Staff Infections – September 2023

Howdy, kids. it’s time for Staff Infections. You know the drill. I was going to put this piece out last week, but I blew it off because I was tired. Tired from what, I don’t remember, but probably just early-stage oldness. Now I’m tired and have a hangover, so I guess that’s an indictment on procrastination. In the grand scheme, though, I haven’t much to complain about; in a seemingly apocalyptic summer, I’ve managed to avoid any close brushes with nature’s wrath. There is a hurricane passing by, but it’s far enough out to sea that I won’t get much more than rain and a few gusts of wind. Others have not been so fortunate. There are plenty of disasters to pick from, but if you can find a way to help out your fellow humans in Morocco, Turkey, Libya or perhaps some people closer to home, I’d urge you to do so. Like it or not, we’re all in this shit together.

Let’s see what the Hell we’ve been listening to. For starters, we have a four-way tie for second place in our album of the month competition. First, we have the long-awaited return of Horrendous with it’s recently released fifth album, Ontological Mysterium. Next, we have the ever-reliable Incantation with its latest offering, Unholy Deification, followed by some more death metal in the form of Lost Harvest’s Deluded Seas of Diverge. Rounding out the quartet of runners-up is Sodom, with the classic Persecution Mania. Finally, the big winner this month is rookie death metal group Begravement, with its ferocious and well-crafted debut Horrific Illusions Beckon. Our pal Dan Obstkrieg has a ferociously enthusiastic and well-crafted review of said album for you right here.

For our group discussion, let’s stick with the death metal theme: What is your favorite death metal debut album of the twenty first century. Off the top of my head, I’m going to go with Serpens Aeon’s Dawn of Kouatl from 2003. The band was formed by ex-members of The Chasm, but Serpens Aeon had more of a straightforward death metal sound as compared to The Chasm’s epic, melodic work. Dawn of Kouatl isn’t a dazzling affair, but it’s solid all the way through, and the style really hits the spot for me. Unfortunately, one album is all we ever got from Serpens Aeon.

That’s it for this month. Be sure to have a listen to the Spotify playlist below featuring selections from the Last Rites staff, and please share your own playlist in the comments. See you all later.

 

  • Zach Duvall
    Ectoplasmorphosis – Vortex of Possessable Flesh
    Blut Aus Nord – Disharmonium – Nahab
    Paysage d’Hiver – Tas Dor
    Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York
    Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium
    Mortuary Drape – whole bunches
  • Andrew Edmunds
    Incantation – Unholy Deification
    Wishbone Ash – Argus
    REM – Document
    Uriah Heep – The Magician’s Birthday
    Sodom – Persecution Mania
    Whitesnake – Lovehunter
  • Danhammer Obstkrieg
    Meurtrières – Ronde de Nuit
    Begravement – Horrific Illusions Beckon
    Jaimie Branch – Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
    Moonlight Sorcery – Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle
    High Pulp – Days in the Desert
    Limbonic Art – Moon in the Scorpio
  • Ryan Tysinger
    Sodom – everything
    Lost Harvest – Deluded Seas of Diverge
    Begravement – Horrific Illusions Beckon
    Vital Remains – Forever Underground
    Sacred Outcry – Towers of Gold
    Afterbirth – In But Not Of
  • Captain
    Blood Oath – Lost in an Eternal Silence
    Ascended Dead – Evenfall of the Apocalypse
    Binah – Phobiate
    Cult of Luna – Vertikal I & II
    Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry & Roomful of Teeth – Stillpoint
    Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music
  • Lone Watie
    Lost Harvest – Deluded Seas of Diverge
    Ok Goodnight – The Fox and the Bird
    Meutrières – Ronde de Nuit
    Nightwish – Oceanborn
    Sodom – Persecution Mania
    Baila Nova – The Collection, Vol. 1
  • Manny-O-War
    Body Maintenance – Beside you
    Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium
    Knower – Knower Forever
    Incantation – Unholy Deification
    Malokarpatan – Vertumnus Caesar
    A Tribe Called Quest – We Got it From Here… Thank You For Your Service
  • Spencer Hotz
    Begravement – Horrific Illusions Beckon
    Opeth – Still Life
    Cryptopsy – As Gomorrah Burns
    Great Falls – Objects Without Pain
    Mammatus – Expanding Majesty
    Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – Cold As Weiss
  • Madman
    Science – Weird Science
    Body Count – Body Count
    Otep – The God Slayer
    Primal Fear – Code Red
    Godthrymm – Distortions
    Dethklok – Dethalbum IV
  • Jeremy Morse
    StarGazer – Bound by Spells
    StarGazer – A Merging to the Boundless
    Suffocation – Blood Oath
    High Command – Eclipse of the Dual Moons
    Exhumed – Beyond the Dead
    Asphyx – Death… The Brutal Way
  • Craig Hayes
    Jane’s Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual
    Undergang – De syv stadier af fordærv
    13th Floor Elevators – Bull of Wood
    King Crimson – Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal 1984
    Incantation – Diabolical Conquest
    Can – Tago Mago

Posted by Jeremy Morse

Riffs or GTFO.

  1. OK it’s death metal season! Plus a little spacey heavy psych and some twangy indie/alt country….

    Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit
    Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium
    Blood Incantation – Luminescent Bridge
    Static Abyss – Aborted from Reality
    Domkraft – Sonic Moons
    Mapache – Swinging Stars

    Kinda blanking on DM debuts from this century that really rip – I guess Starspawn at the risk of fanboying Blood Incantation.

    Reply

  2. Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium (fucking A)
    After Earth – The Rarity of Reason
    Unbirth – Fleshforged Columns of Deceit
    Testament – Dark Roots of Earth
    Orphalis – The Approaching Darkness
    Nihility – Thus Spoke the Antichrist
    Skeletal Remains – Devouring Mortality
    Marduk – Viktoria

    Best death metal debut of the 2000s? Starspawn by Blood Incantation (i swear I’m not copying Benny above).

    Cool to see Mr. Hayes is listening to 13th Floor Elevators “Bull of the Woods”. I used to listen to that album a lot. I should revisit that…
    (later)…well I listened to that old album again. Had forgotten how groovy it was. They sometimes sound like The Rolling Stones and Lou Reed and Iggy Pop all rolled into one. I’ll bet the Elevators influenced all those guys.

    Reply

  3. If it makes you all feel better, Starspawn was the first thing that came to mind for me too.

    Reply

  4. If it’s a Starspawn party, count me in. A stellar (pun intended) debut. And yeah, 13th Floor Elevators are a long-time fav of mine. Big psych-head, which certainly means Blood Incantation appeal too.

    Reply

  5. El Regalito – Los Rieleros del Norte
    Wormrot – Hiss
    Stigmatism – Ignorance in Power
    Exil – Warning
    Mystic Storm – From the Ancient Chaos
    Arch / Matheos – Sympathetic Resonance
    Run DMC – Raising Hell
    Van Halen – Women and Children First

    Two debut albums from the 2000’s that standout to me are:
    Succumb – S/T
    CHTHE’ILIST – Le Dernier Crepuscule

    Reply

  6. Bereft – Leichenhaus
    Amenra – Mass IIII
    Obsequiae – The Palms of Sorrowed Kings
    Meshuggah – Immutable
    Pale Divine – Consequence of Time

    As far as death metal bands of the 2000s go, I’m not sure I’ve heard any debut albums. By the time I hear most bands, they’re a few albums in, and I’m generally terrible at checking out back catalogues. I think PORTAL might be the only band I’ve heard their debut. Though there are plenty of death metal bands worthy of it. Guess I have some listening to do.

    Reply

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