Thank Satan It’s Friday has officially been going for 10 editions strong now, and this one’s pretty great! Veil Of Maya rolled out a crushing new song, In Search Of Sun truly funked things up, Electric Wizard emerged from its haze of weed smoke to put out a new track, and Yellow Eyes continues to be an unsettling and relatively quiet entity.
Now let’s go blow out some eardrums.
Veil Of Maya – “Overthrow”
In 2014, Veil Of Maya swapped out vocalist Brandon Butler for Lukas Magyar and promised more clean vocals for its new material, which meant one of two things. Either the new stuff was going to be written to accommodate clean vocals and be amazing, or just write trite, boring-ass choruses with sing-songy vocals that added nothing of worth to the music.
Fortunately Veil Of Maya went with the former assumption on its 2015 album Matriarch, and seem to be one-upping that quality thus far with the new album False Idol. “Overthrow” is fucking heavy, man. Period. Sure, the choruses soar and all that, but the verses and the riffs are on par with Veil Of Maya‘s 2008 classic The Common Man’s Collapse, which is really, very exciting.
False Idol has weird artwork and will be released on October 20. Get you some of that weirdness here.
Electric Wizard – “See You In Hell”
In early 2016, Electric Wizard vaguely began teasing that it’d release a new album on Halloween. Halloween 2016 came and went without so much as a whiff of weed from the band, though that’s getting rectified this November. With new drummer Simon Poole and bassist Clayton Burgess (Satan’s Satyrs, Terraset), Electric Wizard has announced it’ll release a six track, stripped down new album called Wizard Bloody Wizard on November 10.
The lead single “See You In Hell” is exactly what the band promised – a no-bullshit approach to stoner metal that harkens back to the blues roots from whence we all came. Which is to say that it’s a damn good song, and you’re probably going to need Wizard Bloody Wizard in your life.
Pre-order here, but maybe wait until you’re home from work. The cover is 15% boobs.
With The Dead – “Anemia”
Speaking of Electric Wizard, here’s a band with an ex-Electric Wizard member! With The Dead features vocalist Lee Dorrian (ex-Cathedral, ex-Napalm Death), guitarist Tim Bagshaw (Serpentine Path, ex-Electric Wizard), bassist Leo Smee (ex-Cathedral), and drummer Alex Thomas (ex-Bolt Thrower), and is just so, so heavy.
Seriously, With The Dead basically tunes its guitars to drop fuck tuning and just grimly works its way through your sound system until everything is covered in filth. With The Dead is also perfect for anyone who misses Cathedral, yet wishes Cathedral was slower and lower.
With The Dead will release Love From With The Dead on September 22, and you can grab a pre-order here.
In Search Of Sun – “Say It Like You See It”
In Search Of Sun has taken radio rock sensibilities and decided to crank up the musicianship big time. They’ve also added a pretty chunky organ sound into the background of “Say It Like You See It,” and I’m of the persuasion that every metal song can be made better with a good ol’ Hammond B3-type sound tossed in.
Seriously though, “Say It Like You See It” is a song that’s fun for anyone that wants a really catchy song to sing along to, but anyone who’s looking for a really solid song with excellent, slightly funky musicianship also needs to look no further. In Search Of Sun just knows what’s up.
Virgin Funk Mother is out on October 20, and was mixed by ex-Periphery bassist Adam “Nolly” Getgood. Pre-order the album here.
Yellow Eyes – “Velvet On The Horns”
Yellow Eyes is a band of very few words. You won’t know there’s even a new album in the works until the label announces it, and you won’t see all too much of the band live. Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t keep an eye out for activity from the band considering they’re far and away one of the most interesting black metal bands on the scene.
Yellow Eyes‘ 2015 album Sick With Bloom was an uncomfortable journey through rotting fields, empty towns, and crumbling churches. Now with its new album Immersion Trench Reverie, the band explores that sense of nauseating, kaleidoscopic horror even more with the debut single “Velvet On The Horns.”
Please don’t eat before you take this journey. Immersion Trench Reverie comes out on October 20.
Through The Eyes Of The Dead – “Obitual”
Speaking of eyes, here’s another band with the word “eyes” in the title! Sorry, that’s about as connected as these two get.
It’s been seven long years since Through The Eyes Of The Dead released Skepsis, and these dudes are back with a new one called Disomus, which stands to blow everything they’ve ever done clear out of the water. “Obitual” is just groovy, disgusting, occasionally dissonant death metal that builds upon what Through The Eyes Of The Dead was doing on Skepsis, though seems to be light years ahead of everything prior.
Seriously, you’re gonna need Disomus on October 13.
