One month down already? Time for a 40% uptick in metal releases. Sign me up. We're getting quality along with quantity this month. First up this week, we have the second album from Nashville trio Act of Impalement - Infernal Ordinance. This is the kind of cavernous HM2 Death Metal that I've been eating up lately and I'm shocked that there wasn't more buzz around this release. The absolutely filthy tone is enough to garner a thumbs up, but they back it up with propulsive riffage and reverb-soaked drums with enough tempo shifts to keep you on your toes. This should honestly be celebrated alongside the massive wave of Death Metal releases we're getting during this second golden age we're experiencing at the moment. Album of the week...Ough!
With as much love as Bolt Thrower rightfully gets in metal circles, it's kind of amazing to me that no one really talks about Memoriam, the British Death Metal quartet fronted by Bolt Thrower's Karl Willetts. Yeah, it's not the same, but it's still really good stuff and they're on album #5 now with the release of Rise to Power. I can't say I've spent much time with the back catalogue so I'm not sure where this ranks, but it's something I would listen to regardless of the connection. Just 45 minutes of classic, old-school, war-themed British Death Metal. Nothing wrong with that.
It seems like Ripple Music puts out something excellent on a weekly basis and this week's winner is Thieves and Liars, the fourth album from Oakland Stoner/Doomers Blackwülf. These guys take that NoCal stoner sound, add in a healthy dose of Blue Öyster Cult and a shitload of swagger and the result is as catchy a Stoner Metal release as we've seen in some time. The third track "Killing Time" is verrryy reminiscent of my favorite BÖC song..any guesses?
We had some pretty solid metal shows and tours announced this week, headlined by the return of Milwaukee MetalFest, May 26-28 in...Milwaukee. What a lineup, right? Lamb of God is about the only band there that I would skip and there at least a dozen bands that I would go out of my way to see on tour. Where the hell was this festival 4 years ago when I had time to do stuff like this? Thanks, Jamey Jasta.
We also had incredible tour announcements from Carcass, Municipal Waste, Sacred Reich & Creeping Death and the Decibel 2023 Tour with Dark Funeral & 200 Stab Wounds. Unfortunately, neither is coming anywhere near me but you guys should have some fun.
We also had incredible tour announcements from Carcass, Municipal Waste, Sacred Reich & Creeping Death and the Decibel 2023 Tour with Dark Funeral & 200 Stab Wounds. Unfortunately, neither is coming anywhere near me but you guys should have some fun.
That's it for this week. Stay tuned next week when I defend a universally reviled In Flames record. That should be fun. As always, until next time...Doom It Up.
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