light of the morning star nocta

Upcoming Metal Releases: 2/26/2017-3/4/2017

light of the morning star nocta

 

Here are the new metal releases for the week of February 26, 2017 – March 4, 2017. Release dates are formatted according to proposed North American scheduling, if available. Expect to see the bulk of these records on shelves or distros on Friday unless otherwise noted or if labels and artists get impatient. Blurbs and designations are based on whether or not I have a lot to say about it.

See something we missed? Goofs? Let us know in the comments. Plus, as always, feel free to post your own shopping lists. Happy digging.

Please note: this is a review column and is not speculative. Any announced albums without preview material will not be covered. Additionally, any surprise releases which are uploaded after this is published will not be covered. This week: Impaled Nazarene – Morbid Fate, .

send Jon your promos at [email protected]. Do not bother him on social media.

ANTICIPATED RELEASES

Light of the Morning Star – Nocta | Iron Bonehead Productions | Gothic Metal | United Kingdom
An unexpected departure from Iron Bonehead’s usual culting and violence, Light of the Morning Star’s menacing, grandiose gothic metal pits Abigor-tinged black metallisms against more sinister, gothic execution. Lost somewhere between The Sisters of Mercy’s gloom and the aforementioned’s modern, layered mastery, Nocta‘s vampiric might offers a much more muscular, aggressive take on a genre which has become somewhat of a “four-letter word.”

Cloak of Altering – I Reached for the Light That Drowned in Your Mouth | Independent/Digital | Avant-Garde Black Metal | Netherlands
Hot on the heels of a De Magia Veterum full-length last month, prolific multi-instrumentalist and horror-sound mastermind Maurice “Mories” De Jong returns with his second avant-garde black metal alter-ego Cloak of Altering. Whereas De Magia Veterum revels in discordant chaos and noisy discomfort, Cloak of Altering’s body of work continues to favor electronic-inspired rhythmic intrigue, at times encroaching on IDM territory, and more clarified texture.

Petrification – Summon Horrendous Destruction | Sentient Ruin Laboratories | Death Metal | United States
Old school death metal seems so stale nowadays, but the few who stray from the Ever Flowing Stream are a solid reminder that death metal in the 90s was so much more than Boss HM2 pedals and d-beats [Jon’s wrong here, everything that does not sound like buzzsaws and Motorhead beats has always been and always will be a mistake -Ed.]. Petrification is putrid and slimy, echoing the early Finnish masters (and current Danish school – I see you, Phrenelith). This is the other 1994.

patria

OF NOTE

Patria – Magna Adversia | Soulseller Records | Black Metal | Brazil

From Joseph’s premiere of “Heartless”:
“Black metal elitism knows no national boundaries and Patria used to sound, yes, a bit like Watain, i.e. riffy, speedy black metal with a chip on its shoulder. All of that carries over to their latest album, Magna Adversia, with some new elements thrown in. The performances as a whole are a bit tighter, which is to be expected with Asgeir Mickelson of Ihsahn and Borknagar behind the drum kit. The sound is clearer, and a few progressive odds and ends show up. Which is to say, more than some exotic curio, Patria are a just plain great black metal band.”

Cold Fell – Irwell | Argento Records | Atmospheric Black Metal | United Kingdom
As far as “atmospheric black metal” goes, Cold Fell is certainly “old hat,” but passionate in execution, nonetheless.

Ende – Emën Etan | Obscure Abhorrence Productions | Black Metal | France
Emotive, but still extremely primitive black metal – featuring yet another instance of Wlad Drakksteim of Vlad Tepes’s public return to black metal.

FROM THE GRAVE

Golden Dawn/Apeiron – Golden Dawn / Apeiron | Seedstock Records | Melodic Black Metal/Ambient | Austria
Stefan Tranmuller’s pet-project’s early days were markedly different than the more gothic-tinged black metal which was to follow in subsequent full-lengths. As part of his recent series of demo re-releases, this long-form split with Apeiron, another project of his, is a look back into black metal’s more fantasy-driven, keyboard-dense days. The unsung son of the “Austrian Black Metal Syndicate,” which boasted acts like Abigor and Pazuzu, Golden Dawn’s unique, dramatic approach still stands alone over 20 years later.
Note: Golden Dawn’s naming is meant to be fantastical and is in no way related to the Greek political party.

StarGazer – A Merging to the Boundless (Instrumental) | Nuclear War Now! Productions | Avant-Garde Black/Death Metal | Australia
We all know how ridiculous StarGazer is, especially on this album, but this instrumental edition of their latest album is for those who truly lose themselves in this long-standing Australian trio’s instrumental chaos.

OTHER RELEASES

Doctor Livingstone – Triumphus Haeretici | Osmose Productions | Black Metal | France
Otherwise known as either Sektemtum or Mütiilation’s live band, Doctor Livingstone’s meat-and-potatoes angry as all hell black metal certainly places them in the upper echelons of French black metal. Beware the 16-minute “ritual ambient” intro.

Blaze Bayley – Endure and Survive (Infinite Entanglement Part II) | Blaze Bayley Recordings | Heavy Metal | United Kingdom
Did anyone hear the recent news concerning Blaze’s desire to make another album with Iron Maiden? Enjoy this new chapter in his denial.

Bear Mace – Butchering the Colossus | Independent/Digital | Death Metal | United States
It’s death metal, and it’s about bears.

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