Greetings, Decibel readers!
I’m especially excited to tell you about the new Lucifer album today. I talk a lot about how metal is basically the art of nostalgia nowadays. A photocopy endlessly reproducing itself in the hope that someone will still find it as interesting as the original print. However, here is a band that takes several originals from the ’70s and early ’80s, irons out the boring parts, and makes something genuinely interesting of its own. I can’t get enough of it.
There’s also some death metal. And the new one from The Infernal Sea.
Enjoy!
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Dissimulator – Lower Form Resistance
Excellent music for fans of deathy-thrash … or thrashy-death. If you like to occupy the liminal space between those two worlds and also like angular and techy riffs that are still memorable, hook your brains into Dissimulator.
Stream: Apple Music
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Drowned – Procul His
Dark, grim death metal. Very reminiscent of bands like God Macabre, Gorement and Demigod. It’s the kind of death metal that makes you grimace. Not out of disgust, but out of respect. Probably lots of hand motions, too.
Stream: Apple Music
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The Infernal Sea – Hellfenlic
A witchcraft-themed concept album. The Infernal Sea is a fast-moving storm of riffs, screams and blasting drums, delivered in a crisp and clear production package. The band’s style is somewhere between later Satyricon, Watain, Dark Funeral and Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult — in case that helps (it should).
Stream: Apple Music
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Lucifer – Lucifer V
The band’s best (and heaviest) album since their debut. Lucifer V shows a band that has perfectly honed their influences into a cohesive sound all their own. To be sure, they had long since chosen their path with their second and third albums, but this one boasts stellar songwriting and hooks that none of their contemporaries can match. Who am I kidding? Rock music is virtually dead, balkanized to the point of no return. Lucifer stands alone as our guitar-hero morning star in 2024.
Stream: Apple Music
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Vitriol – Suffer & Become
I saw Vitriol open for Morbid Angel last year, and they made for a thrilling palette cleanser. Brutal but with lots of dynamics that keep things interesting. You could say the same for this album, which matches stylistic thrills with jaw-dropping technical skill from the entire band.
Stream: Apple Music