"Ear Hunters" - August 25th, 2020 Edition

“Avast! Barbarous acts bearing brand-new material are stalking the night and hunting to own the fresh ears of new fans!”

· DeathCave

Home: Seattle, Washington, USA

Release: Smoking Mountain

Date: August 14th, 2020 (Satanik Royalty Records)

Genre: Sludge/Doom

FFO: The Ditch and the Delta, Black Cobra, Graves at Sea, Conan, Pale Horseman

Just storming out of the pluvial, Pacific Northwest are the spacey, sludge/doom trio known as DeathCave. Formed in 2018 and still green around the gills, DeathCave have gone straight for the jugular with the recent release of their initial full-length, Smoking Mountain, whose five voluminous tracks have laid a strong foundation for future works from this budding troupe. Scopious, inky, and occasionally stellular in sound and structure, the dexterity of the music on Smoking Mountain belies the rookie status of DeathCave and its members. Not too shabby whatsoever. Rating: 87 / 100 (B)

· Bear Mace

Home: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Release: Charred Field of Slaughter

Date: August 14th, 2020 (Independent)

Genre: Classic Death

FFO: Bolt Thrower, Obituary, Jungle Rot, Unleashed, Gatecreeper, Cardiac Arrest

Containing a multitude of veteran members from throughout Chicago’s metal scene, Bear Mace have returned with another heaping helping of classically influenced death metal, served up independently and full scale, entitled Charred Field of Slaughter. As a follow up to their 2017 debut LP, Butchering the Colossus, Charred Field of Slaughter represents an overall step-up, across the board. Production, songwriting, depth... all have noticeably improved upon the sophomore offering from this new(ish) Windy City project. Still at large and most definitely in charge, Bear Mace will certainly wrangle in a whole bunch of new fans as soon as this solid release ripples out along the web. Rating: 93 / 100 (A-)

· Midgard

Home: Kaniv, Ukraine, EUR

Release: Tales of Kreia

Date: August 18th, 2020 (Sliptrick Records)

Genre: Folk/Melodic Death

FFO: Eluveitie, Suidakra, Black Kirin, Nothgard, Varus

Personifying the third Ukrainian band to receive some ink from Hated One Metal Reviews over the past couple months are the folk-inspired, melodic death outfit from Kaniv, Midgard, whose third full-length Tales of Kreia is available everywhere now from Sliptrick Records. Rhythmic, rustic, and redolent of a more mystical age, Midgard’s Tales of Kreia contains another eleven full cuts of fine, folky death metal infused with the ancient forest spirits of Eastern Europe. Prolific through the first five years of their existence, Midgard are yet another fine Ukrainian act calling attention to the burgeoning metal scene of this small, war-bruised-but-not-broken country. Give ‘em a listen! Rating: 83 / 100 (B-)

· Self Hypnosis

Home: Huddersfield, England/UK, EUR

Release: Contagion of Despair

Date: August 21st, 2020 (Svart Records)

Genre: Progressive Blackened Doom

FFO: In the Company of Serpents, Head of the Demon, Ashtar, Seventh Circle

Going for the gusto with an initial release topping an hour and fifteen minutes worth of blackened, progressive doom are England’s Self Hypnosis. New in name and sound, Self Hypnosis was born out of the need for its founder, Kris Clayton, to separate himself from his other, more well-known project, Camel of Doom, as the music he’d been writing had become so avant-garde and so progressively different than past works that a new name had become obvious and necessary. Influenced by everything from Yes to Godflesh to Yob to Meshuggah and beyond, Self Hypnosis brings an overabundance of progressiveness upon Contagion of Despair, available now from Svart Records. More than replete with good tune after good tune, Contagion of Despair’s only drawback it that it could’ve done with some trimming, as listening to nearly eighty minutes of doom in one sitting can be quite daunting, regardless of how well-composed it is. Rating: 90 / 100 (A=)

Be sure to visit the bands’ pages if you’ve enjoyed anything you’ve read and heard here today, and as always, thank you for reading! Stay metal, always! \m/

"Ear Hunters" - 8/15/2020 Edition

"Beware! Vicious, bloodthirsty metal acts with recent releases are on the hunt and seeking to take the fresh ears of new fans as trophies!"

· Angel Morgue (Manchester, New Hampshire, USA)

Release: In the Morgue of Angels

Date: August 7th, 2020 (Redefining Darkness Records)

Genre: Blackened Death

FFO: Archgoat, Lantern, Venomous Skeleton, Blasphemous Putrefaction

Showing much promise out of the lesser-noted state of New Hampshire is the new blackened death quintet, Angel Morgue. Formed a few years ago and having only one demo to their name, Angel Morgue still caught the attention of Cleveland, Ohio’s Redefining Darkness Records, who have backed the recent release of this abecedarian act’s debut full-length, In the Morgue of Angels. Featuring eight tenebrous tracks, In the Morgue of Angels is admittedly a little rough around the production edges, but the music that’s been captured is categorically cohesive and sound. Worth keeping an eye and an ear on!

Rating: 88 / 100 (B+)

· Atræ Bilis (Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN)

Release: Divinihility EP

Date: August 14th, 2020 (Transcending Obscurity Records)

Genre: Extreme Technical Death

FFO: Cryptopsy, Deeds of Flesh, Unfathomable Ruination, Serocs

Yet another brand-new (and summarily fantastic) act has swept down out of the cold, white north of Vancouver, Canada named Atræ Bilis. Discovered by the reputably emergent, Indian label Transcending Obscurity, Atræ Bilis have introduced themselves to the world with the release their debut EP, Divinihility; and holy shit! What an incredible “How do you do?”! Sporting five cuts plus an intro, the music of Divinihility harkens back to the darker, formative days of technical death metal’s earliest existence – and it is wonderful. Available in all sorts of variants, pressings, box sets, and other formats, Atræ Bilis’s debut is available everywhere now, so grab a copy of Divinihility for your own today! Rating: 95 / 100 (A)

· Nug (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, EUR)

Release: Alter Ego

Date: August 14th, 2020 (Willowtip Records)

Genre: Progressive Post-Metal

FFO: Pelican, Moloken, Varaha, Krigsgrav

Not the first Ukrainian act to feature this year on Hated One Metal Reviews (and probably not the last, either!), Ivano-Frankivsk’s Nug have brought a superabundance of airy, ethereal feels to bear on an unsuspecting world with the release of their debut full-length, Alter Ego, out now via Willowtip Records. Although relatively still unknown to the rest of the world, the progressively powerful post-metal contained within the eight sweeping tracks of Alter Ego will, without any doubt whatsoever, gain Nug an instant international following. This is truly some killer shit here, don’t miss out! Rating: 95 / 100 (A)

· Titan to Tachyons (New York, New York, USA)

Release: Cactides

Date: August 14th, 2020 (Nefarious Industries)

Genre: Instrumental Progressive/Psychedelic Metal

FFO: Scale the Summit, Bangladeafy, Dark Matter Secret, Myth of I, Thoren

Formed by Sally Gates of ex-Orbweaver and Gigan fame, New York’s Titan to Tachyons have hit the ground running with their debut full-length, Cactides; and if you’re at all familiar with the psychedelic, jazz-fused juggernaut that is Gigan, then you’ve already got an inkling of what to expect from Titan to Tachyons. Perplexing, amorphous, and avant-garde, the music that makes up the five expansive tracks of Cactides is as oddly otherworldly as it is maddeningly multiform, and it all makes for an intricately interesting – if not wholly mind-blowing – album. Cactides should fully appeal to anyone who doesn’t turn their nose up at metal that isn’t afraid to embrace its artsy side (and honestly, if their hometown contemporaries Imperial Triumphant can succeed at it, then what’s to stop Titan to Tachyons?) Rating: 91 / 100 (A=)

Thanks for reading another exciting edition of Hated One’s “Ear Hunters”! Stay tuned for more great pieces about more riveting new metal acts and albums coming soon and be sure to support your local metal scenes out there, wherever they may be! \m/

"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/