Sometimes, it’s nice to take a breather with articles. Took a month away from Bandcamp in April as it can be a challenge in the whole ‘sifting’ part of the process in finding new acts. But here we are once again in May, feeling refreshed and ready to dive in for some more. This month we look into Creator Undone, Feverous, Logistic Slaughter, No Light Escapes, Slovenly World, Synthwailer, Thrones of Redemption, and Zero Horizon.
Creator Undone – Blood Ashore
A single track from this Buffalo, NY based act, “Blood Ashore” effectively meshes some harsher aspects of death metal with some melodic trimmings on top. Lots of heavy, driving rhythms and brutal vocals, but the piece that really stands out are the melodies that consistently find their way into the track. Catchy leadwork, triumphant riffs, and some steamrolling moments to keep you on your toes, there’s a lot to enjoy with this blistering yet memorable track. Worth checking out for all walks of death metal fans.
Feverous – The Ritual
Melodic black/death metal that stays to the more energetic side of things, Feverous have a sound that’s dark enough for the usual black/death fiends but can also catch the ear enough to bring in more melodically-minded fans as well. The blackened portion of things gives the band a greater sense of urgency as well as splendor to their sound (see “World of Decay”), while the deathly riffs ensure there’s plenty of meat on the bones for listeners to chew on. Some grooves aid with this (“The 9th Cipher”), and contrast with the blackened melodies quite nicely. Great black/death metal without compromise.
Logistic Slaughter – Lower Forms of Life
It’s always nice to find a solid brutal death band to toss in here, as there’s a lot out there and the quality can vary wildly. Logistical Slaughter can bring it as heavy as the next band, but a few things stand out about their approach. Despite the onslaught of brutality, they don’t shy away from the melodies at times – everything from riffs to bass to memorable breakdowns (and just a tad of technical stuff from time to time). Add to this some distinctive rapid fire vocals that impress with their delivery, and it really helps turn Lower Forms of Life into something that stands out from the pack.
No Light Escapes – The Purity of Grief
Tough to really nail down No Light Escapes into an easy categorization. A good thing though, as they blend together elements from metalcore/hardcore, groove metal, modern prog touches, and some even more extreme elements into their sound. It comes together in a nice, cohesive, and heavy package though – one that seems occasionally playful as it is brutal. A great blend of immediately catchy with some depth brought in by the guitarwork (see “Ruminate”) that really lets them hit the ground running. Worth a shot if you want something that covers a lot of ground while keeping things massively heavy.
Slovenly World – Dead Men Tell No Tales
Modern and groovy metal from France, Slovenly World packs a solid punch, and delivers some great melodies to boot. Lumbering mid-tempo riffs do much of the heavy lifting, providing a springboard for the band to lay into some catchy melodic stuff at the same time. Because of this, the music is full of hooks while keeping it quite heavy, and it’s a good contrast between the band’s two sides. The vocals match this as well, with a mostly heavier approach that occasionally leans into more singing moments that eschew a more commercial feel.
Synthwailer – Highway to the Stars
A symphonic metal band composed of a voice and virtual instrumentation? As it could be guessed, there’s a bit of synthwave-y feelings that mesh with more metallic rhythms and heaviness. It’s an intriguing combination to be honest, and those who dig the more bouncy and pop-oriented side of the symphonic/modern metal genre will probably find Synthwailer to have a pretty appealing sound. A song like “An Escape into Moonlight” nicely juggles some upbeat electronics and grooves, theatrical flair and soaring vocals, while other songs like “Diablo’s Call” have a darker yet still just as wildly catchy sound to them. A nice little hidden gem with a unique sound, not to mention a ‘name your price’ download.
Thrones of Redemption – Burden of Ashes
Another Buffalo-based act for this month, Thrones of Redemption also have a melodeath influence to their sound, merged with some metalcore influences here and there. It makes for a catchy framework, and the four songs available exploit that feeling – elegant solos (see “Emergence”) and energetic riffs galore. Chris Clancy makes a notable appearance on the title track, but outside of his cleans its a pretty brutal experience. The melodies work though, particularly the emotive drive of “Eternal Grave.” Fans of heavier melodeath would be wise to lend their ears to this one for a few minutes.
Zero Horizon – L.I.F.E.
Really embracing the metalcore contrasts of heavy grooves and sugarcoated choruses, Zero Horizon have jam packed L.I.F.E. with lots and lots of resonating melodies. Grooving riffs are sure to get your head bobbing, while you can pretty much pick any of the songs at random and they will showcase a chorus that will inevitably get stuck in your head (but let’s go with “Gone Away”). You may be able to pick up on exactly where the band is headed, but the energy is constant and they have polished this sound to an impressive gleam that’s hard to ignore.