Raw Skull Recordz - RSR 045 / Redefining Darkness - REDA 112
25 December 2020
Need a healthy dose of Death Thrash to free you from the frustrations and anxieties of this world pandemic?
Raw Skull Recordz (Europe) & Redefining Darkness (US) got you covered with a brand new EP from Florida up-in-comers Corrupted Saint!
Corrupted Saint are an abrasive gut punch of scathing Death Thrash reminiscent of greats like: Demolition Hammer, Devastation, Exhorder, Solstice, and Num Skull! ...So prepare to get THRASHED!
This December we bring you Mutilated Before the Masses pure fury and aggression mixed/mastered by JB van der Wal!
A true iconoclast, Scatterface takes genres and melts them into unique creations on the powerful “2020”. The potpourri of styles is part of the joy of the album for the sudden jumps stun. Industrial, ambient, hard rock, folk, and more all filter into the mix. Colorful to the extreme the entire album is best taken in as a singular whole for the expansiveness of the sound needs to simply wash over the listener. Vocalists sing with so much passion with lyrics that reveal a sense of poetry. Exploration ties the whole of the album together for there is a dramatic tension that underlies it all. With a true ear for melody these tracks linger in the mind long after the album has ended. Emotionally fraught the way the sound careens unexpectedly further lend the approach additional heft.
Impossible to truly pin down, Scatterface draws from a wide swath of influences. While there are hooks within the album, how he deploys them varies greatly. For the industrial kick, the influence from Nine Inch Nails becomes obvious. Like Nine Inch Nails, there is an intense focus on production along with a dark eeriness.
The heavier aspects of the sound recall the glory of early Type O Negative in terms of the sheer physicality of the sound. Perhaps the major theme of the sound comes from the exploration of the underbelly of sound.
The regal gothic undertones of “SC4TTERF4CE” sets the tone for what follows, with clever lyricism. Careful balladry rolls through the contemplative mood piece of “State of Change”. No holds barred “Null” propels itself forward with sheer fury. Muscular guitar riffs race through as the song’s feral spirit feels infectious. A true symphonic presence defines the stellar “Symptoms” where elements of post-rock, electro, and noise merge into a singular whole. So much heart and soul flows through the piece making it one of the highlights of the album. Going for a bit of a fake-out is the duality of “Lust II” featuring some fine guitar athletics. Stripping things down to the essentials is the tenderness of “Snowflake”. Metal and classical come together to become one on the commanding dirge of the aptly named “Apocalypse”.
Grandiose the epic “Path of the Sun” effortlessly punctuates the powerful vocals as they soar up into the sky. An incredible journey brings the cathartic “Endless Rain” together in a fantastic, fearless way. Yearning and passion underpin the chaotic exploration of “Secret Rooms” while the arrangement becomes a virtual Byzantine series of patterns. Mournfulness sits right in the center of the dramatic scope of “State Of Truth”. The title track “2020” goes for a palette-cleansing mixture of industrial and ambience. Another highlight bursts forth with the cryptic “We All Float” where they incorporate horror imagery to great effect. Neatly bringing it together is the finale of the instrumental version of “Endless Rain”.
Scatterface defies any and all categorization on the collage-like delirium of “2020”.
Finnish black metallers QWÄLEN have today announced that they have signed to Italian label Time To Kill Records for the release of their first album, "Unohdan sinut".
The band states: "We guess Darkthrone, Nifelheim, Bathory, Terveet Kädet are the acts that we are influenced by. Some things you can hear in the sound, some not. The band's sound sort of just comes out as it is, even though we try to write songs with whatever focus there is".
The album will be out in early 2021. Watch for details on the release and more news on other upcoming activities to be posted shortly.
Biography:
Hailing from Oulu/Helsinki, QWÄLEN found its current form in 2017 after a bunch of different lineups. The band members share a passion for playing music in its various raw manifestations and their band backgrounds include Kürøishi, Nistikko, Dumathoin and Akma among many others. The members have been actively involved with the underground punk scene and this longtime involvement in the punk scene can also be heard in the music, with Young and in the Way and Dödsrit influences seeping into their interpretation of black metal. Lyrical content concentrates mostly on self-portrayal rather than the stereotypical anti-religious themes.
Metal Blade Records is proud to welcome Denmark's Iotunn to its worldwide roster!
Formed in 2015, Iotunn (which is old Norse for "Giant") entered the scene with their acclaimed EP, The Wizard Falls (2016), which was mixed by Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, Blind Guardian, Rainbow) at Sweet Silence Studios. After some line-up changes, the band found their voice and narrator in March 2018: Jón Aldará (Hamferd), plus bassist Eskil Rask (Sunless Dawn) in October 2019. The quintet - completed by Jens Nicolai Gräs (guitars), Jesper Gräs (guitars), Bjørn Wind Andersen (drums) - then began work on their first full-length and Metal Blade Records debut: Access All Worlds.
Iotunn comments: "As we have worked intensely on creating 'Access All Worlds', we find our partnership with Metal Blade Records to be a culmination. We are proud and thankful of where we're at right now. Metal Blade seems like the right home for us and we are convinced that the future looks bright!"
Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, At the Gates, Dimmu Borgir) at Fredman Studios, Access All Worlds is set for an early 2021 release. Stay tuned for more Iotunn news coming soon!
German thrash metal band SLYMER are streaming their new album "Blood Party" on their Bandcamp site (check below). The new album was released independently on November 2nd and is SLYMER´s second full length release and the successor to their debut album "Slapstick Surgery". "Blood Party" features twelve tracks. More info:
Brutal death metal band CYTOLYSIS are streaming their new album "Portraits of Malevolence" on the Lord of the Sick Bandcamp site (check below). The new album was released on November 10th through Lord of the Sick Recordings and is CYTOLYSIS´s debut release. On the Bandcamp site you can find also the different formats in which you can buy the album and more merchandise. more info on:
