Second Sun - Hopp​/​Förtvivlan (2015)

Very cool album, at the same time very classic and very special. On this first album called Hopp​/​Förtvivlan (don't ask me what does it means... but it does add to the magic), released two years ago (it's been two years I plan to review this one, go figure why it took me so long... pff) Second Sun, a swedish band with Tribulation drummer offer some classic heavy rock with touches of psychedelia. Very 70' inspired but not like all these retro-rock band. Because it's far better than most, and because it's not only classic but also very surprising, the singing in swedish plays a part in that, but there's also something else... maybe "just" great songwriting... great stuff anyway. Just try it and you won't regret.

The Bandcamp page.

Incantation - Profane Nexus (2017)

Incantation is one of the oldest death metal bands (starting in 1989), also one of the first to include slow paced death-doom parts. They are also one of the best, and with albums like Profane Nexus, their tenth one, this is not about to change. Old school death metal may have been long ago surpassed by modern death metal in terms of speed, heaviness and technical playing, but with such a mastery of the groove and atmosphere we found in Incantation's songwriting we are sure the old school will stay relevant for a while. Profane Nexus feature the best Incantation can do in excellent riffing and evoking a thick atmosphere of crawling evil, with a variety of rhythm, from blast-beats to mid-tempo to the slower funeral paced doom parts (like in the excellent and very funeral Incorporeal Despair for exemple). Profane Nexus is maybe even better than Dirges of Elysium (released in 2014, already a good album) and anyone into death metal will enjoy it.

The Bandcamp page.

ATILA - Body (2017)

Body is already ATILA's, sixth album, it's a very well crafted one, somewhere between dark ambient and minimal techno, with a sligh touch of dubstep. I'd say Body has less beats and bass than he previous album, V, it's more minimal / ambient. But it is no less dark and scary. Its subtle sinister mood would do very well for a ghost movie soundtrack. Good stuff again.

The Bandcamp page.

American - Violate and Control (2017)

Obviously associating black metal and industrial / noise music is a good idea, yet it's not that easy to do it properly. First American album, Coping With Loss, was a good album, but basically it was some good black metal with machine drum and two noise track. On their second album, Violate and Control, things get more interesting since in it the black metal and indus / noise mix sounds a lot more like a cohesive whole (although this time on some tracks we could say it's noise music with black metal bits...). They build a strong black and harsh atmosphere that explodes into some epic moments like in the excellent Amorous and Subdue in the middle of the album.

The Bandcamp page. 
 

Dying Fetus - Wrong One to Fuck With (2017)

Wrong One to Fuck With is the first Dying Fetus album since Destroy the Opposition to managed to grab my attention. Can't say exactly why but I'd say that i feel with this one they went straight to the point, wih a songwriing really focused on the key elements of the Dying Fetus style : catchy riffing and fast technical lead guitar combined with heavy breakdowns. On this album, maybe more than on the previous ones they kep it simple, the song are based on a few ideas and it helps making it more memorable  and puting aside the unnecessary. So even if you lost interest in DF in the last fifteen years I suggest you try this one, another really enjoyable album from Dying Fetus. Really nice!

The Bandcamp page.

Birdflesh / Organ Dealer split (2017)

This is a truly excellent deathgrind split album, two excellent bands, the veterans Birdflesh and newcomers Organ Dealer, each one playing a different kind of grind.

Birdflesh are on the old school side of deathgrind, in a Repulsion style. With memorable riffing and grooves aplenty. Highly enjoyable.

Organ Dealer are on the modern side of deathgrind, more dense, faster and sharper. Their songs here are similar in style and quality compared to heir excellent album Visceral Infection released wo years ago.

Both bands are excelling at what they do. A split highly recommended to anyone into grind.

The BC page.

Ex Eye - Ex Eye (2017)

Ex Eye is another exemple of a "supergroup" that is producing good results, with this first self-titled album (released by Relapse). The band is composed of the renowned forward-thinking saxophonist Colin Stetson (most known for his bass saxophone play), Greg Fox on drums (also in Liturgy, so yes there are some blast beats parts), Shazad Ismaily with synth (he also plays in Secret Chiefs 3) and Toby Sumerfield on guitar. Their music can't really fit in a genre category nor really sounds like some other bands. They produce some mysterious and quiet melodies wih a nice combination of the sax, synth and guitar, but they also bring some heavy grooves, especially with the good drumming, and the bass sax tones. Really good and interesting music.

The Bandcamp page.

Dephosphorus - Impossible Orbits (2017)

Impossible Orbits is the new album from Dephosphorus. Following two very ambitious and more "progressive" albums (the mysterious "Night Sky Transform", still my favourite one, and the double one "Ravenous Solemnity" that covered the wide spectrum of Dephosphorus music) Impossible Orbits sounds like a return to something more straightforward and less complex. You'll still find the different elements that makes the bands music (a mix of grind, black metal, Slayer and Neurosis we could say) and its uniqueness, but this time the focus is on the most aggressive side of the band personnality, more thrash/black/grind, shorter songs, less post-metal/atmospheric elements. Is it a successfull move? Well, it sure succeeds in making another great album, with many great moments and memorable songs, and even though the songwriting feels condensed and maybe simplified, still each song manages to have it's own specificity, like is usual with Dephosphorus. It also succeeds in making a different kind of album, avoiding repetition. Yet, even though I enjoy listening to Impossible Orbits, I think most of the times I'll prefer going back to their older stuff. Very worthy of your time anyway. excellent stuff again.

The Bandcamp page.

D.E.R - Rancor (2017)

Rancor is killer new stuff from D.E.R, released by Nerve Altar (which is now clearly one of the best label for grind). The band from Sao Paulo plays a very potent mix of old school grind (think Napalm Death or Blockheads) and vicious black / death metal. Very fast, relentless and intense (even for grind standards), with great riffing and a sound sharper than on their previous album. My only complain about this new release is that it's only ten minutes long. But when the music is so intense this is ok. Highly recommended stuff!

The BC page.