SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: AUTOPSY, THE BREATHING PROCESS, BRODER, CATTLE DECAPITATION, CRUST, HEILUNG, JOB FOR A COWBOY, KALANDRA, OPHANIM, PLAGUE OF THE FALLEN, VASTUM, VEMOD

Autopsy – photo by Nancy Reifert

Prepare for… a lot of sentences that begin “Prepare for….”

It’s a little way for me to say very little about what you’ll hear but without me feeling like I’ve done nothing to induce listening or to thank the bands.

The shorthand is necessary because the past week produced so damn much music I’d like to recommend, and because I got lots of suggestions from other people, including my compadres Andy Synn and DGR. Their picks and mine, which produced a mix of bigger bands and more obscure bands, are arranged here in alphabetical order by band name.

Prepare for… lots of twists and turns….

 

 

AUTOPSY (U.S.)

Prepare for… an allegedly “sick little film” that’s premiering in a few hours, accompanying a song that itself is a ghastly scampering and squirming beast that veers and lurches in all sorts of berserk, abysmal, and even psychedelic directions as Chris Reifert screams like a madman, accompanied by lots of lunatic (and weirdly woozy) soloing and deliciously druggy bass-lines in the closing segment.

“Rabid Funeral” is the opening song from Autopsy‘s new album Ashes, Organs Blood & Crypts, which was released yesterday by Peaceville Records.

https://autopsy.lnk.to/AOBC
https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/ashes-organs-blood-and-crypts
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050176223094

 

 

THE BREATHING PROCESS (U.S.)

Prepare for… an arresting video for a blistering, high-octane attack, interspersed with despairing, high-flying symphonics, bone-busting grooves, explosive detonations, an interlude of haunting softness, and extreme vocals that range far and wide.

“Empty, Not Alone” is from a new four-song EP named Todeskrone that will be released by Unique Leader on November 24th.

https://orcd.co/todeskrone
https://www.facebook.com/thebreathingprocessusa/

 

 

BRODER (Denmark)

Prepare for… the attack of a heaving, hulking, and raging war machine that assaults the senses with visceral grooves, battering and booming percussive outbursts, vicious and oppressive riffs discharged in tones of mangling abrasion, and rabid, hate-fueled vocals…

…with a nearly 16-minute closing track that sounds like filthy garage rock but also convulses in violent madness, pounds like pile-drivers, rumbles like a blood-lusting juggernaut, and wallows in a mire of congealing viscera with cold winds whistling overhead….

Surely you’ve done something to deserve such hellish punishment?

The name of this ruinous record is Skarpretterfossilet. It was released yesterday by Extremely Rotten Productions.

https://broder-dk.bandcamp.com/album/skarpretterfossilet
https://www.facebook.com/heavyfousing/

 

 

Photo by Nick Van Vidler

CATTLE DECAPITATION (U.S.)

Prepare for an excellent but frightening video that brings life to yet another derelict structure, for a harrowing but thoroughly adrenaline-triggering song that’s probably well-known to many of you by now; Travis Ryan steals the show, both with his vocals and his performance in the video.

“Solastalgia” is off the band’s latest album Terrasite, released earlier this year by Metal Blade. The video was directed by David Brodsky and Travis Ryan and produced by Allison Woest.

https://www.metalblade.com/cattledecapitation/
http://www.facebook.com/cattledecapitation

 

 

CRUST (Russia)

Prepare for… riffing that grimly writhes in agony, feverishly squirms in misery, and wails in piercing tones of heart-rending despair; beats that lurch, hurtle, and rock; and gritty but wretched vocals; plus doses of jolting piston-like groove.

“He Carries the Fog” is the first single from Crust‘s new album Dissolution, which will be released by Avantgarde Music on December 15th.

https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/dissolution
https://www.facebook.com/crustsludge

 

 

HEILUNG (International)

Prepare for… a video preview from LIFA – Llyn Dain, “the next full live ritual by Heilung filmed and recorded at the Apollo theatre in Hammersmith London January 14th 2023″.

That’s really all I need to say. You’ve either already seen one of Heilung‘s live shows and have become entranced by them (as I have) or maybe you just haven’t yet had the chance, though they’re touring the U.S. now, and maybe this will spur you into action.

LIFA – Llyn Dain is one of two Heilung live albums that will be out next year.

http://www.amplifiedhistorytour.com/
https://www.facebook.com/amplifiedhistory/

 

 

JOB FOR A COWBOY (U.S.)

Prepare for… a slow build… from tranquil eeriness into music that jolts and blares, skitters and spasms, slithers and slashes, accented by bestial screams, an attractively burbling bass that constantly threatens to steal the show, and serpentine soloing that also erupts in fret-melting exuberance, plus a strange but very interesting instrumental interlude near the end.

“The Forever Rot” is from JFAC‘s new album Moon Healer, set for release on February 23rd by Metal Blade.

https://www.metalblade.com/jobforacowboy/
https://www.facebook.com/jobforacowboy

 

 

KALANDRA (Norway/Sweden)

Prepare for… yet another completely riveting video in today’s collection, for a song that’s entrancing, much as Heilung‘s was (this one also features singing), but it also gets more intense and muscle-moving, with soaring and jolting crescendos that reach the point of taking the breath away. Really… fucking… epic….

“Bardaginn” seems to be a stand-alone single. The words are in Old Norse. The title means “fight” or “battle”. DGR recommended this one to me, and I’m damned glad he did.

https://bfan.link/bardaginn
https://www.facebook.com/Kalandramusic/

 

 

OPHANIM (Switzerland)

Prepare for… a 10-minute odyssey that moves with stalking, hammering, and blasting beats through vast audio panoramas of glittering and searing brilliance and glimmering mists of haunting eeriness, urged onward through these celestial sonic realms by horrid howls and extravagant cries echoing from a crypt, which also lead into dismal fogs.

“Fiebertraum” is from Ophanim‘s debut album Tempelskläng, which will be released by Eisenwald on November 24th. It was mastered by Greg Chandler. Thanks to Miloš for linking me to this one.

https://ffm.bio/ophanim
https://ophanimtemple.bandcamp.com/album/t-mpelskl-ng

 

 

PLAGUE OF THE FALLEN (New Zealand)

Prepare for… another slow build… this one beginning dreamily, and then pounding and wailing and howling, and then becoming pyrotechnically intense, though still distressing in its mood, a manifestation of tension, pain, and fury, roiling the senses and slugging the spine.

“Tongues of Fire” is from the band’s new album Amongst the Rats, which will be released on December 8th. Mr. Synn recommended this one. I’ve also included the first single from the album, “So You Have Chosen Death“.

https://linktr.ee/plagueofthefallen
https://www.facebook.com/PlagueoftheFallen/

 

 

photo by Chris Johnson

VASTUM (U.S.)

Prepare for… eight minutes of harrowing death metal monstrosity, launched by ritual pounding, riffs of whining misery, and grim spoken words, and ratcheting up into displays of jarring malignant imperiousness and break-neck delirium, but still trailing melodies of abject emotional desolation in its wake, with haunted singing trading off with the hostile growls and cauterizing screams. It also gets downright nightmarish at the end.

“Corpus Fractum” is the latest single from Vastum‘s new album Inward To Gethsemane, which is set for release on November 10th by 20 Buck Spin.

https://20buckspin.bandcamp.com/album/inward-to-gethsemane
https://www.facebook.com/vastumofficial

 

 

VEMOD (Norway)

Prepare for… one last big twist in today’s twisty path, and another twist in Vemod‘s ever-turning path as well. Another long odyssey, or maybe more like an epic saga, this song races and burns, snarls and roars, soars to the sky as the riffing whirs and traces ethereal filaments of stricken melody across those heavens.

The music is warlike and majestic, especially when paired with august singing, but there’s no escaping the heartache in the music. It flies right along with these chariots of sun-bound sound. The song also makes a big and utterly captivating turn of its own before it ends, but I’ll let you discover that on your own.

“Der guder dør” (“Where Gods Die”) is from Vemod‘s new album The Deepening, which is slated for release on January 19 by Prophecy Productions. Miloš made me aware of this new song too.

http://lnk.spkr.media/deepening
https://vemod.bandcamp.com/album/the-deepening
https://www.facebook.com/vemodmusic