The frequency at which music I’m into seems to ebb and flow pretty consistently. Last week there was a ton of songs I went on and on about, and this week there are two… though they’re damn good.
This isn’t a teaser so much as it is a complete list of what I’ve got this week – Enslaved dropped a nearly 10-minute track that takes the band in whole new direction with a lot of shoutouts to the past, and Converge‘s new song will have you scrambling to pre-order the album once you’ve managed to glue your face back on to your skull.
Enslaved – “Storm Son”
When keyboardist and clean vocalist Herbrand Larsen left Enslaved in 2016, I was a little worried about the coming album. Larsen’s voice has been a part of the band since 2004, and the dude could sing. So what if the new guy’s voice threw off that great balance between smooth cleans and Grutle Kjellson’s harsh grunts?
Fortunately Enslaved recruited Håkon Vinje, who is the complete opposite of awful, and rolled out quite the progressive epic to demonstrate just how on top of its game the band really is. “Storm Son” is just over 10 minutes long and really touches on a lot of sounds that Enslaved covered over the past two decades.
Enslaved will release E (not a typo) on October 13, and you can grab a copy here.
Converge – “Under Duress”
In late July, I covered Converge for this piece as it announced the I Can Tell You About Pain EP. Now the band is back to announce the long-awaited full length The Dusk In Us, and with a lead single like “Under Duress,” the album is sure to be ridiculous.
“Under Duress” is neither fast song, nor does it try to confuse the shit out of you with insane time changes. “Under Duress” is incredible riffs that move at the speed they need to, with vocalist Jacob Bannon sounding better than ever over top. It helps guitarist and studio deity Kurt Ballou produced the whole thing, because everything that guy touches is instantly the heaviest thing ever.
The Dusk In Us is out November 3, and you can pre-order it here.
