Rolling 2021 Metal Thread

Couldn't bring myself to play the new Exodus (see upthread for reasonz re: Souza), just so much better stuff out right now. New Khemmis should show up tomorrow, look forward to cranking it this weekend.

Good times for Finnish funeral doom fans! This year Skepticism had a new album out, next year it's Shape of Despair!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8TJq3JYUZ4

The Lurking Fear have a new album out today. They're a kind of Swedish death-grind supergroup, with Tomas Lindberg on vocals, Jonas Stålhammar (At The Gates) and Fredrik Wallenberg (Skitsystem) on guitars, Andreas Axelsson (Tormented) on bass, and Adrian Erlandsson (ATG) on drums. The first album came out in 2017. It's fast, loud, grinding, with no saxophone solos or catchy choruses.

That Pitchfork review is strange. I get the sense that he doesn't care for Chelsea Wolfe. But there are also a few remarks which seem weirdly dismissive of the whole idea of a collab album:

For these 11 tracks, they resort to a trick so predictable even Itchy and Scratchy tried it: Add new members to an old mix that always worked.

But is there anything more cliché in rock’n’roll than the band that hangs on too long, fading away slowly with live versions of classic albums and guest-laden clusterfucks?

Like... yes, this is a Converge & Chelsea Wolfe album. I wouldn't expect it to sound exactly like Converge. There's also no reason to think that they're aiming to break from their hardcore style "once and for all." They're just doing something different on this one project.

The guest-laden thing seems silly to criticize, he gives The Body positive reviews all the time and half of their output is guest/collab stuff. The sudden hate is odd, esp since their last LP was great.

Maybe after the Twitter eruption re the Jane Doe album cover, someone decided it was time to take Bannon and the boys down a peg.

I hate to ascribe intentions to reviewers like that but, yeah, it really feels like a "time to knock Converge down a little, they've been getting too much praise for too long" style review instead of any valid criticism of the record.

why have I never listened to Swallow the Sun before? just listening to this new one and it's my wheelhouse

ooh, forgot they had a new one out too. Check out Songs From the North next, if you remain interested.

for whatever's it worth, the pfork review made me think i would love the new converge, and i do

I'm expecting I'll love it because I've loved every Converge record I've ever heard.

Bannon sounds so much like Tobias Forge on "Coil". I wonder if they're fans.

I don't love Converge (they're okay) but do love Chelsea Wolfe and plan on listening with an open mind when I get to it.

If you like your metal florid and melodic, I recommend the new Temperance album, Diamanti, which I'm pretty sure will be my album of the year after hearing it all the way through just once.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1Ou68gXKBI6ER4q1uKFyYk

That new Converge album feels lifeless to me. Chelsea's contributions feel tacked on, uninspired. Compare that to The Body's collaboration with Big Brave, which feels like a real creative breakthrough for both bands.

Is anyone listening to the Dream Unending album? Dream-pop-inspired death-doom (they call it 'dream-doom'), co-lead by one of the Tomb Mold guys. Sounds great to me after one listen.

https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/tide-turns-eternal

I think their dreams involve more gargling than mine.

It's very good dark November music.

My CD of the new Sunn O))) arrived in today's mail. Gonna shake the walls with it later.

Speaking of Ulcerate, the new The Temple side project is supposed to be very good.

my friend is working on a new project called Mortality, i really love his stuff, has a new track off the upcoming album out. i don't know what kind of metal it is, very epic instrumental, blackish maybe? anyway, super talented guy, plays all the instruments

he was the original drummer for Obsequiae

https://mortality1492.bandcamp.com/track/call-in-your-banners-all

I wrote about five new metal records — Cadaveric Fumes, The Lurking Fear, Obscura, Pathology, and Sunn O))) — at Burning Ambulance. Link.

Metal Grammy nominees are in:

Deftones, “Genesis”
Dream Theater, “The Alien”
Gojira, “Amazonia”
Mastodon, “Pushing the Tides”
Rob Zombie, “The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)”

I imagine Rob Zombie is the betting favorite with Deftones close behind.
I'm rooting for Mastodon though.

I don't know that Zombie's the favorite - he noted in his own FB post that he's been nominated eight times and never won. I kinda think it's Mastodon's to lose.

Deftones would be cool.

That’s actually a halfway decent category, I wouldn’t be mad at Mastodon, Deftones or Gojira winning. But seems to me, given the muso noms in some of the other categories, these voters would be all about Dream Theater.

or Miley Cyrus and Elton John's Nothing Else Matters cover

very nice French one-woman black metal label Transcendance BM (Brouillard etc) is having some space problems due to water (?) and is selling about a dozen different CDs (not damaged) at very low (1-3 euros) prices before throwing them away on Tuesday:

https://www.facebook.com/transcendance.bm/photos/a.121881726064457/451249559794337

( shop is at https://www.transcendance-bm.com/boutique )

new Hypocrisy is classic Hypocrisy, which means you'll already coming in loving or hating it.

about to check out the Lock Up

new Hypocrisy is classic Hypocrisy, which means you'll already coming in loving or hating it.

about to check out the Lock Up

_new Hypocrisy is classic Hypocrisy, which means you'll already coming in loving or hating it.

about to check out the Lock Up_


Oh, it’s never been that cut and dry for me - loved Abducted through 99 s/t - haven’t felt the originality pinch of those since. I’ll still give this a try.

well that's kind of what I mean - after their 'peak' they've more or less been releasing the same style albums since, "detuned nu-metally" forays nonwithstanding.

Fauci = Mengele https://t.co/b5ybpVTBQE

— Chris Barnes (@sixfeetofficial) November 29, 2021

we’ll see if it lasts past the honeymoon but really enjoying the new apsu, archgoat, and sijjin records. new malignant altar tracks also have me anticipating that one.

anyway, anyone have a good summary of the absu/apsu drama? is the proscriptor a dick or something?

turns out everyone missed the Fange record, an incredible Breton death-industrial blow to the skull, from earlier in the year; for fans of Godflesh and violence (although it's also surprisingly tuneful): https://fange.bandcamp.com/album/pantocrator

I like Fange, but yeah, I forgot that single came out.

19. Worm, Foreverglade, 20 Buck Spin

If you liked their previous album, you will probably like this. I do.

Revolver Magazine
Fan Poll: 10 Best Albums of 20021

10. Between the Buried and Me - Colors II
9. Archspire - Bleed the Future
8. Iron Maiden - Senjutsu
7. Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood
6. The Pretty Reckless - Death By Rock & Roll
5. Gojira - Fortitude
4. Spiritbox- Eternal Blue
3. Evanescence - The Bitter Truth
2. Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon
1. Mastodon - Hushed and Grim

https://www.revolvermag.com/music/fan-poll-10-best-albums-2021

Ban fans

lol dare I ask?

7. Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood

Got 24 minutes to spare?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f47YfYpAXSU

oh shit is it the 90s again

The new Lucifer, IV, is really good, if you are into that sort of thing.

I liked the last one and will definitely check this one out.

I'm only one listen in, but it might be even better than the last one. At least even higher peaks this time.

Dormant Ordeal, The Grand Scheme of Things. Brootal tech death. Very evil hard and heavy riffs that bulldozer your head with a touch of grandiose melody shining through. Dunno think you guys might like this?

Nice review of the Dream Unending on Pitchfork today. This has very quickly become my probable AOTY.

that Dormant Ordeal album is hitting the spot. Thanks for the tip. Also loving the Worm and Dream Unending albums (which are hitting a different spot).

Dream Unending is indeed great.