Rolling 2020 Metal Thread

this Jordablod album is crazy. well except the second song where they just straightforward muscle-flex trad BM, they're not that

they're so awesöme when they sound like The Birthday Party thump on a séance. no shame, i guess. plus there are riffs here sounding like The fuckin Gun Club screwing Bathory's Hades. effortlessly. they're from Malmöe (lol, of course). also, svrf metal

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/jordablod-the-cabinet-of-numinous-song

I like the latest On Thorns I Lay, even if some of it seems like 90s My Dying Bride-lite (no pummeling death riffs like MDB, but the violin is reminiscent).

new Okkultokrati song sounded good. nastier production, a d-beat number now expanded w more synth. a good look, imo. looking forward for the album in May

https://okkultokratisl.bandcamp.com/album/la-ilden-lyse

this new King Buffalo record is awesome. Real mix of styles ... Second track sounds like Screaming Trees, I mean it could be a track off 'Dust'.. Other stuff has the obvious Sleep influence but that is never a bad thing. Lots of cool twin guitar parts at times (even though i think they are a 3 piece}. And one cool track that kind of jumps on this AOR resurgence a la Aktor

https://kingbuffalo.bandcamp.com/

xp: Hell yeah. Love the new song. I've been thinking of them as "arena d-beat" for a while now.

agreed. there's kind of an anthemic flair in evidence, yeah

Any Morbus Chron fans here? Their two albums were among the best psych/prog/DM/thrash of the last decade. They’re dunzo but Robert Andersson has regrouped as Sweven and they’re phenomenal. I’m only 2 tracks into The Eternal Resonance but I’m hearing Blood Incantation spaghetti psych vibes and some Tribulation, too.

It didn't bowl me over as promised by a host of reviewers (something to do with the vocals – I need to hear it again to put my finger on it) but it's worth it for the ambition alone.

I read that way too fast and thought you had compared the new record to The Spaghetti Incident? and was wondering why that was a good thing

Xpost

You know, I don't think I've ever heard a G'n'R song from beginning to end.

Anyway, get yr Icelandic avant-doomy one-man BM right here:

https://sjalfsmordafgaleysi.bandcamp.com

If ever you do, avoid the Spaghetti Incident.
And, now once through the Sweven album, it’s better than I’d hoped. Funny you don’t like the vocals as I’m a sucker for that Schuldiner, Cavalera-type clean yell style and this album delivers just that.

I am too, it just didn't fully work on me at first pass. I need to spend more time with it.

Any Morbus Chron fans here? Their two albums were among the best psych/prog/DM/thrash of the last decade. They’re dunzo but Robert Andersson has regrouped as Sweven and they’re phenomenal. I’m only 2 tracks into The Eternal Resonance but I’m hearing Blood Incantation spaghetti psych vibes and some Tribulation, too.

― Yelploaf, Thursday, March 26, 2020 8:06 AM (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

oh shit this was the news i needed!!!

Just relistened to the Sweven – the hypesters were right.

New Ulcerate album in about four weeks. Two songs have been released so far, one just yesterday. They're very Ulcerate-y (as is the album) They're no longer on Relapse; they're on Debemur Morti now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohk73dP1voE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKQJzWhzaGI

New Mamaleek out for those who care about such things:

https://mamaleek.bandcamp.com/

The only two mentions above of the new Kvelertak are negative but I enjoyed the one listen I gave it on Spotify just now. Will have to give it a few more listens before I decide to buy it but my initial impression was still better than I expected.

Since I am not writing anymore but still getting promos, I am listening to everything and trashing almost all of it. A few things that I did like and are on my Amazon Wish List (i.e. things I will try and buy on physical format at some point) include:

Eye Flys - Tub of Lard (Thrill Jockey Records)
Philadelphia AmRep/Melvins worship featuring dudes from bands including Full of Hell. Debut LP after an EP and both are quite tasty.

Frayle - 1692 (Aqualamb Records / Lay Bare Recordings)
Cleveland doom metal with female lead vocals that carry some solid melodies.

God Dethroned - Illuminati (Metal Blade)
I think this album from the hit-or-miss death metallers is more of a hit.

Human Impact - Human Impact (Ipecac Recordings)
New York noise veterans (Swans, Cop Shoot Cop) are far more melodious than some might expect, but I expect that was the whole point.

Hyborian - Vol. II (Season of Mist)
Those who miss the old days of Baroness need look no further.

Ihsahn - Telemark (Nuclear Blast)
I like the covers which apparently puts me in the minority. But I like the originals as well.

Insect Ark - The Vanishing (Profound Lore Records)
Pedal steel drenched in reverb may as well be deemed post-psych rock.

Lili Refrain - ULU (Subsound)
One-woman project from Italy, one 22+ minute song of live experimentation.

Lotus Thief - Osteria (Prophecy Productions)
Like a metallic Dead Can Dance with vestiges of the project's birth as a Botanist side project still intact.

Psychonaut - Unfold the God Man (Pelagic Records)
Belgian post-rock with a palpable classic rock reference.

Riot - Rock World (Rare & Unreleased 87-95) (Metal Blade)
Truth in advertising, rare and unreleased gems from Riot's Thundersteel period.

Sightless Pit - Grave of a Dog (Thrill Jockey Records)
Kristin Hayter (Lingua Ignota) teams up with Lee Buford (The Body) and Dylan Walker (Full of Hell)? Yes, please.

Smoulder - Deam Ends Quest (Cruz del Sur Music)
Canadian female-led trad metal. Only an EP with some demo tracks but the killer verison of "Cage of Mirrors" by Manilla Road warrants inclusion.

Thy Catafalque - Naiv (Season of Mist)
Everything this band does is siomply stunning.

Tombs - Monarchy of Shadows (Relapse Records)
Blackened post-punk? Sure, why not.

Yatra - Blood of the Night (STB Records)
Baltimore sludge that is a big improvement on a debut I kinda liked.

Sorry if this is boring to anyone. I am cooped up and had some time to kill.

On my "they didn't send me promos but I want to check them out" list is the new Myrkur and the Nechochwen / Panopticon split. I usually don't care about splits but I really love both of those bands so an exception may be made.

(I also plan on running through this thread for streaming goodness.)

I like Tombs generally; I liked Human Impact more than I thought I would ("Unsane goes postpunk/industrial" was my short take); I profiled Sightless Pit for The Wire and like the album, although I doubt I'll listen to it again; I lost track of Ihsahn several years ago but am willing to at least give his new stuff a listen.

I haven't been in much of a metal mood lately. Something about my emotional landscape and general state of mind is pulling me toward jazz and dub and some techno here and there. But I enjoyed guitarist Christian Muenzner's new album, which is absurdly shreddy. I reviewed it here.

tomb > tombs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaGZQV8GA-U

i will probably never love another tombs record as much as 'path of totality' but it's good to hear what they're up to

I needed some ignorant assed shit so I bought the new Deranged. gonna give it a spin.

btw thanks for posting that B, definitely have so much time I'm looking to find more stuff to listen to

NYCNative the Nechochwen/Panopticon split is fantastic, if you have kids make sure you're in a good place before listening to the Panopticon side though.

Lucifer III is in my wheelhouse.

I think the hooks are stronger than the previous album. it's not the debut, but I can listen to this shit all day.

i think it's their best yet?

It is really good.

Thanks for that Jordablod link ^^^ enjoyed it greatly.

good review unperson, agree with your take.

I gravitate towards the first one due to its doominess, but this one definitely has more immediacy over the previous album.

I love occult rock so this shit is always in my wheelhouse. Sadonis is a powerhouse vocally too.

new Serpent Column EP

https://serpentcolumn.bandcamp.com/album/endless-detainment

are folks into this envy album or no

it's good as hell. talked about it on the emo thread some, since they're always a little screamo adjacent

i like it but tbh feel kind of exhausted by the end? i wish they didn't try to sustain these emotional peaks for so long and back to back to back, like a hundred peaks in a direct row feels like flat ground. but idk i guess that's why i'm not a screamo fan

Holy crap the Panopticon track, Rune's Heart, and the story behind it.

idk if dungeon synth is welcome here but the druadan forest track (and only the druadan forest track) on this 3 way split rules
some hearts of space type of shit
https://antiqofficial.bandcamp.com/album/kingdoms-long-gone

also wow @ that Seeds in Barren Fields album O_O

i love when things that sound that frenzied and chaotic also sound crisp and detailed

AOTY https://bbbrecords.bandcamp.com/album/three-knee-deep

good stuff thx

The Sweven album is impressive on first listen. There's so much in there, I'm wondering what's going to wind up sticking.

xps

yeah, good review unperson. good piece on the Mythic Sunship, too

Listened to the Seeds in Barren Fields album last night. Holy f*ck -- amazing! Roxymuzak is totally on the money about the production. Clear separation of the guitars, with no extraneous murk detracting from the individual lines and their interplay. I wish more black/death metal was produced like this. The guitar tone is plenty dirty, but the recording of that tone is pristine, if that makes sense. Beautiful.

The new Afterbirth album is so fucking good. Genuinely weird, hybrid art-death; sometimes it sounds like Suffocation, other times like Krallice, other times like Astronoid. I just wrote a long review that'll be on Burning Ambulance on Friday. This is one of the best death metal records of the year.

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1320487242_10.jpg

https://uniqueleaderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/four-dimensional-flesh

We agree on something metal-related for once. Look forward to reading the review.

ooooh

I like this song from Jacob Bannon's new supergroup...a lot.

https://youtu.be/EFj4u_Tt_ek

🤯

also have we mentioned there's a new Pyrrhon out in June? there's a new Pyrrhon out in June.

https://youtu.be/rtUpHSLbllM

I finally checked out the Fluisteraars record that a handful of people praised above. Totally agreed that it is beautiful and lush and dar say a little innovative (or at least unique).