Death Won’t Die
Our inadvertent exploration into various styles of Death Metal continues this week with some Scandinavian Melodic Death and some Progressive/Technical Death Metal from Canada. We also have a Swedish band that flirts with some Melodic Death too, but I mean, they’re from Sweden. It’s like in their blood or something.
Reviews:
Kalmah – Palo (Spinefarm)
Augury – Illusive Golden Age (The Artisan Era)
Orbit Culture – Redfog
Kentucky
Johari
Kalmah – Palo
Augury – Illusive Golden Age
Orbit Culture – Redfog
BANDS ACROSS AMERICA:
Johari
The Sideshow Podcast 
I think the best song on the Augury album is Message Sonore, which is the instrumental track. That’s not a knock on the vocalist, I just think the playing is so strong on that (somewhat) groovy track.
I’m ready to draw a conclusion based on the type of bands you’ve been discovering in Bands Across America. Metal is much more diverse in each state that we think it is. We have preconceived notions of Georgia being the breeding ground of sludge bands and Massachusetts being central ground for metalcore and Connecticut being home to hardcore. But it seems to be turning out that those notions are formed by a handful of bands that may have started 20 years ago. It seems like metal of many subgenres is alive and well throughout places we wouldn’t expect it to be, such as a djent band from Kentucky.
I’m gonna have to agree with you about Bands Across America. However, one genre all the states seem to have in common is Black Metal, especially “atmospheric” or “depressive/suicidal” BM. In any form, though, there is a lot of BM in every state.
Speaking of Kentucky, I also purchased the debut of SUCCUMB TO DEMISE. I am picky with my Brutal DM (I know you hate that descriptor, but you know what i am referring to) and these guys check all the right boxes. They have groove, slams, technicality, diverse vocals, ripping songs… They may not be the most original band but they make up for it in a killer execution. Similarly, for NY, I purchased CANCEROUS’s stuff. Their latest EP, “Nightmare Rituals,” is only 4 songs but they have such a good twist on Slam/Brutal DM, it’s very enjoyable. – Brian
Re: black metal, I think Black Metal is so prevalent throughout the United States that I recall Metal Injection doing a feature where they picked the best BM band from each state.
I don’t hate the term “brutal” as it applies to a subgenre of death metal, I just think it’s meaningless. I really fail to see (or hear) the difference between brutal death metal and plain old death metal. For example, Metal Archives lists Suffocation as Brutal Death Metal but Immolation is just plain Death Metal. Are those 2 bands that different that they warrant different subgenres? To me they are very similar and are both just death metal.