RAPID FIRE RECOMMENDATIONS: WRATH OF BELIAL, EZERATH, MALKAVIAN, SUNLESS, THE FUROR

 

(TheMadIsraeli compiled this group of recommendations, with brief rationales and lots of music streams.)

There’s too much good metal coming out in 2017, and frankly, for me to attempt to review everything that catches my ear with the frequency at which good things are arriving would be madness. I’ve decided to start a new every-now-and-then series to offer either brief reviews or simple recommendations of albums that would get full length-reviews if the time or energy were there for me to do so. Most of these will be things that’ve already been out for a bit, but some will be records that aren’t out yet. With that said, let’s get started.

 

Wrath Of Belial – Bloodstained Rebellion

One of the best melodic death metal albums released this year. Fast, intensive riffing, very emotive with more brutal vocals than the genre commonly is associated with nowadays. Think of a mix of Kataklysm, The Black Dahlia Murder, and The Arcane Order. These guys are fucking sick.

Bandcamp:
https://wrathofbelial.bandcamp.com/album/bloodstained-rebellion-digital-album

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/wobdenmark/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ezerath – Overture: The Heir Apparent

Ezerath play an odd style of death metal that could almost be called post-death metal. Low-tuned, technical, ambient, and full of post-black metal influence, Overture: The Heir Apparent is a metallic anomaly worth hearing. It’s terrific in its strangeness.

Bandcamp:
https://ezerath.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Ezerath

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malkavian – Annihilating The Shades

Malkavian are a pretty sobering reminder that the old school thrash metal re-surgence will probably never really be able to top the Euro-spearheaded movement of so-called Neo Thrash represented by the likes of The Haunted, Hatesphere, The Crown, and so on. Malkavian are savage and vicious, and they spout out riffs like money spews out of a slot machine on a win and are consistently good. They had a debut that they’ve now improved upon immensely; this album is great. The three bands I just mentioned are very good points of comparison for these guys.

Bandcamp:
https://malkavian.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/Malkavianmetalfr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunless – Urraca

Sunless play an impressive variety of Gorguts-ian, dissonance-heavy technical death metal. Urraca is an astonishingly well-composed, well-executed album that is frantic and terrifying in its sonic panic. Very earthen and raw in sound, I think this is a must-hear this year if you’re into this kind of stuff.

Bandcamp:
https://sunlessband.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sunlessband

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Furor – Cavalries Of The Occult

One of the most savage and violent blackened death-thrash albums you’ll hear this year. It’s primal, raw, and full of great riffs, chaotic song structures, and lots and lots of blast beats.

Bandcamp:
https://thefuror.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/TheFurorObliterate

 

 

 

More will be on the way. Enjoy the smattering and please do give me your thoughts on the bands/albums in the comments.