The most interesting releases of the week!
So, Murderworks actually came out in 2002. The record was re-released on Time to Kill Records, but that was last week. I’m talking about it now, partially because I’ll take any excuse to write about this amazing band, and partially because I didn’t write anything last week. It is the darkest part of the year in my corner of the world, the days are short but still too long, all the bears are hibernating, and I am jealous of them.
Anyways, Rotten Sound are great. Murderworks is great. If you’ have’ve only listened to the band’s newer material like Abuse to Suffer or Apocalypse, you’ll notice that their sound hasn’t changed significantly in a long time. Murderworks contains no-frills, tightly written grindcore. There are some tight riffs and sparkling blast beats, but the energy brought to the songs through precise performances leads the way in earning this record its excellent reputation.
When Faithxtractor‘s last release, Contempt for a Failed Dimension, came out in early 2023, I was left somewhat dissatisfied. The record wasn’t bad, but it didn’t provide a fulfilling experience on repeat listens. I haven’t returned to it since its release. Loathing and the Noose leaves a better first impression, and so far at least, has proven more worthy of return.
Loathing and the Noose contains more variety than Contempt for a Failed Dimension did, albeit within the strict confines of the band’s stripped-down death/doom songwriting. This variety gives the band songwriting cover. Rather than hit the listener with a hard riff followed by a desperate attempt to connect to the next hard riff, Faithxtractor found a way to string together a bunch of entertaining passages without losing steam. The album does feel more like riffs stapled to one another than something cohesive or grand. But that seems to be by design. I have been thoroughly entertained by Loathing and the Noose.
This was a difficult album to write about, mainly because I couldn’t remember specifics to save my life. Barshasketh play fairly standard-sounding black metal, their name is difficult to spell, they’ve been around for a long time but not forever, and the music left my mind as soon as I stopped listening. Antinomian Asceticism was released on World Terror Committee. The band apparently put a lot of thought into the album’s concept and how they were approaching Asceticism. Listening to the record, what comes across is their songwriting ability rather than their philosophy.
The music on Antinomian Asceticism is as straightforwardly pure black metal as the band could muster. This hits all the tropes, all the proven techniques. Barshasketh deserve credit for writing engaging and unique riffs in a saturated space. The drums pop with life throughout this album and prop up the already worthwhile melodic instruments. Antinomian Asceticism is Yet Another Black Metal Record, but made by very competent musicians that are well-versed in the genre. Barshasketh created the best example of this style of music that I’ve heard in a fair bit.
Ex Deo sound epic without sounding like any other metal band that gets described as epic. Their new EP, Year of the Four Emperors, was released on Reigning Phoenix Music. But Ex Deo don’t scratch the same itch as a band like Septicflesh does. Their music is more focused on the big hook, the chanting choruses, the feeling of marching towards an erupting volcano or bloody betrayal. The symphonic elements are there, but they are thoroughly subjugated alongside the death metal elements in service of the almighty big moment. Year of the Four Emperors does not separate itself even remotely from The Thirteen Years of Nero. This is fine. With a band like this I’m always ready for more of same.
Year of the Four Emperors features very direct songwriting. You have standard verse-chorus structures with the same chord progressions that have been in thousands upon thousands of songs over the past sixty years. That leaves the mind to wander, taking most of the songwriting effort for granted, instead focusing on the riffs and the flair. Riff-wise, Ex Deo wildly succeed, and flair has always been the primary focus of this band, so turns out that this was the ideal place to employ rigid and established songwriting structures. This is an EP to put on and bask in.
De Tyfus, De Teerling was released on Folter Records. Representing Grafjammer‘s fourth full-length release, this album has a strong black metal backboned encased in thrash/punk and folk influence. Calling this blackened thrash could give someone the wrong impression, but this is far from second wave worship. Grafjammer abandon all formulas and black metal precepts by the middle of the second song. While there are definite Bathory and To Mega Therion-era Celtic Frost influences on De Tyfus, De Teerling, Grafjammer give this album a personal flair and wear their music on their drenched sleeves.
At times it sounds like Grafjammer tried to write and perform these songs from the middle of the moshpit, and I mean that as a complement. This music is messy and frantic while always sounding one step ahead of the whirlwind. The band plays with attitude and expression and make the simple riffs sound earnest and full of life. This performance approach probably wouldn’t have worked without songwriting that left enough space for the individual touch to flourish.
