It’s Friday, which means two things: giving the week the finger and new music! Tune in every Friday for The Pit’s round-up of new releases, from singalong hard rock to pus-drenched underground death metal. Keep those ears bleeding!
Ice Nine Kills, Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 (Fearless Records)
For fans of: Motionless In White, Papa Roach, Calabrese
Standout track: “The Shower Scene”
Whatever Ice Nine Kills hinted at with 2018’s The Silver Scream, they have now perfected with Welcome to Horrorwood. This time around, Spencer Charnas & Co. are explosive in their excellently-patterened accents, unpredictable while at the same time enthralling throughout. Meanwhile, the horror references are wonderfully meta, both taking part in the band’s cinematic inspirations while examining them with popcorn in hand. A perfect Halloween movie marathon.
Vildhjarta, måsstaden under vaten (Century Media)
For fans of: Meshuggah, Gojira, Igorrr
Standout track: “toxin”
Holy shit, keep your fingers away from the gears of this album. Calling Vildjharta an ‘experimental’ or ‘progressive’ band does an injustice to the music they’re making on måsstaden under vaten. There is nothing airy or ethereal about this record other than its cosmic desire to invade and dominate other planets. Think djent meets misanthropic black metal meets sludge meets, I don’t know, deathcore slowed down? This is a record that will eat you alive if you’re not careful.
The Agonist, Days Before The World Wept EP (Napalm Records)
For fans of: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Darkest Hour, Nightrage
Standout track: “Remnants In Time”
You have to love how huge The Agonist sound on Days Before The World Wept. This album has all the fixins, from its swirling riffs to its haunting pianos to its nonstop downpour of double bass drumming. At a certain point, even if symphonic metal isn’t really your thing, you have to appreciate the sheer absolute grandeur of a record like this (and if it is your thing, you’re going to love this). If you’re going to be dramatic about things, well, be the biggest drama queen around.
John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, Daniel Davies, Halloween Kills (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), (Sacred Bones)
For fans of: Getting stabbed to death by Michael Myers
Standout track: “Halloween Kills (Main Theme)”
I met him 15 years ago. I was told there was nothing left — no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this… six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face…and the blackest eyes. The Devil’s eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
