You say the words “death metal” — and I do mean “death metal”, not “melodic death metal” — to any metalhead who doesn’t like and appreciate the genre, and they’re likely to lump all of it together in one sweeping dismissal. Of course, as fans of the genre well know, “death metal” encompasses a great variety of sounds and styles. Sometimes the differences are subtle, particularly on the more “brutal” end of the spectrum, but the distinctions are what keep DM addicts diving back into the black pool over and over again.
Those thoughts have been rumbling around my head since I started listening to the music of three South African death metal bands, repeatedly, for this post. I’ve been sitting on music from two of those bands way too long without saying something about them. More recently, we were contacted by a third band from South Africa, and that finally pushed me to get this post done.
Before now, I think the only South African band we’ve featured at NCS has been the ingeniously named, bagpipe-driven Haggis and Bong (here, for example). I’m pretty sure I first heard about one of today’s threesome — All Forlorn — through a post by Haggis and Bong on their Facebook page. The other two — A Walk With the Wicked and Bile of Man — came our way via e-mails from the bands.
All three bands are loaded with talent, and two of the three have got music that’s available for free download. Following the jump are some thoughts about, and music from, each band, in the order in which we heard about them.
ALL FORLORN
Formed in 2006, this quintet is based in Johannesburg. It appears they’ve gigged relentlessly in their home country, and have played the main stage at the majority of Southern Africa’s biggest festivals. Following an initial EP in 2008, the band released their debut album, Taking Down the Thunder, in July of last year.
Two of the songs from the album — the title track and a song called “Dank” — can be downloaded for free at the band’s ReverbNation page (here).
In the genus of death metal, this music would qualify as a species of technical death. It’s fast, and it spits like a very large, very pissed-off, dangerously squirming reptile. The riffs and drum fills never quite go where you think they will, and wherever they’re going, they don’t quite sound like they’re going in the same direction. They synchronize just often enough to snap your head upright (and down again), while the demented harsh screaming and mid-range growling convey an authentic sense of fury.
The song I’m going to play for you, one of the two that’s available for free, is called “The Dank”. I’m not sure it’s the best song on the album from end to end. I’m not even sure, as a whole, that it’s better than the album’s title track. But I’m fucking hooked like a flopping fish, bleeding from the gills, by what happens to this song after it reaches the half-way point, when the rhythm instruments begin a repetitive, pile-driving series of hammer blows and the lead guitar spins out a long, multi-layered, molten solo. Very sweet. Hear for yourself:
Taking Down the Thunder can be ordered at the band’s official site, here. More info is available on Facebook and MySpace.
A WALK WITH THE WICKED
This band from Capetown came into existence in 2007 and released their 6-song debut EP, Architects of Sadism, in January of this year.
As inspirations for their music, the band lists such diverse influences (albeit all under the big tent of death metal) as Cannibal Corpse, Gojira, Decapitated, and Bloodbath.
As I listened to the songs on Architects, the band that first popped into my head through the first two tracks was Amon Amarth. Though this isn’t “Viking metal” by a long shot, the reminders are there — from the catchy, heavy-grooved, stomping chugs to the vibrato buzz of tremolo guitar in the choruses, to a vocalist who sounds very much like the incomparable Johan Hegg. But as I made my way through the next four songs I also got flashes of Grave, Immolation, and (on the final track) Autopsy.
These dudes have a special knack for blending sinister brutality with undercurrents of melody. When they jam the throttle into high gear, they cut some deep grooves that you just can’t help but join in with headbanging, and there are some migthy sweet clean guitar solos sprinkled through the music, too. The songs have individual character, and I’ve really been enjoying them.
This is one rock-solid release. Do yourself a favor and check out this track from the EP:
Architects of Sadism is available for download at the band’s Bandcamp page (here) for $5. Take it from your old friend, the Headless Blogger, that’s $5 well-spent. You can snoop about for more news about the Wicked ones at their official site or at Facebook and MySpace.
BILE OF MAN
This group from Pretoria played their first show in April 2008. Their debut EP, Dystopian Order: The Age of Detritus, was released last month. It includes six tracks.
This band is an even more brutal species of death-metal denizen than the first two outfits we’ve discussed today. Think of a long-lost African cousin of Cannibal Corpse and Cephalic Carnage. The band cites other influences, such as Morbid Angel, Behemoth, Origin, Nile, Dying Fetus, and Krisiun, among others. That might give you a clue that the order of battle for this band includes “take no prisoners”.
The music is relentlessly caustic, blistering in its drum, bass, and guitar assault. It’s a screaming demon flying straight out of hell — but it’s fascinating to hear. If this were a visible manifestation of something, I would say “you can’t take your eyes off of it”. Since it’s an aural manifestation, I’ll have to say “you can’t keep your ears off it”, as fucked up as those words may be.
Bile of Man brings the brute force, but with technical flair. It’s triple-distilled evil, with no mercy and no remorse, and only fleeting respect for the notion of consistent tempos and time signatures. “Feast on the Wicked’, for example, is a vicious riff-fest that alternately spurts like an open artery and staggers like a combatant who’s been gut-shot. The song ends with a death-doom crawl that brings to mind nothing so much as maggots pouring from a ruptured wound.
Unpredictability goes hand-in-hand with brutality on this EP, and so you get a solitary guitar arpeggio at the beginning of “Mouth of Madness” and a solitary bass arpeggio at the commencement of “The Return”.
In fact, almost the first three minutes of “The Return” is a morbid infliction of instrumental death-doom that oozes illness. And what follows that catastrophic opening is a gear-shifting phalanx of brutality that’s as riveting and instrumentally unexpected as it is utterly hopeless in its atmosphere. Check it out:
You can download two of the EP’s songs for free at the band’s Facebook page (here).
Here are the links for the band’s MySpace and ReverbNation pages.
If these three bands are representative of the extreme metal scene in South Africa today, then it’s a scene that deserves lots more of our attention here in the U.S., and elsewhere. At least I know this — when it comes to death metal, they do represent.
35 Responses to “METAL FROM SOUTH AFRICA”
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The Bile of Man intro was a bit too long for me, but the rest of the song was excellent. I was just thinking today that I could use some new brutal death metal. Oh, wait, I can’t buy their EP online. 🙁
A Walk With the Wicked was super Amon Amarthy, but not so much as to be annoying. It’s a possible purchase.
Moar brootulz puleeez!
Try this out http://deathmetalbaboon.com/album-review-scaphist-majestic-seal-of-antiquity just follow the “short post” link in this review for the band provided free download link 😉
If you check out Bile of Man’s Facebook page, it’s got their manager’s email address. If you drop her a mail I’m sure they’d be more than willing to send you a copy.
I’m the vocalist from A Walk With the Wicked and if you’re interested in picking up a hard copy, you can email us on info@awalkwiththewicked.com and we can organise to send you a hardcopy!
Cheers!
Glad you found something to like in here bro. There will be more brootulz coming, cuz I can only stay away from it for so long.
My oh my. What do we have here. While Bile of Man wasn’t really for me, the other two bands are definite additions to my playlist. Apparently, one just cannot fail when being influenced by such bands as Gojira. Moreover, in a post like this, i just have to mention a band called “The Broken Result”, also a South African band and they are orgasmic. Their sound is similar to All Forlorn’s, seriously worth checking them out!
Hey, thanks for that recommendation. I will check them out today. I’m always looking for orgasmic metal. 🙂
This is soooo awesome!!! Finally some SA bands on this website! There is a band called Contrast the Water that should seriously be on this list. Check them out!!!
http://www.reverbnation.com/contrastthewaterofficialreverbnationpage
It’s clear that I need to do a Part 2 of this South African metal thing. So far, from different sources, I’ve got Contrast the Water, The Broken Result, and Mind Assault.
A part 2 would be most welcomed. There is also a femal fronted black metal band from South Africa called Theatre Runs Red
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Theatre-Runs-Red/6928777574
If you’re keen, check them out.
Easily the best black metal band SA has ever produced.
The best band in the world! i have never seen a live band out that much effort into presentation and presence in my entire gigging life… and thats a long time!!!!
Damn, I’m sold. Hunting down the music now . . .
http://www.myspace.com/theatrerunsred but as i mentioned, i dont think their recorded tracks are still up. give me blood and once upon a nightmare are OOOOOOLD tracks their music is so much darker and heavier now. i think they have one or two low quality vids up on you tube taken by a fan that will give you an idea of their stage performance though. and their fan page has pics of their epic outfits and corpse paint 🙂
Hey guys the dead will tell and facing the gallows are also pretty dam sick!! mad solos insane guitar riffs and epic core breakdowns!! check it
not as good as theatre :p
Some really awesome bands there – dunno if this is of any interest, but i found some music videos from an S.A death metal band called Pledge Defiance on Youtube. First one seems pretty intense and serious, the other has more of a comedic vibe. I dig it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxmyoyHv250
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPcZJ3czK_I
Kind of grindy too I think? Their Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pledge-Defiance/7222952778
Thanks — I’ll check out this band, too. Sorry for the delay in having your comment appear. When any comment includes more than two links, the blogging software will hold it up until I approve (to prevent spam).
Pledge have a CD and DVD out, and i just got word in that they are finishing off drums on 2nd CD
For more South African Metal Bands Videos check out link.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ValgarEntertainment?feature=mhum
Follow S.A Deathmetal on…
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SA-Death-Metal/115041905219330
SA has some of the finest metal acts: bands to check out would be acts like Theatre Runs Red (the best band in the world acc. to me) though i dont know if they have any recorded tracks up as they are working on their debut album.
Contrast the Water are also world class. they are also finishing off their debut album, it’s just been sent overseas for mastering.
Pledge Defiance are fantastic, and if you mail their vocalist, Brynn Huxtable he can mail you their debut CD and DVD.
Empery are in my opinion the best Trash metal band in the country. Their E.P ia available to order too.
Mind Assault are kick ass!!!
another Durban based band worth checking out is Vengeance Resides as well as Deny the Empire, but again not sure about recordings.
All Forlorn and Bile have been on my top list for a few years now, and i discovered a Walk With the Wicked last month and haven’t stopped playing it since!!!!
Erebus is also a pretty cool blackened death band with two CD’s out that you may want to check!
and theirs a list of my fav SA metral bands
Man, thanks for taking the time to give us this list, and your other comments on this page. I’m way behind with stuff for this site, as usual, but I’m collecting the names I’ve been receiving, and we’ll be doing another installment of Metal From South Africa soon. Or maybe two more installments. Or three. 🙂
South African metal is my passion, love and life 🙂 if you are interested (and i haven’t bored you death as yet) check out this site: http://www.metal4africa.com/ the best site dediacted to exposing metal in South Africa. 🙂
oh, almost forgot. Riddare av Koden are cool, and have a CD to order, A Voice Will Call.
Upcoming acts to keep an eye out include Balyios (folk metal) and Killatoria (very brutal!)
and Architecture of Agression… duh can’t believe i left that out, the most long standing, most brutal death metal band this country has ever seen…
A lot of great bands, but nobody even mentions BLEEDING SPAWN (tech brutal deathmetal) or DISPLEASED DISFIGUREMENT (groovegrind deathmetal) both also great bands from S.A
sorry boo, i second his opinion. and Displeased has the most brutal female guest vocalist on the face of this planet…. she could rip your eyes out just by looking at you ekse…. iv spammed this page enough now. poor bloggers are gonne be like em sa metalheads are crazy!!!!!
No worries — when people passionate about metal give recommendations about bands they dig, that’s about the opposite of spam in my book. I’m grateful to everyone who has posted recs on this page. Now i just need to clone myself or stop sleeping so I can track down the music and hear all of it!
And btw, I have no problem with people continuing to stop by here and show support for any other bands who haven’t been mentioned yet.
well in THAT case, Tenere, Of One Design,Tranquil (think i may have mentioned them), Spectral Realm, Autumn Sun, All of Eternity and 11th hour (though they are rap metal) are other great sa acts. and then a band from a tiny country in South Africa (botswana) are WRUST…. mind blowing!!!!!!!
but, just so you know, Theatre Runs Red are the best band in the world………
I say we are crazy, but in a good way and another good sa metal band is INSTRAMETAL and like the name states, its an instrumental band, but they are truely talented, their new album – THE CATALYST TO CHAOS – is really a piece of art
is it possible to mail me (emalyth.events@gmail.com) when a new article on sa bands goes up?
Absolutely. I’m late in getting the next part done, but haven’t forgotten about it.
Ark SYnesis!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8-ORyWW_3c
A walk with the wicked sound decent, they seem more melodic death metal to me though, also digging Crow Black Sky a bit. – Here’s another artist in Cape Town making some awsome solo melodic death metal too! – take a listen.
http://www.reverbnation.com/tyronehuskisson
follow S.A Death on Facebook for more Band links
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SA-Death-Metal/115041905219330