Fange - Pantocrator (2021)

This new album from Fange is a bit less overtly industrial than their EP Poigne, but on the two long, bleak and atmospheric songs that make up Pantocrator we hear Fange at their most Godfleshian. And the result is really fine. Excellent stuff again from the sludge-death-industrial French band.

The BC page.

 

G36 vs JK Flesh - Disintegration Dubs (2021)

G36 vs JK Flesh - Distintegration Dubs is a split album with Justin Broadrick as JK Flesh (the name he uses for his more electronic music) and Kevin Martin with Gorgonn, his live collaborator in The Bug, as G36. Unsurprisingly, this is dark and heavy industrial dub music. And of course it is excellent.

The BC page.

 

 

Sunless - Ylem (2021)

Sunless plays a kind of technical death metal, which kind? Not so easy to say, it's not really brutal, nor especially melodic, a bit dissonant but without being very weird or evil sounding. Maybe we could say progressive, a subtle and balanced mix of different death metal elements. Could remind Ulcerate, but perhaps less atmospheric. Anyway, like the previous one, their new album Ylem is good. 

The Bandcamp page.

 

Internal - Primal State (2021)

Internal is the one-man band of Trevor Vaughan (Wound Man, Brother, Rival Mob, Breathing Fire, Wolf Whistle, XFilesX, etc.). Like the other Internal  releases, Primal State is pure, concentrated powerviolence. Even the slower somewhat sludge parts sound typical powerviolence. A good way to discover powerviolence if you don't know what it is. 

 

The BC page.

 

Anthony Joseph - The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives (2021)

The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives is another masterpiece in Anthony Joseph discography. A fine blend of afro-jazz and Caribbean music, with the spoken/sung vocals of the singer/poet from Trinidad/London. Memorable songs played by a crew of excellent musicians (Shabaka Hutchings, Colin Webster on sax, Florian Pellissier on piano, among others). And of course with such a title (borrowed from CLR James) you can't go wrong! Recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

8 Hour Animal - Resigner (2021)

Sentient Ruin is a label best known for its extreme metal releases, but they also deal good industrial music, like this first album from the one-man project 8 Hour Animal, called Resigner. A very strong piece of power electronics/rhythmic noise, punishing, but not in the "test your patience way", thanks to its diversity of beats. Among the best recent industrial music.

The BC page.

 

Mortiferum - Preserved in Torment (2021)

Preserved in Torment is the second album from Mortiferum (with guys from Caustic Wound and Bone Sickness), again with Profound Lore Records. They have some fine melodic leads and mourning riffs, but overall they are mostly on the more death metal side of death doom, of an old-school, raw and putrid kind, some blast-beats included (and the drumming, the sound and the playing, whether in the slow or the faster part, is something I enjoy especially on this album). Maybe the best death-doom album this year, but also among the best death metal albums of the year. Heavily recommended!

The BC page.