Greetings, Decibel readers!
It’s like a death-metal buffet this week! You can take your picks à la carte, with servings of techy brutality, filthy caveman beats, razor-sharp clarity, and Jacob Bannon’s side project.
Eat up.
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Fractal Generator – Convergence
Brutal, slightly-techy death metal with an overall vibe similar to Hate Eternal Gateways-era Morbid Angel. I like hoe the band leans into their aesthetic with their members simply using numbers for their names (e.g., “040118180514” on bass and vocals).
Stream: Apple Music
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Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Temples Colliding In Fire
Black metal build with melodic-death metal parts. In a way, that basically comes out to something approximating Necrophobic making a Dark Tranquility album. I mean, I’d listen to that! And you should listen to this!
Stream: Apple Music
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Noroth – Sacrificial Solace
Dirty, grimy death metal you’d expect to come from Carbonized Records. You almost feel sweaty and gross listening to it. But not in a bad way, that’s kind of the point.
Stream: Apple Music
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Severe Torture – Torn From the Jaws of Death
These guys are generating a major buzz lately — lots of people I knew were stoked to watch their set at Maryland Deathfest. This is death metal of the supremely professional kind. Clean, efficient, and absolutely crushing in the way you’d expect from bands like Vader, Vital Remains, 2000s-era Behemoth, and perhaps early Decapitated.
Stream: Apple Music
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Umbra Vitae – Light Of Death
I know most supergroups tend to be major disappointments, mostly kicking up more hype-dust than any actual riffs or hooks, it’s hard to mess up the style these guys do. Beside, you’re in good hands here with Jacob from Converge, Greg from The Red Chord, and other highly qualified individuals. It’s like taking the various strains of metal that gained prominence in the 2000s and extracting out the most brutal elements.
Stream: Apple Music