Best of January 2021
We're back and we have OPINIONS
Oh you thought I had died didn’t you? Nope, still alive and kicking, mostly kicking, often thrashing, but there’s hints of “alive” in said thrashing. It certainly has been awhile. To be totally honest, I fell behind a little bit in early January, then during a drive from one end of California to the other we got trapped by snow and our car broke down. Then I got approved to move to a new state so that’s been consuming a majority of my time since then.
BUT NOW I’M CAUGHT UP! And starting now, we’ll be resuming our normal schedule. Should there be any more hiccups in the future you’ll know about them before they happen (unless I don’t know about them). If you want to stay aware of any updates and schedule changes, follow @ApotheosisMetal on Twitter, which I’ll try to keep active as the primary news source for the newsletter.
With that out of the way, let’s plunge beneath the muck and see what January brought us.
Nomadic Rituals - TIDES
Having never heard Nomadic Rituals before this month, I was delighted to find another stoner doom band that enjoyed space exploration (the other being Sleep). This concept album about fleeing Earth in search of a brighter future is full of twists and turns, but what really sells the band is their tireless dedication to being heavy as hell. Clearly inspired by titans like Sleep and Electric Wizard, every second of this record drips with sticky, fuzzy goodness and it uses enough guitar trickery to keep you from spiraling into a stoned trance.
HUSH - Blackheart
Blackheart is a special album. Not only does the one woman fronted band use their platform for “anti sexism, anti racism and anti homophobia” per the band’s Bandcamp page, they just kick ass. Primarily existing as brutal death metal, Blackheart delivers all the juicy technical punch that a metalhead could want without skimping on the gritty brutality that makes death metal so beloved. This is one for the year end lists.
Thou & Emma Ruth Rundle - The Helm of Sorrow (EP)
Much like their 2020 collaboration, The Helm of Sorrow sees Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou balance one another magnificently. There’s honestly an argument to be made that this is the superior project between the two, but that’s not really the point. These collaborations are of a high enough profile that they could fundamentally alter whole sections of the extreme metal scene. If it does, it’s clear that it’ll be for the better.
Nadja & Disrotted - Split
Nadja & Disrotted have teamed up to create one of the most intriguing splits in recent memory. The selected tracks hold elements of atmospheric black metal and doom metal, two widely separated genres, and mash them together with surprising success. At its absolute best it calls to mind the more lighthearted works of Earth. But even in its similarities it shines as a true original. The unsettling production, beautiful riffs and terrifyingly open sound profile invite dreams and nightmares in equal measure. This is one split well worth tearing into.
Cryptic Brood & Night Hag - Swollen with Rancid Phlegm
While I fully admit that I don’t exactly gravitate toward death metal, I like to think I can pin down the good stuff when I see it. This is going to go down as one of the best splits of the year and that’s all there is to it. The title is fittingly gross, as this album is one of the most vile things to make its way into my headphones all year. But if you don’t mind putrescence, this split between two of the most exciting death doom trios is sure to make you ooze glee.
Greed Void Doom - Ode to Ohm
This record wears its heart on its sleeve like few others. From the absurdly overt title to the wigged out pillars of creation on the cover, this psych-doom record wants you to take a trip. Luckily, they’re a damn good guide to have around. Green Void Doom flits from face-melting solos to bowel shaking riffs with remarkable ease. Be sure to give this one a listen because I’m not sure anyone else is giving them their due, and there’s something special happening here.
Divide & Dissolve - Gas Lit
I guest reviewed this record for another publication but if you’re looking for a boil down, here it is: this album is already the name to beat for the best doom/post-metal record. Filled with thrilling instrumentation, string ensembles and bone crushing guitars, this record takes no prisoners and demands that you keep up. Just make sure your legs can carry you before hitting the pavement.
Gatecreeper - An Unexpected Reality
One of the most anticipated releases this year, An Unexpected Reality does not disappoint in the slightest. A brutal death march from front to start, the album flawlessly blends thrash and death metal into a relentless, high-octane experience that throws you onto the top of a rocket and lights the fuse. It all culminates in the gargantauan, unexpectedly somber “Emptiness” which takes all of the band’s strengths and lays them on full display through a combination of death, doom and thrash.