Forgive me not …This knowledge makes me strong …
From the melting snow-wastes of Northern Michigan (damn this above-freezing weather) comes a full-swath of review remonstrances, courtesy the Rytkonen/Clifton/sometimes-Zahler triumvirate you’ve come to know and loathe. Last week’s posts generated quite a few responses, branching off in discussions varying in tone from raves to rants and everything in between … and we love it. So, thank you all, and keep finger-pumping those keyboards with your thoughts, curses, playlists, discoveries, theories, and chaotic meanderings. Promise your friends free beer for stopping by the ‘Gear. If not, fine, we promise not to call the padded wagon or take your meds. Onward!
Marty Rytkonen:
Sepultura – Morbid Visions/Bestial Devastation
Bolt Thrower – …For Victory
Vex – Memorious
Sarcasm – A Touch of the Burning Red Sunset
Canis Dirus – Anden Om Norr
Pan.Thy.Monium – Khaooohs
Eucharist – Demo1
Doomsday News – The New Generation of Heavy Metal Comp
Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol
Drowning the Light – Oceans of Eternity
Jim Clifton:
Manilla Road – Mystification
Trenchgrinder – Demo 2011
Cryptopsy – None So Vile
Pact – The Dragon Lineage of Satan
Denouncement Pyre – Almighty Arcanum
Burzum – Det Som Engang Var
Pentagram – Turn to Stone
Carcass – Reek of Putrefaction
Beherit – Drawing Dawn the Moon
Venom – Welcome to Hell
Worm Gear 
Nice set of reviews. I didn’t know one of those bands. I liked the Convulse and Rotten Sound. FYI – EVILTAILS = Patrick
Lately I have been a forsaker of all things past, and a whore of all things new, (particularly Death Metal)
, albeit good (granted, right?) Before I list what I am listening to, I would like to comment on an observation of myself (because I know how you all care about what I think about myself right? wink wink—) Compared to yesteryears, I am noticing a much-much larger volume of new works/bands/projects that are extremely good which makes me immensely excited and reinvigorated to compete and embrace in the fore of a seemingly dark musical renaissance. Now, stepping down from that high platitude, maybe as I am getting older, I am getting less picky and more openminded? Haven’t figured out which it is, I would like to think a little of both is the correct answer. YEs, when in doubt, choose the middle, so says the coward….
Me listening to:
Maveth – Coils of the Black Earth (thanks for getting me into this Jim, I wouldn’t have given it a chance if not for your insistence of being so good, the guitar sound on this album fucking rips my nuts!!)
Abyssal – Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius – okay, this has to be one of the most evil sick and ‘well produced’ albums I have ever heard. The guitar riffs are made below even hell. Like a new fucking evil dimension. Just fucking evil and dark as could be. Get this fucking album or you or you need a testosterone shot!
Chthe’ilist – Amechth’ntaas’m’rriachth Demo – Nespithe but more controlled and heavier! Fuck, that was bitch to type!
Xanthochroid – Blessed He With Boils
Coffin Texts – The Tomb of Infinite Ritual
Monolith- III
White Medal – Yorkshire Steel
Debauch – The Seeping Wound (ala Coffins but a bit different, good!)
Urfaust – Ritual Music for the True Clochard
That’s great, Patrick, and Hails! Love the Maveth, I keep coming back to that disc. Certainly one of my new favorites. As for Chthe’ilist – excellent stuff, and I keep hearing their name going around. They will be signed very soon, I’ve no doubt.
We always welcome learning more about and interacting with our readership, so feel free to make ‘observations’ of any kind; it’s appreciated. Worm Gear Zine is, just a few months after our post-hiatus relaunch in September, largely a passion (though, thankfully, we are growing more and more all the time), but of course building the community is the only way for WG to fully realize its own potential, and participation and support by those like yourselves is the key for all that. Thanks for the comments and playlist, and welcome to your source for twelve-feet deep Extreme Music coverage! Now I need to go check out the Abyssal record you mentioned …\m/ -Jim
Looks like I am going to have to check out that Maveth. Been hearing tons of praise for it all over the place.
Most of last weeks playlist:
Mgla – With Hearts Toward None
Kamelot – Silverthorne
Kvelertak – Kvelertak
an Darkness
Eis- Wetterkreuz
Dephosphorus – Night Sky Transform
Ignivomous – Contragenesis
The Sequence of Prime – Inter-
Year of the Goat – Angels’ Necropolis
Árstíðir lífsins – Vápna lækjar eldr
Svartidauði – Flesh Cathedral – flesh cathedral
Dødsengel – Imperator
Witchrist – Grand Tormentor
Kevin, I suggest listening to the Maveth on your best stereo. When I first starting trying it out, I was listening on my computer speakers at work and it just sounded like a boring Incantation band with really boring riffs, but when I slapped it on my home stereo it all because apparent my original thoughts were off base and incorrect. it is ripping sonic death with black metal riff elements all tied together with a fucking awesome guitar sound and production for that matter. there is a lot of subtlety in this album that has to be given attention to really appreciate.
Little to report/comment on here. Currently playing the following:
DT Roxx- gang bang 7″. Obscure TX single from 1990. Tagged as glam metal, which is not entirely accurate, though I guess something like early Motley Crus isn’t a terrible comparison for ‘Conversation Piece’. ‘Gang Bang’ has a nice mix of bite, sleaze, and attitude.
My Dying Bride- A Map of All Our Failures. Trying unsuccessfully to get into this one. The songs seem to have difficulty hanging together, and even the lyrical stories seem rather scattershot. Heck, the lyrics to ‘A Tapestry Scorned’ are almost funny, which is never a good thing for a gothic doom band. Only ‘The Poorest Waltz’ feels like a strong, complete tune.
Detest- Thundersteel. Good anthology of an obscure Swedish epic trad metal band’s demos. Run old Manowar through a Swedish filter and throw in pinches of Bay Area thrash to the riffage and you get the picture.
Sigh- Scenario IV Dread Dreams. Had never heard this one but I’m digging it. It has all the weirdness of ‘Hail Horror Hail’ but also feels more coherent, which helps IMO
nighsblood
Although it is too long, Imaginary Sonicscape is the best Sigh album. Kind of like Hail Horror Hail with more Deep Purple-style jamming and a much richer atmosphere.
AHHHHHHHHHRGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Relax Patrick, shall I order the nurse to bring you your pills? 😉
I’ve been reading the Song of Ice and Fire saga a lot lately (hugely enjoying it!) and certain parts of it always put me in a mood for black metal of the non-satanical kind, the kind that seems to be about ancient folklore, modern civilization vs. the forces of nature, the woods, the pines, the old gods, pagans etc (you get what I’m saying, right?). So lately it’s been:
Wyrd – Huldrafolk, Vargtimmen pt 1 & 2, Rota, The Ghost Album, Kammen, Kalivagi.
Simple riffs and song structures but very epic, hypnotizing and catchy. Less emphasis on speed but tons of atmosphere and epic, sooo epic. Gives me the same feeling as Blood/Hammerheart/Twilight era Bathory.
SIG:AR:TYR – Sailing the Seas of Fate, Beyond the North Winds, Godsaga.
That same Bathory’esque viking atmosphere but less black, a little less heavy with more acoustic guitar and keys. The same simple but awsome songwriting as Wyrd and again loads of atmosphere. Sounds like waves crashing against a wooden hull, the wind howling in the sails and ropes creaking…
Skogen – Vittra, Svitjod, Eld.
See Wyrd, but with a more rugged black metal edge. BTW all three bands are essentally just one or two persons.
Shit, late for work!
There you are Freek…I haven’t read that saga, just the HBO shows. I would like to.
I haven never heard of Wyrd. I’ll check that out. Here is one for you that I highly recommend Freek:
Band called Midnight Odyssey. Album Funerals from the Astral Sphere is an incredible emotional super ambient beautiful album. This guy clearly loves the more atmospheric side of Varg of Burzum, but I would say Midnight O. has in some ways taken that part of Burzum to another emotional level. It transfixes me ever time I hear it. You can find it on I, Voidhanger records.
How many shots of espresso did you have?
Sig:ar:Tyr is very cool so far. Very talented guy to do that all solo. thanks for those two recommendations.
Has anyone been invited to create a personal Bandcamp page? Its been cool. I have been having a lot of fun clicking on the ‘discover’ link and go over to best-selling metal. there is about 400 different bandcamp pages to check. but the way bandcamp does it makes it really easy to browse and quickly listen to samples. its fucking great. although, i think i spent an entire day doing it, and got through half. i found about 5 very cool bands. most of it is metalcore, djent shit, and other crap. but my fucking god, there are so many metalcore bands. a lot of them are initially seductive, until those stupid fucking microphone in mouth loud douche meathead gauge ear sleeve tattooed douche starts singing.
I received an email from Bandcamp that it is open for all to use now as a ‘fan’. If you haven’t I recommend it. It s a lot of fun checking out all the stuff out there. They organize it in such a nice fashion that it makes it a no-brainer. It would be cool if there next step is to add a messaging and comment factor into the mix to subplant facefuckbook.
Patrick> Midnight Odyssey doesn’t really suck me in (yet). It does remind me of swiss cosmic black metal crew Darkspace (which I like) so maybe you’ll dig them too.
Been listening to Meshuggah and Gojira today. Both hughely popular and therefore I’ve been avoiding them like the plague (yes, I can be that elitarian) but somehow I felt like checking them out today and I must say I am impressed. They tickle that part of my brain that also gets tickled by Gorguts, Cryptopsy and Psycroptic. Especially Meshuggah can be overwhelming in a good way just like Cryptopsy’s breakneck riffs and manic timesignatures…
Last couple of days I’ve been in a Ronnie James Dio mood, so lotsa Rainbow, Sabbath and Dio. Ronnie J. to me is the quintessence of Heavy Metal; the blood, guts, heart, soul and Dungeons and Dragons… Everything that makes metal AWESOME. Manowar should have dedicated each of their albums to him.
Now playing: Gorguts – Considered Dead. Aaaaaaarghhh…. CLASSIC!
I’ll check out Darkspace. I really like Funerals from the Astral Sphere (midnight odyssey).
FYI all – A German outfit is releasing a book – Voices from the Darkside, issues 1-10. I think it is about 742 pages. They are only making 1000. Dark Descent is buying a few, but other than that, I would snag one.
Freek – you use fbook or whats your email?
Patrick, check my gravatar.