Metal 2022
- Thread starter Vegard Pompey
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no country for old wainds
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They're bringing back Michael Grant? AI deepfaking has gone too far.
no country for old wainds
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CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
no country for old wainds
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no country for old wainds
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i lost the shit i wrote for avantgarde music's 2022 releases so let's just say a pale december is some weak sauce, moonlight sorcery is some fun fruitcake symph bm for children of bodom fans, olhava is 17 hours of boring atmoshit and i'm ready to move on to the next label.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
no country for old wainds
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a couple from prolapse records:
Razor - Cycle of Contempt
despite radthrash's praise i was pretty sceptical a razor album in 2022 with songs like 'jabroni' ('you spineless cuck!') and 'king shit' could possibly be good, but while it is predictably cringeworthy lyrically it's pretty damn solid riffagely, which is more than can be said for a lot of reunion thrash efforts. still overfamiliar and not super my thing besides, but underrated i'd say. that riff in the latter half of the title track is savage. 5.5/10
Sumerlands - Dreamkiller
i'm on record calling the debut overrated, and i'm inclined to say the same here. it starts out with a couple great tunes and boasts a fantastic vocal performance from former magic circle singer brendan radigan, but it quickly starts devolving into pedestrian mid-paced glam/stadium-leaning shit and i can't really understand how that stuff is wowing anybody. 6.5/10
Razor - Cycle of Contempt
despite radthrash's praise i was pretty sceptical a razor album in 2022 with songs like 'jabroni' ('you spineless cuck!') and 'king shit' could possibly be good, but while it is predictably cringeworthy lyrically it's pretty damn solid riffagely, which is more than can be said for a lot of reunion thrash efforts. still overfamiliar and not super my thing besides, but underrated i'd say. that riff in the latter half of the title track is savage. 5.5/10
Sumerlands - Dreamkiller
i'm on record calling the debut overrated, and i'm inclined to say the same here. it starts out with a couple great tunes and boasts a fantastic vocal performance from former magic circle singer brendan radigan, but it quickly starts devolving into pedestrian mid-paced glam/stadium-leaning shit and i can't really understand how that stuff is wowing anybody. 6.5/10
RadicalThrasher
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no country for old wainds
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Blood and Crescent Productions
Fellwinter - Night of the Blood
this New York BM label consists of two bands; Gauntlet Ring and this solo project from a member of the same. no idea what the fuck that cover is, but the music's pretty good if you're into mournful eight bar tremolo-picked riffs over blastbeats, which i am. it's beyond generic and unsurprising though. 6.5/10
Gauntlet Ring - Tyrannical Bloodlust
apparently this is one of those cunty labels that makes all their shit ultra rare and sells it for extortionate prices, but even so this stuff hits the spot, it's more lively and varied than the Fellwinter album and can probably be placed somewhere between Judas Iscariot and the Blazebirth Hall style. one tune is basically just Branikald with some Surf Rock influence and it fucking rules:
7.5/10
Fellwinter - Night of the Blood
this New York BM label consists of two bands; Gauntlet Ring and this solo project from a member of the same. no idea what the fuck that cover is, but the music's pretty good if you're into mournful eight bar tremolo-picked riffs over blastbeats, which i am. it's beyond generic and unsurprising though. 6.5/10
Gauntlet Ring - Tyrannical Bloodlust
apparently this is one of those cunty labels that makes all their shit ultra rare and sells it for extortionate prices, but even so this stuff hits the spot, it's more lively and varied than the Fellwinter album and can probably be placed somewhere between Judas Iscariot and the Blazebirth Hall style. one tune is basically just Branikald with some Surf Rock influence and it fucking rules:
7.5/10
EspaDa
Damage Case
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Unspeakable Axe Records
Algebra - Chiroptera
i was already a fan of these Swiss thrashers, and again they didn't disappoint despite some wholesale lineup changes. they just have that balance right between human brain and lizard brain, riffing away with precision and bite, integrating their winding off-kilter digressions and progressive flourishes as though applying the ideal amount of garnish and seasoning to a big slab of meat. there are moments here or there when it's a little too dunderheaded and aggy for me, but there's always something cool around the corner and i'd recommend them to fans of everything on the spectrum from Sepultura or Power Trip to Obliveon and Depressive Age. 8/10
Besieged - Violence Beyond All Reason
fucking respect for these Canadian thrash cunts coming back with their first album in 12 years and giving it a 27 minute runtime! thing is an absolute riff-machine, too, taking a page from the RiB playbook in utilising every second, barely slowing down front to back. again i'd highly recommend to the thrashers here (in this case, only the thrashers). 7/10
Critical Defiance - No Life Forms
another strong record from these Chileans after Misconception was one of the superior thrash records of 2019, simultaneously a little more technical and more diverse/freewheeling this time around but the amped up energy and ear for melody remain the same. another album under half an hour too, this label definitely has an all killer no filler mentality. 7.5/10
Miscreance - Convergence
i remember liking a Miscreance song in one of the mixtape games a few years ago, and their debut LP doesn't disappoint. the thing that separates these Italians from a lot of other ambitious DM of recent years is that it's riffing almost entirely on the early Tech-Death of the turn of the '90s rather than the more overtly atmospheric mid-'90s Euro boom or the various -ion bands out of the US, which means they're an altogether more focused yet angular beast than most contemporaries, short and sweet with a smorgasbord of wandering basslines, chopping rhythms and rifling riffcraft, not a cavern in sight. rather than superficially evoking atmosphere through slow-building repetition and winding ten minute songs, the creativity is mainly confined to flourishes of in-the-moment spontaneity a la how the likes of Atheist, Sadus, later Pestilence and mid/late-period Death did their business back in the day. if you love that shit, you'll love this--it even has the same runtime as the classic Atheist recordings--although if anything this stuff may be a little eerier than those bands and there's even flashes of the At the Gates debut's fractured psyche in places. "Time to prove mankind they are weak, trifling and left out to sea/Let them see, they will be entangled when the glare comes..." 8.5/10
Suppression - The Sorrow of Soul Through Flesh
oh look, more Chileans. i had some high hopes for this band as they contain members of Ripper and the mighty Unaussprechlichen Kulten, and the first thoughts are this shit is intense. unlike every other album i've mentioned here, this one is a full-blown overwhelming death metal behemoth; it does actually share some influence with Miscreance in that there's plenty of Pestilence and Sadus here, but definitely the less spazzy versions of those bands and mixed in with the likes of Monstrosity and early Gorguts. the fretless bass is the highlight, just popping off every so often, and there are some warped atmospheric touches and evocative solos here and there, but the bulk is built around numerous massive heaving riffs which rarely let up. maybe a little samey across the full album and too much of a bilious pool of chuggy guitar sludge for me to fully get into it, but i get why people are going apeshit for this, just isn't quite in my wheelhouse. 7/10
clearly one of the greatest metal labels over the last few years, had a lot of fun doing this one.
Algebra - Chiroptera
i was already a fan of these Swiss thrashers, and again they didn't disappoint despite some wholesale lineup changes. they just have that balance right between human brain and lizard brain, riffing away with precision and bite, integrating their winding off-kilter digressions and progressive flourishes as though applying the ideal amount of garnish and seasoning to a big slab of meat. there are moments here or there when it's a little too dunderheaded and aggy for me, but there's always something cool around the corner and i'd recommend them to fans of everything on the spectrum from Sepultura or Power Trip to Obliveon and Depressive Age. 8/10
Besieged - Violence Beyond All Reason
fucking respect for these Canadian thrash cunts coming back with their first album in 12 years and giving it a 27 minute runtime! thing is an absolute riff-machine, too, taking a page from the RiB playbook in utilising every second, barely slowing down front to back. again i'd highly recommend to the thrashers here (in this case, only the thrashers). 7/10
Critical Defiance - No Life Forms
another strong record from these Chileans after Misconception was one of the superior thrash records of 2019, simultaneously a little more technical and more diverse/freewheeling this time around but the amped up energy and ear for melody remain the same. another album under half an hour too, this label definitely has an all killer no filler mentality. 7.5/10
Miscreance - Convergence
i remember liking a Miscreance song in one of the mixtape games a few years ago, and their debut LP doesn't disappoint. the thing that separates these Italians from a lot of other ambitious DM of recent years is that it's riffing almost entirely on the early Tech-Death of the turn of the '90s rather than the more overtly atmospheric mid-'90s Euro boom or the various -ion bands out of the US, which means they're an altogether more focused yet angular beast than most contemporaries, short and sweet with a smorgasbord of wandering basslines, chopping rhythms and rifling riffcraft, not a cavern in sight. rather than superficially evoking atmosphere through slow-building repetition and winding ten minute songs, the creativity is mainly confined to flourishes of in-the-moment spontaneity a la how the likes of Atheist, Sadus, later Pestilence and mid/late-period Death did their business back in the day. if you love that shit, you'll love this--it even has the same runtime as the classic Atheist recordings--although if anything this stuff may be a little eerier than those bands and there's even flashes of the At the Gates debut's fractured psyche in places. "Time to prove mankind they are weak, trifling and left out to sea/Let them see, they will be entangled when the glare comes..." 8.5/10
Suppression - The Sorrow of Soul Through Flesh
oh look, more Chileans. i had some high hopes for this band as they contain members of Ripper and the mighty Unaussprechlichen Kulten, and the first thoughts are this shit is intense. unlike every other album i've mentioned here, this one is a full-blown overwhelming death metal behemoth; it does actually share some influence with Miscreance in that there's plenty of Pestilence and Sadus here, but definitely the less spazzy versions of those bands and mixed in with the likes of Monstrosity and early Gorguts. the fretless bass is the highlight, just popping off every so often, and there are some warped atmospheric touches and evocative solos here and there, but the bulk is built around numerous massive heaving riffs which rarely let up. maybe a little samey across the full album and too much of a bilious pool of chuggy guitar sludge for me to fully get into it, but i get why people are going apeshit for this, just isn't quite in my wheelhouse. 7/10
clearly one of the greatest metal labels over the last few years, had a lot of fun doing this one.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
Everything played by a single 17 year old. ^
New band/demo by the dude behind bands like Nocturnal, Front Beast etc. ^
no country for old wainds
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Nube Negra Productions
Vórtize - !Tienes que luchar!
beautiful solo heavy metal project from the frontman of Demoniac. speaking of solo, it has a whistling solo, and somehow even that rules. the kind of bedroom shit i would make if i had skill, money, a work ethic, etc. war Chile! 9/10
Despertar - Demo MMXXII
this Kiwi demo suffers a little from coming after Vortex, as it has a somewhat similar tone and approach to harmony but it's a lot more amateur and less expansive. still conjures a very nice reflective mood though. 6.5/10
Vórtize - !Tienes que luchar!
beautiful solo heavy metal project from the frontman of Demoniac. speaking of solo, it has a whistling solo, and somehow even that rules. the kind of bedroom shit i would make if i had skill, money, a work ethic, etc. war Chile! 9/10
Despertar - Demo MMXXII
this Kiwi demo suffers a little from coming after Vortex, as it has a somewhat similar tone and approach to harmony but it's a lot more amateur and less expansive. still conjures a very nice reflective mood though. 6.5/10
That Vórtize sounds right up my alley, I'll have to get on it!
EDIT: lol at the guy's M-A photo
EDIT: lol at the guy's M-A photo
Bloopy
Active Member
New one from Exordium Mors this week, just in time for the next Bandcamp Friday. Their 1st full length is a rare case of an extreme metal album being among my all-time faves. So far this sounds up there with that.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
Gargantuan Blade; epic Finnish doom metal in the vein of The Gates of Slumber, Reverend Bizarre etc, singer/guitarist Samuli was in bands like The Wandering Midget, Serpent Warning and Marauders. Good stuff!
SonOfNun
Bill Ward's Red Pants
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
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