Rumblings From the Underground: Beastmaker (Exclusive Song Premiere), Destroyer 666, Redemption + More
Are you ready disciples of the riff and legions of doom? This week, we've got a Rumblings From the Underground exclusive song premiere of Beastmaker's "Burnt Offering" (listen below). The power trio formed in 2014 and have already made an impact with the You Must Sin EP and are readying their Rise Above debut, Lusus Naturae, out March 25. Beastmaker bow down at the altar of Tony Iommi, crafting a record so true to the heavy metal spirit it sounds like a lost gem from 1982.
"Burn Offering" boasts a lumbering riff and Vinny Appice-esque drumming that upheaves mounds of Earth alongside the fuzzy tones and haunting vocals akin to Bobby Liebling of Pentagram fame. Commenting on the song, Beastmaker state, "Imagine yourself in a 1960s film by Mario Bava. A beautiful woman sentenced to be burned at the altar — a gift to Lucifer. She prays for her salvation but there is no escape from death. 'Burnt Offering' is a landscape of what old occult films are all about — beautiful woman and the Devil's work."
Pre-order Lusus Naturae here, and listen to "Burnt Offering" below:
Now, we'll recap a bit of news from the week and then some short reviews of Destroyer 666, Droids Attack, Omnihility, Oranssi Pazuzu and Redemption. Onward!
News
Reactivated Finnish death metal outfit Convulse are set to release their second album since regrouping in 2012. Cycle of Revenge will be out March 18 on Svart Records and the band released the new cut "God Is You." The song is overtly heavy on melody, but the old ways are ever-present with Rami Jämsä's signature low growls in play.
Dark Funeral are set to return with their first new album since 2009. After enduring a few lineup changes, the pieces are back in place and the blood is flowing. The band gave an update on their Facebook page, stating, "We are still alive! After what feels like an eternity in the studio we are slowly reaching the end of the recording process at Dugout Studios, only some additional vocal tracks remain at this point. Together with Daniel Bergstrand we are creating a truly epic album, something from out of this world!"
Rotten Sound will close the five year gap on studio albums on March 18 with the release of Abuse to Suffer on Season of Mist. The Swedish grind outfit continue to lay a BEATDOWN on their fans with aptly titled "Inhumane Treatment," knocking your dick in the dirt like an ostrich burying its head in the sand for "safety." (That whole ostrich thing is actually a myth... I'm bummed too.)
Reviews
Destroyer 666, 'Wildfire'
Destroyer 666 take their time between albums, but the Hellhounds never fail to come short of anything other than remarkable. Wildfire represents the band's first album in seven years and contains nine tracks of pummeling Satanic fury. Attitude has always been at the forefront of Destroyer 666's music and cuts like "Live and Burn" and "White Line Fever" (not a Motorhead cover) are no exception.
Anthemic as always, gang chants dominate choruses, most notable on the lethal "Hounds at Ya Back." The song boasts powerful melodies, like most D666 tracks, and the tradeoff between barks and sliding guitar rhythms during the chorus are one of the standout moments on Wildfire. If it's another seven years before we hear from these guys, it'll be fine as long as they keep writing albums like this.
Droids Attack, 'Sci-Fi or Die'
The power trio in Droids Attack haven't been the most prolific band of the decade, but have returned with Sci-Fi or Die. It's been six years since Must Destroy and the stoner doom outfit sounds like they've never missed a step. Employing upbeat rhythms, similar to Orange Goblin and Clutch, Droids attack blaze through songs like "Clawhammer Suicide" and "Mashenomak Strikes Again."
While they keep the pedal close to the floor, the group does let up from time to time, especially on the longest track on Sci-Fi or Die, "Mashenomak." While the pace not be as slow compared to some other sludge/stoner type bands, context is everything and placed right in the middle of the record, the eight and a half minutes serve as a perfect break before stomping the gas again on the ensuing tracks. Welcome back, Droids Attack... you are the droids we've been looking for.
Omnihility, 'Dominion of Misery'
If you're a guitarist who is looking to be inspired, you might want to check out Omnihility's Dominion of Misery, because these dudes can SHRED! Of course, shredding isn't all that's important in technical death metal because if there's no substance to the songs all that hard work is out the ears as fast as it went in. Omnhility are one of the standouts in the increasingly diluted genre and are bringing the PH balance back to its proper balance in the techdeath pool.
Following a haunting three minute introduction, the band tears straight into the flesh on "Psychotic Annihilation" and demonstrate some of the finest guitar work on the album within the first minute. There's a lot of flashy playing here, but anytime you can groove while sweeping you've won the battle. Omnihility come across as a more focused version of the over-the-top Braindrill, contributing some of the best techdeath tracks in recent memory, like the slugging "Parasitic Existence."
Oranssi Pazuzu, 'Värähtelijä'
Oranssi Pazuzu are Finnish black metal space travelers, marrying psychedelia with their progressive blackened sound. Värähtelijä expands on the more oddball elements of its predecessor, Valonielu, drifting further away from their black metal roots and further into the infinity of the cosmos with more bell ringing (synthesizer effects) than five copies of Joris-Karl Huysmans' Là-Bas.
Atmosphere is the name of the game here and Oranssi Pazuzu demonstrate their mastery over their unique craft beginning with album opener "Saturaatio." Focusing on a repetitive guitar motif, the band builds around this hypnotic theme and introduce sci-fi like synthesizer parts with an aural assault behind the kit trying to steer it all, dodging asteroids as they wander in the darkness. The Fins strip down their sound in other parts of the album, lost in a daze on the title track.
Redemption, 'The Art of Loss'
Okay, I know what you're thinking... No, Redemption don't exactly fit the mold of this column, but breaking the mold is what it's all about! Besides, I love these guys and would hate to balk at the chance to possibly introduce them to some potential new fans. Featuring the silky voice of Fates Warning's Ray Alder, Redemption play a progressive/power metal hybrid, laying down pummeling rhythms and gorgeous melodies, both from the guitar and Alder.
The Art of Loss ends the five year drought between This Mortal Coil, which was a bit of a misstep as the music was overtly heavy and Alder sounded a tad out of place. The ship has been righted and the title track makes it evident when it kicks off the album. Some soloing ensues and that buttery voice finds its familiar place between the peaks and valleys of the bouncing rhythm. The album has a majestic feel, possibly because guitarist Nick Van Dyk is an executive for Disney, but at no point does The Art of Loss feel bombastic and flowery. The album's end is marked by the epic 22 minute "At Day's End" and is every bit a journey all in itself.
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