Metal Days 2019 – Death in February

Each year, I like to take a step back and look at the prior year’s releases in Metal music, to try and sort through them and find an album or two that I really enjoy. Last year was an amazing success, introducing me to a number of new bands that I very much enjoy. Let’s take a look at what is in store for this year in Death Metal February!

Obliteration – Cenotaph Obscure

Obliteration is a strong enough band. I love the music and the songs stand strong on their own. I do have a problem, however, with the unproduced and echoing sounds. Its clearly a much more extreme form of metal than I normally enjoy, which is fine. Again, their music is really fantastic, a bit slow, chunky, and grinding somewhere between Sludge and Heavy Metal – Clearly a Death Metal album through and through. The vocals are much closer to spoken word then I really enjoy. However, this is a really good Death Metal album, and if its your kinda music, I suggest you jump on this. I absolutely do not regret listening to this one, and feel its just a little short of what I want to be listening to.

Recommended Tracks: Orb and Eldrich Summons are both great, even if Orb is only 1:43 seconds.

Personal Rating:

The songs are good, and the tone is fine, but the grating, death metal vocals just kick me out of really calling this one great.

Outre-Tomb – Necrovortex

Once again, we step into a solidly Death Metal band that just does good, solid death metal. The vocalist has so much grumble and growl, with that unfinished sound typical of the genre. I love the higher tuned guitar, as it stands out nicely from the rest of the deep, dark, band. Its a really cool listen. The Vocals aren’t nearly as unfinished or echoing as Oblivion, so that is a solid plus for me. Overall, its a fairly standard and enjoyable Deathmetal album, but once again not one I’d return to. Oh, did I mention they sing in French? Good stuff!

Recommended Tracks:Vengeance Spectrale and Hécatombe II

Personal Rating:

They are good, no doubt, but its not my type of metal. That said, I can rock out to them if they are on, and I wouldn’t actively turn them off!

Frontierer – Unloved and Oxidized

Ok. So, I’m just going to get out here and say this. My notes for this album start with “Jesus Christ am I happy that is over” and continues with words like “Its like a dozen toddlers hammering on instruments with no coordination.” This type of asynchronous techno-metal just isn’t my thing in any way shape or form. Technically, its probably impressive, and I would be extremely impressed if they could re-create a single song, because it seems so completely tossed together. I cannot, and will not listen to this album again. If you like this style, though, check em out. They might be tolerable?

Recommended Tracks: I cannot do that to anyone. I can’t tell them apart anyway.

Personal Rating:

Surprising no one, I do not like this album. I recommend nothing from it and can barely call it music. Man.

Tribulation – Down Below

Oh good. Frontierer gets to stop. Yes! And, The album is off to a great start, with a cool, slow intro the type that I really like. It leads into a big, epic, pretty standard Heavy metal sound. It moves really well and is easily something that I can rock out to. The vocals are grumbling and growly, but clearly understood is you want to, which is kinda where I draw the line. Its a bit doomish, as well. While it’s not as fast as speed and power metal, it has a fast enough tempo to get pulled into, and the instrumental portions of almost every song are really good. I enjoyed this one, its much better than average and I’m absolutely willing to listen to it again.

Recommended tracks: Lament; Come, Become, To Be

Personal Rating:

Its strong, powerful and the type of Death Metal that I really enjoy. While its not my everyday, Its a good album.

Until next time!