Greetings, Decibel readers!
We’re deep into the best month of the year, and Halloween is almost upon us! I hope those of you in the Northern hemisphere are enjoying the perfect weather, beautiful foliage and have discovered some new horror movies to enjoy. On a bit of a Giallo kick myself, lots of bright colors and bloody murders to be had! And speaking of spilling blood, we’ve got a packed set of deadly black and death metal releases for you to check out.
Below you’ll find a mix of well-established names and newer bands full of promise! From gothic black metal, to classic death metal and funeral doom, there’s something for anyone of good taste here.
Enjoy!
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Cradle of Filth – Existence Is Futile
As a die-hard Cradle of Filth fan, I stuck with the band faithfully through their phase of lackluster albums from 2006-2012. I knew that one day, my loyalty would pay off and the band would straighten out their songwriting and get the riffs back on track. And since Hammer of the Witches, us dedicated fans have been richly rewarded. On Existence Is Futile, the band continues to properly balance their theatrical gothic side with their foundational black and death metal heritage. If being a fan was like being a photographer, I’d tell Dani and company to just “Hold it right there, that’s perfect!”
Stream: Apple Music
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Massacre – Resurgence
The Kam Lee and Mike Borders side of the Massacre legacy comes out with the newest release from the original banner. It sounds like how a 2021-version of the From Beyond-style is supposed to sound: meaty, straightforward Floridian death metal.
Stream: Apple Music
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Necrofier – Prophecies of Eternal Darkness
Necrofier is a Texan black metal outfit seeking to spread “total southern darkness,” through the power of the unholy riff. Definitely essential listening for fans of Necrophobic, Necrowretch, Ninkharsag, and any other purveyor of punchy, melodic, deathy black metal. Crank this one loud and get lost in the dark whirlwind.
Stream: Apple Music
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Waking the Cadaver – Authority Through Intimidation
What year is it!? Never mind that, what decade is it!? I know, I know, Waking the Cadaver kept going long after their legendary/infamous 2006 demo. But it’s hard for me to shake the MySpace-era urge to just go BREE BREE BREE and click on all 100 fake lyric videos we all enjoyed. That said, this is pretty damn good. If you’re looking for some high-quality slams and pig squeals mixed with solid riffs and songwriting, this new album totally delivers.
Stream: Apple Music
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Worm – Foreverglade
By this late date of October 2021, 20 Buck Spin is known as the go-to label for fans of re-imagined old-school death metal. In the case of Florida’s Worm, this is music for people who dig that but would love to see how this devotion could be applied to funeral doom, with perhaps a touch of black metal. And by that I mean, well, me. As a huge fan of Evoken and Disembowlment, I can’t get enough of what Worm is doing on this fantastic album. This is the kind of record that makes you race to devour the entire back catalog as soon as possible.
Stream: Apple Music
