Cormorant
Earth Diver

There is black metal, death, but there is also progressive and hard with seventies nuances, to be found in the indispensable Sabbath but also in Blue Cheer and Atomic Rooster, and there is also NWOBHM. There is a lot of violence but also unexpected melodic openings and rhythms that are never boring and always quite articulated, melodic choirs over tight rhythmic layers that even open up airy and unexpected only to fall back into growls and acceleration breaks.

The gentlemen from San Francisco (which is already a guarantee of quality) are anything but greenhorns (their debut was in 2008) and they have a technical preparation, an open-mindedness, and an unassailable conviction of their musical independence that is decidedly uncommon.

Even though I don't exactly love death/black, I find them absolutely enjoyable, angry but not narrow-minded, and capable of channeling what are surely their youthful musical influences into something absolutely modern without wanting (or "needing" due to someone's impositions) to fit into a cataloged and exclusive genre, or fearing doing something that might displease some type of fans.

Cormorant do what they like and what entertains them, without having to sell out to someone or adhere to some genre label, and they do it very, very well.

You can find them since their debut on Bandcamp, obviously for a free offer.

Worth trying if you like metal, regardless of the label you prefer to put in front of it.

I love them.