Frontman Trevor Strnad said about “Ritual”, the upcoming fifth studio album, that this is “the most focused Black Dahlia Murder strike of all time.” Scheduled to be released on June 17, 2011 in Europe and June 21 in North America, the 45 minutes of slaughter compressed in 12 tracks are a mixture of pure aggression with consistent death metal marks, intriguingly melodious heavy metal riffs, extreme grindings and brutal vocals on a scale from death to black metal. Formed in 2001 at Waterford, Michigan, their name is derived from the 1947 unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, often referred to as Black Dahlia. Out of their four studio albums, the latest three charted on the US Billboard 200, with the previous 2009’s “Deflorate” peaking at #43. This is a considerable performance for a death metal combo of this intensity. And fans have nothing to worry, “Ritual” is another intense and grinding collection of extreme, modern metal. Read more The Black Dahlia Murder – Ritual (2011)
death metal
Morbid Angel – Illud Divinum Insanus (2011)
This might be one of the best metal albums of the year. Extremely brutal, filled up with cutting edge riffs, crushing noises and killer tempos, technical death metal constructions and some demonic industrial like noises, this is a very complex and breathing metal product up to date and beneath the explosive sound, Morbid Angel write and recorded absolutely killer songs incorporated modern taste to their classic death approach. Absolutely brilliant.
Eight years since their last studio album – “Heretic” (2003) – and sixteen since their last with David Vincent – “Domination” (1995). And some may agree – or not – but Morbid Angel was always identified by the eccentric David Vincent. He left Morbid Angel to join his wife’s industrial metal band, Genitorturers in 1995 and rejoined Morbid Angel in 2004 and it seems he bring with him some of the industrialized experiences gained along Genitorturers, but no metal fan should worry, Morbid Angel remains the same uncompromising metal act. This is maybe not a conservative death metal album, still it’s extremely heavy and crushing. Read more Morbid Angel – Illud Divinum Insanus (2011)
Catalepsy – Bleed (2011)
From Orlando, Florida strikes deadly for the second time Catalepsy. Formed back in 2004 and released their debut “Iniquity” in 2008, “Bleed” is the collection of their brand new 10 plus 1 death grinds. With passages that reminds me of Sepultura’s “Roots” (1996), this is a bloody, surprisingly brilliant album. Inspired and cutting riffs, pumping rhythmic constructions and shifts, raw vocals and killer grooves are melted into a modern, extreme and exciting metal witch blending perfectly hardcore and death metal into one. Rick Norman – vocals, Rob Walden (the only left founding member) and Matt Sutton – guitars, Sean Murphy – bass and Benjamin Sutton – drums, not only make another deathcore material, they found enough inspiration and technical resources to put together a brutally brilliant album. Read more Catalepsy – Bleed (2011)
Archspire – All Shall Align (2011)
Oli Peters (vocals), Tobi Morelli (seven string guitar), Dean Lamb (eight string guitar), Jaron Evil (six string fertless bass and backing vocals) and Spencer Prewett (drums) delivering some extremely rapid and precise, brutal, hyper-blasting, grinding and technical death metal. The young Canadian upstarts Archspire make a proper, promising debut. Pushing boundaries of speed, technique, and limits set only by the human nature, Archspire focusing on the fast, powerful, energetic and explosive, but still musically accurately structured and perfectly performed modern, progressive death metal. Still, these boys from Vancouver managed to stealth melodies, harmonies into this unmerciful massacre. Read more Archspire – All Shall Align (2011)
Septicflesh – The Great Mass (2011)
In very few words, “The Great Mass” is the intercourse of the fallen angel’s deadly howls with the angel’s enlighted chants, it’s another (master) piece in the creative development of this interesting band from Greece, their eighth studio album it’s a bridge between their early works and simultaneously a step into their future. Septicflesh fans knows for sure what I’m talking about and they won’t be disappointed. But I think those who are not actually familiar with the universe of Septicflesh can discover an intense and colorful world through this brand new release. Spiros “Seth” Antoniou and his band mates merged intense black/death metal massacres and melodious heavy constructions with sophisticated symphonic elements, Peter Togtgren proof once again his abilities in metal productions and Christos Antoniou write some inspired orchestration performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Read more Septicflesh – The Great Mass (2011)
Arkan – Salam (2011)
Season Of Mist bring us the second full-length album by Arkan, “Salam”, following their promising debut from 2008, titled “Hilal”. Last year I discovered a couple of exciting bands from the Middle East such as Orphaned Land, Melechesh and Absolace, Arkan comes to completing the picture, their music is labeled “oriental death metal”, an inspired mixture of the sounds of East and West, the melodies of North and South, amalgamate melodic Death Metal with Oriental traditions with roots reach deep down into the ethnic sounds of Algeria and Morocco. Arkan put together the whirlwind of Arabic percussion and the magical sound of ancient oriental string instruments with crushing riffs and intense rhythms, clean singing of Sarah Layssac with the screams and growls of Florent Jannier. Mystic and intense, “Salam” (Peace) is a colourful and powerful album with all the best spices of the East and West compounding together. Read more Arkan – Salam (2011)
Called To Arms – Peril and the Patient (2010)
Sincer, este prima mea intersectare cu americanii ce formează Called To Arms, dar acest „Peril and the Patient” ce urmează să fie lansat oficial în data de 10 august, este un material interesant care merită ascultat.
Trupa din oraşul Raleigh, Carolina de Nord, a fost înfiinţată în 2003 de Daniel Grissom – voce, clape; Jamie Nickerson – chitară; Zack Van Hoy – tobe şi Josh Philips – bas. Un an mai târziu se alătură formaţiei şi chitaristul Brady Sweat şi este scos şi primul material: „A New Life Given”.
Trupa abordează un amestec de Metal Progresiv cu Deathcore, dar nu ezită să experimenteze tot felul de sonorităţi din toată aria Metal-ului. Vocea foarte brutală, abordarea caracteristică pentru Death Metal este susţinută de instrumentaţie foarte complexă, scheme ritmice sofisticate, construcţii armonice, dar şi riff-uri extrem de brutale, adică o muzică destul de diversificată.
În 2005 trupa intră într-o pauză prelungită, revin abia în 2007 şi bateristul Zack Van Hoy este înlocuit de Grayson Sweat şi este scos al doilea disc: „The Last Lament”. Cele 27 de minute (5 piese) au fost imprimate încă din 2005 şi iniţial intenţionau să mai imprime şi alte piese ca materialul să fie un album complet, dar proiectul a fost abandonat şi discul a fost lansat în formă de EP.
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„Peril and the Patient” se bazează pe romanul lui Clive Staples Lewis „The Screwtape Letters” Read more Called To Arms – Peril and the Patient (2010)
Mnemic – Sons of the System (2010)
În România surprinsă iarna aceasta a trei-a oară de faptul că iarna ninge şi dacă mai bate şi vântul, uneori zăpada viscoleşte, poate numele Mnemic nu spune mare lucru. Ne-am cam lăsat pe spate şi aşteptăm încălzirea globală, apocalipsa sau eventual să ne facă altcineva treaba… Cinic sau patetic?
Danezii în schimb sunt cunoscuţi şi apreciaţi în toată Europa, în 2007 şi 2008 au deschis turneele europene pentru Metallica şi au fost în turnee alături de Deftones, Machine Head, Meshuggah, Arch Enemy, All That Remains, The Haunted, Soilwork, God Forbid şi Fear Factory. I-am lăsat pe Fear Factory la urmă fiindcă danezii au destul de multe-n comune cu ei, combină la fel de energic elemente de Death Metal şi Industrial, pasajele brutale cu cele mai melodice, chitarele zgomotoase cu clapele. De altfel, anteriorul album – „Passenger” – a fost produs de Christian Olde Wolbers basist-chitaristul din Fear Factory, actualmente Arkaea.
