Immortal Bird - Thrive on Neglect

By Justin C. Immortal Bird’s self-description of “crusty blackened proggy deathgrind” may be tongue-in-cheek, but I think it actually reveals a nugget of truth. As I’ve listened to their newest, Thrive on Neglect, on nearly endless repeat these past few weeks,

By Justin C.


Immortal Bird’s self-description of “crusty blackened proggy deathgrind” may be tongue-in-cheek, but I think it actually reveals a nugget of truth. As I’ve listened to their newest, Thrive on Neglect, on nearly endless repeat these past few weeks, I realized that the key to their addictive sound is rooted in duality. They offer up ever-mutating songs, shifting tempo and feel, playing with oblique angular sounds and quick-change ups that will tickle your noggin while maintaining an emotional and musical immediacy from more straightforward realms of metal, making sure you’re not ignoring your feels in the face of the intellectual challenges of the music. Yes, the previous bit may be one of the most pretentious paragraphs I’ve ever written about music, but bear with me, because I promise that it gets to the heart of what I think makes this band so special, and what makes Thrive on Neglect their best album yet.

Vocalist Rae Amitay and bassist John Picillo are joined on this album by two new friends, Nate Madden on guitars and Matt Korajczyk on drums. The core of their sound from previous albums remains the same, but it’s refined and sharpened here. “Vestigial Warnings” takes twisty turns through blasty grind and slower, doomier fare, only to return to a primal stomp at the end. But balancing that, there are moments like the beginning of “House of Anhedonia,” where Amitay opens the song by screaming “We are cursed!”, moments that offer an immediacy that bores right into your brain. “Avolition” is long by Bird standards, coming in over 7 minutes, but it has a telescoping guitar riff that’s one of the favorite things I’ve heard in a while--and of course they fade out with a version of the same riff with harmonics, and I’m a sucker for harmonics. Technically interesting, but still grab-you-by-your-shirtfront direct. Add to that a high, slinky bass riff, and any instrumental music itch I have is well and truly scratched.

The instrumental prowess is matched by emotionally raw lyrics that describe, well, let’s say human relationships that perhaps aren’t operating at their peak. The beginning of “Avolition” offers twisty, dark word play in its first line, “Infatuated with not being alone.” Amitay lets her voice range from low growls to a higher rasp, but her voice never does anything that doesn’t bleed rage and honesty. In album opener “Anger Breeds Contempt,” she percussively bellows “You are. Infection. If. I turn. To face you. I. Know I’ll. Become salt.” adding a nice Biblical allusion thrown in for good measure. If you didn’t know before, her rhythmic delivery here shows her split life between vocalist and drummer.

As of late, we’ve all read a sickening amount of bullshit justification about why shit like stupid Nazi-inspired lyrics somehow “keeps metal dangerous,” but Immortal Bird shows a different, better way. This music is dangerous because it’s musically challenging and emotionally direct and raw. Confronting your inner demons is always more dangerous than lame shock tactics, and adding musical complexity and immediacy in such a fine balance shows Immortal Bird at the top of not only their game, but the whole damn metal game.

Cult Leader - A Patient Man

By Justin C. Cult Leader, formed by the members of the defunct Gaza, made relatively quick work of establishing themselves as their own band, not just a continuation of Gaza with a roster change. Gaza officially disbanded in 2013, and Cult Leader put

By Justin C.


Cult Leader, formed by the members of the defunct Gaza, made relatively quick work of establishing themselves as their own band, not just a continuation of Gaza with a roster change. Gaza officially disbanded in 2013, and Cult Leader put out Nothing for Us Here the very next year, followed by an EP and full-length in 2015. They took a little bit of a pause after that, but 2018's A Patient Man was worth the wait. It finds the band expanding their sound even further, while still building on their hard-to-categorize baseline.

You'll see Cult Leader still labeled with variations of "hardcore" (and that seems to keep them out of The Metal Archives, for good or ill), but I think that's just a holdover from their Gaza days. What I hear in the band now is a mix of sludge's heaviness but without the murk, and grind's technicality but without the extreme level of chaos that tag usually implies. Add to that a new level of expansiveness in song structure, and A Patient Man makes for an album that took me many listens to wrap my head around.

The album starts off with a blaze. Punch your steering wheel and shout along with the growled refrain "HEAL ME!" in the opener, "I Am Healed." "Curse of Satisfaction" follows a similar path of tech-ish brutality, but the third track, "Isolation in the Land of Milk and Honey," starts to showcase a wider palette of sounds as it progresses, and the the album takes a hard right turn at "To: Achlys." This track prominently features a cleanly sung baritone, and it's a vocal style that dominates "To: Achlys" and the following track, "In a World of Joy."

The clean singing isn't new to Cult Leader. They used it in "A Good Life" on A Lightless Walk, and the haunting closing track of Useless Animal, "You Are Not My Blood," also used similar styling. What immediately struck me with "To: Achlys," though, is how prominent the clean singing is. To my ear, this style was pushed back in the mix a little bit in the band's previous albums, but here it is front and center, often with very minimalist backing.

It's a bold choice. "To: Achlys" and "In a World of Joy" are two of the longer songs in the album, and they veer into what I might call "dark folk" for a solid 12 minutes smack in the middle. I wasn't sure how I felt about this at first, but the more I listened, the more I was willing to follow them. These songs are filled with regret and isolation, and the vocals are earnest and almost primitive in a way. It's not a virtuoso vocal performance, but I don't think that would have been nearly as effective. I'd also argue that, in spite of the drastic stylistic difference, there's never any sense that these tracks are experiments. It's the same band, and maintaining your band's core identity in two very different modes is no easy task.

Cult Leader may switch back to the heavy churn after those tracks, like in "Share My Pain," but they're not done with their new expansiveness. The title track and the album closer, "The Broken Right Hand of God," are truly something else, and I'd be lying if I said I'd had a chance to fully absorb them. Listening to this album has been a journey for me, and I'm curious if it will get the attention it deserves in a distracted, I'll-listen-to-30-seconds-and-then-move-on scene, but I hope it does get that attention.

Ancst - Ghosts of the Timeless Void

By Hera Vidal. With seventeen releases under their belt, Ancst is one of the more prolific bands I have encountered. With their blend of crust, black metal, and political lyricism, this band have been making a statement about

By Hera Vidal.


With seventeen releases under their belt, Ancst is one of the more prolific bands I have encountered. With their blend of crust, black metal, and political lyricism, this band have been making a statement about who they are since their inception. Ghosts of the Timeless Void is no exception to their DIY aesthetic and fast pace, but what caught my attention about this release is how melodic it is. Underneath the layers of hardcore, crust, black metal, and other influences that fully flesh out the album, there is also a stark melody that cannot be missed.

Ghost of the Timeless Void starts off with reverbing guitars and backing synth-like tones that give the listener a moment to brace themselves before the music launches into blast beats and harsh vocals. The music is relentless, but it is very clear that there is a melody line that makes the music not as harsh as it should sound. It allows the album to be seamless, missing no beats as the songs transition. It also gives them room to experiment, whether it is with the spoken vocals at the beginning of “Republic of Hatred” or the atmospheric yet slow pacing of “Dysthymia”. The music is varied, a testament to the expert musicianship the band has. There are also hints of dissonance that seem to blur together – for example, in “Sanctity”, the vocals mesh with the music, allowing the listener to get disconnected for a bit. However, just as quickly, the track is able to pull the listener back into their headspace, and it goes without a hitch.

Another thing about Ghosts that caught my attention was its production value. While my experience with hardcore has been limited, I have not enjoyed what I’ve listened to. However, because of the influences the album has, Ghosts makes the crust and hardcore digestible and accessible. Everything about Ghosts is clean, masterful, and dynamic, conveying layers of experimentation that sound incredibly polished. It’s also an earworm, allowing the music to get stuck in your head as you listen to it again and again. This is definitely an album that can be enjoyed multiple times in one sitting, and it never gets old.

All in all, Ghosts of the Timeless Void is an album filled with hard-hitting music, clean production, and relentless energy. Their experimentation may be something new for old fans of the band, but new listeners will appreciate how focused this album is. The band is truly committed to their sound and aesthetic, reminding us that even the more inexperienced of us can enjoy music as it comes.

Wake - Misery Rites

By Matt Hinch. When I think of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) I don't think of grind. I think of oil, rodeo, and Country. But Wake is changing that perception. I first heard the quartet on a split with Rehashed back in 2013 but had forgotten

By Matt Hinch.


When I think of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) I don't think of grind. I think of oil, rodeo, and Country. But Wake is changing that perception. I first heard the quartet on a split with Rehashed back in 2013 but had forgotten about them until 2016's Sowing the Seeds of a Worthless Tomorrow. Fast forward a couple years and the “terror grind” act cement their place as a force to be reckoned with, regardless of locale, with Misery Rites.

If you can't tell by the album titles, Wake deal in personal struggles like addiction, depression, and isolation. Rather than wallow in sombre moods and depressive atmosphere they work through those demons with force. Intense, explosive force. Especially from drummer Josh Bueckert. The way he attacks the kit breeds catharsis just listening to it. From the pure force of hard strikes to the lactic acid blasting of “Rumination”, he leaves the listener anything but wanting.

“Rumination” and its follow-up “Bitter Winter” both go for the powerviolence jugular, eviscerating eardrums with no holds barred speed and power. All is dust. You can feel your atoms being torn apart and thrown into the abyss in a release of energy that just gets fed back into the machine.

Vocalist Kyle Ball does some of his best work on those tracks but throughout the album his intensity never waivers. Deathly growls, higher pitched yells and other terrifying vocal manipulations maintain a fear factor. To make matters worse (in the best way) Primitive Man's Ethan McCarthy lends his voice here and there. That's not the only Primitive Man you'll hear. When Wake slow it down they've got that same filthy weight we've come to know and love from their Coloradan friends.

Photos © John Mourlas. All rights reserved.

You may also notice Misery Rites “sounds” familiar. (Because you're already listening by now, right?) I'm not saying they are copying anyone that way. Not at all. But it does bear the sonic fingerprints of one Dave Otero. He recorded, mixed, and mastered this 27-minute adrenaline shot. He's also worked with the aforementioned Primitive Man as well as Cobalt (and Khemmis but that's a whole different ball of wax). To these ears Misery Rites kind of sounds like if Slow Forever Cobalt went full on grind with that sickening feeling you get from Primitive Man while maintaining Wake's own identity. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

With grind such as this the violence is usually meted out in small bursts. That's mostly true here but not the 45-second premature ejaculations you get from a stereotypical powerviolence band. Wake have more stamina, pushing over two and three minutes. The shortest is 1:33. That is until you hit closer “Burial Ground”. It's over seven minutes but obviously not 1000bpm the whole time.

Something tells me Wake didn't slow tempos for the album's finale and drop “quiet” moments into a furious black metal flaying to give the listener some breathing room. No one who's made it this far into the album wants to cool down. You're not getting much of a break anyway. The iron still glows red as they hammer away at the world's collective psyche with crushing doom. Guitarists Rob LaChance and Arjun Gill lock horns and feed off each other through tremolo runs, feral chaos, and outright oppression.

Misery Rites is a lot to take in. It's full of unstoppable energy no matter the tempo and gorgeously painful tone. Unreal percussion and lung-searing vocals battle the ferocious guitars resulting in a bitterly angry record guaranteed to affect your day. The world is going to shit but at least we have something to soundtrack our misery.

Agrimonia - Awaken

By Matt Hinch. If, like me, you've never listened to Agrimonia before (or at least don't remember), that should have no effect on how much you may enjoy their fourth full-length, Awaken. Everyone has to start somewhere.

By Matt Hinch.


If, like me, you've never listened to Agrimonia before (or at least don't remember), that should have no effect on how much you may enjoy their fourth full-length, Awaken. Everyone has to start somewhere. Agrimonia may be from Sweden but Awaken feels more like it belongs in the U.K. Most bands that came to mind while listening were of the English variety. At least the death-doom ones. I don't really listen to the Peaceville Three either but I can hear their influence. Mind you, no one is going to mistake this for Paradise Lost.

I also find that Awaken does the same things for me that Primordial does on a musical level but without the folk feel and the vocals here are far less triumphant and more dry, raspy, and demonic. It's the mix of power and melody that does it. At times they'll break you down with a powerful, hammering riff but you know it's just a matter of time before the melodies swoop in to pull the listener skyward. This may sound odd for an album such as this but it kind of makes you feel good.

The dynamics are the strongest element Agrimonia put forth. Ethereal atmosphere and those ever-present melodies compete with the coarse vocals and charged riffing with the aid of acoustic flourish. The calculated layering gives Awaken a grand, spacious feel creating an immersive experience that given the proper attention can transport the listener to better places.

They do vary the approach up though. It's not the same formula every time. “Foreshadowed” has a simpler, more ground and pound sound that comes across more “full sounding black metal” than “fast death-doom”. The title track takes things even further away from their core sound. It's basically an acoustic number with percussion and enveloping strings. Coming right after the fire of “Foreshadowed” it's a nice change of pace leading into the almost 13 minute “Withering”.

That one has atmosphere to spare. Background synths swell beneath a desolate guitar line until everybody joins in and brings the darkness with them. There are swaying riffs, straightforward drive, a menacing swiftness that sweeps you from your feet, a good pummeling, and soothing parts to ease your wounds. Speeds and moods change multiple times challenging the listener to keep up but it's a terribly engaging track that never feels forced.

Another highlight for this writer is “Sparrow”. It follows the usual path for the album moving between styles (in a broad sense) effortlessly. Bitter toned guitars slice through piano-assisted atmosphere creating that oppositional standard that dominates the album. There's an epic black metal vibe, a stomping death assault, forlorn melodies, more synths, and the chilling vocals all crashing into each other to eventually float off into the ether. As you can tell, there's a lot going on here and throughout the album.

Awaken has the ability to capture you and subject them to darkness and pain yet fill your ears with so many melodies and other such accoutrements that the darkness is transcended and lifts you up with a sense of light. Awakening you from the night so to speak.

More often than not I found myself hearing various things across the album that reminded me of Woods of Ypres. It doesn't carry the same emotional weight as Woods 5 but Awaken comes close. It is a powerful album ready and willing to dig deep and become part of you. Great albums provide an escape. Escape into this one.

Short and to the point 8

By Aaron Sullivan. From the great Rising Beast label comes the latest from Dargar, The Shores of Space. They originally started as a Blackened Noise band. Very in your face aggressive and gritty. I loved it. Then came a split (that unfortunately did not see a physical release but can be downloaded on the label Bandcamp) and they changed up their sound quite a bit.

By Aaron Sullivan.


From the great Rising Beast label comes the latest from Dargar, The Shores of Space. They originally started as a Blackened Noise band. Very in your face aggressive and gritty. I loved it. Then came a split (that unfortunately did not see a physical release but can be downloaded on the label Bandcamp) and they changed up their sound quite a bit. They became more atmospheric and elements of Shoegaze and DSBM were sprinkled within. Then I heard they were going to go further with that on the next album. The results are amazing.

The Shores of Space as an album encapsulates everything I love about music. Dark, atmospheric, experimental, layered, and with just enough rawness to not sound over produced. The foggyness of the opening track. The chanting vocals closing out "Seething Gold". The gothy hypnotic feel of "Vast". The Jesu-esque feel that starts off "No More Skies". With "Hammers of Minutiae" they return to their Noise roots with an Industrial opener that slowly dissolves as the song progresses. What Pete did vocally is also awesome. From DSBM style, to clean, to distorted Industrial, to gut wrenching Death Metal. Every track is better than the last. Cohesive and yet each song presents it’s own feel. The layers only compel the listener to multiple listens. The more I heard this album I kept asking myself what it reminded me of. Only one album kept coming to mind, Lurker of Chalice, an album I happen to revere very much. Not that Dargar ripped off the album. What they did was something I’ve never heard a band do, capture Lurker's essence, it’s experimentalism. The Shores of Space is a huge step for these guys and it pays off, especially for the listener.

Up next Germany’s Downfall of Gaia and their album Atrophy. I was first introduced to them seeing them live a few years back and was blown away. I had their self titled compilation on rotation for some time after. Their brand of Atmospheric Sludge was right up my alley. But for some reason I lost track of them. I caught back up with them with this album, and I’m so glad I did.

This is a huge step from what I heard originally and liked. It’s more focused and hints of Black Metal are added with great effect. The production is in your face. You feel as though you are surrounded by the musicians as they pummel you with their sonic assault. There is a definite whiff of White Tomb era Altar of Plagues that flows through this album. This was an album that would no doubt be on my 2016 album of the year list. But I stupidly waited too long to include it. Don’t make that same mistake. Wait no longer. Click the link and enjoy.

There are bands that just scratch a certain itch that no other band can. Worm Ouroboros is that band for me. My first encounter with them was their opening for Agalloch. I was hooked, or rather transfixed. The interplay of Lorraine and Jessica’s vocals coupled with Aesop’s delicate and deliberate drumming was like nothing I had ever heard. I couldn’t get enough.

Last year they released their third album What Graceless Dawn. All that you love about their mix of DOOM and Folk is found within. It get this feeling when listening to them like I’m on a small boat going along a calm dark river at night. Aesop drumming is the steady rowing of that boat and the Jessica and Lorraine’s vocals are the cloaked sirens on shore warning me of what’s to come. Sometimes calm as the water and other times, as the danger grows so does the tempo. But I know as long as I follow their voices I will find my way to the light. They can be heavy without ever having to go to 11. They do it through dynamics and emotion. Another of the great albums 2016 had to offer.

Cover art by Valnoir

Admittedly Blackened Death Metal is a genre I stay away from. But knowing nothing of Nidingr accept for the interesting album cover I gave their new album The High Heat Licks Against Heaven a shot. Proving judging a book (or album in this case) by it’s cover can work.

Within the first seconds of the opener I was hooked. Immediate and pummeling are what come to mind. Vocals, a throaty hardcore shout, and at times the music reminiscent of Wolverine Blues era Entombed. But only 4 songs in and they begin to shift gears with the song "Gleipnir" with it’s doomy psychedelic feel. Then back to the pummeling with "Sol Taker". Then comes the dirgey "Ash Yggdrasil" featuring Garm of Ulver fame. A song that really does feel like a collaboration not just a ‘come do vocals’ thing. Followed by two more barnburners and then the final song featuring the ever divisive Myrkur. Another slow doomy dirge. While it may feel somewhat formulaic it really works to help the album feel diverse. The heavier songs sound heavier and the faster songs sound that much faster.

From the island of Tasmania comes the prolific Striborg and his newest album A Procession of Lost Souls. Prolific fits him better than most in the Black Metal scene having released over 20 albums since 1997 sometimes releasing new albums twice in one year. The thing I’ve always loved about him is his willingness to experiment. Not just from album to album but sometimes within an album or even with in songs. He can go two songs that are raw and sound as if they were recorded in a cave and the next six songs sounding professionally recorded (or as professional as one man Black Metal can be). This sort of experimentalism may not sit well with some. I in fact don’t enjoy all that he does. But admire it nonetheless. He’s truly one of a kind.

With A Procession of Lost Souls he returns to familiar ground after his last two albums that consisted of mainly Dark Ambient and Power Electronic songs. The title track opener is raw as most of catalogue. Guitars are buzzy, cymbals hiss, and vocals are gurgled shrieks soaked in reverb. Dark atmosphere is a staple of his music and this album is no different. If you're a fan you’ll love it. If you're new this may be an album that makes you a fan or at least peaks some interest. There’s even a Siouxsie & The Banshees cover to finish off the album.

Dakhma - Suna Kulto

By Matt Hinch. This is (MI’s) Dakhma. There are many (named) like it but this one is better. This Dakma is not your friend. It is intense. You must listen as intensely as Dakhma plays. Without volume Dakhma is useless. Without Dakhma, your ears are useless. You must listen to Dakhma loud. You must listen to Dakhma louder than the enemy telling you to turn it down.

By Matt Hinch.


This is (MI’s) Dakhma. There are many (named) like it but this one is better.

This Dakma is not your friend. It is intense. You must listen as intensely as Dakhma plays. Without volume Dakhma is useless. Without Dakhma, your ears are useless. You must listen to Dakhma loud. You must listen to Dakhma louder than the enemy telling you to turn it down. You must drown them before they silence you.

You will keep Dakhma at the ready even as you are ready for Dakhma. You will become part of each other.

Before Grind, you must swear this creed. Dakhma and yourself are the defenders of crust. You are the masters of black metal. You are the saviors of ferocity. So be it, until there is catharsis and peace.

Grindin’.

Photos by Carmelo Española.

In recent years there’s been a lot of talk about female-fronted occult doom bands (which I love) but at the other end of the spectrum there seems to be a lot of grind (hybrid) bands with female “singers” tearing heads off like it’s their reason for existing. Cloud Rat slays, Couch Slut has a new release in the works, Fuck the Facts have been at it forever, Closet Witch totally wrecked my brain and now Dakhma has set out to eviscerate with Suna Kulto.

So if having a throat shredder without testes isn’t considered a novelty anymore (which it shouldn’t be) then what is there to set Dakhma apart from the rest? Well, how many grind bands do you know with songs around 20 minutes long? Yeah. (If you answered this with any number above two, get in touch with me.) That’s right. Suna Kulto is two tracks covering a rough and raw 40 minutes.

As you can imagine “Coins” and “East” are more than just blasting away at 1000 bpm for 20 minutes. That would be ludicrous and exhausting even for the listener. Despite being tagged as black/crust/grind one could almost throw “post-” into the mix. But they don’t sound like some sappy band when not pinning you against a wall under a flurry of kidney punches. There’s ample melody mixed in. “East” has a nice long section that occupies the same sonic space as a band like Alcest or even Pelican. “Coins” does too for that matter.

Guitarist Derek seemingly does it all, from blistering grind to atmospheric black metal to introspective melody. Stitching all that together takes vision and he has it. There’s nothing awkward about the transitions between styles. Matching him pound-for-pound is Dylan on the drums. Subtle when he needs to be and explosively violent otherwise, he’s a destructive force bashing away like there’s no tomorrow.

Let’s not forget Claire. Talk about tempest! She screams with reckless abandon, no holding back, no fucks given. But she’s not all over the record. Satan knows what she’s doing when she’s not losing her mind but she lets the songs breathe. The vocals are well placed and make an impact. And at least we know she’s breathing. She’s got quite the set of lungs!

Putting it all together Suna Kulto sounds and feels like a storm. Sometimes you hit the eye, sometimes it lashes and beats you, exhausting your will, and sometimes it rises above the furor and the majesty of the hurricane of aggression is seen from a beautiful vantage point.

Grace, grandeur and scope meet intensity, catharsis and force to make a captivating exercise in pushing boundaries. Don’t let this pass you by.

Italian ultraviolence: Nomura - Inerte Affondare / Zeit - Monument

By Craig Hayes. Back in 2010, Italian blackened grindcore band The Secret caught my attention with their blistering third album, Solve et Coagula. And a couple years later, the even more intense Agnus Dei. Thanks to those albums I started looking around to see what other violent Italian punk ’n’ metal bands I was missing out on

By Craig Hayes.

Back in 2010, Italian blackened grindcore band The Secret caught my attention with their blistering third album, Solve et Coagula. And a couple years later, the even more intense Agnus Dei. Thanks to those albums I started looking around to see what other violent Italian punk ’n’ metal bands I was missing out on, and that’s how I first stumbled on ferocious "deathpunk" horde Hierophant. I unpacked Hierophant’s latest album for you here, but I also thought that I might as well mention a couple of other storming releases of a similar ilk from Italian metallic hardcore bands Nomura and Zeit.

Artwork by Blessend

Post-rock adds that extra special something to Italian blackened hardcore quintet Nomura’s Inerte Affondare EP. In fact, if not for that additional element, Nomura might well have been lost among the oceans of metallic hardcore on Bandcamp. But the band clearly appreciate that it’s the subtle variances in tempo, tone, and even genre itself that can provide the all-important hooks or handholds when otherwise pitch-black and warp-speed music goes flying by.

Bookending Inerte Affondare are two great examples of just that. The first track "Nebbla", and last song "Apnea", are the most atmospheric and multifarious tunes on the EP. Both mix howling black metal with screaming vocals and hard-hitting hardcore. But it's the melodic undercurrent of post-rock/metal that rises and falls on those tracks that makes them so interesting. That said, Nomura also sound pretty goddamn appealing when they're just tearing it up with the kind of neck-wrecking metallic hardcore and that would make any Converge fan happy on "Foschia", "Vento Contro" and "Ageusia". So I guess that's the best of both worlds, then. Inerte Affondare annouces a band that's well worth keeping a close eye on in the future.

FFO: Hessian, Oathbreaker, Young and in the Way, The Secret, Hexis and Converge.

Cover Artwork by SoloMacello

Venice-based four-piece Zeit coat their hardcore in a thick metallic crust. But it’s not the usual 'blackened' metal fuelling their sound. Grindcore and mathcore are what drives the propulsion systems on Zeit's recent Monument EP, and much like the band's full-length debut, 2015's The World is Nothing, Zeit's aggressive new EP hurls sonic barrages at you in a rapid and unforgiving fashion.

Along with three new original tracks, the Monument EP also features a ripping cover of At The Gates’ "The Swarm". That adds melodic death metal into Zeit’s sonic repertoire this time round, and that’s a pretty good indication of a band being open to developing their sound further. Monument is volatile and vitriolic, and it serves as great introduction to Zeit. But don’t forget to also check out that excellent debut, The World is Nothing.

FFO: Rot in Hell, Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Napalm Death and all the bands above.

Dave’s Demo Roundup Vol. XI

By Dave Schalek. This is a three song demo from the U.K.’s long running Solstice. Solstice are releasing this demo, To Sol A Thane, at a name your price offering in order to raise funds for the recording of an upcoming full-length. Solstice probably need no introduction to most listeners, but newcomers will greatly appreciate Solstice’s epic take

By Dave Schalek.


This is a three song demo from the U.K.’s long running Solstice. Solstice are releasing this demo, To Sol A Thane, at a name your price offering in order to raise funds for the recording of an upcoming full-length. Solstice probably need no introduction to most listeners, but newcomers will greatly appreciate Solstice’s epic take on traditional heavy metal that has a few hints of melodic doom. Each of the well produced three songs is a hallmark of the style. Loaded from top to bottom with soaring riffs and with epic vocals from Paul Kearns, who joined the band in 2011, To Sol A Thane is an excellent means of diving into Solstice’s long discography. You can also find a sampling of Solstice’s more recent output on their Bandcamp site, as well.

Artwork by Doktor Ross Sewage

Yet another raw blackened death metal project from Oakland, Ulthar is a trio featuring, notably, Shelby Lermo on guitar and vocals. Lermo, of Vastum and Apocryphon fame among others, is joined by Justin Ennis on drums, and Steve Peacock on bass and vocals, both veterans of numerous bands from the Bay Area. The focus of Ulthar on this debut five song demo is a gigantic combination of blackened death metal, d-beat, and crust. The demo is monstrously produced and the bottom heavy sound hits you with such force that your head will have snapped off by the time you hit the repeat button for another go around. This may be the next big thing from the Bay Area, and expect a full-length in the future to sit alongside albums from Vastum, Acephalix, and the like. This one’s a must, folks.

Metal Bandcamp is 5 years old!

Hip hooray, today Metal Bandcamp turns five years old. Since 2011 we have published 1340 reviews featuring a diverse selection of the best metal available on Bandcamp.

Hip hooray, today Metal Bandcamp turns five years old. Since 2011 we have published 1340 reviews featuring a diverse selection of the best metal available on Bandcamp. There are additional, more or less interesting, numbers I could rattle off but I won't (though you can look here if you're curious about the number of pageviews Metal Bandcamp gets). Instead I'll go all the way back to the first five posts, and do a "where are they now" style roundup.

Thanks to all our readers, and of course all the contributors. We wouldn't have made it this far without you.


The first post featured Wiht's The Harrowing of the North, which is no longer available on Bandcamp. A few years later the band split up, but in 2015 they reformed and started gigging again. And in July 2015 a new song "Edgar the Atheling" appeared...

Artwork by Kelly Nelson

In the second post I covered what turned out to be one of my favorite albums Shadows, by Embers. A fantastic band with their own visual identity due to the artwork by bass-player/vocalist Kelly Nelson. Last year Embers split up before they had a chance to record any new material, so there's no newer music from them to feature here. But here's their part of a 2009 split with Book of Belial featuring two songs; the epic "Wrath", and the violin driven "Awakening" which was also included as a bonus track on Shadows

Artwork by Samantha Muljat

Next up was Turbid North and the "awesome Alaskan mountain metal" of Orogeny. Last year they released the followup Eyes Alive which was reviewed very favorably by Andy Synn in his enthustiastic roundup of Turbid North's discography over at No Clean Singing.

Artwork by Michael Sturrock / Rockwork

The fourth post featured the "raw technical death metal" of Giant of the Mountain's Mother Hydra. In 2014 Moon Worship, their second full-length appeared and it's basically more of the same; technical/progressive death metal with an endearingly raw production.

Artwork by Emily Campbell and Arthur Zdrinc

The fifth post featured another favorite, the supremely well-titled I Am Mortal, But Was Fiend by Sioum. In the post there was mention of drummer Arthur Zdrinc's bout with a tennis elbow (and a hope for his speedy recovery). I'm guessing this was one of the reasons it took more than a while before Sioum could release the followup to the album. But after a successful Kickstarter campaign this year the appropriately titled Yet Further saw light of day. While not as immediately accessible as the previous album, Yet Further has started to grow on me, and it's nice to see the band is back on the tracks again..

From The Metal Archives Vol. 3 - Migration Fest 2016

[I had the time of my life at the recent Migration Fest, held in Olympia, Washington. Musically the festival was a stunning success, I mean just check the lineup. It was superbly organized and run. Also Migration Fest simply oozed good atmosphere

By the reviewers from The Metal Archives.

[I had the time of my life at the recent Migration Fest, held in Olympia, Washington. Musically the festival was a stunning success, I mean just check the lineup. It was superbly organized and run. Also Migration Fest simply oozed good atmosphere, more than any festival I can remember; three days of friendship and metal.

For a good full roundup of Migration Fest check out this three-parter by our friends at No, Clean, Singing. What you have here is simply Metal Archives reviews on two of my takeaways from the fest: Dead to a Dying World, who I reconnected with, and Yautja, who I had not heard before. Both played fantastic sets; go check them out live if you get the chance.]

Artwork by Sera Timms

Considering "atmospheric" has been essentially reduced to another genre tag, it doesn't capture what Dead to a Dying World have achieved here. Litany feels carefully crafted in a way extreme metal rarely does, and perfect balance every song strikes between doom and classical elements captures the mournful spirit that bands that label themselves "atmospheric" wish they could emulate. Dead to a Dying World call their music "apocalyptic," and the musical nihilism that implies perhaps comes closest to conveying the terrible beauty of Litany's six movements. [read ThuribleOfDarkness's full review here.]

Artwork by Caleb Gregory

Sure, there's grind here but there's a lot of other stuff like mathcore, death metal, experimental and a big dose of sludge. It's almost like a southern appropriation of the US East Coast's hipsterism. In some ways, they're Tennessee's chaotic answer to Krallice or to early Mastodon, they have those odd rhythms while keeping the heaviness as an integral part of their identity. While there's an interesting variety of tempos, all of supreme quality, you never get lost with Yautja. They're taking you places that you wasn't quite sure were real. From the grind might of "Blinders" to the weird epic sludge of "Faith Resigned" (a song that sounds like Crowbar who suddenly became a forward thinking band), it's as a varied as you'll get for a grindcore band. [read Metantoine's full review here.]

Agrimonia - Agrimonia

I hate to be the "I only listen to their demos" guy, but in Agrimonia's case it's mostly true. Not because the albums are bad (check out 2013's Rites of Separation), the demo is just too good! I originally found it on the Moshpit Tragedy Records Bandcamp page which is now defunct. But I recently got permission from the band to give the demo a new home on Bandcamp. Just skip my little review below and go straight to the music. I'm sure you'll like it.


Agrimonia plays a mix of heavy sludge, and dark and brooding post metal. And crust, don't forget the crust. Even when Agrimonia takes flight on the wings of a post-metallic melody, everything still sounds so deliciously raw. Especially the throat rasping vocals does their very best to deny the listener any post-metal "prettiness". The songs are are expansive and lengthy, they move from place to place without losing their sense of continuity. Even at their most atmospheric, you can always on a killer riff kicking in and keeping things moving. Check out the first song "The Unknown Bury Me" below, it is a lesson in how to build up a song with tension; when the vocal riff finally releases the tension, you know this is exciting stuff.

Vhol - Deeper than Sky

By Calen Henry. Vhol are a strange supergroup. I’m not sure anyone was expecting the debut album from Hammers of Misfortune, YOB, and Agalloch members to sound like an intergalactic transmission of aliens performing crusty second wave black metal and NWOBHM simultaneously. but it did and it was absolutely fantastic. It was, admittedly a bit of an acquired taste

By Calen Henry.

Artwork by Brandon Duncan

Vhol are a strange supergroup. I’m not sure anyone was expecting the debut album from Hammers of Misfortune, YOB, and Agalloch members to sound like an intergalactic transmission of aliens performing crusty second wave black metal and NWOBHM simultaneously, but it did and it was absolutely fantastic. It was, admittedly a bit of an acquired taste; extremely dense and claustrophobic but always with a melodic undercurrent. It certainly could take more than one spin to get into and by front loading it with some of the less accessible tracks it became even more difficult.

Deeper than Sky is much more immediate album. The lead track that streamed on Bandcamp, leading up to release day, featured more melodic vocals and guitars than those early tracks on Vhöl. The whole focuses even more on melody, and trades most of the black metal for thrash. The majority of the record flies by at breakneck speed but the subtle musical changes as well as less claustrophobic production make it much more accessible, without sacrificing what made Vhöl an exciting album.

An impressive refinement to a band who’d already created a completely new sound in metal, Deeper than Sky is way more fun than most metal this dense and complex. Of particular note in the "fun department" is the track "Paino". It's Vhol through and through, but all the lead acrobatics are on piano, rather than guitar.

Vhol, as a band, work so well because of each member's unique contribution. The fuzz bass and the lightning drumming meld with the guitar and vocals to make a bizarre and bizarrely cohesive unit. By lightening some of the denser sounds and lessening the black metal influences the band have opened up their sound making everything shine that much more.

Mike Scheidt’s vocals, though still thoroughly unique (and likely polarizing) tend towards more melody than the debut album as well. He employs a lot of melodic falsetto and shout singing on some of the thrashier tracks, again making the whole album just sound fun.

John Cobbett’s guitar work is undoubtedly the show stopper, though. His deft axe handling was key in holding together the sonic insanity of the first record but what he’s doing on Deeper than Sky is simply astonishing. Every riff is fantastic and they range from soaring NWOBHM dual guitar attacks to machine gun thrash riffs and slow interludes. The title track "Deeper Than Sky", amazingly, showcases all of this in a single track. It’s written as a three part sonata with three ragers separated by quiet interludes. It’s arguably the best guitar work on a metal album this year and the support of the rest of the band makes it unlike anything else out there.

Deeper than Sky makes it clear that these aliens are done broadcasting from space and are ready for the big time.

Anopheli - The Ache of Want

By Justin C. There are a lot of ways for metal bands to incorporate instruments that aren't common to the genre. In some cases, like the banjo solo on Taake's Noregs Vaapen, they surprise but then disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. In other cases, like Jørgen Munkeby's sax in Shining or Otrebor's hammered dulcimer in Botanist, they are an integral part of the band's sound.

By Justin C.


There are a lot of ways for metal bands to incorporate instruments that aren't common to the genre. In some cases, like the banjo solo on Taake's Noregs Vaapen, they surprise but then disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. In other cases, like Jørgen Munkeby's sax in Shining or Otrebor's hammered dulcimer in Botanist, they are an integral part of the band's sound. And of course, in some unfortunate cases, a band with more money than sense will hire a string section or a whole damn symphony orchestra to simply double some riffs and bass lines for no musical purpose (*cough* Metallica and Guns 'n Roses *cough*).

Anopheli and their cellist, Nicole, are a fine example of doing this right. The band very accurately self describes itself as "melancholy doom-laden emo punk," and there are a lot of great things happening with this music, but the cello parts are certainly some of the more striking. On Anopheli's latest album, An Ache of Want, the cello is front and center, carrying melodic lines and naturally riffing with the guitars. The album's closing song, "Trade," has a great example of this interplay, with the cello and guitar sharing and trading motifs back and forth. You might not expect a crust punk band to be striking in a compositional sense, but sometimes exceptions to the rule are very happy exceptions, indeed.

But I don't want to make this sound like the band just plays slightly heavy chamber music, because they also happen to be furious and emotionally raw. The line up for this particular album credits three vocalists, featuring plenty of dueling male/female lines. Guitars range between distorted, clean, and acoustic, and likewise, the rhythm section delivers what's needed, both in the doomier and more explosive sections. The band can bruise and delight in equal measure, and it’s a blast listening to them mix them together.

Their previous album, A Hunger Rarely Sated, is also well worth checking out--and I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed it until I went back to re-listen to it when prepping for this review--but The Ache of Want is a huge step forward for this band. It may wear its heart (and its rage) on its sleeve, but repeat listens reveal its subtlety.

Transmissions from the Tree of Woe, Volume 1

By Atanamar Sunyata. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about metal, but those thoughts have failed to coalesce into the ever elusive “album review” of late. Max has been so kind as to give me a venue for this firehose of metal mindfulness. Please consider this the first in a series of first person posts featuring whatever the fuck is tickling my brain. You have been warned.

By Atanamar Sunyata.

I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about metal, but those thoughts have failed to coalesce into the ever elusive “album review” of late. Max has been so kind as to give me a venue for this firehose of metal mindfulness. Please consider this the first in a series of first person posts featuring whatever the fuck is tickling my brain. You have been warned. Besides, I don’t believe in objectivity.

Artwork by Paul Romano

Withered are a band with a singular vision; they've rubbed dank drabs of Sunlight sound on black metal and drowned it all in atmospheric doom. Their warm, subterranean sonic adventures return frequently to my playlist. Withered are also a band due for a new album. Their fourth LP is on the way, and it was recently revealed that Colin Marston (Gorguts, Krallice, everything) plays bass on the recording. This news sent me off into a Withered wormhole where I discovered the band's dedicated Bandcamp page. Therein can be found Folie Circulaire, the band's second album and my favorite to date. Enough will never be had.

Artwork by Adam Peterson

Nile also have a new album on the way, and the death metal devotee in me is cautiously optimistic. My history with the band is checkered. I bought Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka sight unseen from the Relapse Resound catalog when it first came out. As archaic as the idea sounds today, a physical music & merch catalog had a powerful pull on my 20 year old self. That album was an instant classic in my ears, and I ended up seeing the band live a few too many times in that era. I burned out on Nile after Black Seeds of Vengeance, reconnecting only a decade later. The love affair has continued on and off through the band's catalog, flaring up and flaming out by turns. Their new album will no undoubtedly be absent from Bandcamp (Nuclear Blast are stubborn fucks), but the Relapse era LPs are all there. My favorite Nile albums at the moment are Amongst the Catacombs , Annihilation of the Wicked, and Those Whom the Gods Detest (from Nuclear Blast). I'm hoping What Should Not Be Unearthed will rate.




As love affairs go, my Martyrdöd man-crush is unrelenting. Their stellar performance at Maryland Deathfest cemented the band's status as most heroic purveyors of addictive d-beat by way of melodic NWOBHM dual-guitar mastery. Riffs, son. Riffs.

Martyrdöd at MDF. Awful photo by Atanamar

Call this music whatever you want, but it's simply incomparable. That's a problem, of course; I want more. Having said that, I have no allegiance to d-beat, crust, or any of its accoutrements. In fact, I could care less.

Cover collage by Vladimír Vacovský

A balm for that crusty Swedish longing appeared out of nowhere, though, to take the edge off. Say hello to Gattaca. Again, d-beats and crusty punk mechanizations are merely tools of the band's trade. Their self-titled LP is a vessel of dark melody, raging riff-torrents, and satisfying story-arcs. Imagine seering snippets of Neurosis if they could comprehend brevity, or early Pelican on a boatload of amphetamines. Also, Gattaca are vegans; this is relevant to my interests. I dig.

Cover painting by Dan Alex Rivera.

I recently received an album promo by a band proudly calling their music "Dissonant Death Metal." This was jarring; I've described dozens of death metal albums as dissonant, but I've never seen it called out as a thing, a discrete genre to which bands might aspire. I love me some Gorguts, and I enjoy many of the fruits that have sprouted from their sonic loins (Artificial Brain, Pyrrhon, Auroch, etc). That style of music, however, loses its appeal when dissonance itself becomes the focus; there are a lot of skronking hot, technically proficient turds floating around these days. I was surprised, then, to actually be drawn into the album of which I speak. Dystrophy claim allegiance to unrest and incongruity, but they possess the rare gift of songwriting skill. Amidst riffs that threaten to rend space and time, engaging currents of sensibility hold sway. Wretched Host is eminently earworthy and may scratch an aural itch their contemporaries miss.



Until next time, ponder the riddle of steel.

Corrupt Leaders - Grindmother

By Ulla Roschat. Grindmother is without any doubt a very cool EP title and it becomes even cooler when you learn about its origin. The 66 year old mother of Corrupt Leaders’ vocalist is guesting on the EP, and this came about, because she wanted to try out grindcore screams

By Ulla Roschat.

Artwork by Varises Otak

Grindmother is without any doubt a very cool EP title and it becomes even cooler when you learn about its origin. The 66 year old mother of Corrupt Leaders’ vocalist is guesting on the EP, and this came about, because she wanted to try out grindcore screams just for fun and for the experience. It turned out that she did this pretty well! Fortunately her attempts have been recorded in a video which already went viral in the past several weeks, but in case you haven’t watched it yet, you can do so here below.

The best part of the story though is, of course, that the band included her vocals on the first track “Black Cloud” and named the EP Grindmother after her.



After hitting the play button this four song EP was over before I even realized what just had happened to me, but I was happy that it HAD happened to me. Certainly it didn't take too much time to listen to it several times in a row to find out that this is a perfectly delivered punch of grind and hardcore aggression.

The Canadian five piece band Corrupt Leaders pack a whole bunch of varying style elements into these four songs with a playing time of about three minutes all together. Besides the crusty punk and grindcore, there's a strong black metal flavor, especially in the vocals, and there are even some pinches of slow and heavy sludge. It almost feels as if the band carved a deep groove into another dimension to bring as much thick intensity to those three minutes of black grinding ferocity as possible. Filling them with great riffs, even something like atmosphere, and breathtaking dynamics and tempos; everything tight and right on point.

Corrupt Leaders are a pretty young band, they formed in 2013. After their self titled debut in 2014 and a split recording with Dogma in the same year, Grindmother is their third release and, despite all brevity, it truly marks a huge leap in their progress. The band are currently writing on their first full-length LP. I’m not sure about how Corrupt Leaders translate “full-length” in terms of the absolute number on the time line, I just hope for more of this impressive black/grind/punk onslaught.

The song "Mass Consumed" is featured on The Wicked Lady Show 84

Moro Moro Land - Through

By Sean Golyer. If doom ain't your thing and you need a bit more adrenaline (and a healthy dose of filth) in your life, then look no further than Moro Moro Land's latest EP Through.

By Sean Golyer.

Artwork by Kuba Sokolski

If doom ain't your thing and you need a bit more adrenaline (and a healthy dose of filth) in your life, then look no further than Moro Moro Land's latest EP Through. I’m still sitting here trying to process the glorious insanity that my ears have consumed 3 times in the last few hours.

One thing I know for sure: this is blackened hardcore/crust as it should be. Meaty, sludgey rhythms, blistering tremolos, breakneck blast-beats, all solidified behind a vocalist with far more range than he may initially lead on. Vicious, passionate, and unrelenting, but at times atmospheric and melancholic, Through is a 20-minute hellride of Russian angst. Not to mention an incredible rendition of Nirvana's "Something in the Way" to bring you to your knees and leave you wanting for more.

For fans of: Young and in the Way, Hierophant, The Secret.

Indonesian 'ardcore.

Written by Craig Hayes.

Indonesia has a thriving set of metal, punk and crossover communities spread across the nation’s many islands. Pick any band from any heavy and thunderous genre, and you're guaranteed to find an Indonesian band to meet your needs, and even the country’s brand new president is an avowed metal fan.

However, as vibrant and varied as Indonesia’s heavy music scenes are, there are still religious, political and social tensions that can make life difficult for those who create and support metal and punk at home. Fans and musicians who are willing to speak out about contentious issues can run into serious trouble. For example, in 2011, in a well-documented case, 65 punk rockers were detained in re-education camps in Indonesia's Aceh province because their behaviour, attire, and attitudes didn’t meet the region's strict moral code.

Of course, Indonesia has a diverse and dynamic society, and it shouldn't be defined that act of oppression. However, there is a lot of metallic punk being produced throughout the country that’s fuelled by a palpable sense of anger and frustration with Indonesia’s social struggles and political issues. I’m far from an expert on the metallic punk being made in the country, but I have stumbled upon a lot of great bands from Indonesia on Bandcamp lately. So, here’s a few furious outfits from the nation’s crossover metal/punk scenes that are well worth checking out.


Theist reside in that pool of Indonesian musicians drawing from the legacy of punk legends like Discharge and Amebix. However, the Bandung-based band also throws plenty of sludge, thrash, and even a dash of atmospheric black metal into their self-titled debut EP as well. Theist sound massive and mean here. The band’s crust-metal onslaughts hurtle along with plenty of fast and ferocious flavour, but Theist isn't afraid to slow things down on occasion for some slower grinding and gnashing on their tracks too.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Artwork by JoHart

Four-piece Ancaman crash and smash through ten-tracks of grindcore on their debut full-length, Aggressor Insidor. Indebted to bands like Napalm Death, Nasum, and Rotten Sound, none of Aggressor Insidor’s tracks hang around for very long, but all of them bring plenty of spit, spite, and snot-nosed defiance. Crude, and with the middle-finger raised throughout, Aggressor Insidor is a great example of resistance and passion threaded through raw sound.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

A lot of Indonesian punk and metal rests in the realm of the raw – with recordings bashed out in a DIY saw-toothed fashion. Wicked Suffer's early works are certainly rough and ready, but the band’s latest EP, Nihilist, was mixed and mastered at Dead Air Studios in Amherst, Massachusetts, and features a thicker and heavier sound from the band. Nihilist is caustic and bloody, and Wicked Suffer’s blend of steel-edged hardcore and powerviolence is firmly focused on a destructive course. Tracks like “Despair”, “Gloom”, and “Bleak” are black holes of wretchedness and rage. And everything on Nihilist is delivered in rapid-fire bursts, making for 10 minutes of vitriol wrapped in electrifying abrasiveness.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Warthole deal in crossover thrashing punk, with a healthy shot of grindcore injected into the brew. Codes and Keys is the band’s debut EP, and it’s a corrosive blast from start to finish. All the tracks on the EP are brief squalls, some more composed than others, but all end up being a lot of fist-pumping fun. Fans of Toxic Holocaust and kin will likely enjoy Codes and Keys’ wonderfully unpolished punch.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

I’m predisposed to liking Avhath simply because they describe themselves as the, “filthiest motherfuckers from the Rue Morgues”. The band’s tracks on their split with hardcore act Haul certainly make for some very grubby and tasty blackened crust and d-beat. Clocking in at around two-minutes each, “Per Aspera Ad Astra” and “Raised by Wolves” are fiery eruptions heavy on distortion that follow Darkthrone’s forays into crustier locales. Avhath's previous Bandcamp releases, the “Une Génération Perdue”and “Catch 22!” singles, are comprised of much of the same mix of old school black metal meets unsanitary hardcore too.

Note: Haul's songs are included with the download. You can stream them here

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Cloudburst, Disfare, and Warmouth all released extremely promising two song demos on Bandcamp this year. Cloudburst bring tar-thick metallic crust and hardcore (think something akin to Tragedy or Wolfbrigade bathed in acid) on the two fantastic tracks found on their demo. Disfare and Warmouth take a more grindcore influenced route, with a swarm of dissonant noise swirling around their tracks. All bands are well worth keeping an eye on for any future recordings.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]