The most interesting releases of the week!
Once you get past the name, The Shit Ov God is a rock solid Behemoth album. Heavy riffs, snarling choruses, and tight songs abound on this Nuclear Blast release. This isn’t Demigod or The Satanist, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable album that serves as a nice reset after two shaky experiences and proves that Behemoth are still a band worthy of their reputation.
Sometimes it’s all about timing. Absolute Dominion By Fire, released on Adirondak Black Mass, consists of raw black/death, stripped down and smokey. The production and atmosphere remind me of bands like Aura Noir if they took a breath and sunk into the ground. The smokey riffs create an excellent feeling of unease paired with minimalist songwriting.
Rose Thorn Necklace was released on Nuclear Blast. Ghost Bath are always a good time. The album opens with a nice quiet piano passage before kicking into gear, and it’s the rare intro worth listening to. The band’s post-black chops are as good as ever. Emotional howling swirls about quite memorable riffs. I’m not sold on the production job, but the songwriting on Rose Thorn Necklace is heartfelt and memorable.
Inexorable Entropy was released on Everlasting Spew Records. The fourth album from this Brazilian band, Escarnium squeeze mileage out of their guitar tones. The songwriting is solid, the performances are laudable, but what drives this album is the band’s ability to switch up their tone to usher in a different atmosphere. Absolutely engaging music that I’d recommend even if you’re just intrigued, but not sold on, this style of music.
Antinoë, Shores of Null, Convocation, Depravity, Decrepit Altar, Morbikon
Lamp of Murmuur, Nuclear Dudes, Storming, Ghoulhouse, Strigiform, Tempestuous Fall
Stillbirth, Runemagick, Thron, Black Soul Horde, The Other, Damned By The Pope
