White Collar Sideshow add shock value, Exhumed rise again, Gatecreeper hit the desert and more this week. I didn’t have time to write about these albums, but I gave them a quick scan and liked what I heard. Check them out below, along with quotes from their press releases. I’ve included Bandcamp links where possible so you can buy the music straight from the source — assuming you like what you hear too.
White Collar Sideshow
I Didn’t Come Here to Die
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The relentless and independent White Collar Sideshow performs as a Shock-n-Roll husband/wife duo hailing from the historic city of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Started in 2006, TD and Veronica Benton (drums, bass, vocals) have lived on the road for over ten years and have played across the globe with their second concept album/film titled The WitcHunt. Embracing the phrase Shock-n-Roll and mixing their country, metal and industrial influences, they are calling the new tunes Space Westerns and will release their third concept album/film titled I Didn’t Come Here to Die in October 2019.”
Exhumed
Horror
THE PRESS RELEASE: “21 years since their murderous debut, Exhumed rise once again with gore-obsessed death metal on their new brand new album Horror. Aptly titled, Horror is an exploration of all things macabre, as the undisputed pioneers of neck-breaking riffs plow through 15 of the band’s most intense tracks to date. Nightmares meet shred, as the speed-inducing track Ravenous Cadavers highlight Exhumed’s penchant for blazing, face melting guitar work, while Naked, Screaming and Covered in Blood & Playing With Fear elevate Exhumed to levels of grind unheard of since Gore Metal!”
Gatecreeper
Deserted
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Gatecreeper return with their highly anticipated new album Deserted. The new album, a furious mix of snarling guitars and driving, rhythmic pummeling takes death metal from its ’80s Floridian roots and ’90s Swedish expansion straight into the here and now. In fact, the vanguard of death metal in 2019 can be found under Arizona’s searing sun. That’s where Gatecreeper members — Chase Mason, guitarist Eric Wagner, bassist Sean Mears, drummer Matt Arrebollo and guitarist Nate Garrett — make their homes. Of course, the band nodded to their scorching home state with the title of their 2016 full-length debut Sonoran Depravation. The theme continues on Deserted, which boasts songs like Sweltering Madness, Boiled Over and the double-meaning title track.”
GosT
Valediction
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The mysterious producer known as GosT embodies the character of Baalberith on his propulsive synthwave solo project that is channeling his fascination with the occult, John Carpenter and 80s slasher flicks. As a teenager he played in metal bands, but eventually drifted toward electronic music which would later become the foundation of his powerful synthwave/retrowave sound. With its haunting atmospherics and aesthetics influenced by the blackest corners of the metal world his music quickly garnered GosT a loyal following within the rock and metal community worldwide. Apart from playing his own headlining tours in Europe and North America he used the interest from his growing fan base to hit the road. For the recording, mix and mastering of the new opus, Valediction, GosT teamed up with Jaime Gomez Arellano who worked with the likes of Paradise Lost, Solstafir, Priomordial, Myrkur and many more. The result is a volatile mix that ranges from synthwave/retrowave to the most raging and extreme caverns of black metal.”
Nightstalker
Great Hallucinations
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The legendary stoner rockers are back! One of the first bands of the genre present their 8th album after their first EP (SideFX) back in 1994 (the grunge rock era). This time the album hits directly to the soul. Eight new tracks which are different to each other, combining groovy parts with heaviness and melodies. The guitars are still heavy but spacey and psychedelic at the same time. The bass is always groovy with intense playing. All together with a lot of catchy melodies and the power of Argy’s vocals are the secret of the music of Nightstalker. Raw rock ‘n roll simplicity, stunning riffs and electric haze are what have kept the band going for more than 20 years. Produced by Nightstalker again and this time it is recorded and mixed at Wreck it Sound Studios. Listening to Nightstalker you can figure out why Greece is the perfect country for stoner rock bands and why the Greek stoner scene is one of the greatest worldwide.”
