Don’t Miss This! Vol. 8
Greetings and welcome to 2015! When last we ran an episode of Don’t Miss This, we were discussing lesser known albums that we didn’t want you to ignore when compiling your year-end lists. Well, 2014 has voided its bowels and given up on life, so the window of crafting our highly influential taste-making lists has passed. However, despite the collective pleadings of the metal blogosphere, many bands for some reason continue to release new albums in December, sadly assuring that they’ll be missed by most publications. That’s where we come in!
In this new edition of Don’t Miss This, we’ll be covering some last-minute bombs dropped by 2014 in the midst of its death throes, as well as one album that flew under the radar for the entire year. You’ve probably heard me talk a bit about some of these groups, but I urge you to give them a second examination. Let’s get to it, then.
Dimesland – Psychogenic Atrophy – Independent (12/9/2014)
Even the astute detectives who work around the clock to compile your Toilet Tuesday release list every week somehow missed this low-flyer, and that’s a crying shame. Thankfully, a certain skronk-loving goat brought this young band of upstarts out of California to my attention, and I’m certainly glad he did. The ever reliable Metal Archives list Dimesland as a progressive metal band, but Invisible Oranges call them thrash, and that’s all fine and good if you think the sound of Voivod‘s night-terrors can be considered thrash. This is whacked out, spaced out, skronky chaos loaded with riffs and brain-bending turns on a dime that will launch your mind into orbit. Similar to the refined chaos peddled by personal favorites Baring Teeth, Dimesland veer from instrumental tracks to throat-searing songs, and they handle both expertly. If you’re into the more chaotic side of metal and think most modern thrash is bland, don’t miss Dimesland! Be sure to like them on Facebook and check out the stream and interview over at Invisible Oranges.
Cretin – Stranger – Relapse (12/5/2014)
You should all be well aware by now that I love grind. You should also be aware that grind masters Cretin unleashed a furious new hellspawn in early December. Although we posted a few tracks from them and even included them on a Toilet Tuesday, the magnificent Stranger came out just a little too late for our year-end lists. That’s a crying shame, because Cretin are serious pros dedicated to the art of rending you limb from limb. Want to know the difference between good grind and bad grind? Listen to Stranger. The songs are memorable and brutal. The production is raw, but the riffs are razor sharp. The fury is palpable without being comical. This is grind done right, and that spooky artwork is just the icing on the cake. If you like grind that punches you right in the kidney and laughs while you piss blood, don’t miss Cretin! Like them on Facebook and buy the album on Bandcamp.
Prognathe – Revelation Flesh – Peccata Mundi (12/16/2014)
One of the great things about helping with Toilet Tuesday is that I get to check out all manner of bands with which I am unfamiliar. Prognathe were a very pleasant surprise I stumbled upon back in December. If you read my blurb then, you may remember that I described these brutes as a horrific combination of sludge, grind, death, and black metal. However, after purchasing the album shortly after writing that blurb, I came to realize that there’s something unique and gripping about this band that is distinctly French in nature. There’s a certain invisible mark, a certain finesse to the song structure and proficiency of artistic vision that bleeds out from the pores of this release and that reminds you of the tender care and respect for detail for which the French metal scene is known. True, the vocals on this release are still a bit off-putting at moments, but they make sense in the grand scope and hellish fury. If you like Ulcerate-esque metal that is denser than a quantum singularity, don’t miss Prognathe! Like them on Facebook and buy the album on Bandcamp.
This White Mountain – From Atop This White Mountain – Independent (12/23/2014)
This White Mountain are another fantastic band I previously blurbed about for Toilet Tuesday. I can’t stop singing their praise, and I’ve even successfully converted the staunch and notoriously difficult-to-please-when-it-comes-to-black-metal Masterlord to the White Mountain cause. Essentially the brain-child of mastermind Kevin Narowski, From Atop This White Mountain is the impressive debut full-length from This White Mountain. On the Bandcamp page, Narowski writes that he spent over two years writing the album and nearly gave up in the process. However, we have much to thank him for, as this debut, possibly the first in a trilogy, is a work of sheer wonder and painstaking care. The personal touch and determination are evident in each evocative track, and the final product just drips glory. I truly believe that this beautiful, intrepid black metal masterwork is a stunning tribute to the more melodic side of extreme music. If you like black metal that soars to lofty heights, don’t miss This White Mountain. Give them a like on Facebook and buy the album on bandcamp.
Pripjat – Sons of Tschernobyl – Bret Hard (2/14/2014)
I mentioned in the introduction that one of the albums I would discuss was released early in the year and went relatively unknown. Well, the time has arrived. Introducing Pripjat, heroes of the thrash scene. I hope I’m not stealing Simon Phoenix’s thunder here by discussing them, but they definitely deserve the acclaim. On a debut full-length that I’m almost certain is at the least inspired by the Stalker franchise, Pripjat bring the youthful vim and vigor that is missing from so much of the thrash scene today. Yes, they play more traditional thrash, but they do so in a way that doesn’t feel like a boring, paltry facsimile of the Bay Area scene. Taking the energy and exuberance of early Death Angel, and cramming it with killer riffs, impressive solos, and a welcome dash of jauntiness, Pripjat bring you 10 tracks of headbanging glory. If you like quality thrash that doesn’t just feel like a weak attempt at reliving the glory days, don’t miss Pripjat. Like them on Facebook and buy the album at Bret Hard Records.
(Photos VIA, VIA, VIA, VIA, and VIA)
