Feeding Frenzy 05||12||21

Djinn-Ghül – Mechalith (EP)

Release Date: 09th December 2021||Genre: Industrial death metal||Label: Vicious Instinct Records

The first of the EP offerings in this session comes from Djinn-Ghül. This Venezuelan/US mob lay down some brutally gargantuan grooves with Mechalith.

I think there’s a fair swathe of 90s metallers who always wished Fear Factory had kept getting heavier, rather than lighter. Well, in part, your wishes are made true herein! With that same industrial underwake, this release hammers out relentless machine riffs, swaying and pitching with human intent. It completely turns its back, though, on the commercial horizon of that sound. Instead, it stands shoulder to shoulder between the heaviest death metal and slam. Things are kept fairly simple, but with utterly crushing results. For those already following, you know album number 2, Sordes Pyramis, was a big step in development from debut, Wander Not. Similary, Mechalith reaches new levels. Sordes… could be considered a primer. This feels like the full realisation of what it was aiming for. They’ve set their own bar pretty high with these four tracks. Personally, I can’t wait to hear this new Djinn-Ghül smash out something more extensive. Bring on the next album!

Grade: A

Slow Dragon

Empyreal Sorrow – Harm(ony) (EP)

German death metallers, Empyreal Sorrow, are back, this time with their self-released short-player, Harm(ony). 

While terming themselves melodic death metal, this band brings a bit more to bear. Yes, this will appeal to those with a leaning towards harmony in their heavy music. However, the vocals, as with their previous work, have a very blackened edge. The rest of the band have no fear of following suit, either, with sections of tremolo gracefully deployed. This certainly makes things more engaging. Others may be in disagreement, but I find straight up melodic DM gets old very quickly. So much so that I would actually be quite averse to pitching this as such. Some of the tracks incorporate a real doom vibe. Others are touched with folk. They even go out with some industrial in closer Night Re-Armoured LXEKR-Mix. EPs can be very hit-or-miss, in my opinion. Harm(ony) Within is worth a mention, as it hints towards bigger things to come. That said, it does feel like a taster. And maybe that’s the intention. A nudge. A reminder that 2020’s Praey wasn’t the last you’ll hear from them…

Grade: B+

Slow Dragon

Final Coil – Somnabulant II (EP)

Next up is the return of a regular visitor to the SDM site. Final Coil perform an experiment in reflection with their Somnambulant II EP.

This is a band who have always been a bit minimalist. They focus on character and tone, rather than flash and flair. Eerily laid back, they have more in common with mainstream rock than underground metal. In their latest EP, Somnambulant II, they have delved into their back catalogue, reinventing some of their most recognisable songs. And the results are amazing. In one deft flick, they have delivered a real, chilled, industrial masterpiece. Albeit a short(ish) one. Lost Hope, for example (from 2017’s Persistence Of Memory) is totally transformed, while still maintaining its musical essence. Where the original sparked memories of Depeche Mode, this new rendering follows that trajectory to a NIN vibe. Not at all unrelated, but changed enough to tease the mind. Each track has received the same treatment, exploding in magnitude, leaving the listener high on the atmosphere. Having followed the releases of this band for a while, I feel like I could almost say this my favourite. I would love to hear new stuff specifically written to this style.

Grade: A

Slow Dragon

Pissing Razors – Eulogy Death March (album)

Texas punk-o-metal groove peddlers, Pissing Razors return with Eulogy Death March, their first full length in nearly a decade.

How this one slipped by me, I’ll never know. I’ve been waiting, nay, lurking, for it’s release since 2019. It’s been out a month already! Digital only (so far), but still. Pissing Razors were a huge deal for me when they first came out. Straight up, meaty hooks, with some subtle, yet smart, rhythm twists worked in. Intensity and bounce. Naturally grabbing choruses. Fast forward to this latest album, and we hear what is undeniably the same band. While their development over the years was fairly tight to the original sound, it was still there. Album to album. Eulogy Death March presents a culmination of sorts. There is a consistent blend of everything they have previously put out. From Psycho Punko Metal Groove, to Fields Of Disbelief, to – perhaps more obviously – Evolution. All aspects of PR are represented. Through creative use of their own basic pallette, this is a band who have never disappointed. Yet again, this album guarantees stinky-riff faces and aching necks galore. This fresh chunk of groovy-death-metal-meets-proggish-hardcore is exactly what is needed right now

Grade: A+

Slow Dragon

Urferd – Resan (album)

Urferd is the latest in a growing line to step into the current surge of dark, pagan folk.

Joining the ranks alongside Wadruna, Heilung, Nytt Land, and more, this project kicked off as recently as last year, yet here is a fully formed debut album. There is nothing in the delivery to put it below its genre peers mentioned above. There is no cloning at work, however. A slight deviation into modern-ish orchestration, and a heavy leaning towards a soundtrack approach in places, sets them apart. It certainly doesn’t feel quite as “olde timey” as others. Resan, though, should have no problem stepping up to the altar of pseudo-historical escapism. Much like the Spotify-smashing Danheim, this is a one man operation. No mean feat to pull together something so well developed in just a year. Especially when flying solo. Aside from being a great achievement, this release proves that there is still room to expand and experiment within the genre. It still feels fresh and exciting. Hopefully, that has long to continue.

Grade: A

Slow Dragon