If there’s a silver lining thus far into 2022 it’s that at least we don’t have to wait too long for some good old-fashioned spine-busting metal. We’re barely out of January and we already have fresh releases from the likes of Enterprise Earth, Shadow of Intent and Fit for an Autopsy. Yes, I am aware that Omicron is all the rage back home and some folks are still under lockdown but believe me new riffs and blast beats go a long way in lifting one’s spirits.
Mickey Mouse. Universal Studios. The Everglades. It’s a safe bet that among the first things that come to mind when everyday folk think about Florida, Death Metal wouldn’t even be as high on the list as some of those often unbelievable “Florida Man…” headlines. However, to a certain breed of humans, that particular southeastern state has been a location of serious interest since Death released their debut album back in 1987.
Next week marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of iconic Death vocalist and guitarist Chuck Schuldiner on December 13th, 2001. This weekend his friends, peers and disciples will assemble at The Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida to perform a tribute concert to the man and legend of Death Metal. The concert will feature an all-star cast of musicians, including six former members of Death. The show is expected to sell out, if it is not already, but now it will be lived streamed, which you can purchase at the link below.
South Shore of Massachucetts-based Death / Thrash metal band Cetragore has released theri debut EP “Chancellors of Death”. Recorded from August to September 2021, the EP shows off their penchant for crushing riffs and killer grooves. The impressive young band ranges from Old-school Death Metal to thrash influences and will find fans from bands such as Obituary, Immolation, and Jungle Rot, as well as more modern sounds. Stream the EP here!
When it comes to tortured, pained vocals, few do it quite like Dave Suzuki. The Churchburn front man led a cacophony of grimy, cavernous chaos on Genocidal Rite (Translation Loss) , a Death-Doom doozy from the Rhode Island-based foursome. With live musical performances on their minds (and who could blame them?), the group opens with ‘Toll Of Annihilation,’ a staticky and distorted affair that builds up before coming down via creepy bells sounding.
Terrible news to report as Eric Grief, the lawyer, music producer for the iconic band Death has died. He was 59 years old. The news was broken by the band’s social media accounts, and you can read that message to fans below. As the president of Perseverance Holdings Ltd., Grief was the steward of the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner’s (Death, Control Denied) and was responsible for all of the lasting merch, music releases, touring projects such as Death To All, books and documentaries about Chuck. He also had a lengthy career as an entertainment lawyer for other bands in the genre such as Obituary and Massacre. Grief battled with diabetes for most of his life, and was in search of a kidney donor for transplant of late. We are deeply thankful for Eric dedicating his life to extreme music and preservation of one of its greatest legends. We send our sympathy out to his family, and friends at this time.
Getting fully back into concert mode has been fun, but also scary on some levels as a fan. I need live music in my life, bad, but I am nervous around small clubs and tons of people right now, since the pandemic is still a thing. Nevertheless, I got the opportunity to cover legends like Black Label Society, Obituary, and Prong all at the same show, no less, and so I had to handle my emotions and nerves (I have pretty bad anxiety on the reg) and trooped out to Sacramento’s respected Ace of Spades club.
Jinjer is a Ukrainian four-piece act that has captivated and charmed varying music scenes all around the world. Just over a decade ago, the band started to make waves in their own country and around Europe when they released their EP Inhale, Don’t Breath. The vibrancy and viciousness of their Modern Metal sound stood out and has led them to be one of the most noteworthy bands in the genre. Now they are getting ready to release their fourth full-length album, Wallflowers (Napalm Records) and the expectations are high. Their determination, creativity, and uniqueness has many wondering if this new album can be a crown on top of the quartet’s budding stardom.
There are many ways unironically describe the last year or so of human life in a manner we can all appreciate. A lot of us use sarcasm and deflection as a means to cope, and it shows. We may become numb to our own reality based on a lot of loss and sadness, and the mass psychotic break the world seems to have suffered. If you are here reading these words, hopefully,you are looking for an escape from the mundane in some good music. Music is here for you, both as a hug to say “it’s gonna be OK,” but also to commiserate with someone who has been there through the muck, just like you. Danny Kiranos, a.k.a. Amigo The Devil has found a foothold in our musical diet, a needed figure to tell the unpleasant truths about that muck and mire we need to learn from, or just relate to. He asks us to look with him and at ourselves too. He does this to a bold effect on his new album, Born Against (Liar’s Club Records, Regime Music Group).
Floridian Death Metal supergroup Inhuman Condition has unleashed their killer new artwork for their upcoming new album, Rat God, due out later in 2021 via Blood Blast distribution for digital and Black Serpent Records on vinyl. Working with legendary metal covers artist Dan Goldsworthy (Accept, Cradle Of Filth, Xentrix, Alestorm) the artwork matches the promise of this sick new music to come. Check out the album covers here.