SEEN AND HEARD: DJEVEL, POWER TRIP, AND IN THE BURIAL

Here are three excellent new songs that caught my attention over the last 24 hours. The bands are Djevel (Norway), Power Trip (U.S.-Texas), and In the Burial (Australia).

DJEVEL

This band is composed of musicians from other well-known Norwegian bands, including vocalist Erlend Hjelvik (Kvelertak), bass-player Lloyd Hektoen (“Mannevond”) (Koldbrann, NettleCarrier), and drummer Dirge Rep (NettleCarrier, ex-Enslaved). But despite the impressive collective talent of those people, the star of this show is songwriter/guitarist Trond Ciekals (also in NettleCarrier). He shines on one of the band’s new songs, “Stjernesluker”, which premiered last week and will appear on Djevel’s second full-length, Besatt av Manne og Natt.

Even when the song is blasting and whipping like a cyclone, the tremolo melody casts a dark spell, but the music also transitions into a slow groove that will get your head nodding while more swirling guitar melodies work their magic. The rhythm section is also top-notch on this song, and Hjelvik delivers a sulfurous vocal performance. I like this song a lot, and it’s a promising sign for the album as a whole.

Besatt av Manne og Natt will be released by Aftermath Music on May 31 and can be pre-ordered on CD or vinyl at this location. Below you can hear “Stjernesluker”.

http://www.facebook.com/djevelmakt

 

POWER TRIP

This is yet one more example of eye-catching cover art leading me to explore a band’s music. The stupendous artwork (above) was created by one of my favorite metal artists, Paolo “Madman” Girardi, for the debut album by Dallas-based Power Trip. The album, entitled Manifest Decimation, is due for release on June 11 by Southern Lord.

In hunting around for music, I found an April 12 premiere of the album’s title track on Pitchfork, and man, am I hooked. This thing hits like a freight train on fire, packed with irresistible thrash riffs and scalding solos, and shrouded in an air of genuine menace. I’m also really digging the reverberating vocals, which aren’t the typical thrash vocal style — more like something you’d hear in a cross between hardcore and black metal — and the old-school breakdown at the end of the song threatens severe neck sprain. Awesome. Want more.

http://www.facebook.com/powertripTX
http://www.powertriptx.bandcamp.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GkUpRHuatU

 

IN THE BURIAL

This band from Adelaide in South Australia contacted us a week ago with a request that we check out their recently released official video for a song called “Born of Suffering”, which is also the title track for their forthcoming album. I meant to do that the same day, but my half-baked brain couldn’t hold the thought long enough to follow through. Amazingly, I remembered this morning.

There’s only one word for the song and the video: “Intense”. Or maybe two words: “Fucking intense”. The music is downright blistering, a jet-fueled conflagration of tech-death riffing, jolting rhythms, and machine-gun percussion, with bestial high-low vocals that are downright ravenous. The viciousness of the music is matched by the violent, blood-drenched video, which you can see below. Fun for the whole family. 🙂

The album is being mixed now and is projected for release in May; I’ll try to keep you posted about its progress.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-The-Burial/113787598710499