Genres: Death Metal, Doom
Label: Candlelight Records

Fuck I love doom, as anyone who’s read this site for awhile can tell you. My favorite album of all time is doom, and it spawned half of the name of the label that Typhon and I run together (Deathless Reality Records). My fourth favorite album of all time is doom too, and now, a new favorite is discovered.
October Tide is a band with tons of history, and only three albums. They formed during a short break-up of Katatonia, founded by Frederik Norrman and Jonas Renske, and they’ve barely done interviews or played live, only keeping a low profile and achieving a real cult status in the underground. And now they’ve released a new album with Candlelight, and it’s awesome.
Musically, it’s very doomy, melancholic and a little bit just plain depressing. But it’s the vocals that really take the front for me. Deep, throaty death/doom vocals, courtesy of Tobias Netzell. It’s perfect for fans of Griftegård, Draconian, and Paradise Lost.
9.5 out of 10.

October Tide on MySpace.

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Genre: Death Metal
Labels: Dark Descent Records, Skeleton Plague Records

In only five songs Horrendous have not only caused scar tissue to form on my eardrums, but they’ve also played pretty much exactly what I wanted to hear today. This is DEATH METAL, uncompromising and brutal, and full of those gross and sickly lyrics fans of death metal love. Like me. Throw in a little bit of Christian bashing and you’ve got a fucking gem of a tape.
Yeah. That’s right. TAPE. That’s the only way you can get this release, through Dark Descent or Skeleton Plague, and don’t expect to pay much to get it into your grubby paws either; they’re only five bucks per tape.
This thing is for fans of Darkthrone’s Soulside Journey, Nihilist, Entombed, and similar old school death metal.
9.5 out of 10.

Horrendous on MySpace.
Originally posted on MySpace.

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Genre: Death Metal
Label: Ibex Moon

This is something I’ve been waiting for since I found out Lifeless signed onto Ibex Moon. And fuck me stupid is this great. Heavy-ass death metal the way it should be played. These songs are full of riffs, but they aren’t riff collections; they are actually SONGS, with minor melodies and harmonies hidden inside of brutal hooks, as well as blatant melodies that are still intense and in your face. The whole thing is Metalgasmic, from the first song to the end of the last.
Breakdowns that aren’t corny, solos that force your hands to play air guitar, a voice that makes you pay attention, and a breakneck pace throughout this album make it near perfect.
9.5 out of 10.

Lifeless on MySpace.

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Genre: Black Metal
Label: Moribund Records

One of the oddest USBM bands, right up there in the strange with Tjolgtjar, Blood Cult are very kvlt. Only a handful of people really have a Blood Cult release, and most of those are splits with other bands, released in a very limited number (I think the ‘largest’ B.C. release so far is 200 copies; I might be wrong), and barely marketed. But now, thank fuck, Moribund are releasing a Blood Cult full-length.
If you’ve never heard Blood Cult before, imagine if Ted Nugent, Jimi Hendrix, and Joey Ramone hung out with the guys in 1987 era Mayhem, and recorded their jams.
Yeah. Like I said, strange.
This is not music for everybody, and even the most intensely grim of grim black metal maniacs might not understand what’s going on on this album. I don’t know if I get it, really. But I know I fucking love it. Classic rock solos over blackened rhythms, with grim vocals? Yeah, that shit is here, and now due to Moribund, it’s not going anywhere but to the hardened hearts of the hardcore.
If you’re into strange experiments in metal, you should find this release interesting at the very least. If you’re fucked up like me, you’ll love it too.
9.5 out of 10.

Blood Cult on MySpace.

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Genre: Doom, Drone, Sludge, Stoner
Label: Nomadic Fortress

So fucking wow. Not even done the first SONG and I’m thinking I know what this monster is going to get rated.
Then it gets even better.
Slow and heavy riffs that pay as much homage to Black Sabbath and Sunn O))) as to The Clash or The Sex Pistols (in spirit, not style), this is some seriously wicked awesome doomed out sludge. Something to smoke to, that’s for damn sure, and I think I’m going to try sleeping to it. It’s kind of relaxing in a violent sort of way.
Favorite song is definitely “Contempt”, with “Work Will Make Us Free” and “Hiroshima” following close behind.
After hearing hearing Throned in Blood I feel sorry for other doom and sludge bands. They’re going to have to step up their game to keep up with Amber and Edgar now. And fuck this is going to rule live. Earplugs might actually be an option for me if they make it to Edmonton again. But probably not because hearing aids are cool.
Just remember folks, April 6, 2010 this nuclear bomb of doom will drop on us. Grab it while it’s hot hot hot.
9.5 out of 10

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