Video of the Week: Inanimate Existence – The Rune of Destruction

Technical brutal death metal as an art form of great beauty. That’s the impression left with me after playing this video from Inanimate Existence’s A Never-Ending Cycle of Atonement, released last month. When I have the full album I have no doubt I’ll be playing it over and over. These Californians construct music of considerable complexity and depth without straying from the harsh theme and structure of tech death.

This video alone has already used up half the electrons in my computer.

The band has released one previous album, Liberation Through Hearing in 2012.

 

Video Of The Week: Code Orange – I Am King

Short, but oh, so fucking sweet!

This is title track taken from their upcoming album “I Am King” out Sept 2nd, hopefully it will include even more of this brutally tasty and chaotic style. I’m writing it down on my list of anticipated releases immediately.

 

 

Video of the Week: Vintersorg – Lågornas Rov

Andreas Hedlund, nickname Vintersorg, has steered his compositions along two paths since first going into the recording studio in 1998. Vintersorg’s first few albums were harder, black folk metal. The more recent albums have become wide-ranging musical journeys, taking in other influences to form what might best be described as progressive Viking metal.

This song is from Naturbål, Vintersorg’s ninth album, which is being released today. It promises to be as good as any album in the amazingly creative discography of Vintersorg.

The band members currently adding to Vintersorg’s individual skills as a guitarist, bass player, keyboard artist and vocalist on the album are guitarist Mattias Marklund and bassist Johan Lindgren. When they’re on the road, Nils Johansson joins them as keyboardist and programmer.

 

Video of the Week: Shining – Blackjazz Rebel

Would a Mammal be drawn to a band that calls its music “blackjazz”? That’s a rhetorical question.

Shining, from Norway, is an outfit that LA Weekly described as a “sonically pulverizing industrial-metal beast.” In Norway, the womb of black metal, Shining made a deep enough impression to receive a nomination for Metal Album of the Year at the Norwegian Grammys last year. That was for their Blackjazz Rebel album.

Starting next week, Shining will be on the road for four months, taking their pioneering metal to various European countries. At some of their appearances they’ll be on the bill with some gigantic names, including Slayer and Devin Townsend.

The raw energy they generate is very evident in the video from their album.

 

 

Video Of The Week: Benighted – Spit (ft. Niklas Kvarforth)

Behold the black door 
My sickness rose between us
Here you roam,
Confined in prison cell
The ghost of your voice in a
Disgusting taste whispers my name

Spit to the face my darkness shall embrace
Sexual meat disappeared in a blink
Dogs always keep their promisies
As you puke on my feet

Video of the Week: Carnifex – Die Without Hope

Carnifex are known for many things including hectic tour schedules, brutal live performances and, of course, quality deathcore. Their new label, Nuclear Blast, released the title song, “Die Without Hope”, yesterday to promote the band’s new album. Die Without Hope was released in March. It is Carnifex’s fifth album, and their first since 2011.

I’ve mentioned previously that my favourite music videos are the ones that show the band in action without actors and props to perform the storyline of the song. This video nicely displays the most appealing aspects of Carnifex, such as blistering drumwork, solid rhythm, superior guitar solos and melodic keyboards. All that plus the uncompromising delivery by Scott Lewis, one of the best baritone dark vocalists in the business, adds up to a pretty cool video package.

 

 

 

Video Of The Week: Memories Of A Dead Man – Melancholia

“Here I am
Condemned but to taste and brood over
The poison of days
Melancholia, my sad love
With you I’m bound to fall

Video of the Week: Reality Grey – Define Redemption

Reality Grey, an Italian melodic death metal outfit, released their second full-length album this week. It’s called Define Redemption. Judging by the title track, it’s an album well worth exploring. The band describes it thus: “A mix of technical death metal, fast blasting drums, catchy melodies and light speed guitar solos.”

The band previously released an album in 2006 and an EP in 2008. In the six years since then they have been building a following outside Italy. This album has the potential to expand their audience globally. They’re a class act.

The current line-up is Alex (bass), Albo (guitar), Claudio (drums), Tommy (vocals) and Anto (guitar).

 

Video of the Week: Exmortus – Foe Hammer

My favourite music videos are the ones that show the band in action. Studio videos like this one fit the bill very well, showing close-ups of the band making magic on their instruments. This track is from Slave to the Sword, the new album by these highly accomplished American death thrashers. I know one reviewer who’s going to ask why Exmortus insists on including stereotypical lyrics like “heavy metal forge of steel,” but I’ll just sit back and soak up the music. *Inserts smiley, then sits back and soaks….*

 

Video Of The Week: Centiment – Defenders Of Oasis

These guys! Their music makes me happy. Happier than a pig in mud, happier than Dracula volunteering at a blood drive, happier than a poor person winning the lottery! Here’s their new feel-good video with footage from their first live shows and other smiling moments. It’s for the song ‘Defenders Of Oasis’ from their fantastic debut album Streets of Rage that came out in the beginning of this year.

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