Written By Kevin McSweeney
Welcome to Seven Deadly Songs. No time for the formalities. There’s a lot to get through. If you’re looking for live albums this week, then legends from across the spectrum have got you covered.
For example, there’s Nothin’ to Lose in Reading 1981 from all-female NWOBHM trailblazers Girlschool, which is to be released via Cleopatra.
There’s Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann’s Live in Kraków (Out of Line Music), and former Murderdolls vocalist Wednesday 13’s Un-Alive from Pol’and’Rock 2025 (Napalm Records).
Oh, and there’s also Linkin Park’s Unshatter Film Soundtrack (Live in São Paulo), courtesy of Warner Records, so you’re absolutely spoilt for choice.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a new studio album from an iconic band, there’s Decay, the 11th full-length offering from UK industrial innovators Godflesh (Relapse Records).
If you’re looking for something more melodic, there’s Throne of Thorns, the 15th full-length gift from God’s own glam metal missionaries Stryper (Frontiers Records).
Most iconic of all, perhaps, are Sweden’s hard rock heroes Europe, whose 12th full-length album, Come This Madness, is due to be released via Silver Lining Music/Hell & Back Recordings on September 25th, which is the release date for all the aforementioned albums.
You’d struggle to find someone, irrespective of age or taste in music, who doesn’t know The Final Countdown. We will now commence our countdown of songs released this week from albums by artists who should be as well-known as all of the above.
Seven Deadly Songs: Autumnfall – Lightless Depths
I thought this would be a nice place to start, given that we’re heading into autumn/fall in the northern hemisphere, and it feels like we’re plummeting into lightless depths.
This misty, mellow and fruitful bit of melodic black metal is from The Archaic Sins, the fourth full-length album from the Finnish three-piece, courtesy of Ardua Music.
There’s plenty more Finnish black metal this week, with delights on offer such as Bloodmother’s Militant Black Magic (Time to Kill Records), Flame’s Ignis Draconis Daemonicus (Primitive Reaction), and Hail Conjurer’s Abyss & Ekstasis (Crypt of The Wizard).
There’s also Volucrine’s Chapter V: Renewal (Inverse Records) and Invincia’s Echoes From The Past (Escape Music), just in case you fancy escaping the black metal.
All Finnish efforts will be out on September 25th, except Hail Conjurer’s, which will be out on the 23rd. There’s always one, isn’t there?
Seven Deadly Songs: Ethereal Tomb – Abandon Suffering
Toronto-based trio Ethereal Tomb deliver an immense slab of sludgy doom with this track from their third full-length album, Living to Dream Again, courtesy of Bat Skull Records. They refer to their sound as “Turtle Island Street Metal”. I have no idea why. What do you think I am, a fucking journalist?
For more in the way of glorious Canadian cacophony, we recommend: Meurtrier’s Messe De Fer (Jawbreaker Records), Nordicwinter’s A Hopeless Dawn (Naturmacht Productions), Nuclearhammer’s Xaos 333 EP, (Iron Bonehead Records), Shadow of The Fire’s The Fall of All Things (SOTF Records), Skumstrike’s Flawless Intrigue From Hell (Dying Victims Productions) and last but not least, Storm Force’s Truth. All of them will be released on the 25th, because Canadians are polite.
Seven Deadly Songs: Grave Dance Company – The Loneliest Place
We’re just over a month away from Halloween, when my thoughts turn towards all things Gothic.
It would be a good idea, therefore, to draw your attention to the debut album by German/Austrian export Grave Dance Company. (I can only think of one other German/Austrian export, but the less said about him, the better.)
The deep and despondent vocals of Michelle Darkness are very much in the Andrew Eldritch/Peter Steele/Fernando Ribeiro mould, and the instrumentation will be equally appealing to those who like it slow, deep and hard. The album is due to be released via Reaper Entertainment on September 25th.
The same day will see the release, via Steamhammer, of Lay Me Down O Silent Fear, the 14th full-length album by fully German gothic metal veterans Lachrimas Profundere.
That particular album contains a song called Heart, I Will Break You Before You Break Me. Why on Earth would the Wilson sisters want to break them?
Seven Deadly Songs: Mindvile – Lord of The Threshold
The first of two songs on our list of a lordly leaning comes from the debut offering by Spanish melodic black/death metal muchachos Mindvile. The album, which is due to be released on September 25th via Paragon Records, is titled Old Continent.
That’s as opposed to being old and incontinent, like me. It’s one of a number of fine Spanish offerings this week. They’re coming like little plates of tapas on the 25th.
There’s Revenge by hard rockers Sons of Cult (Black Night Productions), and Axe by melodic blackened death metal band The Last Oblation (independent).
Then there’s the astonishingly productive Crux Ex, who have released two albums and two EPs in the last twelve months, the latest of which is titled The Merciless Cold. What would the Spanish know about merciless cold, by the way? That’s where we go to get away from the merciless cold!
Seven Deadly Songs: Noctule – Lord of Blood
This track was the first single from Extinguish Thy Flame, the second full-length album from Noctule, the solo project of former Svalbard guitarist Serena Cherry, which is due to be released independently on September 25th.
Apparently, the song is about the video game Elden Ring. I know nothing about video games, but I do know that the Bristol-based artist knows how to produce a pleasing blend of melodic death metal and atmospheric black metal.
There’s a number of other releases from the UK this week that deserve your attention. There’s Burner’s No-One is Coming to Save Us (Church Road Records), Cloven Hoof’s Never a Prophet in Your Own Land (High Roller Records), Chemical Storm’s Splintered, Crushed & Shattered EP (independent), and Pure Reason Revolution’s Terrifying Angels (Insideoutmusic), all of which are also due on the 25th. Not bad from the Brits!
Seven Deadly Songs: Watcher – Chalice of Light
I was hoping that the music from this Swedish trad metal trio would be as alluring as the cover art of their second full-length album, Mistress of Our Time, (due to be released on September 25th via Dying Victims Productions). I was not disappointed. The 25th is a busy day for their label.
They will also be releasing the aforementioned Skumstrike album, plus Violent Visions by Austrian black/thrash metallers Ludgar, and Rivers of Blood by Chilean thrashers Critical Defiance. The title of the latter has an unfortunate connotation in the UK, as it is associated with an infamous speech by far-right politician Enoch Powell.
I for one would be very happy if we could forget about him and associate the phrase with Chilean thrash going forward. Lord knows the people of Chile have been blighted enough by the far right in their own history. It’s critical that we defy hate, and make metal a chalice of light.
Seven Deadly Songs: Zealot Cult – Sadist
We conclude proceedings this week with a cacophonous treat from the Treaty County in the form of this track from Psalms of Filth, the second full-length album from these death metal marauders from Munster.
The album is due to be released on September 25th via Awakening Records, and contains ten tracks, all of which will likely hit you harder than a hurley stick to the sliotars.
They love their hurling in Limerick, and with five All-Ireland Championships under their belts in this decade alone, why wouldn’t they? Hopefully, Zealot Cult can inspire some fondness for home-grown extreme metal in a county that is best known internationally for giving us The Cranberries and The Rubberbandits.
It’d be a case of: fuck your Honda Civic, I’ve the Cóiste Bodhar outside. Anyway, that’s your lot for this week. See you in seven for another seven.
Catch up on last week’s Seven Deadly Songs weekly weekly roundup”
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SEVEN DEADLY SONGS Q&A
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A: Seven Deadly Songs is Metal Lair’s weekly roundup of the heaviest new releases across the full metal spectrum. Each week we spotlight seven standout tracks you shouldn’t miss.
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About The Author
Kevin McSweeney is Metal Lair’s resident scribe of the underground, eternally rummaging through the global metal scene for riffs worth your time.
As the guiding hand behind Seven Deadly Songs every Friday, he has an uncanny knack for finding the track you didn’t know you needed, usually before finishing his pint.
Equal parts loyal, kind, and quietly razor-witted, Kevin brings deep knowledge, impeccable taste, and a steady, reliable presence to Metal Lair.
Read More From This Author:
Album Review: The Scars by LUGOSi
EP Review: Beyond The New Horizon by iAtlas
ALBUM REVIEW: GREEN CARNATION – A DARK POEM, PART III: THE MESSIAH COMPLEX
Album Review: To No Avail by Xenith
Album Review: Made Flesh by Untitled With Drums
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