the IHM metal thread

[cleanzero]

I forgot about the existence of Darkthrone, but the new album sounds great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... WZfOeMmrM0

[Tanner]

Stuff I've been listening to lately:

with the reissues of the Mgla back catalogue from Northern Heritage I've been a little obsessed with the superlative epic black metal located therein. Really well written songs, coupled with a production that doesn't make it sound overly antiseptic like some of the more orthodox bands from france (aosoth, dso). Nor does it go all post-rocky like Drudkh, instead is far more subtle, and frankly less covered in a veneer of forest elf cheese.

speaking of forest elf cheese, Evilfeast has been killin' it for me lately. seriously kind of awful/great synth ambience mixed with long form burzum worship bm. good. the split with marblebog rules.

Genocide Shrines from Sri Lanka is killer. Their 12 inch on Iron Bonehead devanation monumentemples (now how's that for some fuckin' wordsmithing) is as good as any of the bestial blackened death coming out of NZ or S. America. Ferocious, dense and packed with enough bad vibes to keep any self-loathing dickhead flagellating before an upside down cross. bat feces.

Bone Sickness' new one on 20 Buck Spin is also an excellent of Autopsy style American death metal, meaning it's punk-y, heavy, mildly humorous. basically, Living Death and these guys should do a split. I would buy it.

What else, some weirdo black metal I'll probably go into later. But these are sticking out right now. Also early Death SS, who are suitably weird heavy metal that have great coverage in the newest Chips and Beer mag if you're interested.

[Tanner]

Dude, you should wait. IHM emotional support offered, as I'm waiting for the diehard myself.

The torment wasn't too extended, it's out now and I'm all over it.

Cool. I have this, and I still haven't listened to it. I keep waiting for the "right time," -- bath salts, low lighting, scented candles, y'know.

[Tanner]

Oh, and I'm undecided how I feel about the new Immolation. I think they pack more ideas into a song than many death metal bands do in an entire album, but I'm not sure how much it's congealing for me. I'm in no way agreeing with the douche-bags on the interwebz saying it's like "fuckin' Pantera," because it isn't, but yeah, what is it? I think I like it. Some parts I really like. Strangely I keep wanting to hear baritone sax accents on some of the parts, which is... bizarre.

[F&B]

Lately I've listened a lot to the re-recorded Ormgård tape, with the new name of Ormblot. It's really good, atmospheric and dark, and VERY Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse inspired in the sound department.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV4D2ZlBKnM

In general, anything out on Scythe of Death seems interesting probably because the releases are primarily focused on the occult aspects, rather than outwards towards a BM-scene. So basically, we're talking about something that's "true" to it's material here, and IMO it reflects on the quality of the music.

[cleanzero]

It's been a few days that I can't stop myself from playing the good old, death metal classics from Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Carcass and Death. This stuff still kills, the early 90s were incredible.
Among newer things I like the latest from Altar of Plagues (ok, maybe it's not even metal anymore) and Clandestine Blaze.
I have also reconsidered the Pallbearer album. At first I hated it, now I love it.

[cleanzero]

Leak of a new Carcass track

http://www.nocleansinging.com/2013/06/3 ... lt-pistol/

[Watt]

The new Coffins album is great.

[Antoine]

The new Coffins album is great.

nice, can't wait to hear that... the few ones i've heard from them are often solid / great.

[Tanner]

The new Coffins album is great.

Have you guys heard Anatomia? Another great Japanese morbid slow death metal band. I think they're kinda cornering the market on that whole area. The album on Nuclear War Now is worth a listen. Actually NWN is having a 25 percent off sale as I write this. If you're not buying Erstwhile stuff, take a look.

I've been listening to a particularly dodgy band that might or might not be NS (I can't really tell, so bewarned), Bhaobhan Sidhe. They have a discography called Gas chamber music, which is totally bizarre douchebag music, constructed out of the most primitive keyboards and drum machine noodling with some songs containing distorted Beherit-ish vocal accompaniment. Very odd. But I like it depending on my mood.

Keres is another demo only black metal band I've been digging. They have a ton out, but it's good, real good. Primitive, raw, slightly melodic black metal from finland. Goes well with bands like Ill Omen from Australia whose demos are pretty killer too. Going along with that, Cosmic Church from Finland has been blowing my skirt up. Check out there first few demos that form a trilogy of sorts, I-III. I think they might share members with Keres...

I've also been checking out a bit of the classic Mexican death and black scene, Xibalba (not the new jock hardcore band on Southern Lord), Cenotaph, and Shub Niggurath. All are worth a listen for a distinctly geographical twist to the classic tropes.

I ordered the new Lantern record, and I'm excited to hear it. Maveth also on Dark Descent has been worthwhile, Gateways to Annihilation type death metal, played pretty well. Drum sound is a bit clean.

[dave quam]

I checked out some Xibalba a few months back, good shit!

Also, jammin that Genocide Shrines album right now, lovin it!

[misengarde]

the new carcass is really great!

[F&B]

Another great newer black metal band, Sons of Fenris, latest 7" called Death Rune. Good stuff.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHPcdoU_69A

[Tanner]

the new carcass is really great!

I finally heard this, and I dug it far more than I thought I would; in fact I think it's more enjoyable than the new Immolation record, which means it's definitely solid. Just a lot of diamond sharp riffs. I think it functions as a whole quite well, too.

Commence metal-info listening dump:

I've been blasting Maveth's Coils of the Black Earth a lot when I'm cleaning my apartment, checking my cat for fleas, or just placidly staring into space. It's really great stuff, and totally overlooked IMO-- at least as far as the underground internet chatter I've read is mostly concerned with (admittedly) good bands like Bolzer, Cultes Des Ghoules and Mgla. I guess the closest approximation I can come up with is Dawn of Possession era Immolation mixed with Morbid Angel circa "Gateways..." But it's got a nice black metal influence, and churning riff thing that makes off-kilter and less straight forward than that allusion implies. Dark Descent released it, so if you're interested in that area, pick it up and the Krypts LP so you can alienate friends and dogs and what have you.

I also have been loving a lot of the underground black metal bands from Finland that are sort of part of the Ancient Records, Ahdistuksen Aihio Productions and Kuunpalvelus records area -- stuff like Cosmic Church, Circle of Ouroboros, Keres, Kaos Sacramentum, Acerbitus and Hädanfärd just to name a few. Hädanfärd and Circle of Ouroboros are especially weird, and they play around with a strange melodic/clean approach while ultimately sounding nothing like the death rock I think they're trying to ape. I really like Hädanfärd. Keres and Acerbitus and Kaos sacramentum are more straight forward, but still pretty basement black metal, products of just a couple of loner weirdos, and that is definitely reflected in the sound. Cosmic Church are just really great Finnish black metal. No need for a description really.

Fallen Empire records out of the US is also releasing some of the more compelling black metal right now, with a new Xothist record that would appeal to those who like the Ash Borer, Fell Voices, Bosse De Nage area of atmospheric, noise-informed, black metal.

Sect Pig's record on Nuclear War Now! is also recommended for anyone into the anti-social, chaotic Revenge style bands. Thumbs up.

[This is PRE]

I'll second the Sect Pig recommendation. It's a short intense blast.
Speaking of short ones, the new Vasaeleth on Profound Lore really ripped my face. Great Kramer cover as well.
The Ares Kingdom collection of covers ("Veneration") is solid, I expected nothing less from them. They even made Dokken tunes sound good!

Still digging the new Gorguts too, but that's on a different spectrum...

[Gil Sansón]

The new Carcass is indeed awesome, better than Heartwork and almost as good as Necroticism. Every style the band has played is represented on the record, and the melody doesn't detract from the overall brutality.

The new Satyricon I happen to like. Much more than the last two, Now, Diabolical and The Age of Nero, which to my ears sounded lame. I don't mind black and roll if it's well done, a la Fuel for Hatred, but the songwriting on those two albums was unmemorable. The new album goes back to Volcano regarding songwriting and as a result is much more listenable. The production I happen to like a lot, a sort of seventies aroma pervades the record that benefits the listening experience. There's a song called Phoenix that seem to be placed on the record in order to get hateful reactions. It really sounds nothing like Satyricon, being closer to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

[Watt]

Yeah, the new Carcass album is fucking rad. I really cannot believe that it is as good as it is.

[Watt]

The Grave Miasma LP slays.

[Tanner]

The Grave Miasma LP slays.

I love their mlp, Exalted Emanation. Waiting for the vinyl, cause i'm an elitist asshole. Actually have you heard their previous band Goat Molestör? I read somewhere they said they were influenced by Archgoat and Goatlord. So there's that.

I picked up the reissue of forest poetry by ildjarn today. I kinda feel like if you have one album by them you have them all. Either way, it's an amazing distillation of the brutalist norwegian black metal current. Superlative.

I dig the Ares Kingdom records mentioned up above too.

White Medal from Yorkshire just released a new one too I can't remember the title of. It's on the way. Great stuff.

[schiksalgemeinschaft]

Lately listening a lot to old death metal stuff. Pestilence (Consuming Impulse, Testimony of the Ancients), Asphyx (Last One On Earth), Vader (The Ultimate Incantation), Massacre (From Beyond), etc.

Also discovered the first 2 albums of Intestine Baalism (japanese DM, quite diverse, intense, melodic but not cheesy, check them out if you don't know 'em, really a voice of their own.)

Both the new Gorguts and the new Carcass are okay, but they yet have to click with me. I'm not as excited as I thought I would be. Gorguts tops the Carcass one I think. The new Ulcerate should drop in my mailbox any day now, I guess it will top them both.

And oh, the debut of Scalpel (US DM) seems worthwhile too.