Sh*t That Comes Out Today: September 18, 2020

I’m in Los Angeles, so right now the Sepultura lyric “under a pale grey sky” sure hits home. Unfortunately, I’m not so much arising as I am taking lots of naps with my cat. Anyway, here are some new metal releases!

Napalm Death
Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism (Century Media)

Decibel doesn’t award perfect 10’s very often, but it’s not a big shock that the coveted score went to the latest release from the magazine’s unofficial favorite band. I’m not as rabid a fan as some of my fellow scribes. Still, their sixteenth blast of socially-concious rage feels just as vital as anything off Scum — unsurprisingly (and unfortunately), the current rise of fascism in the US and UK has given the trio plenty of grist to grind in their mill. Good for death metal fans, bad for the world. I especially dig the Killing Joke nod on “Amoral.”

Heathen
Empire Of The Blind (NB)

Lee Altus is probably best known as “the guitarist in Exodus that isn’t Gary Holt,” but he had his own well-respected thrash unit, Heathen. While his dualing partner was off with Slayer, Altus grabbed longtime vocalist David White and a couple newer collborators and cranked out Heathen’s first album. And it’s pretty good! Songs like first single (and album highlight) “The Blight” show off the band’s melodic inclinations. The guitar team of Altus and Kragen Lum’s epic riffing reminds me of the Amott brothers — high praise indeed. It’s a thrash record, sure, but it’s a really solid addition to the genre.

Various Artists
Dirt [Redux] (Magnetic Eye)

I feel like they used to do stuff like this more often, but maybe the bottom fell out of the market? Anyway, Magnetic Eye Records seem determined to bring back the full-album cover album, and they’ve enlisted damn good bands for their various projects. Their reconstruction of Alice in Chain’s 1992 classic Dirt works better than their take on The Wall; crushing contributors like Thou, Howling Giant, and – (16) – make more sense tackling these heavy (in every sense) slices of despair. While not all of it works, it does give Khemmis yet another opportunity to prove why they’re pretty much the best metal band out there.

Vatican Shadow
Persian Pillars of the Gasoline Era (20 Buck Spin)

Dominick Fernow is probably better known by the nom de guerre Prurient but he has other solo projects under various names as well — 15 according to Discogs! Vatican Shadow is one of them, and its politically-minded techno bears his sonic fingerprints: while not as discordant as his primary outfit, it still contains his signature noise stabs and oppressive atmosphere. Justin Broadrick mastered it if you need further hints as to what to expect. Less expected? Its release from death/doom metal powerhouse 20 Buck Spin. Still, it lives up to the high standard they’ve been setting lately.

Finntroll
Vredesvavd (Century Media)

It’s been seven long years since the last time we got troll-hammered, and let’s be honest — despite the proliferation of pagan metal bands in Finntroll’s wake, nobody quite captures their sheer demented fun. While this still retains their folk metal underpinnings (mostly in the bouncy rhythms), Vredesvavd feels like more of a return to their 90s black metal roots, down to the cheesy dungeon synth keyboards. It’s deeper into the dark forest where the monsters dwell. That said, these monsters still know how to party hard.

OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT THIS WEEK

Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 2 (eOne) Listen
Bangladeafy – Housefly (Nefarious Industries) Listen
Contracult Collective – A Cult of Opposition (Hogwasche Music) Listen
Carnation – Where Death Lies (SoM) Listen
Derek Sherinian – The Phoenix (InsideOut) Listen
Fight the Fight – Deliverance (Metal Blade/Blacklight Media) Listen
Fires In The Distance – Echoes From Deep November (Prosthetic) Listen
Mondo Generator – Dead Planet Reissue (Heavy Psych Sounds) Listen
Movements – No Good Left To Give (Fearless) Listen
Plague Years – Circle Of Darkness (eOne) Listen
Raven – Metal City (SPV/Steamhammer) Listen
Serum 114 – Im Zeichen der Zeit (Napalm) Listen
Soulbound – Addicted To Hell (Metalville) Listen
Varg – Zeichen (Napalm) Listen