SEEN AND HEARD: ASHCLOUD, BABYMETAL, BAT, THE BODY AND FULL OF HELL, DARKEND, DEVILDRIVER, ENTROPIA, FALLUJAH, GLORIA MORTI, HAIL OF BULLETS, MANTAR, MODOK, MOONSORROW, OCTOBER TIDE, PURGATORY, VICTIMS

 

Last week was another one in which I noticed lots of new songs and videos but didn’t have time to round them up, in part because I was writing about a flood of new songs that we were premiering ourselves. So now I’m doing what I failed to do earlier — but because I waited, the round-up has become jumbo-sized. Consequently, I’ve kept my introductions to the music brief and haven’t taken the time to consistently add album art or links as I usually do. When I did something like this last weekend (except with even fewer words), I said I didn’t intend to make a habit of it. I still don’t.

For those who pay attention to such things, I also failed to post Part 3 of the Shades of Black series I began at the start of the week. But I will do that tomorrow. Now, presented in alphabetical order, here are new songs and videos from 17 bands.

ASHCLOUD

On May 1, Xtreem Music will release the new album by Sweden’s Ashcloud. The album’s title tells you a lot of what you need to know about the music: Children of the Chainsaw. Here’s the title track — smoking, tree-felling, crusty Swedish death metal that’s awfully damned sweet.

https://www.facebook.com/Ashcloud666

 

 

 

 

BABYMETAL

In what twisted and un-kvlt universe would someone follow an Ashcloud song with a BabyMetal video? Well, mine of course.

Here’s what our old Tokyo-based pal Phro had to say about the video for the song “Karate” in his gig at RocketNews24:

“As for the video, it’s an incredibly slick production with heavy use of special effects, moody lighting, and intense costume design. We’re not sure we’d go so far as to say that it represents a more mature BABYMETAL, but it definitely seems indicative of a move towards a dark tone with a greater emphasis on the metal aspect of their “kawaii metal” music. An emphasis we absolutely love.”

“Karate” appears on the band’s full-length album Metal Resistance, due for release on April 1.

 

 

 

 

BAT

In what twisted universe would someone follow a BabyMetal video with a song from BAT? Welcome to my world.

This track is called “Bloodhounds” and it comes from Wings of Chains, a 12-song firestorm of filth and fury that Hells Headbangers plans to release on June 10. Get ready to fly…

https://hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/album/wings-of-chains

 

 

 

THE BODY AND FULL OF HELL

One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache is the name of a collaborative recording by Portland’s The Body and Full of Hell from the east coast, to be released on March 25 by Neurot Recordings. This next video is for the album’s second song “Fleshworks”, and it was made by Mitch Wells of the band Thou.

via Noisey

 

 

 

DARKEND

The line-up of guests for the new album by the Italian band Darkend is eye-opening: Attila Csihar (Mayhem), Niklas Kvarforth (Shining), Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ), and Labes C.N. (Abysmal Grief). Their new album The Canticle of Shadows will be released on April 25 by Non Serviam Records, and this is the first single: “Clavicula Salomonis”:

https://darkend.bandcamp.com/album/the-canticle-of-shadows

 

 

 

DEVILDRIVER

In the last few days my Facebook news feed has been blowing up with people talking about the second season of DevilDriver, and about how it includes The Punisher and Elektra. I looked pretty closely at this YouTube clip, and I didn’t see either one of them. I’m beginning to think I’m the victim of some vast conspiracy….

 

 

 

 

ENTROPIA

Last month we premiered a stream of the wonderful new album Ufonaut by Poland’s Entropia. But the stream was incomplete — it was missing a song named “Gentile” that appears as a bonus track on the vinyl edition of Ufonaut. However, on March 13 Entropia made the song available for free download on Bandcamp. It’s completely enthralling blackened post-metal, with an especially ear-worming bass line.

 

 

 

FALLUJAH

I’m getting good reports from Andy Synn about Fallujah‘s new album Dreamless, which Nuclear Blast will release on April 29. Here’s a play-through video for the brand new song “Scar Queen” that appeared yesterday:

 

 

 

 

GLORIA MORTI

At the end of February we premiered a song from the new album, Kuebiko, by Finland’s Gloria Morti (which was released on March 18 via Willowtip). Coincident with the release, the band premiered a new song and music video called “Executioner.” Check it out below:

via Revolver

 

 

 

HAIL OF BULLETS

Here’s an excerpt of a remix by Ronnie Björnström of the Hail of Bullets song “Swoop of the Falcon” — which features the band’s new vocalist, the almighty Dave Ingram.

 

 

 

 

MANTAR

I’ve been crowing about Mantar‘s new album Ode To the Flame and featuring every single released from it, so why should today be any different? The latest song debut, which appeared on March 16 via Noisey (with an interview), is “Schwanenstein”:

 

 

 

 

MODOK

I interrupt this roll-out of new song and video premieres with a stream of a demo by Denver’s Molok, which was self-released via Bandcamp on March 15, because I felt in the mood for some powerslop. That’s actually the word that Modok apply to their music. Pretty accurate.

https://modok303.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2016

 

 

 

MOONSORROW

At the beginning of this month we posted Wil Cifer’s review of the eagerly anticipated new album Jumalten Aika by Finland’s Moonsorrow, due for release on April 1 by Century Media. The album includes a bonus disc with covers of songs by Grave and Rotting Christ, and earlier this week we got the premiere of the latter cover song: “Non Serviam”. Enjoy it below:

 

 

 

 

OCTOBER TIDE

On March 17 October Tide delivered unto our ears another advance track from their new album Winged Waltz, coming on April 22 via Agonia Records. This one is called “Nursed By the Cold”:

 

 

 

 

PURGATORY

This next song isn’t new — it seems to have appeared back in January — but the album from which it comes was just released on March 18 by War Anthem Records. The track is “Codex Anti” from Omega Void Tribvnal, the eighth full-length by the long-running German death machine Purgatory.

 

 

 

 

VICTIMS

To conclude this round-up, I’ve selected a song from the first full-length by Stockholm’s Victims since 2011. The name of the album is Sirens. It was recorded at Studio Gutterview by Fred Estby (Dismember, At The Gates, Refused), mastered at Audiosiege by Brad Boatright (Iron Reagan, Nails, Integrity), and it will be discharged by Tankcrimes Records on April 15. This particular song is “Walls”, but an even newer one named “Errors” premiered at Revolver on March 17.

http://downloads.tankcrimes.com/album/sirens