The Buried Underground – March ’23

As a father, I feel I am excellent at the art of dad jokes. So, who wants some metal themed knee slappers for the March edition of The Buried Underground? Which is totally unrelated to the month of March and to the kick ass metal-beating awaiting your eyes, and then hopefully your ears, just a few short sentences down below this upcoming nonsense. Without further ado…

Some say that if you play Ghost backwards, you’ll hear Satan. 

Even worse, if you play it forwards, you’ll hear Ghost. Ouch!

Why is Metallica the safest band to listen to in the airport?

Because they haven’t set off a metal detector since 1988. Sad but true… 

The adjective for metal is metallic, but not so for iron.

Which is ironic. *Ba Dum Tsss* 

Ok, ok that was pretty terrible/great, let me know in the comments. I could have gone all night, but I’m confident no one reads the introduction anyways, because there’s always just too much headbanging to be done. Well, once you’ve read the descriptions first. After all, that’s why we’re here, for helping with underground music that needs to be heard. This month’s batch of bands are all fucking killer and will not be the butt of any jokes. 

Oh shit, I almost forgot our main metal man Dave. Here’s one for you, buddy!

Nickelback walks into a bar…

There’s no punchline because ruining music isn’t funny. 😉

Enjoy! 

 
Rick’s Picks:

In November 2022, I had the pleasure of reviewing this blackened death metal masterpiece, which ended on my years end list. That is also why it’s featured here now on TBU. It’s simply too fucking good to not be in every metalheads ears. Aptly titled, this is an inferno of extreme metal with harsh soundscapes full of jagged guitars, powerful drums, and insanely groovy melodies with hints of progressive elements that will sear your cold blackened heart. Chock-full of unusual chord arrangements, proggy song structures, throaty growls and neck snapping grooves, this is a swarming beast of intensity that never lets up. Seriously, do yourself a favour and give this band some love.

Record Label: Season of Mist
For Fans Of: High Command, Goatwhore, Ósserp.
Bandcamp: https://blacklava-aus.bandcamp.com/album/soul-furnace
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLACKLAVA00/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blacklava.aus/

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Furious black metal, thrashy groove laden hooks, and undeniably catchy? Check, check and fucking check. This fresh black metal band, hailing from Greece, had better be on your radar right now, or you might as well turn in your corpse paint. Hellishly fierce vocals mixed with grim blackness that has melody, fiery emotions, and dynamic song writing. More than just tremolo picking and blast beats, this band is about to bash in your skull with sick grooves and tons of adrenaline fuelled riffs that rock as much as they are black. A deadly rhythm section drives the potent songs straight to hades, while scorching speed is met with serious swagger. Do not miss!

Record Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
For Fans Of: Varathron, Necromantia, Ravencult.
Bandcamp: https://decipherbm.bandcamp.com/phs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/decipherbandgr/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decipher.official/

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The buzzsaw guitar sound of yesteryear will always hold a special place in my grisly heart. When a modern band tries to recapture those magical sounds, it often comes across as puny and unauthentic. This is not the case with Denmark’s gritty death dwellers, Bloodgutter. The band’s swampy sound is equivalent to a swarm of bees attacking someone tied to a tree in the marsh, being brutally ripped to shreds by a wretched old crusty, chainsaw. In other words, fucking magnificent! Heavy, catchy as hell, foot stomping death metal with serious hooks, that’s often been described as a bastard mix of Entombed and Obituary. Try not to headbang, I fucking dare you.

Record Label: Trollzorn Records
For Fans Of: Entombed, Obituary, Dismember.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloodgutterband/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloodgutterband/

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Dave’s Picks:

On March 10th, Canadian Progressive Death blenders, Dissentient, dropped album number three. A hulking, 60-minute slab of thunderous bending riffs, cosmic atmosphere and polyrhythmic grooves. Labyrinth comes with a slicker production than previous release Portal III, and a more detailed focus on the songwriting. Not only that, but Dissentient have taken their already potent formula and accentuated the best parts of their sound, making the grooves more absorbing, the transitions even more seamless, and the atmosphere working in a way that seals all the parts together. If you’re a fan of the groove (I mean, who isn’t) give these guys a try, I highly doubt you will be disappointed.

Record Label: Self Released
For Fans Of: Meshuggah, Allegaeon, Aegaeon, C.B Murdoc, Anomalous.
Bandcamp: https://dissentient.bandcamp.com/album/labyrinth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dissentient
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dissentient_official/

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Pennsylvania riff-slingers, Sleepsculptor are gearing up to release their 2nd full-length, Divine Recalibration. Now joined by vocalist Florent Curatola, the band have also teamed up with producer Matt Guglielmo (SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Cryptodira, etc) to really turn up the heat on this new release. And by heat, I mean, absolutely scorched fucking earth. Singles Panacea, An Equivalent Exchange, Venerate and newest track, Plaster Saint have already set the foundations for what sounds like an unquestionably savage release from the band. Imagine a Sleepsculptor that’s even more direct and bludgeoning than before, that’s also found a way to make the hooks even sharper. This is Sleepsculptor 2.0.


Record Label: Silent Pendulum Records
For Fans Of:Converge, The Chariot, Car Bomb, The Armed, Tony Danza, Meshuggah, Frontierer, Ion Dissonance.
Bandcamp: https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/divine-recalibration
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sleepsculptor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleepsculptor_pa/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepsculptorPA