Another week, another onslaught of new music. And as always, most of it is so insubstantial that it basically floats right on past my viewscreen. Thankfully, some of it carries enough weight to take hold and make me pay attention. But of course, only the heaviest of the heavy can earn a trip to the Grindhouse. Don your protective gear, we’re about to begin our descent:
Ivy Gardens | Boner
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Prepare for a relentless onslaught of vulgar, belligerent punk, sludge, and sweat as Ivy Gardens, the sonic architects of chaos, emerge from the shadows of Niagara, Ont., with their first album Goon, arriving April 19. Brace yourself for an immersive experience as the band deliver a nearly endless stream of beaten-to-hell drums, searing organs, throbbing bass synths, and a liquid wall of guitar sludge. Their first single is Boner, their very own feel-good hit of the summer. They comment: “Opening with a relaxed groove that builds and builds to the heaviest possible climax, Boner has been a major highlight of our live set since it was introduced. Following the more relaxed pacing of the song, the softer vocal performance less seen in our music tells of a (seemingly) simple disagreement between two bitter individuals. Its bridge… is by far the heaviest composition we have achieved to date, and we are so excited to finally send it out into the world.”
Folterkammer | Leck Mich!
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Operatic black metal rising stars Folterkammer debut a fun and empowering video for their cheeky new single Leck Mich! The video sets 18th-century class against 21st-century crass; a bloody journey into the Rococo underground and its lustful ringleader, vocalist and frontwoman Andromeda Anarchia. The clip was directed by Folterkammer drummer Brendan McGowan and produced by Vile Luxe Studios. The song is taken from the band’s sophomore full-length, Weibermacht, due on April 19. Anarchia explains, “The expression ‘Leck mich!’ has several meanings in German. The literal (Lick me!) and the more abstract, vulgar version, short for ‘Leck mich am (Arsch)!’ (lick my a$$!), which is vulgar for: ‘Leave me alone!’ or ‘Fvck off!’ ”
Shrapnel | Amber Screams
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. heavyweights Shrapnel have announced their album In Gravity will be released on May 31. To celebrate, the band have released the single and video Amber Screams. It’s a powerful track which looks at the harrowing issue of being stuck in a cycle of substance abuse. The band comment: “Amber Screams delves into the harmful cycle of substance abuse and the search of greater highs becoming the escape from the plummeting normalcy of addiction. This is simply the most bludgeoning and heavy we’ve ever sounded. It’s a pretty sombre and introspective song, drawing on our love of bands like Alice In Chains, Deftones and Gojira, and turning this into something new. We really wanted to lean into our post-metal side and ended up writing what is possibly our favourite song on the new album. We really wanted to translate a feeling of despondency and a sense of teetering on the edge of the abyss.”
Decrowned | Rainworld
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Melancholic Finnish metallers Decrowned just released their first full-length Persona Non Grata. For this record, every member brought something to the table, but guitarists Jaakko Kauppinen and Simo Puustinen composed most of the songs. Musically, the band take a turn into heavier waters from its predecessors, still keeping in mind the essence of Decrowned. Along with the album, the band just released dthe video for Rainworld, a track that almost ended up on the cutting room floor. They explain: “Rainworld was almost going to be dropped from the album. It is one of the oldest songs and Jaakko didn’t like it so much in the beginning and it is a song that he composed. Luckily we talked Jaakko over and now the song has risen as one of our favorites and strongest songs from the album. Lyricically it paints up a rainy and gray landscape of a depressed mind. Seasons go too slowly for this individual. He wants them to pass faster so that eternal sleep and rest would finally take place.”
Borknagar | The Wild Lingers
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Norway’s pioneers of avant-garde progressive black metal Borknagar just released their monumental 12th album Fall. They also launched a video for the song The Wild Lingers. Øystein G. Brun commented on behalf of Borknagar: “We are extremely proud to finally be able to unveil and release the whole magnitude of this album onto this world. This may be the most passionate piece of music we have ever done. The hours upon hours spent, the immense work and the struggles to reach our musical peak has been challenging, steep and rough — but oh so beautiful and rewarding. What a bliss, what an adventure! Upon the release of the album, we also release our new video entitled The Wild Lingers. This very song is my personal lovechild on this album, and in so many ways represent a culmination of a musical journey that started almost 30 years ago. This is THE song that I have chased for so many years and it is deeply rooted at the core of what Borknagar is all about: Music, nature and freedom!”
Hatred Reigns | Absentia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With their auditory journey Awaken The Ancients this past December, Canada’s brutal force Hatred Reigns not only released a full-length record, but a conceptual epic that traverses uncharted realms of sound and emotion. The album’s narrative follows a protagonist grappling with oppressive forces, leading to a summoning of the ancients who rise to liberate the tormented from their prolonged suffering. Plunged into an endless abyss, the tormented emerge upon a desolate shore, surrounded by aimless souls. The seventh track/story of eight on the album is Absentia, which tells the part of their tale of the vessel venturing onward, with the treacherous waters proving to be a metaphorical battleground. The ancients, masters of manipulation, distort the perceptions of the voyagers. The chronicle’s protagonist’s senses are tampered with, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.”
Hideous Divinity | Against The Sovereignty Of Mankind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Unextinct, the latest full-length album from Hideous Divinity, will be made available on March 22. Their newest track Against The Sovereignty Of Mankind narrates a rebellion against human dominance. A protagonist, unchosen and witnessing decay, seeks liberation! Hideous Divinity say: “Here’s the second bite of the unextinct one. For those of you who’ve been following us for some time, you’ll recognize HD’s riffing right off the bat. On, and then there’s the ending… we love the ending. Time to weep for our loss of strength, for the lies we’ve been taught at the altar rail, for the men we’ve failed. You’ll find comfort here.”
Tonic Breed | Strife
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Norway’s Tonic Breed just announced the 10th-anniversary re-release of their 2014 thrash album Outsold. The first revisited single from this milestone release is titled Strife, providing fans with a fresh perspective on the album that left a lasting impact on the metal scene. While some of the tracks have subtle changes and remixing, Strife has been changed the most, including a nearly two-minute intro cut, as Patrik K. Svendsen explains: “Strife is the shortest track on the album. Originally, with a more extended synth intro, this song is now shortened to a more effective and explosive song. It’s one of the songs on the album with some kind of an actual hook chorus. This song could easily have been made with a traditional song structure, but I chose to spice it up a little with a couple of twists in the songwriting process.”
Mastiff | Void
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mastiff have just droped Void, the second single from their album Deprecipice, an intense hybrid of hardcore, punk and metal. It could be the soundtrack to Neurosis, Converge and Cursed battling in a Roman coliseum. Guitarist / vocalist James Lee Ross says: “Void might not fall in the literal middle of Deprecipice, but in many ways it acts as a thematic centrepiece, both musically and lyrically. There’s a strong Converge influence in the guitars for sure, and we wanted it to have a ragged, almost punk sound that gradually evolves into this monstrous, lurching breakdown. (The producer) then worked on washing the song over with some nasty, unsettling electronic noise that gives it this really queasy vibe.”
Geezer | Little Voices
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York’s masters of the riff Geezer are about to deliver four stomper drenched in the trio’s trademark swagger and hypnotic groove, as part of an upcoming split album with Genoa’s Isaak. It will definitely be one of the most hard-hitting stoner rock releases of the spring! Geezer comments: “As the ‘Interstellar Cosmic Blues’ half of this EP, we consider these songs to be some of the best that we’ve produced. Songs that could all be singles all on their own. And they better be because The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes brought some savage riffage of their own! Put it all together with amazing artwork by Mirkow Gastow… and you’ve got all the makings of a great record! A modern classic right out of the box. Dig it!”
The Cosmic Dead | Space Mountain Part II: High Country
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Cosmic Dead’s ninth studio album Infinite Peaks is to be issued this April 12. Space Mountain Part II: High Country is the second excerpt. The band say: “High Country picks up where Desert Djilo left off. This is the second part of our improvised 20-minute track Space Mountain. This part is both connected and unconnected with the previous and ominously speeds up like a hijacked train full of Uranium where synths. fiddles and guitars intertwine.”
Temple Of The Fuzz Witch | Bow Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Detroit up-and-coming doom metal trio Temple Of The Fuzz Witch unleash their crushing new single Bow Down. The song is taken from their third full-length Apotheosis, to be released on April 5. With sledgehammer riffs and lyrics as bleak as a Michigan winter, Temple Of The Fuzz Witch bring a unique take on the doom genre, their nightmarish sonic vision being raised to another level with frontman Noah Bruner’s jaw-dropping balance of crypt-worthy growls and astoundingly grunge-styled clean vocals. Never darkness has felt so magnificent and compelling, and their aptly-titled third album Apotheosis has everything to put the mighty trio on every doom metal fan’s radar for years to come.”
