Austin's Top 5 of 2016 (So Far)
Here we are at just around the halfway point through 2016, and its already been a damn good year for metal so far as is. While I have no personal qualms with praising more well known acts, I figured it'd be cool to center this post around lesser known top-shelf gems that have blown me away this year in order to show off some releases you might not know. While at the same time acknowledging that some of my favorite bigger releases of the year like Gorguts, Wormed, Vektor, and others definitely deserve their due praise and recognition. But, I'll leave that to others to post in their lists, and hope that you find something new you dig from the more underground picks below!
Imperial Triumphant – Inceste
As if releasing such a mind-bending record last year called Abyssal Gods wasn't enough, New York City based black metal overlords Imperial Triumphant are already back with another demented offering called Inceste. Imperial Triumphant are not for the faint of heart… even by black metal standards Inceste is some of the most twisted, vile, and genuinely fucked up sounding stuff around. From start to finish, Inceste is a complex journey of piercing eerie dissonance spliced with classical and choral elements and topped off with hints of death metal and jazz. All of which coalesces into an unconventional sound anchored by an intricate and unpredictable songwriting style all their own. Black metal needs more bands like Imperial Triumphant, but until the rest of the scene catches up with their futuristic deconstruction of the style, you can always jam Inceste until your mind melts into death goo.
https://redefiningdarknessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/inceste-ep
Deviant Process – Paroxysm
While I'd been keeping tabs on Quebec based technical death metal act Deviant Process since 2013, nothing could prepare me for how brilliant their debut album, Paroxysm, would be. Deviant Process have a strongly progressive death metal-oriented take on the sound, one that could be compared to fellow tech-death luminaries such as Augury and Quo Vadis. The songwriting throughout Paroxysm outdoes the vast majority of their peers, and strikes a perfect balance between frenzied aggression and potent progressive tendencies. Paroxysm has certainly gotten mad love and respect from the hardcore tech-death community, but it deserves much wider recognition than its received to date since dropping in March.
https://prcmusic.bandcamp.com/album/deviant-process-paroxysm-cd
Crisis Actor – Rape Crisis Actor
While its not as quite as popular a style as it used to be, math-grind/tech-grind still lives on, and Crisis Actor do it better than just about anyone. This New York based duo have crafted something really special on their harshly titled 2016 release, Rape Crisis Actor. The simplest way to describe the music here is to think of it as a multi-faceted blend of Maruta's technical deathgrind ferocity, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Dendritic Arbor in an all out war with each other. It's bands like Crisis Actor that make it hard for me to be impressed by the majority of garden variety grind anymore. Sure it's only a couple of songs, but there are more ideas in each of them than most grind bands showcase on an entire album. The focus here on quality over quantity makes Rape Crisis Actor my favorite grind release of 2016 to date.
https://crisis-actor.bandcamp.com/releases
Bhavachakra – Bhavachakra
It's at this point in writing this post that I realized I've already written too much! So let's make this one brief. Earlier this year I was contacted by a musician I know regarding his upcoming black metal project called Bhavachakra. Upon hearing it in full, their self-titled debut quickly became a release I couldn't put down. It's rather unconventional black metal, but eloquently composed and infinitely rewarding. To my ears, it comes across like a heady mix between the styles of black metal performed by Krallice and Ephel Duath. If you like a healthy dose of experimentation, prog, and unpredictability in your black metal, Bhavachakra- Bhavachakra should be right up your alley.
https://bhavachakra.bandcamp.com/releases
Michel Anoia – Plethora
I've got one final volley of experimental and eclectic chaos to toss your way to end this Top 5 with. Hailing from Lyon, France, Michel Anoia are a very difficult band to explain, and possibly even more difficult for most people to get into as well. These guys draw from so many different places, coming across like Psyopus, Cephalic Carnage, and Pyrrhon tossed in a blender. The resulting shredded mixture constantly exploring different territory with schizophrenic abandon. In fact, schizophrenic is actually a good descriptor for the experience that Plethora has in store. But repeat listens will show you its not a meaningless mess like it can come across upon hearing it for the first time. If you enjoy groups like Dimesland and Pyrrhon though, you'll likely find Plethora to be a very rewarding album and a truly unique listening experience.
