SEEN AND HEARD: COSMIC PUTREFACTION, EGREGORE, HÄXENZIJRKELL, AL-NAMROOD, SUNCZAR

 

I had a premiere scheduled for today that unexpectedly fell through, so I decided to scurry around and grab some new songs and videos for a round-up. The scurrying didn’t allow much time for writing, so you won’t find much of that here. I did try to create a genre-spread, because unlike me not everyone likes every formulation of metallic extremity. Have a listen, and pick your poison. (Some very good artwork in this collection too.)

COSMIC PUTREFACTION (Italy)

You’d know if someone slipped this poison into your drink, because it doesn’t go down easy. Prepare for churning, gut-punching, fret-leaping, brain-broiling death metal mayhem by a virtuoso practitioner (Gabriele Gramaglia, with help this time from drummer Giulio Galati).

“Amniotic Bewilderment” is the first single from Cosmic Putrefaction‘s new album Crepuscular Dirge For The Blessed Ones, out May 06 on CD, tape, and digital (vinyl late summer 2022) via Profound Lore and Caligari Records.

https://linktr.ee/cosmicputrefaction
https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/crepuscular-dirge-for-the-blessed-ones
https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/crepuscular-dirge-for-the-blessed-ones
https://www.facebook.com/Cosmic-Putrefaction-331030417723505

 

 

EGREGORE (Canada)

Staying in the death metal vein, and continuing to feed desires for wild savagery, we turn to a video for a fascinating new track from Egregore, which will administer a ruthless and rabid beating in a high-speed race to see who gives up first — though quite surprisingly (a very welcome surprise) it becomes slower and more supernatural, paving the way for a hypnotizing solo.

The song is “Howling Premonition“. The band’s debut album is The Word of His Law, coming on April 15th through 20 Buck Spin. (Metal-Archives says this band is from Utah; 20 Buck Spin says they’re from Vancouver.)

https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/the-word-of-his-law

 

 

HÄXENZIJRKELL (Germany)

Häxenzijrkell are returning with a new album named Urgrund, which will be released by Amor Fati on April 30th. As a sign of what it brings, we have the first single “Der Pfad der Finsternis“.

And what it brings is percussive mortar fire, the crack of sniper shots, and undulating bass lines within a dense mass of dire and distressing riffage, lit up by unnerving screams and wailing chants. Hideous and harrowing stuff, which descends into a sucking chest wound of hopelessness.

https://shop.amor-fati-productions.de/en/
https://haexenzijrkell.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/haexenzijrkell/

 

 

AL-NAMROOD (Saudi Arabia)

“The Sultans of Shaytan ride again!” So proclaimed a commenter on the Bandcamp page for the new album (or an EP, if you consider its 26-minute length) by these Suadis, the name of which is Worship the Degenerate.

The first preview track, “Guerillas“, is indeed a ride — a full-throttle ride to war. Rapidly darting riffage and pinging keyboards accent a galloping, bludgeoning, and battering assault under the command of torrid shrieks and beastly growls, and with the band’s signature Arabian melodies soaring overhead and coursing through the jolting barrage like djinns set free from sorcerous bondage.

The album is set for release on April 29th by Shaytan Productions.

https://shaytanproductions.bandcamp.com/album/worship-the-degenerate
https://www.facebook.com/alnamroodofficial

 

 

SUNCZAR (Germany)

And to close, here are some fat, woozy riffs, some spine-jarring drumming, some gritty, braying vocal disgust, and a trippy guitar solo. Get your neck loose.

This is a video for the song “Heresy” off Sunczar‘s album Bearer Of Light, which was released on January 21st by Argonauta Records.

https://www.argonautarecords.com/shop/cd/580-sunczar-bearer-of-light-cd.html
https://sunczarmusic.bandcamp.com/album/bearer-of-light-2
https://www.facebook.com/sunczarmusic