Metal Things I Found On YouTube This Week
Now with 75% more Tubes
To help you keep it up, Worship Metal now delivers another Weekly Recommended Dose of Metal Music from The InterTubes straight to your audio orifices. Remember it’s important to stay active, eat healthfully and have a balanced Mosh in the Pit for at least 30 minutes each day. Let’s do a quick warm-up with…
NÖCTÆ – Everything You Know (Official Music Video)
FiXT Radium have been smashing the good ch00ns releases recently and NÖCTÆ are this weeks offering. Not only do the band win the award for “most difficult ASCII characters in a name” they also rank very highly in the coveted “most likely to have an effect in the trousers” category. Commercial metal that packs a punch and a melody taking me back to the early 2000’s when metal was confused and Slipknot showed us the way. The “You’ve got nothing to say” vocal melody is exactly up my street and this is going exactly on my playlist. [8/10]
For fans of : People who want more non-standard UNICODE band names
MOTORJESUS – Firebreather (2021) // Official Music Video
Now we’ve got the blood pumping a little, it’s time for a quick set of squats with Germany’s Motorjesus. Some great retro-metal from a band that’s been delivering the goods since 1992. All the necessary leather, permed hair and old man guitars to keep us motivated. Please support them – the drummer does not seem able to afford a proper kit and is forced to bang around on whatever he found at the video shoot. Not my usual thing but infectious enough. [6/10]
For fans of : People who say “Back in my day we made metal without drop tuning”
CALIBAN – nICHts (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
If Motorjesus were a warm up, Caliban are straight onto the excessive dumbbells. I’m fairly certain William Shakespeare based his Tempest character on the band, not the other way round, as Caliban prove once again they are true Monsters of Metal. It’s pounding and sing-along at the same time in that confused way we do when we don’t speak the language but learn the lyrics anyway. Caliban never disappoint and while this isn’t as brutal as their last vomiting of metal, it fills in the sonic gaps nicely. Nocmal, Bitte! [8/10]
For fans of : Not knowing what they’re saying but loving saying it.
ALLUVIAL – Thy Underling (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER)
Back 7 weeks ago I was blown away by “Ulysses” and while “Thy Underling” doesn’t hit those special places in quite the same way it’s got all the hallmark uncomfortable riffs, guttural bellowing, chordal bleakness and expertly crafted solo-ing we expect from Keith Merrow and Wes Hauch. This is as dark and disturbing as getting down to your last Revel and realising you haven’t had a coffee one yet, and visualizer doesn’t lighten the suffering. It makes more sense in the context of the album but a great track nonetheless. [8/10]
For fans of : Obscure British confectionary metaphors
ONE MORNING LEFT – Creatvres (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
In my notes for this article I wrote “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!” alongside this. I stand by my words. These Finns either drank far too much Kossu or nowhere near enough. It’s one of those videos where you aren’t sure if they’re being serious or not. But in the best kind of way. Honestly I played it about 5 times and I still can’t tell what genre it is. All I know is that I fucking love it. Deathcore meets “The Final Countdown”. Also, that sloth painted on the back wall is just the best. What’ s not to like!! [10/10]
For fans of : Being confused and aroused at the same time
HIRAES – Under Fire (Official Video)
More Germans! It’s like they’re massing on our borders. Again. Apparently this is “Melodic Death Metal”. I’m not so sure. It’s a bit… well… Gouda. Quite a bit, actually. From the flame-throwers in the background to the outfits to the poses to the kinda metal-for-beginners riffs. And I’m not sure I’m a fan of Britta’s vocals – they just don’t have the power. She was so much more gravel-y in Cripper ( check this far better track out : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag26sZnH4e8 ). But there IS something here. I’m just not sure what.
Edit: I’m listening again the next day after writing that to see if I can rescue it but it’s just uninspiring. They’re obviously talented musicians but there’s nothing to grab you by the nice bits and shake you about. What I don’t get are they also sound great here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu7DHv1Caic Why is this outfit so inconsistent!? [4/10] – but like a 6 or 7 for the other links. Just not this one.
For fans of : Looking up the members past bands on YT and then really enjoying those bands instead
DEFOCUS – Common Grave (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
We had these boys on MTIFOYTW just last week and loved it. I said I’d “check them out” and they came looking for me instead. Awfully nice of the chaps! And glad I am of it too because even from the odd-rhythm stabs at the front of the track I knew I was definitely in. This is the sort of track that when you’ve got your mates round listening to a YT playlist and this comes on then everyone stops talking and assumes the stank face. It’s full of drop-F# tuned filth culminating in the nasty breakdown at 2:24. Check this band out. Before they find you. [8/10]
For fans of : Brutal grooves that are fulfilling in both the pit and the testicles.
CULTIST – AN OBSERVATION OF GRIEF [OFFICIAL EP STREAM]
You thought I’d forgotten Slam Worldwide this week huh? NEVER! What would MTIFOYTW be without it! And Cultist are about as SW as SW gets. The word that comes to mind is THICC. Not sure if they say that in Boston or they all just go around screaming at you like the dude on this EP. And I think it might be just one dude. Their Facebook Page is a bit confusing. Apparently they are “no longer a Christian Band”. Er.. OK? And they want to change their name because people think he/they are actually cultists. Nah bro/bros. You got this. Anyone gives you shit just slam them with some crowdkill which is exactly what this EP makes you wanna do anyway. Keep it up. I likes. [7/10]
For fans of : Going to see the Doctors because there must be something wrong if you dig two SW releases in consecutive weeks.
Oceanhoarse – Locks (Official Music Video)
Shit. I fucked up with Cultist. I usually give SW a 5/10. So I clicked on a link that looked suspect hoping it would be a 5 to balance out the scores. Nah. Totally wrong. This is a great slab of post-2000s metal that sounds just like you would find on a Metal Hammer cover-CD between the Trivium and the post-nu-metal. The mix sounds like a proper band – not over produced and conspicuously digital. Whomever did the production needs a good thanking. Even the octave-melody of the chorus is not super-layered like a more modern sounding track would be, which lets us enjoy the actual guitars straight from the amp not a mountain of VST compression.
The more I listen the more I love it. If they had released this 15 years ago it would have been in everyone’s CD player. And in 2021 it still kicks metal ass. The Germans and Finns have been dominating it this week. [8/10]
For fans of : Throwback metal played with fucking passion
Keepsake (AU) – Passivity (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
So now it’s the Aussies turn to impress me. Not with the video (It kinda sucks) but the music is great. Those guitar chord choices, legato runs and the layering is just what I like to put in me. And the proper screamo vocals – which I’m not a big fan of usually – really work here, especially when the chorus kicks in and mah man with the Orange Beanie (and what looks like trousers tucked into his socks – never a good look) delivers the juicy goods. Yeah. That’s a ripper beaut, mate. Good onya. [6/10] – honestly the video knocked a point off. But just the video, not the song.
For fans of : Doing an Aussie Salute in the pit
Bad/Love – Follow The Leader
Fucking hell! More Down-Under! This Melbourne four-piece have dropped some BMTH vibed groove into our expectant listening holes. They got a feature on Triple J, did a “featuring” with Crossfaith (That I loved a couple of weeks ago) and look set to be Australia’s next big export after cattle-herding with helicopters and showing us how Voting should be done. That chorus hook is infectious and the mix is liquid. Dreambound are just full of great fucking metal suggestions! [8/10]
For fans of : The aforementioned bands. There’s definitely some hints. but in a good way.
SKYWORLD – The World That Never Was
Fuck me! More great Metalcore! This band is so new there are only 2 tracks on Spotify and it took me some detective work to figure out they are from Chicago (I think). Whoever they are they’ve written some classy metal. Not only is the album art absolutely fucking glorious (TBH that’s why I clicked on the thumbnail) but the vocal melodies and guitar harmonies are exactly on point. I’ve followed on Spotify because I’m really looking forward to what they do next. So should you. [9/10]
For fans of : Music so fresh it’s still basically squirming on the plate.
IMPERIAL AGE – Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend
Oh thank god for that… I was thinking there were too many great tracks on this list and then Imperial Age come along and ensure this isn’t an artificially high-scoring week. The video is exploitative, the song derivative, the mix decidedly underwhelming and the lyrics several gulags the wrong side of laughable. It’s about as desirable as having the Sputnik V vaccine administered by Putin without a shirt on. And I know they are trying to sell the sexuality of the singer but it’s just wrong on every level. Lela from Venues dominates the screen without even trying, but this woman forces it onto us like a bad 80’s hair metal video. Jesus wept, there’s even a fucking key-change at the end. Fuck this and the Lada it rode in on. [2/10]
Oh shit, it’s a cover. Of Powerwolf. Which is only a couple of years old. And has an equally turgid and sexist video as well. Fuck that too. This is 2021. Grow up.
For fans of : Whatever the GRU makes you listen to.
Andromida – Digital World Order
Let’s cleanse the palette after that last musical abortion with the polar opposite. It’s my favourite solo producer at it again. He’s the fucking Ferrero Rocher of metal confectionary served up on a dj0nty plate of filthy melted Galaxy Caramel dripped over your awaiting breasticles. At 2:51 a melody comes in that is the metal equivalent of Viagra then slams a skanky riff not heard this side of a Hellspawn‘s mating ritual. Seriously I haven’t been as excited to find a new band since I stumbled onto Vola. If you haven’t guessed by now, I FUCKING LOVE IT. [10/10]
For fans of : Mistakes. Last week I said Dust In Mind might be my new favourite band of 2021. I forgot about Andomida. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry. Take me back! Please! I didn’t mean it! They mean nothing to me, I swear!
Fit For A King – Stockholm
And the brutality keeps on coming…. Fit For A King just crush your skull in with the pulse of this monster. And when guest Garrett Russell of Silent Planet says he will “Bury you six feet under” he means with the dirt of the riffs. It’s criminal that this is only 2:29. [8/10]
For fans of : Having your bits smashed to pieces by a guitar riff
MOONSPELL – The Greater Good (Live)
And let’s end our workout session with a name I haven’t heard in a long, long while. This live track – in front of a COVID safe audience, thankyou – comes from their new Hermitage album and they still sound great after nearly 30 years making Gothic Metal. It hasn’t changed much since I first heard them on Irreligious – and that’s all for the better as that album was class. I was late to Moonspell in the 90’s – it was a bit of a sleeper I needed to be introduced to – but here they are driving simple chord progressions with all the nuance of experienced song-writers totally in harmony with their genre. That major chord in the verse which comes in unexpectedly is just beautiful. The Goth Metal aesthetic has always been a coupling of romantic with the profane, and Moonspell are about as synonymous with the sound as Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride or Type O. If you haven’t heard Gothic Metal before – or were just a little confused about it – then listen to this and let Moonspell set you straight about what it’s all about. [9/10]
For fans of : Well… You know who you are 🙂
And that’s us for another week. Remember to take regular infusions of MTIFOYTW. Stay off the salt and carbs and stay on the Dj0nt and Ch0nk. Keep the stank face on at all times and if you have trouble sleeping try lying face down in an open grave.
And for fuck’s sake go support Andromida. We need producers like him.
Speak soon
Si
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