Greetings, Decibel readers!
It’s a great week for long-running, reliable practitioners, with the latest from thrash-metal royalty, death-doom aristocrats, retro-rock kings, and keepers of the atmospheric black metal flames!
Check it out!
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Anthrax – Cursum Perficio
Anthrax has always been adept at taking their signature attitude and power from Spreading the Disease and Among the Living, breaking their own stylistic boundaries, and molding it all for a new era. By their very nature — a guitarist with a penchant for New York hardcore, a singer with an epic heavy metal voice, and so on — Anthrax plays and sounds like an ensemble act that somehow all comes together. Cursum Perficio is notably a 2020s-sounding record, with the now-ubiquitous production style that fills everything out right up to the edge of peaking. And this greatly benefits the band, allowing songs like “My Victory,” “It’s For the Kids” and “The Edge of Perfection” to land with maximum impact. Speaking of “The Edge of Perfection” has a distinct Shadows Fall feel to it, which makes me wonder if guitarist Jonathan Donais had something to do with it. Those looking for some classic ‘thrax vibes should look to the record’s back half for thrashers like “NYC 93” and “T.O.M.B.”
Stream: Apple Music
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Ch’ahom – Anthropic Rites Of Sublimation
Concept-driven cavernous death metal. According to the band, the EP is based on the following idea:
“Continuing where their “Ts’ono’ot” EP ended, its story unfolds around a cenote of impossible dimensions whose cosmic call draws the lost and uncertain toward self-sacrifice. Four civilizations rise along its edge, each developing its own rites, hierarchies and monuments to transform the abyss’s fatal summons into a foundation for collective existence.”
Stream: Apple Music
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Fluisteraars – Jacht der Mysteriën
Epic, expansive, evocative black metal from the Netherlands. I’ve been a fan of Fluisteraars since 2020’s Bloem and this album definitely promises to be a mainstay for me this winter. In fact, it has some of the best 10-minute-plus compositions since Paysage d’Hiver‘s masterpiece Im Wald.
Stream: Apple Music
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Runemagick – After Chaos: Nocturnal Vigil
Fans of Sweden’s Runemagick should know what to expect at this point in terms of quality death-doom. That said, Nicklas has added a shamanic vibe to this record that lets it stand apart from the rest of the project’s earlier output. Still, you’re here for big riffs. And you shall have them!
Stream: Apple Music
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Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats – Shapes Of Midnight
I’ve always had a soft spot for Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, although on paper they’re not exactly my thing. When it comes to reawakening the spirit of the past, the late-1960s/early 70s usually isn’t my first choice. But good songwriting, catchy choruses, and spooky vocals effects are always enough to push me over the edge. Put this on your spooky season playlist when you have friends over who don’t like death metal.
Stream: Apple Music
