SHORT REVIEWS… collects upcoming releases from the forthcoming month and pursues each one in a paragraph (or two) format. An exercise in inclusivity, this’ll largely speak to records that were able to “sell” me on a second or third look beyond previews. The major goal here is to aid readers/listeners in making informed decisions and to discover releases I would otherwise likely not cover, or have time to cover. Please note that a I’ve left out the “Best of the Month” worthy items because I plan to do full-sized longform reviews for them. I have roughly 25-30 full reviews planned for the month otherwise. Everything else will be covered elsewhere.
| ARTIST: | SOL KIA |
| TITLE: | Zos Ethos |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | I, Voidhanger Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Sol Kia is a post-extreme metal duo out of Belgium including vocalist Stephane Van Tricht and Guillaume CZLT the latter of which you’ll recognize from Neptunian Maximalism. ‘Zos Ethos’ is effective in its ear-splitting atmospheric development, a brand of distraction typically reserved for harsh noise, dark ambient and psychedelic experimental music translated into extremes which should serve a dose of black/doom, sludge, and harder to classify tangents along the way. Much as I appreciated that this music is daring, traumatic, and singular the vocals rarely land for me beyond the neofolk/industrial spoken-shuddering of “Nasatanada Zazas!”, and even then the harsher side of his work isn’t well placed unless intended as another layer of obscured noise. This is something I can generally look past on first impressions but as I wheeled back around for a second spin the 11+ minute whisper-rasp “Mithraeum” amounted to ASMR mouth noise for me and I’d found it hard to continue. In terms of the reverb buried production values and instrumentation, this is finely ‘psychedelic’ work which is often interspersed with strong electronic elements. I would not be surprised if this project was at least partially influenced by the transitional early work of Chaos Echœs, and I’d recommend this one to fans of extreme dark ambient for that reason. To really crack into this record I’d need more context and the same goes for their related projects; From that point of view I greatly respect the ‘art’ of its obscure and mysterious atmospheric values but will likely not revisit the experience often.
| ARTIST: | SERMON OF FLAMES |
| TITLE: | I Have Seen the Light and It Was Repulsive |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | I, Voidhanger Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Let “the curse of life and the rejection of faith” disembowel unto freeing thoughts — So, it goes without saying that by starting the month with four new releases from I, Voidhanger Records that most anything else will have a very tough time catching the ear of folks who love original off-color takes on extreme music. Irish duo Sermon of Flames offer the hulking and chunking sound of bestial death metal hammered with harsh noise drills and Portal-esque windmilling riff cyclones. Every twist they provide on this greater modus tends to show some love for deep underground black metal, grindcore, and this knack for brain-bleeding noise. Fans of Sissy Spacek and war metal/noise hybridization should absolutely check this one out. The riffing blackened death metal side of the band is vital to their signature but all would be lost without the creeping counterpoint of their dark ambient/noise movements.
| ARTIST: | BIÈRE NOIRE |
| TITLE: | Pièce Secrète |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Throatruiner Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Bière Noire is a solo project from Leo Vittoz (Satan, Riton la Mort) which comes heavily influenced by French new wave, early neofolk and industrial music. Touting its ‘lo-fi’ intent and featuring a sort of intentionally naïve sound much of ‘Pièce Secrète’ is absurdly self-conscious, drunken and a bit of a slog to get through due to tuneless “affected” singing (see: “Portrait De L’Artiste En Pop Star”). Because he is aiming for this neofolk/industrial niche and doubly singing in French I can see this record being a bit impenetrable for some beyond the vibe itself. The best piece here reminds me a bit of certain Ordo Equilibrio records (“Amour Bestial”) perhaps only because of the sustained hymnal quality of it, the rest is memorable for both good and bad reasons none of which create any meaningful sway for me. Strong variety, plenty of well-curated sounds and shapes but a handful of inconsequential pieces left me cold after a handful of listens.
| ARTIST: | ROPES OF NIGHT |
| TITLE: | Impossible Space |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Golden Antenna |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
My own personal standards for the general pool of dark wave/gothic rock replicants, revisionists and their personalized relation to actual post-punk only insists upon hooks, catchiness, and something beyond the usual dirge and wobble from a devastated perspective. By this grim metric German quartet Ropes of Night manage a memorable yet otherwise average downtrodden rock record with their debut full-length ‘Impossible Space’. As we kick into “The Whispers” and through “Vanishing” the guitar work is in parity of worth to the vocal performances here, which are average and certainly helped by a crisp and floating reverb. On the second half of the album the energetic dust up of “Lunacy By Which We Kneel” revives the spin a bit but the damage is done, or, the realization that they’re not pushing any sort of limits here but setting a basal goal post. The puzzle pieces all fit here, nicely and with a beautiful professional standard applied, but I’d found myself dried up within the lack of variety or unique angle here. Fine stuff if you’re looking for goth/post-punk ‘genre music’ but certainly nothing out of bounds.
| ARTIST: | GENOCIDIO |
| TITLE: | The Grave |
| TYPE: | Compilation |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Nuclear War Now! Productions |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
On this compilation we get a prime window into this São Paulo-borne black/death metal trio’s rawest beginnings in the Brazilian extreme metal underground, back when they were not-so-firmly planted in this nuclear hardcore punk influenced vision of extreme metal abounding throughout their scene. Even if this self-titled EP was released roughly a year or two after breakthroughs in ‘Morbid Visions’, ‘I.N.R.I.’ and ‘Bloody Vengeance’ these guys found a true bestial death metal sound with their second vocalist on this tape. Scribbly solos, barely composed songs, and some intense Pentagram (Chile)-esque attacks manages to be a salvageable, savage experience here. This is the best sounding version of these recordings I’ve heard to date and they are still fairly rough. Back in the early 2000’s when I was most serious about collecting Brazilian death/thrash rarities I’d always recalled this EP sounding much heavier but more primitive than their speed metal influenced debut ‘Depression‘ (1990) and that is mostly based on a poor memory and not keeping track of reissues/remasters since. As an archival purchase this is the absolute best and most complete version I’ve come across, plus it includes a show from 1988 that is actually entirely listenable.
| ARTIST: | INTERNAL BLEEDING |
| TITLE: | Heritage of Sickness II |
| TYPE: | Compilation |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Comatose Music |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
However you react to the whole hardcore influenced “slam” side of brutal death metal this band first kicked up dirt as one of the more polished bands hitting the style in the early 90’s but I’m sure you already know that. This compilation isn’t anything new, literally just a new version of their self-released 2012 compilation ‘Heritage of Sickness’ but this version sounds a bit better and the live tracks at the end represent the current line-up circa 2019. ‘Heritage of Sickness II’ includes the legendary ‘Invocation of Evil’ (1992) tape alongside ‘Perpetual Degradation’ (1994) wherein you could hear the work their original drummer had put in between tapes. There are few things I love more than watching/listening a true brutal death metal drummer do their thing and Internal Bleeding were one of the first bands I’d heard with the precision to really pull it off back in the day. Anyhow, it is always compilations like this that start to convince me I’d be better off going full-on nostalgia critic so I’ll cool it here. Essential brutal death metal recordings.
| ARTIST: | DEAD SOUL ALLIANCE |
| TITLE: | Behind the Scenes |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Bitter Loss Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Dead Soul Alliance is a pure death metal project from W.D. who also features as a guitarist in ‘old school’ directed death metal project Expunged with Jo Steel (Ice War) whom seems to be the drummer and general engineer for this album. If we can consider their other band a direct ode to early 90’s death metal of the Scandinavian variety then this debut is roughly a decade more “modern” in terms of rhythmic technique and render, leaning towards a more polished late 90’s European/North American death metal edge without landing upon brutal death. Very subtle inspiration from Sinister, Asphyx, Grave, and even a bit of ‘The Karelian Isthmus’ find their way into the mix but no longer bearing the remnants of of the oldest ex-thrasher school of sound design. There isn’t much happening here on ‘Behind the Scenes’ that grips or inspires me in terms of making it an above average release but the songs with Finnish death metal inspired breaks tended to be the strongest (see: “Ancient Rulers of Greed”, “Behold Forever Darkness”). Solid listen overall, and sure to be an energizer for die-hard death metal heads.
| ARTIST: | NATTMARAN |
| TITLE: | The Lurking Evil |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Wise Blood Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Formed as Unholy Tenebris in 2017 and known as Nattmaran since 2020 this collaboration between Swedish, Indonesian, and Japanese artists presents an entirely standard black/thrash n’ roll influenced heavy metal sound akin to Midnight or Hellripper. The record showcases numerous tropes of NWOBHM/early speed metal giving them a faster and marginally darker treatment, a fairly common practice that all hinges precariously upon songwriting beyond generic early 80’s heavy metal standards. ‘The Lurking Evil’ is precise, seamless, energetic and nonetheless lands a bit soulless for my own taste. That might sound brutal but after four listens and plenty of patience I still couldn’t manage to pick a highlight out of the bunch, perhaps the sparking start of “Die By My Bullets”? There wasn’t enough of a reason to return to this album when this style has been done so often, and to a higher standard of songwriting in the past. Still, precision and a high standard of performance/detail counts for something.
| ARTIST: | WHARFLURCH |
| TITLE: | Psychedelic Realms ov Hell |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Personal/Gurgling Gore |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Wharflurch is a northern Floridian death/doom metal band from one of the founding members of Hot Graves who’d eventually expanded the line-up into a quartet. Didn’t really like the whiff I’d gotten of their ‘Shitslime’ EP not too long ago but I’d appreciated their Nirvana 2002 cover EP (‘Lemlästad och Begraven’) tons. The gist of this record is a six song set of sluggish 5-7 minute death metal pieces which tend towards psychedelia-lite sound design, death/doom movement, and a few dark synth weaves. Unfortunately these songs rarely feature more than 2-3 riffs tops. The riffs themselves aren’t pure bunk but they tend to land as piecemeal collections of average Scandinavian shapes, reduced to their basal swing and given some atmospheric coloration; None of this is a too-dire issue but the lack of statement or true warp upon the craft makes for an album that promises a lot and delivers a ‘drawing board’ level of detail. The art direction is fairly unique, a sort of naïve maximal coloration for an illustration that just barely escapes MS Paint folly by virtue of sheer texture. That might sound raw but it actually compliments the whole package, which isn’t as full of vigor or riff interest as I’d expected but still left a memorable impression. Definitely worth any nowadays death metal fan’s time for its outlier qualities and psychotropic enthusiasm but otherwise an average chugger not worth shitting yourself over.
| ARTIST: | TOTAL ISOLATION / SEDIMENTUM |
| TITLE: | Split |
| TYPE: | 7″ |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Seed of Doom |
| BUY/STREAM: | Store |
Death metal split, two caustic underground bands with gnarly aesthetics. First thing anyone’d notice is that the cover art is fantastically paired with these two raw, unpredictable ‘old school’ attuned death metal songs. British Colombia-based quartet Total Isolation comes by way of the one member of Ahna that isn’t in Grave Infestation, crooked rhythms, early Tomb Mold gnarl and plenty of stuttering chugs and divebombs. From my point of view this is what the deeper grooves of earlier Swedish HM-2 exploration built up in the late 80’s. Sedimentum hail from Quebec and their style is more of the pinging snare slapping post-‘Onward to Golgotha’ spectrum, likewise in the early Scandinavian death metal arena. Snappy grooves on the part of both bands but the hardcore influenced songwriting doesn’t inspire beyond their murky sound design.
| ARTIST: | GRANDEUR |
| TITLE: | Aurea Aetas |
| TYPE: | EP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Personal Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
German black metal musician Erech seemingly pulled this fine melodic/stoic black metal EP out of the aethyr back in June of this year, quickly writing and recording a choppy yet sublimely evocative work in a short period of time. Heavily influenced by classic melodic black metal but perhaps touching upon the same avenues that many German and French artists have been these last several years, ‘Aurea Aetas’ makes great use of noisome atmosphere and sky-reaching movements as it begins, creating a warm and eventful listen to start. The Taake-esque break of the title track is arguably the big moment here but by the time it arrives we’ve heard the gist of the full listen, his ouevre, and gotten the bigger picture that these songs. The vibe is massive once it clicks but the whole piece could have used a bit more preening and gestation. In terms of the actual sound, the only complaint I have here is that the drums become nauseating in their flapping binary movements and this doesn’t match the high-soaring quality of the music. Doesn’t quite unseat records from Oriflamme or Autarcie this year but might entice that same fandom.
| ARTIST: | THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA |
| TITLE: | Aeromantic II |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 3rd |
| LABEL(S): | Nuclear Blast |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
I personally find less and less inspiration in nostalgia the older I get, there is nothing more ruthlessly depressing than being reminded of the passage of time and that the worst fucking errors of popular music are what people remember best. There is a far more extensive rant in there somewhere, but not for today. The gist: Nostalgia sells like bottled water to most. Buy it for a convenient fix, let the eternal waste pile in the appropriate bin. The Night Flight Orchestra seems to have been formed by ridiculously popular Scandinavian extreme metal artists, members of Soilwork and Arch Enemy, as a “for fun” nostalgia-diddling project with some serious effort applied to generating the right vibe — That which we’d originally gotten from bands aging out of their 70’s heyday in the early 80’s. When you’ve got a house, a family, a month or two vacation each year, who has time to make extreme metal? Bop out to some very slightly horny feelgood synth rock. I’m not sold on it personally, this was the epitome of the fake sort of music I wanted to get away from when I discovered Suicidal Tendencies and Slayer as a kid and I’m not going back! My own freakout aside, this album is much easier to jump into than ‘Aeromantic’ (2020) was with a far more chill vibe, plenty of references to early 80’s standards, and always with a twinkling yacht-bound feeling. Their songwriting has taken leaps since 2012 and this one is almost too damn slick, to the point that the irony is gone and life starts to feel like a terrifying amusement park ride away from horrifying reality of cataclysm and human extinction. My only serious complaint here is — Why are all the best songs packed near the end of the hour? Definitely the sort of sound you’d hear on bad late 80’s sitcoms when they still had 90 second introductions.
| ARTIST: | PERFECT WORLD |
| TITLE: | War Culture |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 10th |
| LABEL(S): | Petrichor |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Brooklyn, New York based hardcore quintet Perfect World are basically the sound I grew up with once it was time to make my own musical choices in the late 80’s and early 90’s, the sort of tough and impossibly intense metallic hardcore that quickly lost itself up the ass of major labels before the millennium hit. So, what we’re served here on ‘War Culture’ has mass appeal for numerous reasons but it definitely helps if you’re aware of the key history of Revelation Records, Victory Records, a handful of NY’s crossover reality and the bands who’d gone “metalcore” before that term had been co-opted by goth haircuts and fumble-ass ‘Slaughter of the Soul’ riffs. Not only do we get a bit of Madball extreme metal punch, the more personally entrenched edge of Strife, some European hardcore intensity, and of course these guys are younger so thier movements aren’t so strict as they incorporate varietal influences across the board. It is definitely a beating, the vocalist is not there to be ignored, and at 30 minutes they’re grinding my shit to dust but I gotta say they hit the mark if you’re looking for the absolute ‘right’ feeling of this brand of pissed and flex-heavy hardcore without completely dying on a sword of brotherhood or fundamentalism like the old days.
| ARTIST: | GRIM FATE / THE SOMBRE |
| TITLE: | From Ancient Slumber / The Horrid Silence Thus Began |
| TYPE: | Split LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 10th |
| LABEL(S): | Chaos Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
There are a couple of reasons to be excited about this death/doom metal split: First of all, it is substantial material pushing beyond the ~40 minute mark and not just a quick teaser that barely justifies half a CD. Second, I am already a big Grim Fate fan and seeing them continue to develop their sound beyond ‘Emerging From the Crypt’ has been impressive. Whereas they were entirely dedicated to the slow-burning sort of Finndeath meets ‘Onward to Golgotha’ inspiration on their debut in 2020 they’ve since eased into a more varied approach which feels far more engaging on their ‘From Ancient Slumber’ side. The key piece here is “Smoarige Fine” a nearly 11 minute dirge that has a sort of ‘Mental Funeral’ pulse to it, but obviously even a bit slower than that might suggest. Otherwise they’ve kicked up the speed here and done a fine job of mixing it up. “From Ancient Slumber” has a hint of Gorement in its opening moments which I’d obviously found a huge highlight here. Both sides are great, but I am mostly here to complete my Grim Fate collection.
In terms of The Sombre‘s side, I am less familiar with this project though I know Maurice de Jong‘s work quite well otherwise. That said, his goal is completely obvious from the first few chords as ‘The Horrid Silence Thus Began’ aims for early British death/doom metal inspired work, not quite the full on gothic sound of the mid-90’s but the earlier lead-driven works from Anathema and My Dying Bride. Think ‘The Crestfallen’ and ‘Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium’ but of course translated just as hundreds of other bands did in the early 90’s (see: Septic Flesh, Celestial Season, etc.) and it turns out that de Jong was himself part of that wave in his most formative years, having been in several bands of this style. This gives his work a strong edge in terms of aesthetics and sound design but he never fully pushes into the harder edged stuff beyond parts of the title track. I will eventually go back and listen to his two full-lengths for context but for now, I appreciated the nostalgic value of these three pieces. A solid pairing, relevant in terms of nostalgic death/doom metal idealism but two entirely different experiences.
| ARTIST: | ÆPOCH |
| TITLE: | Hiraeth |
| TYPE: | EP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 10th |
| LABEL(S): | Self-Released |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Ontario, Canada-based progressive death metal quartet Æpoch are due for a breakthrough beyond their well-received debut LP ‘Awakening Inception’ (2018) and for my own taste they’ve hit upon the right stuff on their latest EP ‘Hiraeth’. Not only have they woven a morbid psychological horror narrative into these five songs but they’ve managed to find their best yet medium between modern progressive/technical death metal and fringe elements of thrash and black metal on this material. Having re-staffed with two new guitarists prior to this release it is impressive that material is not only far more capable but so quickly achieved. This is a good spread of where I think underground technical metal is at its best, practiced and obsessed in its finessed language but aimed at presenting thrilling arrangements that convey scene, setting and event. The only thing I want more of here is the percussive bass flourishes we hear in the introductory salvo of “Atonement”. I’m for sure on board for a full-length if the material/production is up to this standard.
| ARTIST: | TRANCE OF THE UNDEAD |
| TITLE: | Chalice of Disease |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 10th |
| LABEL(S): | Iron Bonehead Productions |
| BUY/STREAM: | Store |
Viamão-based (southern Brazil, Porto Alegre area) black metal musician Trance of the Undead has unleashed four solo projects upon us since 2020 and this eponymous one, Trance of the Undead, eventually stirred up some serious notice when he self-released it last year thanks to its haunting use of keyboards, violent drumming, and raw immersive quality. No doubt people who have been engaged with underground black metal for decades will initially scoff at yet another obscured twentysomething’s digital reverbed-to-Hell bedroom project with a faux DIY aesthetic but ‘Chalice of Disease’ will shut you up — Give this fellow about 5-10 minutes to stretch his wings a bit. The drone of it all is initially impenetrable, grinding from within cavernous depths and growling beneath a thick web of three-dimensional reverb, but the tunefulness of the album does eventually arrive. Don’t miss the point here, it is right there in the band name folks. A fantastic introduction to the project, here’s hoping he has somewhere to go with this sound because I’d found myself on board for another even when these 40 minutes had begun to wear on me in circles.
| ARTIST: | PA VESH EN |
| TITLE: | Maniac Manifest |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 10th |
| LABEL(S): | Iron Bonehead Productions |
| BUY/STREAM: | Store |
I have yet to be impressed by Belarusian raw black metal artist Pa Vesh En despite having followed each release since 2018’s ‘A Ghost’ EP and this includes ‘Maniac Manifest’. The intentionally collapsed/digitally muddled atmosphere is a thing to admire even if I’ve heard this same obscuration a hundred times before. If there is a talent this artist surely holds it is draping fairly simple black metal pieces with elaborate halls of reverb and static grit, it lends the ear a terrible cave to wander into, but this amount of drapery doesn’t allow for much exploration of value. Fairly slippery and dry-thrashing guitar work kicks up now and then, benefitting from the quadra-reverb oomph, but were it plainly presented I doubt there’d be any real spectacle to behold. Presentation is everything here and the vibe within each moment is what matters to most listeners attuned to this sort of presence; Ghostly and tormented howling at random intervals atop atmospheric, raw, depressive, sentimental and (vaguely) early second wave riffs are used to craft songs that present themselves as gaping wounds. “In the Wood of Hanged Men” is essentially Austere‘s first album if you drowned it in the tub, and this bleeds into the far more interesting ‘Spellbound by the Witchmoon’ a bit too. The listening experience is Scooby-Doo ghoulish for my taste, a man wearing an obvious sheet over his head without much of a weapon brandished. Eerie, but I’m not buying it just yet.
| ARTIST: | SHUYET |
| TITLE: | Shuyet |
| TYPE: | EP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 10th |
| LABEL(S): | Seance Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Shuyet is a unique black metal project from German, Serbian, and Egyptian musicians all based out of Germany today but focusing on a distinctly ancient Egyptian understanding of the soul wherein “shuyet” itself is the shadow self, that which the sun extinguishes and that which exists forever in the hidden tombs of the dead. It is wonderfully appropriate context for black metal music which transcends the quality we get from ill-conceived and trendy bands so often, there is great purpose and attention to detail within these three ~6 minute pieces. ‘Shuyet’ makes its first impression via quite esoteric vocal performances, trilling and cawing to the point of sputtering wildness and I personally found this thrillingly uncomfortable to witness. As was the case with Irrlycht last month, there is some wonderful tradition of vocal insanity that I so appreciate from German black metal and this is an example that pushes that expression in a more narrative direction. There is plenty enough depth here to explore but the gist of it is that the experience left me wanting to hear more from this project, the effort put into each piece begs for elaboration.
| ARTIST: | HAIL SPIRIT NOIR |
| TITLE: | Mannequins |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 10th |
| LABEL(S): | Agonia Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Relax, it isn’t going to kill you… Greek progressive extreme metal band Hail Spirit Noir take the path of pure indulgence following up their glorious next-level breakthrough ‘Eden in Reverse’ (2020) as they use unique times to present a unique vision of synthwave/electropop and celebrate their tenth anniversary as a band. ‘Mannequins‘ is the sort of record that will have fans bugging Theoharis and Sakis for more (or a side project) for years beyond simply because it is such a good time. If we must reach for nostalgia then this is the way to do it with an over the top, top-shelf expression in hand. So, don’t mistake a once in a lifetime event for a new Hail Spirit Noir, they’ve been clear that this is just a celebration of the band powering up their 80’s synth muscle and making great work with newer vocalist Cons Marg. ‘Mannequins’ also just so happens to have an elaborate sci-fi/slasher film theme: New Year’s morning 1986, time to die! From what I gather aliens possess mannequins and they’re out to kill in the bloodiest way possible.
Beyond this, it is a strong song-oriented synthwave record that makes sure to change up the lead synth/keyboard voicing per song/section so that the beats glue the sway of the full listen but the road forward is colored with strong variety. Of course the strongest tracks for my own taste include vocals and this means “Mannequins” and “Enter Disco Inferno” sort of leave the narrative hanging for the more engaging instrumental pieces (“Against Your Will, My Blade”, “On The Loose Again”, “Visitors of Horror” for my own taste) to pick up. The test of any record in this style is how long it holds my attention before I buzz off to a video game soundtrack or a metal record and I’d say ‘Mannequins’ holds up well in terms of building a world where this music makes sense and tells a story.
| ARTIST: | IF NOTHING IS |
| TITLE: | If Nothing Is |
| TYPE: | Remaster |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 10th |
| LABEL(S): | Dark Essence Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Avant-garde black metal fans who’d always wondered why the self-titled 2015 debut full-length from If Nothing Is never got a physical release should be pleased by its complete renovation here via Dark Essence Records. The long-developed opus of current Dødheimsgard bassist Lars Emil Måløy, this Trondheim-based act was conceived in the late 2000’s but took several years, and a bit of Vicotnik’s (Dødheimsgard) finishing touches to fully realize. Though the record is still a stunning achievement the remixed, remastered, and fully redone artwork for the release makes this a worthy event, especially as a double vinyl LP. This is not your typical sort of post-‘Written in Waters’ influenced sort of creeper black metal but a truly progressive album that leads with avant-black metal spasticity to start before going several full dimensions away from any sort of normative realm via its lofty atmospheric breaks, the best place to start being “Juvenihil”. This is just the tip of the iceberg though, as the 80+ minute album justifies its extended creation by hardly repeating itself throughout. Beyond the wonderful maze of beauteous trips taken well-outside of the rigidity of extreme metal, the surrealistic movement that defines ‘If Nothing Is’ includes a sort of narrative of emancipation, defiance of the crowd and movement away from the nonsense of man’s self-ruin. The detail available is forcefully applied throughout, demanding attention — Although I could still appreciate the bigger picture being jagged and exuberant, I was surely lost on earlier listens if I’d not been obsessively following every strand of notes available. A fantastic world to be lost within and right up my alley. Favorite piece is “Darkspace Navigator” but it is just one part of an essential whole.
| ARTIST: | AVERSIO HUMANITATIS |
| TITLE: | Silent Dwellers – Live MMXX |
| TYPE: | Live Album |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 15th |
| LABEL(S): | Lunar Apparitions |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
‘Behold the Silent Dwellers’ (2020) was meant to be Spanish avant-melodic black metal trio Aversio Humanitatis‘ breakout sophomore record on Debemur Morti but the COVID-19 situation had made it impossible to tour and, ideally, breach the visibility of the festival circuit with their Sinmara influenced sound. So, to celebrate the year beyond release they’ve released an October 2020-performed the live in studio performance of a setlist that generally covers their second album alongside some pieces from their ‘Longing For the Untold’ (2017) EP. The digital version has been available since mid-June but now Lunar Apparitions are putting out on CD. Although I don’t know the exact conditions of the performances it does appear as if they’d done this all in one go and assumedly gave it some post-production balance. Notable details here include the guitarist from death metal band Cathexia on second guitar. If you don’t know what the band sounds like, well, something along the lines of Gaera where the influences are obvious (2010’s Deathspell Omega, Mgła, Sinmara) but they’ve expanded the atmospheric ease of these forms, taking away the cutting metal grit and tailored it to a post-black metal ear. I don’t find this project as exciting as their work in Velo Misere (whom I will review in full later this month) but this is an impressive performance that greatly benefits from a very loud spin.
| ARTIST: | SATURNIAN MIST |
| TITLE: | Shamatanic |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 17th |
| LABEL(S): | Petrichor/Hammerheart |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Finnish black metal is far more diverse and fulfilling than many people give credit, perhaps because you’ve got to dig around and search for it rather than wait to be stuffed to the hilt by propaganda. Saturnian Mist‘s third album certainly sticks out like a sore thumb either way, not only for its use of a dedicated percussionist (beyond the drummer himself) but also for the modern sounds they’ve created within an occult black metal aesthetic. This’ll be a bit of surprise if you’re only familiar with their far more typical 2011 debut ‘Gnostikoi Ha-Shaitan’ but not if you’d discovered the band through their second album ‘Chaos Magick’ (2015). Am I a fan? Well, most of this record benefits from the extra percussion in general, I appreciate the subtle symphonic black metal on “Chaos is the Law”, the main riff on “Altar of Flesh and Blood” is quite good heavy metal, but the song “Blood Magick” is one shade too close to Slipknotting it up for my taste. Lots of give and take on the greater tracklist. After roughly two or three listens I suppose I got the impression that the music was somewhat more superficial than expected and soon lost interest.
| ARTIST: | APOSTOLICA |
| TITLE: | Haeretica Ecclesia |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 17th |
| LABEL(S): | Scarlet Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
“Apostolica is the heretic, powerful and anthemic antidote to the age of spiritual slavery.” And it appears that this debut full-length from these internationally strewn fellowes has enlisted itself in a war upon Christianity via symphonic/power metal? Presented anonymously behind elaborate masks and by way of a concept which almost seems to mock (or at least imitate) the non-believer through its lyrics, ‘Haeretica Ecclesia’ is a strange nut to crack. Symphonic metal, power metal, and a bit of extreme metal movement in the tempo map should hold some kind of broad appeal to anyone who’d ever dabbled in modern power metal but the songs themselves are ordinary fare. The lyrics don’t necessarily live up to the conceptual explanation, they’re less recreating an irreligious book of Genesis and instead making generic anthemic power metal statements of redemption, “Come With Us” being the most obvious offender. The vocals have a certain croaked flatness to them which, to me, sounds quite a bit like a certain German vocalist and this ended up being the main reason I didn’t go back for a third or fourth listen. The keyboard work is certainly powerful but beyond this aspect nothing about this record lived up to its interesting presentation.
| ARTIST: | ICHOR |
| TITLE: | The Black Raven |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 17th |
| LABEL(S): | Seance Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Store |
On their follow-up to 2018’s ‘God of Thunder God of War’ this Sydney, Australia-based black metal trio continue to pursue their Slavic paganistic mythos-guided approach lyrically but their music has become even more entrenched in quieting, sickly atmospheric muse. Heroic slow-buzzing melodies and whispered vocals make for an unusual experience considering they’ve extended their knack for 5-6 minute songs into ~10 minute pieces here, aiming for mid-paced and disorienting torrents of ritualistic incantations. Practically speaking the whisper of the vocals is alright for the first twenty minutes, it really just sounds like the fellow didn’t want to bother his neighbors with screaming, but this isn’t the core issue I’ve got with ‘The Black Raven’ — The distinction between songs is either too subtle or I suppose presented without the performative passion I’d expected. The final two pieces lean into some classic epic Bathory-esque resonance for a brief moment or two but this arrives long after their aesthetic choices have become somewhat tiresome. On the other hand, I can see the virtue of such a focused presentation which should rightfully drive listeners to the lyrics, and puzzling over the finer details on further listens. This one will come down to a preference for the spoken nature of the vocals and a lyric sheet to catch their drift.
| ARTIST: | ILLUM ADORA |
| TITLE: | Ophidian Kult |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 17th |
| LABEL(S): | Folter Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Store |
Illum Adora comes from German black metal musician Hurricaine Hellfukker whom some might recognize from early 2000’s releases from Zarathustra and his dormant black/thrash label Kneel Before the Master’s Throne. This fairly straight forward but emphatically delivered black metal project has been his major focus for the last decade or so and thus far his efforts have produced two strong full-lengths, this being the second. I don’t have a lot of colorful language to apply to ‘Ophidian Kult’ because it is an uncompromising sort of record, influenced by the melodic cruelty of early Polish black metal as well as his own taste in heavy/thrash metal (but it is not black/thrash by any stretch). Sharp production values from Patrick Engel, plenty of heroic melody and an ‘old school’ rawness make this a familiar but enthused listen. No trends, no nonsense.
| ARTIST: | VULVODYNIA |
| TITLE: | Praenuntius Infiniti |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 17th |
| LABEL(S): | Unique Leader Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
South African progressive brutal slamming deathcore sextet Vulvodynia take us on an imposing hourlong trip through their vision of world-devourers, planetary guardians and feeble mankind entrenched in cosmic warfare, a high-intensity yet still moshable sojourn within the belly of a galaxy sized beast. So, right off the top I appreciate the video game level of world building here, the setting and action is imaginative to the degree of Vedic epic poems. I was never a cheerleader for deathcore variants becoming the most extreme death metal-adjacent music being made but to be fair ‘Praenuntius Infiniti’ makes an argument for massive spectacle beyond any concern for tradition or purist trope-afflicted music. An extreme progressive metal album tasked with providing slamming brutal death intensity and unique atmospheric design, this fifth record from the group is not only thier most ambitious record to date but, as is the case with many bands still plugging away at their gig, probably the most trying process to date — Having to piece together these web-like compositions during pandemia doesn’t seem to have phased the result. If it sounds like I’m unusually into this already, yes, there is enough detail here to keep my mind buzzing and their slam n’ scribble mosh parts are a far cry from the plain-ass slouchy deathcore we’d gotten in the early 2000’s. Coulda clipped off a few tracks to cut down on the sitting but I appreciate that Vulvodynia‘ve put a ton of work into their big debut on Unique Leader and made a great first impression on me in the process.
| ARTIST: | PLUM GREEN |
| TITLE: | Somnambulistic |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 17th |
| LABEL(S): | Nefarious Industries |
| BUY/STREAM: | Store |
Aptly presented as atmospheric dream folk, New Zealand-borne singer/songwriter Plum Green intends ‘Somnambulistic’ as a set of surreal neofolk pieces which present protective respite, but not escapism, from a wilting world. The passage from discomfort through catharsis is insistently intimate, largely featuring acoustic arrangement and a short-distanced vocal which is unadorned, unmanipulated for the most part. The movement from the cold groaning of early standout “Eyes Shut” towards the sunlit drama of “Here We Go” is easier to see in hindsight, these performances demand attentive listening both for their serious timbre and calming presence; The artist plays the role of confidant well but doesn’t forget to sustain her performative folk cadence, pushing things along and keeping the vibe malleable from song to song for the sake of a larger emotional progression. The intimacy of the album is a lot to take in initially but the intent of the full listen resounds beautifully with some patience and vulnerability in mind.
| ARTIST: | MORBID MESSIAH |
| TITLE: | Disgorged in the Coffin |
| TYPE: | EP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 24th |
| LABEL(S): | Chaos Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Store |
Guadalajara, Mexico-based death metal quartet Morbid Messiah formed in 2015 with some relation to Necroccultus and featuring folks who would eventually form Rotting Grave. Pure and I’d say somewhat brutal death metal has always been on their plate and this latest EP, ‘Disgorged in the Coffin’ makes good on past efforts in general. They’ve taken a slightly more brutal angle on a few of these songs, relentlessly punching away at the snare while grinding out their otherwise mid-paced focus. The use of samples bothers me a bit, I really don’t enjoy sitting through scenes from movies when I’m looking for riffs but I get why folks like when bands set the scene with clips. The vocalist is a fanatic here and the drummer pulverizes but I didn’t find myself wanting to come back for the riffs after a handful of spins, solid stuff with a mean atmosphere to it otherwise. Favorite song here is “Dungeon of Vermin”.
| ARTIST: | JUDAS KNIFE |
| TITLE: | Death is the Thing With Feathers |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 24th |
| LABEL(S): | Translation Loss Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Store |
Are you a big fan of mid-to-late 90’s Revelation Records post-hardcore? I wasn’t until Farside‘s ‘The Monroe Doctrine’ released and I’d spent a few weeks trying to figure out not only what it was but how to review it circa 1999. So, I’d basically missed out on Drew Thomas‘ time in the mid-90’s with Into Another and am barely familiar with Joseph Grillo‘s work with Garrison which kicked into gear with their 2000 debut. The gist of it for folks who’ve been scratching their head beyond “post-hardcore” is that this era for the sub-genre was marked by alternative rock ambitions beyond late 80’s/early 90’s hardcore punk indoctrination. A terrible way to sum things if the music means something to you but, still, we need some kind of earnest pathway from Gorilla Biscuits to Rival Schools, eh. Grillo and Thomas naturally invoke said era of post-hardcore with the benefit of hindsight, space rock textures, and a modern songwriting sense in this new project Judas Knife. The references are easy at this point, then, since Hum have revived with a similarly baked mindset, Quicksand are a couple albums deep into their revived skin, and Failure had kinda flown off to space years ago. Psychedelic post-hardcore? Indie space rock? Yeah, all of those things and it all comes without any real melodrama. At their most contemplative (“The Years Go By Like a Broken Record”, “Dance in the Pale Glow”) they’ve locked into the sensation of aging within a timeless mindset, at their most bombastic (“A Moment of Clarity”, “Hit it and Hit it and Hit it”) the greater trip of ‘Death is the Thing with Feathers’ is a good time but we take an overly sentimental turn on the last two pieces that drains the easy vibe of the full listen considerably.
| ARTIST: | WRAITH |
| TITLE: | Undo the Chains |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 24th |
| LABEL(S): | Redefining Darkness Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
In a world of black/thrash metal defined by party bands, fashion dicks, and widespread mullet baldness mania Indiana-based thrashers Wraith mean to stand out by simply not fucking around (too much) and hitting as many riffs as they can along the way. Eh, it is a nice angle-in but they’re not about to blow your mind just yet. For this third full-length they’ve still managed to hit a few key points of interest: ’83 thrash metal riffs simplified, some of the Venom/Motörhead riff-tech we’ve come to expect from the black/thrash n’ roll realm, and some early Toxic Holocaust edged kicks. The point of differentiation comes with their ability to sound like later Immortal (“Time Wins”) one moment and Power Trip (“Gatemaster”) the next; Even if they’re not necessarily up to speed with any of these influences in terms of songwriting there is something to be said for a solid, well-performed black/speed metal album with a modern yet earnest thrasher’s taste level applied. A not-so self-conscious mix of old and new school idealism that I’d end up appreciating for its quasi Bay Area tilt after a handful of listens.
| ARTIST: | DAWN OF A DARK AGE |
| TITLE: | Le Forche Caudine 321 a.C – 2021 d.C. |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 24th |
| LABEL(S): | Antiq Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Although I had never been outright impressed by any of Italian avant-garde black metal act Dawn of a Dark Age‘s previous records it wasn’t for a lack of ideas or conviction but rather the need for a concept that fit well with the austerity of the artist’s intent. The artist being Vittorio Sabelli whom is an impressive clarinetist and multi-instrumentalist whom has been intent on finding a meaningful connection between the expressive voice of his major instrumental focus, jazz music and his taste in black metal specifically. For ‘Le Forche Caudine’ an Italian historic narrative and a focus on folkish avant-garde black metal sound finds his most compelling effort to date and perhaps for the sake of black metal interest he has eased up on the “jazz”, using it for the calmative gestures within these two ~20 minute pieces. The result is a progressive folk-jazz metal album concerned with the Battle of the Caudine Forks, a decisive event in Roman-Samnite wars and a good reason to celebrate the brief glory of the Sabine civilization. Consider it a pagan black metal album for the sake of classification but certainly not the usual fare by any means. Extended pieces of narration from vocalist Emanuele Prandoni (Progenie Terrestre Pura) are inspired, over the top in their storytelling but his actual vocals are the strongest spectacle here beyond some lovely clarinet work strewn throughout. Still a bit scattered in focus but their most immersive work to date.
| ARTIST: | AZAZEL |
| TITLE: | Aegrum Satanas Tecum |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 24th |
| LABEL(S): | Primitive Reaction |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
A new record from Azazel should rightfully be treated as a rare treasure or, at least a refreshingly old and bloody tome detailing black metal’s true spirit which does not feign primitivity but instead cultivates the muscle memory of ancient hatred, adrenaline-coursing action, and the bludgeoning grooves of the earliest spark. I don’t appreciate the first wave/second wave distinction here much but it is somewhat necessary, if only because Azazel‘s discography is clearly one step beyond ‘Under the Sign of the Black Mark’ but never naïve on ‘Aegrum Satanas Tecum’, where an otherwise early second wave/Finnish melodic sensibility pervades. Attack is everything and this is the strength of this multi-generational crew of folks from various Finnish underground lairs (Evoked Curse, Rienaus, Goatmoon, ex-Barathrum, etc.) who’ve made some hellish noise that certainly fits the ’92 black metal vision of Lord Satanachia but also doesn’t sound completely void of contemporary thought on black metal. Contempt, disgust, blasphemy and eerie riffs all make for a ripping, uncomplicated listen for my own taste.
| ARTIST: | LLNN |
| TITLE: | Unmaker |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 24th |
| LABEL(S): | Pelagic Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Danish atmospheric sludge/post-metal band LLNN have stayed the course in terms of forward-thinking craft and vein-popping intensity on this second full-length. Heavily influenced by European hardcore or, at least Rorshach style shout-core, their ultra downtuned space-blasted chugs and frequent outer-spaced atmospheric breaks all come better aligned this time around as they sidestep the sub-genre’s classic tribal ambiance for something decidedly bigger in scope. ‘Deads‘ (2018) was a big step but this one floats in an appreciably extreme way. Is it atmospheric post-metalcore? I figure if you are going to make modern music with an honest spark of an idea behind it it should be -this- extreme in terms of high-fidelity sound design and guitar tones that resemble nukes. If we must forget tradition then I can be sated by this ridiculously huge and cinematically charged direction for metallic hardcore music.
| ARTIST: | VIRIAL |
| TITLE: | Transhumanism |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 24th |
| LABEL(S): | Vicious Instinct Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
This Italian technical death metal band appears far more honed, or, prepared to meet the ever-climbing standards for their artform on this their second full-length. ‘Transhumanism’ concerns itself with ornate and twisted rhythms with a contemplative pace, more in line with progressive tech-death than blazing speed brutality one might expect going in. Because of this it makes sense to consider the evolution of bands like Obscura and Beyond Creation alongside that of Inferi and their ilk here, folks who are unafraid of a bit of alternate picking and Cynic-isms. There is a mildly classic touch to most of these pieces, something along the lines of a more standard prog metal inspired version of Illogicist or Sickening Horror but eased up on the gas a bit. I’d really like to see them expand on the bassist’s presence, his performances are standout here and I think the more time they put into his feature the more distinct the whole of the project becomes. If I’m making a prog/tech-death playlist for the year, these guys are going on it via “Aurelia III – Realignment”.
| ARTIST: | SIGNS OF THE SWARM |
| TITLE: | Absolvere |
| TYPE: | LP |
| RELEASE DATE: | September 24th |
| LABEL(S): | Unique Leader Records |
| BUY/STREAM: | Bandcamp |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania deathcore trio (quintet on album) Signs of the Swarm‘s fourth album and third for Unique Leader doesn’t necessarily whip out like a reskinning of ‘Vital Depravation’ (2019) but instead rethinks their major points of impact via iteration, easing up the layers of atmosphere and focusing on the intensity of the moment. I am not a particularly dedicated deathcore fan, largely showing up for the extremity of brutal death-adjacency in this case, but I can easily understand the appeal of such physical and inhumane hi-fi chug extremity. The spectacle of syncopation isn’t necessarily so novel in its mapping but the absolute bounce of ‘Absolvere’ speaks to me as this clubbed-out barbarian force, a technology-aided suiting up for a band that’d been somewhat average on their first few records/tours. Slower, heavier, and definitely leaning into their vocalist’s lung-butter cough on this fourth album Signs of the Swarm fall into a too-deep entrancement on the second half of ‘Absolvere’, an appropriate tunnel vision for a ~40 minute spin that is nonetheless a bit front loaded with its major statement. Otherwise they’re on point with a much more fitting visual presentation, trim production values, and a stronger sense of ‘self’ in the deathcore sea.
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