This is turning out to be a good time to be searching out new music. I’ve come across some very excellent new bands, and some others that aren’t so new but I have never been aware of them. We’re turning the spotlight onto the UK for this edition, having looked to corners far and wide of the world in recent posts.
First is Evil Blood, a Croatian speed metal band who relocated to London, and since then Scotland and have played under a number of different names (Lord of Darkness and Djinn). They’ve been round a staggering 32 years, and are still gigging around the UK. They are a thrashier Venom, a rawer Motorhead, and have some killer tunes such as ‘Kill With Napalm’ and ‘Malevolent Warrior’. Scour their Facebook profile page for live videos, and check out their full set from Brofest in Newcastle particularly.
Next are Newcastle’s Live Burial. Currently working on a new release, their 2013 demo is available for free from their Bandcamp site. It is three tracks of killer, sludgy old school death metal that reminds me of Autopsy or Coffins. Downloading this is considerably worth your time, and hopefully if they have any physical releases available I will get my hands on one.
Staying in Newcastle area is Plague Rider, whose self titled album from last October is a totally brilliant of fast paced technical death metal that brings to mind latter period Death or a rawer Atheist. The music is memorable, the riffs are great, the musicianship is impressive without being overindulgent and importantly the songs feel like seperate entities. I’m glad I caught up with this eventually, as the neck wrecking intro to their eponymous song is fucking brilliant.
Penultimately is Southampton’s Desolator, who are the kind of lurid, hyper thrash outfit that fans of Muncipal Waste or Gama Bomb will enjoy. Their debut full length ‘TOTAL ATTACK’ is a ripping, high energy thrash record with a thousand riffs and a snotty, punk attitude. Not the most intellectual of releases, but when you riff this hard, who needs it? Their message is simple: ‘Thrash or Fuck Off’.
Finally, I’m picking some quality Scottish metal, thrashers Blackened Ritual. They play a thicker, heavier style of thrash than Desolator, channeling more the spirit of latter Destruction or Warbringer. They also don’t go at it hammer and tongs all the way through, showing some cool heavier and slower dynamics. It’s ace. Download their demo here and bang your fucking head.
The Killchain 