Gimme Metal Program Director Brian Turner delivers the week's top 5 office buzz-worthy tracks.
THE RITE – Sinister Minister
Blistering black metal attack from this Italian troupe (fronted by Danish throatgargler Ustamullagam), focused on atmosphere over flash, reaping some classic influences into a modern atonal attack of the senses. Rhythmically they hone in between plod and punctuality, layers of guitars flank a malodorous swing, obliterative riffs keep their negative-energy universe from falling apart.
ALEKHINE'S GUN – 21
Inspired by a Tibetan prayer, AG's frontwoman (and host of Gimme's 'Crushing Metal' program) Jessica Pimentel continues to embrace her highly spiritual and poetic approach to lyricism while surrounding herself with a kickass bunch of instrumentalists. A sprawling sound that consumes its surroundings as much as it nails a point-precision rhythmic attack, the Brooklyn band's latest evokes both the claustrophobia of NYC and it's singular sense of freeformity and openness within. Subtlety, complexity, adherence to no genre rules and embracing everything in its orbit.
INEXORUM – Dream and Memory
What started as a vehicle for Karl Skildum, now joined by Matthew Kirkwold (both of whom have rounded out Obesquiae's live lineup) has evolved into a grandiose brand new LP called 'Moonlit Navigation'. Hailing from Oshkosh, this is some quality convergence of black and death metal, rife with chiming melodic guitars, sweeping epicness and immersive atmsophere.
EYE OF NIX – Tempest
'Ligeia' emerges as an album woven with dense emotion and empathy that never settles into one sort of path before surprising you. The Seattle band fronted by singing virtuoso Joy Von Spain leads the way through a trail of ambience and turbulence, rich 4AD-style tapestries weaving in and out of eruptions of raw noise battery that never manage to consume the frontwoman's presence over the songs at hand.
UADA – Djinn
Tacoma's black metal hordes have a new LP and here's the title track, a crushing blizzard of sound, albeit crisper in mix than previous output, but a definite boost to the melodic nature of this band.
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