Greetings, Decibel readers!
The season of the witch is indeed upon us, and fittingly we have a series of dark and mysterious records to create your soundtrack for October. Death metal, funeral doom, classic speed and thrash, and the latest from a USBM giant all united in one place!
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Casket Dweller – River of Slumber
High-quality Swedish-style death metal from a set of talented Greek practitioners. With such a well-established style, it takes a special level of dedication to craft effective songs and find your own voice. But Casket Dweller‘s voice emanates straight from the grave and pulls you down with them.
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DET and Critical Defiance – Bloodsurge
Finnish and Chilean forces unite! A thrilling split album worth of the Dying Victims imprint. DET has a decidedly more black-thrash feel while Critical Defiance feels like straightforward 80s speed/thrash. No complaints here!
Stream: Apple Music
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Grief Cathedral – The Graves We Hold Inside
Eerie, haunting funeral doom. I particularly like the blending of different vocal styles, as the band does a great job of using each one to emphasize foreboding, terror, and suffering at just the right moments.
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Last Agony – Death Wave
Blackened d-beat ferocity that leaps from the speakers with the power of distorted vocals, crushing guitar chords, and relentless snare hits. It’s actually not quite right to reduce the band to only a few labels, as they’ve made a genuine attempt to smash so many styles together and still satisfy a recognizable need among extreme metal fanatics (this is the way). Expertly controlled but totally unhinged.
Stream: Apple Music
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Wolves in the Throne Room – Estuary
Decibel are longtime fans and supporters of Wolves in the Throne Room, so it was a welcome surprise when I saw them pop up on a list of upcoming releases. The bands many loyal acolytes should be satisfied with what they hear here. The trademark flowing riffs and haunting growls are all here, and the veterans have taken pains to add extra aggression and power to this record — one that focuses deeply on the theme of what the earth will be like when humanity disappears.
Stream: Apple Music
