Greetings, Decibel readers!
Ah, lastly some new black metallic for 2025. Don’t get me unsuitable, I used to be joyful to be protecting a lot demise metallic for the previous couple of weeks, nevertheless it’s good to get some chilly and grim new releases for an exceptionally chilly and grim February. Oh, and there’s a brand new Killswitch Have interaction album out in the present day! As your resident 2000s metalcore defender, I’m in fact very joyful about that.
Hope you discover one thing to be joyful about under.
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Abduction – Existentialismus
Very happy with these guys. Abduction first landed on my radar about eight years in the past once I began carefully following new black metallic releases on bandcamp. I keep in mind when A Crown of Curses got here out on Loss of life Kvlt Information, and so it’s actually cool to see them on Candlelight all these years later. Abduction performs some really nightmare-inducing metallic, however in a means that’s additionally thought-provoking and rewards repeat listens. Wonderful.
Stream: Apple Music
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Medication of Religion – Asymmetrical
Not-quite-grind, not-quite-90’s angular noise, however possibly a secret third factor. A full-on pessimistic assault of unforgiving drums, ruthless guitars, and cynical vocals.
Stream: Apple Music
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Killswitch Have interaction – This Consequence
As I wrote in Decibel #245:
Their sound has all the time been a mix of melodic demise metallic and ’90s hardcore, however this album leans particularly laborious on the metallic aspect.
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Likewise, the album’s lyrics observe the themes which have lengthy been a part of the band’s core message: morally aware and awake to the world’s myriad injustices—however by no means preachy or self-righteous.
Granted, I’m an enormous fan of Killswitch, in order that they actually can do no unsuitable for me. Properly, musically. That brand. My goodness.
Stream: Apple Music
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Malacath – Everlasting Roar of the Thunder and Rain
I’ve identified about Malacath since Fólkvangr Information put out The Elders Under again in 2019. This time, the challenge has discovered its strategy to Everlasting Loss of life, furthering that label’s pedigree because the premiere outlet for black metallic in New England. Malacath’s model of black metallic artwork blends ambiance and energy to make for a rewarding sonic journey. Particularly, the guitars are very current within the combine and provides the listener that jolt of energy, whereas the vocals and drums are allowed to take a seat additional again to create the sensation of large and open areas.
Stream: Apple Music
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Scour – Gold
With a lineup like this, I figured this could at the very least be price trying out. However this goes means past that, Gold is totally blistering. It takes varied components of the members’ different initiatives and throws them right into a blackened-death metallic blender. I think about Phil was stoked to get this challenge moving into 2015 to scratch the identical itch he had for Christ Inversion again within the day. For his half, his low harsh vocals are rock-solid right here, enjoying to a brand new confidence (and dare I say, energy) in that realm now that his voice has modified with age.
Stream: Apple Music