July 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs

The British extreme metal band Anaal Nathrakh have signed with Candlelight Records for the release of their fifth full-length. True believers are already well aware of the band, but now should get even more exposure to U.S. fans. In The Constellation Of The Black Widow is a powerful and diverse album that mixes elements of black, death, industrial and grindcore.

After a brief intro, the opening track “In The Constellation Of The Black Widow” launches like a punch to the gut, vaulting out of the gate at lightning speed with frenetic drums and a wall of extremity. Throat ripping screams and growls are tempered by brief melodic vocals. The melodic vocals get more of a showcase on songs like “More Of Fire Than Blood.”

YOB 2009 continues the band’s sound, a powerful mix of doom, sludge and psychedelia. The Great Cessation also continues the band’s history of epic songs, with only five tracks that unfold over the course of 60 minutes or so. It kicks off with “Burning The Altar,” a passionate track that tells the world YOB is back.

“The Lie That Is Sin” starts off with a lengthy intro of sludgy, downtuned guitars, then speeds up into a nice groove. The vocals are mostly melodic singing with a few growls and yells added to the mix. “Silence Of Heaven” is a little less structured, with a plodding tempo and primal screams from Mike Scheidt.

Suffocation delivers straight ahead death metal with technical expertise and solid songwriting. The songs on Blood Oath are precise, yet extremely heavy. They avoid the trap of monotony by changing tempos regularly. The title track is a powerful opener, dense and brutal, but with a hint of melody.

“Images Of Purgatory” has a nice guitar solo in additional to some crushing riffs. “Mental Hemmorhage” slows the tempo down to an oppressive crawl before taking off. “Undeserving” takes the opposite approach, galloping along at a brisk tempo before slamming on the brakes for an interlude of sonic demolition, then putting the hammer down again.

The typical song on Pray For Villains has heavy riffs and thundering drums, but also memorable choruses and downright catchiness. The title track opens the CD and sets an aggressive tone with twin guitars, prominent drums and harsh vocals from Dez Fafara. “Back With A Vengeance” is a standout track, opening with a retro sounding riff then settling into a groove

“I’ve Been Sober” has a brief power metal moment before intensifying into the band’s usual sound. Melodic moments and the return of the power metal vibe for a guitar solo make it a very accessible song. DevilDriver also uses synths effectively on songs like “Waiting For November,” adding depth and atmosphere.

Between honing their chops on high profile tours and the new members, Job For A Cowboy has upped the ante on both musicianship and songwriting. Ruination is potent and intense death metal, very technical with some grind elements. Songs like “Regurgitated Disinformation” are fast and dense, but also have enough melody and groove to be memorable.

No matter the tempo, Job For A Cowboy rarely lets up on the brutality. They let the intensity build up to near suffocation, then ease up or insert enough of a groove to grab a breath of air before diving back into the extremity. The album closer, the title track, begins with a slower, almost mainstream sounding intro with some catchy guitar parts, and maintains that tempo throughout.