KING GIANT, HOWLS OF EBB, BARBELITH

 

I know, I said that after two more round-ups today, following three yesterday, that I’d take a break and do something else. But man, I just continue to see an hear things that I feel compelled to foist upon you. So, one more collection… but without the “Seen and Heard” title, because that’s been worked to death over the last 24 hours.

KING GIANT

I’ve really been eagerly awaiting the new album by Virginia’s King Giant. We’re all big fans of the band around here and we’ve made no secret of that over the years. And although I haven’t yet heard all of the new album (Black Ocean Waves), the song they just premiered via a lyric video is strong evidence that they’re about to deliver another winner.

 

 

I thought my brother BadWolf captured a lot of what’s special about King Giant’s music in his review of their last album, 2012’s Dismal Hollow — while referring to bands like Black Sabbath, The Gates of Slumber, Primordial, and Corrosion of Conformity, he wrote: “this is not merely heavy metal, this is haunted metal”. And so it is, perhaps especially so on this new song.

“Red Skies” is a story as much as a song, the story of a whaling ship’s captain who murders his entire crew. It’s a black, depraved, intense, first-person narrative that’s revealed in the lyric video, and Dave Hammerly’s amazing voice (which really does remind me of Primordial’s Nemtheanga on this song) rings every bit of paranoia, hallucination, horror, and guilt-ridden wretchedness out of the tale.

The instrumental part of the mid-paced music is a thoroughly doom-drenched crafting of haunting Southern metal, though it briefly rips wide open into a bluesy romp at the mid-point before settling back into the crush of thick, ropey riffs and skull-slamming percussion. And man, the song is really a memorable one, too. Check it out below.

Black Ocean Waves will be released on June 30, with CD and digital distribution being handled by The Path Less Traveled. The band are raising money to finance a vinyl version of the album, so if you like what you hear, go to this location and make a pledge for that — there are only 6 days left in the campaign:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1811214947/king-giant-black-ocean-waves-on-vinyl

https://www.facebook.com/kinggiantband

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOWLS OF EBB

I sure as hell liked the 2014 debut album of this Northern California band, Vigils of the 3rd Eye, and so I was really happy to learn last night that on June 8 I, Voidhanger Records will release a new three-song Howls of Ebb EP on 12″ vinyl — though with a total run time of more than 34 minutes, “EP” may not be the right word for it. The title is The Marrow Veil.

But even more than this welcome news, I’m including this feature about Howls of Ebb because of the cover art for The Marrow Veil. It’s by Wiley Trieff, and it’s just stunning. Click the image above to enlarge it.

https://www.facebook.com/howlsofebb

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/vigils-of-the-3rd-eye

https://www.facebook.com/i.voidhanger.records

 

 

 

BARBELITH

As you know if you’ve been a regular reader of our site, I’ve become a pretty devoted fan of Baltimore-based Grimoire Records, who handle the recording as well as the release of their offerings. They’ve been on a streak of solid choices for a while now, but I think the first Grimoire-affiliated band I discovered was Barbelith. I reviewed their debut album Mirror Unveiled here, and it’s still an album you owe it to yourself to explore if you haven’t yet. The reason for mentioning the album again now is because Grimoire is now making the album its first vinyl release.

The release date has been set for June 9, and pre-orders can be placed through this Bandcamp page:

http://grimoirerecords.bandcamp.com/album/mirror-unveiled-12-lp-pre-order

Here’s the music if perchance you haven’t yet discovered it: