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