EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Listen to Cryptodira’s “Integral” Cover of Cynic

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Cynic are one of the greatest metal bands of our generation, regardless of their current status or one’s opinions of their latest releases. Perhaps one of the most decisive signs of that is how their tracks work both in their quiet, intimate version and the original epic ones. Thus, Re-traced in Air remains an immensely impressive album, perhaps one of the most impressive of its type (Opeth’s Damnation would be another one or Devin Townsend’s Unplugged). With their skill, Cynic birthed a plethora of progressive metal bands and can be credited as one of the progenitors of progressive metal in general. One such band, who have always worn their influences on their sleeves is Cryptodira. While we would LOVE to tell you that we have new material from these guys (“soon!”, the promise us), we do have a cover of Cynic’s “Integral” by the band. Check it out below.

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Dive Into An “Abyssal Mouth” With Humanity’s Last Breath

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There are several great things about premiering a track from Humanity’s Last Breath. The first is that we absolutely love the project (even though we pine for Vildhjarta’s return). The second is that the project needs absolutely no introduction; the third is that neither does the music. However, with “Abyssal Mouth”, you might do to expect a little bit more variety. HLB are known for hitting hard and then hitting harder and that’s definitely true for this track as well. However, the overall structure of the song and the vocal ideas contained therein might cause you some more pause for reflection. Head on down below and start the process, we’ll dig into it after.

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Gaze In Wonder At Impuritan’s “Altered Statues”

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A good psychedelic rock album is like no other; the expansive vibes lend these sort of releases an unmistakable sense of grandeur. However, it’s hard to find albums nowadays that can pull off the style (although I’ve been having good luck with that, recently). Luckily, bands like Impuritan are more than willing to step up to the challenges. Much like Kylver, these guys blend post rock, stoner and psychedelic rock to create a drawn out, looming style of music that’s highly effective at generating mood. I am honored to be able to premiere today not only their latest EP, Altered Statues, but also a music video for the track “Spruce”, off the same release. Head on down below for both!

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE – The Cartographer Swing In To “Vultures” Music Video

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I love hearing the influence of bands I already love in new music. Maybe The Cartographer weren’t necessarily thinking of Fear Factory when they wrote “Vultures”, but that’s kind of what I’m getting. Taken from their Human Error EP released last year, we’ve got the video premiere for this groovy beast of a track. With consumer tastes in “proper” metal changing so rapidly, it’s nice to have a band to remind people that certain sounds are always satisfying. It’s groovy and it’s heavy and it will damn well make you bang your head.

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Icaria Are “Transcendent”

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Icaria remembers to have fun and, thus, we are fortunate to have an exclusive stream of their upcoming debut album, Transcendent, here on Heavy Blog Is Heavy. This five-piece progressive metal outfit from Atlanta packs a serious punch with their flashy compositions, tight production, and relentless intensity. The band sounds like a cross between Periphery on their most recent poppier albums, Coheed and Cambria, and just a hint of shreddy power metal. It’s an absolute blast. There’s nothing mind-bending here and nothing that will change the face of progressive metal but that is not a bad thing. Icaria is making thoroughly enjoyable metal that has a lot of pop appeal but still maintains its musical integrity and complexity.

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Aspire Bring It In With “Outsiders”

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A shift of pace from the rancid, foul grind that I regularly bring to the table as today bears witness to the sounds of Scotland’s latest metalcore miscreants. Check in for big bouncy riffs, hooks that kill and some fancy but not wanky tech chops. From the Sumerian school of guitar interplay and fast tracked to a scholarship on the Erra program, Aspire come in hard and heavy with the summer sounds on “Outsiders”. Taps aff, it’s time to swing your fists.

EXCLUSIVE: Shy, Low Offer A Lesson In Post-Metal “Dialectics”

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Richmond, VA post-rock/metal act Shy, Low are a band that have miraculously escaped our official attention on this site, which is quite simply a huge mistake on our parts. The band’s previous full-length, 2015’s Hiraeth, is an example of brilliantly-executed and emotionally-tinged cinematic instrumental rock that skirts the line between post-rock and metal in league with the likes of Caspian and We Lost The Sea. It’s great stuff that any fan of this kind of music should be listening to.

EXCLUSIVE: Stream Persecutory’s Towards the Ultimate Extinction

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Hailing from Istanbul, Turkey, death dealers Persecutory don’t make music for the weak. Their debut album, Towards the Ultimate Extinction, is the audio equivalent of having your skin peeled from your bones over forty-two grueling and relentlessly crushing minutes. Sound like your cup of tea? You’re in luck, as we are proud to bring to your emaciated earholes an exclusive premier of this black hole of a record.

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE – Dark Habits Even Bring The Kitchen Sink In “Porcelain Dreams” Video

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Fans of my entries to the Grind My Gears franchise (it’s a franchise now; deal with it) will recognise the name Dark Habits and should be instantly brought back to memories of harsh, devastating bursts of hyper violence and crust. The best kind of noise around. They’ve barely scratched the surface of the Earth with their very recently released debut but look set to tunnel right through the crust of the planet itself. It’s only fitting that Heavy Blog debuts the brand new video from these Glaswegian d-beat bastards because it’s heavy, it’s grim and it’s sweaty as fuck; I speak for myself when I admit that I’m definitely a great example of the latter.