BEATEN TO DEATH "DØDSFEST!" ALBUM STREAM

Beaten To Death is a curious extreme metal act coming out of Norway, one of the cradles for the genre. In October this band released their second album "Dødsfest!" following up their debut "Xes And Strokes".

The reason for our interest in this band is their unusual proposal. This is basically a new and experimental approach to grind, straying from it's tradition of violence for the sake of violence. This album manages to be extremely rude, bringing melodic guitar riffage at the same time, with grind rhythms, but with a remarkable melodic hardcore effort. This makes it extreme but touching at the same time.

On the top of that the album comes from an in-studio, live recording with all the musicians recording the full songs together. The guitars only being partially distorted matched with various other elements on record contribute to making the album even more intriguing, as if it already wasn't. The album is very good and so unusual to modern listeners who are usually assaulted with bombastic productions.

Final result is a “bittersweet grind” reversed in this "Dødsfest!". In it's short running time, it manages to be full of surprises and tremendously interesting. You can stream both albums on the band's Bandcamp page, where you can also purchase them for only four USD. Discover it!

- MATTIA

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Bandcamp

FREE MUSIC MONDAY - PUIG DESTROYER (THRICE, EX-CURL UP AND DIE, ETC.)

Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Sometimes all you want is an album you play ten times in an hour and still have some time left. Sometimes all you want to listen is a band whose entire existence is dedicated to a rookie baseball player from Cuba and whose name is a play on words involving legendary grind band Pig Destroyer. Okay well maybe not. But if by chance you do, I have the band for you.

Puig Destroyer is exactly that: a band whose entire existence is dedicated to a rookie baseball player from Cuba and whose name is a play on words involving legendary grind band Pig Destroyer. It’s pretty clear that this is light hearted music. But that doesn’t stop it from being ferocious, heavy, and grindy.

The band's second release, "Wait For Spring" is now available for your listening pleasure. On top of this, it's available for a "name your price" download on Bandcamp! Grab it while you can.

Links: Facebook // Bandcamp

MISERY INDEX RECORDING NEW ALBUM / PLANNING 2014 RELEASE

Baltimore Death Metal / Grind band Misery Index has a new album underway! After releasing the steamrolling "Heirs to Thievery" in 2010, they've been busy touring their way to conquest / arranging new music. That new music is finally coming to fruition!

Drummer Adam Jarvis just finished tracking drums with the assistance of Pig Destroyer's guitarist Scott Hull. The rest of the album will be recorded next month.

Go ahead and read the band's official statement below for more details.

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"We have started the recording sessions for our Season of Mist debut. Adam started tracking drums last weekend with Scott Hull at Visceral Sound, outside Washington DC. The rest of the album will be recorded next month at Wrightway Studios in Baltimore. We expect things to wrap up in early January and we are aiming for a spring 2014 release. It is shaping up to be our longest and most diverse effort to date. In the meantime, we will be posting studio updates and videos, as things unfold…"

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Links: Facebook // Official Website // Merch

NEW MUSIC TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 19TH

Here are three releases you should look into this Tuesday.



Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Sometimes all you want is an album you play ten times in an hour and still have some time left. Sometimes all you want to listen is a band whose entire existence is dedicated to a rookie baseball player from Cuba and whose name is a play on words involving legendary grind band Pig Destroyer. Okay well maybe not. But if by chance you do, I have the band for you.

Links: Facebook // Bandcamp

British heavy metal legends, Saxon, produced a series of alternative takes on classic favorites to herald a worthy new entry to the Saxonian Institute of Metal on their new album, "Unplugged and Strung Up." It's set for release today! Unplugged and Strung Up reveals layers and pieces previously dormant in many of the 14 classic Saxon songs chosen for this makeover, thanks to some ear-catching new arrangements and mixes. Give it a go.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

Ghost has been building up a lot of hype recently with their obscure "darkened Beatles" sound. And with said classic pop influenced sound, here's an oddball release. "If You Have Ghost" will be entirely a covers EP from the band. It includes covers of Depeche Mode, ABBA, Rock Erickson, and more. This was done is association with Dave Grohl (The Foo Fighters, ex-Nirvana). Also turns out you can now stream this entire EP! Head over to Thequietus.com to give it a listen. "If You Have Ghost" hits stores today.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - CARCASS

It's common knowledge that the 1980's were a crucial time for the development of various styles of extreme metal.  Black metal, grindcore, and death metal all originated in this decade.  As true for all sub-genres of metal, these three had their fair share of the good, the bad, and the absolutely ground-breaking.  For both grindcore and death metal, the U.K. based band Carcass provides a more than sufficient example of ground-breaking metal.  It's difficult to explain how influential this band was so let's start at the beginning.

In 1988, Carcass released their debut "Reek of Putrefaction".  This was an album that was indisputably nauseating, but in all of the right ways.  Sonically, this album had the same structure and intensity of other early grindcore releases, such as Napalm Death's "Scum".  The songs were short and distorted, with blast-beats abundant.  One of the main facets of this album, an element that made it different from other grindcore at the time, was the gore inspired lyrically themes.  Hell, even the opening instrumental was titled "Genital Grinder"; how metal is that?  Cannibal Corpse owes much to this album.  The vocals, notably performed by all three members, were some of the most guttural and unintelligible to be heard in the late 80's.  In sum, "Reek of Putrefaction" was musically angelic to many metalheads, yet to others, it was the soundtrack to their midnight food poisoning.

The very next year Carcass released "Symphonies of Sickness".  Their second album was anything but a sophomore slump; if anything, it was miles ahead of their debut.  First, the production improved tenfold, which contrary to popular belief, extreme metal can benefit from better production.  This has more or less been proven in the past 20 years.  Second, this was the album that saw the band stepping into death metal territory.  While retaining much of their frantic grindcore sound, they adopted some slower, sludgier elements, a more technical approach instrumentally, and an overall increase in song length.  Third, this album was heavy as shit!  I'm willing to make the claim that this album is not only the heaviest in their discography, but one of the heaviest albums of the 1980's.  "Symphonies of Sickness" is more or less a crossover album between grindcore (the heaviest sub-genre of hardcore punk) and death metal (the heaviest sub-genre of metal) so naturally it's going to be heavy on an apocalyptic level.

"Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious".  I don't know how else to describe this album except by saying, "goodbye grindcore, hello Michael Amott!".  Seriously, this album marked a huge transition in their sound.  By 1991, Carcass had abandoned most of their classic grindcore sound in favor for death metal.  But not only was it death metal, it was progressive death metal!  This album more or less combined the intensity of death metal with the songwriting sensibilities of Queensrÿche and pure shred of "Rust in Peace" era Megadeth.  Yeah, it's that good.  It could have just been a coincidence that Amott joined the band around the time that this transition took place, but in my opinion the addition of a second guitarist helped Carcass reach their full potential.

In 1993, Carcass released "Heartwork".  Again, a radical shift took place in the sound of Carcass.  This time around, many of the songs were shortened in length compared to "Necroticism" (Yet still much longer than the average length of songs from "Reek of Putrefaction").  Also, while continuing with the brutality and technicality established on their previous albums, "Heartwork" show cased an impressive amount of melodic guitar riffs and solos.  Whereas their debut helped to establish grindcore as a sub-genre, "Heartwork" more or less kick-started the melodic death metal scene, which proved to be an incredibly influential style of extreme metal.  As a melodeath junkie myself, this is easily my favorite release from the band.  Definitely recommended to anybody that's a fan of bands such as In Flames, Arch Enemy, and The Black Dahlia Murder.

            

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Merch

FREE MUSIC MONDAY - PSYCHIC LIMB

This band is a trip into insanity of sorts. Coming out of Brooklyn, Psychic Limb provide an amalgamation of old school Hardcore and Punk with some Grindcore elements to boot. It comes out being heavy and chaotic. Truly some mosh worthy material.

They recently dropped a new album "Jamaica" which acts as a catalyst for the description of above. This is a quick, ripper of a record. In fact, staying true to their grindy side, the longest song is one minute and three seconds while the shortest is a mere thirty three seconds. All of the above are fast, furious, and relentless.

What's more? Psychic Limb are giving you a trip to "Jamaica" for the price of your choosing! Head over to their official Bandcamp and take advantage of this offer while you still can.



Links: Twitter // Bandcamp

FREE MUSIC MONDAY - VAMPIRE SQUID

"Welcome to the abyss, you pussies."

Time for some ocean grind. From the first seconds of the album, it's obvious Vampire Squid don't take themselves too seriously. But GOD DAMN the music will take you for a trip. This band provides a very solid, grindy sound with serious mathematical and progressive elements. Parts of it will remind of bands such as Behold... The Arctopus and strangely enough Between The Buried And Me.

Their self-titled debut will crush you with the force of oceanic depths. And they want it to crush you... free of charge. Vampire Squid have the entire album available for a "name your price" download on Bandcamp! Get on it! There's also an 8-bit version of the album available for your entertainment.

The band is made up of two lads influenced by deep sea pressure and a squid influenced by blood... buckets of blood. Emerging from Corona, CA they bring water and blood. If this sounds like a good time to you, stream it below and show 'em some support!

Links: Facebook // Soundcloud // Bandcamp

CATTLE DECAPITATION “YOUR DISPOSAL” MUSIC VIDEO

Deathgrind titans Cattle Decapitation released one of the best albums of last year in case you’ve forgotten. “Monolith of Inhumanity” was an absolutely crushing offering that managed to crush all other contemporary’s releases in its path and even include some emotional depth.

Cattle Decapitation caused quite a stir with the release of their first music video for track "Forced Gender Reassignment." This extremely NSFW video, which I haven’t even bothered to link here, got the promotional wheels stirring quite fast. People couldn’t stop talking about the ridiculous new Cattle Decapitation video. The next video for "Kingdom of Tyrants" was stunning and is truly a work of art.

And now they guys have released a video for another great piece of their album, the song "Your Disposal." This video is based upon the concept of Adam and Eve but approaches it a grotesque fashion. This video isn’t NSFW but it’s still pretty grimy as is standard Cattle Decapitation stuff. I’d suggest you check this one out.

-Trisolino

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Merch

PUIG DESTROYER STREAMING NEW ALBUM

Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Sometimes all you want is an album you play ten times in an hour and still have some time left. Sometimes all you want to listen is a band whose entire existence is dedicated to a rookie baseball player from Cuba and whose name is a play on words involving legendary grind band Pig Destroyer. Okay well maybe not. But if by chance you do, I have the band for you.

Puig Destroyer is exactly that: a band whose entire existence is dedicated to a rookie baseball player from Cuba and whose name is a play on words involving legendary grind band Pig Destroyer. With clips from MLB baseball games and song titles like "Stop Fucking Bunting", it’s pretty clear that this is light hearted music. But that doesn’t stop it from being ferocious and heavy. Well it is definitely heavy and grindy, but it doesn’t stick out much from any of the other grind I’ve listened to. Admittedly I only dabble into the realm of grind. I pretty much only listen to the mainstays, including one Pig Destroyer, “Book Burner” was cool and stuff.

Puig Destroyer’s new self titled EP is streaming and available for purchase over at Bandcamp, I’ve linked it below. The Ghost is Clear Records also has this slice of songs available for pre-order on 7” vinyl if you’re into... ya know... vinyl. Puig Destroyer’s success clearly rests upon the strength of their gimmick. The likeness to Pig Destroyer will definitely get some people to click on anything involving them but the baseball gimmick is really what’s important. I hear you metal fans: “But baseball is boring, it takes 17 minutes for anything to happen and even then it’s still boring.” And I say to you, it takes 17 minutes for SunnO))) to do anything and you love them! And if you don’t you’re wrong. Sorry. But seriously, what happens if Yasiel Puig sucks next year, guess Puig Destroyer needs a new gimmick.

-Trisolino

Links: Facebook // Bandcamp

NEW MUSIC TUESDAY - JULY 22ND

Today is Tuesday, listen to new albums like you’re supposed to.

Karnivool is one of those bands that definitely isn’t metal, they’re very obviously alternative or progressive rock, but constantly gets lumped into the group of bands modern progressive metal fans enjoy. I can think of a couple other bands that fit this bill. But that doesn’t really matter. Karnivool’s new album “Asymmetry” is due out today. “Asymmetry” is a Karnivool album. So it’s not be what you got on the last one, but no one is gonna care. Some of it I dig, some I don’t. Check out the haunting video for ‘We Are’ because it’s awesome.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Twitter // iTunes // Merch

Another for the entirely other end of the spectrum. Mammoth Grinder is very metal, and pretty hardcore too for good measure. This Texas quartet brings a crushing, mammoth sized heaping of grinding tunes of the extreme variety for your listening pleasure today. These guys are masters of all trades of extreme metal. From black, to grind, to thrash and death. Prepare for it all. The new offering is called “Underworlds” and has a sweet album to match. Leftover songs from the recording sessions have been released as a single, streamable on Bandcamp and linked below.  Pick up “Underworlds” and get crushed like an insect.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Bandcamp

Last but definitely not least is Misery Signals. These guys have had fans waiting for a new album for 5 long years and finally they’re delivering. “Absent Light” drops today to fans delight. And the fans have a lot to be happy about. “Absent Light” seems to a perfect mix of the different styles Misery Signals has explored throughout their career. The focus on songwriting and melody mixes perfectly well with the crushing aggression to yield the best Misery Signals yet. This album used crowdfunding to get started, but Basick Records is now handling some of the distribution, so it looks like Misery Signals will back in the game again.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Merch

-Trisolino

CARCASS "SURGICAL STEEL" ALBUM PREVIEW

Straight from Liverpool, the legendary Death / Grind band Carcass are officially set to make a return with their sixth full-length studio album entitled "Surgical Steel". Brutal... The record will be released via Nuclear Blast on September 17th.

So far the band has released an official teaser and now the official artwork. It's looking / sounding very good. Check the goods below. If they strike your fancy, be sure to grab a pre-order right here and prepare your ear holes for September.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Pre-order

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE WITH STEVE VAI?

If there were ever two names I never expected to see together, it would be these two. Well behold... Iwrestledabearonce have released a brand new single featuring a guitar solo from the legendary guitar virtuoso Steve Vai. Mind blown. Give a listen right here.

The single "Carnage Asada" was debuted through Guitar World. This was done in support of their upcoming album "Late For Nothing" due to hit stores on August 6th. It will not be a late release. You can check the other single "Thunder Chunky" down yonder along with some Steve Vai shreds.

Links: Iwrestledabearonce Facebook // Official Website // Twitter // iTunes
Steve Vai Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

FUCK THE FACTS "AMER" EP REVIEW

Ottawa based grindcore veterans Fuck The Facts are back with even more top notch chaos. “Amer” proves to be an honest addition to Fuck The Facts established collection of gritty releases. “Amer” follows suit with the band’s nontraditional tendencies by releasing exclusively as cassette, vinyl and digital versions.

Fuck The Facts are the current crown claimers to and the rightful kings of my favorite musical element…."the Raw factor." 17 minutes of grind, vindictive yet so true; coarse but carefully carved to be so. FTF put all responsibilities on their own back with this release. Ultimately…"more rawer than fuck." The guitar riffs are in your face and sometimes accented by untamed shred. Many unique guitar techniques underlie FTF’s music. FTF’s drummer since 05’ Mathieu Vilandré has a way with blasts and unorthodox fills; a pummeling presence at all times.

Some Fuck The Facts members first language is English, others, French. FTF have included lyrics in both languages for some time, favoring English until now. “Amer” is written primarily in French with only one English track. Vocals are not only shared by languages but also by band members. The guitarist and bass guitarist get their fair share of harshly delivered shouts, but the largest contributor to “the Raw factor” is Mel Mongeon. Mel is far past the ranking of “top female vocalists,” she is the owner to one of the most callous voices in metal. Her unique pipes tearing over frenzied drumming and grainy guitar combine and create hellacious death metal grindcore.

FTF guitarist Topon Das is not unfamiliar with dissident riffing, for Fuck The Facts was formed from one of Topon’s side projects n the late 90’s. The fact is not long after Fuck The Facts beginning Mel’s signature voice became a permanent part of the band, and has been crushing ever since, but fuck the facts. Here is a swell interview with Topon Das on “Amer.” Conducted by Invisibleoranges.com

Fuck The Facts is days from starting a month long European tour, even appearing in “The Obscene Extreme Festival.” The dates are found below. Check out FTF’s new EP “Amer” on Bandcamp along with masses of older material.

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07/01 ITA Milano | Blue Rose Saloon
07/02 GER Leipzig | TBA
07/03 GER Berlin | Koma F
07/04 CZE Trutnov | Obscene Extreme Festival
07/05 HOL Rotterdam | Baroeg
07/06 HOL Nijmegen | Nothing Changed Fest
07/07 UK Brighton | Sticky Mike's Frog Bar
07/08 UK Leeds | The Fox & Newt
07/09 UK Manchester | Kraak Gallery
07/10 UK Bristol | The Red Lion
07/11 UK London | The Unicorn Camden Live
07/12 BEL Brussels | DNA
07/13 FRA Lille | Le Bistrot de St So
07/14 FRA Toulouse | Pavillons Sauvages
07/15 SPA Bilbao | Sentinel Club
07/16 SPA Logroño | Villatruño Squat
07/17 SPA Madrid | Boite Live
07/18 SPA Torellò | Eclectic Club
07/19 SPA Barcelona | TBA
07/20 FRA Luynes | Le Korigan
07/21 ITA Bologna | Freakout Club
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- Tyler Dermitt

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Bandcamp

WOMEN WHO MOSH WEDNESDAY - MEL MONGEON OF FUCK THE FACTS

Honestly, how often do you see women in Grindcore? Words cannot express how awesome and relentess Mel Mongeon of Fuck The Facts is. She brings serious energy and ferocity both in the studio and on the stage. So damn metal \m/

This band has been cranking out insane, experimental grindy goodness since the 90's. Most recently they came out with a new EP titled “Amer”. The band’s eclectic mix of grind/punk/metal is pretty vicious. They pummel and groove, tearing your hearing apparatus in two (in a good way).

Experience the madness below and pick up the music at their Official Store or on Bandcamp!

Links: Facebook // Merch // Bandcamp

FREE MUSIC MONDAY - PUIG DESTROYER

Not to be confused with Pig Destroyer... Oh, wait.

This might be one of the funniest things I've stumbled across in the metal world lately. Baseball-themed grindcore. Go ahead and read that again.

Puig Destroyer currently has a 5 song debut headed for home base. So far, they've released a single "One Man, Five Tools" which is actually available for FREE download. Score! Listen below and download on Bandcamp.

Links: Facebook // Bandcamp

HYBRID “ANGST” ALBUM REVIEW

There are some days that you just wake up, get ready go for work, put your earphones on and listen to a band you like, over and over and over again. You like the music so much, you feel it defines you, your day, your life, your job, and then you don’t like it anymore. Period. Hybrid is NOT one of those bands. This is one of those albums that make you break necks in the pit and trash your room in a frenzy. “Angst” is now out on Deepsend Records!

Hailing from Madrid, Spain, Hybrid comprises of Chus Maestro (drums), Iván Durán (guitar), Antonio Sánchez (guitar), and Oscar (vocals and bass). Hybrid must have flown wildly under the metalhead-next-door’s radar. Although, not too surprisingly, they have shared stages with the likes of Tool, Napalm Death and Misery Index.

The first thing about Hybrid that caught my attention was be the band’s name. The fact that it was not a lengthy, seemingly profound phrase that ironically did not end up meaning squat... or another pluralization.

The second thing would be the music itself. Album-opener “Flesh Fusion Threshold” had enough going on to get one to sit up and take notice. The primary Death Metal influence is obvious. But that just paves the way for a horde of aural debauchery as Jazz elements fuse with Grindcore ones. “Enter the Void” is where the actual magic happens. The dapper of an opening verse riff is the numero uno layer to the mutant that is Hybrid. The third track “Collapse to None” starts and ends on a spoken word sample which adds more flavour to the sci-fi vibe that the band has tried to capture on the album. The fourth track “Self Implosion” is my personal favourite on the album. And believe you me, when I say that it sounds like someone mashed up Gojira grooves with Textures' vocal melody.



It goes without saying that the band has obscene magnitudes of technical proficiency on their respective instruments, which provides them with ample real estate to expand their sound onto. The production quality and mixing deserve a mention as well, what with the notes sounding crisp and clear, especially the bass. Sample the fifth track “Cuando el Destino nos Alcance”, an instrumental, if you want a first-hand taste of the dexterity.

For a band that produces such a healthy concoction of Math/Jazz/Grind and everything in between, Hybrid is criminally underrated, given that this is their sophomore full-length effort excluding the “Beyond Undeniable Entropy” demo.  I for one would recommend anyone who likes the sound of “Angst” to dig up the debut record, “The 8th Plague” as well. “Angst” is a well-executed effort of some complexly arranged Extreme Metal beauties which is definitely worth your time and dough.

-Aurko

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Bandcamp

THROWBACK THURSDAY - BRUTAL TRUTH

Well it looks like Danny Lilker is making his way back into the throwback segment. I guess listening to Nuclear Assault last week put me in the mood for more dirty bass lines, and this is ever-present in his other band; Brutal Truth. Grind Time!

In 1990, Lilker established one of the earlier American grindcore acts along with vocalist Kevin Sharp, guitarist Brent McCarthy, and drummer Scott Lewis.  This group went on to record four albums through out the 1990's; "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" (1992), "Need to Control" (1994), "Kill Trend Suicide" (1996), and "Sounds of the Animal Kingdom" (1997).  Even though Brutal Truth wasn't the  first band to play grindcore, they became a dominant force in this sub-genre of extreme music.

Conceptually, the name Brutal Truth is an appropriate fit for the band's overall sound. Similar to other grindcore bands at the time, there is a lyrical emphasis on social criticism, or exposing the "truth" of society's problems. Yet, this message is delivered in the most "brutal" way, whether it be the distorted thrashing, the blast beats, or Sharp's use of growls and high-pitched screams. One of the cool things about Brutal Truth is that, unlike the majority of grindcore bands during that era, they have a nice balance between short and long songs (a long grindcore song is pretty much anything that exceeds 3 minutes in length). This definitely helps newer listeners gain an appreciation for the band, as they are not subjected to an album containing thirty 1 minute-long songs. Nonetheless, Brutal Truth is pure, dirty grind.

Brutal Truth (and grindcore in general) may not be for everyone, but those who are interested in expanding their heavy metal horizons need to check out "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" and "Need to Control".

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

WORMED “EXODROMOS” ALBUM REVIEW

Brutal death metal or slam is a sub-genre that is definitely difficult to do right. Wormed combines brutal death metal characteristics with highly technical playing and compositional skill, all lathered in a very alien, space obsessed theme, to carve out a niche for themselves.

Spanish metallers Wormed return this year with their second full length album “Exodromos.” This album follows up their debut album “Planisphaerium,” originally released only in Japan in 2003. Ten years is quite a long time between albums. But if there was any question if “Exodromos” would deliver, it’s been answered. Yes it certainly does.

Wormed’s sophomore album features a ton of memorable brutal death metal riffs. Just solid angular riffing everywhere. The riffs are pummeling headbangers and memorable as well. Wormed employ the stop-start riffing technique frequently and do it well. There’s the perfect amount of chugging riffs. Not too many are used: ensuring the value of these parts isn’t lost by their mundanity. Plenty of chaotic grind esque guitar parts add to the mood and power of “Exodromos.” Odd guitar techniques such as fast sliding and constant squealing make up entire riffs. Wormed also has a pension for slow, dissonant ambient riffs. All of these techniques make for one crazy rollercoaster ride and one uniquely odd vibe. Lead single, and music video recipient, ‘Tautochrone” features all of the described styles of riffing. Each style is found all over the album however, nothing is a one time deal. “Exodromos” is incredibly consistent in its style and quality.

On “Exodromos” it appears that Wormed made a conscious effort to be on the simpler side structurally. It feels like the band actively tried to avoid the riff soup phenomena many extreme death metal bands tragically serve up. Too many chaotic death metal riffs leads to an oversaturation of the listener. It begins to get too difficult to mentally grasp the structure of the individual songs. Each track blends together. This is only furthered by the ridiculous song titles, “Exodromos” is guilty of this as well to be honest. Wormed avoids this problem by focusing on quality over quantity. The riffs stay incredibly brutal yet can be described by no other word than catchy. Simplifying the song structure and limiting the amount of riffs in each track has allowed to “Exodromos” to be both incredibly brutal, technical and chaotic, yet also be very memorable, palatable and ultimately enjoyable.

Lyrically this album is a direct prequel to “Planisphaerium.” The story takes place during the year 8000. “Exodromos” details the journey of 100 cryogenically, mentally enhanced with all the knowledge of the human race. These superior human beings were tasked with carrying on the human race as Sun dies and the solar system collapses. The goal of these 100 are to find another suitable planetary environment for the continuance of the human race. But things do not go as planned. Krigshu, the only remaning human, must attempt to recreate the human race with the human seed. Without even reading the lyrics, the song titles do enough, you can tell there some very cerebral concepts on this album. Wormed explains the album on their website with more detail if anyone is interested.

Luckily if you aren’t into that story or space lyrics in general, you can’t understand a word vocalist Phlegeton is saying! In general brutal death metal or slam fashion, the vocals are completely indistinguishable. Rather than using the typical guttural style employed by bands like Pathology, Phlegeton has a very unique style. His vocals whistle and squeal, though they are clearly very low in the register. This actually not obnoxious form of pig squealing fits incredibly well with the space focused, alien feeling crafted by the rest of Wormed on “Exodromos.” Phlegeton’s phrasing and vocal placement is perfect and accents the music to masterful effect.

“Exodromos” was released March 26th via Willowtip Records. This album is a brutal death metal masterpiece. Wormed very obviously avoid the sophomore slump and deliver a fine cut of extreme metal. “Exodromos” may very well be a landmark for the sub-genre it falls into and will definitely end up on many end of the year lists come December. This one’s a must listen and even deserves the few listens it will take to fully grasp and understand the nuance of the album. “Exodromos” has definitely grown on me the more I listen to it. Check it out if you haven’t yet. Wormed’s “Exodromos” scores an impressive 9/10.

-Trisolino

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Bandcamp // Merch

THE DECIBEL MAGAZINE TOUR 2013

There's a series of very heavy shows happening in the United States right now. Decibel Magazine is hosting a metal tour de force throughout the nation. The legendary Cannibal Corpse are headlining with direct support from huge names like Napalm Death, Immolation, Beyond Creation, and more! You can check the flyer below for all the dates and info along with music from the bands. If this sounds like a brutal time to you, grab some tickets here \m/

Links: Facebook // Official Website

FREE MUSIC MONDAY - RELAPSE RECORDS SAMPLER

I just stumbled upon this sizable gem of free music from Philadelphia label Relapse Records. Relapse has always been a solid label stacked with a number of extreme metal acts. Among the ranks stand Dying Fetus, Spawn of Possession, Baroness, Pig Destroyer, Royal Thunder, and the legends Death. There's plenty more where that came from. Go ahead and stream / download all twenty-three tracks from the Relapse Records Bandcamp! And if you enjoy that heaviness, be sure to support the label and the music they bring. Stay metal \m/

Links: Facebook // Bandcamp