From my morning listening to randomly selected cuts from new and forthcoming albums, I’ve collected this very diverse assortment that I think will be well worth your time. If you disagree, please tell me that you love them anyway in order to protect my tender psyche from emotional bruising.
DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN
The immediate attraction of this new band is its veteran line-up: Dave Ingram, former vocalist for Bolt Thrower, Benediction, and Downlord; guitarist Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, Putrevore, and many more), and bassist Dennis Blomberg (also in Paganizer and Ribspreader), along with session drummer Erik Bevenrud. They’ve recorded a self-titled debut album scheduled for a November 22 release by the German label Cyclone Empire. I’ve been making my way through the album in bits and pieces — which isn’t the ideal way to do it — but I’m very high on what these guys have accomplished. And now one of the songs has been made available for streaming.
“Draconian Rage” is a bulldozing blaze of punk-infused death metal with a curiously infectious little melody that rears its head through the buzzing guitars, punchy percussion, and bestial vocals just long enough to get its hooks in your head. Listen next.
https://www.facebook.com/DownAmongTheDeadMen
EXIVIOUS
This is another band that features a veteran line-up of talented musicians: guitarist Tymon Kruidenier (ex-Cynic), guitarist Michel Nienhuis (Dodecahedron), bassist Robin Zielhorst (ex-Cynic), and drummer
Yuma van Eekelen (ex-Pestilence). Together they’ve recorded their second album — Liminal — which will be released by Season of Mist in North America on November 12 (and elsewhere on November 8). Three songs from the album have been released for streaming so far, with the third being unveiled last Friday, and now all three are up on Bandcamp (where the album can also be pre-ordered).
The music is an interlocking of progressive metal and jazz fusion that’s performed with abundant technical skill and astonishing flair. The songwriting is also excellent — the music is infused with beautiful, atmospheric melodies and compulsive rhythms that seize your attention at the same time as the instrumental gymnastics are taking your head for a real rollercoaster ride. Remarkably good stuff!
http://exivious.bandcamp.com/#
https://www.facebook.com/Exivious
HANGING GARDEN
In the early part of this year, this Finnish band released their third full-length, At Every Door. And now they’re about to follow that with a new, three-song EP entitled I Was A Soldier, which is scheduled for release on vinyl and digitally (iTunes, Amazon) by Lifeforce Records. It’s a wondrous creation that I’ve been meaning to write about for the last month. And now you’ll have a chance to hear the title track via a new lyric video.
The song is both harrowing and dreamlike, both massively earth-shaking and almost ethereally beautiful. Vocalist Toni Toivonen is equally adept at gargantuan roars and moody clean vocals, and his bandmates expertly convey the sounds of anguish and resignation. As you’ll see, the lyrics are eloquent, and the visual accompaniment includes an interesting metaphor for the song’s lyrical theme. Watch and listen below.
https://www.facebook.com/HangingGardenOfficial
5 Responses to “SEEN AND HEARD: DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN, EXIVIOUS, HANGING GARDEN”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
At Every Door is a great album, I had no idea they had new material on the way so soon. Personally I’m hoping they’ll go more in the direction of ‘Ten Thousand Cranes’, the opener and heaviest track off the album. It’s a bit hard to tell from just this one track, but it looks like that’s probably not the direction they’re going. Still, they have a great sound and I’ll be keen on picking this up for sure.
They are a good band . But i have a feeling that Tuomas Saukkonen was sneaking around in the premises where they recorded it. Nonetheless the Fins seem to have a knack of penning down really melancholic stuff that never waste time at hitting home.
great post, you introduced me to three cool bands i hadn’t heard before!
Hanging Harden is so awesome; it’s really great they’re managing to put out more new material this soon!
“Down Among the Dead Men”…bloody awesome stuff!