Long overdue, here is my new blog post with the 9 releases that I have selected to write about this month. Enjoy reading and support the artists by buying directly their music!
Anatomy of I - The Los(T) Angered Sessions
ANATOMY OF I are a progressive death metal group from the Netherlands which are mixing a wide variety of influences in their music, ranging from 70's jazz fusion to death metal and tech-thrash metal. The Los(t) Angered Sessions is not their new album but actually the band's first unreleased studio recording from 2005/2006. I did not have the opportunity to listen to any of their subsequent releases but with the exception of the vocals (which are more appropriate for a German thrash metal revival band) the music in The Los(t) Angered Sessions is very good and interesting.
Idol of Fear - Trespasser
Canadians Idol of Fear deliver one of the best extreme metal releases of the year (so far). Dissonant and atmospheric, Trespasser avoids complexity while remaining an excellently crafted progressive death metal album.
Epitaphe - II
Another album that for sure make it in many year-end lists. French Epitaphe play slow Death metal (the album contains 3 songs with durations between 18 and 19 minutes plus an intro and an outro) which avoids being monolithically doom metal and through its captivating melodies and tempo changes manages to successfully blend progressive and extreme together.
Yawn - Materialism
Despite their name, Norwegians Yawn did not cause to me any sense of boredom at all! On the contrary, Materialism combines metal, electronics, industrial, djent, jazz, ambient and atmospheric elements managing to keep a consistent flow in all its duration. Even though less heavy and extreme, I would place Materialism next to the new albums by Meshuggah and Animals As Leaders!
Dissolve Patterns - Dissolve Patterns
Dissolve Patterns is the self-titled debut album by Belgian Avantgarde - Black Metal band Dissolve Patterns. Mixing the aggressiveness of Black Metal with progressive music, experimental and jazz, the album sounds heavily dark and inspired, cold and unforgiving. Dissolve Patterns is for sure a band with a very promising future...
Suppression - The Sorrow Of Soul Through Flesh
Suppression come from Chile but they play straightforward 90's Death Metal referring to bands like Pestilence or Scream Bloody Gore-era Death. It may not be the most original and innovative release of the year but old school Death Metal fans and aspiring Bass players will adore it...
Azaab - Summinning the Cataclysm
Pakistan-originating Death metal which perfectly balances old-school with modern influences. The technical abilities of the band are very high hence presenting one of the best albums of the genre for this year.
Incriya - Nothingess
Another Scandinavian progressive metal release for this month is the EP Nothingness by Finnish group Incriya. Combining cinematic atmospheres and frequent djent parts they manage to sound interesting even though taking less "risks" compared to Yawn. I would name Nothingness promising rather than radically innovative.
Hilltops Are for Dreamers - In Disbelief
Hilltops Are For Dreamers are an ambitious project that took shape and form in London around 2018, having their members though UK and Greece based. In their own words, they describe their new album, In Disbelief, as follows :
blends black metal with acoustic blues melodies, while flirting with progressive structures and heavy riffing, exploring electronic and cinematic paths, but often visiting their post-hardcore roots...
I would personally tend to agree with the above however in my humble opinion there are too many elements in the "recipe" (possibly in an attempt for the band to sound "interesting" and "relevant") that in the end make the songs sound overburdened...