Listenable Records has four releases total coming out over the span of the first quarter of 2011. The label typically has a nice variety of bands in the Black and Death Metal fields, and sometimes will branch out into other styles like Metalcore and Melodic Death Metal to name a few. The bands that will jump start the year for the label all have some form of Black metal in the, except for The Eyes of a Traitor, a band that focuses on a more Metalcore sound now, with traces of their Melodic Death Metal past still lingering in a very subtle fashion. Below is a run down of the available reviews for these upcoming releases, as well as some audio streams from each record, courtesy of Clawhammer PR and Listenable Records themselves.
Cavus: Fester and Putrefy
Cavus is a Black Metal act that formed back in 2007 in Porvoo, Finland. This five-piece musical act didn't take long to issue an independent recording, their 2009 self-titled EP, Cavus. This release was strong enough to gain the attention of Listenable Records, and the band recording their debut full-length effort, Fester and Putrefy. The material on the release seems to be aimed more at an old-school first wave Black Metal sound, but manages to incorporate some of today's more underground musical techniques to really drive the influence home, leaving Fester and Putrefy to be an album that, even for those who dislike a more raw production quality, to be a little more accepting.
-> Read the review here.
-> Read the interview with Scott here.
The Eyes of a Traitor: Breathless
The Eyes of a Traitor is a moderately new band on the Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore scene. Hailing from the UK, the group formed back in 2006, and issued their debut album, A Clear Perception, in 2009. As the band continued to grow and mature, fans quickly found them leaving behind some of their Melodic Death Metal traits in favor of a more Metalcore sound overall. This continues to happen with the release of Breathless, an album that take more "core" into perspective then melody. Of course, this isn't really a bad thing, but it definitely does leave room for improvement.
As far as the Death Metal and Black Metal scenes go, Hate has always been one of those bands people will think of, though not really one of the first ones off the top of the head. Originally established back in 1990 as a Death Metal act, this Polish Metal group eventually expanded into a Black/Death Metal style, which many would claim was to emulate Behemoth, one of the countries most notable acts both in Metal, as well as of the Death/Black Metal style. Of course, while there are some similarities, there's no denying that Erebos, the seventh full-length offering from Hate, is a solid, brutal work of Metal.
The Order of Apollyon is a Black/Death Metal superground from the UK. There has been much talk about this group, but until today, they had yet to release an album. The band initially formed back in 2008, and features members of such well known acts as Cradle of Filth, Aborted, Akercocke, and even Trigger the Bloodshed. With a lineage as strong as this, tacked on with the many other bands that the members of this four-piece are involved with, it seems almost impossible for their debut full-length effort, The Flesh, to be a bad album. Of course, sometimes these releases do wind up being bad due to all the various influences coming into the picture. Luckily, The Flesh is not one of those types of releases.
Svart Crown is a Black/Death Metal ac t that formed back in 2004 and originates from France. The time that this group has spent together clearly shows in their recordings, though it did take the group a good while to issue an actual release, with their debut full-length Ages of Decay being issued back in 2008 through Rupture Music, a smaller record label. However, the group has signed with the more established Listenable Records to issue their follow-up full-length effort, Witnessing the Fall. While the music still captures a nice brutal mixture between Black and Death Metal, it's the more maturing sound of tighter material in this recording that really captivates the listener.
In true fashion, Listenable Records has some fine releases due out for the first quarter of 2011. If you've heard anything from the label, then chances are good you already know what to expect with these releases, and perhaps for the rest of the year. And, perhaps, if this is any sign of what is to come throughout the year, it'll be a positive year for Listenable, and perhaps better then 2010 was as far as new releases go.
