UNSIGNED AND UNHOLY: MOAR GÜD BANDS

Like I said Friday, a band doesn’t have to turn metal on its head to impress as long as there’s some inkling of originality and their chosen style hasn’t been pummeled into the ground by thousands of suburban teenagers. In that spirit, a few more darn good unsigned bands worth a listen:

• The Evil Amidst: Groovy death metal with non-stop double-bass and sick, evil riffs galore, mercifully free of any of the tech wankery that usually comes with the territory these days. Compressed and loud as fuck for maximum punch, naturally. Think: Absymal Dawn, Nile, Immolation and you’re close.
• In Twilight’s Embrace: These Polish melodeathsters remind me of what melodeath was like before it became a bad word; think Jester Race-era In Flames. No clean vocals, big yet raw production, sick riffs and melody, pounding and driving rhythms… and this band’s own little twist, a sense of rockin’ groove.
• Ocoai: Like a trippier but no less ambitious Neurosis. I actually like this band more than I like Neurosis — which isn’t saying a whole lot, because I don’t like Neurosis much — but I’m really getting into Ocoai’s slow grooves and atmospherics. Great music to chill out and smoke a bowl to. Bonus points for the slide guitar in “babble.”
• Sarpentra: Admirably executed Behemoth-style blackened death metal from Russia. Not really much else to say!

-VN