BURDEN OF LIFE

Spine- "Deny" 7" (Bad Teeth)
First Pressing, 2015
Black Vinyl /??

The latest EP from Chicago's/Kansas City's Spine. Certainly my favourite material of theirs so far. Turbulent, ferocious Hardcore littered with menacing blast beats, mosh bits, and sheer venomous vocals. The singers style actually reminds me quite a bit of Alex Hughes of Hatred Surge. This is certainly some of the best hardcore of that fast style to come out since that bands last recordings.

IMMORTAL RITES

Morbid Angel- "Altars Of Madness" LP (Earache) 
Reissue, 2016
Black Vinyl /?? 

I have never been the biggest fan of Morbid Angel or the technical style of Death Metal that they played a big part in defining, but you certainly cannot deny how far and broad their influence as a band has travelled since the formative years of American Death. This is a new reissue of their debut album from 1989.

FLOWER PHANTOMS

Blood Ceremony- "Lord Of Misrule" LP (Rise Above) 
First Pressing, 2016
Red Vinyl /700

Their latest release. Similar to previous works, though arguably more refined with stronger Prog and Folk influences. I still prefer yesterday's post matter a little more, but this is still excellent heavy music and will likely make a place in my top 10 releases for the year.

DRAWING DOWN THE MOON

Blood Ceremony- "The Eldritch Dark" LP (Rise Above/Metal Blade)
First US Pressing, 2013
Solid Red Vinyl /750

I've been pining for a hard copy this album for a good 18 months now, and same old story- I was too tight to pony up the cash for postage from the US. On a recent trip to Japan I was hoping to pick it up from Disk Union as they had it listed not their web shop, but no luck, they didn't actually have it in any of their stores. A little annoyed by this, I just jumped on Discogs one night in the our hotel in Tokyo and parted ways with the hard earned cash.
Released in various colourways in the UK and Europe by Rise Above Records, this copy is the only of the US variant, pressed with help by Metal Blade.
A lush combination of Prog, Doom, Folk, all layered together with female and male vocals, flute, organ and the standard guitars, bass and percussion, I probably haven't listened to any band as much as I have Blood Ceremony in the last year or so. Of their four full length albums (this is their third), this is by far their strongest work in my opinion.

CHAINED TO EXTINCTION

Abyss- "Heretical Anatomy" LP (20 Buck Spin)
First Pressing, 2015
Black Vinyl /?? 

I can't remember how I first heard about Abyss from Toronto, I think they may have just randomly come up on a forum somewhere. I do remember though that I was instantly attracted to this album upon first listen. Abrasive Death Metal with influences that lay clearly in a reasonable spread of older stuff from various continents. A loud and crushing recording that punctuates 8 tracks in under 20 minutes. One thing that I eventually realised is that the singer from this band happens to be the guy that fronted Slaughter Strike, a band that issued a handful of recordings across various formats a few years ago, including a tape that I released an Australian edition of. This band is hardly comparable though- the sound that they've captured is infinitely heavier and derived from a less grind influence, perhaps claiming debt to something more like Nihilist rather than Terrorizer.