US power metal group JUDICATOR are today premiering their new single, Ursa Major, via Decibel. Ursa Major is the second track to be taken from the four-piece band’s forthcoming sixth studio album, The Majesty of Decay, set to be released via Prosthetic Records on November 25. The song shows JUDICATOR embracing their love of traditional power metal, with a refreshed and revitalised approach to their songwriting.

Following on from their recently released debut album, Ecocide, South Carolina grind band SLUGCRUST have today shared a new music video for the full-length’s title track. The clip is a viscerally raw visual of the band performing in a foreboding woodland area, with unsettling handheld footage of vocalist Jesse Cole bounded in black fabric.

WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR ECOCIDE BELOW.
Stream Ecocide via Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Bandcamp and Spotify
Order Ecocide here.

Speaking on the music video, SLUGCRUST comment: "Our good friend Taylor Hickman directed the music videos for both Echoless and Ecocide. We first approached Taylor with a lot of complex themes to digest from the song and project into film, accented with intense captures of our performance. But eventually we said “fuck it we’re gonna do this shit DIY and raw” because that’s just who we are as sentient dirt-people.

"So! We filmed Echoless in a garage lined with $200 worth of black fabric and then reused the same black fabric as a prop to help tell the story behind Ecocide, which we filmed in the woods for reasons apparent.

"How well the Ecocide video thrives in simplicity speaks volume to Taylor’s vision as a cameraman. Nevertheless, the aforementioned black fabric can now be found under our vocalist’s ass, lining the cushions of his sofa as a couch-cover because $200 is $200 and who keeps a fucking receipt? We hope everyone likes the music video! We can’t wait to play Ecocide for y’all real soon!"

With two ferocious EPs already under their belts, the breakneck speed with which SLUGCRUST operate gives a fair indicator of their approach. However, their focus isn’t compromised by their accelerated work ethic; if anything the urgency of their message is given further impetus courtesy of their relentless audio violence. Drawing from various literary inspirations the political issues at the heart of SLUGCRUST’s output is given a darkly poetic twist.

SLUGCRUST - whose line up features members of WVRM - seeks to bring political issues to light in a way that galvanises action and activism. The title derives from the process of destroying environmental structures or ecosystems, either via natural means or - as is more pertinent in the case of this album - deliberate human actions. Depravity is a recurring theme throughout the lyrics; emotional and physical immorality and degeneracy permeates the twelve tracks that make up Ecocide.

The formation of all SLUGCRUST tracks start with the skeleton of the drums; the meat and muscle of each missive comes from the guitar and bass, with the lyrics and vocals being the skin binding it all together. The album was engineered by guitarist Derick Caperton, before being mixed and mastered by Cody Davidson of Sanguisugabogg. Although primarily embedded in grindcore, SLUGCRUST also dabbles in crust punk and even doom to bring together their ominous, explosive take on extreme metal. Embracing the rawness of punk with the familiar ferocity of blast beats is the foundation of their work.

Ecocide is an uncompromising calling card from a band eager to unleash.

THOTCRIME are today premiering their new single and an accompanying visualizer, This Is My Breakdown, I Get To Pick The Music, via Metal Injection. This Is My Breakdown… is the third track to be taken from the cybergrind band’s upcoming second full-length, D1G1T4L_DR1FT, due out via Prosthetic Records on October 28.