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Deafheaven – Sunbather

West Coast metal outfit Deafheaven has really improved their sound on this latest outing of theirs, delivering sharper, more triumphant compositions through a barrage of black metal-style instrumentation.

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Deafheaven – “Sunbather”

Metal outfit Deafheaven has dropped the title track from their forthcoming album, Sunbather, which is set for release on Deathwish Inc. next month. The song takes a load of black metal theatrics and executes them with triumphantly beautiful lead melodies. Enjoy!

Also, catch a review for a previously released track from the band, “Dream House,” below:

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Altar of Plagues – Teethed Glory and Injury

Irish black metal outfit Altar of Plagues’ latest album sees the band challenging their atomspheric black metal roots with loops, synthetic drums, keyboards, noise, and some unique grooves.

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Surachai – Embraced

Chicago metal outfit Surachai takes the tremolo picking and blast beats of black metal, and intensifies them with great interplay, an atomspheric recording, and anthemic melodies. The band is pretty ambitious when it comes to song lengths as well, breaching the 15-minute mark on the opening track of their new album, Embraced.

I could see fans of Litury and Krallice getting into this pretty easily, but don’t be surprised if you find Surachai’s compositions to have a bit more flow. I think most people will be pretty impressed with the detail and quality of the recording on this three-track affair as well, which is a process that is explained in detail right here. Enjoy!

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Altar of Plagues – “God Alone”

Experimental black metal outfit Altar of Plagues drops a new music video for the track “God Alone,” which will appear on the band’s next album for Profound Lore Records, Teethed Glory and Injury. It’ll be out next week, and enjoy the track ’til then!

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Kvelertak – Meir

Kvelertak delivers once again with high energy, solid production, anthemic melodies, catchy choruses, and a tastefully executed blend of influences: rock ‘n’ roll, black metal, hardcore punk, and heavy metal.

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Kvelertak – “Månelyst”

Following 2011′s self-titled debut, Norway’s Kvelertak will release their sophomore LP, titled Meir, on March 26th via Roadrunner Records. Above, stream the video for album cut “Månelyst.”

As it was properly introduced by their eponymous record, Kvelertak specializes in a metal/punk crossover brand which bears a potent rock’n'roll energy. Such an aesthetic has not been abandoned on “Månelyst,” which utilizes galvanizing vocals, fist-pumping grooves, busy guitar solos, and driving riffs to create a pummeling yet fun-loving atmosphere. The Fredrick Hana-directed video mirrors this effectively, splicing together a series of horror clips that sometimes veer into endearing camp. If nothing else, the video is commendable for its representation of Kvelertak’s juxtaposition of heaviness against a party-friendly attitude.

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Paysage d’Hiver – “Offenbarung”

A chilling black metal track from Paysage d’Hiver, which comes off the Swiss musical project’s latest full-length, Das Tor. This is hardly Paysage d’Hiver’s first release, though. This “band’s” sole member, Tobias Möckl, has been making music under this pseudonym since the 90s, and his love of the classic, Nordic black metal sound shows. Not only that, but Möckl also has a clear appreciation for the world of ambient music, too; taking a lot of black metal’s qualities and stretching them out into this long, repetitive mass that’s both eerie and hypnotic.

That’s certainly the recipe that’s being worked with on this new, 24-minute track. Enjoy!

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Wardruna – “AnsuR”

A deep, dark, drone-y track from the new Wardruna album, Runaljod – Yggdrasil. These guys are a Norwegian project that takes a pretty gloomy approach to recreating the folk music of their homeland. However, the mood of this track isn’t a surprise when you consider numerous members of the band have backgrounds in metal music–specifically black metal.

Runaljod – Yggdrasil is Wardruna’s sophomore full-length, following the release of 2009′s Runaljod – gap var Ginnunga. Both albums are out now on Indie. Enjoy!

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VUYVR – Eiskalt

Swiss black metal outfit VUYVR accomplishes the impossible task of creating a black metal album that simultaneously references the genre’s heyday in the 90s, but feels refreshing as well.

While the recording of these songs feels a little claustrophobic–and intentionally so–there’s a strong melodic character to the songs on this album that keep them feeling dynamic and engaging. Enjoy!

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