I know it’s a little late but here’s my Valentine’s Day gift to all of you.
The Body & OAA
Enemy Of Love (Thrill Jockey)
Man, The Body love leaving their DNA all over other artists. While usually it’s other noise mongers, they picked the experimental electronic musician OAA to swap spit with on their latest collaboration. Sometimes this sounds like listening to a radio broadcast from the Cenobite dimension [Uh, it’s called the Labyrinth, JEFF. -Ed], other times like a demon got loose at a rave. It may not always be fun to listen to, but it’s certainly never boring!
Bunuel
Killers Like Us (Profound Lore)
Oxbow’s Eugene S. Robinson teams up with some Italian weirdos for the latest peek into his fucked-up brain, Buñuel. It’s not much of a surprise that they’re named after a surrealist known for cruelty to eyeballs! His rants certainly, uh, complement the lurching noise rock that his collaborators vomit out. As off-putting as this stuff might seem, it’s actually probably more straightforward than his work with Oxbow, making this a more accessible (relatively speaking) introduction to Robinson’s unique worldview.
Immolation
Acts Of God (Nuclear Blast)
It’s Immolation. If you love death metal, sweatpants boner ahoy. If you don’t, there’s nothing here for you. Decide accordingly.
Matt Pike
Pike vs. The Automaton (MNRK Heavy)
I’ve been a fan of Matt Pike‘s music for a while now (his conspiracy theory leanings, less so) but this solo joint proves that he works best with collaborators – or at least a direction. Pike vs. The Automaton certainly contains his unique touchstones, but without the grounding of a Sleep or High on Fire, they get lost in a meandering mess. It also sounds shitty (and not in the deliberate way his other bands do). Feels like a rare misfire from the stoner metal titan.
The Neptune Power Federation
Le Demon De L’Amour (Cruz Del Sur)
Imperial Priestess Screaming Loz Sutch sports a hell of a name and some impressive headgear, which would mean nothing if she didn’t also possess one serious set of pipes. Her acolytes unleash scorching classic rock riffs somewhere between Girlschool and Judas Priest to accompany her sermons. There’s even a detour into some heavy funk! You won’t regret joining this congregation.
Other Shit That Comes Out Today
Annihilator – Metal II (earMusic) Listen
Ard – Take Up My Bones (Prophecy) Listen
Asiwyfa – Jettison (Equal Vision) Listen
Dagoba – By Night (Napalm) Listen
Eight Bells – Legacy of Ruin (Prophecy) Listen
Fostermother – The Ocean (Ripple) Listen
Jonas Lindberg And The Other Side – Miles From Nowhere (InsideOut) Listen
Lunar Blood – Twilight Insurgency (Pulverised) Listen
Norna – Star Is Way Way Is Eye (Vinter) Listen
Pure Wrath – Hymn To The Woeful Hearts (Debemur Morti) Listen
Rot TV – Tales Of Torment (Tee Pee) Listen
Star One – Revel In Time (InsideOut) Listen