NEW MUSIC ROUND-UP: BEASTWARS, THE 69 EYES, LOCRIAN AND DEAD POETS

It’s a beautiful day in the metal neighborhood; let’s listen to new music from Beastwars, The 69 Eyes, Locrian and Dead Poets, below.

First up we have new music from New Zealand’s Beastwars. A press release describes them as “a mongrel mix of Kyuss, Neurosis and the mighty Godflesh;” I’d say that’s a pretty accurate description, but I’d add a touch of Alcestian / Agallochian atmospherics to the stew. Beastwars didn’t especially grab me when I first listened to their music, but new track “Cthulhu,” currently streaming at MetalDistro.com, made me do a double-take and reconsider. Fire up those bowls if you got ’em. The band’s self-titled debut will come out on September 10th.

The 69 Eyes have apparently released nine albums with a tenth on the way, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a single one. The “vampiric goth” band shares more than just a home country with Finnish rockers H.I.M.; their melancholic, dark, aching music is similar in mood and execution. Stream “Red” at Revolver Magazine’s website. Warning: not for the tr00/cvlt amongst you.

Speaking of cvlt: Relapse Records will be re-releasing Locrian’s 2011 album The Clearing, bundled with a second disc of rarities called The Final Epoch, on August 14th. CvltNation.com is now streaming the entire two-disc set. Maybe it’s because I’m an old, but I just don’t get the appeal of this band. Some cool atmospheric noise to put on in the background, smoke, and get absolutely blitzed to… OK, I could see that. But putting on this music as a listening focal point makes zero sense to me, and there’s nothing about it I find either “epic” or “mind-altering.” As usual, I invite you to listen and then tell me why I’m completely wrong below.

Lastly we have Dead Poets, a new, unsigned act from Denmark that sound like what you wish The Haunted still sounded like; mid-tempo grooves with Gothenburg-style riffs and a mix of punk-style sing/screaming and growls. Pretty slammin. Stream:

-VN