What’s this? Record(s) o’ the Month posted on the last day of March? This can’t last!
King Goat took me by surprise, and judging from the reactions in the comment fields and from other writers, I’m not the only one who thinks that Conduit is an awesome record. It’s special that King Goat came out of nowhere, unsigned and unheralded, with an album full of gripping songs. More impressive still, few debut albums are as artistically focused and coherent as Conduit, which continues to receive an inordinate amount of play at the Angry Metal Household. As I raved in my review: “Conduit is a slow burner that I liked from the start, but I have grown to love it. The blend of good ideas and great performances makes for an addictive album. King Goat may hearken back to the operatic drama of Candlemass, but Conduit is an idiosyncratic take on that sound and a conduit to another world.” Check out their Bandcamp to stream and order the album.
Runner(s) Up:
Inverloch // Distance | Collapsed — Death doom is not an easy genre to make work, but Inverloch impressed all of us here at Angry Metal Guy Industries with Distance | Collapsed’s extremely heavy and gripping writing and performances. This album is well-crafted, with grimy riffs and brutal blasts offset by the kinds of dirges that only the best doom bands can get away with. Fortunately, Inverloch is one of the best, and Distance | Collapsed should leave no question in anyone’s mind about that. Grymm frothed at the mouth thusly, “the balance of invoking an atmosphere and providing brutal heaviness and speed when necessary can tricky … but Inverloch make it seem so effortless.”
Wormed // Krighsu — Wormed are worshiped and mythologized for their idiosyncratic take on the technical death metal genre, and Krighsu is another gold star on their metal cred report card. This absurd, extreme, and brutal addition to Wormed’s discography is almost so dense at times that it’s difficult to get your head around. But a little patience, a little time, and a good set of headphones and the diligent listener will be rewarded. Once Krighsu unfolds, it’s a great album. Kronos is a bit of a fanboy, but I agree with his gushy description of Wormed: “This is a band that refuses to lift off the accelerator, constantly swerving at whiplash-inducing speed through four and a half spatial dimensions.”
