SONIC THUGGERY: RINGWORM AND DISENTOMB

When it comes to metal, there’s a time and a place for complexity and nuance, and there’s a time for getting elbowed in the nose, punched in the kidneys, and ruthlessly choked out. You know, the kind of music where you listen to it, and for a couple hours after you’re nervously looking for blood in your piss and feeling around for loose teeth. When you’re in the mood for that kind of sonic thuggery, look no further than the music featured in this post.

RINGWORM

This Cleveland hardcore metal band is the real deal, and by “real deal” I mean no bullshit, no pretensions, high intensity, honest vehemence and vitriol. Their vocalist calls himself Human Furnace, and if you’re going to wear that moniker, you sure as shit better be able to walk the walk. James Bullock really walks the walk, and by “walk the walk” I mean gargle with battery acid and spit it out along with esophageal blood.

I’m pretty new to this band, despite the fact that they’ve been around for 20 years (though about half that time they were on hiatus). Their latest album, Scars, was released in July 2011. But what really grabbed my attention recently is a new live album that A389 Recordings plans to release on August 23. It will be a 12″ vinyl entitled Stigmatas In the Flesh. It was recorded in 2010 at A389’s 6th Anniversary Bash. I’ve only listened to a few of the tracks so far, but man, it’s really blistering. And by “blistering”, I mean it will cause your skin to peel for weeks.

Here’s a song called “The Ninth Circle”:

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You can stream two more tracks on Bandcamp via this link. Ringworm’s Facebook page is here.

And the following is a video for a song from Scars called “Used Up, Spit Out”. The filming and the editing really capture the gut-punching power of this band.
 

 

Now we come to these cultured young gentlemen:

DISENTOMB

Disentomb are from Brisbane, Australia. They play thinking person’s metal, and by “thinking person” I mean the kind of person who thinks it would be a good idea to get some lumbar adjustment with a jackhammer.

They made their album debut in 2010 with Sunken Chambers of Nephilim. I haven’t heard that, but I have heard their two-song 2012 demo. Both of the tracks on that demo — “Abominations Created Through Divinity” and “Forced Adornment of the Funerary Crown” — will be appearing on the band’s next album, projected for release at some point in 2013. Both of those tracks are also available for free download at this location.

Some bands with a love for brutal death and slam swing and miss, because they forget that to land a solid blow you still need to pay attention to songwriting and to gouge out the eyes swiftly, you need to sharpen your talons with some instrumental skill. Disentomb have got that going on with these two songs. Love the snare tone, too.
 

 

 

Find Disentomb on Facebook here.