Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Bandcamp Picks: The Gathering, Cryptopsy, Murder Construct, Beastplague

The Gathering have returned with Disclosure, which is self-released under their own Psychonaut Records. Don't expect the witchy doom metal of their early years; this is much, much better. Emotive and spacey, it's closer to shoegaze/post-rock than anything remotely metal. But even if you're one of those who wrote the band off when Anneke left (myself included), Disclosure is still their best work in almost a decade. The purchased package includes the video for the song "Heroes for Ghosts."

Usually a self-titled album signals an intention to re-invent, a defining statement, or a return to form. In the case of the new self-released, self-titled album by Cryptopsy, it's an indication that there are no keyboards or clean singing (the reason why so many fans spurned their previous effort, The Unspoken King). It's not quite a return to the berkerker fury of Whisper Supremacy, and a little "djenty" for my tastes, but I respect this band's continued desire to grow and push their boundaries.


Murder Construct is the main gig for grindcore journeyman Leon Del Muerte, who served time in both Exhumed and Impaled during their best years; however Results bears little resemblance to the Carcass/Dismember worship that those bands traffic in. Instead, what we have here is an album of thinking man's grind that doesn't skimp on the blasting and has only occasional appearances of Travis Ryan's clean singing. My only complaint is the production, which is washed out and reduces the guitars to a wall of noise. With the level of talent on hand, I'd actually appreciate hearing them clearly.


Hat tip to my buddy Lucas Lee for letting me know about Beastplague, a three-piece from Florida playing Assück/Insect Warfare-style death/grind. These guys are so new, they only played their first show last month, but don't let that fool you; these are six songs (and a goofy intro) of very accomplished rage. So good, it's hard to believe they're giving it away for free.


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