Century Media Records

Suicide Silence, Remember … You Must Die (Century Media 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

California deathcore band Suicide Silence throw down another raging album with Remember … You Must Die.

Suicide Silence was formed twenty years ago by musicians who were working at the time in other bands. One of the early deathcore acts, Suicide Silence had a big impact on the heavy music scene, releasing several critical albums. After some controversy over the direction of their self-titled album in 2017, the band hit back with Become The Hunter three years later, and now the new record rings with solid echoes of their earlier work. The band is Chris Garza (guitar), Mark Heylmun (guitar), Hernan “Eddie” Hermida (vocals), Ernie Iniguez (drums), and Dan Kenny (bass).

There is an intro piece, “Remember…,” and eleven songs after that on the new album. “You Must Die” starts things off with a savage kick to the knees. Hurricane percussion and shrieking, screeching, croaking vocals exist in a syncopated blizzard of rhythm and riff. That is your wakeup call. “Capable of Violence (N.F.W.)” cranks up the brutality and weakens your lifeline. The first lead guitar work bleeds in and wails out. “Fucked For Life” is a chugging street anthem that gets you stomping along then throws you in the wood chipper. The moderated riff returns but now you know not to trust it – some crazy crooked change could happen at any second. Defying precedent, a melodic and lyrical episode ensues, then swells, then explodes.

Other stand-out tracks for me are “God Be Damned,” a song which functions at an apparent pace that exceeds its actual speed. “Endless Dark” is mined in that same vein. The closer, “Full Void,” is a journey that begins with a mystical energy then devolves into a dark spell gone wrong and finishes with an extremely creepy outro. Beautiful. This album is caustic. It roughs you up, grates against you, and takes what it likes. Recommended.

Remember … You Must Die hits the streets on Friday, March 10th through Century Media Records. It is available everywhere, and good descriptions of the extant physical variants can be found at the label’s store (link below).

Links.

Suicide Silence store, https://suicidesilence.store/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/suicidesilence/

Century Media Records, https://centurymedia.store/search/?storeId=4987&includeArtistSearch=true&searchTerm=suicide+silence

© Wayne Edwards

Suicide Silence, Remember … You Must Die (Century Media 2023)

Sanguisugabogg, Homicidal Ecstasy (Century 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Death metal band Sanguisugabogg release their second full-length album, the aptly titled Homicidal Ecstasy.

From Columbus, Ohio, Sanguisugabogg formed just a few years back. I first saw them last year on their swing with Nile and the thundering Texas metal band I Am. They were supporting their first long-player then, Tortured Whole. The performance was fantastic, and, at the time, I hadn’t heard much of their music. I remedied my ignorance and have since been looking forward to this new record. It turns out Homicidal Ecstasy is even better than I thought it would be. The band is Cody Davidson (drums), Drew Arnold (guitar, bass), Devin Swank (vocals), and Ced Davis (guitar, bass).

The album begins with the horrifyingly titled “Black Market Vasectomy.” The tone of the song is deep and dark, crusty and musty. It is like being raked by a rusting, crooked blade. The percussion is blasting, the vocals are croaking, and the aggression is palpable. “Face Ripped Off” sounds even more actively violent, but in a way has a relatively casual demeanor. Like a confident killing machine, it goes about its business. This is grisly death metal, and nothing less. “Pissed” is a steamroller of a song that pushes your face in the dirt and keeps pushing. “Testicular Rot” … doesn’t that title create an image in your head before the first note even lands? The song is not reassuring in any way. It gives you a heavy, drowning-in-mud feeling from beginning to end. And then comes “Hungry For Your Insides,” a ninety-one second lesson in attraction.

It was at this point in the listening that I noticed my breath had become labored. There is no turning back, and you shouldn’t even if you could. The music is punishingly heavy, the kind of thing you will come to expect from Sanguisugabogg as you listen to them more and more. Embrace the intellectual dissonance of “A Lesson in Savagery” and the perplexing rhythmic construction of “Proclamation Of The Frail.” The final song is “Feening for Bloodshed,” and I had to look up what the word means – it means wanting something really badly, as in craving. Craving bloodshed, you might say, or demanding it, even. Having just listened to the track, it checks out. This album is heavy, killer death metal. Go get it. Highly recommended.

Homicidal Ecstasy is out on Friday, February 3rd through Century Media Records. Look over the format options at the label link below.

Band photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Band website, https://sanguisugabogg.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/sanguisugabogg/

Century Media, https://centurymedia.store/dept/sanguisugabogg

© Wayne Edwards

Sanguisugabogg, Homicidal Ecstasy (Century 2023)

Queensrÿche, Digital Noise Alliance (Century Media 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Metal powerhouse Queensrÿche release their sixteenth studio album, Digital Noise Alliance.

It doesn’t always happen this way, but I was on board with Queensrÿche from their very first self-titled EP. That song, “Queen Of The Reich,” got more spins from me than anything else I had going at the time. I immediately loved the band and have followed them ever since. Their music changed almost immediately from the hard rock / metal of that first release, transforming into complex, progressive-oriented concept music, and that was fine with me. Every step of the way – The Warning (1984) and Rage for Order (1986) – was leading unswervingly to the all-time great Operation: Mindcrime (1988). Even now, Queensrÿche is most remember and revered for that album, but every record they have released before and since is a shining example of their dedication to their music and their artistry.

There have been a few personnel changes over the years, and that is to be expected of such a long-lived act. The current lineup is Eddie Jackson (bass), Michael Wilton (guitar), Mike Stone (guitar), Todd La Torre (vocals), and Casey Grillo (drums). The sound they achieve on the new album harkens back to the early days of the band and has firm filaments that trace Queensrÿche’s entire history. The opening track, “In Extremis,” has a charging rhythm and forceful guitar front that sets the stage for Todd La Torre’s strong and melodic voice. The lead guitar elements have a progressive feel to them, attenuate in precisely the right way to integrate with the song’s set-up and to reach audience’s ears in the most impactful way. The next song is “Chapters,” and it slows the pace a bit to emphasize emotion and drama, all the while preserving the guitar and percussion innovations and, of course, the vocals. As you move through the record, each song is a new journey and discovery.

Across the eleven songs on the new album, Queensrÿche creates incredible music to express ideas in the way that they have been doing since the beginning, and in the unique way that only they can. The new set stacks up beautifully with the existing canon of the band, demonstrating irrevocably that heavy music would be incomplete without them. Highly recommended.

Digital Noise Alliance is out now through Century Media Records. Listen to the album and go see Queensrÿche on tour now with Judas Priest.

Links.

Queensrÿche website, http://www.queensrycheofficial.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/QueensrycheOfficial/

Century Media Records, https://www.centurymedia.com/artist/queensryche

© Wayne Edwards

Queensrÿche, Digital Noise Alliance (Century Media 2022)

Spirit Adrift, 20 Centuries Gone (Century Media 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Texas metal band Sprit Adrift reflects on days gone by with 20 Centuries Gone.

Springing up from Austin in 2015, Spirit Adrift began on the doom side of the field and moved quickly toward full-force, straight-ahead heavy metal. Loaded with unforgettable riffs and stunning lead guitar work, the music they play will make them one of your favorite acts the first time you hear them. Their flawless live performances ensure their place as a big draw at festivals and as a must-see for any tour they are on.

There are two new songs on the latest EP and six covers. The first original is “Sorcerer’s Fate.” It starts out steady with a hook that does the trick and draws you in. A charging chop follows and then we hear Nate Garrett’s solid-as-a-rock vocals. A bridge leads us to a different perspective on this dark fantasy journey, and off we walk into the distance. “Mass Formation Psychosis” follows, opening with cautious acoustic strums that break for dramatic electrical instigations. The song settles into a feisty doom posture and we are thenceforth entranced. It is a superlative heavy track that goes out on a rugged, heady riff.

The songs Spirit Adrift chooses to cover are mostly lesser-known tunes from seminal artists in metal and rock. I like this approach very much as it draws attention to work that fans might not be as familiar with, even if they are fans of the band in question. The songs are “Everything Dies” (Type O Negative), “Hollow” (Pantera), “Escape” (Metallica), “Waiting For An Alibi” (Thin Lizzy), “Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings” (ZZ Top), and “Poison Whiskey” (Lynyrd Skynyrd). Quite a selection, huh?

The variety of musical types and formations across the cover tunes is formidable. The gothic saturation of the Type O Negative song paired with the solemn sorrow of Pantera’s “Sorrow” and then on to the more rambunctious attitude of “Escape” is a conjuror’s amalgamation. Any time a Thin Lizzy song plays, original or cover, my soul brightens, and “Waiting For An Alibi” is a fantastic track. Goddamn I miss Thin Lizzy, even after all this time. Spirit Adrift captures the ZZ Top fuzz just right, and that Lynyrd Skynyrd cover might be the most recognizable of the bunch to a broad audience. I like everything about this record. Set all else aside and listen to it right now. Highly recommended.

20 Centuries Gone is out now on digital. Find it through the band’s website (link below). Spirit Adrift still has a couple of tour dates with Crowbar, then they will be back out again later this year. They are an exceptional live band – make sure you see them whenever you get a chance.

Photos by Wayne Edwards taken at Piere’s Entertainment Center in 2022.

Links.

Spirit Adrift website, https://www.spiritadrift.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SpiritAdrift/

Century Media, https://www.centurymedia.com/artist/spirit-adrift

© Wayne Edwards

Spirit Adrift, 20 Centuries Gone (Century Media 2022)

Frozen Soul, Crypt Of Ice (Century Media 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , ,

The debut LP from Fort Worth metal band Frozen Soul is the merciless application of Old School Death Metal in the creation of a soundtrack for demise.

The band has only been releasing music for a couple years, with two splits, an EP, and a single leading up to Crypt Of Ice. They are OSDM in orientation, and for some reason they remind me a little of Tomb Mold, one of my favorite new(er) bands, except less frenetic and more deliberate. Expect blast beats and heavy rhythm circling the wagons around haunting growls. The band is Chad Green (vocals), Samantha Mobley (bass), Michael Munday (guitar), Matt Dennard (drums), and Chris Bonner (guitar).

The music has a grinding, heavy power to it. There is not a focus of lead breaks and whirling speed. Rather, Doom elements live in the metal here, bringing down the tempo and pushing the relentless riffs into focus. One of my favorite songs on the album is “Merciless,” and it is the perfect example of this, with a plundering, crushing weight towards the end that was set up by fierce first half. The song then leads into “Encased In Ice,” which very much feels like being surrounded by the thick walls of a glacial tomb for almost two minutes before the tempo picks up and stabs an ice pick in your brain. There is a flowing wave here. The wandering musical variegation is not random or haphazard – it is a compositional deliberation on the dark themes brought out in the album. The result is exceptional metal delivered on a frozen silver platter. Recommended.

The new album is out now and available widely from any place that carries Century Media Records products. Also, link below. Lots of versions and merch are out there if you are so inclined. Bandcamp has the earlier EP Encased In Ice if you are interested in that – it is also really good.

Links.

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/frozensoultx/

Bandcamp, https://frozensoultx.bandcamp.com/releases

Century Media, https://www.centurymedia.com/release.aspx?IdRelease=2323

Frozen Soul, Crypt Of Ice (Century Media 2021)