Metal "Poser"/"Trendhopper" Bingo

This thing was making the rounds on Twitter (I told you I was not going to call it X) for a few days.  I never did anything with it on the site, but I thought it would be sort of interesting to put it up here.

1.  Think thrash metal is lame.  Obviously this does not apply to me.  Longtime readers know thrash is probably my favorite metal subgenre.  It was the first one I got into, via Metallica, Megadeth and Testament.  Testament is my favorite band.

2.  Get upset at extreme themes in death metal and black metal.  Nope.  I don't love misogynistic lyrics and I prefer to avoid NSBM, but I definitely don't get upset by them.

3.  Only listen to one style of metal.  Definitely not.  I listen to a wide variety of styles of metal and can generally find a band to listen to out of almost everything.

4.  Have a nose ring.  Nope, no piercings here.

5.  Watch or have watched Metal journalist Youtube videos.  What is a metal journalist?  Who is a metal journalist?  I have watched people talk about metal on Youtube, but I have no idea what counts here.

6.  Use Rate Your Music on Last.FM.  I don't use Last.FM.

7.  Watch Anthony Fantano.  I have never watched him.  I am familiar with who he is though.

8.  Found a metal band you like on Tik Tok.  Nope.  Never use Tik Tok.

9.  Haven't seen Slayer live.  I have seen Slayer live twice.

10.  Buy clothes from Hot Topic/Spencer's.  No.  I have bought shirts at Hot Topic in the past, but this is presented in a present tense.  It's been probably 20 years since I have even stepped inside a Hot Topic.  Does that store still exist?

11.  Think all black metal sounds the same.  Definitely not.  Black metal is easily one of the most diverse metal subgenres.

12.  Listen to nu-metal.  So, I do occasionally listen to some nu-metal.  There are some decent albums that I still come back to from time to time.  Bands like Spineshank, Systematic, early Static-X, System of a Down, Deadlights and others are still decent.

13.  Free Space.  Obviously.

14.  Go to hardcore shows a lot.  No.  There have occasionally been hardcore bands playing at shows I have been to, but I have never been to an exclusive hardcore show and certainly not often.

15.  Listen to deathcore and metalcore.  I do listen to bands in both subgenres.  I am trying out a few bands in deathcore, with Carnifex being a particular favorite.  As far as metalcore, I have early Trivium, Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage and several others.  Neither subgenre is a favorite, but I do listen to some.

16.  Re-sell band merch on De-Pop.  I don't even know what that is.  I also don't resell merch.

17.  Don't play an instrument.  I am teaching myself bass.

18.  Call other people posers too often.  I generally don't have an issue with other people's listening habits to the point I call them names.  I do think there are people who need to broaden their horizons to be considered metalheads.

19.  Listen to hipster metal bands like Blood Incantation and Full of Hell.  What makes a metal band hipster?  I would consider Deafheaven to be a better example.  Anyway, I do listen to both of those bands, but I have been listening to Blood Incantation since well before their mainstream notoriety.  

20.  Don't go to shows.  I go to a lot of shows. 

21.  Listen to Maggot Stomp bands.  I had to look up the label, because I am not great at keeping track of what labels are out there these days.  Anyway, yes I do.  Apparently groups like Undeath, Internal Bleeding, 200 Stab Wounds, Coffin Rot, Fulci and Sanguisugabogg are all bands I listen to that are on that label.

22.  Haven't been to a festival.  I don't love festivals, primarily because they tend to be outside in the summer and that can be way too hot, but I have been to two.

23.  Get patches from Amazon.  Nope.

24.  Haven't been to a festival.  Apparently, this is here twice.  

25.  Wear an ushanka.  I had to look that up too.  It's a hat with ear coverings.  No, I do not wear an ushanka.

So, how did I do?

Apparently, I did not get a Bingo.  So, not a poser/trendhopper then?  

Impending Doom: Hellbent (2021)

I am trying to open up my mind a little more to some genres I have not generally been a fan of.  The first one is deathcore.  Deathcore is obviously a hybrid genre of death metal and hardcore, and it is one that I thought would be a short-lived phase from around 2007 to 2015 or so, but it is not going away.  My Twitter (I refuse to call it X) page is often full of deathcore mentions, so I decided to revisit the few deathcore albums I own and see if I can appreciate them more.  Off the top of my head, I own four (one album each by Through the Eyes of the Dead, Carnifex, Despised Icon and this one).  I suppose you could count Infant Annihilator too.  I've only seen All Shall Perish and Fit for an Autopsy in concert, both opening for bands I wanted to see.  Yep, like I said, it was not really a genre I cared much for, so I avoided it.

I can't say I will be making a deep dive into the genre and I am going to stick around the bands that are more on the metal side of things.  So, no Slaughter to Prevail.  I can't stand that fucking band.  Maybe I will try to branch out a bit and check out bands that I have not really explored in the past, such as Job for a Cowboy (still one of the stupider metal band names I have heard of), Whitechapel, and the like.  I fear I am becoming an angry, curmudgeonly metalhead stuck in the past.  Whether I like it or not, the music evolves and deathcore is not going anywhere.  

So, first up is Impending Doom, and this is an EP so it is short enough to listen to all the way through without shutting off right away and giving up on the whole plan.  Now, Impending Doom is notable because they are a Christian deathcore band.  I can't remember how it is that I came into possession of this release.  Maybe I didn't know that when I purchased the album.  Maybe it was sent to me when I was a member of the Monthly Metal Box subscription club.  I don't know.  The band apparently likes to refer to their music as "gorship music", a portmanteau of gore and worship.  The lyrics are definitely Christian-oriented.  The first track "Satanic Panic" features this little gem: "You will feel the wrath of God when the noose drops.  Vengeance is his name."  So, not really your bright and shiny Christianity, more of the fire and brimstone preacher stuff.  It's a bit more heavy-handed in its message than some Christian bands.  

The music is pretty typical for the genre.  It's certainly heavy and more oriented toward the death metal side of things.  The hardcore portions are definitely the heavy use of breakdowns, but they are generally built around actual riffs.  Some of the songs are quite a bit better than others.  The last track "I Must End" should have taken its own advice about four minutes sooner.  The band leans into some nu-metal-esque elements at times, such as eerie guitar noodling and drumming that sounds lifted from Korn.  The aforementioned opening track "Satanic Panic" and the title track are probably the highlights of the album.  Some of the other tracks veer too far from death metal at times for my taste.  

Well, I tried.  I don't know how I will keep going at this and for how long.  I suppose I didn't hate this album, but it did try my patience at times.  I will give it another couple spins and see if it is something I can get into or not.  As I said before, at least it's short.    

Savage Master in Omaha: Feb. 20, 2026

Last week I returned to the Reverb Lounge in Omaha for Kentucky metallers Savage Master.  I am not super familiar with the band, but I do have one of their albums.  It was more about just getting to a concert again since things were so slow last year.

I was late to the show, so I missed the first two bands.  So, I apologize to Phuzz and Phantom Crypt, but I did not get to see those bands.  Ungoliant was the band on stage when I arrived and I have seen them several times now.  It is interesting how much they have improved since the first time I saw them a few years ago.  Nebraska does not have many great metal bands, but Ungoliant is making some big strides lately.  I need to pick up an album by them.  I have a small collection of albums by Nebraska bands, highlighted by Xenomorph, Cellador and Garoted.  

As I said, I was not real familiar with Savage Master other than the one album I have, which I do enjoy quite a bit.  When the singer of Ungoliant said that Savage Master was going to melt our faces off, I kind of chuckled, but holy hell did they put on a great show.  It was a lot more theatrical than I anticipated, not to say it was something like Ghost, but there were aspects of that.  Singer Stacey Savage did a couple of quick wardrobe changes throughout, usually a cape or a leather jacket, and utilized props on a few occasions.  Once she wielded a ritual dagger against the band members' throats.  Which brings me to the band members, all of whom were hooded and masked.  The massive bassist even wore a cape.  Savage Master ripped through their set, about ten songs, with almost no speaking to the crowd.  They just got up there and proceeded to melt the faces off the entire crowd.  It was one hell of a show.

Pyrexia: Unholy (2025)

I picked up this album when I saw Pyrexia in concert in November opening up for Abysmal Dawn and Krisiun.  Pyrexia has been covered a few times on this blog primarily due to their influence on the slam death genre.  They never really were a slam band themselves, but they share some characteristics and are cited as an influence on the genre, much in the way that fellow New York death metal band Suffocation.

I have a few Pyrexia albums, with their debut Sermon of Mockery being a particular favorite.  This one is a pretty straight-forward brutal death metal release.  It's typically heavy and intense with some standout moments.  I was particularly impressed with "Wrath" which starts off with a clip from The Shining, specifically the moment in which Jack Torrance confronts the ghostly Mr. Grady about killing and butchering his wife and daughter.  I haven't been able to find lyrics for the song to determine if the song is about the book/movie.  That song also features guest vocals from Sanguisugabogg growler Devin Swank.

This is a quality release by Pyrexia, but it doesn't reinvent the wheel.  It's short, which helps because it makes it easier to sit down and just listen all the way through.  There are no soft moments, no relenting on the intensity, so the brevity is a relief.  Pyrexia doesn't do anything new, but continues to put out fun, brutal death releases.  The band should also be experienced live.

Catching Up: 2020 Pt. 9

ACCEPT: TOO MEAN TO DIE

I have developed a greater appreciation for Accept over the last several years.  I think they are a highly underrated band that was extremely important not just to the German metal scene, but the metal sound in general.  They should be considered a formative band.  The band is deep in their second life at this point since their return after a 15-year hiatus in 2010.  This is their fifth album since the return, and though Udo Dirkschneider has long since left the band, they still sound just as fresh and vital as they did when they returned.  The formula is mostly the same, but they are still capable of "Balls to the Wall"-style fist-pumping true metal anthems.   

CRYPT DWELLER: THE FORBIDDEN DARK ARTS

I remember being sort of underwhelmed by this release the first couple times I heard it.  This is one I bought because of the album art.  I am not sure what the issue was before because I really got into this when I was listening in preparation for this blurb.  The band this reminds me most of is Acid Witch.  It's death/doom with absolutely disgusting riffs and decayed and rotting vocals.  The horror vibes are loud and clear.  There are samples from various movies that add to the atmosphere.  The songs do tend to sound a little too much the same and it makes it kind of a difficult listen for nearly an hour, but this has grown on me.

CURSE: THE AWAKENING...AND THE OLD

I am a big fan of blackened thrash metal, and so of course I am going to grab something that I come across, especially one from Sweden, the country that brought us Nifelheim.  And that is definitely the starting point for comparison's sake.  This is a fairly short six-song EP.  The band is at its best when they are playing fast, most notably on the title track.  There are a couple of slower tracks which are not nearly as impressive.  I was hoping to hear something more from this band, this is a very promising EP, but they have yet to release anything else.

RUIN LUST: CHOIR OF BABEL

Ruin Lust is the sound of chaos.  The band does an excellent job of building up this atmosphere of complete and utter annihilation.  There is nothing pretty here between the rampaging riffs, thunderous drumming and sepulchral vocals.  These are not songs, they are anthems to violence.  This is not a release for the weak of heart.  It is not a particularly enjoyable listen, but it hits on a primal level.

MIDNIGHT: REBIRTH BY BLASPHEMY

After nearly 20 years toiling in the underground, Midnight managed to achieve attention by Metal Blade Records and Decibel Magazine.  This did not come at the expense of their sound thankfully.  Raised on an unhealthy diet of Venom and Motorhead, Midnight retained their fast as hell, blasphemic style.  And with song titles such as "Fucking Speed and Darkness" and "Devil's Excrement", their rise to the sort-of-big-time hasn't softened their edge either.  Longtime listeners (and I am one) know what to expect from a Midnight album and this absolutely delivers.  

Catching Up: 2020 Pt. 8

Yeah, yeah, been a long time.  Shut up.

COLLISION: THE FINAL KILL

Longtime readers of this blog (I suppose there might still be a few of you out there) know that I generally am not a big fan of metal genres fused with hardcore.  I have never been the biggest metalcore fan, outside of a few bands, even in the mid-2000's.  Very little deathcore has caught my attention.  The only one that I am a big fan of is crossover, and that's mainly because thrash already had a major hardcore influence.  I haven't done a major deep drive into the genre, but I have enjoyed Nuclear Assault, the relevant Corrosion of Conformity material, and the Power Trip.  That brings me to this EP.  The riffs are undeniably more on the metal scale, but played with a punk ferocity.  The only issue is that the shouted vocals are a bit too far on the hardcore side for me.  Occasionally, it gets switched up with more death metal-esque growling, but those moments are not real common.  It's a short EP though, so it doesn't wear out it's welcome. 

BENIGHTED: OBSCENE REPRESSED

This is the French brutal death metal band's ninth release, but the first one that I have heard.  I have been aware of Benighted, I just never really bothered to check them out.  Not sure why.  It's not an anti-French bias.  I enjoy Gojira and Yyrkoon, and particularly the black metal scene.  Yet here we are.  This is a blasphemic and gory good time.  The music easily matches the album art, absolutely grotesque.  There is nothing pretty here and the lyrics are just as grimy and foul.  This one is largely considered one of the band's best, so I am getting in at the right moment.  I will probably look into more of this band's discography.

WITCHY: WITCHY

This is kind of a fascinating, short little EP.  Witchy appears to be a one-man doom metal project with next to no information out there about its sole member.  The sound is traditional, slow-moving doom metal with an occult atmosphere, some heavy use of organs and hypnotic vocals.  Think Pentagram for a reference point.  Witchy doesn't reinvent the wheel here, it's just good, old-fashioned doom metal.  Thus far this is the only release by the band.

RIPPED TO SHREDS: LUAN

Ripped to Shreds is a band I have been in on since the beginning.  They are an old-school-sounding death metal band with an emphasis in Chinese history and folklore.  Their influence is clearly out of the old Swedish death metal scene, groups like Dismember and Entombed.  Most of their album titles appear on the covers written in Chinese.  I will not speculate as to whether it is Cantonese or Mandarin, or possibly something else, that's not an area I have any knowledge in and I don't want to get it wrong.  There are moments the band incorporates Asian melodies into their sound, which is overall an incredibly caustic and violent one.  Ripped to Shreds lives up to their name because that is exactly what they do.  I will be continuing to follow this band.  They should be more well-known by now. 

AFKSY: OFTE JEG DRØMMER MIG DØD

Saving the best for last today. I love this album.  If I ever get my shit together and do Best Albums posts for the last few years, it is likely this album takes the top spot, or maybe second to the Testament album.  Afsky is another one-man band, this time a black metal band from Denmark.  This is one of the most emotional black metal albums I have heard in years.  The riffs and drumming, while thunderous, have a warm feeling to them that conveys a deeply somber atmosphere.  The vocals are intense shrieking wails that are at the same time powerful and forlorn.  This is an absolutely incredible album and I highly recommend it.  

I Listened to the 2026 Metal Grammy Nominees So You Don't Have To

What a stupid fucking move that was.  

Anyway, so my distaste for the Grammys has been pretty crystal clear from day one of this blog.  They have absolutely no idea what to do with heavy music.  Most of the time, if there is a readily identifiable band in the category, that's who wins (Metallica has won seven times).  Sometimes, they make decent decisions, such as last year when Gojira won for the song played at the Olympics.  I understood that one.  Other times, they seemingly throw a dart and go with what comes up (Deftones, Tenacious D, Rage Against the Machine).  That's what happened this year.  First of all, I don't even understand how they came up with these nominees.  For Best Metal Performance, you would think at least a couple of the nominees would be metal songs.  Not this year.  I suppose I will give my thoughts.

1.  Turnstile: "Birds".  This was the winner this year and I am not sure I am listening to the same song.  Turnstile came up through the hardcore and punk scene and then became this weird mix of those genres with alternative rock.  Note, I did not once mention metal.  This is a little bit more of a straight-up hardcore song.  It's fine, but it is not a metal track.

2.  Spiritbox: "Soft Spine".  This band has been jammed down the throats of listeners to Liquid Metal on Sirius XM for years.  I occasionally listen to that in the car and I think I hear a song by them at least once when I do.  This song is fine, I guess.  But again, Spiritbox is not really a metal band, more of an alternative/electronic/industrial rock band.  Heavy, but the metal influences are minimal.  I would say they have more in common with nu-metal.

3.  Sleep Token: "Emergence".  I discussed this band on my Bands I Hate post awhile back.  I listened to this song, and what the fuck?  I know they have rather disparate influences slapped together like an amateur chef trying to be experimental, but this is one of the least metal songs I have ever heard from this band.  There's occasionally some power chords.  That's it.  Otherwise it's a mix of soft rock and R&B and some electronica thrown in.  And then there's a saxophone solo.  What the hell were the people that put together the nominees thinking here?  They're not the most metal of bands most of the time, but this is seriously the farthest away I have ever heard this band.

4.  Ghost: "Lachryma".  I thought this was going to win honestly.  Ghost has won in the past and that is a sure sign of winning again.  Even though they are not really a metal band anymore.  This song comes at least close at times.  This is not a bad song, but again, it's not really metal.  Much more of a straightforward hard rock track.

5.  Dream Theater: "Night Terror".  Here is the only metal track in the category.  I haven't really cared about anything Dream Theater has done since their album Awake back in the mid 1990's.  This is a decent song, but it's almost ten minutes long, which is way too long to expect the people that vote on these things to actually pay attention.  It's not a great song, but at least it's a metal song, something I would think would be the primary qualification for nomination.  I guess Dream Theater has won this before as well.  Still, I didn't think this had a chance at winning.   

I don't think any of these should have won.  Time to listen to something to cleanse the palate.  I am going to put on some Satan's Hallow.

Krisiun at The Reverb Lounge Sometime in November

I waited a very long time to make this post.  Well, waited is not the right word for it.  I have been pretty busy over the last several months.  As usual.  Anyway, that is the last concert I have attended, so I probably better get something out on it.  

Krisiun is a band I haven't spent a lot of time listening to.  I have a few of their albums, and I definitely enjoy them, but they are not a band I usually rush to pick up when a new album is released.  The support bands were Abysmal Dawn, Pyrexia and Gorgatron.  I am about as familiar with Abysmal Dawn and Pyrexia as I am with Krisiun.  Gorgatron was new to me.

Gorgatron is a death metal band out of North Dakota and one of their guitarists was previously in Omaha black metal band Ungoliant.  The drummer is also in Pyrexia, which explains how Gorgatron got on this bill in the first place.  They were a lot of fun live, their singer was very funny, and they seem like a bunch of guys who just love what they do.  That came across well in their set.  I will be seeking out something from them.

Pyrexia is a band I have been semi into for awhile, primarily due to their influence on the slam death metal subgenre.  Their music has always been more closely tied to the brutal death metal genre than slam, but their use of breakdowns helped foster the development of slam.  Their songs were all short and very brutal.  I picked up their new album from their merch stand.  

Up next was Abysmal Dawn, one of the more interesting pure modern death metal bands that have come about in the last quarter century.  It's kind of strange, but they have not released a new album since 2020.  So, it is kind of unusual that they were on the bill.  Maybe something is coming soon.  I was extremely impressed with their set though.  I will definitely have to dig back into some of their stuff again.

Finally, we came to the Brazilian death metal band Krisiun.  Brazil has an impressive history with metal music, starting with Sepultura and Sarcofago and spreading from there.  Krisiun fits in well with the earlier bands.  Their music is sharp and intense and they were firing on all cylinders this night.  

All told, this was a hell of a show.  Unfortunately, this is the only concert I attended all year.  Hopefully I will get to more this year.

R.I.P. Ozzy

I am not really sure what to say here.  Obviously I didn't know Ozzy personally, but I kind of felt like I did.  His music has been extremely important to me for over 30 years and I generally followed a lot of the things he did.  I discovered Ozzy fairly early in my journey into metal, purchasing the Nativity in Black tribute album (the first one) as one of the first albums I bought when I ran out of Metallica albums to get.  Ozzy provided vocals on one of the songs and I was struck by his voice immediately.  What followed for several years was me getting either his solo albums or the Black Sabbath albums that he fronted.  He became something of a hero to me, a legendary figure in the metal genre.  He is arguably the most important figure in metal of all time, maybe not the most talented, nor the most creative, but he was a massive star.  Even though the quality of his music waned over time, I still generally bought everything he put out, because his voice was still incredibly powerful.  I did finally get to see him live when Black Sabbath went on a farewell tour in 2016.  He was still a very active presence at the front of the stage and still sounded incredible live.  It was one of the better live performances I have seen.  I was hoping to see him on tour for his solo project a few years later, but he ended up canceling that tour for health reasons.  It was then that I kind of came to grips with the fact that he was nearing the end, an almost unthinkable event for the previous 20 years.   He lived an extremely hard life, he seemed indestructible, yet here we were.  A few weeks ago he appeared live for the final time.  He looked frail and sat at a throne throughout the performance, but he still sounded powerful.  It was an emotional performance and it truly felt like goodbye.  Apparently, it was.  The metal world has lost a truly amazing individual and one of its godfathers.  Ozzy's music and his legacy will live on in eternity.  He will be truly missed.  

From "A National Acrobat" (still one of my favorite Black Sabbath tracks and the one I listened to last night before bed):

Well I know it's hard for you to know the reason why
And I know you'll understand more when it's time to die
Don't believe the life you have will be your only one
You have to let your body sleep to let your soul live on

Love has given life to you and now it's your concern
Unseen eye of inner life will make your soul return
Still I look but not to touch the seeds of life are sown
Curtain of the future falls, the secret stays unknown

Just remember love is life and hate is living death
Treat your life for what it's worth and live for every breath
Looking back I've lived and learned but now I'm wondering
Here I wait and only guess what this next life will bring

Blood Incantation at The Waiting Room: Dec. 5, 2024

I have been listening to Blood Incantation for several years now.  Yes, I am going to pull one of those " I was listening to this band before they were cool".  I was, so there.  I have their 2016 debut album and even their 2015 EP Interdimensional Extinction.  I don't remember exactly why I got into them, I suspect I just came across those releases some time around 2017 or 2018.  I think I even turned Full Metal Attorney on to them when their second release dropped.  So yes, I have been into the band for a few years now, and now they are enjoying a lot of hype around their latest release.  But I had not seen them live, and I actually have yet to pick up their new release, Absolute Elsewhere.

The setting for this show was The Waiting Room, which is my favorite venue.  The show started late as there were just two acts performing.  I was a little later than I preferred and the show was absolutely packed.  I do not think I have ever been there when it was that full.  It was difficult to move around.  That is how much hype has been surrounding Blood Incantation.  This was also the last show of the tour, so merch was limited.  I did snag a t-shirt though that is a little outside my four dots (it is blue and tie-dyed).  

The opening act was a group called Midwife, a one-woman entity (with occasional support).  The best I can describe her music is shoegaze or indie pop.  The music was very soft with the singer's vocals performed in an almost whisper.  It was dreamlike and ethereal and seemed extremely out of place as the opening act for a death metal band (even if Blood Incantation is not really a typical death metal band).  The music was interesting, it just is not something I would typically listen to, but it was an enjoyable performance.

Blood Incantation took the stage and played their latest album in its entirety, and it was the first time I have heard the whole thing.  Their performance was extremely powerful and the dynamics of the album came through extremely well.  Blood Incantation has made waves by including prog-rock interludes in their music to the point that some have described them as Pink Floyd playing death metal.  It was an incredible live show of what sounds like an incredible album.  I need to track this thing down.  

Overkill at the Bourbon Theatre: November 12, 2024

I haven't forgotten about this blog, but my laptop in inoperable right now, so I don't have a computer at home, which is usually my best opportunity to write up albums.  

Anyway, a few days ago I saw Overkill, the venerable New Jersey thrash act, for the second time.  Now, there was a level of disappointment about this show.  See, Overkill is currently on a massive tour across the U.S. with none other than King Diamond, and supported by Myrkur and Night Demon.  They had just all played in Iowa the day before.  But for some reason, this show was just Overkill and three local bands.  I have no idea why this was not a part of the big tour, I certainly would have preferred it if it were.  At least it was not a super late night though.  I was out of there before 11.

The local bands were Fascinus Rex, Molten and Viscerous, all of them from either Lincoln or Omaha.  Unfortunately I missed Fascinus Rex because I was late getting going.  Molten and Viscerous were both extremely impressive though.  It was my first time seeing either band and I would absolutely be willing to see both acts again.  They are both relatively new bands, but carried themselves like veterans, rampaging through their sets and able to engage the crowd like seasoned road warriors.  I love the fact that Nebraska has been able to produce such high-quality metal bands, even if no one seems to be getting much widespread exposure.  

Overkill took the stage and played most of the tracks I would have expected them to, with a couple of surprises.  Now, the last time I saw them was back in 2012 and there are a couple new faces in the band, with former Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers filling in for D.D. Verni and a new drummer in the band.  There was also only one guitarist present when the band usually has two.  Not sure what is happening there.  Despite the lineup flux, this was most definitely Overkill.  They played with the same snotty sneer and in-your-face aggression that the band has been known for for nearly 40 years now.  Even though Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth is retirement age, time has not softened his disposition.  They put on an electrifying show that covered almost every release in their long careers and proved why they have been the most consistent thrash metal band from the very beginning.  Overkill is still one of my favorite bands.

Catching Up: 2020 Part 7

CIRITH UNGOL: FOREVER BLACK

Cirith Ungol are another band that has reunited after a long hiatus and this is their first full-length since 1991.  Surprisingly, only the bassist is new to the band.  What is truly amazing about this release is that it sounds as if the band has not skipped a beat, like there was only a year or two since the last album instead of 30.  They sound rejuvenated and all of the elements of the band's sound from their heyday in the mid-to-late 80's is present, from the galloping riffs, fantasy-inspired lyrics, and menacing vocals.  This is a terrific reunion album and a wonderful return to form for this band.  

NECROWRETCH: THE ONES FROM HELL

I could be wrong, but this might have been the first new album I bought in 2020.  I am not sure that really has any actual significance, but I seem to recall that.  Necrowretch is a black/death metal band from France, and this is the first album I have checked out from the band.  The black metal elements tend to be more immediate, with the tremolo riffing and dark and foreboding atmosphere.  The songs are all fast-paced with riffs flying in all directions and feral, shrieking vocals.  The album is quite impressive and leads me to believe I need to look into more by Necrowretch.

PHALANX: GOLDEN HORDE

Here is another EP, but I figured I might as well throw it in here.  This is an incredibly short release, clocking in just over 16 minutes, but Phalanx packs a lot of furious energy into that short amount of time.  The music is hardcore-tinged death metal (without being deathcore).  It owes more to bands like the recent output of Nails than to Hatebreed or the like.  There are a number of vocal styles present, and the band has three singers.  One features more of a hardcore shout, another emits screeching black metal-esque shrieks.  I am not sure what is going on with the group at this point.  This EP from 2020 is the last material from them so far.  

REVOLTING: THE SHADOW AT THE WORLD'S END

With a name like Revolting, you absolutely know what this band will sound like.  Revolting is led by Rogga Johansen who has been in something like 30 bands (including Massacre, Paganizer, Putrevore, Ribspreader, Bone Gnawer and more).  That might be an exaggeration, but it might also be an underestimate.  Revolting is pure Swedish death metal, in the best possible way.  Featuring the familiar buzzsaw guitar riffing and ferocious vocals, Revolting is a callback to the early days of Grave and Nihilist, and with the short tracks, this is a very enjoyable listen that doesn't take up much time.  I love this release and definitely need to check out more of Revolting's work.

SORCIER DES GLACES: UN MONDE DE GLACE ET DE SANG

No, I don't speak French so I have no idea what any of that means.  I could look it up, but I'm lazy.  Shortly before I took a hiatus a few years ago, I was really getting into Quebec black metal bands, such as this one and including Monarque, Drave and Cantique Lepreux.  This album is generally representative of everything I like about the scene, swirling riffs, pounding drums and atmosphere that conjures up blizzard imagery and raspy vocals that mesh well with the riffs.  The songs are lengthy and there is a fair amount of repetition, but again, this is typical of the scene.  This would be a very good introductory album to this scene.

Skeletal Remains and More in Omaha: Oct. 15, 2024

It has been quite awhile since I have been to a concert.  I have missed a couple that I wanted to attend for various reasons (mostly work-related).  I only found out about this one after seeing a poster in a record store I just happened to venture into randomly in the middle of last week.  After resolving a potential trial scheduled for next week, I decided fuck it, I'm going.  The venue was the Reverb Lounge, a place I had never been before, but which appears to share some space with The Waiting Room (maybe?).  

Up first was a Des Moines, IA-based band called Traffic Death.  This was my first experience with this band.  They are definitely raw, but there is some undeniable talent there.  They kind of overdid it with the audio samples prior to songs, which kind of came off sounding clumsy, but there were some damn good riffs and they were pretty decent.

Witch Vomit was next and I have to say, they were probably the highlight of the night for me.  I have enjoyed the three releases I have picked up from them, but they really killed it live.  They were exactly as filthy and disgusting as one would hope from a death metal band.  I grabbed their newest album at the show because they were seriously impressive.  

North Dakota Lovecraftian death metal monsters Phobophilic hit the stage next.  I was not terribly familiar with them previously and they really only have one album out, which came out a couple years ago.  They were decent, but did not make a real strong impression on me.  I felt they were maybe trying too hard to be like Demilich.  I think they are well worth watching what they do in the future though.

Bewitcher was next and they probably stood out the most among the bands with their blackened speed metal attack that sounds lifted out of the early 1980's.  They seem to be enjoying something of a moment (as much as an underground metal band can) as the bar was completely packed during their set.  They absolutely shredded live and really livened things up.  They really got the small crowd moving throughout their set and did not let up on the throttle until they finished.

A lot of people left after Bewitcher, but those that stayed got quite the treat, because Skeletal Remains was fantastic.  Their sound is more rooted in the early days of death metal, back when there was not as much distinction between death metal and very heavy thrash metal.  So speed and precision in the riffs is the name of the game.  They performed a blistering set for about 40 minutes or so.  I was damn glad I stuck around, despite how late it was getting (I had an hour-and-a-half drive home).  All told, I was glad I decided to go.  I don't get to too many concerts anymore and I might have skipped this one had I not gotten that trial resolved.  

T-SHIRT WEARING: Molder

Catching Up: 2020 Part 6

CARACH ANGREN: FRANCKENSTEINA STRATAEMONTANUS

No, I am not going to try to pronounce any of that.  This is the second release by Dutch symphonic black metallers Carach Angren that I have checked out.  I quite liked their 2017 release, so I thought it would be worth checking out another one.  Unfortunately, this one does not do a lot for me.  For one thing, most of the actual black metal elements are gone, replaced with the kind of spooky atmosphere and basic riffs that I am sure the Hot Topic mallcore kiddies eat up alongside their Lorna Shore and Sleep Token albums.  I do like the concept of the album and it does definitely have some catchy songs on it, particularly during the clean vocal parts.  It works quite well for the upcoming Halloween season, but if you are looking for some good symphonic black metal, best look elsewhere.

ETERNAL CHAMPION: RAVENING IRON

Eternal Champion came highly recommended to me by a former law school colleague, who used to have his own metal blog.  Based on his recommendation I checked them out and was thoroughly impressed by them.  The band is unapologetic in its cheesiness, but feature some absolutely infectious songs, such as the ripping "War at the Edge of the End" and "Worms of the Earth".  Much of the release is mid-paced, highly melodic traditional metal in the vein of Manilla Road and featuring lyrics about swords and sorcerors and other high fantasy topics.  Like I said, it's cheesy as hell, but it's also a blast to listen to because of that.  Don't take it seriously and have a good time.    

TOXIK DEATH: SEPULCHRAL DEMONS

Toxik Death is a Norwegian blackened thrash metal band on their second album.  Norway is not really known for thrash metal, but this band fits in well with their countrymen in Aura Noir and Deathhammer.  The music is fast and furious, packing a lot of frenzied riffs, pounding drums and shrieking vocals.  The band does an excellent job of crafting this juggernaut of a release that comes in, lays waste to everything around, then doesn't overstay its welcome and leaves.  It's like a tornado, crushing everything and then just as quickly as it arrives, it's over.  The only real criticism I have is that once the album is over, it doesn't sink in real well.  It's a hell of a lot of fun when it's playing, but then it ends and is not as easily remembered.

VARG: ZEICHEN

This is the second album I have checked out by this German band who I recall kind of confused me last time.  They dress like a folk metal band and were at one point listed as a folk metal band, but they are decidedly not folk metal.  At least not exclusively.  I would say some of the melodies come across as folk-inflected, and there are some lead guitar lines that strike a similar chord, but this is by and large more of a melodeath album with some traditional metal influences.  Whatever it is, the music is somewhat uplifting and it really sounds like the band is having fun playing it, and despite the lyrics being in German, it's catchy as hell.  This is a really fun release.  

VVILDERNESS: DARK WATERS

I am not the biggest post-black metal fan.  That is probably obvious given my comments about Deafheaven, Liturgy and the like.  But there are bands I like, and Vvilderness is one of them.  The music sounds so organic, which makes sense given the subject matter.  There's an ebb and flow to the music which makes it easy to just sit back and let it take you away.  Vvilderness has some harsher moments in this release that were mostly absent from the last one, but those moments are short-lived and then the heart-aching melodic moments kick in.  I have not decided if I prefer this album to the last one or not.  At first I did not, but I think Vvilderness has taken a step forward in song-writing on this one, so it has grown on me.