The most interesting releases of the week!
First off, great band name. I Watched You Burn was released on Bleeding Art Collective. Nicolas Cage Fighter play heavy, vicious music, and while the screaming vocals are center stage, the bass and guitar distortions give the band quite the spicy sound, with the end result being somewhere between metalcore, deathcore, and death metal. I Watched You Burn sounds like it’s trying to be as harsh and abrassive as possible while maintaining enough energy for the most pit.
The breakdowns captivate. While I’m not blown away by most of Nicolas Cage Fighter‘s riffs or verses, I found myself not overly concerned. The band’s sound when they light the set on fire proves so satisfying that it gives all of their tracks purposes. And while the performances won’t win too many awards, the band plays well as a unit, sounding like one giant, breathing, acting entity rather than a group of individuals.
Light the Devil’s Fire was released on Nameless Grave Records. The Edmonton band’s debut black/death album follows two pre-covid demos. Revelator play ragged death metal with a focus on making tremolo riffs interesting. The songwriting is direct, with much of the music seemingly just a vehicle to cram another riff, blast-beat, or howl into your ears.
A bare-knuckle style works well for Revelator because they managed to write interesting riffs, back it up with varied drum patterns and clear bass and then present it all with solid performances. This album will be comfort food for people who still buy cassettes.
A Form Beyond is Unaligned‘s debut album, released on Transcending Obscurity Records. The band plays bricked tech death. Unlike some of their contemporaries and label-mates, Unaligned‘s sole concern seems to be playing faster and louder than everyone else. Opener “Entities of Ash” includes some stripped down moments where the guitars drop out, but even then, the drums and the well-produced bass keep hammering away, doing their best to keep the ears bleeding. I can admire having an honest goal.
A Form Beyond doesn’t exhaust the listener, despite how close to the edge it gets. Well-written riffs and songs that don’t overstay their welcome keep the album playing on repeat. The guitars are just so entertaining. A variety of tones and styles keep the juices flowing, and the performances are excellent. The vocals also ooze emotion on a level I didn’t anticipate from tech death.
Innern was released on Season of Mist. You definitely have already heard this album and have a strong opinion on it, but I’m writing about it anyways. Der Weg Einer Freiheit are one of the bigger black metal bands around at this point, and they’ve earned their acclaim through years of consistently stellar albums. Innern consists of excellent riffs stretched over long tracks, giving the band time to really evolve and flesh out ideas until they sound completed.
The emotional impact of Innern is a bit surprising. Der Weg Einer Freiheit is a band that can create a complete atmosphere, making the songs feel less created and more discovered. Yet Innern gives big payoffs at the end of each track as well. The band nails performances, nails atmosphere, and gives a satisfying arc to every track. One of the best black metal albums of the year.
