Saturday, 15 February 2020

New Release Highlights: Feb 14th 2020

Ok guys and guyettes, despite there being a lot of Metal / Rock releases this week, there are just a small number which I reckon are worth spending your time (and energy) on, and one of these is a single.

Ihsahn - Telemark EP

Now I'm sure that the vast majority of you are already aware of who Ihsahn is, but for those that aren't, he is most known and respected, for being the frontman / song writer for Norwegian Black Metal legends, Emperor. Now, while I am an admirer of the man's work in the aforementioned band, I will admit that I haven't found the vast majority of his solo output to be to my tastes, so I was naturally cautious when it came to his latest release. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to hear his most consistent and heaviest work since the Emperor days, albeit it with the now prerequisite saxophones / horns.


Hatebreed - When the Blade Drops (Single)


I can only assume that when Hatebreed released their previous album, 2016's The Concrete Confessional, frontman Jamey Jasta was in a bad place, personally, as the overall vibe was dark and negative, which is far removed from the usual Hatebreed attitude of self-belief and positivity. When the Blade Drops obviously isn't an upbeat, radio-friendly pop ditty, but it is a punchy, groove-laden Hardcore track and that is exactly what you want from Hatebreed, right?


Kvelertak - Splid

A decade ago (really??), Norwegian rockers, Kvelertak blew my mind with their exciting and energetic self-titled debut album, which seamlessly blended Metal, Punk, Rock 'n' Roll and more to create an eclectic and completely unique style all of their own. Sadly, the two albums which followed failed to capture the same magic and I lost interest. That has all changed on Splid, the band's fourth album. Here the lads have rediscovered what made them great in the first place. It might not be reinventing the wheel as far as Kvelertak's sound is concerned, but Splid is exactly what I want from the band and it still stands out from the crowd. Great success!


1 comment:

  1. Oooooh, oooooh, oooooh!! Hatebreed. I like this. The others are actually pretty good too. Nothing I dislike here, weirdly. X

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