We'd like to think that us geriatric fuqs over here at ye olde stanky dank tank are pretty hip. We attempt to keep up on all the latest trends in metal – both aurally and visually. That said, sometimes shit is just lost on us. There is soooooooo much out there, that keeping track of everything is a lesson in sheer and utter futility.
So, with that in mind, what's the deal with deathcore anyway? Are plugs even a thing these days? What of skinny jeans? Are they even skinnier than they were last year? How skinny can they get? Do caps still snapback? Do deathcore kids continue to believe that their beloved music is still the most brutal thing on the planet? You know, important shit like this.
So, given that we are far from experts on the subject matter of what's hot and what's not, we at dank stick to reporting about the trends and all the latest, greatest happenings in the world of slam. If it slams as hard your cousin Bertha and cousin Boffo's trailer during a particular rowdy evening of inbreeding, you'll hear it here first! So, let's get started…
Recently, we've seen evidence that deathcore might just be a gateway drug to slam. More and more, we are hearing of fans and ex-deathcore musicians/bands making the transition over to the far more brutal pastures of slam. This isn't to say that deathcore isn't relevant in its own right. It just seems that as fans and musicians of deathcore mature beyond the pre-pubescent phase, so to does their taste in music. I mean, we can't forever suck back the tasteless juices of pablum. There comes a day when one prefers a giant juicey, bleeding steak over that of liquid solids.
Which brings us to the focus of today's dank. Nekroi Theoi. Comprising of former and current members of Lorelei, Ovid's Withering, 7 Horns 7 Eyes, and Regurgitated Pus, this Floridian five-piece started when members Mark and JJ ("Shiv") got the urge to seperate themselves from deathcore entirely.
Wasting no time, the guys are currently working on their debut album, scheduled to drop sometime in 2018. In the meantime, an EP will be released independently on November 5th, featuring guest vocals from Daniel Weyandt of ZAO.
Let us first say that we were absolutely blown away upon hearing the band's debut single, "The Foul Eucharist". This thing is about as far away from deathcore as one can possibly get. It's also unfair to lump these guys into slam – this thing is just so much more than most slam bands. To sum up the brutality you are about to hear – think Deathspell Omega and Ulcerate covering Defeated Sanity at Disgorge's house. Yep. A swirling, vertigo-inducing bash to the skull with a blunt, brutal weapon. We guarantee you will be hearing a lot from these guys in the near future. Pro stuff that rivals even the best death metal bands out there.
When asked about the HUGE change in sound, when compared to that of their individual deathcore days, vocalist JJ had this to say…
"Well, we never were deathcore, we just came from deathcore bands. We like deathcore, but brutal death was our passion way before we got into deathcore. Now that we have control over our sound, we're just playing the music we love. We get a thrill out of uncompromising brutality, not carefully-controlled 'what will get more kids into us' style songwriting.
Also, I'd like to add that deathcore is definitely still relevant for the younger generations, but a lot of us who were there for the birth of deathcore grew into its father genres. Also the deathcore bands from that era grew up with us, turning into full on modern metal bands with varied songwriting and less focus on gimmicks."
Guess what? We have the first listen of "The Foul Eucharist" streaming below (once again made possible by our good bud, Joe, over at Slam Worldwide!). Check it out, and stay tuned to the band's official Bandcamp for details of upcoming releases.
