News

Cork, Ireland’s GOD ALONE have today released their sophomore album, ETC, via Prosthetic Records. On their second full-length GOD ALONE gleefully blur genre lines including mathrock, post-metal and avant-garde dance music, tying together the six song tracklist with abstract lyrics influenced by French dadaist poetry.

In celebration of the first anniversary of their third full-length, Darkened Infinity, REAPING ASMODEIA have today shared a new music video for album track Simulacra. The clip is a visual continuation of Darkened Infinity’s overarching themes of transcendentalism, the afterlife and dream logic. The Minneapolis technical death metal trio also recently announced a run of December and early January shows, with support from Our Judgment - more details below.

Swedish rust metal group HORNDAL have announced that vocalist Henrik Levahn will be making an appearance at Örebro University for a guest lecture on October 25. Levahn will be participating in a discussion on company closures and ethics, with regards to both the band’s eponymous hometown and country.

UK power metal group BATTLE BORN have today shared a new single, Fire Storm, and an accompanying visualizer for the track. Fire Storm is the first glimpse of new material on the horizon for 2023, following the band’s self-titled EP reissue via Prosthetic earlier this year. In celebration of the single release, BATTLE BORN will be heading out for the final two shows of their Autumn UK dates later this month - more details below.

US power metal group JUDICATOR are today premiering their new single, Ursa Major, via Decibel. Ursa Major is the second track to be taken from the four-piece band’s forthcoming sixth studio album, The Majesty of Decay, set to be released via Prosthetic Records on November 25. The song shows JUDICATOR embracing their love of traditional power metal, with a refreshed and revitalised approach to their songwriting.

Following on from their recently released debut album, Ecocide, South Carolina grind band SLUGCRUST have today shared a new music video for the full-length’s title track. The clip is a viscerally raw visual of the band performing in a foreboding woodland area, with unsettling handheld footage of vocalist Jesse Cole bounded in black fabric.

WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR ECOCIDE BELOW.
Stream Ecocide via Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Bandcamp and Spotify
Order Ecocide here.

Speaking on the music video, SLUGCRUST comment: "Our good friend Taylor Hickman directed the music videos for both Echoless and Ecocide. We first approached Taylor with a lot of complex themes to digest from the song and project into film, accented with intense captures of our performance. But eventually we said “fuck it we’re gonna do this shit DIY and raw” because that’s just who we are as sentient dirt-people.

"So! We filmed Echoless in a garage lined with $200 worth of black fabric and then reused the same black fabric as a prop to help tell the story behind Ecocide, which we filmed in the woods for reasons apparent.

"How well the Ecocide video thrives in simplicity speaks volume to Taylor’s vision as a cameraman. Nevertheless, the aforementioned black fabric can now be found under our vocalist’s ass, lining the cushions of his sofa as a couch-cover because $200 is $200 and who keeps a fucking receipt? We hope everyone likes the music video! We can’t wait to play Ecocide for y’all real soon!"

With two ferocious EPs already under their belts, the breakneck speed with which SLUGCRUST operate gives a fair indicator of their approach. However, their focus isn’t compromised by their accelerated work ethic; if anything the urgency of their message is given further impetus courtesy of their relentless audio violence. Drawing from various literary inspirations the political issues at the heart of SLUGCRUST’s output is given a darkly poetic twist.

SLUGCRUST - whose line up features members of WVRM - seeks to bring political issues to light in a way that galvanises action and activism. The title derives from the process of destroying environmental structures or ecosystems, either via natural means or - as is more pertinent in the case of this album - deliberate human actions. Depravity is a recurring theme throughout the lyrics; emotional and physical immorality and degeneracy permeates the twelve tracks that make up Ecocide.

The formation of all SLUGCRUST tracks start with the skeleton of the drums; the meat and muscle of each missive comes from the guitar and bass, with the lyrics and vocals being the skin binding it all together. The album was engineered by guitarist Derick Caperton, before being mixed and mastered by Cody Davidson of Sanguisugabogg. Although primarily embedded in grindcore, SLUGCRUST also dabbles in crust punk and even doom to bring together their ominous, explosive take on extreme metal. Embracing the rawness of punk with the familiar ferocity of blast beats is the foundation of their work.

Ecocide is an uncompromising calling card from a band eager to unleash.

THOTCRIME are today premiering their new single and an accompanying visualizer, This Is My Breakdown, I Get To Pick The Music, via Metal Injection. This Is My Breakdown… is the third track to be taken from the cybergrind band’s upcoming second full-length, D1G1T4L_DR1FT, due out via Prosthetic Records on October 28.

Following the release of their debut album, Enveloping Absurdity, earlier this month PHOBOPHILIC have today shared a new music video for Cathedrals of Blood (Twilight of the Idols). The Fargo, North Dakota death metal band’s latest video release shows the group performing in-studio for the album highlight track.

LANGUISH have today shared a new track, titled Parasite, and an accompanying visualizer via Metal Sucks. The single is the third song to be taken from the Tucson, AZ deathgrind band’s upcoming third full-length, Feeding The Flames Of Annihilation, set for release via Prosthetic Records on October 7. Parasite is yet another pulverising blast of death metal and grind that sets its sights on abusive power structures and capitalist ills.

GOD ALONE have today shared a new single, titled Tinfoil In The Walls, from their forthcoming sophomore album ETC. Tinfoil In The Walls is the third track to be taken from the avant-garde mathrock group’s upcoming full-length, hot on the heels of their recent performance at ArcTanGent festival and November tour dates in Ireland - more details on those live shows below.