotten Sound are back with Apocalypse, their eighth album since forming in 1993. Apocalypse is jam packed with music; Rotten Sound work their way through 18 ripping tracks in under 21 minutes, meaning that each composition has effectively been stripped to the bone for only the most vital components. Lyrically, Rotten Sound have things to say about climate change, environmentalism, technology, inflation and everything else that sucks about being alive in 2023.
Sermon
Of Golden Verse (Prosthetic)
Melodic doom outfit Sermon have returned with their second album, Of Golden Verse. Combining the powerful, epic doom like Trouble (or the more modern-sounding Khemmis) with the shimmering prog tendencies of Katatonia and even Tool, Sermon’s music just feels larger than life. Throughout Of Golden Verse, it never feels like the album slows down or that the duo, led by anonymous figurehead Him, have lost their way. The pacing is deliberate and builds to shimmering high points, with no parts or songs feeling like they are there just to fill space. Check out the album and Him’s Heavy Rotation playlist.
Other Shit That Comes Out Today:
Ad Infinitum, Chapter III (Napalm) Listen
Alpha Wolf, Shh ((Greyscale Records/SharpTone Records) Listen
Attack! Attack!, Dark Waves (Oxide) Listen
Cloud of Souls, A Fate Decided (Self-release) Listen
END, Hunter (Cult Of Parthenope) Listen
nothing. nowhere, VOID ETERNAL (DCD2/Fueled By Ramen) Listen
Poh Hock, Gallimaufry (Self-release) Listen
Spirit Possession, Of The Sign… (Profound Lore) Listen
Visions of Atlantis, Pirates Over Wacken (Napalm) Listen
