Born In A Test Tube, Raised In A Cage: It's The 2025 Metal Thread

Let's open up this fuckin' pit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBfeAnef8RQ

Just got answers back from an email interview with the vocalist from Human Barbecue, a cannibalism-obsessed brutal/slam band from Belgium. The interview will run in Burning Ambulance in February. Gotta say, his first answer made me feel pretty fucking old...

How did you first get interested in this style of metal? Can you remember the first records that inspired you to want to make this kind of music yourself?
My dad has always been listening to music at home. He used to be a punk when he was a teenager. So I have been listening to all kind of music since a very early age. I remember that he was listening to bands like Guns N’ Roses, Suicidal Tendencies, Rollins Band... I guess it just grew on me. The older I got, the harder the bands were. I discovered death metal and hardcore music during my nu-metal phase when I was 12-13. I always loved the very brutal side of death metal. Even though I started being active in the hardcore scene (still am), death metal has been by my side since those days.

Here are some upcoming releases on my radar to check out:

10-Jan
Haunted Horses (Seattle industrial metal on Three One G)

24-Jan
Mogwai
Sunrot
Wardruna

25-Jan
Clamfight (Philly Prog-adjacent Stoner Metal)

31-Jan
The Hellacopters
Jaye Jayle
Pentagram
Spesimin (Philly thrash/death/punk goodness)

7-Feb
Dream Theater
Inborn Suffering (French Death/Doom)
Jinjer
Obscura
Thundermother

21-Feb
Killswitch Engage
Mean Mistreater (Austin Trad Metal)
Sacrifice (Canadian thrashers; first new album since 2009)
The Young Mothers (Austin jazz hepcats who like grindcore)

28-Feb
Cloakroom

4-Mar
Destruction

14-Mar
Coheed and Cambria

28-Mar
Arch Enemy
Dead Meadow
Savage Master

Gotta say, his first answer made me feel pretty fucking old...

I was talking with a younger acquaintance who told me she grew up listening to the proverbial "all kinds of music." Dad liked jazz, mom liked country, little brother liked "emo." "Emo" has kind of evolved in meaning over the years, so I asked her what she meant by emo, and she said, oh, you know, stuff like Slipknot.

Definitely looking forward to new Obscura, and Destruction can always be trusted. I've heard the Mean Mistreater; it's as good as the debut, which I loved. Wardruna are actually playing near me (well, 90 minutes away, which is "near" in Montana terms) this summer:

https://fitmfest.com/

One very interesting aspect of that festival:

In partnership with the community in the Blackfeet Nation, Fire in the Mountains 2025 at the Red Eagle Campground in the Blackfeet Nation, will be an event without alcohol. This decision was made with respect to the wishes of our hosts and is a decision we align with.

Our aims have always been to build an event that places value on music, nature, and connection above all else, and to have a positive impact in the community that has welcomed us. We stand behind the decision of our Blackfeet partners that all of these aims can be obtained without the presence of alcohol.

We have no interest in passing judgments or preaching any way of life over another. All walks of life are welcome at our festival. What we do stand strongly behind is respecting the land and the wishes of those whom it belongs to.

lots of good shows coming up in London i'm looking forward to; Napalm Death/Crowbar/Full Of Hell/Brat being one, another being King Diamond/Paradise Lost/Unto Others. Incineration Fest is the one i'm most hyped for though - bearing in mind as a one dayer the clashes will be torture.... lineup so far:

Triptykon Performing Celtic Frost (UK Exclusive)
Blood Incantation (UK Exclusive)
Decapitated (UK Festival Exclusive)
Batushka (UK Exclusive)
Cryptopsy
Warbringer
Blackbraid
Spectral Wound
Lamp Of Murmuur
Undergang (UK Exclusive)
Wormwitch
Bedsore (UK Debut)
Celestial Sanctuary
Carnation
Minami Deutsch
Underdark

What does "UK Exclusive" mean? That that is the only time/place they are playing the UK in 2025? I want to start seeing stuff like this more often. Oasis at Soldier Field: Chicago exclusive! Yo La Tengo Hanukkah Shows: NYC exclusive!

yeah, I guess maybe the UK is a small enough country that promoters can pay for that sort of exclusivity and use it in marketing knowing people will travel to the show rather than miss out... probably less likely to happen in bigger countries/USA?

Old Man's Child is playing their first US live show ever this summer at an outdoor festival 90 minutes from me. Why they'd choose to make their live debut in rural Montana rather than New York or San Francisco or Los Angeles, I don't know, but they have made that choice.

There's a new German band called Axetasy, and on a purely instrumental level, they live up to the name: the guitars are pretty goddamn axetatic. But the vocals are a hoarse shout, not nearly power metal enough for the music, and they're weirdly placed in the mix. I don't love it as much as I wanted to, but others may disagree.

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/withering-tides

This Lifeless Dark album from December is apparently stenchcore, which isn't a descriptor I'm familiar with but seems like it basically came to mean a thrashier kind of crust punk? Anyway, it's really awesome.

https://lifelessdark.bandcamp.com/album/forces-of-natures-transformation

lol at stenchcore

I'm old enough to remember when Obscura were a wild, jazz-prog-fusion-y tech-death band. Unfortunately, their new album A Sonication (out 2/7) is some Dark Tranquillity-ass melodeath bullshit, with the occasional fretless bass solo to remind you of what once was.

https://obscura.bandcamp.com/album/a-sonication

fwiw the term stenchcore is as old as crust (coming up for 40 years) but seems to be enjoying a resurgence given the number of times I've seen "wtf is stenchcore" posts recently

I've always liked the term stenchcore because of the "our band smells bad" implication.

New Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ1M2i-7gF4

Catchier than I might have thought. Album drops 4/4.

It's ridiculous power metal video time! Here's "Power Train" by Majestica, and yes, it's about a train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJ7L5LyAk4

Releases this Friday that I will be checking out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqiYgldW5nw

Pentagram

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww7iDotqQ0s

The Hellacopters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEIPPQ-5UvE

Jaye Jayle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFABZr7WPkE

Spesimin

fuck sake - i hate how much i may spend on this though also know there is little to no chance of getting tickets

https://www.instagram.com/blacksabbath/p/DFsSHb-JK-O/

yeah that lineup is pretty undeniable, even with the dubious prospects of various supergroups and Pantera playing

although somewhere Dave Mustaine is crying and i want to give him a hug?

Wonder the last time Metallica supported someone.. Maybe those Rolling Stones shows in 2005?

Out of morbid curiosity I streamed a few songs of that new Obscura and, yeah, it's terrible.

The new Century album is the first real standout for me this year. Swedish melodic heavy metal... my favourite area.

The vocal performance took me a minute to warm up to, but I like it. He has a kind of dry, stone-faced quality, which works for me, especially on short punchy tracks like "No Time For Tomorrow".

Yeah, that is good. It's an unmemorable name which is why I keep forgetting to check them out, but I've just put both their albums in my Bandcamp cart.

New Phrenelith sounding pretty great on the first go through

I interviewed Belgian brutal death metallers Human Barbecue. Plus bonus "Robert Christgau is a shithead" content!

lol at calling yourself Human Barbecue.

NEW PISSGRAVE INCOMING (finally!)

https://pissgrave.bandcamp.com/album/malignant-worthlessness

Wow, I am loving the Mean Mistreater album.

I went to see Undergang and Mephitic Corpse a week ago, and even though I caught a brutal cold at the show, it scratched a metalhead itch that was in dire need of scratching. Absolute filth.

ooh, the new Christian Mistress is up on NWOTHM Full Albums on youtube.

Atmospheric black metal cover of a Jean-Michel Jarre piece is a very specific niche, and you probably know if you're in it.

https://open.spotify.com/album/0YUsJFg8fBDSaDxLGxKvZp?si=4VoFC1y0TxOaxMWk7ZTp5A

I love that cover, I was annoyed it wasn't included as a bonus track on the copy I got of that album.

Some other good metal covers this week:
- Al-Namrood doing a black'n'roll-ish version of the Exploited's "Beat the Bastards".
- Ultrviolence's blackgazey "there is a light that never goes out".
- UMC and Anna-Lena Derer Eurevisioning Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra".
- URNE doing a basically reverent rendition of Black Sabbath's "I" (from Dehumanizer).

(And for metal covered, last week there was Rosetta Stone doing Sabbath's "N.I.B.".)

This month's Stereogum metal column has a great piece on Ragne Wahlquist and Heavy Load, the first Swedish metal band.

had a fun time at the Life After Death 2 fest this weekend in London; which is heavily associated with the great Crypt Of The Wizard record store. very good sets from Vacuous (new LP on Relapse is killer) and Jaundice (death metal from Glasgow, all looked about 18). this Friday - Napalm Death / Crowbar / Full Of Hell / Brat in brixton :D

Yeah, I'm enjoying that Vacuous record.

Me too; downloaded the promo last night after reading that post and it rips.

I like how it kinda swims against a lot of the trends in death metal right now, a little Converge energy in it.

Heck yeah--only a few songs in so far, but that new Vacuous sounds great! Artfully meat-and-potatoes to these ears, and very well-produced.

Ha! "artfully meatandpotatoes" is well-put.

New Neptunian Maximalism 3CD set in April!

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/le-sacre-du-soleil-invaincu

Brent Hinds has left Mastodon.

I still can't get used to the new name, but The Otolith (formerly SubRosa) has a new track, and it's good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdNDoMP3XWk

xp - thanks for the heads up on the Neptunain Maximalism! Instant pre-order. FYI, as much as I am happy to support Bandcamp Friday (which I am with other things today), follow the link on their page to the US store for much more reasonable shipping costs.

Wonder what led to Hinds leaving, wouldn't have expected that.

I really dig the first Otolith album, excited for more!

The new Ghost single is disappointing me.

I hear a good song there, but the mixing and compression on the guitars I'm having trouble with.

Hmm, granted it was a headphone listen, but I thought it was really good and the most I've been excited about a Ghost lead single in awhile now. Reminded me more of the Opus Eponymous era than much has lately.

FYI, as much as I am happy to support Bandcamp Friday (which I am with other things today), follow the link on their page to the US store for much more reasonable shipping costs.

Yeah, I saw that myself. Still deciding whether to spring for a physical copy or not. The three discs are only about 35 minutes long each, just FTR. But I understand why they want to break them out so you listen to each raga separately.

I'm posting this here and in the jazz thread, for obvious reasons: I interviewed Ray Suhy, who's simultaneously an accomplished jazz guitarist and the lead guitarist in Six Feet Under. It was a really fun conversation, even if the transcription program I use couldn't tell our voices apart (two guys from Jersey yappin').

That last Horrendous album might be my favourite release of like... the last five years. Still amazing.

Released today the brilliant, Opia release their debut album

I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep
by Opia
https://hammerheart.bandcamp.com/album/i-welcome-thee-eternal-sleep
on Hammerheart Records

riyl: Draconian

more streaming links:

https://opiadoom.lnk.to/iwelcomethee

gothic doom metal

the production on this album is glorious, rich layered atmospherics, dynamic guitars, great vocals from Tereza Rohelova - clean and growling.

a single from the album:

Opia - Fade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odCQAQgf-jQ

interesting the band members come from a black metal background.

interview
Doomed Confessionary: Dan, Phoenix & Tereza (Opia)
https://doomed-nation.com/doomed-confessionary-dan-phoenix-tereza-opia/

Can you say something more about the current music scene in the UK?
Dan: This is kinda tricky since we’re all very spread out (even across countries) but I think as the band practices and records in Cardiff it’s perhaps the closest thing to a “home town” for the band generally. I would suggest that the South Wales/Bristol/Gloucestershire area all represents one doom metal scene in the UK. In that region you have some phenomenal bands like The Drowning, My Silent Wake, Pantheïst, Edenfall, Thrakian, Inver, Root Zero. There are also some atmospheric/melodic black metal bands there like Ofnus and Cistvaen who in all honesty probably have far more in common with us and the others I mentioned above than they do with the majority of the UK black metal scene.

This Science Friday radio segment on extreme metal vocals is really interesting and not pandering or sneering in any way.

big ups on the horrendous recommendation - great stuff

French post metal band Year Of No Light is back with an album length track recorded in 2015 (but their 2 planned shows are their Ausserwelt album in full?)

https://pelagic-records.com/product/year-of-no-light-les-maitres-fous-cd-digipack/

Loved the Tribunal debut, but the new one might be even better.

At the risk of turning this into live posting my listening, just finished the new Divide and Dissolve, it is astounding. It's essentially Takiaya Reed's solo project now, with some help on the drums, but this is stunningly beautiful and moving.

Didn't really expect the "new"* Cadaver to begin with a song that sounds like Voivod and Mr Bungle but idk

(*it was largely written in 1991 and never recorded...until now)

It becomes a bit more standard death by track two

Born in a testtube, raised in a cage, killed by the SFPD ...

https://www.stereogum.com/2306500/former-possessed-guitarist-shot-and-killed-by-san-francisco-police/news/

Jesus, grim. 30-minute shootout and he had three different guns.

The Ancient Death album is a real gem. The sort of album that rewards close and undistracted listening and reveals more and more.

caught Agriculture yesterday, fantastic musicianship, and basically cosign this great tshirt

https://evilgreed.net/cdn/shop/files/AGRICULTURE-TheSpiritualSound-TS-B_300x.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M6dA3Z7ogM

both the t-shirt and this tune are super nice. I have to be real that death metal or go home me would have hated hard on this (because it's just indie rock but louder and with screams) but I'm a softie now and this is a lot of fun.

It might've been the venue, might've been because I was so wired for the much more punishing Chat Pile that night, but when I saw Agriculture last fall it didn't do a single thing for me. I'd like to see them again in a cozier space.

Meanwhile I saw Arch Enemy last night, and they're as great as they've ever been. So efficient, so tight, I've been a sucker for their speed metal and twin leads for 25 years now. And Alissa has grown into her role, she's now an absolute force onstage. They debuted their cover of Blaspheme's "Vivre Libre", which if you haven't heard it yet, is as great a Manowar-style metal ballad as you'll ever hear.

Though the avalanche of gigantic balloons during "Nemesis" was, erm, a surprise. It was like Ozzy and the bubbles all over again. “Come on Sharon, I'm the prince of fucking darkness."

i am beside myself in anticipation for the Acid Bath reunion shows to where I'm in a sensory deprivation tank mainlining When the Kite Strings rn

Some pretty cool ambient metal atmosphere from the guy from Evil Spirit:

https://lightbringermensch.bandcamp.com/album/der-schutz-des-feuers

I really like the new Pyramids but I’m not sure if it’s actually good or just a massive piss-take.

I sampled a few songs of that and I was definitely leaning towards the latter, and I didn't much like it either.

If you're looking for some cool atmospheric death/black/doom, the new Witherer album is very, very good. The first single is out today.

https://hypaethralrecords.bandcamp.com/album/shadow-without-a-horizon

Just discovered the Mexican thrash band Phantom via Angry Metal Guy (the writing on that site is so bad, but the music is frequently awesome). They're very much in the spirit of retro-thrash bands from 15 years ago — Fueled By Fire, Merciless Death, et al. — as well as current acts like Voltax. They have two albums, Tyrants Of Wrath and Handed To Execution, plus the four-song Transylvanian Nightmare EP and some demos, a live EP, etc. I'm gonna be giving them my money.

https://phantombandgdl.bandcamp.com/album/tyrants-of-wrath

I mean, if this album cover doesn't sell you, we have very different definitions of metal.

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3400073445_10.jpg

Angry Metal Guy is def good for things to listen to + comments sections sometimes also have good recommendations. writing variable.

This is their third album, but I just discovered the Spanish band Impureza today. They combine Obscura-ish prog-death with flamenco and wind up sounding like death metal Al Di Meola.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k95eykxOnKw

Um, if you have a chance to see Fulci on their headlining tour, GO. They were unreal tonight, a really cool multimedia set.

anatomize full length on new standard elite really delivers the brutal goods:
https://anatomize.bandcamp.com/album/systematic-torture

Gruesome have a great knack for writing/producing in the style of Death in a way which keeps it vital (ha)--their prev album from 2018 already felt like a nice step-up IMO, and this new one in the vein of Human sounds just as good judging by the two adv singles: https://gruesomedeathmetal.bandcamp.com/album/silent-echoes

saw Amenra for first time last night at London Roundhouse as part of Desertfest; unbelievably good. as people have said a bunch of times, the records don't capture the intensity at all. extremely intense; closest i could compare it to is some of the best times i've seen Envy, but obviously more DOOM. made Pallbearer who were on before just sound pitiful really.

OK, I'm sending out the press release on Tuesday, but because I really need people to hear this incredible music now if not sooner, here's the first track from the Ava Mendoza/gabby fluke-mogul/Carolina Pérez album Mama Killa, which is coming out on Burning Ambulance Music July 11:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cenaIV_JKfQ

New albums out this week from Moonlight Haze and Dalriada!

I've been looking forward to this Moonlight Haze album, and just finished the first listen, and it's fabulous: hyper-melodic, semi-symphonic, cathartically delightful.

enjoying the Unmerciful album myself

cosign that moonlight haze, it's extremely good if you go in for power metal -- I was already a fan, this one is leaner, I love it.

listening to an advance of the new gaahls wyrd, comes out 6/6...this is fucking great. flowing proggy vibes, harder than last fair deal katatonia but not unlike that...more brooding than borknagar but also kind of in that zone...very very good.

Reviewed five new albums (Ancient Death, Benediction, Phantom, Ritual Ascension and Venator) in the new BA newsletter. They all rule, but the Ancient Death is one of the best albums of the year in any genre.

https://burningambulance.substack.com/p/five-metal-albums-you-need-to-hear

great reviews, gonna have to check that Benediction record for sure, and you definitely intrigued me about a couple others there.

"You have to suspend disbelief and say, OK, I am not just listening to three dudes from Minneapolis playing guitars, bass, and drums and roaring about demons and whatnot" made me laugh

The older songs sounded like collections of parts, but the new music has depth and flow, and lead guitarist Ray Brouwer’s solos (sometimes more than one per song) are gorgeous.

Very much agreed on the Ancient Death. I LOVE the solos on this record. They never seem like digressions, they're always carrying the composition forward.

Didn't think I'd ever care about an album by The Haunted again but this latest one is surprisingly good. Marco's vocals are still the weak point but the songwriting is tighter and more memorable than they've been in a while

Heavendust

https://blabbermouth.net/news/sevendusts-clint-lowery-will-absolutely-write-about-his-journey-with-christ-on-bands-next-album

is this a meme-friendly space

https://scontent.fslc3-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/506457317_1237654854480000_6432212802555876818_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=833d8c&_nc_ohc=hkEwgVMbBJwQ7kNvwFBAx_X&_nc_oc=AdkTe6W_dmvFISThm49QI7RsotNyuoH4rHvN78El8anI-V6CBsbYmaOp26ELHv71lmFMF93jWuRUKrrmyh4qe7EF&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fslc3-2.fna&_nc_gid=4Y3GDhiBDCudRat3qV5KkA&oh=00_AfM2kSOIA8dIHKwtZmPuiTZloNLDyQquLYbDy288XZy7LA&oe=6853A0F9

Toadliquor are so back

https://toadliquorsl.bandcamp.com/album/back-in-the-hole

two grindy things i’ve been enjoying lately -

new byonoisegenerator, which is twisty-turny naked city-style jazzy cut-up grind:
https://byonoisegenerator-label.bandcamp.com/album/subnormal-dives

new sulfuric cautery comp of old material, which is last days of humanity-style gore grind with a snare that sounds like rain hitting garbage can lids, for true sickos only:
https://blastaddict.bandcamp.com/album/subsequent-torture-sessions-2019-2021

Yeah, Byonoisegenerator is great.

Really enjoyed this folky Brazilian bm from dude behind Kaatayra and Brii

https://vauruva.bandcamp.com/album/mar-da-deriva

Helms Deep's Chasing the Dragon is some pretty awesome 80s-style heavy/power metal, great guitar work, a nicely balanced and clear sound. “Red Planet” is probably the highlight for me. It gets a bit space-rock.

https://helmsdeep666.bandcamp.com/album/chasing-the-dragon

New Cryptopsy is solid. They're on a pretty good run on their last two, kinda hovering in an alternate reality where they kept making Whisper Supremacy sequels.

Despite having only one dude (Flo) from that album....it remarkably channels that era. As opposed to the very meandering Book of Suffering EPs.

I mean, it's not without bummers. McGachy is still a complete nothing vocalist. Flo's drumming these days definitely feels tighter, more triggered but less free-wheeling and crazy than in his earliest years.

But let's be real...a lot of that is that major death metal albums all sound sterile nowadays and if the rest of the band sounds tightly coiled and slick, you can't have your drummer sounding like he's playing on a Krabathor album, so it's tightly edited and sterilized.

There's a ton of very melo-death bits, but not In Flames, more like "Cold Hate Warm Blood" riffs

“cold hate warm blood” rules

haven’t listened to a new cryptopsy since… whisper supremacy, i guess? (ouch.) is this the one to start with?

Album cover of the month, without question.

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2850896191_10.jpg

Re Cryptopsy, Once Was Not from 2005 is good, and so is As Gomorrah Burns, the one before this one.

That album somehow already has a detailed Wikipedia article.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruel_World_of_Dreams_and_Fears

Re Cryptopsy, Once Was Not from 2005 is good, and so is As Gomorrah Burns, the one before this one.

thanks!

So normally djent get a big fat "nope" from me, but I listened to the new Vildhjarta today and actually really liked it? It does use a lot of the same djent plays, but I don't know, somehow it all feels actually in service to interesting music and not just for flashiness' sake? I didn't expect to dig this, but I do.

Is there any consensus on Castle Rat? I'm listening to their second album, coming out in September, and they're definitely leaning hard into a very old-school (like, Lee Aaron old-school) "sexy lady sings metal" thing, but the songs are good enough for it not to feel skeevy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWKmiTwjjHA

I like Castle Rat a lot, and the new one is hazy stoner fantasy fun. Reminds me of Jex Thoth, but campier.