🌶️ To The Teeth is back to normal: Upon Stone, Fortress of the Pearl, Vemod, Abigor & more

Plus: new songs from Judas Priest, Ihsahn, Borknagar, Lesoir, Darkspace, Brodequin

Jan 19, 2024

Welcome to the To The Teeth newsletter! Your weekly update of new heavy music. You can listen to (most) everything in the playlist on Spotify. If you like what you read, go to Patreon (receive a patch!) & Bandcamp (buy a patch!). Peppers are hot 🌶️!

Back to normal-ish! After another head-on collission with my good friend Covid-19, a vacation, the holidays, my best of the year list ánd the infamous List of Lists.. this is the first normal To The Teeth newsletter of 2024. As every january, it’s singles season. It starts of strong though, there’s some great stuff to look forward to this year. Ayeto!

New Albums

🌶️ Upon Stone

Melodeath, USA (Century Media)

FFO: At The Gates, The Black Dahlia Murder, Dissection

Because of their fantastic 2021 ep, I didn’t realize they didn’t have a full length out yet. But it’s here, and it’s good. A little on the nostalgic side? Sure. Is it a little one dimensional? You could say that, yeah. But still, it’s rooted in the here and now, plus: when it’s as well done as this, I really don’t mind. Fun band, fun album.

🌶️ Fortress of the Pearl

Experimental black, Greece (self released)

FFO: Spectral Lore, dungeon synth

Oh, Ayloss. As if the man - also known as Chris - wasn’t busy enough with Spectral lore, Auriferous Flame and Mystras, there’s another project from his hands that is as irresistable as anything he makes. Hypnotic and unique, and stunningly beautiful.

🌶️ Vemod

Black, Norway (Prophecy Productions)

FFO: Paysage d’Hiver, Fuath, Hermóðr

Vemod are back with a first record in twelve years. Nidrosian black metal, but less satan and more woodwork. Music to completely immerse yourself in.

There’s more: Abigor (🌶️ black from Austria - this came out late last year on vinyl only, but is now streaming on Bandcamp), Lord Dying (🌶️ sludge from the USA), Slift (🌶️ psych from France), Saxon (NWOBHM from the UK), Master (death/thrash from the USA), Santacreu (doom/post from Spain), Heavy Sentence (heavy from the UK), Narzissus (🌶️ black from Austria - Erech Leleth alert!), Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites) (🌶️ prog death/black from China), Escuela Grind (death/grind from the USA), Meridion (death from Chile), Scanner (heavy/power from Germany), Deconsekrated (death from - again - Chile), Urdôl Ur (epic black/dungeon synth from Norway), Sgàile (prog/post from the UK), Engulf (death from the USA), Resin Tomb (sludge/death from Australia), Andracca (black from the UK), Malist (black from Russia), Domination Campaign (death from Australia) and Sovereign (death/thrash from Norway). The rest is in the playlist!

New songs

There are new songs out from: Darkspace (🌶️ atmoblack/ambient from Switzerland), Cantique Lepreux (🌶️ black from Canada), Judas Priest (heavy from the UK), Ihsahn (prog from Norway), Borknagar (🌶️ prog/viking black from Norway), Brodequin (brutal death from the USA), Hulder (black from the USA), Lesoir (🌶️ prog from The Netherlands), Necrophobic (death/black from Sweden), Givre (black from Canada - members of Entheos, who were first called Givre but brought Givre back alongside Entheos: two for the price of one!), Slimelord (death/doom from the UK), LLNN (post/sludge/hardcore from Denmark), Stress Angel (blackened death from the USA), Duindwaler (🌶️ black from The Netherlands), Ghoul (🌶️ death/thrash from the USA), Acid Mammoth (doom/stoner from Greece), Vltimas (blackened death from Portugal/Canada/USA), Chelsea Wolfe (sadness/portishead from the USA), Aureole (atmoblack from the USA), and a live track from Samael (black/industrial from Switzerland). The rest is in the playlist!

Non-metal & next week

Non-metal album of the week: Ana Tijoux (latin pop from Chile/France)

I’m looking forward to next week because of: Madder Mortem, Olhava, Caligula’s Horse, Eye Flys & Blood Red Throne.

Bonus: the new Departure Chandelier (black from Canada/USA) won’t be out for another two weeks, but it’s up in full at Bandcamp.

What was your favourite? What did I miss? Let me know!