SEEN AND HEARD: ATRIARCH, CENTINEX, HEIRESS, GHOST BRIGADE

 

I spent a chunk of yesterday catching up on new music premieres and teasers from last week. I’ve collected four of the best in this post, representing a range of metal styles.

ATRIARCH

Portland’s genre-bending Atriarch are preparing for the release of their third album, An Unending Pathway, via Relapse Records on October 27. It’s available for pre-order here. Last week one of the new album tracks had its premiere. The title is “Collapse”.

This new song is well-named — it sounds like both a physical and an emotional collapse, the kind from which there won’t be a rebuilding. The rumbling drums and sour guitar melody dominate the song, with the vocal mix of horrific growls and psychedelic wails giving it the air of a ritualistic chant. Before it ends, all hell breaks loose; the drums become spine-shattering, the vocals turn to ghastly shrieks, the bass and guitars become an explosive wall of sound. Doom on…

https://www.facebook.com/AtriarchOfficial

 

 

 

 

 

 

CENTINEX

Death metal will never die, and it appears that death metal bands are really hard to kill, too.

After eight albums going back to 1992’s Subconscious Lobotomy and a dozen shorter releases, Sweden’s Centinex disbanded in 2006 — but they have crawled out of their grave and have signed a deal with Agonia Records for the release of a new album named Redeeming Filth. It features cover art by one of our favorites, Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu of Twilight 13 Media (who created the cool art for that forthcoming At the Gates album, among many others).

I don’t mean to suggest that this Centinex is the same band who released Subconscious Lobotomy or even the same one that released their last album before the break-up (2005’s World Declension). The only member of the current band who has been in the line-up since the beginning is bassist Martin Shulman, and none of the other current members was around even for that 2005 album. But they’re hardly newcomers to the scene: Sverker Widgren (Demonical, Diabolical) on guitars; vocalist Alexander Högbom (October Tide, Spasmodic, Volturyon); and drummer Kennet Englund (Interment) who was also in Centinex from 1999-2003.

One song from the new album is up for streaming now — “When Bodies Are Deformed”. It sure sounds sweet. And by “sweet” I mean it’s a marauder that wants to take your head off and drink from your bloody neck stump. It has that gargantuan, grinding Swedeath guitar tone, a brute-force rhythm section, and ravening vocals. Sweet…

Redeeming Filth won’t be released until November 21 in Europe and December 9 in North America, but it’s up for pre-order now on CD and vinyl (at this location).

https://www.facebook.com/Centinexofficial

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEIRESS

Seattle’s Heiress have a new album on the way. Entitled Of Great Sorrow, it’s their second. It was recorded with Tad Doyle at Witch Ape Studio (YOB, Lesbian, TAD) and it will be released by The Mylene Sheath on November 18.

I’ve seen Heiress perform in Seattle, and their blend of hardcore and post-metal makes a big impression in a live setting. I’ve really been looking forward to this new album, and the first track that premiered a couple days ago is a killer.

“Hover” is slow and pavement-cracking heavy. The distorted riffs and methodical drum punishment come down with palpable force, the kind of power that will grip you by the neck and put your head in a vice. And the throat-scraping howls of anguish and rage from John Pettibone (ex-Himsa, ex-Undertow) will put the hair up on your neck, too. But the song has other facets. The rippling tremolo’d melody is beautifully shimmering, as if an aurora borealis chose to make an appearance overhead during a demolition project.

https://www.facebook.com/Heiressy
http://www.mylenesheath.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GHOST BRIGADE

Finland’s Ghost Brigade have a new album entitled IV – One With Storm that’s scheduled for release by Season of Mist on November 7 (November 11 in North America). You can be pre-order it here. A very tantalizing teaser clip went up on YouTube last week. The songs from which excerpts were selected display considerable variety, and all of it sounds good — though the final excerpt is the one that put the biggest charge through my brain stem. Looking forward to hearing that one in its entirety, and to discovering everything else this album holds in store.

https://www.facebook.com/ghostbrigade