The Cure for the Summer Music Drought: Metal

Last week, I wrote about this summer’s music drought.  Outside of a few releases and re-releases, there really isn’t much that’s new to get excited about.

But then someone rightly pointed out that this has been a good year for metal.  A VERY good year.

My buddy Darryl Sterdan (read his music columns/interviews in the Sun newspapers) has been writing about some of the new metal releases.  Here are his five top picks:

1.  Decapitated/Carnival is Forever

This Polish band has rebounded after their drummer was killed in a car accident in Belarus in October 2007.  The same accident resulted in severe head trauma to the singer and he still hasn’t fully recovered.  Meanwhile, guitarist Waclaw “Vogg” Kieltyka lost his brother.  Decapitated disappeared for a while but was reformed with Vogg and three new members a couple of years ago.  The resulting reunion album is stunningly good.

2.  Lock Up/Necropolis Transparent

What began as a Napalm Death side project has grown into a full-time thing for bass player Shane Embury.  With At the Gates’ Tomas Linberg on vocals and drummer Nick Barker, they are now a sonic force unto themselves.  If you like tight, clean grindcore, it doesn’t get much better than this.

3.  Morbid Angel/Illud Divinium Insanus

While some of the faithful profess disappointment with this record (not death metal enough), others like the variety of the sounds and approaches.  If you think you might fall into that latter category, check out Illud Divinium Insanus. If not, tread carefully.

4.  Origin/Entity

These guys really put the “death” in “death metal.”  Punishing.  Brutal.  Unrelenting.  Remember the movie American Psycho where Christian Bale cut up people with a chain saw while extolling the virtues of Huey Lewis and the News?  If that movie were being made today and I was the music supervisor, this is the music I’d use for that scene.  I wonder what that says about me?

5.  Devin Townsend Project/Deconstruction

Prog-metal from this BC musician. This is part three of a four-disc series.  Players include members of GWAR, Opeth, Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah and, er, the Prague Symphony Orchestra. It’s a metal album and more.

The Devin Townsend Project – Deconstruction… by deconstruction2011

And as a bonus selection, Darryl points out that there’s a great selection of Deep Purple reissues coming out on the Eagle Rock label.  He’ll have reviews on those this Sunday.

For more metal recommendations from Darryl, go here and here.