This Toilet Tuesday (12/20/16)
Winter is very nearly upon us, and I’m about ready to die. Christmas is right around the corner, and the thought of having to spend time with other humans is not terribly appealing. More worthless political bickering, more questioning of why I don’t plan on having kids while I’m surrounded by screaming children, more passive-aggressive crap flung between family members… Just let it end. Fortunately, we’ve been provided with an excellent soundtrack for all this nonsense this week, and W. and Stockhausen have picked out a couple of the best. Check those out and come wallow with me.
Crypt of Silence – Awareness Ephemera (Solitude Productions) [Death/Doom]
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Crypt of Silence certainly isn’t reinventing the funeral doom wheel with Awareness Ephemera, but if you like your metal slow, sad, and heavier than a baleen whale bloated from eating far too much chili, this band is perfect for you. Guttural growls and alterations in the drum patterns keep these moving along, but perhaps the most appealing element of the band’s sound is the reverent, majestic guitar riff reminiscent of classic Peaceville. Grab your cloak and join the procession. FFO: Lycus, My Dying Bride, Morgion 12/19/16 (W.)
Seven Chains – Seven Chains (Independent) [Experimental Death/Doom]
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On their debut album, Seven Chains shows us that delivering a fresh perspective in a tried-and-true genre doesn’t require the reinvention of the wheel or advanced calculus. The three-piece from Idaho never strays from the realm of death/doom, but they consistently stay engaging with a thoughtful approach to everything they do. The band clearly has a knack for finding very non-obvious yet extremely logical solutions to the problems posed by common doom tropes. A slow moving chord sequence is about to overstay its welcome? Alright, throw in some gross notes, change up the vocals, and start blasting. We’ve alternated trudging and blasting a few times in a row now? Cool, let’s find a simple yet compelling rhythmic idea, experiment with sustain in the guitars, and get weird. It needs even more variety? Great, throw in some non-traditional instruments like cello, upright bass, and Ævangelist’s Ascaris on sax. This album is a swirling, experimental sea of horror from top to bottom, and it had me hanging on to every twist and turn while saying “why didn’t I think of that?” 12/19/16 (Stockhausen)
Beating Dead Meat – With Full Force (Inverse Records) [Incredibly salty melodeath]
Listen to “No Compromise”
Blasphemium – Crowned by the Serpent (Independent) [Black Metal]
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Blasphemonger – Impaled Beneath the Pentagram (Les Fleurs du Mal Productions) [Death Metal]
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Blindman – To the Light (Walküre Records) [Heavy Metal]
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Cavemaster – Negro Culto (Fatsound Productions) [Black Metal]
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Cromo – Hereafter (Independent) [Discount UDO]
Listen to “Unchained”
Dawn of Memories – Unwritten Endings (Independent) [Prog/Melodeath]
Listen to “Slavery Instead of a Dream,” “Fear Wakes Me Every Dawn”
Distressful Project – Fucked-Up Songs (Grimm Distribution) [Gothic/Doom]
Listen to “Tristia”
Drown My Day – Nightmare Becomes Reality (Independent) [Deathcore]
Listen to “Nightmare Becomes Reality”
Dysfori – Resan utan slut (War Against Yourself Records) [:(]
Listen to “Ensamheten,” “Dödsdansen”
Echelon – The Brimstone Aggrandizement (Transcending Obscurity) [Death metal]
Listen
Evil Force – Banging on the Pentagram (Witches Brew) [Thrash]
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Exhortation – Ashland Messiah (Independent) [Thrash]
Listen to “Seeds of Ruin,” “Ashland Messiah”
Goatblood – Veneration of Armageddon (Dunkelheit Produktionen) [Black Metal]
Listen
Gutted – Martyr Creation (Xtreem Music) [Death Metal]
Listen to “Deeper Than Hell”
In Shadows and Dust – Messe Noire (Indpendent) [Death Metal]
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Kill the Stigmatic – Possessing the Catatonics (Independent) [Deathgrind]
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Kladovest – Ignitiate (No Colours Records) [Black Metal]
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Kres – 40 nocy grudnia (Werewolf Promotion) [Post-Black Metal]
Listen to “40 nocy grudnia”
Mourning of the Heretic – Tales of Threnodies and Tragedies (Independent) [Symphonic Death Metal]
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Perennial Isolation – Epiphanies of the Orphaned Light (Darkwoods) [Black Metal]
Listen to “…To Ephemeral Dusk”
Pimeä Metsä – No Blood, No Glory (Wormholedeath Records) [Folk Metal]
Psychic Dose – Myrkviðr (Independent) [Doom]
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Putrified – The Flesh. The Scythe. The Tomb. (Unholy Prophecies) [Death Metal]
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Quintessenz – To the Gallows (Evil Spell/Undercover) [Black/Thrash]
Listen to “Zeitgeist”
Revenge/Bloody Nightmare – Speed Legion (split- Repulsion Records) [Speed Metal]
Listen to “Full Speed Vengeance,” “Swords & Fire” (BN)
The Ruins of Beverast – Takitum Tootem! (Van Records) [Black Metal]
Slechtvalk – Where Wandering Shadows and Mists Collide (Independent) [Melodeath]
Listen to “We Are”
Temple of Nihil – Soul Extremist (Symbol of Domination) [Black Metal]
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Thunderwar – Black Storm (Witching Hour Productions) [Death Metal]
Listen to “Black Storm Will Unfold”
The Unguided – Brotherhood (Napalm Records) [Groove Metal]
Veiled in Scarlet – Lament (Walküre Records) [Melodeath]
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Did we forget a new release? Is there a way we could improve this list? Let us know in the comments below!
