CERBÈRE, ICD10, MALLEUS Among Others for Gimme Metals Top Tracks of the Week

The top tracks thrashing the walls of the Gimme office this week

Cerbère – "Cendre"

From personal experience I will say that going down in the skull-hall-lined Paris Catacombs on a Monday morning before the crowd crush is a sobering event if you’re moving down those passages alone. And from the sounds of that city’s Cerbère it feels like they do that kinda thing an awful lot. Sprawling, slothful, this is some pretty heady doom from a trio that feature members from some bands with not-so-evil names (Frank Sabbath, Lord Humungous), providing fuzzed out psychedelic sludge with subtle shifts in their drone. The LP of the same name is out on Chien Noir January 27.

ICD10 – "Faith In Institutions"

Troglodytic and testy, this Philadelphia troupe flash GISM’y walls of hiss with some right-on primitive plod and snaky guitar lines evoking Crass and Rudimentary Peni. Cloaked with a metallic sheen these anarcho-rabblerousers feature members of Poison Ruin and Fuckin’ Lovers, and the LP is out on Solid State.

Malleus – "Prophetess"

With good black and death metal influences in their pockets, Malleus offer up some grim and tidy sounds  full of galloping, crisp riffs, fuss-free fx-less vocal yowl, and a frothing pot of rhythmic action. Their latest on Armageddon The Fires of Heaven takes a detailed look at the settling of America, it’s religious hypocrisies towards its natives, transforming 17^th century darkness into modern day mayhem.

Varmia – "3"

While their previous single “Oddal” let loose some of the real black metal fire these Polish pagan metallists are capable of, Varmia evokes the likes of Heilung and Enslaved a bit more, focusing on the sound of traditional ethnic/acoustic instruments and ritualistic vocals echoing through the barren woods. Tension, folklore, space all working hand in hand until the unleashing of some bestial growls as the song’s crescendo arrives. The rich sound of Varmia swings in variety of directions, their abilities to hone in on extreme beauty and terror in balance.

Disfiguring The Goddess – "Cut the Canvas"

DTG are back and sounding even more like a plunderphonic nightmare of varispeed records all spinning simultaneously. Opposing rhythms clashing and crossing over each other, demented samples, and Cameron Argon’s crazy vocals which alternately flip from grisly bleats to chopped-and-screwed fragments. Symphonic swirls, rubbery snares that flip on and off, so much damn weirdness abounds.