Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! is at once both the bleakest and most optimistic album of Vile Creature’s burgeoning career.
Vile Creature – Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! (Prosthetic) It takes an adventurous listener to appreciate Oranssi Pazuzu, and if you haven’t immersed yourself in their music yet, this is a good time to jump in. It can be challenging listen at times, but a smooth and hypnotic experience at other times. The music is constantly changing, twisting and reforming into something unexpected. Songs like “Tyhjyyden sakramentti” shift from subdued to chaotic to avant-garde. Oranssi Pazuzu start with black metal, then expand their sonic palette by utilizing everything from prog to noise to psychedelia and even krautrock. The six tracks are all lengthy, in the 7 to 10 minute range, each with a different perspective and vibe. Even with a larger platform, they remain as experimental and inscrutable as ever. Oranssi Pazuzu – Mestarin Kynsi (Nuclear Blast)įor their latest album Mestarin Kynsi, the Finnish band Oranssi Pazuzu have signed with Nuclear Blast, one of metal’s bigger labels. This is traditional heavy metal at its finest, and you owe it to yourself to give it a spin. While Armored Saint’s last two albums, La Raza and Win Hands Down, were both enjoyable, Punching The Sky is a step up, and one of the band’s finest efforts – certainly their best since Symbol of Salvation. Vera and drummer Gonzo Sandoval are as tight and punchy a rhythm section as there is, and John Bush might be the only human being on the planet whose voice has not changed over the last forty years. Musically, Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan deliver killer riffs and searing leads much as we have come to expect over the years. This album kicks and punches with an organic aggression that hits the sweet spot. Throughout the album, bassist Joey Vera (also the main songwriter here, and the bassist for Fates Warning, who have an album of their own dropping in two weeks – busy guy!) shows he is equally comfortable in the producer’s chair as he is in front of a bass stack. Amazingly, the band’s lineup has been unchanged for over thirty years, and the comfort level they have with each other, the songwriting maturity, the knack for earworm arrangements, it’s all in play here on Punching The Sky. Armored Saint’s last album, Win Hands Down, was released in June 2015. It seems age is no obstacle for many of the heavier bands of yore. Armored Saint – Punching The Sky (Metal Blade) Xenobiotic – Mordrake Metal Blade Records 25.
Svalbard – When I Die, Will I Get Better? Here are our picks for the best heavy metal albums released in 2020. Those with a ? after the date are rumoured/likely but have not had a date officially announced.2020 was an unprecedented year, and as it always has, music provided escape, comfort, catharsis and hope in an uncertain time. I've marked out things that are related projects or similar genres that might be of interest with a (+) sign. The format is "band name - album title (if known) - release date (if known) - recording status/any other notes". As a side note, we would also like to discourage arguments about singers, in particular Nightwish singers - as this can be a tedious and stressful topic for all involved. This includes both other users and band members. Please note: self-promotion of symphonic metal music is not considered spam and occasional posts of this nature are fine.īe excellent to one another! Please be respectful and civil towards others. If for some reason you would like to share a lot of songs at once, please share them all in a playlist or text post. No spamming - and please limit your posts to a couple of times a day at most. Please avoid posting leaked songs or albums and try to link to official sources where possible.
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