In the interest of fairness, I may be a bit biased in favor of this album. My first listen took place in a pickup traveling to northern Minnesota to hike amidst woods and waterfalls. I was in a pretty good mood, and so, to some extent this album takes me back there. Ultimately though, it stands on its own.
This is neofolk in the classic tradition, but you also get some nice innovation from these folks. The guitar and vocals are pretty classic to the genre, like a deeper Douglas P or Michael Gira. Warm, but not overly emotional singing with good, simple, repetitive guitar lines. The additional instrumentation really gives this album some filling out. The hammered dulcimer, cello, violin, and percussion round it out in ways that were a bit lacking in the demos (though, the recording quality is much higher as well). The hammered dulcimer (played by Tanner of Celestiial and Obsequiae) is a big part of what evokes the northwoods feeling on this album and really sets it apart from its European counterparts. There is a circular nature about this album. The songs flow together, field recording and soundclip interludes creep into the beginnings and ends of tracks, weaving it all together. I keep losing track of where I am in it, and end up replaying it over and over.
To top this all off, Peasanta, who always have killer packaging for their vinyl, will be featuring Luke Hillestad’s paintings for the jacket artwork. A dark and moving funeral scene to look at as you keep flipping this gem. -Jack
Coming to the end of this deep and late lingering winter, I’ve found myself drawn with more and more frequency away from my temporary home at this small town in the shadow of the dunes on Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Work, responsibilities, family, friends, and the community of my further inland home have been calling me back, and so, though the gas bills pile on their strain, I drive. It’s an hour one way, through the Betsie River watershed, marked by small, poor towns; wide fields; swampy tracts of cedar, tamarack, and some spruce in the lowlands; northern hardwoods and pine (red and scotch mostly) plantations in the higher elevations; gas stations; drive-in theaters; a landfill with its associated crows and ring-billed gulls, plastic bags caught on its barbed-wire fence and swaying drearily in the wind; car garages; subterranean benzine plumes; half-empty trailer parks; abandoned hotels in varying states of disrepair. More often than not it’s been snowing, the road covered in ice or slush, the distances suffused with fog and snow. It’s a mostly straight and, after a while, not particularly interesting drive, and so it makes an ideal time to listen to music, with either a wandering mind or more focused concentration.
I mention all this because I don’t think I can speak of this split between these two well known and highly respected bands with very much of what one might like to call objectivity, in great part because my experience of the album is informed by and woven tightly to this personal, solitary time spent on the road through the changing landscape of northern-lower Michigan. It’s not an arbitrary connection; Falls of Rauros and Panopticon are both, and I feel absolute confidence in this statement, firmly ensconced in the highest tier of underground North American metal that has a concern fixed on the spirit and atmosphere of places that exist outside or at the edges of the city lights, under the thinning veneer of civilization and domesticity—call it nature or wildness or whatever you like—and their songs seem made to be felted and merged with actual landscapes, inner and outer.
As is the state of things here, where we seem to be approaching the terminal point of the last few centuries’ path of accelerating catastrophe, and as often comes to a mind predisposed to melancholy and anxiety, I reflect during these drives mostly on loss, grief, and the fragile, transient nature of the world we have so briefly inhabited. Here: the woods fractured by development (abandoned and left to rot away nearly as quickly as it’s brought up) and denuded of its richness and variety: the ash trees dead or dying, the beech and hemlock likely soon to follow, songbird and amphibian populations reduced in my lifetime alone by numbers too high to name, the stability of weather, and with it the ease of growing food and securing other resources, being lost and replaced with uncertainty and instability, the wolves gone before me, the elk gone before me, the passenger pigeons gone before me. It’s a realization that dredges a lot of nearly lightless emotion to the surface—ideal feelings to be reflected and explored upon with the harsh and apocalyptic sounds of metal.
Panopticon, eschewing the adventurous, genre testing progressions of his sound, looks back to the past and, conjuring up a frigid, minimalist black metal drawn from the early nineties in Norway, erupts with Lunn’s most pure expression of absolute rage. A claustrophobic, pitch black production suffocates the light, and it’s in this space that the songs unfold in a fury of descending tremolo riffs, cryptic and mist-laden arpeggios, and vocals—lacking any theatricality and drenched with genuine rage—that spit their hateful venom into the storm without hesitation. The faster moments are reminiscent of Judas Iscariot in the way they are often driven forward by the obsessively active drumming and sheer force of anger more so than the actual riffs themselves, though there are some excellently sinuous tremolo melodies interspersed throughout.
When Lunn slows down, the mood becomes that of deep brooding—the anger of a dying god barely contained in the restrained percussion and eerie background tones and melodies. The bass lurks beneath, wandering with ominous intent in the spirit of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Panzerfaust is also called to mind in the nearly unhinged vocals, and the way “Can You Loan Me A Raven?” nearly dissolves into a welter of feedback and venomous howls recalls the climax, or rather collapse, of insanity in “Quintessence”. These tracks are more than a fitting tribute to the early nineties, they’re powerful in their own right, a voice in defiance against—or is it in harmony with?—the ravages and storms of time breaking on the horizon.
While Panopticon evokes a thoroughly masculine sense of indignation, Falls of Rauros is more feminine: still angered, still powerful, but more supporting of a sense of grief, loss, and, following all of that, a yielding to something like rebirth. If The Light That Dwellsin Rotten Wood can be thought of as Falls of Rauros’ true opening statement, that is: when the band truly came into its sound, then these new songs are where they first show is what they can really do with that sound now that they’ve grown confident in it. The songwriting here is extremely concise; there’s not a single note out of place, nothing is drawn out to create an illusion of expansiveness, and even the calmer moments never loosen their hold on the vital, urgently expressed emotional core of these two songs. The production is rougher, more rehearsal space sounding, but it fits the stormy aesthetic of this release, excellently represented in the cover artwork. And, while Falls is generally well served by a stronger, clearer sound, these songs are a testament to their excellent, narrative songwriting talent in that they suffer nothing from the lack of it.
And that talent is put to good use here: these two songs flow as rivers, undulate as mountains and valleys, break like waves on the rocky shores of the north Atlantic. The riffs here seem to spring from an endless font, strummed chords breaking into urgent, soaring tremolo melodies, then flowing into emotive, extremely well written solos, and back again. Acoustic guitars and (synthesized?) horns find their place here, and the acoustics, already expertly utilized on the previous album, are more perfectly and carefully integrated into the overall soundscape than before. The percussion work is tasteful, with just enough variation and energy to effectively hold up the energy of these riff-rich songs while being compelling in their own right, and the same can be spoken for the bass, with a great sense for when to follow the guitars and when to wander off into side alleys and trails.
More difficult to describe in words here, as in other Falls of Rauros releases, is the quality of heart that has clearly gone into these songs. Possibly, this is why Falls and Panopticon are so well suited to a split with each other: this isn’t music that’s made by “just a band”, or for fun, or to gain recognition or kvlt credibility. It takes a serious, profound emotional investment into one’s art to create beautifully crafted songs like these. Nowhere is this more clear than in “The Purity Of Isolation”. The fragile guitar melodies, the swelling choral vocals and horns, the achingly screamed vocals, and finally the triumphant yet melancholy riff that closes out the song—this is heartbreaking, and mending, music written from a place deep inside, a place untouchable by the myopia of our small lives, a place where nothing is truly lost.
From the perspective of metal music alone, this split feels as significant as something like Emperor / Hordane’s Land, not, of course, in the sense of its influence on the genre as a whole, but rather in the terms of two of the most creative, artistically and emotionally vital bands currently active coming together to produce an unforgettable collection of songs. From my own perspective, it’s more significant. I know it’s something of a faux pas to mention juvenalia in metal—for good reason: the youthful energy in the genre is one of the main appeals, and attempts to exclude it most frequently result in pretentious at best results—but here, I think, is an example of where that energy is carried forward while leaving the posturing, theatrics, and arrested development of metal behind. The result is the real power at the core of this music, shining clearly and in such a way that is unique to itself, spiritually fulfilling for some of us like no other sounds made by man. -Jake
Jim and I neglected to communicate that we were each reviewing this album, so here you go… 2 similar glowing reviews with 2 different writing styles!
Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, only a short 2 hour jaunt south of this frozen bunker here in Traverse City, comes the inspired and endlessly atmospheric duo Ifing with their Scandinavian black metal fashioned debut, Against this Weald. Knowing that city well due to family living there along with many pilgrimages to Radio Kilroy Records (RIP), Vinyl Solution (RIP) and now Vertigo Records over the years has filled my music collection with endless classics, I still find myself being a bit stunned when the mid-paced and patient swell of excellently considered and endlessly melodic music washes through the speakers to send my thoughts adrift once more on that old familiar stream of reflective and world traveling atmosphere. GR is a busy city like any other, but it is obvious these guys heart and passion belongs lost out in the woods.
When the bio drops names such as Bathory, Windir, Summoning, Ulver and Moonsorrow when trying to tie down Ifing’s inspiration, for most of them I would wholeheartedly agree and even add the likes of Enslaved (for select riffs on the album and the Viking Mythology theme) to the pile. Though you can feel the pulse of those bands surging through this expansive 3 song album, Ifing cultivate their own spirit of composition and synth accompaniment that really sets these songs high on the wind to take flight and feel even more mighty. The simplistic though so very deeply uplifting guitar harmonies intertwine with the synth foundation to make an all-encompassing descent mentally into a time where the world’s main technological advancement was the forging of iron into tools and weapons, which the band skillfully achieves by way of an excellent digital recording. Making mention of this point is only to compliment Ifing, for they utilized modern tools and instead of creating a cold and stiff sound canvas, have succeeded in breaking through with an organic aura which further empowers the spirit and delivery of this material. A smooth and roomy sounding distortion ignites a woodland buzz, for throaty mid-ranged black metal vocals to further keep this material alive and rooted in the right vibe for such a grand orchestrated statement that is Against this Weald. When the acoustic guitar comes in on The Stream, it is such a nice touch and pulls at the heart strings attached to my love of Bathory’s “Viking” era musically, only for flute to arise from the aether to further instill Ifing’s working with folk elements to expand their sound and musical culture. Throw in powerful clean singing at just the right moments and in just the perfect balance and you have an extremely moving body of work that will affect the listener and demand repeated listens.
Against this Weald is excellent and such an emotive beast of an album, it proudly puts Michigan on the map as having so much more to bring to the black metal genre than the aggressive stuff we’ve been known for in bands like Masochist, Summon, Lucifer’s Hammer and others. If this album came out in the mid 90’s and Ifing were from Norway, I have no doubt they would have been written into the history books as one of those bands that made their mark. It’s 2014… regardless of the era or geographical location, Ifing have indeed made their mark with this powerful album that will easily enchant all followers of atmospheric, or “epic” (and I hate to use that term) black metal. -Marty
Blood Music
When you find yourself constantly looking abroad for new sounds, it can be easy to ignore what’s going on in your own backyard. I’d only recently heard of Ifing, a band to be found a scant two hours south from Worm Gear HQ in Grand Rapids, MI, and had thought they were unsigned, but Blood Music in Finland picked them up before they released their music into the wild. Wise choice, for what you’ll find on Against This Weald are whispers of Ulver-style folk guitars, wisps of Summoning grandiosity, and the thematic concerns of Viking-era Bathory. And while the works of these revered ungods grace the collections of all that peruse these pages of electrons, Ifing bring their own bent to the modern musical discourse of the Norse. The riffs, synths, clean vocals, flutes and other non-electric instruments are unabashedly presented with clarity, and though I typically prefer a less perfect sheen in my black/pagan metal, here the choice is appropriate, if not necessary, for each instrument rises out of the mix clear, upfront, and vibrant, adding to the promise of triumph that fuels each of the three songs comprising this forty-minute opus. We hear samples of a lonely Viking boat creaking and slowly cutting through melancholy waters, and in so doing we hear below the cries of strength an unspoken fear and weariness locked deep within the hearts of the raiders. Stepping beyond the chest-thumping we’d usually hear, Ifing’s melodic leads and synths lend a sense of foreboding to the typical mead hall goings-on. Perhaps its the shared harshness of our mutual regions’ Winters, perhaps its our shared affinity for the woodlands, but whatever the reason, this Michigan duo have captured the soul of ancient Scandinavia, and not just its history of blood and thunder.
My nitpicks for Against This Weald concern the ride cymbal work on the blast beats and the mix of the harsh vocal, the former of which could have been used a bit more sparingly and the latter of which would have succeeded best deeper beneath the fantastic music, but these are minor criticisms. Experience this stunning debut from my fellow Michiganders in its entirety as I did, and you’ll be transported by full sails and living seas to a familiar, yet somehow new and wondrous place.
And you will want to return.
ps – Pre-orders for US vinyl are almost sold out; get this one while you still can (I just did 😉 -Jim
Were it not for Unspeakable Axe leading me down the path to the excellent Trenchrot debut earlier this year, a band name like this one wouldn’t have solicited more than a passing glance from my olden eyes. But since I know better than to ignore ‘Mr Axe’ Munsall’s releases, I decided to extend and press my electronic finger on the virtual ‘play’ button, and here again I’ve been rewarded with more thrash-infused, Bolt Throweresque goodness, though this time from a completely different angle as the aforementioned Philly pariahs. For Zoldier Noiz stuff lovin’ spoonfuls of crust and ‘Fast’ Eddie Clark-style guitar solos down the throats of any high-tops wearing, whiteboy-afro’d millenials misled into believing standard-tuned ESPs and clean distortion provide all that’s necessary for quality thrash metal. And when I say Zoldier Noiz hail Bolt Thrower, in their case I refer specifically to the grinding days of In Battle There Is No Law and all the filth in sound and attack that implies, as opposed to BT’s well-produced (and glorious) …For Victory period. And there’s not a goddamn thing wrong with that; for those old UK flavors go down just right with the punk ‘n roll speed metal these Frenchmen offer up for all to enjoy.
I’m typically wary of anything hinting at a ‘thrash revival’, but Munsall’s ear has me craving a suckle off the ol’ thrash teat I came up in the ’80s on (which, like many, I’d largely left behind for death and black metal’s anti-horizons). But Unspeakable Axe understands that for the underground, stand-the-test-of-time thrash had (and has) more to do with early Overkill and Whiplash more so than the radio-friendly albums of a certain San Franciscan foursome that shall herein remain nameless. Zoldier Noiz understand this too, and when you hear them appropriately yelling ‘Tomorrow Is Today’, you’ll realize that even their initially off-putting moniker makes perfect sense in this context. So if after your first Regression Process play-through you find yourself digging through the attic for an old high school notebook on which to scribble this band’s logo – don’t say I didn’t warn you. -Jim
Straight up, raw and raucous punk featuring Chris Reifert (Autopsy) on guitar and vocals. Violation Wound strikes me as residing in the Minor Threat/Black Flag world of punk/hardcore, but with more of a simplistic/dirty feel of course. This band avoids any and all metal influences to keep their sound pure which was actually a nice surprise. Chris’ vocals sound completely different than his performances in either Abscess or Autopsy and his yelling delivery that curls up into a higher pitch screaming style fits this mold perfectly.
The music is 1-2-3-4, full force forward, 4/4 punk with the name of each song being the chorus. Other than this band fiercely clinging to the old punk aesthetic, the surprises on this album are few and far between. Sure the harmonica on Glue Trap was interesting. Guest appearances by Danny and Eric from Autopsy shouldn’t be a shock. If you’re a fan of this style, Violation Wound are a solid band that haven’t done anything to embarrass themselves here and can hold up just fine in this genre. I like punk, but typically reach for the classics when the mood strikes. This doesn’t bode well for Violation Wound, for the likelihood of repeated listens on this album outside of my initial interest in the Autopsy connection isn’t good even though there is an element of lighthearted fun connected with this project. -Marty
Vic Records
Jim has been busy indeed as he unstops the plugged up Worm Gear mailbox in a frenzied display of rapid fire precision. It must be spring for the Worm are cleaning up!! Spring? Huh. As I drove over to Mr. Clifton’s abode this evening, I saw a poor bastard on a moped. The temperature? 10 degrees. Gotta do what you gotta do.
And so do we… so many new releases, so little time. About high time we get some extra help around here. It’s coming in the form of a new writer announcement, but it may be a little while longer.
In the mean time, 7 reviews this week will keep them from locking the doors on us and hopefully all of you entertained. We shall return next week with a vengeance!
Before we go disappear in the newly arrived Horn – Naturekraft 2LP set, and in the spirit of inspiring further conversation between you fine folks, let’s talk about stereotypes! Yes! Stereotypes in Metal that is. Between the labels and Worm Gear, Jim and I have had a lot of opportunities to meet and work with folks regularly here and abroad and we are constantly reminded and pleasantly surprised about the generally unanimous level of dedication and passion that we metal heads display in our work, communication and support of the artistic things we are involved in. I look back on the 80’s with fondness often, but it seems the public perception of our community back then was far more harsh than it seems today. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting old and rarely care what others think, but the more I think about it, maybe the outsiders are finally realizing what we’ve all mostly known since the beginning… us long haired, tattooed and pierced heathen’s aren’t so bad! I mean… fuck you. -Marty
Marty Rytkonen Playlist
Dissection – Retribution: Storm of the Light’s Bane
Sacramentum – Far Away From the Sun
Sacrilegium – Wicher
North/Grom/Marhoth – Sovereigns of Northlands split CD
Dead Can Dance – S/T
Dead Can Dance – Aion
Dead Can Dance – The Serpent’s Egg
Infirmary/Aetherium Mors – Split CD
North – From the Dark Past
Astrophobos – Remnants of Forgotten Horrors
Jim Clifton Playlist
Manilla Road – Mystification Necros Christos – Triune Impurity Rites Ceremonium – Dreams We Have Written Pentagram – Turn to Stone Finsterforst – Rastlos Death – Individual Thought Patterns Obituary – Cause of Death Mystic Charm – Shadows of the Unknown Belial – Wisdom of Darkness Burzum – Belus
Welcome to the first installment of Mailbox Mop-up, a monthly review dump of physical media sent to us that we didn’t get around to in our standard updates. Short, opinionated and to-the-point, consider what follows to be a quick fix on what lurks below. Enjoy! -Jim
Sacrilegious Impalement – III Lux Infera
Crisp Finnish black metal, reminiscent of Azaghal in terms of tight drumming, phlegm-ridden vokills and some eyebrow-raising guitar choices (check the blues-laden soloing on opening track ‘Angel Graves’, and the effects-heavy, non-distorted lines of ‘For Sins of the Pigs’). The riffs sound large, and are tweaked with quick up-strokes that would make Dagon proud. Most of the attack on this album rages like a blizzard beast, but in ‘Down For Grim Lord’, an epic open-chorded/double-bass drum section carries the listener beneath a well-phrased, tremolo-picked lead guitar, leaving one with the feeling of battle-weariness. Released nearly a year ago, this one slipped through the cracks, but will get plenty of spins from me now that it’s on the radar. Woodcut Records
Black Magic Mountain Goat (demo)
Farm-filthy thrash/death that defies the overt melodicism of its more famous Gothenburg brethren, Black Magic Mountain Goat’s gifts you with sounds old and pleasing, perfect for this London porter I’m consuming whilst writing this. First song ‘Drink Blood’ delivers a bit of the Swedeath sounds, but filtered through a dryer with the door hatefully slammed closed, thus becoming a fine segue for what is to come. For second song ‘Sirens of Hell’ bleeds the blood of Venom, but with an unexpected downpicked verse and a quick (but killer) harmonic solo backed with a godly, plodding bass line. Third and final track ‘Bastard Magic’ builds and then blasts you into submission, leaving you wanting more with a doomy stomp. Self-released
Conquest of Steel – Of Fire & Steel
A polished album of pure heavy metal with a twinge of power metal, great guitar solos with dual-harmonies like the UK gods they share location and sound with, solid bass and drums, and great pitch singing required by metal of this style. Nothing groundbreaking, just solid NWOBHM with sharp production techniques. Lyrically, you know what to expect with song titles like these: ‘Metal All the Time’, ‘Here comes the Metal’, etc. I’d like a little more personal character, but if this is meant to be homage, it’s done well. No Face Records
Desolator – Unearthly Monument
Dismember-ish death metal viewed through an American-style/shiny thrash lens, with a Corpsegrinder fan on the mike. Drums sound somewhat thin for this style, but are played well. In fact, a better studio experience overall, hopefully resulting in a thicker total tonality would help put Desolator where they want to be – a Swedish band embracing their homeland’s famed OSDM aesthetic. What would help most, however, is ditching the aforementioned U.S. thrash riffs altogether, as they don’t gel in a favorable way with the band’s overall style. Not bad, just not great. Hellthrasher Productions
Dying of the Light – Monolithium
Neurosis/Godflesh worship with a twist – the ‘clean’ vocals remind me of Cathedral’s Lee Dorrian (specifically from the Forest of Equilibrium album). The harsher vocals have a bit of a hardcore twinge for a nice contrast. I could do without the phased instruments/flanged vocal here and there, as those studio effects bring me back to some less enjoyable moments in the ’90s. In some moments, the drums are mixed lower than both the guitars and vocals – this I feel is an odd choice for industrial-influenced heavy music that for me, succeeds best if vocals aren’t up front. Content-wise, their discourse on “the superficial, self-centered nature of modern life” doesn’t interest me at all, but if modern takes on the previously-mentioned bands interest you, click below. Self-released
Dark Portrait – Fiend Incarnate
Not much to say here; Dimmu Borgir/Cradle of Filth, ‘popular’ black metal worship. Good musicianship, but feels bombastic, derivative, and scrubbed to a sheen that’s nigh-Billboard appropriate. Not my thing at all, and if you’re a regular reader, probably not yours either. Regardless, link below. Beowolf Productions
There is a considerable trend swirling about out there in the underground and it revolves around dark, nightmarish and convoluted death metal. I’m not saying it’s all bad, just really hitting it’s stride right now and feeling a little less special than it did a year ago. Spain’s Teitanblood hit with their bruised and merciless attack long before this current glut of new bands writhing to claim the throne drifted into play and for it, their influences sound to me much more trained on the dank underbelly where mystical death and black metal intersect and invert every cross large enough to make a difference.
Death is this Teitanblood’s 2nd and highly anticipated full-length and the duo have not disappointed their fan base with this blistering eruption of blasting blasphemy. Though there is a definite detuned and decidedly death metal aesthetic writhing at Death’s putrid core, the cacophony of blasting speed, chewing guitars and an urgency in the songwriting that screams for bloody massacre, melds into a swarming hive that puts me in mind of Beherit’s The Oath of Black Blood crossed with a frantic Necros Christos. Of course Death is far superior in the production department (to Beherit), but in spite of the deep tones and thundering tribal drum hits on tracks like “Unearthed Veins” there is a raw glimpse into a primal form of song writing, no matter how messy or disruptive/challenging, that tends to shine through with a sloppy and sinister charm. Cavernous and diseased vocals surface from the audial storm to further hurl Teitanblood’s latest creation into suffering and despair.
Death isn’t one of those albums that is easy or “fun” to listen to due to the absence of memorable riffs or traditional hooks. The guitars are place holders for hideous thoughts and intentions. The drums stir the flames. The nightmarish synth tones curl beneath the surface and lure you closer to a horrible end. You have to want to stand in front of the maelstrom and take away whatever comes. Though I have a lot of respect for this band, their sound and dedication, Death isn’t something I’m going to reach for often, but when I do, I must be in a pretty awful mood and want to sit and endure a torturing of the senses. For those of you more in tune with endlessly abysmal death metal, Teitanblood have been curators of the style for 11 years and mean mischievous business. -Marty
The Ajna Offensive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BAaM4pv0hM
A quiet night in the home; all are asleep as I type this. The perfect time to press play and get lost in the myriad forms of extreme music sent our way, whether by PO Box or inbox. Although in separate locations tonight, this week Marty and I have uncovered a mixture of arrivals from both; a complement of demos including an album from Maine death-metallers Shabti, another from black/doom metal-man Portent, and finally a former self-release (put out now by Dark Descent)of Illinois thrash/Maiden worshippers Oblong Box. Of the signed side of things, Marty covers the Aussie black metal of Erebus Enthroned, the polished BM of Cronian and the dark/doom of Finns 0xist. Thank you all for the spirited discussion last week; the importance/unimportance of nostalgia topic inspired a lot good conversation. Topic for this week: We’re over ninety days into 2014 now – have your 2013 favorites remained the same, or have your lasst-year end lists altered in the last few months? Post! Playlist! Comment! Crikey!
Jim Clifton Playlist
Ulver – Bergtatt Burzum – Belus Trenchrot – Necronomic Warfare Bathory – Blood Fire Death / …The Return / Hammerheart / Nordland I Nebelung – Palingenesis Mayhem – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Seidr – Ginnungagap Blasphemy – Gods of War Deceased – Supernatural Addiction The Chasm – Conjuration of the Spectral Empire
Marty Rytkonen Playlist The Lord Weird Slough Feg – Down Among the Deadmen The Lord Weird Slough Feg – S/T Slough Feg – Atavism Putrevore – Macabre Kingdom Fuck I’m Dead – Another Gory Mess (Zahler bands are infiltrating my listening time!! how did this happen?!? 😉 ) Dirge – Hyperion V/A – Doomsday News – Noise int’l comp (One of my most beloved comps of all time. This slab was hugely influential on my metal development all those years ago) Panopticon – Roads to the North Stilla – Till stilla Falla Stilla – Ensamhetens Andar
Not really sure how much exposure this album received back in 2012, but it was sent in to the PO box a while ago and it proceeded to be consumed by the mess in the Worm Bunker. After cleaning and unearthing this CD with anthropological care/precision, 0xist (Zero-Exist) is here to finally get an opinion scraped across it as I’m trying to catch up with physical submissions these past few weeks. Nil is the first full-length from this crushing Finnish quartet who reside in the heavy side of the dark metal genre classification. Having existed since 2010, producing an EP, a demo and Nil, 0xist obviously approaches their song crafting with care and attention to detail over quantity.
Having heard and liked the 2 song demo, it was interesting to hear how this band has evolved in 2 years. The overall production is mammoth sounding and the first real obvious improvement over older material. Musically, 0xist remain entrenched in plodding, power chord dominant riffs that avoid “groove” for more of a doom laden/mournful affinity for the dreary side of man. 0xist know what they want out of these songs and are very patient songwriters as tracks like Cold Dark Matter creep along at a glacial pace and maintain this for not only this songs entirety, but for a good share of the album. Even though the vibe is crawling, the band are quite proficient in keeping the tracks interesting in their misery with these simplistic, though quite effective harmonies that weep over the detuned progressions to add a deeper dimension to this material. At times I hear a Bethlehem influence which is always a good thing, but for the most part, Nil is 0xist’s own voice by way of decades of metal influence crafted into a bleak 45 minute procession. “Arrival” finds the guitars falling away with piano/synth being the main instrument for a nice change of vibe, but when they come back in, the heaviness speaks volumes in response to the openness of these songs. Along with spoken word segments that do reveal a theatrical side to this band, the vocals are mid-ranged and snarled for a blackened aura to enter the equation, yet every word is discernible and steeped in human misery. Granted the vocal lines tend to follow the riffs a little too closely which is typical for a guitarist who sings, but there is enough fire in the performance to not dwell on this point for too long.
Having stated the patience that must have gone into the creation of this material, it is also fair to state that the listener must exhibit just as much patience to allow the power and emotional pull of Nil to take hold. It may take a spin or 2, but it will eventually win over those of you who find dark metal leaning on the doom side of expression to be your metal sub-genre of choice. 0xist are a damn good and obscure band that I do enjoy when that fleeting moment arises for something slow and gut churning grief. -Marty
Ostra Records
I get the draw and allure of side projects. It’s nice to step out of the comfort zone of a long standing and established band to create with a new set of ideas, parameters, and people… all for the love of musical interaction and creation. Hell, the Swedish and Norwegian scenes were built upon this practice and it has set flight to countless essential albums. With all this in mind, we approach Cronian… the side-project of Borknagar’s own Øystein G. Brun and Andreas “Mr. V” Hedlund aka Vintersorg (also in the band with the same name). Huh… ok… these guys must just gel and love creating music together and want to toil over a fresh new voice. Fair enough! Hitting play on this… sounds exactly like the last (albeit great) Borknagar album. For fans of either Borknager or Vintersorg, I can see this as reason enough to pick Erathems up for it is nearly perfectly sculpted black/commercial/melodic/layered metal that does find a place in my player maybe a bit more often than I would normally admit, but seriously, Cronian tips heavily into the Borknagarian sphere of creative expression than the often pretentious, even prog minded Vintersorg.
Track after track, it is impossible to escape the nearly exact same feel, production and songwriting theme/formula as found on Urd. Vintersorg’s vocal performance even gleans the same phrasing techniques and nuances found on the aforementioned album, so much so, Erathems could have been disc 2 on the Urd extended edition. The big and only real difference here is programmed drums (that sound like authentic modern metal percussion anyway) and the layer of synthetic instruments that lurk on the same level as the guitars. The synth additions are a colorful addition, ranging from subtle lines, to more playful ideas, never detracting from the guitar foundation, rather lifting them up. The track Moments and Monuments arrives with it’s metal-less, though heavily steeped in modern classical meets opera synthetic instrumentation where Vintersorg sings in key for the tracks entirety. A nice break from the established attack, before entering back into the pre-determined emulation of Borknagar.
So there you have it… Cronian’s Erathems is a damn good, though incredibly safe album for those of you out there that are fans of these 2 prolific and talented musicians. -Marty
Season of Mist
Pure Australian black metal, excellently produced and containing an authentic atmosphere that will put you in mind of the mid 90’s in feel and execution. Temple Under Hell is Erebus Enthroned’s second full-length amidst a handful of split releases and it shows a band honed in on their malevolent intentions with technical skill that rises above the heap of Darkthrone and Burzum clones with a very professional attack made even more wicked thanks to potent songwriting.
Having never heard this band before, it was a nice surprise to experience such a well composed and produced slab of black metal. I can hear a definite Swedish influence in those melodies and overall aggressive movement in the riffs, but thankfully Erebus Enthroned are far from a Dissection or Sacramentum clone (those reverbed to the max tom hits in Void Wind sure aren’t cloaking their appreciation), though they could sit quite comfortably on that imaginary tour bus. Well placed tempo and music breaks/accents keeps each track flowing with interest and flair. Even though there is nothing new on display here, Erebus Enthroned uphold a very memorable riff writing style that puts me in mind of the flowing and infectious style of the late David Parland (Necrophobic, Dark Funeral, Infernal) with their burning motion and comparable balance between bludgeoning speed picking and sinister harmonies. The mid-ranged screams of the vocalist offer nothing new to black metal singing as we know it, but his lyrical placement works perfectly, as does his overall fiery performance. As Erebus Enthroned emerges from the blazing speed on the track “Black Sword” with a meaty heaviness that shows the many effective and diverse songwriting tools in their deadly arsenal, I am again reminded that originality comes in many forms.
Even though though Erebus Enthroned may be employing a formula that we’ve all heard countless times, there is no denying this bands musical effectiveness and pension for writing potent songs that they crush the hell out of with their conviction. Temple Under Hell is a damn fine black metal album for the ages that simply rips the heavens with sheer will and a musical/instrumental intensity that is thankfully hard to ignore. -Marty
Seance Records
What initially surfaced in 2011, has now received the Dark Descent cassette treatment for wider recognition and awareness. With this 3 song demo, Illinois Oblong Box have unveiled an occultish and dark take on Maiden riffage enveloped by a punchy mid-paced thrash presence. The delivery is dirty, especially the sand-like rasp of Mike Bushur’s (also guitars) throaty vocal delivery. The interestingly atypical riffage shines through with interwoven harmonies and layered guitar lines that yes, do sing praise for decades of Maiden appreciation, but there is something deeply unique about the way it’s all put together. The songs further benefit from original structures that keep the riffs coming and I found myself surprised with the journey of each track and interested in where everything was going up until the end. A slicker production and a slight bit of development in the vocals down the line will only strengthen this already impressive and promising 3 song demo. Something different here for those of you just off the beaten path. -Marty
Dark Descent
Portent music is described as Doom/Black Metal, and this demo’s very first track does in fact give you that combination (leaning more toward a slow to mid-tempo style of the latter), but you’d be remiss in stopping there. Everything about Dismal Deities has a sparseness to it. Rather than following the tendency in the underground to go for a thick, swirling distortion, guitars here are decidedly thinner, and though it feels jarring at first, the rewards quickly reveal themselves. With that stylistic decision, the well-played bass takes a more centralized role, and – along with the spacious drums – Dismal Deities resultant, entwined sound evokes under-produced versions of Candlemass Ancient Dreams instrumentation. Now the songwriting may not be on par with that all-time classic, but Portent has something going for them that most bands don’t – an overall uniqueness to their writing, shining foremost on tracks two and three (‘Hollow Oaths’ and ‘Paranoiac Invocation’). Both of these songs contain certain medieval qualities, ‘Hollow Oath’ in particular. Therein I hear simple outtakes of Obsequiae’s Suspended In the Brume of Eos, and – while Dismal Deities is nowhere near the greatness of that record – any such comparison should be taken by Portent as a major compliment. In fact, just start with ‘Hollow Oaths’ and move forward – I strongly feel this should have been the opener, with first track ‘Woven’ moved to the end due to its far more recognizable Burzum/doom energy.
Though I’d be hard-pressed to guess which direction the sole member will take this project – more black? More doom? More medieval? the more I listen to Dismal Deities the more I sense the potential pouring from it. Looking forward to hearing what’s next from this London artist. -Jim
Possession deflowered the sound-catching cartilage of this writer and many others with last year’s His Best Deceit cassette, its four songs easily grabbing a spot on my ‘Honorable Mentions’ section of 2013 list. With their new 7” Anneliese (out April 12th), I expected more black/thrash devastation, but the opener and title song (referring to Anneliese Michel, a young German girl who died during an exorcism in the ’70s) on this two-track demonspawn surprised me. Instead of just giving us more of the same, we are met with a mid-tempo stomp that, while engulfed in the same thick, low-mid range distortion of its predecessor, punishes the weak with a 4/4 mover that encourages both headnods and hair-raising fear, as vocalist Mestema brings back his convincing wails and fervent screams to great effect. Second song ‘Apparition’ begins with a deliberate build, but those desiring their debut’s speed have nothing to worry about – here again the blasting drums and descending, open-chord freneticism returns unabated, but before I could settle back in comfort saying ‘Yes, I remember this clearly’, Possession do something unexpected again by slowing to a near stop – albeit briefly – with an appropriately evil, heavily distorted ‘acoustic’ interlude, before closing out in shrieks and howls with that nigh-punk static charge they have. Needless to say, a perfect complement to their first release, and I will be ordering a physical copy. Expect them on the cover of some glossy magazine very, very soon. -Jim
From the land of lobsters and a certain well-known horror novelist arrives a death metal demo fully living up to its ‘progressive’ tag. Now I’ll freely admit it: most often, death metal technically-executed leaves me cold due its adherence to self-aggrandizing self-abuse. Expecting this feeling once more, my first listen to Paracusia was a bit half-hearted, but after a second spin, I found myself mouth agape – Shabti had successfully shot down my preconceptions. Overflowing with riffs that have structural difficulty (without any Racer X-style solos), Paracusia remains an album of songs, not Berklee-trained boredom. The mid-range sound of the guitars snarl in and out of pure death metal, thrash, and black metal atonality, but flow from one section to another in a manner that always makes sense and keeps you attuned to the composition beneath the performances. Ray Capizzo’s (also of Falls of Rauros) drums deftly snap on and around the attack of guitarist (and vocalist) Rob Cook, but don’t follow Cook’s riffs explicity – ample room given for intriguing snare hits and quick fills adds color to his playing and intimates a knowledge of percussion beyond just pounding. And the ever-present, ever-distorted fretwork of bassist Denis Lausier pulls it all together by doing what a bass player should – filling the gap between drums and six-string by strewing about counterpoints, octaves, and impressive (but not masturbatory) runs between the madness. Imagine a head-on collision of Absu’s 2009 self-titled album and StarGazer’s A Great Work of Ages, and you’ll have an idea of what we have here.
One minor complaint would be the recording of the vocals – the bottom-end punch of Rob Cook’s substantial bark appears to be diminished somewhat in the mix, but his aggressive tone suggests this to be an error of the studio. Not in any way enough of a gripe to diminish the success of this full-length, 8 song demo. No, Shabti have helped Maine achieve another descriptor – as land of forward-thinking, determined death metal. -Jim
If I had made mention that I am sick, or feeling like I’m coming down with something, for every week an update comes around, we could look back and see that I have been plagued with some affliction for the better part of the winter. What a frosty joy it has been. Kids at daycare and sub zero temperatures I guess will do that to you. BUT, this hasn’t defeated my spirit and desire to keep digging into those promos to hear what the next morsel of music has in store for my infected ass. I’m not really fishing for sympathy here, just sitting down to do an intro with what’s on my mind, and yes, snot, congestion and incessant coughing has been on my mind for days.
Now that current events are out of the way, Jim and myself have been pleased with the level of interaction these past few weeks. Many thanks to all of you! It’s great to see you all chatting and actively introducing each other to new sounds you may not have heard before. It is the reason why we are here. To keep the community side of this often misanthropic music alive in our own way, on our own little corner of the net.
Weekly topic, along with your playlists, how do you feel about the influential element of nostalgia in the music we listen to? Having given Astrophobos a glowing review this week, something that wouldn’t have likely happened a decade ago, in spite of their tested and once incredibly tired style, it got me wondering if maybe we are sometimes too forgiving for such an obvious lack of individuality? Granted… we like what we like and sometimes shit is too good not to give the nod of appreciation, but to what level does this element drive our musical quest? As a longstanding writer, I tend to applaud originality, yet find my own listening habits to revolve around old titles I connected with ages ago, or things that are not that challenging. We all want something new and special, yet gravitate towards what we know….
That’s it for this week. I seriously need to catch up with last weeks discussions. See you in 7. -Marty
Marty Rytkonen Playlist
Astrophobos – Remnants of Forgotten Horrors
In Flames – Jester Race (Moonshield!! Haven’t spun this in over a decade. Still enjoyable)
In Flames – Whoracle (Has not held up well over the years. I remember liking this when it came out, but now it sounds too commercial. In fact, when the best track on your album turns out to be a Petshop Boys cover, you have indeed gone astray)
Sulphur Aeon – Swallowed by the Oceans Tide
Masochist – History 2CD
Sinister – Cross the Styx (never gets old to me)
Squash Bowels – Grindcoholism
Thergothon – Streams from the Heavens
A Canorous Quintet – Silence of the World Beyond
Enslaved – Eld
Jim Clifton Playlist
Nechochwen – Oto
Behemoth – Zos Kia Cultus / Pandemic Incantations / Grom
Xasthur – Nocturnal Poisoning
Manes – Under ein Blodraud Maane
Infera Bruo – Desolate Unknown
Melencolia Estatica – Hel
Graveland – The Celtic Winter
Massacra – Final Holocaust
Panopticon / Vestiges split LP
Gorgoroth – Pentagram / Under the Sign of Hell
If you would have tried to sneak this album across my desk back in 95-98, I would have had some choice words for you, for that soaring Swedish death/black metal hybrid ala Dissection, Sacramentum, Eucharist, The Moaning, The Everdawn, etc, was a tired and beaten into the tundra genre (in much the same way New York style brutal death metal was), that rose to power quickly thanks to the successes of the forefathers of the sound, then bloated to a redundant critical mass thanks to greedy labels looking to make a buck off of any band eager to rip off their idols. I was infinitely burnt out on this sound to the point of letting a lot of titles in my collection go that I would later regret as some distance has passed from those days of promotional overkill. Yes… time does indeed heal a lot of minor annoyances, for bands like the amazing Thulcandra and now Sweden’s Astrophobos really resonate within my appreciation for highly melodic, though sharply aggressive blackness with a deathly edge.
Remnants of Forgotten Horrors fails at arriving at an original sense of independence in Astrophobos’ otherwise impressively executed style and sound, but this band does excel at appealing to the nostalgic feelings that dwell in every long standing metalhead. They possess the musical chops to sell their unapologetically plagiarized wares with conviction and fire. With skill and desire in check, how do the songs stack up? Very well. Each track on this album is a brilliantly composed monument to memorable hooks, penetrating twin guitar harmonies and a vocal wickedness that sears the heavens with harshly black screams. In fact, this full-length never loses steam as it progresses along its 44 minute trajectory, with the last song being just as well considered and executed as the lead-off track. A thin though pristine, and even “old” sounding production also suits the feel and material on this time capsule to further drive home the obvious love this trio has for their own country’s musical contribution to the metal continuum.
With an excellent pacing in the tempo and intensity department, Astrophobos can write an infinitely mean, melodically beautiful and aggressively punishing song, but it is not their own spirit that animates this body. Remnants of Forgotten Horrors is well executed and enjoyable enough that I can overlook that and be fully entertained with my time spent with this excellent album and even be so compelled to spin it again after it ends. That to me is the sign of something indeed worth investigating. The past is alive! -Marty
Triumvirate Records
In the interest of fairness, I may be a bit biased in favor of this album. My first listen took place in a pickup traveling to northern Minnesota to hike amidst woods and waterfalls. I was in a pretty good mood, and so, to some extent this album takes me back there. Ultimately though, it stands on its own.
Worm Gear 