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The story of the Chinese metal scene is never finished. After writing so many articles about the bands coming out of the country, I naively thought that I could finally take a break and let other countries have their time to shine. When looking back at what bands have come out in the recent years or even months, though, it’s not surprising that there is a new crop of bands in varying genres that are all bringing something exciting to the table.
Labels such as Pest Productions and SloomWeep are still on a roll with their releases, introducing new bands on a consistent basis, while festivals like One of Us is always on the ball for exposing new artists to the masses. Here, I introduce 10 new bands who are bound to be thought of as heavyweights in the upcoming years.
Mvltifission (Death metal)
Globularcyst members Gut, Purulentreek and TormentoR, along with comrades in gore Skeleton Hell and Gore Whore make up this new old school death metal act. Like Globularcyst, the band is enamored with the tasteful art of human decay, with their debut album Decomposition in the Painful Metamorphosis (Huangquan Records) displaying so with the album’s title and cover. The band recommends fans of Demigod, Cenotaph and Incantation check them out.
Nemesis 天罚 (Death metal)
Yunnan, Kunming, located in Southern China, is host to an eclectic assortment of bands – most notably the stoner metal gang King of Lazy. Well, now, the brutal death metal scene has a band to represent the area with Nemesis. The band currently don’t have a lot of content, sans the video for “The Room” which is an ominous first impression. Nemesis recently opened for Chinese slam legends Dark Prison Massacre – who you all know wouldn’t pick a substandard band to perform with them.
An Empty City (Metalcore)
Honestly, I was never much of a fan of the first wave of metalcore. This new era, however, with a more progressive and electronic edge, is much more interesting to me. An Empty City represent the paradigm shift in the core genre well, with innovative song structures that don’t skimp out on the heaviness and a refined aesthetic which is easy to market. “Snake in Disguise” is also one of the coolest videos I’ve come across in some time.
Demonslaught 666 (Blackened speed metal)
Demonslaught 666 are a blackened speed metal band influenced in equal parts by Bathory and Razor. The band recently released their second EP, the five-tracked Nekroslaughter Battlefield through Gespent Productions, which isn’t all shallow satanism. The band interestingly incorporates lyrical themes relating to Greek mythology with tracks like “Grave Knights of Tartarus.”Look out for a full-length from them soon, but until then, the first two EPs should be a nice introduction.
CUT (Blackened death metal)
“We are CUT. We play black/death metal for Satan.” Well, that’s all you really need to know, isn’t it? Okay, here’s some additional info: they are a two-man project featuring Ironthorn L. and Providence Zon. Their first record, Vanquish the Weak, was released in 2022 and it indeed is satanic, blackened death metal. Since their emergence on the scene, they’ve found comrades in the similarly blasphemous Demonslaught 666, who they’ve played gigs with.
Vitriolic Sage (Avant-garde black metal)
Chinese black metal label Pest Productions continuously pumps out releases from bands that are creating history within the scene in the country. The one-man avant-garde black metal magician whom is shrouded in mystery known as Vitriolic Sage has released two albums on the label so far. His latest, Feuershlucker, follows his debut, Ascension, which combines black metal with clever linguistics. English for the band name, German for the album title and French for the song titles.
Golden Cat Pagoda (Atmospheric black metal)
Golden Cat Pagoda is a another one-man black metal project brought to you by Pest Productions. For this project, the feline tower utilizes folk and atmospheric elements within the black metal veil. The Shanghai-based musician recently released the debut album 弥弥 through the verminous label. The lyric video for the track “山雾” from the album is proof enough that this could be the year of the cat.
The Hermit (Stoner/doom metal)
China’s SloomWeep Productions have been the main dealer of stoner, sludge and doom bands coming out of the country. The country’s biggest acts in the genre, Never Before and Ramblin’ Roze, have put out releases on the label and as it continues to grow, more bands have joined the roster. Hefei’s The Hermit are one such band, releasing The Wall of Desire on the label. This four-song EP includes a Kill Bill-themed track. Doom is a dish best served cold.
Crater (Sludge/doom metal)
Amps speak louder than words. Another SloomWeep distributed band, Shenzhen’s Crater is a sludge/doom band whom encourage listeners to sip their musical poison on the morning of work after an alcoholic coma. Hey, their words, not mine. The band’s debut song, “The Melting Point of Drugs” is a grim, slow moving zombie of a sludge track featuring vocals which could have been a part of a death metal release as much as a doom/sludge one.
Twilight Blooming (Folk metal)
The six-person pagan folk metal act Twilight Blooming are currently touring behind their second album, Song of the Warrior (Mort Productions), appearing on such fests as One of Us, which is always on point with introducing the masses to new and innovative Chinese bands. From Chengdu their brand of folk metal offers some surprises, such as accordion action by 王浩羽 and a lyrical theme incorporating elements from the natural world.
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