When I mentioned last week that any release featuring elite vocalist Howard Jones quickly leaves everyone else scrabbling just to make themselves viable for metal track of the week, I should have mentioned that any release by Gojira also falls squarely into this category. The French metal titans can do no wrong, and are back again this week with their new track Amazonia. I could have just claimed them the winner before I had even listened to their’s or any others tracks this week, given their track record for never disappointing. That would however be unfair and against the spirit of competition. So henceforth let the battle commence.
Let’s start with the low hanging fruit. Gojira released another new track from their forthcoming album this week. Amazonia takes a slightly slower approach than previous single Born For One Thing, but I massively dig (do people still say dig?) the prolonged intro. It harks back to their very early work, giving me The Link vibes. If I can take anything from this track, it is that the new album is going to absolutely slap harder than a poorly executed drunken dive into a hotel swimming pool. Gojira don’t do bad, and this clearly will continue for as long as they remain active.
Beartooth finally unveiled their new album Below, coinciding with new track The Past is Dead. The unveiled tracklist contains previous single Devastation, showing that that wasn’t just a one off bridging track (to alleviate some confusion). After the heavy industrial influence on the aforementioned previous track, this one starts off with the woah-woah’s and is much closer to the lighter pop-punk/easycore side of Beartooth. You could easily mistake it for an A Day To Remember track. Frontman Caleb Shomo explained that this latest album is their darkest to date, reflecting on the mental toll the events of the past year have taken. I think we can all attest to that feeling.
Metalcore crew August Burns Red announced details of a forthcoming EP Guardian Sessions. This will contain various re-workings, b-sides and covers which were created during the recording of their latest album Guardians. A new original track Icarus was revealed this week, to be contained on said EP. It sounds rather jolly for a metalcore track, closer to an easycore track with a topping of extra screamo. A decent but otherwise a mostly run off the mill offering. Hopefully 2021 can turn out differently to the crash and burn of 2020 much like the mythical Icarus himself.
Groove metal icons Lamb of God released a deluxe version of their critically acclaimed self titled album this week, containing bonus tracks Ghost Shaped People and new track Hyperthermic/Accelerate. The three disc release also contains the Live In Richmond tracks and DVD. Hyperthermic/Accelerate contains exactly what you expect from a Lamb of God track; a pumping groovy guitar riff, Randy Blythe‘s trademark scowls and spoken passages. It’s a good track, but doesn’t really offer anything particularly new to the tried and tested Lamb of God formula.
Detroit rockers Upon Wings released a new single this week, with some notable guest appearances. Eternal Way contains a guitar solo from Falling In Reverse guitarist Max Georgiev alongside guest vocals from the supremely talented Ralf Scheepers of power metal legends Primal Fear and Gamma Ray. The slow bouncy intro harks back to the glory days of nu-metal past, mixed with a heavily gothic influenced symphonic metal sound.
UK djent/metalcore squad Vexed unleashed the latest single from their upcoming debut album Culling Culture. Epiphany mixes filthy chuggy passages with prog influenced clean pathways. The simple breakdown, dissonant chugging with a monotone siren-esque guitar riff in the background is particularly effective. Djent tracks very often get far too complicated for their own good, but a simple breakdown like this really stands out and shows terrific songwriting chops from a band yet to release their first album.
You may have heard me rant previously that bands regularly fail to show visual differentiation anymore. Gone are the glory days of the early 2000’s when bands like Slipknot, Coal Chamber and even Fred Durst‘s red cap displayed a sense of individualisation. Bearded guys in jeans and t-shirts could be any of 95% of bands today. Fear of Domination do not disappoint in providing their own version of a pop-industrial freak show on new track Dive Into I. Eurodance hooks twinned with bouncy metalcore FTW.
Finland’s Ghastly have released the first single from their upcoming album Mercurial Passages. Parasites presents you with a shot of dirty, disgusting, painfully delicious death metal. Taking clear influences from both early black and death metal, the old school feel of Parasites follows a pattern of a recent resurgence in old school death metal. With modern metal taking strides past complexity that takes guitar string count to new heights, there’s always a place for throwback death metal.
If you are in the market for some pure filth, Lotus Eater will serve up a great helping of modern djenty hardcore grime with latest track Vermin. Continuing the brutality, new single No One’s Below from Czech deathcore crew Abbie Falls delivers in spades. Pounding percussive rhythms, wailing vocals and a savage breakdown. Deathcore 101, but executed with expert precision. As the band themselves put it, “Breakdown is a new chorus”. Hell Yeah. Keep your eye on Abbie Falls in the future.
So who is going to take the crown this week? Have Gojira slain all before them as they did before? Amazonia is certainly a great track, and the new album is going to be another masterpiece I’m sure. But alas they are defeated. This week’s honour goes to Ghastly with their brilliant new track Parasites. Give me some old school death metal with haunting hollow vocals and tasty riffs and I go weak at the knees. That might just be my age, or the whisky. But death metal hits in a way nothing else does.
WINNER: Ghastly – Parasites
Check out last week’s Metal Track Of The Week.
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