Another election year, man, I need to get my birdbrain off of world events… Probably so do you… So, here I am, your old boy Waldo, spittin’ some stuff about new releases.
Teutonic thrashers Sodom are back at it with Genesis XIX. So, Sodom is dope, for the most part (you can forget about the mid period if the band, I’m sure they’d like too.) The first thing to note here is Tom Angelripper’s voice is STILL amazing, he gets rough sounding without going 100% death metal. So, what about this? This is not the bashing thrashers of Persecution Mania, or Agent Orange, but it IS a thrash record no doubt. Every riff here is a banger, which is no small feat considering this clock in at about an hour. Even when this thing hits “mid-pace” it’s not boring at all, kinda trying to please fans by making this a nosier effort. All in all, this is cool, certainly not their best, but definitely a good one considering the more recent records. At the end of the day, this is a Sodom record and that’s a good thing. 7 Fucking Pecks.
After multiple lineup changes and a couple of different labels, Tombs is releasing Under Sullen Skies on Season of Mist. First thing to be noted here is that this is more black metal, which Tombs has been flirting (if not full bore) with for years. That’s not to say this is pure kvlt Norwegian black metal, there are changes in the songs that really mix this thing up. There are some samples, keys, and slight nods to “gothic rock” making it not just a black metal record. This lineup seems more solid than ones from years past, and main song writer Michael Hill claims he “doesn’t care who likes this record,” indeed, I like it. 8 Fucking Pecks.
OK, I was perfectly prepared to hate this, and well, I don’t like it. Witchwood, the ‘70s throwback, are releasing Before the Winter. Make no mistake, when one little thing takes off (see Blackberry Smoke in this instance,) someone will make a different version of it. This is not simple ‘70s stoner jams” although there is some of that. Think more ‘70s Tull, (flute and all, but with one more leg) played, well… long and noodly. Ultimately, it’s not bad, but it’s not really good, and it can use a little more focus. 4 Fucking Pecks.
Until next time… Waldo out!
