Face it, Overkill are long past the Years of Decay, gone through the Horrorscope, come out with a Necroshine and reappeared in 2023 Scorched. You get what you expect with NJ’s thrash titans and it’s a whole lot better than what Metallica dished out the same week. You can disagree all you want but you’re wrong.
Well, when the lord and savior didn’t arrive on his appointed weekend last week, J.L (Liu Zhenyang), a 23 wunderkind devoted to sonic havoc celebrated his second Hoplites / Ὁπλίτης release of the year with Τρωθησομένη. Little more thrashtastic on this outing having a sound one could imagine being Rorschach &/or Coalesce interpretations of killing technology and tapping the vein.
Bosnia and Herzegovina Black Plague Circle stalwarts Izrod have announced Sarajevski Odisej for the mere price of €666 EUR. Once the Signal Rex Lp/Cd arrives in June or July hopefully the digital price is less than a monthly car payment. Though, given what these guys serve on this album you’ll get a lot of mileage. Melodic, bombastic, dissonant, tangled and feral across the twists and turns of the arrangements under the chassis.
Even more eclectic and odd strides Iceland’s Altari on Kröflueldar. One look at the cover, you know you’re in for a psychedelic journey. This is almost a Wormlust reimagining of Negura Bunget covering Ved Buens Ende. I’ve been thinking Thy Darkened Shade, Molekh, Verminous Serpent, Sól án varma and SODALITY are the black metal albums to beat in 2023. Add Altari’s Kröflueldar to that short list. At least until Kostnatění drops their album to further muddy the waters. Seriously, Kröflueldar has the it factor - post punk drive, oddball chords, folk mesmerism, unexpected shifts in gear and tone and loads of atmosphere.
Already tipped my hat on Sól án varma above. Strong contender for album of the year. Originally commissioned as a special one-of-a-kind show for Roadburn Festival 2018, Sól án varma is a unique-sounding 70 minute-Black Metal opus and features members from the Icelandic Black Metal scene, including D.G. (Misþyrming, Núll, Drottinn, Naðra, asf.), G.E. (Misþyrming, Naðra), T.Í. (Misþyrming, Núll, Naðra, Marghöfða dýrið, Carpe Noctem), M.S. (Misþyrming, Svartidauði), S.V. (Svartidauði, Drottinn), and, last but not least, from Árstíðir lífsins and Carpe Noctem Á.B.Z. .
Why not make it an Icelandic trifecta? Óreiða
You know I can’t go without posting about French acts. A la fin de l'univers on Transcendance come slithering out of a black hole to recount 4 scenes of cosmic terror. Cybernetic black metal recalling horror movie and sci-fi soundtracks and go for broke swarming noise of The Axis of Perdition, Wolok and Blut Aus Nord. Throttling rhythms, sci-fi synth textures, and a blur of guitar layers.
Slowing things down considerably and adding far more bass than A la fin de l'univers Class Traitor pummels in a Buzzov-en crossing paths with Neurosis during a demolition derby. Wet vocals that reverb, delay and decay over staggering riffs, walls of feedback, and thunderous bass/drum interplay. Figures this is from Whitehorse territory. Not saying Class Traitor sounds like Whitehorse, it doesn’t. Whitehorse is coming from more of a Corrupted school of plodding destruction and Class Traitor is a notch or two quicker and could be aligned closer to post metal/hardcore.
Gotta love the Multa mission statement: “Multa is a project where I do what I want, and most of the time that means cold atmospheres, sinister black metal riffs and sometimes noise and other weird shit.” From Finland with evil intent. Favorite tracks are “Jälki Ajassa” and “Vale” as they truly live up to and push beyond the mission statement.
Also from Finland is Kaira - Seitsemän. This, too, has a broad palette it works with. Culling from death, doom, black, traditional and progressive metal sounds.
New PYLAR is announced. One expansive track to explore… Swans long form Doors meets Nitsch drone ritual given an Oranssi Pazuzu treatment of synths and chamber orchestra instrumentation.
A short shock of science and dissonance with a new Pillars of Cacophony single.
Enigmatic duo Ezov return with En Sådan Tillförsikt Vi Hava. The title track is an epic journey of (un)black metal discovery. Absolute thing of beauty and after this dissonant caustic monstrosity winds down Ezov cover “Strange Fruit.” No, not the Catherine Wheel song, but, the Abel Meeropol penned song long associated with First Lady of the Blues Billie Holiday. What they conjure is something that I would imagine David Eugene Edwards would’ve done. Particularly how they have composed the intro.
Thought you would get away without a mention of a Polish band? Not gonna happen. Profeci fit that order. “Głód” hits with Non Opus Dei black metal abandon. Hell, they could even be NOD doppelgangers. It is that accurate.
Look here: Fen return! Premiere track sounds massive and is a detailed construction of all the components these guys are known for.
Pincer Consortium’s third single for the upcoming Geminus Schism full length. Beginning on a more melodic bent than the previous singles it is absolutely enormous sounding. As it unfolds space and time huge drums, humongous bass, elastic riffs melding Meshuggah heft and King Crimson Frippery weave with synthetic textural adornments, guttural incantations and chants. Whether these invoke the void or stave off collapse of humankind is up to interpretation.
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And, finally, a new track from Riga, Latvian post metal outfit OGHRE. Hopefully, as the liner notes mentions this is the first single for the upcoming album, the third part to the planned alchemical trilogy is nearing completion and release. Sensational track running the gauntlet of Queensryche, Tool, Galloping Coroners and Pink Floyd.
I have every Overkill Cd. The Nightmare Continues Overkill Rides Again. I like the new Metallica. I like Hardwired & Death Magnetic I hate Justice For All. I like the black album & the first 3.