OVERFLOWING STREAMS: EXIVIOUS, OBLITERATION, VAURA

Happy fucking Wednesday motherfuckers (and you know I mean that in the nicest possible way, using Frank Mullen’s voice). I thought I’d give you a heads up that the content on the site is likely to be a little thin over the next three days, because my day job is sending me out of town from early this morning through late Friday night, and it will be another one of those day-and-night missions.

So, although I believe we’ll have a couple of song premieres on Friday and I know at least part of what we’ve got coming today, after that it’s the great unknown. I might be reduced to writing about my meals or the decor in my hotel room. If you have pets, we might have room for pics of their bowel movements if you want to send those along.

As for today, I’ll have a round-up of unusual new music I found yesterday, an announcement about a new music compilation we’ll be co-sponsoring, and this post that you’re reading right now, the point of which is to alert you to some new album streams that are worth hearing.

EXIVIOUS

Last month we featured the first three advance tracks released for streaming from this Dutch band’s second album, Liminal, which will be released by Season of Mist in North America on November 12 (and elsewhere on November 8). To remind you, this band consists of 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).

Liminal is a fascinating and immensely accomplished album, 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.

And now you can hear all of the album, because it’s streaming at this location. I have a limited tolerance for instrumental-only music, but this really is worth the time.

http://exivious.bandcamp.com/#
https://www.facebook.com/Exivious

 

OBLITERATION

I first came across this Norwegian band in September when the first teaser of music from their new album became available. The album’s name is Black Death Horizon and it’s due for release by Relapse on November 11. The label calls this “a cosmic blend of old school death metal mixed with the best elements of doom, punk, thrash and primitive black metal”, and that’s not stretching the truth.

The music feeds from the veins of the old bloodlines with authentic hunger, but some kind of alien viper poison has been injected into it, too. You’ll see what I mean. Just go here to listen.

https://www.facebook.com/obliterationofficial

 

VAURA

Here’s another band whose new album was the subject of an NCS post in September. I’ve been hooked on what this esteemed quartet have been doing since I temporarily lost my mind over their last album, Selenelion. The new one is named The Missing, and it will be out soon on Profound Lore (pre-order here) I’ve acknowledged before that the music won’t meet any conventional definition of metal — but it doesn’t meet any conventional definition of anything else either.

All I can tell you is that there are some talented people in this band and their talents shine. I haven’t yet decided whether I like The Missing as much as I did Selenelion — this cat has changed some of its stripes since then. But I’m not sure making a comparison has much point when you can hear the entire album and decide for yourself whether it strikes a chord. It sure does for me.

THIS is the link for the album stream, where you’ll also be able to watch some new video animation work by Terence Hannum (Locrian).

https://www.facebook.com/VAURAofficial/