(written by Islander) The Italian black/death marauders Ignobleth admit that their first EP, Voidspawn Sacrifice, could be likened to “Blasphemy and Archgoat worship”. But their sound and style have morphed since then, and the music on their forthcoming debut album Manor of Primitive Anticreation is a much more twisted, unpredictable, and unsettling beast — still […]
Interview by Ali Williams Alien Weaponry might have been speaking to HEAVY from Barcelona only a couple of hours after leaving the stage, but there was nothing flat about the energy. If anything, the interview captured a band running on that familiar touring cocktail of adrenaline, sleep deprivation and sheer gratitude for being able to […]
The Canadian act explores death metal’s outer layers on their second album, pursuing the astral and evocative while rationing the chunky hedonism of old school death metal between progressive rock compositions (albeit heavily downtuned and distorted progressive rock).
Galvanist received a large write-up in our recent Fire in the Mountains preview, detailing how Montana’s geography shapes their lonely take on doom metal. Their second record, The Silence Between the Stars, takes them to darker places as they lean into black metal mysticism, mutating into a sludgier–and harder hitting–outfit.
What an album title, right? It connotes an ancient mysticism and savagery that perfectly suits Iron Firmament’s third full-length album. In the Land of Pre-Human Kings sees the shadowy duo welcoming fellow Wergild member and live bassist Artificer into their ranks, marking a new era of collaboration amongst the already tight-knit collective. On this third full-length album, Iron Firmament represents the very best that Wergild has to offer: frigid yet majestic black metal that conjures images of icy battlefields where giants once strove with gods (to borrow from Seamus Heaney). Epic opener “The Coast of Worlds” sets sail through treacherous waters as cascading arpeggios glow overhead, while the pinch harmonic stabs and martial stomp of “Purged of All Southern Influence” capture the clattering din of combat.
Note: “In the Land of Pre-Human Kings” released digitally on March 13 and physical copies will be available March 20.
The Silver is a supergroup consisting of members from Crypt Sermon and Horrendous. On their sophomore album, they create some fascinating black metal that’s much heavier and more riff-based than what’s expected from a post-black album. It’s haunting and otherworldly, with a sad, ragged beauty running through it.
From the same sorcerers that brought us Mitochondrion and Auroch, Egregore’s sophomore effort, It Echoes in the Wild, is an unhinged, occult death metal journey. The guitar riffs cascade in a relentless procession, never sitting still, while the frenetic drumming underscores the tapestry with anxiety. This isn’t your dad’s meat and potatoes death metal–it’s something far wilder and more unknowable.
Bay Area thrash legends Exodus are set to unleash their 12th full-length beating upon eager metalheads around the globe. Goliath, the grizzled unit’s first for Austrian indie Napalm Records, is generating a nice, healthy buzz on multiple fronts. The first being that it marks the return of former vocalist Rob Dukes, in what will be his first appearance on a slab of Exodus wax since 2010’s Exhibit B: The Human Condition. The second is the band views Goliath as the most “collaborative record in their four decade-plus history,” with cameos on tap from Hypocrisy’s Peter Tagtgren and violinist Katie Jacoby. On top of that, guitarist/talisman Gary Holt characterized the record as “crushing” before proudly declaring, “every song is an anthem.”
Lastly, stop me if you heard this before, the titular song is being touted as possibly “the heaviest thing” Exodus has ever done. While this seems to be an obligatory statement for bands past a certain point in their career arc, early returns suggest that there may be fire beneath that smoke. “Goliath” is a hefty, creepy, crawling dirge unlike anything else in their catalog. Whereas, lead single “3111,” a song about Cartel murders in Juarez, brings the pain in more traditional Exodus fashion. Dukes’ reemergence definitely seems to have galvanized the troops.
The mysterious Catalonian black metal aliens Eclipsed Moon Apparitions will release their first proper full-length, En les ombres, malson espectral later this week. It seems to be the brainchild of M.W. (a.k.a. Manel Woodcutter), who earns credit for all instrumentation. M.W. is perhaps more widely known in the global underground for their Amargor project. They’re joined only by Trencalos, who is responsible for “veus i poesia.” To all the Yanks, that’s “voices and poetry.” I’m definitely in. If the title track is to be believed, you can expect seven tracks of primitive croaks, glitchy primeval clatter, and unsettling atmospherics that border, at times, on achieving actual beauty.
Interview by Ali Williams Alien Weaponry might have been speaking to HEAVY from Barcelona only a couple of hours after leaving the stage, but there was nothing flat about the energy. If anything, the interview captured a band running on that familiar touring cocktail of adrenaline, sleep deprivation and sheer gratitude for being able to […]