Greetings, Decibel readers!
It’s a new year, and metal marches on. And while time is just a subjective construct we use to order our perception of life, it’s objectively true that you should check out the albums below.
Cheers!
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Ectovoid – In Unreality’s Coffin
Gotta start things off with a ripper! Ectovoid play a crushing, muscular style of death metal that blends the ominous riffage of Incantation with the murky atmosphere of Autopsy. The result is deadly high drama that swarms around as its smashes the landscape around you. Ough!
Stream: Apple Music
In Unreality’s Coffin by Ectovoid
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Motljus – For evigt
Introspective, flowing atmospheric black metal. It’s unmistakably of the Alcest variety but carries a cinematic character that separates it from many contemporaries. A certain type of black metal snob won’t be pleased with this, but that’s too bad. Their loss.
Stream: Apple Music
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Oraculum – Hybris Divina
I’d been seeing ads for this album all over the place, so it’s good to finally have a chance to hear it! This is the Chilean band’s debut full-length, and it delivers a unrelenting sonic assault from start to finish. It’s a satisfying listen for fans of Asphyx and Bolt Thrower who might want to hear a bit of bestial war metal thrown in to shake things up.
Stream: Apple Music
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Stranguliatorius – Flies Don’t Lie
Totally unhinged, totally awesome grind-death from Lithuania. Like hooking up early Carcass to an electrical socket powered by Grave and Entombed. There’s also a fair amount of crust and hardcore energy going on here. It’s a record that never sits still, and it’s hard to sit still while listening to it.
Stream: Apple Music
Flies Don’t Lie by STRANGULIATORIUS
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Woe – Legacies of Human Frailty
Surprise! Chris Grigg and company dropped this out of nowhere on New Years day, a totally spur-of-the-moment move that matches the nature of the album itself. The band apparently recorded the music live in the studio (I assume without click tracks) and Chris then tossed his vocals down in single takes. By keeping the studio trickery to a minimum, the album feels natural, fresh, and powerful on in its own terms. It also helps they went with Rotting Reign for the album artwork, as his masterful acrylic work perfectly matches the music.
Stream: Apple Music
Legacies of Human Frailty by Woe
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