Gimme Metal Program Director Brian Turner delivers the week's top 5 office buzz-worthy tracks.
SANHEDRIN – Correction
With their new 'Lights On' LP coming on Metal Blade in March, NYC's Sanhedrin continue to trip it up as a trio specializing in anthemic yet doomy power metal. They're especially great at evoking retro stylings sans fancy production.
Erica Stoltz's raw pipes ring and intermingle with the guitar chug and no-frills-but stylish drumming in a most excellent way, the mix all definitely emphasizes the chemistry of this bunch and their dedication to flying the flag on purity.
IRON FATE – Hellish Queen
After no new album from these Germans in 12 years, 'Crimson Messiah' finds the return of Iron Fate to be a blazing one. Crisp, melodic power metal is the name of the game here: swooping Cirith Ungol-style vocal screamer action going on, a second guitarist tightening the game with trim, animated instrumental craft and a definite thrash undercurrent amidst some epic groove.
Recently touted on Horrox's 'By This Wax I Rule' show.
MIZMOR – Wit's End
This project of multi-instrumentalist A.L.N. isn't for the fragile-minded, a headfirst belly plop into a pool of hopelessness to coincide with the times. Starting with spoken samples, scrapy strums and tension, it all eventually explodes into a thick gelatinous goo of plodding distortion, tortured cries and the forward motion of a flatbed carrying a mountain somewhere. Twelve minutes in it fizzles and you are left to sit in the echo of a disappearing screech, hissing amps and eventually nothingness.
ZEKE – Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll
Seattle longtermers Zeke resurface joined by High On Fire's Jeff Matz to knock out a pretty good update on the Blue Oyster classic. Ripple Music has just issued 'Domimance and Submission' a full-on BÖC tribute LP featuring the likes of Mondo Gerenator, Year of the Cobra and Ape Machine.
APES – No Will To Live
Snarling out of Quebec, Apes' 'Lullabies For Eternal Sleep' EP (Translation Loss) is some true rattle. Rife with undercurrent of soundscapes and ambience, it's all pummel and in-your-face mastiff bark while instrumentation goes off the rails in incessantly churning intensity. Dylan from Full of Hell makes an appearance too if that's an indication of the kinda stuff we're dealing with here.
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