There's something to be said for clean production in heavy metal. Clear, understandable vocals can draw listeners into the story the singer is telling, a sense of space between instruments creates a sense of epicness, and being able to differentiate individual notes in a wailing guitar solo gives budding musicians a way practice their shredding without being able to read sheet music. With that being said, there's also a case to be made for metal that falls on the other end of the spectrum. Impenetrably murky and cavernous production imbues compositions with a terrifyingly otherworldly character. Bands like Vasaeleth and Impetuous Ritual could easily soundtrack a Lovecraftian nightmare of mind-shattering cosmic horror. These types of songs have a recognizable melody, but the finer points of the music are blurred into a cacophonous maelstrom that's frightening on a visceral level.
Philadelphia's Pissgrave is one of the latest bands to embrace murk as an aesthetic quality. To date, the band has only released a single cassette demo on Graceless Recordings and that's long since sold out, but the band's upcoming debut on Profound Lore Records promises to introduce the death metal trio to a much larger audience. Profound Lore recently uploaded the first taste of the band's album, Suicide Euphoria, on Soundcloud and it's a must-hear for 'heads who like their death metal putrid and terrifying. The odious mass of a song is called "Impaled Vibration" and it's an affront to all things good and clean in heavy metal. Suicide Euphoria is due out on August 4th and you can stream "Impaled Vibration" below. Make sure to crank this monstrosity up to alienate everyone in your general vicinity.
https://soundcloud.com/profoundlorerecords/pissgrave-impaled-vibration
