Molekh Ritus This one hit from out of nowhere - although hailing from Ireland a couple members are from Poland (one being involved with Thy Worshipper) and two others have ties to other Irish metallurgists. Great atmosphere here starting with a ritualistic intro a la Thy Worshipper gone far more evil and tearing into a blackened death frenzy with dual vocalists invoking other worldly entities into our reality. Outstanding violent instrumental interplay. Gritty tones. This will be the first of a couple releases that remind me of Svart Crown or an early Glorior Belli using DsO chords rather than the crossroads blues version that came out of nowhere and from whence should’ve returned. The push/pull with some of the noisy guitar abuse is a sonic exorcism on par with the Wailing. And when you add the ritualistic element to the fray that will make even more sense.
Whether or not Pavor Nokturnus is an arc in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Black Plague Circle is up for debate, but, its sole member has ties to many of those associated acts. This EP certainly lives up to that intense, disturbed cabal. Buzzing, cold black metal with ferocious vocals captured by deliberate lo-fi raw recording to amplify the harsh frequencies. The few melodic moments on hand are mainly led by smooth, wandering bass lines countering the swarming guitar noise and vocal mayhem.
A spirit from the Gravenchalice Zwodder is a funeral doom elixir of MonumentuM metamorphogenic proportions. Yeah, you read that correctly… An Esoteric take on In Absentia Christi. It’s that fucking good. Buy it.
First up from Finland is Virtaus and its primitive, hypnotic black metal. In a way it reminds me a little bit of Andavald and since that Icelandic camp has been quiet Virtaus picks up the occult slack. Music is drowned under reverb and Suomi screams, chants, groans, ululations to the void are the tether for listeners. Only that tether is to that of a mad man willing to cut that lead to send everyone into the cosmic abyss or hellish pit.
Massive block of sludge crush metallic hardcore. If this came from Switzerland it wouldn’t surprise me. The Knut is strong. But, really, for fuck’s sake how many great Yashira, Colonial Wound side projects will these characters spawn? Drag Pattern is the latest.
I Voidhanger made a trio of announcements this weekend. One out of three ain’t bad. Love this Hasard track. Appropriately gross album cover for this exercise (or is it exorcism) in Blut Aus Nord wooziness adorned with classical trappings and funhouse distorted electronics.
Cross country collision of titans brings forth a new Hellish Form. Funeral doom sludge is how they own it - and, yes, it is appropriate. Just what you would expect from a collab of Body Void and Keeper members plunging into megadeath.
Greek project Red Sun plies its trade in minimal psyche doom and drone. Two long form tracks and one compact. Soundtrack to a nightmare… or an alternate soundtrack for a David Lynch flick.
SYK vocal wunderkind Dalila Kayros live footage.
From one vocal gymnast to another. This time around Marla Van Horn with her recently released Stillness EP. Vocally very staid while the music provides push and pull with its textural movement.
Chat Pile have a couple new songs on the Brothers in Christ split EP with Nerver. One currently available being “Cut.” Reptilian Records and The Ghost Is Clear Records will be handling physical copy. Chat Pile also have a couple new videos over recent months of material off older releases.
From Hungary with “Sweet Poison” ride Aetherius Obscuritas. Black metal with a mix of progressive and primitive elements. Classic Satyricon, Negura Bunget and Samael. Full album arrives mid April. No Clean Singing premiered a track earlier in March. For two more songs check this link.
Can’t have a post without giving love to Poland. Udręka fits the bill this time out. Sturdy three song black metal EP. Varied vocal attack makes one think of Gruzja. In fact, this has a similar punked up feel in spots. Second song is probably the stand out to me with its eerie DsO break where the distorted bass and different vocalists shift in and out and layer voices.
Sure, the pic is simply one person under a bank of split units, but, a killer image nonetheless. Almost a J-horror aesthetic going on. Choir’s Songs for a Tarnished World is the little crusher that keeps giving. Self released digitally late 2021 and hidden away to be released in late 2022 on vinyl and cassette by Total Dissonance Worship. Now we see each track is given video treatment and this has been uploaded by the ever dependable OdiumNostrum youtube channel. Singapore by way of Brazil and back again, Choir has its own spin on the Portal Altarage churn and burn attack.
Speaking of creepy pictures… get a load of the Sertac Aksular cover art for the new Eye of Mensis. Maybe a track will be available by the time this post goes live? Dunno. Given how varied this project is who knows exactly what sort of sonic damage will be on tap? The mission statement is “The goal was to create sonic chaos and terror, utilizing unnerving atmospheres inspired by the Silent Hill games and various horror films, and a sharp sense of melodic songwriting.” June 9 is the release date.
Colosso has dropped a new anvil two years after Hateworlds. This takes a more brutal, bludgeoning approach than that album, but, it’s not to say there aren’t those moments of Meshuggah-nic ambience and melodic solos. Vocals are more Altarage and Mylingar here than the previous album and that level of filth is always appreciated.
Bergrisar is blackened death metal from China that recalls Witnessing the Fall era Svart Crown. That mix of Behemoth dynamic and caustic chord choices. Not to say this doesn’t slow down and become atmospheric… it does have moments here and there when they pause to peer across the field of battle and assess damages before launching another volley of burning arrows.
As usual, Finland comes correct. Dark Elite offers Anti-Spiritual Void Devotion to the cosmos. Strangled vocals, dual guitar damage, tight and forceful backline and a musical showing similarity to Resplendent Grotesque <code> and Animus Mortis to their songwriting: compact, mix of melody and dissonance, and a heightened attention to dynamics. Nihilistic world view permeating the lyrics. Excellent stuff where a listener will pick up different textural layers upon repeat listens.
This isn’t new, but, seeing how the digital eps have been collected on a cd release, this is worth mention: Praznina. One man Serbian black metal war machine. It gets tagged as depressive black metal, but, the breakneck speeds separate it from what one would typically find in that category. Frigid guitar tone that is splintering under harsh speed and hell mouth vocals in Deimos’ native tongue. The fact the vocal delivery is in Serbian it sounds more hostile to my ears. Which I feel is generally the case with much of these Slavic acts.
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