"Ear Hunters" 8/5/2020 Edition

“Take heed! Vicious, bloodthirsty metal acts with recent releases are on the prowl and hunting for the fresh ears of new fans!”

· Bloodfeast Ritual (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Release: Altars of Sacrifice EP

Date: July 24th, 2020 (Independent)

Genre: Melodic Death

FFO: Allegaeon (Ezra-Era), Amon Amarth, Kataklysm, Wolfheart, Valgrind

With plenty of classic death metal influence to make older heads happy, but with also just enough melodicism to impress modern ears, L.A.’s newest arrivals Bloodfeast Ritual are as fresh as they come. Their independently issued Altars of Sacrifice EP represents this neophyte act’s very first release, and what a release it is! Featuring five expertly composed melo-death offerings that rumble and roil, Altars of Sacrifice is one dazzling debut from Bloodfeast Ritual, so keep an eye out, for this act is coming up hard and fast. Rating: 93 / 100 (A-)

· Pale Horseman (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

Release: For Dust Thou Art

Date: July 31st, 2020 (Independent)

Genre: Sludge/Doom

FFO: Isis, Black Cobra, Indian, Bongripper, Dining with Dogs

Chicago’s Pale Horseman have been sludging and trudging their wares since 2012, and they’ve been fully fruitive in those eight years, to be sure. The recently released For Dust Thou Art marks the fifth independent full-length to come from this as yet unsigned quartet, but if the potency of For Dust Thou Art is any indicator, Pale Horseman will not remain unsigned for much longer, and they'll soon join the ever-growing list of Chicago acts who’ve made the leap from indy to major in the past few years. Upon first listen, do not skip “Scourge” or “Archangel”. Rating: 90 / 100 (A=)

· Æpoch (Cambridge, Ontario, CAN)

Release: The Scryer EP

Date: July 31st, 2020 (Independent)

Genre: Progressive Death

FFO: Revocation, Inanimate Existence, Neck of the Woods, Colosso, Brain Stem

Combining loads of riffs, changes, and a multitude of influential inflections are Cambridge, Ontario’s Æpoch, whose latest EP The Scryer is now available for consumption by the masses. Profuse with progressive guitar and bass work that borders on breakneck, stunning drums, and confident, capable vocals, The Scryer EP is akin to the cherry on top of Æpoch’s 2018 full-length opus, Awakening Inception, and should serve to only further increase this formidable trio’s visibility to fans and major labels. Excellent, excellent stuff all around. Rating: 92 / 100 (A-)

· Drouth (Portland, Oregon, USA)

Release: Excerpts from a Dread Liturgy

Date: July 31st, 2020 (Translation Loss Records)

Genre: Black Metal

FFO: Jordablod, Black Fucking Cancer, Highland, Nefarious Dusk, Serene Dark

Coming with the cacophonous, apocalyptic swirl that has become quite prevalent amongst modern black metal acts are Portland, Oregon’s Drouth. While applying a classic, muddier, black metal production style to the drums, rhythm guitars, bass, and vocals, but still allowing the lead guitars a modicum of clarity and cleanliness, Drouth’s production is best described as a hybrid between traditional and modern styles, and frankly, it just fucking works. Voluminous and venenose, Excerpts from a Dread Liturgy is the latest offering from these Portland-based prodigies, and while they may be signed to the Translation Loss family, Drouth are still seeking to build a bigger fan base outside of their home territory, so don’t delay! Get this stout release in your ears posthaste! Rating: 90 / 100 (A=)

Thank you for reading this installment of “Ear Hunters”, for checking out the bands, for listening, and for supporting metal regardless of what else is going on in the world. Stay strong and stay fucking metal. Always. \m/

Hated One's "Ear Hunters" - 7/27/20 Edition (NEW FORMAT!)

“Beware! Ravenous, marauding metal acts are on the hunt and seeking fresh ears to overcome with their wicked, new music!”

Owner’s Note: As always here at Hated One, things rarely remain the same for too long. After spending the better part of a year consistently and faithfully issuing (occasionally two, but usually) three editions of “Six Bands You May Not Know, But Should” per month, not only has the cumbersome name become unconscionably constraining and unwieldy, but so too has the research and writing process for the entire series...

So, to streamline the process around here and to also give it a much briefer and less quantified new name and look, please dig into the very first edition of Hated One’s “Ear Hunters”, a gathering of acts with recent releases who are on the prowl for the ears of new fans! Enjoy, and thank you for reading! \m/

· Ice War (Ottawa, Ontario, CAN)

Release: Defender, Destroyer

Date: July 21st, 2020 (Fighter Records)

Genre: Speed/Crossover Thrash

FFO: Motörhead, Venom, Razor, Exciter, Hellripper

Intrinsically knowing a thing or two about ice, the new(er) Canadian speed project known as Ice War has been dropping singles, splits, comps, and albums prolifically since 2015, and the recent release of Defender, Destroyer just adds to their growing discography. Although raw in its production and here and there in the delivery, there is still an overabundance of truly vicious speed metal and punk-infused thrash contained within to make any fans of old school Canadian acts like Razor or Exciter happy. It is easy to hear that Ice War is right on the cusp of breaking, and Defender, Destroyer is only going to boost this act’s upward momentum. Rating: 83 / 100 (B-)

· StoneBirds (Lorient, France, EUR)

Release: Collapse and Fail

Date: July 24th, 2020 (Ripple Music)

Genre: Stoner/Sludge/Doom

FFO: Mastodon, Eyehategod, Cough, Yob, The Ditch and the Delta

Although birthed in the Brittany region of France, Lorient’s StoneBirds display an unmistakably heavy “Southern-American-Stoner-Sludge” influence on their latest full-length, Collapse and Fail, available everywhere now from Ripple Music. Not entirely Southern Stoner Sludge, though, StoneBirds also show off their post-metal/doom chops on many of the cuts that adorn Collapse and Fail, and it is this marriage of so many different elements from the same subgenre tree that gives StoneBirds their own sound and feel. A natural fit with fans of Mastodon or Cough, no doubt. Rating: 89 / 100 (B+)

· Derhead (Genoa, Italy, EUR)

Release: Irrational I EP

Date: July 24th, 2020 (Brucia Records)

Genre: Avant-Garde Black

FFO: Aodon, L’Homme Absurde, White Ward, Karg

Still in it's nascent, one-man stage, the idea that is Italy’s Derhead has apparently been kicking around since 2001, but only truly began to gain steam in 2016 with the release of their 2003 and 2013 demos. Since then, Derhead has kept to EP releases, including Irrational I, released this past Friday on Brucia Records. Containing eighteen minutes of dissonant-yet-harmonious black metal offerings in the form of two sphinxian cuts, “The End for Now” and “Corpses of Desire”, Irrational I is one stirring and sinister EP. Rating: 90 / 100 (A=)

· Valgrind (San Lazzaro di Savena, Italy, EUR)

Release: Condemnation

Date: July 27th, 2020 (Memento Mori)

Genre: Melodic Death

FFO: The Black Dahlia Murder, Amon Amarth, Wolfheart, Voices of Ruin, Battlesword

Named for the mythical entrance to Valhalla, Italy’s Valgrind are releasing their fourth studio album, Condemnation, today via Memento Mori, and while you’re more than likely unfamiliar with this act if you’re not from their home region, the release of Condemnation seeks to change all that. Punitive, partially blackened, and with a firm foundation built upon classic, Tampa-style death metal à la Nocturnus and Morbid Angel, the music of Valgrind is like a melodic amalgamation of all your favorite death metal bands at once. Chock full of great riffs and rhythms, Condemnation from Valgrind should garner this long-standing troupe some well-deserved adulation and attention. Rating: 93 / 100 (A-)

Thanks for reading, for checking out the bands, and be sure to tune in next month for more exciting installments of Hated One’s Ear-Hunters!

"Six Bands You May Not Know, But Should" - July 16th, 2020 Edition

1. Somniate (Pilsen, Czechia, EUR)

Album: The Meyrinkian Slumber

Release Date: June 30th, 2020 (Lavadome Productions)

Genre: Black Metal/Blackened Hardcore

Contemporaries: Calligram, Gehenna, Tides Cult, Serpent Herder

Often straddling the boundary between black metal and blackened hardcore are Pilsen, Czechia’s newfledged quintet Somniate, whose freshman full-length The Meyrinkian Slumber hit the streets late last month. Arriving without so much as a demo or an EP released prior to The Meyrinkian Slumber, Somniate have gone straight for the jugular by putting out this satisfying, six-track debut. While mostly possessing the musical feel and shape of black metal, it is the variety of vocal stylings that gives the cacophony its core-like edge, and more importantly, its own unique flavor. An agreeable and pleasurable listen, even despite the hardcore leanings. Rating: 87 / 100 (B+)

2. Northern Crown (Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA)

Album: In a Pallid Shadow

Release Date: July 3rd, 2020 (Independent)

Genre: Classic/Psychedelic Doom

Contemporaries: Candlemass, Saint Vitus, Taiwaz, Hex A.D.

Bringing the classic feel and majestic habitude of influences such as Deep Purple, Dio, and Candlemass are Florida’s unsigned diamonds in the rough, Northern Crown. Formed in 2013, Northern Crown have recently released their third independent full-length, In a Pallid Shadow, but unless you live somewhere in the Southeast U.S., this fact may have slipped your grasp. But no matter! That’s what Hated One’s “Six Bands” is here for! Specializing in lengthy, epic compositions of psychedelically charged doom, Northern Crown’s In a Pallid Shadow is a sturdy, five track effort that is well worth checking out if you’re at all into the first generation doom sound. Rating: 84 / 100 (B)

3. Saints of Death (Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN)

Album: Ascend to the Throne EP

Release Date: July 10th, 2020 (Head Rattle Productions)

Genre: Blackened Death n’ Groove

Contemporaries: Lamb of God, Degenerate, Fate Unburied, Extraction Point

Containing seven tracks (with an intro) that clock in at around twenty-six minutes are the killer blackened death n’ groove tunes from Vancouver’s Saints of Death that comprise their sophomore EP, Ascend to the Throne, available now from Head Rattle Productions. Although listed as a full-length on some sites out there, seeing as a thirty minute minimum length of play is the usual qualifier for “full-length” status, this recording doesn’t quite make it, but honestly, when the release is replete with this much relatable music, does it really matter? Part death, part groove, and all black metal in imagery and corpse paint, Saints of Death have cooked up a superb blend of multiple influences to create their own batch of metal deliciousness that should be palatable to a great variety of heads. Excellent work. Rating: 97 / 100 (A+)

4. Lantern (Kuopio, Finland, EUR)

Album: Dimensions

Release Date: July 10th, 2020 (Dark Descent Records)

Genre: Blackened Death

Contemporaries: Venomous Skeleton, Gatecreeper, Ritual Dictates, Vastum

Kuopio, Finland’s Lantern may have formed in 2007, yet this blackened death outfit from the glacier-pocked north have remained underground for most of their existence. But with the release of their third full-length album, Dimensions, obscurity for Lantern may become something of a historical footnote. Stygian, menacing, and morose, the six arrangements of Dimensions weave a wicked web of woe through mesmeric repetition and controlled tumultuousness. Although a little let down in the production’s punch and output, Lantern’s Dimensions is still an estimable, praiseworthy addition to this collection of fine acts and albums and should net these Finnish veterans some well-earned new fans. Rating: 85 / 100 (B)

5. Skeleton (Austin, Texas, USA)

Album: Skeleton

Release Date: July 10th, 2020 (20 Buck Spin)

Genre: Blackened Thrash/Black n’ Roll

Contemporaries: Venom A.D., Midnight, Hellripper, All Hell

While certainly not scoring any points in the name originality column, Austin, Texas’s Skeleton more than make up for the banality of their moniker with loads of original, phenomenal black n’ roll satisfaction on their eponymous debut full-length, Skeleton, out now on 20 Buck Spin. Providing even more credence to the horror punk, black n’ roll movement, Skeleton’s distinct take on this emergent subgenre is exemplary. Vicious, addictive, and growing more enjoyable with each passing track, Skeleton’s debut is some hot, hot shit, so get it in your ears ASAP! Rating: 94 / 100 (A)

6. Eremit (Osnabrück, Germany, EUR)

Album: Desert of Ghouls EP

Release Date: July 17th, 2020 (Transcending Obscurity Records)

Genre: Doom/Sludge

Contemporaries: Yob, Indian, Pale Horseman, Shogun

If you’ve been searching high and low for another excellent, sludgy doom act who purvey ample gobs of chewy riffage to masticate, then Germany’s Eremit have got what you need! Overloaded with fuzz, rife with ebbs and flows, and heavier than a cement truck on full, this potent trio from Osnabrück have returned with a new EP, Desert of Ghouls, to follow up their striking (and aptly titled) 2018 debut full-length, Carrier of Weight; and although Desert of Ghouls contains only two tracks, one must remember we are talking full-on doomed sludge here, and that equates to two songs comprising well over twenty minutes of music. Both “Beheading the Innumerous” and “City of Râsh-il-nûm” are remarkably strong compositions that captivate and bewitch listeners through sheer dynamics and an uncompromising commitment to their genre. Consequently, if Eremit isn’t on your radar, it is time to right that wrong. Like now. Rating: 95 / 100 (A)

Thank you for reading another edition of “Six Bands” from Hated One Metal Reviews & Interviews. Be sure to go and support the bands if you’re dug anything you’ve read or heard here today, and stay safe out there, friends and neighbors!\m/