Greetings, Decibel readers!
Had a damn good time seeing KMFDM this week. I hadn’t been much of an expert on them before, their many albums passing me by as I was focused on other things. But I can say that the 90s goth-industrial vibes were palpable as the band ran through a set of classics and newer material, mostly from Naive and onward. It was also rad to attend a show that was dance-able and mosh-able in equal measure. And yes, I know the lineup only consists of one original member at this point, but the others have been around for so long anyway that it still felt authentic. Highly recommend.
I also recommend the new releases below!
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Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison
God, these guys are so sick. Black Curse is one of those special conglomerations where I actually prefer it to the constituent members’ main projects. It’s the sort of blackened-death metal that evokes pure devastation and evil. From the pounding drums, to the oppressive vocals, to the ominous riffs, this is a work of absolutely unrelenting darkness.
Stream: Apple Music
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Blackevil – Praise the Communion Fire for the Unhallowed Sacrament
Try to say that album title five times fast. All joking aside, this album is no joke at all, as the description states: “canvassing a wider range of other stylistic sizes – late ‘90s melodic black metal, same-era blackened death, early ‘80s epic metal, and even a bit of NWOBHM that preceded that – that altogether result in something that’s more unique than ever.” That may sound like hyperbole, but you really can hear all the influences come together in a cool way here.
Stream: Apple Music
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Enforced – A Leap Into the Dark
Need a quick fix of some of the best crossover thrash this side of the 1980s? Well, Enforced has you covered, as they are reliably one of the finest purveyors of this form of sonic devastation. Although the work may be brief, you got a little bit of everything: fast parts, mosh parts, even heavier mosh parts — what else do you need?
Stream: Apple Music
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The Holy Flesh – Advocate, Martyr and Redeemer
Caligari Records definitely excels in finding stuff that doesn’t quite sound like anything else. The Holy Flesh is certainly black metal. But is it atmospheric and flowing? Or is it raw and ripping? Or maybe it’s progressive and experimental. Maybe it’s all of that and none of it. All I know is it’s really cool and mashes a lot of moods together in ways I’m not sure I’ve heard before! This is the band’s third album, so I’m sensing a catalog dive coming for this project.
Stream: Apple Music
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Sentient Horror – In Service of the Dead
Meanwhile, here’s some straightforward death metal goodness from Sentient Horror. Four albums in, you know what you’re getting from these guys, and you know it’s going to be fast, brutal, and fun as hell. The band’s sound captures death metal’s ideal essence, unhinged chaos just barely held together by musical expertise. Their particular style is well-trodden by bands like Grave, Vader and other classic names, but they perform it in such a way that four MORE albums would be welcome.
Stream: Apple Music