Don’t Miss This! Vol. 7
Six of my audacious, handsome collaborators have previously done a done a fine job curating metal releases you may have missed this year, and now it’s time to do this shit HessianHunter style. This edition of Don’t Miss This is brought to you by the letter VICIOUS. These bands are five different flavors of metal-infused hardcore that bring the heavy and bring it weird, just how we like it here in the Toilet.
Trap Them – Blissfucker
Trap Them was born with HM-2 tone in its blood, but with the recently released Blissfucker the band fully caters to their Swedish influence by toning down their metalcore tendencies and turning the d-beat death metal up to 10. Gone are the frenetic drum shredding and hairpin tempo turns of Darker Handcraft, abandoned in favor of old school everything and steady, head-bobbing riffs with just a tinge of Converge worship for zest.
The trend is official; 90’s death metal is cool again, at least in the hardcore world. If any of you old-timers have a Deicide longsleeve from the Legion tour collecting dust in your closet, hop onto Ebay and sell it to some 19 year old who had neon scene hair 4 years ago for a 500% profit off your initial investment.
Milk White Throat – Death of Beauty
I’ve been an evangelist on behalf of Milk White Throat for years, ever since their masterful debut EP melted my eyes and burnt my ears to a crisp back in 2011. The band has finally answered my anticipation for another release, and they’ve done it with a surprise. In reverse form of Trap Them, on their new release Death of Beauty Milk White Throat tone down their sludge metal elements to embrace prog rock by way of metalcore. I miss the saxophone solos and throaty wailing of the debut EP (which you should REALLY REALLY PLEASE listen to), but thankfully there are lots of tasty riffs, melodies, and DEP-flavored spazz-outs to soak up on Death of Beauty.
Bleak – Bleak
Bleak from Syracuse like their hardcore chased with industrial, and their irresponsibly heavy debut EP is basically just audible floor punches. Imagine Harms Way with fewer tuff guy riffs and more spooky machine sounds. The band tells me they’re playing all over the East Coast in the next few months, so if you’re in the region keep an ear to the ground and you might be able to hear this mechanical colossus playing a dive bar the next town over.
Yautja – Songs of Descent
Yautja‘s new record has actually gotten lots of (deserved) press this year, but we’ve never talked about them on this site so I’m doing it now. Songs of Descent is a seamless blend of influences from across the heavy spectrum. The doom riffs have crust in ’em, and the grind riffs have a blackened tinge. All is One, and One is Nothing. Seeing them live on their current tour was mind-bending. They recently had their van broken into and most of their personal items stolen, so go buy their shit to help them out and make the world a slightly more just place.
Kruger – Adam And Steve
Switzerland’s Kruger are something in between post-metal and hardcore. The riffs are HUGE but the mood is aggressive. This dude’s voice is on another level. It’s like a 9 ft. tall radioactive bipedal goat-man bleating military orders through a ham radio. You know immediately when you are listening to Kruger based on the unique and intense vocals alone, and on their newest record Adam And Steve he’s expanded his range a bit to include a few pleasant sounds. I like it!
Now although Adam and Steve came out in Europe last week, it isn’t actually getting released in America until January. I’m writing about it now anyway because this shit’s important and staggered releases are pointless in 2014. You can still hear three preview tracks in the streams above, so check them out and give the band some sugary money love for an imported CD or Vinyl if you just can’t wait. Expect a full review from yours truly at the start of next year to coincide with the American release.
Don’t Miss This! is an ongoing feature where each of the ToH writers explores a few releases you may have missed this year.
