Inherent death drive...

got nothing to lose but all to choose

Gonna keep this short and bittersweet. The embodiment of the Lion and the Cobra has passed. When I arrived home on July 26 to learn of her passing one of the first things to come to mind was Sinéad’s turn as Our Lady (Virgin Mary) in The Butcher Boy and her remark, “Fer fuck’s sake, Francie, what’s the matter?” Incredulous at the news but given reports about her grief and mental state following her son’s death things make sense. While being arm chair conjecture over what little information has been doled out, hopefully she is finally at peace.

Showtime has Kathryn Ferguson’s Nothing Compares Sinéad O'Connor documentary in rotation since September of last year. It has superb footage, interviews, insight and reflection on the artist’s career and is well worth viewing. Testament to her activism and fighting for just causes.

By no means am I a completist of Sinéad’s discography. To me all one needs is the debut. The following releases have moments here and there, but, none hold the fire, vocal dynamics and shifting atmospheres of The Lion and the Cobra.

Though some albums feel more cohesive than the debut, which is varied with contrasts of sound and style, they don’t hold as many strong or memorable songs for me. Everyone knows the Prince cover. It found Sinéad an unwilling star attraction. I didn’t like sophomore album upon release. Still don’t. At times the music is bigger than her voice. Being so overproduced, rather than enhancing her vocal performance, it is distracting. The big band crooner record I can’t deal with. Sinéad’s great rock’n’roll swindle? I dunno. Not my thing, but, again, a cohesive set of music. I stopped with Universal Mother. Third strike. Though, this album features the outstanding “Fire on Babylon” and along with its reggae driven backbeat has a few of the vocal twists, shifts and dynamics she came with on the Lion and the Cobra.

Love Sinéad’s advocacy and championing for the causes she supported. Pity it took people too long to recognize the fact she came correct: “Fight the real enemy.”

When I originally started compiling things for this post the lead off was to be Abjection Ritual - There Is A Wasteland And It Is Us. This recording heralds a triumphant return and massive recording that, in a rightful world, should place this project on the level of IRM, Megaptera, Anenzephalia, Soldnergeist, Control, BDN. Decidedly more focused and full on power electronics than Soul Of Ruin, Body Of Filth this recording is crushingly heavy while maintaining sonic depth beyond pushing the red. There are foreground, middleground, and background textures at play combining with an active mix where perspective shifts, new pieces are introduced to the fray by the deft hand and knowledge of a supreme conjuror. A masterclass that is as harrowing as it is destructive with waves of noise, sampled dialogues, scorched vocals, detonations of subharmonic bass, bursts of percussion, and manipulated electronics.

Tip of the hat to No Clean Singing for introducing me to Los Angeles act Atgeir This is a three song effort that shows heaps of promise. Almost a punked up black metal without actually sounding traditionally punk. Something about the manner in which the guitar work operates during “Through Sunken Eyes of a Broken God” having that tight, yet loose feel matched with the multiple layers gives it an angular, jagged Husker Du, Articles of Faith sound. Then it hits an acoustic respite before launching into Ved Buens Ende/Virus guitar territory. Even can be lined up with something like Wayfarer without having the full blown gothic Americana one attributes to Wayfarer or Primeval Well. Second track begins more traditionally European second wave black metal and manages to twist gears differently and introduce different wrinkles than what came in the first track and what would comprise the final track, which is a minimalist guitar and effects only melodic piece.

Typically instrumental stuff isn’t my bag. Night Verses keep it energetic and moving showcasing their first song in five years. Precision around the curves, twisting and turning intricately, reverse engineered from alien technology.

Continuing the thread of instrumental tech sorcery… That Which Sleeps allows all Cthulhu’s children a glimpse into madness to come. For those not in the know, the trio is comprised of members from Virginia Beach angular overlords Buzzard (Mark Henry - Drums and Kevin Anderson - Bass, synth and warr guitar) and False Sacrament guitarist Thel Dominici. What I mentioned above regarding the new Night Verses track you can amplify on “What Does It Want From Us?” as it moves in unearthly ways in shorter time with knottier composition and chords from Dimension Hatross, In the Court of the Crimson King and Heavy Machinery. Maybe Norfolk Beach, Virginia really is Innsmouth? Gotta check these technicians throats for gills. Never noticed when I saw Buzzard and False Sacrament all those years ago. Also posting last year’s debut EP to initiate more into the esoteric order of That Which Sleeps.

New album from Sweden’s BLODET is slated for the end of September. “Death Mother” has an Amen Ra funeral procession feel added to the Helium Horse Fly repertoire. This track showcases expansive openness for dissonant notes and chords to hang, drift and decay. The post rock quiet/loud dynamic is ever present, taking on an element of Explosions in the Sky infused with a melodic female vocal presence.

Whether this is a continuation of AEGOS or a beast named after a track off The Great Burst of Light the World Builder Stillbeing release is the metal equivalent of a science fiction epic of Denis Villeneuve, Ridley Scott proportions. Meshuggah and LLNN meet Author and Punisher and Cult of Luna at the far reaches of the universe. Long form songs that aren’t overly technical or busy in terms of structure but simply allowing for a narrative flow without relying on traditional verse chorus repetition. Jack Luminous would no doubt approve, as should adventurous post metal listeners.

Third outing from Myrkul. Ceator Mike Copley-May remarks this incarnation is “now with more notes, more drums, and guitars tuned very low indeed.” Often times the “more notes” aspect is going to amount to using scales as riffs, not so much the case as what happens more times than not it is a layer of embellishment over the main riff craft and when it isn’t it can be likened to that of Deathspell Omega, Theory in Practice or even Coroner in a complexity without being an exercise in fretboard gymnastics. A lot of info packed in these songs without losing focus of solid compositional work. Throughout the runtime of this album there are a great variety of riffs employed and virtuoso guitar solos adding flash, melodicism and harmonies, similar in a sense to another UK one man wunderkind Patrons of the Rotting Gate where it travels confidently through different territories and moods.

Once again, I implore those who seek sonic annihilation to embrace the void of Venomous Echoes. Benjamin Vanweelden’s second death evocation in the year of 2023 is a masterclass in audio terror. The everything and the kitchen sink SYL City aesthetic brought netherwards through a Portal by means of Impetuous Ritual involving summoning spells in inhuman tongues. Seriously, this is a swarming mass of sound The Axis of Perdition and Blut Aus Nord would champion. For you horror afficionados out there Ben also runs the Darkest Fears Podcast.

Slight shift of scenery, yet continuing the descent down a left hand path of black metal with death doom drive from Nicaragua’s Reflection of Misery. Contranatura is three long form assaults on the senses. Battering ram percussion, slack rattle bass, gibbering riffs, background noise textures, eerie disharmonic carousel rides, stacked vocals in various states of tortured pain in a Covenant/Morbid Angel of Mass Grave Aesthetics/Deathspell Omega Onward to Golgotha/Incantation. A mission statement, thrown down as a gauntlet, regarding victory being a question of stamina. Who will survive? What will be left of them?

Forward to Denmark and the latest Tongues offering on I, Voidhanger entitled Formløse Stjerner. A suffocating blackened death doom affair that is a balancing act between primitive, barbaric moments and atmospheres that are at a crux between quasi melodic and full blown dissonance. Detailed songs which aren’t so busy as to become an exercise in mental gymnastics but where there is a logical flow and push/pull of ideas and moods. Outstanding riffage throughout as well as a punishing vocal performance. A lot of DsO and VBE cyclical riffing in the hypnotic sections, instances where acts from the Icelandic black metal hordes come into play as well more recent esoteric upstarts Kamra.

This is quite the surprise, new Epistasis has dropped out of the blue. This incarnation being Amy Mills helming guitar, bass, trumpet, vocal duties and Alex Cohen behind the kit. Decidedly more full on black metal during the first two songs than previous outings. We’re talking full shrieking terror delivered by high caliber technicians executing with lethal intent. It isn’t until the third track that the angular art rock damage sinks in for prolonged measure of respite before taking the witch’s dunk test back into the black. Final piece is a quieter instrumental that offsets the terror tactics that came before it.

Caveman Cult demo… Signs, portents of things to come? Barbaric, bestial death metal more primitive than Hellhammer from the swamps of Florida. Only 87 made, 50 to go to DestroyingTexasFest and 37 to purchase from www.alternativemia.com At snail’s pace I take publishing these posts, probably long gone.

Be sure to roll on over to The Metal Dad's The Fiendish Five Podcast for a rundown of Godthrymm vocalist/guitarist (and fam) Hamish Glencross's top five horror flicks. Look out for the August release of Godthrymm's Distortions on Profound Lore Records. Two tracks are there to check out. “Devils” strikes me as Paradise Lost reworking material off Alice in Chains Dirt. “Echoes” has more of the traditional UK doom sound one would expect. Trouble complementary guitars gone sour and bending under despondent despair in a gothic march under draconian times toward Shades of God. Yeah, I went there. “Echoes” flat out rules. If Paradise Lost is no longer gonna do this style why not Godthrymm?

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In closing, and speaking of Profound Lore and gothic Americana comes none other than Wayfarer with American Gothic. Premiere track is 16 horsepower by way of Ved Buens Ende with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Appears Century Media will be handling European distribution.

Fronteeria is the duo of Charlie Jijari and Sara Joy Meyer and it is best to allow them to tell their own story on the bandcamp liner notes. Sonically a gothic Americana freakout embellished metallic flourishes and a theatrical vocal performance that makes me think of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum crossed with the freakouts of everything you ever wanted to know about silence and David Yow. Two songs available at the time of my writing, by July 31, in its entirety. Climb aboard, it’s a wild and wooly ride across the United States to embrace in Auckland, New Zealand. Nothing but the best for this couple.