Greetings,Decibelreaders!
We’ve got an eclectic mix of sounds for you today. I know a lot of you will be stoked to hear the newSaidan record, and there’s also something for fans of old-school 80s metal, brutal death metal, proggy-death metal, and evocative Norwegian black metal.
Cheers!
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Hyena/Risingfall – Heavy Metal Heroes
As you can expect from anything on Dying Victims, this release fits every expectation you’d get from the album cover. It’s classic ’80s heavy metal played like the glory days never ended. I’m especially partial to the Hyena side of this split, but the whole thing is fun as hell.
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Inscribed – Upon the Twisted Throne
Floridian death metal that conjures the ghosts of earlyAtheist, Gorguts andNocturnus with great songwriting and hooks. Pay special attention to the excellent bass playing that forms the backbone of this wicked skeleton of an album.Inscribedis a young band that’s just getting started, and they’re already way ahead of the pack.
Stream:Apple Music
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Mork – Monolitt
Mork‘s eighth album of brooding, mysterious black metal that sees the project continuing its trajectory in the vein of bands likeDjevel, Tulus and Isvind. There’s a notable resemblance toEnslaved here as well, particularly during the album’s more contemplative moments.
Stream:Apple Music
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Saidan – Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory’s Wrist
At this point,Saidan‘s sound makes me consider whatBlack Sails in the Sunset andArt of Drowning-era AFI would sound like if Davey Havok decided he wanted to collaborate withHIM tomake black metal. That’s an endorsement, not a diss, by the way. Anyway, Fangdriller shows Splatterpunk and Hundosai continue to make catchy and infectious noise that maintains the veneer of their raw black metal early days while leaning ever into their goth and pop-punk sensibilities.
Stream:Apple Music
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Scordatura – Led Into Oblivion
Anyway, here’s some really brutal death metal. There’s a lot of bands that sound like this, but I like howScordatura throws things together, strategically applying every blast, pinch harmonic, and guttural utterance for maximum effect.
Stream:Apple Music