So reads the description on the “About” page of Heavy Artillery Records’ official website:

“Focused on traditional sub-genres of heavy metal, Heavy Artillery is a new label dedicated to bringing out the best from this new generation of old-school headbangers. Like the 90’s never happened!”

That should set the tone for this post quite nicely.

We’ve talked about Exmortus’ new album Beyond the Fall of Time on MetalSucks before, but now’s your chance to hear it in full, streaming at Heavy Artillery’s Bandcamp. My opinion on new Exmortus hasn’t changed since when I’d only heard one song; I find myself missing the heavy death metal influence on the band’s debut that tempered their thrash overtones and made their music so interesting. These tunes are pretty sweet and there’s nothing wrong with them — lots of great guitar work, especially — they just don’t tickle my nuts the way I’d hoped for. Maybe you’ll feel differently; listen here.

Heavy Artillery label-mates Vektor, on the other hand, are getting me way more excited! Two tracks from their forthcoming album Outer Isolation are up at their Bandcamp page and they bring all the blackness, guitar wizardry and ripping thrash that piqued my interest back in July of 2010. If Behemoth ditched all their death metal influences and substituted them with fast, razor-sharp thrash instead, they’d sound something like Vektor. I’m stoked for Outer Isolation‘s release on November 22nd.

-VN