This week's recommended new releases (10/02/15):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]
[Click on band name for samples and more info]
 Children of Bodom - I Worship Chaos (Nuclear Blast) I honestly had no idea that Bodom was still releasing albums, but here we are with the Finnish quartet’s ninth release. I’ve never been able to get into Bodom’s records because while they’re a solid live act, the studio material is always thisclose to being great. There’s nothing new here, but they seem to have dialed down the unlistenable Dream Theater-esque keyboard parts. Since In Flames has been in the shitter for the better part of a decade now, this is your best bet for catchy, accessible Melodic Death Metal. |  Indian Handcrafts - Creeps (Sargent House) This wasn’t even on my radar until last week and I would’ve totally missed it had it not been for the recommendation of a local during my recent travels to Canada. The second album from this Barrie, ON duo is a fantastic blend of Stoner and Sludge Metal with some serious hard-driving rhythms propelling the attack. It’s heavy and frenetic and fuzzy and, at times, downright catchy. For Cincinnati folks lamenting the loss of Mangrenade, there a couple of tracks on here that will certainly scratch that itch. |
 Sloth - Slow As Shit (N/A) This is the debut album from a dude in London who goes by Sloth, not to be confused with the two (probably more) other Doom/Sludge bands called Sloth. While I’m not sure of the exact tempo threshold that defines “slow as shit”, the songs are definitely slow, bleak and lengthy. Other than some sparse shouting near the end of the album, this is mostly instrumental Doom, with a bunch of interesting layers and solid riffs. This one stays interesting for several listens and it feels especially appropriate this time of year, when everything slows down and turns brown. |  Spelljammer - Ancient of Days (RidingEasy) On their debut full-length album, this quintet has received the heavy-as-fuck Stoner Doom baton from fellow Swedes Monolord and delivered a modern day classic that is almost as impeccable as it is heavy. These guys have been flying under the radar with a couple of EP releases, but with a record this massive, it’s time for the Doom world to take notice. The riffs are bone-rattling, the vocals are powerful and the bass rumbles along nicely in the background. There’s a bit too much psychedelic guitar noodling for my taste, but when the whole band gets locked in, these guys are tough to beat. |
 Trinakrius - Introspectum (Pitch Black) With the Doom genre clearly shifting focus to absolute heaviness, it’s nice to still have some melody around and that’s where bands like this fit in. On their 4th album, the Italians harken back to the glory days of Trouble, mixing their Doom with some crunchy thrash riffs and higher register vocals. It’s basically a nice throwback Doom record with few frills, but these guys are good at delivering the core competency without trying too hard. If you dug the first three Trouble records, you'll want to try this out. Also, they’re Italian and they don’t sound weak as shit, so that’s a feather in their cap. |
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