The new single from Canadian death metal horror freaks VHS is ready to impale you like Vlad. “Horror of Dracula” is a bloody death ‘n’ roll basher featuring guest vocals from Trevor Strnad of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. The song was premiered exclusively at Decibel Magazine ahead of the December release of the band’s upcoming vampire-themed record I Heard They Suck… Blood. With songs based on vamp classics like The Lost Boys and Near Dark, the album will thrill death metal and horror fanatics alike.
Decibel Magazine writes:
“Fans of EXHUMED, IMPETIGO, CARCASS, MORTICIAN and fake blood will go nuts for “Horror of Dracula,” which hits all the pleasure spots in the brain: ominous riffs, fast-paced mosh parts, guttural grooves and a Simpsons sample. Strnad’s vocals add another layer of depth, in addition to a familiar voice.”
Texas death bringers I AM will kick off 2022 supporting death metal veterans Nile on their Age Of Vile Divinities US Tour. The trek begins on February 3rd in Nashville, Tennessee and makes its way through over two dozen cities, coming to a close on March 12th in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Additional support will be provided by Incantation and Sanguisugabogg.
Comments the band: “We’re incredibly excited to smash over a month of dates with some monsters of bands. With new music hidden away, it’s swelled up and ready to burst. Be prepared to enter into our domain. See y’all in February!” See all confirmed dates below.
I AM have come to embody the subgenre known as “Texas death.” While the band takes influence from “The Big Four,” their homage to artists like Pantera, Power Trip, and Cro-Mags is undeniable. Their signature style of dive-bomb guitars and guitar-driven riffs has come to define the genre.
Formed by vocalist AndrewHileman in 2011, I AM quickly gained recognition in the great state of Texas as being a band meant for bigger things. After paying their proverbial dues and touring relentlessly, solidifying Texas death across North America on tour with bands like The Acacia Strain, For The Fallen Dreams, and Kublai Khan, I AM released their debut album, Life Through Torment, in February of 2017.
By 2018, the band began recording a new album with Randy Lebeouf at Graphic Nature Audio (Kublai Khan, Left Behind, Great American Ghost) with a vision of capturing their chaotic live performance and power they’d become known for. Hard 2 Kill was released in November of that year to serious critical acclaim. Decibel Magazine declared, “I AM know how to write songs that make you want to move,” Kerrang! noted, “Devoid of pretension and brimming with tangible anger, the band’s music is an angry headbanger’s dream.”
I AM will release their next full-length via MNRKHeavy with details to be unveiled in the months to come.
Finland’s InbornTendency brings their particular brand of groove-oriented death metal to the world via TheCharonCollective. The trio’s new EP, “GodKiller,” features four songs exhibiting their fusion of punishing metal, hardcore principles, and splendid melody. Aside from delivering pummeling guitar riffs, you can expect lyrics that delve into matters of the heart like faith, life, and death.
You can buy Inborn Tendency’s “Godkiller” on CD or Digital now right here. It’s also available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other streaming outlets.
You can get more info about Inborn Tendency on their Facebook page.
See what other bands and projects are available from The Charon Collective here.
Madrid (SP) – Spanish Death Metal horde THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES will release Foundation this October 22 on Lacerated Enemy Records. The EP’s first single, “A Humanless War,” is available now at youtu.be/BMFDeoTly08.
Visit this location for single availability on other digital platforms.
On the Foundation EP, THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES play dissonant blackened technical death metal in the vein of Obscura, Der Weg einer Freiheit and Abhorrent.
Comments Lacerated Enemy: “We are very pleased to announce that THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES has joined Lacerated Enemy family. Hailing from Madrid, Spain, THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES formed in 2006 creating their brand of technical Brutal Death Metal. After releasing two successful albums, Heliopause Fleets (2012) and The Black Legend (2015), the band established a strong fan base in Europe and received great reviews for both.”
While supporting numerous well known acts since the creation of the band, THIRTEEN BLED PROMISES was ready to enter the studio again to record another masterpiece of blackened technical death metal. The record brings its influences from progressive and technical songwriting, while still accompanied by a blackened atmospheric quality that keeps the listener intrigued about what will come next.
Canadian extreme metal band ILLYRIAN have premiered their latest single, “Age of Fire” exclusively on Metal Underground. The track is taken from their upcoming EP Aegis due out on October 15th 2021.
Founded in 2015 in Calgary, Canada, ILLYRIAN was formed from the remnants of several bands and music projects in their local scene. Seeking to bring together their different backgrounds and strengths, the band quickly set to work on what would become their debut offering, 2016’s Round 2: Fight!
2019 marked the release of ILLYRIAN’s sophomore record, The Entity, Unknown. The album solidified the band’s signature approach to the metal genre, blending elements of death and thrash metal with technical and melodic composition.
Adventuring out from their prototypical thrash metal roots while embracing the energy and drive from the genre, their sound further evolved into a more focused and precise vision, injecting elements of death metal and less conventional textures such as world percussion and traditional folk instruments into their music.
For their album, The Entity, Unknown, ILLYRIAN was awarded the 2020 YYC Music Award for “Metal Recording of the Year,” punctuating a comparatively quiet year for the unit. Soon after, the band set to work on writing and recording their next production – a concept EP. Intentionally narrowing the scope of it to fully explore and realize its story and musicality, it was written and refined in isolation from one another both due to circumstance and creative choice.
Now, with the EP recorded and ready to be unleashed, late 2021 will see the arrival of Aegis, and the return of ILLYRIAN.
Promo pic by Hannu Perälä (Hannu Perälä Photography)
Finnish melodic death metal band Wolftopia is set to release their debut album Ways of the Pack on December 17th 2021 via InverseRecords.
“Hound of War” is the first single by the melodic death metal band Wolftopia, from the Finnish city of Vaasa. Introducing their 2021 debut album, Ways of the Pack, this is a hard-hitting single that grabs you with the first notes and won’t let you go until the last chords have faded. The song begins with a massive double guitar riff, played aggressively by lead guitarist Topi Karhunen and frontman Aleksander Okhotnikov and supported by the wild double bass drums of Tom Israels and growling bass guitar of Tim Reus. The song opens up hard, shakes the listener awake and drags them into the aggressive, fast and bombastic world of Wolftopia.
Okhotnikov explains that the song was inspired by the Gothenburg death metal scene and that inspiration of the band’s western neighbours can be heard in the riffs. “Hound of War” might be one of the more straightforward songs on the album, but it expresses perfectly what Wolftopia is all about: fast-paced, melodic and atmospheric death metal. This is evident from the crunchy double guitar riffs in the introduction and verses, but also from the majestic solo by lead guitar virtuoso Karhunen and the brooding bridge, glowering with power chords and a heavy bass sound.
Album cover by Roberto Toderico
This brooding aggression might be a surprise for those who look at the inspiration for the lyrics. The words tell of the wolfhound Huan, from the classic J. R. R.Tolkien love story of Beren and Lúthien. The story isn’t only about love, however: it also asserts that destiny is foretold and can’t be denied. And that’s the angle that “Hound of War” focuses on. The threatening bridge and the sorrowful, emotional guitar solo and outro are a representation of this struggle to accept our destiny.
San Antonio (TX) – Prolific Melo-Death/Black Metal artist BRYAN ECKERMANN has announced the forthcoming release of eighth full-length album Plague Bringers. The album, which serves as Part II to 2018 concept album Winters Plague (The Final Eclipse), will be released on November 5.
Winters Plague (The Final Eclipse), or Part I, detailed an alien invasion of earth by blocking out the sun with a giant ship and freezing the planet in which humanity inevitably arises to defeat the aliens. Plague Bringers, or Part II, details the aftermath from the aliens’ perspective as they resurrect their long dead queen, clone an army, and escape their dying planet to enter earth once more. Using the power of a magic orb they open a portal through space, then hide in the darkness, manipulating human minds to force mass suicides in their attempt at revenge. The mission however is in itself a suicide mission without the use of their ship to block out the sun (their weakness). They know they will perish along with the humans, leaving earth as a mass grave of emptiness… “Tomorrow is a lie, we won’t survive” but revenge is sweet.
Set to a melodic black/death metal soundtrack, the music and lyrical content go hand in hand, as each plays a significant part in the storyline to tell the grim tale of the two races’ demise.
FFO: For fans of: Arch Enemy, Old Mans Child, Death, Hypocrisy, King Diamond, Agathodaimon, Mors Principium Est, Zornheym, Carach Angren.
1. Ice Queen, 2. Sands of the Hourglass** 3. The Devouring Sun, 4. Reflections in a Dirty Mirror 5. Moonlight and Frostbite*, 6. Plague Bringers, 7. An Oath of Scrying Souls, 8. Astral Realms, 9. Skinwalker, 10. Of Death and Decay, 11. Tomorrow’s Lie** 12. Oblivion
Album Credits:
Recorded, engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Bryan Eckermann at Bonespill Studios (Aug. 2020-Aug. 2021)
All music and lyrics written by Bryan Eckermann. Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards and Drums by Bryan Eckermann.
*Guest vocals on track 5 by StuBlock (Into Eternity, ex- Iced Earth).
**Guest drums on track 2 and guest drums/vocals on track 11 by ClintonWilliamson (Darker by Design).
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed vicious Death/Thrash Metal assassins CHARRED. The debut album Prayers Of Malediction is up now for pre-order and will be released October 1st on CD and Digital formats.
Hailing from the swamps of South Florida, CHARRED perform vicious Death/Thrash Metal. Prayers Of Malediction showcases nine tracks of pure blasting brutality that is not for the faint of heart. Prepare for annihilation as CHARRED leave their mark on the underground with an intense slab of sickness and slaughter!
Prayers Of Malediction was recorded at Angel Recording Studios, mixed & mastered by Anthony Burke and features artwork by Robert Cerrito. For fans of Bone Sickness, Celtic Frost, Darkthrone, Death, Deathhammer, Evil Army, GISM, Pestilence, Repulsion and Sepultura.
Pre-save this release on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. at ffm.to/charred
TRACK LISTING: 1. Incantations Of The Pyromancer, 2. Disseminating Hatred, 3. The Athame Of The Witchking, 4. Entity Of War, 5. Killsite, 6. Enthralling The Weak, 7. Consumed By The Catacombs, 8. The Means Of Destruction, 9. Kesai Khati (Eater Of The Raw Flesh)
Siberian metal collective MILLSTONE is set to release its newest album, Isle.
The album falls under the groove\death-metal umbrella, with melodic solos, varied rhythms and a “wall-of-sound” density. Each of the 9 tracks carries its own unique mood; from acoustic sketches to bottom-heavy Meshuggah-esque passages, along with a lethal dose of straightforward classic thrash.
Isle was written by MILLSTONE mastermind Ivan Scherbakov and produced by Vladimir Lehtinen (Second To Sun, Ultar, Grima, etc.), Isle is a concept album based on sci-fi novel “The Inhabited Island” (Arkady and Boris Strugatsky).
Stream album track “Turned Inside Out” now at this location.
Russian death metallers INFILTRATION are pleased to announce that they have signed a worldwide contract with Time To Kill Records, joining the label’s growing roster of premier talent.
The official lyric video of the band’s latest single, “Radiation Storm”, is available HERE.
The members of INFILTRATION first came together in 2017 with one goal in mind: to pay homage to some of their favorite death metal, give it their own heavy twist, and to have a blast doing it.
The band’s line-up features experienced musicians who used to be involved with such bands as Free At Last, Hellbomb, Chamber Of Torture, Katalepsy, Abnormal, and who shared the stage with iconic acts such as Cannibal Corpse, Carcass, Suffocation and Broken Hope.
In 2017 the band recorded the debut EP “Nuclear Strike Warning”, which was very well received by both critics and fans, and made quite a stir in the local music scene. The band also released a single and a lyric video for the song “The Art of War”, supporting the release.
During 2018-2019 the band continued to give live performances, both locally and abroad, all the while, writing and recording the material for the debut full-length album. The autumn of 2019 proved to be a very prosperous time: the band opened for legendary Napalm Death, in front of fully packed venue. Also in September INFILTRATION released the “Missing in Bodycount” single, off the upcoming album. Shortly after the gig the band decided to release another lyric video, for the song “Radiation Storm”, this time via the Slam Worldwide Youtube channel. The clip rapidly gained popularity and positive feedback.
INFILTRATION will officially announce the release of new music – arriving in the form of their first full-length album – very soon. The album’s artwork will be handled by highly acclaimed master of artworks Daemorph (The Black Dahlia Murder, Pyrexia, Lividity).
Stay tuned for more details and music, coming soon!
Line-up: Andrew – Bass, songwriting Eugene – Guitars, songwriting Alex – Drums Paul – Vocals, lyrics
5.05 – Sudbury, ON @ The Asylum*
5.06 – Ottawa, ON @ The Brass Monkey*
5.07 – London, ON @ Call The Office*
5.08 – Chesterfield, MI @ Diesel Concert Lounge w/Jungle Rot
5.09 – Toledo, OH @ Toledo Deathfest w/Jungle Rot
5.10 – Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl
5.11 – Cincinnati, OH @ Mad Frog
5.12 – Dayton, OH @ Turnbuckles
5.13 – Kansas City, MO @ Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club
5.14 – Fort Worth, TX @ The Rail Club Live
5.15 – Houston, TX @ Acadia Bar & Grill
5.16 – Gulfport, MS @ Gulf Coast Beer & Metal Fest
5.17 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Warrior On The River
5.18 – New Port Richey, FL @ The Verona
5.19 – Orlando, FL @ Soundbar
5.20 – Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
5.21 – Chesapeake, VA @ Riffhouse Pub
5.22 – Turtle Creek, PA @ Sub Alpine Society**
5.23 – Battle Creek, MI @ The Music Factory**
* – No Blood Of Angels
** – No Filth
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW for our REVELATIONS OF THE ANCIENTS North American Tour! Joining us are our friends in Pestilence (official) and The Black Moriah. We hope to see you on the road!
California Tech Death giants ODIOUS MORTEM are now streaming a new track from their long-awaited upcoming album: Synesthesia. The exclusive premiere of “Condemnation Foretold,” the album’s second single, has been posted at ToiletOvHell.com.
Synesthesia arrives January 17 on Willowtip Records.
Blabbermouth’s description of 2007 sophomore album Cryptic Implosion as “an awe-inspiring slab of accomplished death metal aggression,” is even more applicable to Synesthesia. Avoiding the clinical sterility of many modern death metal productions, the band created a sound on Synesthesia that is raw, robust, and infused with an authentic old school spirit.
The time between releases seems only to have hardened the band’s resolve to continue creating extreme metal magnificence, as evidenced by Synesthesia.
Guest guitar solos on “Condemnation Foretold” performed by Cary Geare.
All music and lyrics written by Odious Mortem. David Siskin (former guitarist) was also a musical contributor to the album.
Recorded at Electric Orange Studios in San Diego, CA. Engineered by Jon Green, mixed and mastered by Richard Houghten.
Artwork by Adam Friedman
BAND BIO:
Odious Mortem was formed in 2000 by Dan Eggers (guitar, vocals), David Siskin (guitar) and KC Howard (drums). Joel Horner (bass) joined the band in 2004 and they released their debut album Devouring the Prophecy in 2005 on Unique Leader Records. Anthony Trapani became the new lead vocalist in 2005.
After finishing the Bloodletting V Tour, Odious Mortem recorded their second album Cryptic Implosion, released in 2007 on Willowtip Records. Ivan Munguia (bass) also played live with the band that year. New album Synesthesia will be released in 2020.
With All Hallows’ Eve and the Day of the Dead fast approaching, the L.A.-based thrash/death/shred quartet EXMORTUS has unveiled a visualizer for the title track for their just-released horror-themed EP Legions of the Undead. Check out the clip – which was designed by Wayne Joyner (Dream Theater, Devin Townsend). Watch it HERE or below:
Says guitarist Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez, “Just in time for Halloween, enjoy this video of the new EP title track, ‘Legions of the Undead,’ inspired by the darker themes in Tolkien & Lovecraft lore. We are extremely excited to perform the new songs on Death Angel’s North American Humanicide Tour this November and December. See you on the road, Legions!”
As Gonzalez acknowledged, the song “Legions of the Dead” nods to the Dead Men of Dunharrow in “Lord Of The Rings.” It is joined on the new EP by one other new original track – the “Evil Dead”-inspired “Swallow Your Soul” – as well as three instrumental covers: renditions of Danny Elfman’s “Beetlejuice” theme and Bernard Hermann’s theme from Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic “Psycho,” as well as a neoclassical shred take on 19th Century Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s haunting “Night On Bald Mountain.”
Recorded earlier this year with longtime producer Zack Ohren (Machine Head, Immolation) at Oakland’s Sharkbite Studios, “Legions Of The Undead” – the cover art for which was designed by Toha “AHOT” Mashudi – is now available via the band’s own Exmortus Music in cooperation with M-Theory Audio. Physical copies can be ordered on CD and limited-edition green slime-colored vinyl HERE.
“Legions Of The Undead” marks the first EXMORTUS release featuring the lineup – founding guitarist/vocalist Gonzalez, guitarist Chase Becker (also of Warbringer), bassist Cody Nunez and drummer Adrian Aguilar – that has logged numerous miles on the road together over the past two years with the likes of Obituary, Venom Inc., Sabaton, Kreator, Havok, Allegaeon, Hatchet, Homewrecker and The Absence. The group – whose most recent performance was alongside Exodus at the legendary thrash group’s sold-out “Bonded By Con” concert during San Diego’s recent Comic-Con – will support another iconic Bay Area act this fall, when they team up with Death Angel for a five-week tour across the U.S. and Canada. See below for the complete itinerary.
Founded by Gonzalez when he was just 12 years old, EXMORTUS released their debut album, “In Hatred’s Flame,” via Heavy Artillery in 2008. After gaining additional acclaim with their 2011 sophomore effort “Beyond The Fall Of Time,” the group signed a three-album deal with Prosthetic Records in 2013. In support of that acclaimed trilogy of releases (2014’s “Slave To The Sword,” 2016’s “Ride Forth” and 2018’s “The Sound Of Steel”), the band toured alongside some of metal’s biggest names, including Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, Abbath, Dark Tranquillity and Marty Friedman, earning extensive praise along the way for their live power, prowess and proficiency.
EXMORTUS on tour with Death Angel:
Nov 13 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst (EXMORTUS only)
Nov 14 – Chico, CA – Metal Shop (EXMORTUS ONLY)
Nov 15 – Bend, OR – Third St. Pub (EXMORTUS only)
Nov 16 – Seattle, WA – Club Sur
Nov 17 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
Nov 18 – Vancouver, BC – The Rickshaw Theater
Nov 19 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite
Nov 20 – Calgary, AB – Dickens
Nov 21 – Regina, SK – The Exchange
Nov 22 – Winnipeg, MB – Pyramids
Nov 23 – St. Paul, MN – The Amsterdam
Nov 25 – London, ON – London Music Hall
Nov 26 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Nov 27 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar
Nov 28 – Ottawa, ON – Brass Monkey
Nov 29 – Quebec City, QC – L’Anti Bar & Spectacles
Nov 30 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus
Dec 1 – New Bedford, MA – Vault @ Greasy Luck
Dec 2 – Waterford, NY – Chrome (EXMORTUS only)
Dec 3 – Lancaster, PA – Chameleon
Dec 4 – Baltimore, MD – Otto Bar
Dec 5 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
Dec 6 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
Dec 7 – Tampa, FL – Brass Mug
Dec 8 – Orlando, FL – The Haven
Dec 9 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box (EXMORTUS only)
OBITUARY will be visiting Japan to perform 2 shows in January of 2020; Tokyo on January 10th and Osaka on January 11th. Check the tour flyer above and click the band link below for more info.
Creator-Destructor Records this week unleashes Once Forsaken, the lead single from Ohio death metal act DISMEMBERMENT‘s impending second album, Arc Of Ancients. The song has been set loose upon the public as the devastating new LP nears release later this month. Preorders for the record have also been issued with the new track.
In a time fueled by instant gratification and over-saturation, DISMEMBERMENT has chosen to avoid the common path. Since the band’s formation in the winter of 2010, the band has forged their own way, fueled by fierce determination and perseverance. Over recent years, DISMEMBERMENT has continued to grow into a well-oiled machine, booking their own shows, traveling, and recording and releasing albums on their own finances, while continually pushing themselves and their unique brand of metal to new heights. Their catalog includes two EPs – The Condemned (2011) and Denied Salvation (2012) and their 2014-released debut LP, Embrace The Dark.
DISMEMBERMENT has taken their unique blitzkrieg black-thrash attack across the nation many times over, including touring with greats such as Master and Solstice, and having shared the stage with the likes of Mayhem, Immolation, Morbid Angel, Gorguts, Incantation, Death Angel, and countless more.
It is only now, with the impending release of their second LP, Arc Of Ancients, that the truly destructive nature of DISMEMBERMENT‘s sound is fully apparent. Completed in recent days, the album further expands on the band’s sound from the prior album, Embrace The Dark, yet reinforces their sound with the ferocity of their earlier recordings. Arc Of Ancients was recorded and mixed by the band, mastered by Dan Randall at Mammoth Sound Mastering, and as with prior releases, the album artwork was handled by renowned artist Andrei Bouzikov.
States the band with the release of the “Once Forsaken” single, “Here at last! A new ripper hot off the press. Turn it up and bang your head!”
Stream DISMEMBERMENT’s savage “Once Forsaken” atTHIS LOCATION or below:
Arc Of Ancients will be released on LP, CD, and digital platforms through Creator-Destructor on October 18th. Find preorders at the label webshop HERE and via Bandcamp HERE.
Watch for additional audio samples, and more on Arc Of Ancients to be issued in the days ahead, with tour dates to also be posted throughout the coming months.
Infected Dead made a grand impression with their Lovecraftian cosmic horror debut Archaic Malevolence and have left fans salivating for more ever since. Today the band proudly reveal a blistering new single and video to sate those in wait, a track entitled ‘The Rache’ out now via Hostile Media.
The video was shot in the woods of Heathfield, Sussex UK earlier this summer with Loki Films. Vocalist Lou Ede elaborates: “The song is loosely based on the lesser known Lovecraft short story ‘The Hound’ so the main concept we had in mind was to give the allusion of the band being stalked by the titular monster, I think the director did a great job of getting that across.”
“We are delighted to finally be unleashing our first fresh track since Archaic Malevolence. It was great to be back working with Wynter Prior (producer) and work is well underway on our debut album, we’re really excited to share the first glimpse of what we’ve been up to over the past year.”
‘The Rache’ was produced by Wynter Prior, while Inner Sound overseen mixing and mastering. Luciferium War Graphics manned the helm once again for the epic artwork.
Catch Infected Dead Live in UK with Bloodshot Dawn next month!
Oakland death metal outfit VASTUM is preparing for the release of their gnarled fourth album, Orificial Purge. Ahead of the album’s public unveiling through 20 Buck Spin at the end of October, the new single “I On The Knife (Second Wound)” has been issued.
With lead vocalist Daniel Butler, guitarist/vocalist Leila Abdul-Rauf, guitarist Shelby Lermo, bassist Luca Indrio, and drummer Chad Gailey, Ryan Honaker provides guest strings on VASTUM‘s Orificial Purge, and Honaker and Abdul-Rauf also help shape the album with elements of ambience. Recorded with Greg Wilkinson (Necrot, Nightfell, Ulthar) at Earhammer Studios and visually represented by the brooding abstraction of San Francisco artist Laina Terpstra, VASTUM’s Orificial Purge is one of the year’s most vicious and hypnotic LPs. Fans of Bolt Thrower, Undergang, Autopsy, Necrot, Asphyx, Mortuous, Tomb Mold, and Scorched are orificially summoned to take note.
Vocalist Daniel Butler exposes of the track’s lyrical content, “‘I On The Knife’ is about psychophysical self-mutilation under the command of a thing, an it, which is gradually symbolized as an object (e.g. father, knife) that in turn reveals the self as a wound. Basically, it’s about how you’re a wound and nothing else.”
Guitarist/vocalist Leila Abdul-Rauf offers, “We felt this song – along with initial single, ‘Reveries In Autophagia’ – was the most representative of the classic VASTUM sound.”
Hear VASTUM’s “I On The Knife (Second Wound) at THIS LOCATION or below:
20 Buck Spin will issue Orificial Purge on CD, LP, cassette, and all digital platforms on October 25th. Preorders go live this week at the label webshop HERE and at Bandcamp where “Reveries In Autophagia” is now streaming HERE.
Guitar World just ran a feature on the 25 Best Metal Guitar Tones Of All Time where VASTUM‘s Leila Abdul-Rauf was featured alongside the likes of Black Sabbath, Slayer, Metallica, Entombed, Meshuggah, Danzig, Sunn O))), and more. See the piece HERE.
Having just made their return to Killtown Death Fest 2019 in Copenhagen alongside Grave, Coffins, Abhorrence, Tomb Mold, and many others in September, VASTUM has also been confirmed to play the inaugural Shadow Frost Music & Arts Festival taking over Frederick, Maryland February 21st and 22nd, 2020. The band joins The Chasm, Primitive Man, Thantifaxath, and labelmates Magic Circle as one of the event’s main headliners, and guitarist/vocalist Leila Abdul-Rauf will also perform a set from her solo/ambient project at the fest as well.
VASTUM Live:
2/21-22/2020 Shadow Frost Music & Arts Festival – Frederick, MD [info]
After four years of near silence, Oakland death metal outfit VASTUM returns with Orificial Purge, the anxiously awaited follow-up to their acclaimed Hole Below. With its members playing in Acephalix, Necrot, Ulthar, Mortuous, Ionophore, Cardinal Wyrm, and others, the band’s dedication to their craft is showcased throughout the underground. After three standout albums over the course of the last eight years, the effect of VASTUM‘s influence has by now seeped into the wider death metal scene, leaving an indelible mark due to their singular amalgam of aural primitivism and aesthetic originality. Their most markedly refined and tortured oblation to date, Orificial Purge represents the dominant return of VASTUM, a death-doom band driven by the horrors of psychic and corporeal life.
VASTUM‘s Orificial Purge offers a distinctive blend of sinister atmosphere, punishing brutality, and an unparalleled lyrical and visual imagery that traces connections between perversion, mortification, and “an abyssal mysticism of sin.” Elements from previous albums are preserved on Orificial Purge, but they are evolved and devolved at once. The usual mid-paced dirge and cave-dwelling riffs are intertwined with slicing melodic dissonance and a celestial frenzy in the solos and the leads, all of which is set against the background of a bulldozing rhythm section. The dual vocal and lyrical exorcisms of Daniel Butler and Leila Abdul-Rauf combine to deliver unsettling, dichotomous meditations on “abjection as life, life as tragedy, and tragedy as an eviscerating, eroticized rapture through which an evil and useless humanity comes into being.
If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below!
RT @The_Lovely_One_: ☆ 1981 - Duran Duran 1st record
☆ 2021 - Duran Duran's 15th record
Nothing adequately captures how I'm feeling right… 12 hours ago
Metal Odyssey's Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Hall of Fame! These Are The Rock And METAL Legends Wrongfully Ignored By "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame"
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