Outre - Tranquility

By Hera Vidal. I haven’t discussed a lot of Polish black metal lately and decided to pick something atmospheric yet adventurous that would get me hyped for the week. Enter Outre and their 2013 EP, Tranquility, and how their run time belies the thunderous music.

By Hera Vidal.


I haven’t discussed a lot of Polish black metal lately and decided to pick something atmospheric yet adventurous that would get me hyped for the week. Enter Outre and their 2013 EP, Tranquility, and how their run time belies the thunderous music.

Even for an EP, Tranquility is rather short - 19 minutes of run time - but they get a lot done in that time frame. For one thing, they allowed themselves to fully give reign to their various ideas, creating a primordial soup of sound that shows a foundation for something bigger. What I love most about this EP is their relentless energy in their musical composition, as they pull you deeper and deeper within the thralls of their music. It makes the listener feel like they are watching the band play, as music is being constructed out of thin air. But of course, nothing about the music sounds out of place - the composition is planned and executed extremely well - but it’s easy to imagine how the band came together while testing new ideas. There is a lot of thrash undertones and even a saxophone solo, that really sold the album to me.

All in all, Tranquility is a good start into Outre’s discography, as they have a penchant for the dramatic and the consistent. Everything about this EP is fantastic, well-constructed black metal that needs to be played loud and for long periods of time. This was a truly great find, and I am looking forward to see what else I enjoy about Outre.

The Beastwars Trilogy

By Calen Henry. None of the Beastwars albums are new, but in the fall the band made all their albums Pay What You Want on Bandcamp (until April 2018) to support singer Matt Hyde's cancer treatment so it seems like a good time for a retrospective on their trilogy of albums.

By Calen Henry.

None of the Beastwars albums are new, but in the fall the band made all their albums Pay What You Want on Bandcamp (until April 2018) to support singer Matt Hyde's cancer treatment so it seems like a good time for a retrospective on their trilogy of albums.

Thus far the band has recorded a trilogy of albums focusing on a combination of apocalyptic description and introspection; either describing destruction or musing on coming to terms with the resulting death. The albums aren't exactly concept albums but along with the overarching concepts there are recurring images; birds, mountains, rivers, and magic that represent the struggles with life and death on which the band focus. The band's original goal was a trilogy so it remains to be seen if they keep going. Either way, they've recorded an exciting trilogy of albums like no other band, in a crowded and sometimes boring genre; stoner doom.

Artwork by Nick Keller.

Beastwars came to my attention in 2013 with Blood Becomes Fire but I didn't really get them until I went back to the self-titled, specifically the opening song "Damn the Sky".

It is as fine a manifesto as any band could have, summing up the band's unique take on stoner doom, with a layer of grunge, in one track. Anchored by a mid-tempo guitar pseudo-gallop and the band's characteristic crunchy bass, Matt Hyde's vocals shine. Like no other vocalist he careens between a gravelly smooth croon and a god bothering howl introducing tenets of the band's world:

Take me to the top of the hill
Where the birds refuse to fly
Raise your hands your hand to the damned sky
Watch those twin moons collide

Photos by Mark Derricutt / Chalice of Blood.

Artwork by Nick Keller.

Beastwars appears to be set in a time of magic and myth with references to ships as well as magic, while Blood Becomes Fire is set in the future and features the point of view of a time traveling astronaut. It also marks a musical shift for the band; both noisier and more melodic.

Where Beastwars takes the band's mantra, "Obey the Riff" pretty literally, Blood Becomes Fire anchors the huge guitar riffs with more angular bass (and sometimes guitar) riffs but introduces more melodic guitar leads. It takes the band's unique spin on stoner doom to a new level, really giving the band a sound like no one else. It also works with the lyrical shift, from impending doom to the aftermath of apocalypse.

Artwork by Nick Keller.

The final album in the trilogy, The Death of All Things, mellows out the band's overall sound but maintains a level of ferocity, especially in the vocals, that makes for a sound unmatched in modern metal.

Though the album features the band's lyrical touchstones like mountains, rivers and magic, the album is less concerned with description and more with thoughts on the death of all things. The lyrical shift, combined with the musical shift makes the album all the more successful. The more mellow, deliberate tracks are a master class in stoner doom composition. Most bands can only wish to write one track as good as "Witches', let alone a whole album.

I'd also be remiss to talk about Beastwars without mentioning Nick Keller's fantastic cover art for each album. His vivid paintings give the slight visual push that helps transport you to the worlds the band creates. I'm sure the LP sleeves are amazing.

The only blemish on the band's catalog is production. All three albums are mastered very loudly. It's only truly a detriment on the first record which has noticeable clipping, but it can make all three records, back to back, an exhausting listen. And, at 40 minutes apiece, the albums beg to be binged.

That aside, Beastwars are something special. They took a tired genre back to its roots and built a characteristic sound through three musically and lyrically cohesive albums, each having its own sonic identity. Anyone with even a passing interest owes it to themselves to check them out and let’s hope there's more to be heard from them.

Dynamic Metal - Round Two

By Calen Henry. The previous article in this series got good traction so I'm back with a few more bands that do more than just make great metal. They also make great sounding metal. Solstice play Epic Doom Metal, a genre that is really big in 2017.

By Calen Henry.

The previous article in this series got good traction so I'm back with a few more bands that do more than just make great metal. They also make great sounding metal.

Cover art by Harry Clarke.

Solstice play Epic Doom Metal, a genre that is really big in 2017. New Dark Age, though, was originally released in 1998 and the dynamic CD master is on Bandcamp. It measures in at DR 12 and absolutely crushes. Their epic, melodic medieval approach to doom can be heard in numerous newer bands. Darkest Era sound like Solstice + Primordial. Khemmis take epic doom and apply the "kitchen sink metal approach" to blending the genre. Bands like Atlantean Kodex simply sound like Solstice. Plus, their "archaic language about castles and monsters" approach is everywhere in metal now.

Apart from simply being fantastic doom metal New Dark Age is eally elevated by the folk influences. The riffs, vocals, and lyrics are extremely folky and the album features numerous fantastic tracks that are straight up folk songs with no metal whatsoever. This commitment to "folkiness" can make the vocals seem a bit off putting at first. There are some sections that feature harmonies not usually used in metal. Bands like Darkest Era have much more approachable vocal styles. But the vocals on New Dark Age complete the sound and after an acclimatization period I found myself to be a big fan.

Album art by Dymond Starr Austin.

Dreadnought play the proggiest metal to ever prog. They might be best described as "blackened prog rock" All the prog rock trappings are there. Their albums are an elemental cycle with the title track from their newest album being 17 minutes long. They use flute, piano, organ, and saxophone as well as lots of clean vocals. They mix that with vicious blast beats and snarled vocals.

Lifewoven is the first in their elemental cycle, being earth themed. It is also, unfortunately, the only dynamically mastered album in their catalog measuring DR 10. Bridging Realms (aether themed) and A Wake in Sacred Waves (water themed) are both excellent albums but they are not at all dynamically mixed both coming in at DR 5 and DR 6 respectively.

Lifewoven sets up Dreadnought's sonic template from which they don't much deviate on later albums. Long songs with complex multi layered sections flowing between prog rock and black metal. Though sounding nothing alike their long form immersive approach to songwriting brings to mind Elder, and is part of why I like both bands so much.

Album artwork by KolaHari.

Æther Realm are part of an amorphous wave of new American (and Canadian) metal taking influence from myriad styles but always with a bit of melodeath, folk, and black metal. Thrawsunblat play the blackest version of it, Wilderun are the folkiest, and Xanthochroid are the most symphonic and cinematic.

Æther Realm, hailing from North Carolina, exhibit the strongest melodeath links but mix it with black metal, a bit of folk, a symphonic edge, and phenomenal production. The master for Tarot is DR 10 and it sounds incredible. The drums, in particular are punch of give the music a great visceral quality, like Vainaja (though sounding almost nothing like them). The mix doesn't emphasize guitars over other instruments so everything comes through wonderfully.

Tarot is an album that piqued my interest on production but really sells the music as well. The musicianship and composition are excellent as well and improved, rather than hampered by production.

Dead Congregation's Promulgation of the Fall is a modern old school death metal classic. It also sounds terrible. It's incredibly dynamically compressed (DR 4), to the album's detriment. Amazingly they followed it up with a two song EP that incredibly dynamic (DR 12). It's also, unsurprisingly, excellent. Hitting a sound between Ominous Circle and Vainaja. Worth a look for any death metal fans wanting great sound to go with great music.

Artwork by Anni Buchner.

Ruff Majik sound like The White Stripes weaned on stoner rock. The vocals are very "Jack White" and the music has the same frantic raw feel of early White Stripes but with a metric tonne of fuzz. The band also records their material live in studio which gives the music an organic spontaneous feel at the expense of some fidelity. So far the band has a trilogy of animal themed EPs and are working through releasing four parts of an album to coincide with the change in seasons. They're South African, though, so the season changes are opposite to what us northerners are used to. Of their catalog The Swan appears to be the only release with a dynamic (DR 12) master, but musically it's all great.

Pantheon of Blood - Tetrasomia

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Finnish underground black metallers Pantheon of Blood have chosen to explore the conceptual potential of the four alchemical elements in their latest EP, the blistering Tetrasomia. Over the four tracks

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.


Finnish underground black metallers Pantheon of Blood have chosen to explore the conceptual potential of the four alchemical elements in their latest EP, the blistering Tetrasomia. Over the four tracks, Pantheon of Blood touch upon the four corresponding elements: air, fire, water and earth. While still a harsh and acerbic album, especially when it comes to the vocals, which are as dry and withered in tone as they are icily intense in delivery, Tetrasomia is a more melodic effort than 2011's Consociatio Solis et Lunae. There's warmth and trembling vitality to the instrumentation that allow moments of softness and vulnerability to penetrate the darkness. This focus on melody, as well as clearer production values, also allows Pantheon of Blood to display their musical skillset more effectively, such as the sinuous, supple guitar leads on "Monta Maailmaa Nähnyt." A succinct, tight EP with a strong conceptual framework and solid execution, Tetrasomia is a refreshing black metal album that still adheres to the principles of an old-school aesthetic.

Guttural Secrete - Nourishing the Spoil

By Bryan Camphire. I saw Guttural Secrete perform Friday July 28th, 2017. They traveled from Las Vegas, Nevada to play the fourth annual Chicago Domination Fest. They came out of retirement more or less to play this gig plus a few select others.

By Bryan Camphire.

Cover art by Mike Hrubovcak.

I saw Guttural Secrete perform Friday July 28th, 2017. They traveled from Las Vegas, Nevada to play the fourth annual Chicago Domination Fest. They came out of retirement more or less to play this gig plus a few select others. Just like every movie you've ever seen where the protagonist comes out of retirement to do just one last ill-advised job against all odds, it was enormously entertaining to behold. Seeing these men play under a strobe light, it appeared that they all had twenty fingers on each hand. It was unreal. Having finally seen them perform live, I thought it high time this masterpiece of theirs, Nourishing the Spoil, got a little more praise, if only to fan the flames in hopes of more to come.

But first a few words about the form. Brutal death metal sets itself apart from other types of metal. The attire is different. You're unlikely to see a lot of leather jackets, jean vests, spikes and bullet belts when these groups play live. You'll see cargo shorts, sweats, band logos on socks and snapbacks ...and oh the band logos. If you were to start your own brutal death metal band, discussing its logo might sound like ordering hashbrowns at a Wafflehouse in the southern parts of the United States. You can get your logos scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced and topped. Album imagery is all gore and more gore, with a few exceptions. The style the bands play deviates from one another only slightly - at least on the surface. To me, it's almost like old-school punk in this sense: groups doing their thing, very happy to be a part of this scene, paying homage to their idols, showing deep respect within the community, and at the same time putting forth a fuck-all type of attitude towards the outside world as though we're all going to hell in a handbasket anyway.

Photo by Bryan.

The ethos is unique at a brutal death metal show. Bands are likely to talk about partying (read: imbibing of illicit substances) with such abandon that you'd be forgiven if you felt like you were in an episode of Wayne's World. The music is rife with riffs that are referred to as "slams", meaning, essentially, that they're - gulp - danceable. Moshing is highly encouraged. Moshing, that dance form that is so easily misunderstood as a machismo display of excess testosterone instead of what it really is, which is people losing themselves in music to a near trance-like extent that manifests itself as intensely physical. After all, women like moshing too. Also, crowd surfing happens, to add to the revery and abandon. Bands thank the audience for their energy. Singers are likely to jump into the pit. In these respects, a brutal death metal show has more in common with seeing a band like Fishbone than it does seeing a band like Portal. I think some of these reasons are, sadly, why more people don't seem to take brutal death metal seriously. But, on the other hand, perhaps it's best preserved as a well-kept secret among those in the know. The bands do seem to enjoy not taking themselves too seriously on certain levels anyway.

But then there's the music. It's technical. Unholy hellfire, is it technical. Guttural Secrete reign supreme in this regard. Since acquiring Nourishing The Spoil some four or five years ago, I've checked out more brutal death metal bands than I can count in hopes of finding some whose music can hold a candle to this record. There are but a precious few that I've been able to discover. One is Spain's Wormed. Another is Malta's Abysmal Torment. I saw yet another band open for Guttural Secrete the other night who hold a candle to them in terms of berserk level of songwriting skill. They're called Delusional Parasitosis. Man, I love that band name. The guitarist was wearing the same Guttural Secrete t-shirt I had on at the show. I had to buy one of their shirts out of respect. I digress. My point is that it's really ridiculously difficult to play the music that these guys play, and that bands who are able to do this with extreme finesse are few and far between. I feel like in the time it took Guttural Secrete to write and rehearse this album, they could have replicated painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Nourishing the Spoil is the telos of the brutal death metal sound.

Photo by Bryan.

The singing in brutal death metal can be thought of as the grain alcohol of metal vocals. It's overproof, and that's the whole point. It can knock you on your ass. This is yet another reason that brutal death metal is put on a shelf and ignored instead of closely examined to access its rich potential. Its not for the faint of heart. Mixed into just the right concoction, however, and this stuff can make for a transcendental experience. Fortunately, that's just what the Guttural Secrete does with their singing. It's beyond the pale, and for that reason it fits the tunes perfectly.

Listening to the songs on Nourishing the Spoil is akin to being dropped into the middle of a dark forest and having to fend your way outward with a machete. The tunes operate on their own logic, it's not one you're familiar with because it's unique unto itself. Only the most intrepid listeners will make it through this record unscathed. The sheer intensity of this music rips through you and eviscerates, like the obscene gore on the record's cover.

I have to admit I am a beginner to brutal death metal. Judging by talking to several wonderful people I met at the show, die hard fans seem to live this brutal lifestyle 24/7/365. Regardless of whether you approach this music as a casual listener or as a brutal death metal obsessive, you'll find that this record is in a class of its own. It's impossible to be indifferent to Nourishing the Spoil, and for that reason if nothing else, it deserves respect. Music this monstrous is not to be taken lightly.

Friday funeral doom shopping list

By Manny-O-War. In a brief amount of time, say a few short months, it’s become a tradition on Thursdays to open up the lines of communication that social media affords us and play some Desert Island. Each week we select a genre

By Manny-O-War.

Artwork by Lars Simpkins

In a brief amount of time, say a few short months, it’s become a tradition on Thursdays to open up the lines of communication that social media affords us and play some Desert Island. Each week we select a genre, sub-genre or other category of music and each “contestant” (no one really wins or loses) selects five albums that they would bring with them to a desert island. Recently, we tackled the slow, undulating genre of funeral doom. It was met with much joy and participation, odd given the genre’s monicker. It was also a week where many people shared new bands and experiences with each other. And that’s the real motivation behind the desert island game on Thursdays: to allow people to explore categories of music they may not have previously delved into. It’s easy, using a hashtag on Twitter or a post on Facebook, for people to learn about any number of exciting artists held dear by people they respect, don’t know or perhaps are pals with. While not every desert island week leads to music purchases, it’s encouraging when someone takes the initiative to learn about bands and purchase the music directly from the artist.

That’s where Bandcamp comes in. It’s likely that you’ve seen the ##metalbandcampgiftclub hashtag floating around. Maybe you’ve been gifted a record or two, maybe you’ve gifted a record or two or maybe you’ve just seen the hashtag around. Regardless, you can read more about that here if you’re so inclined. Desert Island has given us yet another way to use Bandcamp as a sort of social networking application. It’s an easy way to find, stream and purchase works by artists that you’re interested in checking out. And, this Friday, August 4, 2017, Bandcamp has done something unique: they’ve committed to donate 100% of their profits, for the entire day, to the Transgender Law Center, a nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to change law, policy, and culture as well as defend transgender individuals who may suffer from those who seek to undermine their legitimacy. Bandcamp did something similar previously when it donated all proceeds to the ACLU. These are trying times not only for Americans suffering under a rigid, unwielding and hateful administration but also throughout the world where religion and government are often interchangeable institutions. It’s commendable that Bandcamp is willing to be such a proud supporter of human rights and it’s inspiring to see such a business as a beacon of hope in this oddly commerce-centric culture.

[Max: these albums are simply my shopping list gained from perusing Manny's #desertislandfuneraldoom posts. A few classics, some major releases from recent years that I somehow missed, and most excitingly: a handful of great albums I've never heard about before.]

[Bonus album: I just picked up this excellent mix of drone and funeral doom from Norway's Hjarnidaudi. As this short review from Metal Archives states "Fuzzed out guitars guitars flying everywhere, big walls of slow dirge rhythm, stuff that's melodic and disturbing and generally awesome".]

Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Necrovision

By Steven Leslie. It’s often a mystery why some bands explode in popularity, while other equally talented bands wallow in obscurity throughout their existence. Whether it is a case of location, lack of press coverage, poor distribution or just plain old bad luck

By Steven Leslie.

Artwork by Thorny Thoughts Artwork.

It’s often a mystery why some bands explode in popularity, while other equally talented bands wallow in obscurity throughout their existence. Whether it is a case of location, lack of press coverage, poor distribution or just plain old bad luck, it is a shame that excellent bands like Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult don’t get the recognition that they deserve. Releasing their first demo in 1999, the Germans have not released a bad album in their 10-plus year career. While Necrovision, their fifth full-length, is by no means new, it’s limited availability (at least here in the States) and only recent appearance on Bandcamp will make it new to many listeners. And like all the band's previous works, it offers a plenty of aural pleasures for any fans of second-wave black metal.

Nocturn does follow a fairly traditional black metal template, but they are far from the one-trick, one-dimensional copycat bands that are so prevalent these days. They have continued to hone their sound and songwriting technique over the years, imbuing each and every song with a dark spirit and individual nature that ensure they hold up over repeat listens. The critical component in this is the band’s understanding and use of dynamics. Instead of endless blasts and homogenous dirges, each of Necrovision’s nine songs (excluding the typical throwaway ambient intro) guide the listener through a series of twists and turns, culminating in a diverse and highly satisfying journey into the darkness.

MDF 2015. Photo by Ashley Adams.

Interestingly, the first thing that jumped out on early listens was the spectacular drum performance by Horrn. While he can blast with the best of them, he opts instead to use this technique as an accent instead of the template around which all the songs are built. This helps guarantee that when a blast is employed, it gets the listener's full attention and delivers all the impact of a mac truck colliding with a mini cooper. More impressive is Horrn’s deft usage of fills. He intuitively understands how to use them as accents to help propel the song forward and keep the listener’s attention, without ever sacrificing the underlying beat’s groove. Equally comfortable with a rollicking mid-paced stomp as an all-out percussive onslaught, Horn provides a diverse and powerful backdrop against which Velnias and Onielar overlay their powerful riff work.

The dynamic drum performance is matched by the excellent riff work provided by this duo. As with the drum work, it’s the variety here that helps make Necrovision stand out from its peers. Whether it’s a slower atmospheric build, mid-paced groove, or concussion inducing blitz, Onielar and Velnias seem to have the perfect riff. Equally impressive is their ability to seamlessly blend these tempo changes together, highlighting their adept songwriting skills. This duo shows the same keen understanding of song craft that Horrn does, enabling them to maximize the impact of each and every riff they play. No single hook or melody overstays it’s welcome, constantly shifting and evolving, often leaving the listener begging for more and guaranteeing future listens. The warm production sound is a boon here as well, helping differentiate the band from the slew of black metal bands mining the “icy northern” riff style of their infamous Norwegian peers, and allowing their contagious melodies to firmly sink their hooks in the listeners damaged brain.

Vocally, Onielar delivers the goods as well. While her performance is quite traditional and certainly not as varied as her superb display on the latest Bethlehem release (a must listen if you haven’t already), her harsh croak lays perfectly on top of the music imbuing it with occult atmosphere and satanic might. If you have heard Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult before, rest assured that the quality of their back catalog is maintained, and if you're new to the band Necrovision is as good a place to start as any. One thing is for sure, this Germanic black metal institution is one that you need to add to your collection.

The Devil's Blood - III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Based in Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, psychedelic doom/occult rock outfit the Devil's Blood announced at the beginning to 2013 that they were dissolving, but plans for a final record had already been set in motion.

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.


Based in Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, psychedelic doom/occult rock outfit the Devil's Blood announced at the beginning to 2013 that they were dissolving, but plans for a final record had already been set in motion. That swan song is III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars, which the band openly admit was assembled from pre-production and demoed material, cleaned up as much as possible prior to release.

Photos by Francis Bijl.

Despite the less-than-ideal recording conditions, the material is strong, with urgent, swelling bass lines and fluid guitar work. There's an oppressive, almost chalky smokiness to the tone, but it serves the material, making it sound even more ominous. Farida Lemouchi's vocal performance is, as always, a highlight, her tone deep and caramel rich, her style emotive and intense. III: Tabula Rasa would be an exceptional occult rock release under most circumstances, but considering that it's a farewell, there's an added sense of poignancy and loss, demonstrating keenly exactly why the Devil's Blood will be missed.

Giveaway - A Fortnight Spent Beneath Ashen Skies t-shirt by Christian Degn

[Welcome to the second Metal Bandcamp giveaway! Recently I fell in love with a t-shirt featuring the gorgeous drawing A Fortnight Spent Beneath Ashen Skies by Christian Degn. After procuring it a thought entered my mind: more people should know about this shirt

The giveaway is over. See who won at the bottom of the post.

[Welcome to the second Metal Bandcamp giveaway! Recently I fell in love with a t-shirt featuring the gorgeous drawing A Fortnight Spent Beneath Ashen Skies by Christian Degn. After procuring it a thought entered my mind: more people should know about this shirt, so they can love it like I do. Hence this giveaway, enter it and you may win the t-shirt for yourself to wear.

Besides the giveaway we have music as well. Christian was kind enough to send me a Bandcamp playlist of albums that kept him company while creating the drawing. Enjoy, and check out his store for prints (and the t-shirt if you do not win it here).]


The title of the drawing on this shirt is "A Fortnight Spent Beneath Ashen Skies, an Eternity Under the Eyes of Our Lord” which was a phrase that kept repeating in my head as I was drawing it. This is usually how I name pieces, if they do end up getting a name. The only symbolism that I intentionally put into this image was the hour glass, and it’s meaning is actually not terribly deep, simply representing mortality. I suppose this whole illustration could be dedicated to this idea. Everything else is just there because I liked how it looked. I have plans to make more shirts with other illustrations I’ve done, but I figured I would start out with one of my older drawings. In total I probably spent around 20 or so hours on this piece, possibly more or less. It was on my desk for about a month while I worked on other drawings and school work, picking away at it slowly. Of course I had plenty of music keeping me company through this process, here are a few of the albums I recall playing regularly around the time of working on it.


This album was playing as I started this drawing. Originally I was only planning to draw the left half of the image. I had started it a couple of weeks before my birthday and was drawing it as as a sort of gift for myself, and with another year passing, an hourglass seems fitting. Xothist has a interesting songwriting style that really lets my mind wander with their meandering compositions, but it still has a rawness that keeps it very mysterious and menacing while demanding attention. I also had the Dwarfer cassette playing a lot as well around this time, though I’m not sure if the band has a stream anywhere. Either way, this stuff deserves way more praise than I see it getting. Really top notch stuff!

I’ve always been infatuated with Locrian’s music since I was first introduced to them, but this album really caught me off guard from track one. All their releases have a really long shelf life for me as well, if that’s the right way to put it? I mean I had this album in rotation regularly up until Infinite Dissolution which followed this release (and it’s kinda been the same story with that album!) My routine during this summer was to go for an evening run and come home and sit by the fan and blast this record while playing an hour or so of Metroid 2 on gameboy before working on art stuff. It makes for the perfect soundtrack to a lonely space exploration game! Locrian’s musical sensibility and aesthetic always has the feeling of intrigue and haziness, like seeing a mysterious door in a dream that you know you want to approach, but are apprehensive about. But the band shows you inside the door and it’s usually nothing to be afraid of, but something to find wonder in. I also always love seeing Terence Hannum’s collage pieces using cassette tape and design elements from labels. As a generally line-oriented artist, I’ve always taken a lot away from seeing his work. I hope I can see some in person eventually, I’m sure the light interacting with the tape provides a whole new level to the viewing experience. I’ll quit fawning now ha!

I always have to listen to a Krallice album at some point during a drawing. There’s something about hearing the way these dudes account for every detail in their songs that really lends itself to falling into that sort of zen state, where inking monotonous lines becomes more meditative than tedious. The word I always see people throw around to describe Krallice is dizzying, which really is probably the best way to describe any Krallice riff. The other thing I love about how detail-oriented this band’s discography tends to be, is that I can almost always find something new on every listen. Not a lot of bands do that for me! This was another album I was playing on cassette a lot, and hearing that extra layer of fuzz really makes you aware of how much influence these guys drew from that raw black metal sound. If you can find a copy I recommend you snagging it! (if only for the alternate cover art on the j-card, which has grade-A layout!)

I believe I may have actually stumbled across this album through this very site! I probably played it at least once during every drawing I did between 2014 and 2015. I really love how spacey this album feels, despite a pretty grind-y backbone. For me it feels a lot like Vektor meets Gridlink but a little bit more blackened? I think the thing that really kept me coming back to this release the most was actually the vocal mix. It has those sort of DSBM howls and it fits with the song writing excellently. I usually pay attention to guitars and drums more than anything so it’s rare for me to find vocals done in a way that actually make them the highlight. These make me feel like a little kid hearing heavy metal for the first time and being kind of scared but still transfixed. Also just like.. the riffs, man!

This might be my favorite album ever. It’s almost always in rotation, but I was listening to this more than usual right as I was finishing up on this drawing because, if I remember correctly, The Unnatural World had just come out earlier in the year. I thought about including that album instead, since it was as significant around that time for me, but I couldn’t bring myself to put it above this record which always really messes me up in the best way on every listen. I don’t know what I could say about Deathconsciousness that hasn’t already been said and said more eloquently than I’m capable of, but there’s no way I couldn’t give it a mention. Also I believe the Flenser just announced another pressing recently so I suggest jumping on that if you get the chance! The sleeve and zine included are absolutely stunning! A detail I love is that the Flenser pressing uses the Jaques-Louis David cover, and then uses the original LP cover for the zine. This album definitely demands your attention the first handful of listens. I suggest turning it up very loud and turning off all the lights! Repeat until you’ve gained enough immunity that you can actually draw to this album without sobbing all over your paper!

[The giveaway is over. Thanks to all who entered, and for all the nice comments. The randomly selected winners are:

Brad Sanders29 - bradscottsand AT gmail DOT com
AM30 - merschat AT gmail DOT com

The t-shirts have now been sent to Brad from New York and Artie from Texas. Congratulations to both of you!]

Hey, Check This Out! #2

Hey, Check This Out! is an irregular column of DIY reviews, where we give you just the basic facts about albums that we wanted to give a full review but for some reason it never happened.

Hey, Check This Out! is an irregular column of DIY reviews, where we give you just the basic facts about albums that we wanted to give a full review but for some reason it never happened. Without further ado:

Artwork by Andrew Millar of Patrons of the Rotting Gate

Band:	Patrons of the Rotting Gate.
City:	London, United Kingdom.
Genre:	Progressive Black Metal ~ Sorrowful dissonance.
Interesting fact:	The Rose Coil is the proud recipient of a 0% review from The Metal Archives, with the awesome line "If I wanted to drift aimlessly, I'd snort some ketamine."

Band:	DreamLongDead.
City:	Athens, Greece.
Genre:	Primitive monolithic punkish doom death metal.
Interesting fact:	Recorded in Universe217's studio. A band that's pretty much the opposite of primitive and punkish.

Cover art by Joshua Klegerman

Band:	Clad in Darkness.
State:	Chicago, Illinois/Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Genre:	Jazzy post-black metal.
Interesting fact:	Leading internet metal experts are trying to convince the band to make a new album. We give such endeavors our full support.

Dave’s Demo Roundup Vol. VIII

By Dave Schalek. The holidays are a distant memory. The demos are coming at me fast and furious, let’s get right to them, shall we? Here’s a three song demo from Kriegzittern, a German duo mining primitive death metal for inspiration.

By Dave Schalek.

The holidays are a distant memory. The demos are coming at me fast and furious, let’s get right to them, shall we?


Here’s a three song demo from Kriegzittern, a German duo mining primitive death metal for inspiration. Falling somewhere in between early Swedish death metal and Incantation along with other, like-minded dark death metal bands, Kriegszittern show their familiarity with the genre quite nicely. Frostbite features three heavy songs backed up by a rough, yet deep and organic, production. Kriegszittern also display variety in their songwriting with tempo changes, catchy riffs, and gruff vocals. Not exactly original, but Kriegszittern are sure to please death metal fans as they obviously know their way around the genre. An earlier, untitled demo from Kriegszittern is also available at their Bandcamp page.

Don’t ask me how to pronounce it (or spell it; I’m cutting and pasting here), and information about the band is scarce, but this Byelorussian outfit plays brutal death metal with burped vocals and plenty of blastbeats to go along with riffs and a noodling bass that occasionally borderlines upon technicality. The production is rough on this two-song demo, but the songs are catchy enough to pique your interest. The demo is available for $4 US on their Bandcamp page (which seems a bit pricey to me), but information about other releases is not mentioned. The Bandcamp mentions a full-length debut being in the works; I’ll let you be the judge in determining whether or not it’s worth tracking down.

Vasaeleth - All Uproarious Darkness

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Raw death metal duo Vasaeleth have unleashed a river of blood with their second album, All Uproarious Darkness. Though only 19 minutes and five tracks, the record is a full-length

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.

Cover art by Antichrist Kramer.

Raw death metal duo Vasaeleth have unleashed a river of blood with their second album, All Uproarious Darkness. Though only 19 minutes and five tracks, the record is a full-length release and follow-up to 2010's Crypt Born & Tethered to Ruin. From the thick heat of the Southern U.S., Vasaeleth have managed to channel a sound with a deep sepulchral chill — the guitar tone is unforgiving and icy enough to raise hackles and shudders. It's not only the tone that's cold as a dungeon's iron bars, but the mood and concept as well. The record reeks of ill-will and hostility, evoking a sick, snarling atmosphere that stalks and slithers around the listener. The soundscape is swirling and dense, the relentless drums, thick, slime-crusted guitars and bass knitting together into a smothering sonic morass. The brevity of the record is a mercy; All Uproarious Darkness leaves the listener not only chilled and unsettled, but gasping for breath.

Atlantean Kodex - The White Goddess

By Zach Duvall. In the interest of wasting very little of your time, we’re going to get right to the main point: Just about exactly two years ago, Germany’s Atlantean Kodex released what can now firmly be called a modern classic in The White Goddess. The album is just about flawless in concept and delivery, and is rich with the kind of nuance that keeps you coming back repeatedly

By Zach Duvall


In the interest of wasting very little of your time, we’re going to get right to the main point: Just about exactly two years ago, Germany’s Atlantean Kodex released what can now firmly be called a modern classic in The White Goddess. The album is just about flawless in concept and delivery, and is rich with the kind of nuance that keeps you coming back repeatedly, but this only begins to scratch the surface. The following will attempt to communicate some of what it is that makes Atlantean Kodex such a special entity within the world of heavy metal and music as a whole. The 900 metric tons of hyperbole is included as a bonus.

The easy part of describing The White Goddess is Atlantean Kodex’s general sound: A doom base with much of the gloom replaced by either haunting sorrow or power metal’s battle-worn triumph, plenty of Bathory bombast, and an unabashed indulgence in all things epic. Add in a progressive mindset, absolutely deliberate and methodic songwriting, and soaring lead vocals lacking in any sense of ego or arrogance, and you’ve got the picture.

But to say that this accurately captures what Atlantean Kodex is all about would be a gross understatement. From note one, The White Goddess is just about more. You may not hear many individual elements or ideas that are innovative in any real way, but make no mistake, this is one ambitious band. Conceptually, emotionally, and from the standpoint of execution, The White Goddess absolutely exudes a kind of regal class. This is a quality that cannot be taught; it must be felt by every musician involved in the process. The vocals alone impart a kind of importance, as if the fate of the world hinges on the events and concepts being described in the words, regardless of what is actually being said. And once this impression comes across, it passes into every monolithic doom riff, every arpeggio lead, and every soft acoustic break.

Of course, good songs help, and The White Goddess is loaded. After a wildly effective album overture – and it is indeed an overture, not an intro – “Sol Invictus (With Faith and Fire)” pretty much reveals the band’s primary goal: The bar of intensity must be raised ever higher, without fail. Beginning with an a cappella singing of the title, everything feels massive. With each monumental landing of the (unthinkably divine) chorus, the listener feels as if the song is spending its last bit of energy, only to be outdone with the next appearance. After the final iteration, you are spent, and the album is only getting started.

That the rest of the album manages to hold up after these nearly 11 perfect minutes is a testament to Atlantean Kodex’s confidence in not only the quality of the subsequent songs, but also their overall album flow and concept. The following acoustic break is necessary, as is the doom balladry of “Heresiarch (Thousandfaced Moon)” – which features yet another unforgettable chorus – before “Twelve Stars and an Azure Gown (An Anthem for Europa)” is able to deliver a bit more in the traditional heavy metal department. Pacing is key, as are songs that fit perfectly together despite sounding more and more unique with each spin of the album.

The most unique of these, and by far the heaviest from a pure feeling standpoint, is “Enthroned in Clouds and Fire (The Great Cleansing).” Absolutely overflowing with Bathory charm (and chants, and rhythms), it initially feels a bit derivative, but Atlantean Kodex brings a melodic ability to their vocals that Quorthon obviously never did, and this track is their peak in that department. The melodies are generally simple, and slowly developing, but when delivered over that bombastic base, each is more magical and heart wrenching than the last. For not the first time on the album, the listener is spent, but the return of a feeling of triumph and majesty on the closing title track offers deliverance, and one final leg of Atlantean Kodex’s journey. They even toss in some tasty Iron Maiden-esque harmonies for good measure.

To put it lightly, The White Goddess is quite a thing. More accurately, it is a singular experience, a truth that is only growing more firm with the passing of time. There is a divinity, a holiness to Atlantean Kodex’s music that can only be appreciated when heard, and only truly felt after The White Goddess has been given ample time to completely worm its way into your subconscious. That, I assure you, will be time well spent.

Moss - Horrible Night

By Natalie Zina Walschots. The fourth full-length from English purveyors of doom lugubriousness Moss, Horrible Night is a droning monument to misery and the ponderous, inextricable weight of existence; it also represents a distinct lightening in tone and execution from their past efforts. While still drenched in distortion and a profound, reverberating melancholy

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.

Artwork by Reuben Sawyer / Rainbath Visual

The fourth full-length from English purveyors of doom lugubriousness Moss, Horrible Night is a droning monument to misery and the ponderous, inextricable weight of existence; it also represents a distinct lightening in tone and execution from their past efforts. While still drenched in distortion and a profound, reverberating melancholy, Horrible Night is nimbler than their other releases, featuring two songs clocking in at less than ten minutes (and even one under five).

Deeply influenced by dark, occult atmospheres and the writings of horror icon H.P. Lovecraft, despite this drift towards more dextrous compositions, Moss continue to create suffocating, claustrophobic aural landscapes. It's as though the record is smothering the listener via smoke inhalation, the thick tones and inexorable weight of the songs leeching all oxygen from the room. The towering "Dark Lady" goes for a particularly tight stranglehold, the massive riffs drawing closer with each shuddering revolution, like a boa constrictor crushing you to death with its body, then swallowing you whole.

Not heavy for the sake of, Horrible Night also possesses sophisticated melodies and even bright moments of clarity, especially in the haunting clarion vocals. This is a weird, wicked and intoxicating record.

Lake of Blood - Omnipotens Tyrannus

By Justin C. Lake of Blood play what, at first blush, seems like pretty standard USBM. The opening song of Omnipotens Tyrannus puts me in mind of a more aggressive version of the Cascadian sound, but like a lot of bands that manage to elevate themselves beyond "serviceable" into good or great territory

By Justin C.


Lake of Blood play what, at first blush, seems like pretty standard USBM. The opening song of Omnipotens Tyrannus puts me in mind of a more aggressive version of the Cascadian sound, but like a lot of bands that manage to elevate themselves beyond "serviceable" into good or great territory, the details make all the difference.

That wave of sound that opens "Blood & Mercy" suddenly breaks at just after the 1:30 mark, and you get an awesome, stuttering riff that kicks off a new direction, string scrape included. I usually hate those, but for whatever reason, it just screams "METAL!" here in an utterly satisfying way. The slithery melody line that follows is addictive as anything I've heard in recent memory, and we're off on an 11-minute black metal odyssey.

There are a lot of great touches here. The majority of the vocals are a lower growl than the typical black metal shriek, but it's also mixed with some unhinged howls and even some cleanly chanted vocals in "Agape." The taut, distorted riffing is sometimes overlaid with an acoustic guitar pushed way up in the mix. This isn't done in the usual "Now it's time for a folky interlude" way, but rather it's added as additional texture.

Like the instruments themselves, the song structures in general also have a lot of variety, mixing in slower passages with all the fury. "In Wells of Shadow" features a an eerie, doomy intro that morphs into some of the highest energy music on the album, and ultimately the track mashes the two ideas together in a pretty ingenious way.

If there's one minor fault to the album, it's the length, or more accurately, how that length is delivered. 76 minutes isn't an absurd album length for metal--it can and has been done successfully--but it doesn't completely work here. There are a couple of overly long outros that could have been cut for an overall tighter album, but I think the real issue is the sequencing. The penultimate track, "Omnipotens," is the longest song here, stretching over 16 minutes, and it's probably the most unusual song in terms of structure, sound, and pacing. Having the bulk of that track fall after the 60-minute mark and following it with a three-minute, mostly instrumental outro track can cause a bit of fatigue. I did an experiment where I started with listening to that track first, and I liked it much better that way. I was charmed by its oddities and dissonance in a way that I wasn't when listening to it in the "proper" order of the album.

But that's a problem with an easy solution: If you get a little worn out, press pause and come back to it. Whether or not that track would have made a better standalone EP is a minor gripe compared to the fact that you get so much good music here.

Mouth of the Architect - Dawning

By Natalie Zina Walschots. For all ten years of their venerable career, Dayton, OH post-metal band Mouth of the Architect have been seeking a balance between delicate, emotive atmospherics and crushing, sludge-influenced heaviness. Dawning represents their finest effort in this regard, the huge, looping song structures

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.


For all ten years of their venerable career, Dayton, OH post-metal band Mouth of the Architect have been seeking a balance between delicate, emotive atmospherics and crushing, sludge-influenced heaviness. Dawning represents their finest effort in this regard, the huge, looping song structures (which gesture towards pioneers in the genre like Neurosis and Isis), filled with moments of fragile intricacy and frail emotiveness, are pitted against the ponderous weight of doom metal structures and laden, psychedelic guitar tones.

Photos by François Carl Duguay.

Dawning sits neatly between their tender 2008 offering Quietly and 2006's more aggressive The Ties That Bind, with disarming moments like the opening of "How This Will End" standing in contrast to the rest of that track's towering intensity. A great deal of the fine balance that characterizes Dawning is made possible not only be the finely crafted instrumentation but the perfectly deployed dual vocals of Steve Brooks and Kevin Schindel, who can layer death howls overtop of each other, contrast harsh against clean, or offer moments of naked, crooning vulnerability.

Vorum - Poisoned Void

By Natalie Zina Walschots. [Back in May Vorum released a great new EP, Current Mouth, on Bandcamp. And now that Finnish label Woodcut Records is on Bandcamp their 2013 full-length is also available:] Though Finnish death metal band Vorum have been

By Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.

[Back in May Vorum released a great new EP, Current Mouth, on Bandcamp. And now that Finnish label Woodcut Records is on Bandcamp their 2013 full-length is also available]

Illustration by Alexander L. Brown

Though Finnish death metal band Vorum have been together since 2006, Poisoned Void is their first full-length, following the Grim Death Awaits EP in 2009 and the Profane Limbs of Ruinous Death split they did with Vasaeleth in 2010.

Poisoned Void makes good on the promise of a thick, palpable foulness their earlier material hinted at; the atmosphere of this record is all about murk, density and viscosity. The pace is unrelenting, from the battering drums to the angry, hornet-swarming guitars, all smothered in fat, dank distortion. The tone has an almost sumptuous violence to the texture, like being hit by heavy leather with some proper muscle behind it.

"Thriving Darkness" has a sinister, writhing quality to it that makes it a highlight, and the titular track is fierce enough to raise welts. While the sheer thickness of the tone can be smothering now and again, this is nonetheless an extremely promising piece of classic death metal delivered with a sadistic streak.

Lord Time - Drink My Tears

By Aaron Sullivan. Lord Time is the solo project of Los Angeles black metal band Harassor’s drummer, Sandor GF. Much like the solo projects of his other band members, Lord Time allows him to explore the many other sides of music and experimentation he’s into outside of the Harassor moniker.

By Aaron Sullivan.


Lord Time is the solo project of Los Angeles black metal band Harassor’s drummer, Sandor GF. Much like the solo projects of his other band members, Lord Time allows him to explore the many other sides of music and experimentation he’s into outside of the Harassor moniker.

Drink My Tears is ostensibly one song clocking in at over 50 minutes. But upon listening you realize quickly it is many different songs that make up this single track. These songs range from slow hypnotic dirges to raw black metal. Vocals can range from gurgling shrieks to distorted monotone, almost robotic sounding vocals. Some songs are broken up by experimental ambient pieces. The transitions are not abrupt. In fact many fade from one right into the next. There is no real pattern to how it flows, which is great. It helps the music stay fresh as you never know what is coming next. You return to things that sound familiar but nothing is repeated. The low-fi production of it gives it a bit of a haze. While listening, it gives you an almost dream like feeling (or nightmare depending on your mindset).

For me while listening to it I get this image of a journey through a multi roomed house. Every door opened leads you to a different place and sometimes back from which you came. It also reminded me a bit of the boat scene in Willy Wonka. While he remained calm (Lord Time) the passengers (the listener) are freaking out and unnerved not only by the images. But also by the uneasy feeling of not knowing what comes next. But like them you know you must stay until the end.

No doubt a single track of over 50 minutes is a bit daunting for most music listeners. But with so much content contained within the length is really just an afterthought. It’s great musical journey from start to finish.



On Lord Time's Bandcamp Drink My Tears is broken into two tracks. But it was recently re-released on CD and can be heard (and bought) as intended, as a single track on the Universal Consciousness Bandcamp page.