This Toilet Tuesday (4/4/17)
Welcome once more to This Toilet Tuesday! The stream of new music is steady as ever, and we’ve got some great stuff coming out this week. Picks this week come courtesy of HessianHunter, DumpsterLung, BertBanana, and myself; check those out and hit that list.
Fucked Up – Year of the Snake (Tankcrimes Records) [Punk]
Stream
Fucked Up have proven themselves to be among the most ambitious hardcore bands of all time, but I was still taken aback when they morphed into a straight-up stoner metal band for Year Of The Dragon and a chamber folk outfit for Year of the Hare, their most recent entries of their zodiac series of shortform releases. I’ve been hyped to know what they’d do for Year Of The Snake, which just so happens to be the zodiac sign under which I was born, and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Year Of The Snake is a beautiful, meandering, psychedelic 24 minute journey that never lets on what’s coming next. The journey begins with a heady groove that puts you in a head-nodding, sensual trance, then spends the next 12 minutes constantly pulling the rug from under your feet. The form of this mammoth track is confusing as hell, but it’s fun to try to piece it back together once you’re done. 3/17/17 (HessianHunter)
Demon Head – Thunder on the Fields (The Sign Records) [Doom]
Listen to “Gallow’s Omen,” “Hic Svnt Dracones”
Now this is a pleasant surprise. I just introduced a couple friends to Denmark’s Demon Head late last night, and lo and behold: just as I think to myself that I should look them up and see what, if anything, they’ve been up to, their sophomore album happens to be coming out this very week. If you’re not familiar with the band, imagine a Danzig-fronted Black Sabbath or Pentagram. From the two singles I’ve heard thus far, the band retains their catchy blend of dark 70’s hard rock and proto-doom with an occult flair. They don’t hit you over the head with huge, in-your-face, fuzz-laden stoner riffs, as many other contemporaries would, however. Think of something along the lines of early Witchcraft, more focused on a vintage hard rock sound. Demon Head takes a subtler, yet no less effective approach. The guitars are not all that distorted, and with the deeper clean vocals and prominent bass, they have a disarmingly smooth sound that somehow manages to be both relaxing and driving. There are certainly riffs, but their sheer catchiness gets your attention rather than their dominance in the mix. With Thunder on the Fields, these core fundamentals remain intact (the artwork even features sheep once again), but progress is made nonetheless. The production seems notably improved, which is worth mentioning, considering I had zero complaints about the production before, but it doesn’t feel overproduced or take away from the retro atmosphere. Most exciting though, is that here already seems to be a more dynamic feeling to the songwriting just from these two singles alone. There are more hard rocking, uptempo riffs and more adventurous leads that briefly flirt with psychedelia without feeling over-indulgent or sacrificing any momentum. All in all, I’ve rambled on for entirely too long, but I’m excited for this one, and you ought to be too! 4/7/17 (DumpsterLung)
Basement Torture Killings – There’s Something About Beryl (Grindscene Records) [Deathgrind]
Listen to “The Rat Catcher”
I think I speak for most of us when I address this elephant in the room: the wait for a new Dying Fetus album is getting unbearable. Aside from that song that leaked a while back, there has been nothing new except for a teaser trailer. WE DON’T EVER HAVE A RELEASE DATE FOR FUCK’S SAKE! So what can us deathgrind fans do in the meantime while Relapse continues to play mind games with us? We you can continue to listen to the excellent releases from Lock Up and Benighted or you can check out the new release by Basement Torture Killings. There’s definitely some (a lot actually) of old school Dying Fetus worship going on here. I dig the new vocalist, Beryl. She’s got some serious pipes on her. The new drummer has some chops too. Unfortunately, there isn’t really too much to digest from the song “The Rat Catcher,” as it’s fairly straightforward. It’s not going to blow you away. I think the song could be a little tighter. However, I wouldn’t count them out. Their last album, A Night of Brutal Torture, had several bangers and was surprisingly enjoyable. I don’t think this album is going to blow you away (I already have a history of being wrong), but I think can be something worth adding to your rotation if you’re really into Br00tal DM/Deathgrind. FFO: Dying Fetus, Prostitute Disfigurement, Severe Torture, Sinister, Abnormality 4/7/17 (BertBanana)
Ulver – The Assassination of Julius Caesar (House of Mythology) [Electronic]
Listen to “Nemoralia”
Since I’m an idiot, this release flew right under my radar and I’m only finding out about this now. I’ve debated about whether I should actually write something or just post “OMG” 666 times. The new single “Nemoralia,” which has an incredible retro sound that pulls from Depeche Mode and has sweet NIN vibe, how completely consumed my life. As of writing this, I’ve listened to it fairly consistently in the last 4 hours or so and pre-ordered it. Unlike their last release, ATGCLVLSSCAP, this actually has vocals so, Garm’s voice can pick you up and whisk you away from all the world’s problems to that comfort zone that is all too familiar to Ulver fans. Fuck, this is going to be a rad album. 4/7/17 (BertBanana)
Ubiquitous – Ad Portas Inferi (Independent) [Melodeath]
Listen to “Befoulment”
Ubiquitous plays the increasingly, uh, ubiquitous Black Dahlia Murder style of Gothenburg-worshiping melodic death metal, which is to say that there’s nothing particularly new or unique about it. However, even considering that we’re getting a new TBDM album this year, I wouldn’t skip over Ad Portas Inferi. Ubiquitous are damn good at what they do, and they take on a bit more technical edge than many other bands doing the same thing while retaining all of the catchiness and hooks you’d expect. “Befoulment” has already gotten a couple listens from me, and I expect the rest of the album will live up to it. 4/7/17 (Spear)
Abduction – To Further Dreams of Failure (Inferna Profundus Records) [Black Metal]
Stream
Amken – Theater of the Absurd (No Remorse Records) [Thrash]
Listen to “Soul’s Crypt”
Arkhitekt – Upon Indemnity to the Solvent of Civilization (Independent) [Drone/Black Metal]
Preview
Arthemis – Blood-Fury-Domination (Scarlet Records) [Heavy Metal]
Avelion – Illusion of Transparency (Revalve Records) [Powercore?]
Listen to “Fading Out”
Azarath – In Extremis (Agonia Records) [Blackened Death Metal]
Listen to “At the Gates of Understanding”
Bergwacht/Seelenlandschaft – Waldpfad (split- Independent) [Folk/Black Metal]
Stream
Burial Oath – Beyond the Vale of Shadowlands (Independent) [Black Metal]
Listen to “Sol Av Svart,” “Womb of Cosmic Bane”
Comaniac – Instruction for Destruction (SAOL) [Thrash]
Listen to “Instruction For Destruction”
The Crawling – Anatomy of Loss (Independent) [Death/Doom]
Preview
Deep Purple – Infinite (earMUSIC) [Heavy Metal/Rock]
Listen to “Time for Bedlam,” “All I Got Is You”
Defy the Tide – Soteria (Independent) [Power Prog]
Listen to “Traced in Flames”
Dominia – Stabat Mater (Fono Ltd.) [Gothic Doom]
Stream
The Doomsday Kingdom – The Doomsday Kingdom (Nuclear Blast Records) [Doom]
Listen to “A Spoonful of Darkness,” “Hand of Hell”
Dragony – Lords of the Hunt (Limb Music) [Power Metal]
Listen to “Call of the Wild”
Dust in Mind – Oblivion (darkTunes) [Industrial]
Listen
eOn – Purgatory Inherited (Independent) [Groove Metal]
Stream
Extremity – Extremely Fucking Dead (20 Buck Spin) [Death Metal]
Stream
Forsaken Warriors – Forsaken Warriors (Independent) [Heavy Metal]
Stream
Fractal Face – Demo (Independent) [Experimental Death Metal]
Stream
Fuoco Fatuo – Backwater (Profound Lore Records) [Death/Doom]
Listen to “Sulphureous Hazes,” “Perpetual Apochaos”
Ghost Horizon – The Erotics of Disgust (Independent) [Post-Gazed ShoeBlack]
Listen to “Radiant Eyes”
Grid – Human Collapse Syndrome (Discouraged Records) [Grindcore]
Stream
Harlott – Extinction (Metal Blade Records) [Thrash]
Listen to “First World Solutions,” “The Penitent”
Inferno – Gnosis Kardias (Of Transcension and Involution) (WTC Productions) [Spoopy Black Metal]
Listen to “The Innermost Disillusion”
Jesters of Destiny – The Sorrows That Refuse to Drown (Ektro Records) [Heavy Metal]
Listen to “Ladies of Runyon Canyon/My Card, Sir”
Katharos XIII – Negativity (Loud Rage Music) [Black Metal]
Listen to “Negativity,” “The Chains are so Beautiful”
Kelly Simonz’s Blind Faith – Overture of Destruction (King Records) [Heavy/Power Metal]
Preview
A Lie Nation – Begin Hate (Inverse Records) [Black Metal]
Listen to “Shooting the Messenger”
The Lightbringer – Heptanity (Independent) [Symphonic/Black/Power Metal]
Listen to “The Fire of Life and Death”
Lik/Uncanny – Only Death Is Left Alive/The Reaping (split- War Anthem Records) [Death Metal]
Metall – Metal Heads (Pure Steel Records) [Heavy Metal]
Nervochaos – Nyctophilia (GreyHaze Records) [Death Metal]
Listen to “Ad Maiorem Satanae Gloriam,” “Moloch Rise”
Nofuck – Walls of Flesh (Murdher Records) [Death/Thrash]
Listen to “Walls of Flesh”
Nott – Disfacimento (Razed Soul Productions) [Black Metal]
Listen to “Rimpianto”
The Obsessed – Sacred (Relapse Records) [Doom]
Listen to “Punk Crusher,” “Razor Wire”
Possession – Exorkizein (Iron Bonehead Productions) [Death Metal]
Listen to “Infestation – Manifestation – Possession,” “Beast of Prey”
Purgatorium – Still in Search (Discouraged Records) [Melodeath]
Stream
Reflection – Bleed Babylon Bleed (Pitch Black Records) [Heavy Metal]
Listen to “Ruler of my Own Land”
Ruins of Elysium – Seeds of Chaos and Serenity (Independent) [Symphonic Metal]
Listen to “Kama Sutra”
Sarcophagus – Beyond This World’s Illusion (Satanath/Death Portal) [Black Metal]
Listen to “Reign of Chaos”
Scatha – Take the Risk (Independent) [Thrash]
Listen to “Movido Pela Raiva”
Sigil – Kingdom of the Grave (Horror Pain Gore Death) [Death Metal]
Listen to “Kingdom of the Grave”
Sinheresy – Domino (Scarlet Records) [Symphonic Metal]
Listen to “My Only Faith”
Spitefuel – Second to None (MDD Records) [Heavy Metal]
Listen to “Purified,” “Sleeping With Wolves”
Sunless Sky – Doppelgänger (Pure Steel Records) [Power Metal]
Preview
Trial (Swe) – Motherless (Metal Blade Records) [Heavy Metal]
Listen to “Motherless,” “Cold Comes the Night”
Interview
Valborg – Endstrand (Prophecy Productions) [Death/Doom]
Listen to “Beerdigungsmaschine,” “Bunkerluft”
Virulent Depravity – Fruit of the Poisoned Tree (The Artisan Era) [Tech Death]
Listen to “Beyond the Point of No Return,” “Mechanized Defilement,” “Desecrating Eden”
Review
Did we forget a new release? Is there a way we could improve this list? Let us know in the comments below!
