Putrescine
Seems like a year ago when I started this latest mega-roundup of new songs and videos but it was only last Friday. The alphabetized list swelled between Part 1 and Part 2 on Saturday, when I made it up to the letter P. And now I just need to finish the alphabet as fast as I can, because a new list has already started to take shape since I began this one. In a few days we’ll be back to the letter A.
I wish I had time to say something more meaningful about all the music you’ll find below, but unfortunately quick notes are all I have time for. But rest assured, the fact that these tracks are here means that I like them all and hope you will too. Be well, and stay safe.
PUTRESCINE (U.S.)
Crazed, instrumentally adventurous, but absolutely bludgeoning death metal. A stand-out new EP from these San Diego mutilating mad scientists, which includes a Timeghoul cover — and an instant purchase on this end.
PYRRHON (U.S.)
Just listen to what Steve Schwegler does behind the kit! The rest of the band are firing on all cylinders too, and those cylinders are driving a whipping centrifuge in which your brain is encased. And the centrifuge is located on a roller-coaster. Madness!
PRE-ORDER:
https://pyrrhonband.bandcamp.com/album/abscess-time
REMINISCENCE (Portugal)
A bewitching instrumental slow burn. Beautiful, mesmerizing acoustics married with equally alluring and seductive electric guitar harmonies and heavy, head-moving rhythms.
PRE:ORDER:
https://reminiscence.bandcamp.com/releases
TESTAMENT (U.S.)
This is fitting: We’re living in unreal times, and it’s unreal that Testament are still putting out music this good.
BUY:
https://media.nuclearblast.de/shoplanding/2020/Testament/titans-of-creation.html
TITHE (U.S.)
I wrote to a friend right after listening to this: “…a twisted, mind-warping stew of multiple genres styles from black to death to grind to sludgy doom, with a mix of gloomy clean vocals and hair-raising screams.” A huge eye-opener off this Portland (Oregon) band’s forthcoming album on the tasteful Tartarus Records label.
ULVAND (France)
Gorgeous panoramic video (with the natural vistas intertwined with film of the band performing) for a song that’s also panoramic but hard-hitting too, and a great combination of soaring female singing and livid male growls. Dark yet uplifting music for dark times that need to be uplifted.
VADER (Poland)
Like Testament above, Vader show zero signs of resting on their laurels or suffering an ebb of their talent. Full-throttle, obliterating aural hellfire that delivers a huge adrenaline rush….
PRE-ORDER:
https://www.nuclearblast.de/de/shop/artikel/gruppen/51000.1.nuclearblast.html
PANZRAM (U.S.)
Enormously compulsive rhythmic drives combined with eerie keyboard reverberations, pulsating and shimmering guitars, and syncopated demonic snarls. Lots of cool twists and turns in the song, including a segue into a strange instrumental dream. A creepy but engrossing video too.
BUY:
https://panzram2.bandcamp.com/album/war-drums-for-dreary-scum-2
VALDRIN (U.S.)
Moves from an overture that’s hallucinatory and threatening into music of greater intensity, but still sinister and hallucinatory — and eventually demonically delirious and gloriously grandiose. The ethereal darting keyboards that emerge provide a great accent to all the other head-spinning instrumental extravagance. A multi-faceted, beautifully layered, and persistently engrossing track by this Ohio melodic black metal band.
WAKE (Canada)
Lots of chilling imagery in this fast-cutting video. If you haven’t read our review of the album, you can do that here. This particular song is dramatic, dissonant, labyrinthine, disconcerting, and completely gripping. Wake have reached a new level of both ambition and execution, and this song is fine proof of that.
BUY:
https://translationloss.com/collections/wake-devouring-ruin-preorders
https://waketl.bandcamp.com/
2 Responses to “OVERFLOWING STREAMS (PART 3): PUTRESCINE, PYRRHON, REMINISCENCE, TESTAMENT, TITHE, ULVAND, VADER, PANZRAM, VALDRIN, WAKE”
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What I find striking about Putrescine is a) that the Berlin Putrescine also kicks inordinate amounts of butt and that b) the Oregonian(?) Putrescine does not have a real drummer. Either Marie McAuliffe is the best drum programmer ever, or we have come such long way since Carpe Tenebrum’s Majestic Nothingness that I cannot always tell real from fake drums (roll out the Voight-Kampff test machine!)…
Regardless, highly enjoyable band(s), that Putrescine (and the others, as well, grosso modo): very curious after the whole albums by Tithe and Valdrin!
Oh. Wait. Putrescine are from San Diego, sorry