Old Chapel Archives - NO CLEAN SINGING

SEEN AND HEARD (BY GRANT SKELTON): MEMORIAM, ERASERHEAD, OLD CHAPEL

Sep 192016

(NCS contributor Grant Skelton returns with a round-up of music from three bands.)

Like each of you, I am disappointed to hear about the demise of Bolt Thrower. The official announcement surely comes as no surprise a year after the passing of drummer Martin “Kiddie” Kearns. Over the last five years or so, I’ve brushed up on Bolt Thrower’s back catalog, and they remain among my favorite death metal bands. Their discography has impeccable consistency and has aged well with time.

I’m one who prefers my death metal in the slow to mid-paced range. Good death metal is like a good steak — it needs to be fresh, meaty, juicy, and bloody. It’s got to be seasoned and marinated to perfection. It takes finesse, but if you over-complicate it with technicality, it morphs into a science experiment instead of nourishment. In the legacy of Bolt Thrower, I’ve rounded up some vicious vittles of death metal for your consumption.

MEMORIAM

Bolt Thrower fans can celebrate the fact that vocalist Karl Willetts has started a new band called Memoriam. Within their ranks are folks who’ve been around the death metal morgue on more than one occasion. In addition to Willetts, Memoriam’s lineup includes: Continue reading »

MISCELLANY NO. 64: NUCLEARHAMMER, NECHBEYTH, OLD CHAPEL, SLOMATICS

MISCELLANY 6 Responses »

Mar 192014

Are you shocked? I know I’m shocked. After doing these MISCELLANY installments about once every three months, here I am writing another one less than a week after the last. I wish I could say this is the beginning of a new regime, but I ain’t nearly that fuckin’ organized. This is today and tomorrow is another day.

The rules of this road: I randomly pick bands whose music I’ve never heard, I listen to one or two songs and write my impressions, and then I stream what I heard so you can form your own opinions. As I did last week, I decided to just pick the last three bands I heard about over the weekend with recent Bandcamp streams. Although I didn’t know exactly what they would sound like, it turns out there’s a common theme, and it can be summed up in this immortal line from Aliens II: “Nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.” Substitute “your skull” for “site”.

NUCLEARHAMMER

I know I’ve heard this Toronto band’s name before. How could you forget a name like Nuclearhammer? But I’m virtually certain I’d never heard their music before. I became aware of them via a message from our longtime supporter Utmu. It turns out they have a new album coming in June named Serpentine Hermetic Lucifer, which follows their debut full-length from 2009, Obliteration Ritual, with an EP and a bunch of splits in between. Naturally, the album is being released by Nuclear War Now. Continue reading »