This Toilet Tuesday (10/14/14)
Greetings again, fellow denizens of the bowl! On this most Toilet of Tuesdays, W, Jack Bauer, Leif Bearikson, and I emerge from the sewer like a less awesome version of the Ninja Turtles, covered in filth and grime and reeking of freshly-expelled excrement. We’ve picked through the crap for only the choicest nuggets, and we’ve come back with a grab-bag of unflushable goodies. Besides the six sewer-gems we’ve highlighted below, there’s a ton of variety this week; there should be a little something for everybody in there. Roll up your sleeves and dig in. -Spear
Revocation – Deathless (Metal Blade) [Death/Thrash]
Ever since I first heard the song “Cradle Robber” off of their Chaos of Forms album, I have been a die-hard Revocation fan. They manage to combine extreme technicality and thrash into something that is truly their own sound. You always know what you will get with these guys, but at the same time it never gets stale because they are always improving. It is truly a sight to behold. Fast forward 3 years, an album, and an EP later and these guys are releasing yet another album in Deathless. They are one of the hardest working bands out there and they truly love to make music. This is Revocation at their absolute best, but then again, when are they not? (Jack Bauer)
Starkill – Virus of the Mind (Century Media) [Symphonic Death Metal]
Starkill is a band from my hometown so I may be a bit biased, but I’ll be damned if Virus of the Mind isn’t one of the best albums to come out this year. Their first album was an absolute ripper with blistering solos and a super fast pace. They do a very good job of combining various genres into their own badass sound. Virus of the Mind sees them experimenting a bit with clean vox and it ends up working really well. They still have the blistering solos and pace though, which is something you won’t see me complaining about. (Jack Bauer)
Inter Arma – The Cavern (Relapse) [Sludge/Post-Metal]
Inter Arma released one of my favorite albums in 2013, and a year later they’re at it again. The Cavern is a single 45 minute song, nay, a journey. Now, I can see you rolling your eyes at the thought of a singular overlong song, but trust me and my mustache, friends, this thing is so enthralling that it seems to breeze by. This is all of the things that made Sky Burial great, alternating heaviness and somber Americana plus an ass ripping solo or 3, all distilled into a singular fantastic achievement. Now that I’m done giving this one a word job, go forth and listen! (Leif Bearikson)
Swallowed – Lunarterial (Dark Descent) [Sludge/Doom]
Listen to “Arterial Mists of Doom”
It has only taken 7 years, but we’re FINALLY getting a full length from the crusty Finland quartet of Swallowed. If you aren’t familiar with them, I suggest you rectify that real quick and in a hurry (Sorry, I’m from Texas, these phrases happen) because if the lead single “Arterial Mists of Doom” is anything to go by, you’re about to have your pelvis crushed. Oh, and fair warning, when go to press play please be wary of our resident Masterlord’s throbbing Swallowed steelboner (phrasing!). (Leif Bearikson)
Menace Ruine – Venus Armata (Profound Lore) [Experimental/Ambient]
Listen to “Red Sulphur,” “Soothing but Cruel”
A funereal vibe and eerie organ groans set the mood over simplistic marching beats, accenting the Jefferson Starship-esque dreamy vocals. This is technically doom metal, but it’s saccharine, idyllic doom that transports your mind and heart to far-away pastures. Call it atmospheric or navel-gazey, but Venus Armata demonstrates that Menace Ruine know how to tap into the deepest reaches of your psyche and lull you into a mesmerizing stupor. The delicate interplay between the lugubrious environ and the gentle, caressing female-vocals will rock you gently. Embrace the sleepwalking night terror over at Bandcamp. (W.)
Occultation – Silence in the Ancestral House (Profound Lore) [Progressive Doom]
Listen to “Laughter in the Halls of Madness,” “The Dream Tide”
Continuing with the dreamy atmosphere established by Menace Ruine, Occultation are going to lull you further into a stupor before ripping your soul directly from your body. I’m going to be honest here; I don’t generally like retro acts. That said, it’s hard to deny that there’s something special about the Kurt Ballou-produced Silence in the Ancestral House. Melodious riffs ascend into NWOBHM solos that articulate the mystical nature of the silky vocals. This music is undeniably catchy, and I’m sure it would sound great live. Plus, that album art is totally rocket. Jam these tracks at Bandcamp. (W.)
Absurdity – Undestructible (Urban Death Records) [Flushcore]
Listen to “Wounded Animal”
The Acacia Strain – Coma Witch (Rise Records) [Flushcore]
Listen to “World Demise”
[Joe Note: Coma Witch has kinda blown me away. If nothing else, try out the ridiculous 20+ minute doom jam closer. I’m floored.]
Adfail – Is It a Game? (Live Records/Ogre Records) [Gothic Doom/Dark Metal]
Listen to “When Light Turns Black”
Alkira – Juggernaut (Independent) [Thrash]
At Dusk – Anhedonia (Independent) [Depressive Black Metal]
Listen to “Anhedonia”
Atrum Tempestas – Néant (Nordavind Records) [Atmospheric Black Metal]
Stream
Baptists – Bloodmines (Southern Lord) [Hardcore]
Listen
Birch Hill Dam – Reservoir (Boozehound) [Stoner Rock]
Listen to “Balance”
Black Therapy – The Final Outcome (Revalve) [Melodeath]
Listen to “The Final Outcome”
Carnality – Dystopia (UltimHate Records) [Brutal Death]
Stream
Celestial Rite – Bearer of Dawn (CD release- Independent) [Black Metal]
Stream
Crawl – Old Wood & Broken Dreams (Stone Groove) [Sludge]
Depraved – Dive Into Psycho Terror (Independent) [Death Metal]
Depths of Hatred – Hellborn (Independent) [Death Metal]
Listen to “Misery Enslaved”
Dimenzion: Psychosphere – Collapse (Crime Records) [Industrial]
Preview
Disentomb – Misery (New Standard Elite) [Brutal Death]
Listen to “An Edifice of Archbestial Impurity”
Gideon – Calloused (Facedown) [Fluschore]
Listen to “Calloused”
Hang The Bastard – Sex in the Seventh Circle (Century Media) [Sludge]
Listen to “Sex in the Seventh Circle”
Holy Dragons – Dragon Inferno (Pitch Black Records) [Heavy Metal]
Listen to “Hollow Man”
Horrendous – Ecdysis (Dark Descent) [Death Metal]
Stream
Humiliation – Battalion (Deepsend) [Death Metal]
Impunity – Muerte Llama a la Muerte (Independent) [Thrash]
Listen to “Muerte Llama a la Muerte”
In Absenthia – A Subtle Teardrop Part 1: Lonely Sinking (Independent) [Gothic/Doom]
Listen to “A Lament (Unveiled by the Moonlight)”
Inner Missing – Defeat (Darknagar) [Gothic Metal]
Insanity Alert – Insanity Alert (Empire) [Crossover Thrash]
Listen to “F.U.N”
Kayo Dot – Coffins on Io (The Flenser) [Experimental]
Stream
Knight Area – Hyperdrive (The Laser’s Edge) [Prog Metal]
Kruger – Adam and Steve (Listenable Records) [Noise/Punk/Post-Metal]
Listen to “Adam and Steve”
Lord Krehn – E(volve) (Independent) [Industrial Black Metal]
Stream
Lunatic Soul – Walking on a Flashlight Beam (Kscope) [Post-Metal]
Listen to “Cold”
The Lurking Corpses – Workin’ For the Devil (Hell’s Headbangers) [lolbuttz]
Listen to “In Hell (I Wait for You)”
Majesty of Revival – Iron Gods (remaster- Medival Records) [Power Metal]
Stream
Mastercastle – Enfer [De La Bibliotèque Nationale] (Scarlet Records) [Power Metal]
Listen to “Enfer”
The Melvins – Hold It In (Ipecac) [Sludge/Doom]
Stream
My Brother the Wind – Once There Was a Time when Time and Space were One (Free Electric Sound) [Psychedelic]
Preview
N.K.V.D. – Hakmarrja (Avantgarde Records) [Industrial Black Metal]
Listen to “Hakmarrja”
Nachtblut – Chimonas (Napalm Records) [Black Metal]
Preview
Necrowretch – Even Death May Die (Century Media) [Death Metal]
Northern Crown – In the Hands of the Betrayer (Independent) [Doom]
Listen to “In the Hands of the Betrayer”
Old Lines – No Child Left Behind (No Sleep) [Hardcore]
Listen to “Traps,” “The Hunt(ed)”
Osmium Guillotine – Live from the Asylum (MGR Music) [Doom]
Listen to “Goomba”
Perdition Winds – Aura of Suffering (Woodcut Records) [Black Metal]
Listen to “Temple Within”
Posthum – The Black Northern Ritual (Independent) [Black Metal]
Listen to “The Black Northern Ritual”
Rings of Saturn – Lugal Ki En (Unique Leader) [Flushcore]
Stream
[Joe Note: lolbuttz]
Scar Symmetry – The Singularity (Phase 1- Neohumanity) (Nuclear Blast) [Progressive Metal]
Listen to “Cryonic Harvest”
Selene – Paradise Over (Independent) [Symphonic Metal]
Listen to “Not Enough,” “Still Dreaming,” “Paradise Over”
Soulhealer – Bear the Cross (Pure Legend) [Heavy Metal]
Listen to “The Journey Goes On”
Soulskinner – Crypts of Ancient Wisdom (Xtreem Music) [Death Metal]
Listen to “Deadland Pt. 1”
Subservience – Upheaval (Independent) [Death Metal]
Preview
Thy Serpent’s Cult – Sedition, Sorcery, and Blasphemy (Ordo MCM) [Death Metal]
Listen to “The Order of the Black Flame”
Today is the Day – Animal Mother (Southern Lord) [Noise]
Stream
Wormwood – Wormwood (Magic Bullet) [Doom]
Listen to “White Plague”
Did we forget a new release? Is there a way we could improve this list? Let us know in the comments below!
(Photos VIA, VIA, VIA, VIA, VIA, and VIA)
