Upcoming Metal: Week of June 1st
Intrepid
Juxtaposition
Releases June 4th on Knife Fight Media
Genre: Death Metal
With the opening, middle-eastern sounding riff of “Blood Means Nothing”, Intrepid creates a slow, chugging pace of melodic and traditional death metal on the band’s second album. Raiko Rajalaane’s deep, gravelly growl has that brooding and ominous tone in the delivery. Aldo Jakovlev & Simo Atso really shred all across the place on songs like “Ciphered” & “Sanctimonius”. An album that adds the nostalgia OSDM sound of acts like Obituary, with modern production and tone of acts like Amon Amarth. Good, straight-forward death metal that delivers that perfect balance of both era of the genre.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Turian
Blood Quantum Blues
Releases June 6th on Wise Blood Records
Genre: Metallic Hardcore
Seattle’s Turian deliver a barrage of aggressive hardcore and metalcore on their new album. Bringing a chaotic nature akin to acts like Code Orange and Earth Crisis. Andrew Nyte’s drumming in front-and-center and delivering a continuous onslaught of snare attacks, mixed with the breakdowns and dynamic pacing throughout the song’s opener “Spill”. With techno elements by Carlye Nyte, the sound gets a HORSE The Band aesthetic amongst the hardcore call outs and barking vocals by Vern Metztli-Moon. At just a bit over thirty-five minutes, the album hits that perfect spot in album length as well. A unique act with a pretty good fifth album, and someone to keep an eye on for a potential opener for acts like Knocked Loose or Spiritbox.
SCORE: 4 / 5
Bear Mace
Slaves of The Wolf
Releases June 6th independently
Genre: Death Metal
On their third album, Chicago’s Bear Mace bring the pummeling chugs on the album’s opening title track. Channeling old school death metal the likes of Massacre or Bolt Thrower, the band goes for the throat with the opening track. I love the high bass in the mix and wailing siren-sounding guitars on “Worthless Lives”. “The Iceman Cometh” is almost three minutes of thrash, death and classic heavy metal in the guitar solos and high-octane pacing. And the pummeling double kick on “Heretics Burn” is just *chef’s kiss* so good. Good album for the classic old-school death metal sound that triggers the nostalgia of the greats that started the genre.
SCORE: 5 / 5
Dissonant Seepage
Dystopian Putrescence
Releases June 6th on Comatose Music
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Dissonant Seepage deliver on the album’s opener “Ancient Pestilence Reborn”, the punishingly heavy breakdown of chugs and blast beats. Bringing that brutal/slam sound of the east coast from legends like Suffocation and Brodequin. Cody McConnell’s gurgly gutturals, combined with the booming double bass and thundering guitar strikes of Daniel Fili, just give you instant stank face as soon as the riff comes in low and slow and brooding. "Constructing Flesh into Shit” & “Gargling Nails” continue that blitzkrieg of groovy, bouncy slam and brutal death metal vocals that just would make any breakdown fan happy. Loved this record for the sheer heaviness, double bass and breakdowns, along with all the unintelligible and deep gurgles. A must have for any fan of slam, brutal or technical death metal.
SCORE: 5 / 5
King Parrot
A Young Person’s Guide To
Releases June 6th on Housecore Records
Genre: Thrash Metal/Grindcore
King Parrot return with a thrash/grind hybrid with their first new album in eight years. On the opening of “Get What Ya Given”, the Napalm Death, combined with Arson Anthem, one-two punch off the bat musically, combined with Youngy’s vocals, just hit you in the gut for the entire two minute run time. Max Dangerfield just flies all over the kit, especially on songs like “Fuck You and The Horse You Rode in On”. Where it goes from blast beats, to hardcore breakdown sections, to pummeling fills. On “It’s A Rort”, the guitars of Squiz and Mr. White deliver that thundering and aggressive guitar sound of classic crossover thrash and modern day thrash metal. At under a half-hour, this is just a pit in audio form for the entire runtime. If they toured with an act like Ringworm, I don’t know if anyone could survive that pit. A Young Person’s Guide To delivers a sonic punch of pissed-off, unhinged, deranged and hostile energy that few bands can deliver in today’s thrash metal scene. HIGHLY recommend this record and to go hear these songs live.
SCORE: 5 / 5
