The Buried Underground – February ’23

Two months in to 2023 and we’re already balls deep in to some fucking hot ass metal. The February edition of The Buried Underground is everything you need from your metal; loud fucking guitars, blast beats and a serious distaste for the buzzy trendy shit that everyone and your grandma’s already talking about. We’re talking the dirty, grimy headbangers who write their logo so crazy, we can’t even pronounce the band name. We want the bands that are hungry, ones that would sacrifice a goat to the deity of their choosing. (Ok, so Dave doesn’t want anyone to actually do that, but it sounds fucking rad and really extreme.) 

Basically, we’re picking bands this month that are saying something worth hearing. Hardcore, prog, death, black, grindcore heavy metal and everything in between. (Except nu-metal.) (Wait… no, I’m apparently not allowed to write that.) 

Anyways, If you’re featured here, you’re pretty fucking great, and we would definitely sacrifice a goat in your name (Dave’s saying “no we would not do that.”) So grumpy, that guy. 

Enjoy!

 
Rick’s Picks:

If there were a contest for band names that describes their music the best, this would be the fucking winner hands down, and then they would steamroll everyone right then and there. 71TONMAN is exactly that, heavy as fuck dark atmosphere, that’s droning and catchy as much as it is crushing. Catastrophic, dense waves of sludgy guitars that groove like a slow moving sledgehammer that you can’t get out of the fucking way of. Lumbering drums, thick basslines and deep cavernous growls add monstrous effect, making this a literal giant of smashing power. This is dread filled crusty and swampy ambience heavy enough to level your city. Either check this out now or get fucking pummelled March 3^rd reaching for your ChapStick.

Record Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
For Fans Of: Primitive Man, Morbid Evils, Conan.
Bandcamp: https://71tonmanband.bandcamp.com/album/of-end-times-sludge-doom-metal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/71TonMan

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Incredible energetic musicianship with tinges of folk, black, tech, and power metal fuelling this extreme melodeath soundscape. Beautiful synth textures, neoclassical flourishes and a knack for mythological storytelling enhance the furious rhythmic charge of sharp-edged riffs and double bass. Gnarly harsh growls and screams further capture each songs intensity. Comprised solely of Dan Cooley and Steve Redmond (drums credits, Hans Grossman), Foretoken captures the right balance of guitar chops, speed, symphonic touches, and melodic expression in one tight shell of melodeath that takes you on a different path than most bands in this genre. Blistering guitar solos, punishing blast beats, and several of metal’s extreme flavours all add depth, interesting textures, and remarkable dynamics to the metallic riffed chaos. These guys are headed upwards, don’t say you didn’t know.

Record Label: Prosthetics Records
For Fans Of: Mors Principium Est, Kalmah, Allegaeon.
Bandcamp: https://foretoken.bandcamp.com/album/triumphs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForetokenMetal/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gladenfold/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ForetokenM

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Dave’s Picks:

Over quicker than a knife fight in a phone booth, the new 8-track E.P from SCALP will literally smash your teeth in and then ask if you have any spare change. Produced by Taylor Young (Deadbody, Twitching Tongues) of The Pit Recording Studio and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, this 12 minutes of savagery is unapologetic, raw and built like a brick shithouse.
“Black Tar is a very negative outlook on my past life experiences: trauma, addiction, psychosis, losing family members to overdose, personal opinions with religion, and blasphemy,” notes guitarist Devan Fuentes. Yep, I can confirm this release is absolutely saturated in misery.

Record Label: Closed Casket Activities
For Fans Of: NAILS, Gultch, CANDY.
Bandcamp: https://scalpoc.bandcamp.com/album/black-tar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scalp.oc/

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Formed in 2009 by Igor Sydorenko, Ukrainian prog-stoner trio, Stoned Jesus, are about to unleash their 5th studio album, Father Light. Written as the first half of a double LP, Father Light is the opener to a much larger musical world; an introduction to this deep new chapter of Stoned Jesus. Originally sidelined by the pandemic, and then further delayed by Russian troops occupying their studio in March ’22, Stoned Jesus are now back on track to complete the 2nd half of their double album. Until then, we have this 6-track wall of fuzzed-out riffs, gut-rumbling bass lines and soulful vocals. But in amongst the heaviness and stomping grooves lies a haze of psychedelic melody and atmosphere, stitching the whole thing together. The idea that music is the ultimate escape has never rung truer in light of what happened to Ukraine in 2022. The prospect of brighter days lies ahead, making the Father Light album title even more appropriate. Take the journey, and enjoy the ride.


Record Label: Season of Mist
For Fans Of:Elder, Porcupine Tree, Mastodon.
Bandcamp: https://stonedjesus.bandcamp.com/album/father-light
Pre-Save: https://orcd.co/stoned-light
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stonedjesusband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonedjesusband/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StonedJesusBand

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Eric’s Picks:

Seven Doors plays no frills old-school death metal that is as authentic as any being put out anywhere. The solo project of Ryan Wills, Seven Doors has released a debut album full of death metal masterpieces. With stellar production, impeccable musicianship, shredding solos, and malignant vocals straight out of the gutter, fans of old-school death metal, both classic and contemporary, will eat this album up like a zombie with a big ol’ plate of stinking, bloody entrails.

Record Label: Trick or Treat Music/Redefining Darkness Records
For Fans Of: Cannibal Corpse, Undeath, Morbid Angel, Skeletal Remains.
Bandcamp: https://sevendoorsdm.bandcamp.com/album/feast-of-the-repulsive-dead
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100031961996679
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sevendoorsdm/

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Much like Seven Doors, Re-Buried plays old school death metal still dripping from the sewers in which it was born. Blending a punchy brand of death metal with some grooving doom passages, Re-Buried proves the naysayers that claim that the modern run of old-school death metal is lacking in both talent and song writing skills plain wrong. Each song on Repulsive Nature is well-written and catchy, and I expect Re-Buried to blow up to the levels of Gatecreeper, Blood Incantation, and the like before too long. 

Record Label: Translation Loss Records
For Fans Of:Suffocation, Obituary, Frozen Soul, Malignant Altar.
Bandcamp: https://re-buried.bandcamp.com/album/repulsive-nature
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reburieddeath

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