Every so often, I'll read an interview with an older metalhead, usually because they're in a metal band. I'll try not to name too many names. First of all, I'm old. If you want to argue that 37 is not old, that's fair. I would riposte by saying that 37 feels old. At the very least, it's older than every age under 37. The current generation is constantly reminding me that I'm the goof in the passenger's seat, periodically chiming in during the backseat conversation between kids/teenagers and saying something that widens the gap between us. So where am I going with this?
No, I'm asking. Why did I enter this room again? I'm modest by nature, but I have to give myself credit where it's due. I do a damned fine job of staying abreast of new metal releases. That's why my forehead crinkles when Bald Guitarist (his name might rhyme with Berry Bing) says there are no new bands worth appraising. He only listens to the shit he discovered as a youth.* And that's his prerogative, but it tells me that he doesn't love metal as much as he claims. There is at least one interesting metal record hitting "shelves" (be they tangible or digital) every week.
This week? Your wallet is going to bleed, provided that you still buy music. I was moved to write this syllabus when I noticed how many bitchin' albums were dropping tomorrow. It's a spread that accommodates varied tastes. Count the ways...
Abbath - Dread Reaver) The third solo album from Norway's clown prince of the left hand path. I loved Outstrider, and if the advance singles are any indication, this is shaping up to be a banger.
Falls of Rauros - Key to a Vanishing Future) I found out about this LP a couple of hours ago. Somewhere, the head of a marketing department deserves to be decollated. If you aren't familiar with these Mainers (actual term; I checked), they play organic black metal with raging leads and melody-conscious songwriting. Arresting.
Father Befouled - Crowned in Veneficum) Incantation worship. Simple as. Please note that I'm not deriding their perceived orthodoxy. I mean, if it works, it works. I fancy the riffs, so you better believe that I'm going to crank it up.
Deathspell Omega - The Long Defeat) The French polemicists are back to enrage the metal faithful and captivate just as many of us leering over the railing. I call myself a casual fan (I'm partial to their Drought EP). If you want to discuss matters beyond the music, I'll need another website's worth of chatter to hackle through it all.
Kvaen - The Great Below) The debut from this Swedish one-man project made my top 5 of 2020. He deals in blackened speed, which sounds incredibly illegal. Here's an image to bookend the text. Man, graphic design is for the birds.
*The interview in question is from a decade back, roughly speaking. It wasn't a recent sound bite that spurred me. Honestly, I don't know why it was rolling around in my cranium, but the knowledge of these new releases made me think of mossbacks who complain about "today's scene" as if it has nothing to offer. Mr. Bing can listen to whomever he wants. I still don't care for his solos, though.
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