ROUND-UP: ROTTING CHRIST, HYPOCRISY, TRAIL OF TEARS, VHÖL

When it comes to music debuts and hot breaking news, Friday’s aren’t usually very eventful. But yesterday was an exception. I posted a lot of new things yesterday as they were happening, but still didn’t cover everything, due to day-job bullshit. Today I’m catching up, with a collection of more sweet new items.

ROTTING CHRIST

These Greek heavyweights have been rolling out many new songs from their new album Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, which Season Of Mist will be releasing next week. But yesterday, the entire album became available for streaming on several sites, including Metal Hammer.

I’m completely sold on this album, though I’ve been holding fire on explaining why because we do have a review in the works. I will once again merely say that you should hear this album. And now you can — via the player I’ve embedded right after the jump.

HYPOCRISY

The marketing plan leading to the release of Hypocrisy’s new album End of Disclosure has followed an unusual course. First, there was an edited stream of a new song. Then there was a lyric video for a song. And yesterday there was an official music video for a new song. That may not sound so unusual until you realize that all three of those premieres were for the same song — the album’s title track.

As I wrote when we first streamed the edited version of the track, it’s like welcoming a familiar old friend — very recognizably a Hypocrisy song. But hell, I really am enjoying the song, despite the fact that I’ve now heard it in various formats three times (actually, more than that). And the new video, which is a splicing of the band performing the song and a variety of film clips related to the lyrics, is well made and fun to watch.

But can we have another song now?

End Of Disclosure will be released March 22, 2013 (EU) and April 02, 2013 (NA). Here’s the video.

http://www.facebook.com/hypocrisy

TRAIL OF TEARS

Melodic metal with sweet-singing female vocalists, even when paired with growly dudes, is not my usual kind of thing. Therefore, I didn’t notice when Massacre Records released a new single by Norway’s Trail of Tears yesterday. But DGR urged me to give it a listen, and I did. The new song is the title track to the band’s seventh album — and their last — Oscillation. The album is scheduled for release on April 26. It features cool cover art  by Finnish artist Jan Yrlund.

It’s the band’s last album because of an acrimonious break-up that included public charges and counter-charges between the two vocalists, Cathrine Paulsen and Ronny Thorsen. Here’s an example from Mr. Thorsen: “A certain female singer has lost her final remaining piece of sanity. It is indeed fascinating how much nonsense and lies one person is able to spew forth.” (!!!)

But back to the new song. I must admit that it’s a very catchy tune, and I even get a case of the tinglies when Paulsen hits the chorus parts. There, I said it. Here’s the track:

 

VHÖL

I’ve been writing frequently about this “super group” ever since I first learned of the band’s formation last year. The fact that I had heard no music didn’t stop me from blabbing incessantly about how excited I was. I didn’t even know what kind of music it would be.

Finally, last week a track debuted on Pitchfork, and then it later became available on Profound Lore’s SoundCloud page. Turns out, thankfully, that I was right to be so enthusiastic about this band.

“Grace” is a ripping, rocking, moshing, pedal-to-the-metal fusion of rapid-fire guitars, high-octane drum and bass rhythms, scalding black metal vocals and banshee shrieks, a couple of brain-melting guitar solos, and a quick but oh-so-cool bass solo. Holy shit, this is so tasty I think it burned out my taste buds!