This Toilet Tuesday (10/20/20)
New music time, folks, come see what’s good. This week has ample helpings of new tunes from all types of metal, so there should be something to pique your interest in there. Karhu and Hans have picked out a couple that might tickle your fancy, but there’s plenty more further below.
Black Fate – Ithaca (Rockshots Records) [Power Metal]
Listen to “Savior Machine”
Do you miss Kamelot? Of course you do, because Kamelot in 2020 is producing Xeroxed copies of itself, in between regimens of valium, and gets angry and confrontational if you ask it about John Finberg. Black Fate sounds a lot like Kamelot, except that they’ve got an emotionally present vocalist who didn’t just show up cash a check, a capable guitarist dropping scorching leads in between solos and generally speaking a band that plays and sounds like they like what they’re doing, and want to do what they’re doing. And even though their songwriting makes familiar rounds, it’s tight, catchy and not constrained by a pre-set format. Oh, and I’m sorry this blurb is essentially just an anti-Kamelot rant, when it should celebrate Black Fate. 10/23/20 (Karhu)
Weald and Woe – The Fate of Kings and Men (Independent) [Castle Black Metal]
Listen to “The Land of Forgotten Suns”
From the ringing of the first notes, to the echo of the last, I am reminded of Obsequiae. Though Weald and Woe doesn’t operate with the same nimbleness when it cones to the melodies, the bread and butter of this raw castle-ass folkened black metal, compensating with blast beats and rawness. With a couple of additional spins a more unique twist begins to make it’s way through. Though there’s also a Maiden-ass melody or two in there, this doesn’t fortunately mean just gluing a few other bands on top Oopsitsaquiet. I’ll be looking forward to hearing the full thing. 10/23/20 (Karhu)
Red Moon Architect – Emptiness Weighs the Most (Noble Demon) [Melodeath/Doom]
Listen
Ever wondered what it would sound like if Chris Barnes fronted a beauty and the beast styled melodeath ‘n doom outfit with a mildly symphonic flair? No? Well, I figured you wouldn’t have, but if you did, you’d be in luck. I’ve liked Red Moon Architect in the past, and I think I will continue to listen to them in the future. Based on it’s singles, Emptiness Weighs the Most won’t be making any year-end lists, but it’s worth a spin if you’re into the style. Or perversely curious. PS. It doesn’t sound as wildly exciting as you’d think. 10/23/20 (Karhu)
Raging Speedhorn – Hard to Kill (Red Weed Records) [Groove Metal]
Listen to “Hard to Kill”
Speaking of things that aren’t overly exciting and bands named after drug-induced boners (nobody spoke of that, but I’m sure there’s some on the list), here’s something I hadn’t expected to see, if only because I’d forgotten that they got back together like six years ago. Anyway, judging by the singles, this album brings back some of the vigour that I’d been missing on the last two. It sounds like simple, mindless fun, so the genre tag seems fitting, but past albums flew the sludge/hardcore flag, so some slower or perhaps even pensive tunes can be expected. At least I hope so, because otherwise this might turn out a little too simple even for me. 10/23/20 (Hans)
Adamantis – Far Flung Realm (Independent) [Power Metal]
Listen
Anthea – Illusion (Rockshots Records) [Symphonic Power Metal]
Listen to “Illusion,” “Reach”
Armored Saint – Punching the Sky (Metal Blade) [Heavy Metal]
Listen to “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”
Atlases – Woe Portrait (Lifeforce Records) [Sludge/Post-Metal]
Listen
Black March – Gloria in Ruinam (Independent) [Black Thrash]
Listen to “Deus Nihil Metuo”
Brain Corruption – Profiteers of Suffering (Independent) [Crust/Deathgrind]
Carnal Ruin – The Damned Lie Rotting (Redefining Darkness) [Death Metal]
Stream
Ceremonial Bloodbath – The Tides of Blood (Sentient Ruin) [Death Metal]
Listen
Coexistence – Collateral Dimension (Transcending Obscurity) [Italian Beyond Creation]
Listen
Cortez – Sell the Future (Ripple Music) [Doom]
Listen
Demonical – World Domination (Agonia Records) [Death Metal]
Listen to “My Kingdom Done”
Epitimia – Allusion (Onism Productions) [Black Metal]
Stream
Erebos – Upon the Northern Shores (Northern Silence) [Black Metal]
Flail – Dying Embers to Coldening Coals (Independent) [Black Metal]
Listen to “Marooned in Penance”
Gruzja/Neon Scaffold – Konflikt (Devoted Art Propaganda) [Weird Black Metal]
Stream
Hedon – In Blasphemy Reborn (Downfall Records) [Melodeath]
Incognosci – A Biography of Madness (Extreme Sound Records) [Death Metal]
Listen to “Aftermath”
Incriminating Silence – Vicissim (Independent) [Spearcore]
Listen
Invincible Force – Decomposed Sacramentum (Dark Descent) [Black/Death/Thrash]
Listen to “Perpetual Black Mass”
Iskandr – Gelderse poort (Eisenwald) [Black Metal]
Kevel – Mutatis Mutandis (I, Voidhanger) [Sludgy Black Metal]
Listen
Leaves’ Eyes – The Last Viking (AFM Records) [Symphonic Metal]
Listen to “Chain of the Golden Horn”
Marty Friedman – Tokyo Jukebox 3 (Avex Trax) [Prog Rock/Metal/Shred]
Melodius Deite – Elysium (Art Gates Records) [lolbuttz]
Listen to “Acts of Failure”
Mesa – Glow (Independent) [Sludge/Doom]
Listen to “An’other”
Mistheria – Dreams (Independent) [Contemporary Classical?]
Listen
Mörk Gryning – Hinsides vrede (Season of Shits) [Black Metal]
Listen
Mors Principium Est – Seven (AFM Records) [Melodeath]
Listen to “A Day For Redemption”
Nocte Obducta – Irrlicht (Es schlägt dem Mond ein kaltes Herz) (Supreme Chaos Records) [Black Metal]
Irrlichtma balls GOTTEM
Noosed – Rise (Trepanation Recordings) [Sludge/Death Metal]
Listen
Old Mother Hell – Lord of Demise (Cruz del Sur Music) [Power Metal/Doom]
Listen
Ovtrenoir – Fields of Fire (Consouling Sounds) [Sludge/Post-Metal]
Listen to “I Made My Heart a Field of Fire”
Pallbearer – Forgotten Days (Nuclear Blast) [Doom]
Listen
Pitch Black – Death & Disbelief (Emanzipation Productions) [Thrash]
Listen to “The World Is Mine”
Prometheus – Resonant Echoes from Cosmos of Old (I, Voidhanger) [Black Metal]
Listen
Scary Loner – Explosive Sadism (Independent) [War Metal]
Stream
Shaark – Deathonation (Slovak Metal Army) [Thrash]
Listen to “Deathonation”
Slow Fall – Beneath the Endless Rains (Inverse Records) [Prog/Death Metal]
Preview
Solitary – The Truth Behind the Lies (Metalville Records) [Thrash]
Listen to “Abominate”
Song of Anhubis – Reversed Reflection (Rockshots Records) [Symphonic Metal]
Listen to “Teratos”
Soul Secret – Blue Light Cage (Layered Reality Productions) [Prog Metal]
Listen to “The Ghost Syndicate”
Steve Blower – The Prophecy (Independent) [Heavy Metal]
Stream
Subser – O Templo da Cegueira (Independent) [Deathgrind]
Stream
Thanatopsis – Initiation (Extreme Metal Music) [Thrash]
Listen to “Initiation,” “Consequence”
ThrashWall – ThrashWall (ThrashWall) [ThrashWall]
ThrashWall
Uncle Woe – Phantomescence (Independent) [Stoner Doom]
Listen
Undeath – Lesions of a Different Kind (Prosthetic Records) [Death Metal]
Listen
Vessel of Light – Last Ride (Nomad Eel Records) [Doom]
Listen to “Last Ride”
White Walls – Grandeur (Independent) [Prog Metal]
Listen
Did we forget a new release? Is there a way we could improve this list? Let us know in the comments!
