Metallurgy

Black Breath

Martyrdöd

Labelmates and recent tour chemists, Seattle quintet Black Breath and Swedish fourpiece Martyrdöd share a gallop, the former's hornet thrash meeting the latter's blackened crust in high third gear. Sentenced to Life mostly retreads 2010 Southern Lord debut Heavy Breathing, but with boosted boom and production clarity; the death metal pulse of the title cuts a heartbeat in your busted eardrum. Mikael Kjellman's tracheotomy craw maintains a gutter-fi contrast to axe handle Pontus Redig's war-standard leads, cutting Martyrdöd with both Mastodon ("Nog Är Nog") and Motörhead ("Det Sker Samtidigt") on fourth LP Paranoid. Clusterbomb "Hör Världens Rop" ["Hear the World's Cry"] cries for a real production budget someday. (Both)