These last few weeks have really been a bit of whiplash. A couple of weeks ago, we had six big releases (all dwarfed by Neurosis), then last week, only one. This week, we are back to another six notable releases.
Again, far more albums were released, these are just the ones that jumped out at me enough that I have added them to my library, and will be digging into them over the next bit.
Let’s see what came out.
Green Carnation — A Dark Poem, Pt 2: Sanguis
Green Carnation is one of those bands that has had a very interesting career and trajectory. Starting out as a death-doom band, they quickly changed over the course of many albums, then took an extended hiatus.
Sanguis is their third album in this most recent, reunited iteration of the band, and it follows in the footsteps of Leaves of Yesteryear and A Dark Poem, Pt 1: The Shores of Melancholia. This is often beautiful, always interesting progressive metal. There are still hints of their previous death-doom selves, but the focus here is really on longer compositions that carefully build mood. I really enjoyed Pt 1, but didn’t give it nearly enough time. I plan to rectify that with Pt. 2.
Void of Light — Asymmetries
Void of Light is a new band for me. But an Angry Metal Guy review was dropping names of bands, including The Ocean and LLNN. That was enough. This is post/sludge metal. And I am a sucker for all things post.
The Ocean is one of the most interesting bands in metal, so anything that hearkens to that is worth a listen. And LLNN? That is some intense and heavy shit. I’m really excited to dig into this one.
Lantlôs — Nowhere in Between Forever
Lantlôs is one of the original blackgaze bands. Think Deafheaven, Alcest, Møl. Bands that meld the harshness of black metal with the vastness of shoegaze. Blackgaze doesn’t work for me all the time, but it can really click.
Previous Lantlôs releases, particularly their previous release Wildhund, really clicked for me. This will be one of those albums I put on when I need to really create an atmosphere. Blackgaze is excellent for that, and I look forward to digging into this release from one of the genre’s pioneers, even if they have been edging away from the black part.
Sunn O))) — Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an acquired taste. If the “brown note” were a real thing, Sunn O))) would have found it. I can think of no other band in the drone metal genre as fundamental as this duo.
And on Sunn O))), they have really gotten back to just that: a duo. It is just the two members of the band at work here. Producing the droniest of drones. I really have to be in the right frame of mind for Sunn O))), but I find them fascinating. By all reports, this is a very solid release from them. Now to find the right time for some drone.
Vanir — Wyrd
Some days, you just need some death metal that makes you want to raise your flagon to the sky and get ready to bathe in the blood of your foes. Or whatever it was the Vikings actually did. And since Amon Amarth sort of seems to be drifting away from the death aspect of their Viking metal, we need another band to raise that horn to the sky.
Vanir does just that: Viking-themed death metal. But with Vanir, the focus is more on the death part, less the Viking. And I respect the hell out of that. Their previous releases have been fun, rousing platters of death metal, and on first listen, Wyrd is more of that.
Nervosa — Slave Machine
Nervosa has been ripping it up for years. There have been some lineup changes, but over the last few years and albums, founding member Prika Amaral has been shaping the band to be what she wants. And what she appears to want is to rip out everyone’s fucking throat.
I really like both Crypta and Nervosa, but honestly lean a little more to the death-tinged thrash of Nervosa over the straight-up death metal of Crypta. Slave Machine is the album that has earned the most plays from me since its release yesterday. It is a furious, fast, brutal album of thrash, and I am loving it. Exodus should take note: 12 tracks, 43 minutes. This is thrash that comes in, kicks you in the balls, and is gone, leaving you wondering just what happened to you. I am loving Slave Machine.
