what I've heard today

Sea of Bones - The Harvest: I'll definitely have to listen to it some more but it sounded pretty good on first go. Very atmospheric and broody. Sounds nice and evil.

Stinking Lizaveta - Sacrifice and Bliss: Again, just a first listen. I thought it was great. I'm getting pretty picky with my instrumental stuff but this makes the cut.

Suffocation - Blood Oath: I already reviewed this one.

I just started listening to Seance - Awakening of the Gods. Sounds pretty good so far. I just hope it doesn't get same-y as the album goes on.

Quickies

Mantic Ritual - Executioner: Awesome! Total speed thrash!! Welcome back 1983!! Whiplash inducing!! Don't even try to keep up!! Where's my jean jacket?

Jungle Rot - What Horrors Await: Death metal. No bones. Punky beats, buzzsaw guitars. Rasped bellow vocals. There's good chugging goin' on but you can shove your breakdowns up your ass!

Wino - Punctuated Equilibrium: It's Wino. Nuff said.

Suffocation - Blood Oath

I don't have a lot of experience with Suffocation. I have heard Effigy of the Forgotten a couple times. Everything in between is unknown to me. About 1 song into hearing Effigy for the first time, I knew I was missing out. So I was pretty excited when I heard they were releasing a new disc this year. Blood Oath might just have one of the best album covers ever. It reminds me of the days before the Internet when you would buy an album just based on the cover. (That's what I did with my first Slayer cassette) I mean, that's some seriously awesome imagery.
Equally awesome are the tunes assaulting my eardrums (Thank Satan, I don't think I could stand listening to the Barbie movie my daughter is watching right beside me). I got a taste of Blood Oath on the Nuclear Blast/Sumerian sampler in last month's Decibel Magazine. The track was "Cataclysmic Purification". From what I have heard so far, it was a fair representation of the album. Old school death metal. No jazzy breaks, no fucking gay-ass breakdowns, no dual vocals. Just pounding, in your face, death metal. The way it's supposed to be. Ugly, brutal, uncompromising. Don't get me wrong, dudes have chops. The difference is, it's more from the gut. It's not "hey, look! We can do "this"!" just for the sake of doing it. I hear a lot of bands that are really good until they go into some totally off-beat interlude crap for no apparent reason. Just bring the heavy. What's really standing out for me how even though the drums and the overall feel of the music is full speed ahead, my head is banging slowly. Also, the vocals are incredible. Right up there with George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. (Ha. My daughter stole my headphones and was dancing around to "Marital Decimation" Gotta start 'em young.)

I'll have to listen to Blood Oath more but it's absolutely one of the best death metal releases of 2009.

Holidays

I've been on holidays so I haven't been keeping up with the blog. I will tell you this:

The new Clutch rules.
The new Candlemass is awesome.
I still love LOG's Wrath.
I haven't listened to Blood Oath by Suffocation yet but I am sure it kicks ass.
As much as I don't want to admit it, the songs I've heard from Swashbuckle and Blackguard kinda rule.