Slugdge may be obsessed with gastropods, but that doesn’t mean they’re slow. On their new album, the Carcass-worthily-titled Esoteric Malacology, the UK duo continue to demonstrate just how far ahead they are in the extreme music race, and why they may very well have metal’s strongest claim to the title of ‘Amazing Band That Not Enough People Are Talking About.’ Although their clearest influences are death and death-leaning outfits like late-era Death, Morbid Angel, Cynic, Nile, Strapping Young Lad, and Gojira, they’re one of those groups that have a magnificent talent for re-synthesizing their forbearers in such a way as to make the familiar feel fresh. They know how to write great songs, have a seemingly bottomless bag of of jugular-ripping riffs, and can be proggy without insisting their farts smell like perfume. Not hurting: they sound HUGE. Forget a bull in a china shop; Esoteric Malacology is a beached whale in a burn ward.

MetalSucks is chuffed to premiere Esoteric Malacology below! The album comes out this Friday, March 2 on Willowtip. You’re going to become obsessed with it, so you may as well just go ahead and pre-order it here. You’ll be glad ya did!