TEASED: BLODSGARD AND SOREPTION

In recent days two bands I’m very high on have released teasers of music from albums I’ve been waiting on for a long time (with a level of eagerness that hasn’t diminished as the months have rolled by).

BLODSGARD

Norway’s Blodsgard haven’t yet released a full-length album, only three demos — but the debut album is on the way. Its title is Monument and it will soon be made available both digitally and on CD via a label called The Oath (an exact release date hasn’t been announced). Yesterday, the band unveiled the killer cover art for the album (above), created by one of my favorite metal artists, Mark Cooper (Mindrape Art), as well as excerpts of all the songs.

When I first found out about Blodsgard in September 2011, the most recent demo — a four-song offering called Solve et Coagula— hadn’t even been released for public distribution, and the band had no plans to do so. I got a chance to hear it and then obtained permission to provide a link to a special 3-song download for our readers, which included two tracks from Solve et Coagula plus another even more recent song, as a companion to my review. All three songs, which are still available for free, will appear in remastered form on the forthcoming album.

 

Later, the band made the decision to release Solve et Coagula for download on their web page (here), where fans can also buy a previous demo called Nuclear Extinction.

What I’ve heard from Blodsgard to date is excellent. The music is definitely nekro, rooted in the hallowed traditions of Trve Norwegian Black Metal, but guitarist/vocalist Fredrik R is a talented songwriter, and what he creates is much more than the typical hate-filled, clawing-to-the-bone that you might expect. There’s one song in particular to which I’ve returned many times — “Mentalt Minefelt”. I’m addicted to the bleak, moaning melody, the kataclysmic drum explosions, and Fredrik R’s positively harrowing vocal style. This song is so tremendously infectious that I included it on our list of 2011’s Most Infectious Extreme Metal Songs.

And now the band have provided a taste of all the tracks that will appear on. Having heard the previews, I’m now even more stoked for the new album. Go HERE to check them out for yourselves.

https://www.facebook.com/BlodsgardOfficial

 

SOREPTION

More than three years have passed since Sweden’s Soreption released their fantastic debut album Deterioration of Minds, which I reviewed here. We learned in January that the band had finally completed their second album, Engineering the Void — news that was accompanied by a new video (featured here), though it wasn’t one of the new tracks. But a release date for the album still hasn’t been announced. In fact, as late as last week the band reported on Facebook: “We are currently exploring avenues and options to make this release proper so that it reaches as many ears and hands as possible.”

Despite the fact that the band are further delaying the album’s release, they finally did release a teaser of new music on YouTube. It includes excerpts of many songs from the album, and it’s an eye-opener and a jaw-dropper. The music is packed with punishing groove, militarized percussion, a super-heated flurry of jabbing riffs and sparkling solos, and bestial vocals. I’d say I’m counting the days until Engineering the Void drops, but I don’t know how many days to count. So I’ll just say I want it, like yesterday.

https://www.facebook.com/soreption