SEEN AND HEARD: MANTAR, MORFIN, SVARTTJERN, THY DISEASE, WORDS OF FAREWELL

I was going to post this yesterday, but we had so many other things to do yesterday that I ran out of time. But although a day late, the five songs collected here are still fairly new. All of them premiered since last Friday and all of them caught my ears in a vice-like grip and shook my head like a maraca, producing a similar rattling sound with the small object inside my skull. As usual for these collections, the styles of metal are different, but it’s all good. The bands are presented in alphabetical order.

MANTAR

Mantar are a new two-piece band, half German and half Turkish, whose debut album Death By Burning is scheduled for release by Svart Records, on February 7. I hadn’t heard any of their music before, but the strange cover art drew me into CVLT Nation’s debut of a new track named “Spit”.

Interestingly, the only instruments used on the album are guitar and drums (no bass), but “Spit” is still plenty heavy. Comparisons have been drawn to the likes of Melvins, Motorhead, and Darkthrone. “Spit” is a black, hammering rocker with a boatload of fat, distorted riffs and a drum attack that seems bent on dismantling skulls. It’s catchy as fuck, and Mantar’s vocalist has the kind of raw, scarring tone that leaves faces in shreds. Excellent nastiness.

https://www.facebook.com/MantarBand

 

 

MORFIN

Morfin is another new name for me. They hail from California and their new album Inoculation is scheduled for a February 21 release on CD, vinyl, and digitally (you can pre-order it here). I’ve heard two songs so far, one that premiered on Decibel (“Crytostasis”) and one I found on SoundCloud (“Dark Creator”); though the promo hit my in-box at about the same time, I haven’t yet waded further into their swamp, though based on those two streaming tracks, I certainly will.

The PR on the band draws comparisons to Leprosy-era Death, Gorguts, and Skeletal Remains. The two songs on display at the moment do have a definite Floridian sound, delivering a rhythmically dynamic, head-thumping death metal charge that’s a real throwback, but a refreshing one at the same time. Wait for the screaming guitar solos.

Use this Decibel link below for “Cryostasis” and check out the other song below that:

http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-morfin-drop-some-choice-old-school-death-metal-with-cryostasis/

https://www.facebook.com/morfindeathmetal

 

 

SVARTTJERN

Unlike the first two bands in this round-up, I’ve previously discovered the charms of Norway’s Svarttjern — their last album, 2011’s Towards the Ultimate, was reviewed for us in typically evocative and typically hilarious style by the dearly missed Trollfiend (here). Their new third album is entitled Ultimatum Necrophilia, which sounds like a new video game in which you reach the highest level by ramming the most corpse flesh. It’s projected for release on February 7 via NoiseArt Records.

On January 25 the band unveiled the album’s opening track, “Shallow Preacher”. It’s a scathing black metal tornado with the weight of death metal in the mix. The scything riffs are scathing; the bestial vocals are scathing; the drum flurries are scathing. But in the midst of all the head-whipping sections you’ll also encounter a downright funereal march and a searing tremolo melody. A promising teaser for the album.

https://www.facebook.com/svarttjern

 

 

THY DISEASE

The next offering comes from a Polish band named Thy Disease. On January 24 they premiered an official video for “Slave State”, a song from their sixth LP, Costumes of Technocracy. I have TheMadIsraeli to thank for tipping me to it. It’s a high-energy, fast-paced combination of jabbing death metal, heavyweight grooves, pleasingly harsh bellows, and even some industrial elements. Plus, the vocalist helpfully spells the song’s name for you. It will wake you the fuck up, if you need waking.

Costumes of Technocracy is scheduled for release on February 14 by Mystic Production. Watch the video below.

https://www.facebook.com/thydisease

 

 

WORDS OF FAREWELL

I suppose it’s fitting that I bid you farewell for the moment with music from a German band named Words of Farewell. Their new album The Black Wild Yonder (great name) is coming our way through AFM Records, with a projected February 28 release in Europe and a March 4 street date in North America.

Over the weekend I discovered an advance track named “Beauty In Passing” (via a lyric video) and an album trailer with enticing excerpts from other songs, and I’ve really enjoyed listening to both. If you’re a fan of Scandinavian-style melodic death metal, it’s worth checking out. The band have a talent for crafting appealing melodies (with keyboard enhancements and progressive guitar work) and integrating them with a galvanizing riff-and-drum attack. The vocalist has a hell of a harsh voice, too.

“Beauty In Passing” and the album trailer are below.

https://www.facebook.com/wordsoffarewell