Peaks and valleys

Atavism and regression.

Riding the wave of mutilation into the weekend.

Once again The Canyon Observer grace us with a new video for a track from the forthcoming Figura release. In terms of sonics this begins in a Lustmord fashion with bass thumping depth charges and textural noise before hints of vocals, brass and percussion build intensity and fall to pieces, the organic ambient flow lasts about 5 minutes until things go Apocalypse Now Rhythm Devils.

Two more Kolkata Inner Order Propaganda releases drop this week… so, is that a grand total of 4 or am I missing something? Whatever the case may be GoatowaRex introduce Vadhakarmadhikarin Anvastra Svara Sattaragra on the unsuspecting public. Starts off power electronics, veers into primitive pounding Dissecting Table industrial, strips back the noise and moves more conventional drum based beats that is combined with scouring electronics and what sounds to be processed vocals. Will appeal more to those on the rhythmic industrial noise end of things - particularly those who miss the Dissecting Table attack from the late 80s-early 2000s.

Second dose of Kolkata is in the form of Obhyantar and this resides in more “conventional” realms of raw, barbaric black metal that is downright unrelenting over its 19 odd minutes. First track features an extremely drum heavy mix with stringed instruments blown out and well nigh incomprehensible. Vocals are guttural howls in the distance. What appears to be the second song has a slightly different mix and some of the guitar work begins to become clear - very basic, primitive making the likes of early Bathory and Beherit seem like Alan Holdsworth by comparison. Why is it that I love this stuff? For the pure aggressive atavism on display.

Dialing up the technical skill across the board, Høstsol is comprised of Cernunnus (Manes), Kalmos (ex-Barathrum), Rainer Tuominkanto (Ajattara) and Niklas Kvarforth (Shining). Their mission statement reads: “Länge Leve Döden is our monumental celebration of the great Lord of Death. A perfect alignment of five songs that were written under a awful unhealthy process over the course of two years. Expect Black Metal the way it used to feel and sound back in the early nineties and rejoice!” A wonder it is, too. Can switch from classic melodic Dissection to the breakneck speeds of Dawn. Infused with a venomous vocal attack, bass work that cuts through the mix and isn’t afraid to call attention to itself with melodic runs, some clever guitar work that creeps up from out of the depths. Most enjoy the vocals and drumming on display.

Black Metal Promotion with a second impressive premiere this week in the new Vosbúð album. Self proclaimed “Volcanic Black Metal” this Icelandic project works long form magic on Heklugjá. To be quite honest, in light of the new Misþyrming I prefer this Vosbúð release even though there are some inconsistencies with the recording, mainly with the drums. There are more eccentricities with the guitar work, be it effects, chords, note choices that stand out. Like the initial Vosbúð release Heklugjá songs work in long form, though there is one short, nearly full on instrumental track that has a Smashing Pumpkins meets Swervedriver drift going for it. The long form songs can be hypnotic affairs, but they are comprised of ebbs/flows, peaks/valleys. One of the main differences between releases concerns the vocals. Here they have additional character and voices on display. Overall comparing Heklugjá with 2019’s Almannagjá I feel this newer release has taken the original elements further and is carving out a more distinguishable identity for Vosbúð.

Veil of Sound premiere a new song from KOLLAPS\E from their forthcoming Phantom Centre release on Trepanation Recordings. I’ll do a review on this bad boy next week. Suffice to say these guys do the Breach sound justice and have quite the touch on the mixing board giving each song a breathing, dynamic mix.

SEICHE provide a form of confrontational raw black metal that is donating funds from the first two months of its release “to both Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse, and Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre.” This is savage sounding noise that would appeal to those of us into the Kolkata aesthetic of pure, unrelenting, punishing noise. Again something primal and atavistic.

Ампутация/Amputacia … Chaos from Saint Petersburg, Russia. To me this is more on the deathly side given the guitar tones have a guttural detuned quality and how a lot of what’s on display is set at crawling paces. One would listen to this and not feel this is out of step with the likes of Incantation and Father Befouled. There are a few bright and icy brittle riffs here and there and these sometimes have a pagan folk quality to them but overall that seems to take a backseat to the cavernous death metal riffing that dominates much of this record. Even other fast riffs that come into play during the fourth track come across as Nile’s Egyptian scale with the flanged out cavernous Portal tone.

Looking to clean up the sound a slight bit? Pining over the loss of Wheelfall? The Great Procession may fill that void. Curiously enough this is from France. Hmmm? Also has a tiny bit of Chi-town Czar going for it with it’s rhythmic pummel, industrial strength guitar tone and melodic elements that creep in and out of different songs. Even takes nods from earlier Gojira and Grror in terms of its sense of groove.

Please support: Everything Went Black, The Metal Dad and his fiendish five podcast, No Clean Singing, Stereogum: The Black Market, The Devil’s Mouth, Aversionline, Invisible Oranges, Horror Wolf 666, Into the Necrosphere, Sol Nox Podcast, The Book of Very Very Bad Things, Machine Music, Plague Rages, the Avant-Void, Veil of Sound, and Doktor Dismemberment’s Midnight Murderplex…. these sites update daily and weekly.

At last, the norse. split with abandoncy is live. Did a write up for this back in December.