New & Noteworthy July 2: Wrath Connection

Posted by on July 2, 2013

There will likely be a number of bands on today’s list that you might not recognize. Some of them are bands that haven’t been around for awhile, some are brand-new groups making their big debut, and some are just underground groups that most people don’t know. Regardless, though, you should do your best to get familiar with these groups. Read on and enjoy!

 

 

Darkane, The Sinister Supremacy (Prosthetic)

 

Darkane’s last album was 2008’s Demonic Art, and it was the only album to feature ex-Construcdead vocalist Jens Broman as a member of the band. Broman had replaced former vocalist Andreas Sydow in 2007, but Broman then left in 2011 due to personal reasons. His replacement, though, is a familiar face. Darkane’s first full-time vocalist Lawrence Mackory, who appeared on 1999’s Rusted Angel, rejoined the band following Broman’s departure. The Sinister Supremacy was recorded last year, and is once again produced by the band. Apart from the vocalist changes, Darkane has had one of the most consistent lineups in modern Swedish metal – only Scar Symmetry and In Flames compare over the past fifteen years. Hopefully Mackory’s return will help propel Darkane into the limelight that they have so often strove for, but never quite achieved.

 

Autopsy, The Headless Ritual (Peaceville)

 

Autopsy’s 2009 reunion and subsequent comeback album, 2011’s Macabre Eternal, were both major victories for the death metal community. Fans received a welcome dose of brutal, torturous death metal and death-doom on that album, a return to form after some of Autopsy’s members had spent over a decade playing punk-influenced death metal in Abscess. The Headless Ritual follows the same pattern as Macabre Eternal, as Autopsy lays down the style that they helped to pioneer in the late ’80s. Worth noting is that the band has kept bassist Joe Trevisano in the lineup since 2010 and that he performed on both Macabre Eternal and The Headless Ritual, marking the first time that Autopsy has retained a bassist for consecutive albums.

 

Huntress, Starbound Beast (Napalm)

 

Huntress burst onto the scene last year with Spell Eater, an album that received plenty of praise from critics and publications around the world. The group’s trademark is lead singer Jill Janus, whose vocal range traverses four octaves and carries a striking similarity to metal icon Doro Pesch. Their style is a thrash-inspired heavy metal that evokes comparisons to older bands like Accept and King Diamond, as well as newer groups like Sister Sin. If you’re interested in hearing what they have to offer, check them out on the Mayhem Festival this summer!

 

Oh, Sleeper, The Titan EP (N/A)

 

The Texas-based group finished out their contract with Solid State Records earlier this year, but rather than signing on with a label again, Oh, Sleeper elected to try the crowdsourcing model for at least one release. They started an Indiegogo campaign in April, with the intent of raising $30,000 to fund the release of a new EP, in addition to paying for some much-needed repairs to their van and trailer so they could get back out on the road. The fans were listening well, it seems, because not only was the goal reached in exactly a month, but Oh, Sleeper raised enough money over their goal to record a second EP that will be recorded after the band finishes their run on this summer’s Warped Tour. It’s a welcome sight to see a band be so successful with the crowdsourcing model, and Oh, Sleeper’s triumph may just inspire other young bands to do the same thing.

 

 

Also being released this week:

 

Oliva, Raise the Curtain (AFM)

 

Venomous Maximus, Beg Upon the Light (Napalm)

 

42 Decibel, Hard Rock ‘n’ Roll (Steamhammer)

 

Manegarm, Legions of the North (Napalm)

 

Edenbridge, The Bonding (SPV/Steamhammer)

 

Circle of Silence, The Rise of Resistance (Massacre)

 

Rebellious Spirit, Gamble Shot (Steamhammer)

 

Fejd, Nagelfar (Napalm)

 

Saurom, Once Romances (End of the Light)

 

Lonewolf, The Fourth and Final Horseman (Napalm)

 

Seven Days Lost, Good Day to Die (Perris)

 

Ivanhoe, Systematrix (Massacre)

 

 

Next Week: We get a much longer list, and once again, it is populated heavily by relative unknowns. Get ready for some prolonged exposure to the underground – trust us, it’s good for you! See you next week!

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Categorised in: New Music