Chthonic: Bú-Tik (Spinefarm, 6/18/13)
Taiwanese melodic-death-metal outfit Chthonic is a unique group in many ways. For one, it’s not every day that a symphonic metal group chooses to include a hena or erhu (a traditional two-string bowed fiddle) into the mix. Also, there’s the band’s ongoing advocacy of Taiwanese history and culture in its music, from lyrical content to music videos. In short, Chthonic is committed to its craft, and as the video for “Defenders of Bú-Tik Palace” shows, neither thunderstorm, nor gravity, nor sword-wielding cyborg general can stop it.
