False - Untitled (2011)

EP, Gilead Media / Howling Mine
August 9th, 2011

Genre: Black Metal
Region: USA

Last night at Thou's merch table their vocalist Bryan was selling a bunch of Gilead Media, Howling Mine and Iron Rail Book Collective stuff: Barghest, Fell Voices, Ash Borer, Dangers, etc. as well as False's EP which I was hoping to see there — and it was.

Another black metal album from Gilead Media titled "Untitled", which also makes it a little difficult to find on the net. You can listen to it streaming on Gilead Media's bandcamp page  and pay what you want for a digital copy (or get it on vinyl on their main site).

The EP is two 12 minute tracks of black metal with a symphonic bed which means theirs atmosphere to be felt despite the more orthodox sound (minus the long/slow passages and ambiance). In terms of sound Ascension and Emperor come to mind at points but generally more upbeat in my opinion. There is one slower section on the second track, aside from that the album is very fast paced in all aspects making it an intense listen: frantic powerful riffing and drumming, actually audible bass lines, vocals are standard fare. Keyboard is ever-present without the cheese one might expect. There's one riff 10 minutes into Sleepmaker that is clearly a variation on a section in the title track of Weakling's album Dead As Dreams (4 minutes in), which is awesome if you enjoy Weakling.

False show that they have potential. They can play and write well for sure but it's nothing ground breaking (and not everything has to be). That said though this is another solid release from Gilead and I would definitely recommend it.

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Sonne Adam - Transformation (2011)

Full Length, Imperium Productions
April 4th, 2011

Genre: Death Metal
Region: Israel

Extreme Jew death metal right here. Clearly influenced by Necros Christos and Incantation, Sonne Adam's debut album Transformation is a 40 minute trudging, serpentine mountain of death. A few atmospheric moments are created with tasteful/sparse use of effects that are interspersed throughout the slow tremolo riffs and big power chords, and the vocals here are cavernous and gravelly; this album is a great chunk of dark death metal from start to finish.

If you liked Disma, Witchrist, Incantation, Vasaeleth, Necros Christos, and all that twisted shit get this now.


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Gottesmorder - Gottesmorder (2011)

EP, Absurd Creature Records / Tokyo Jupiter Records / Nojoy Records
August 3rd, 2011

































Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Region: Italy

I received a request a few days back from Matteo the bassist of Gottesmorder to post up their new EP, so now that I've had a chance to listen to it I'm doing just that.

They're a three piece atmospheric/ambient black metal band from Italy and their self-titled EP is a whirlwind of droning, swirling riffs, subtle and cold atmospheric synths, and spacey ambiance creating a sad and bleak atmosphere. The band take a path more close to Altar of Plagues' first album "White Tomb" compared to the more 'Cascadian' bent bands of the genre — which I definitely like as I found Altar of Plagues most recent releases to be disappointing.

There are some similarities to Fell Voices at points in terms of the quality of writing, not a moment without purpose and always building to a great payoff. Gottesmorder is quiet a surprising and cathartic release. Highly recommended.

From their bandcamp (where you can stream the whole album):

"Guitars like drones, primitive drums, bestial throat. The Gottesmorder Ep aims to be the dark age sound in which contemporary human being will find frosty/obsessive atmospheres as well. The two tracks record is almost a concept, talkin’ about the deafness of nature. It boasts the collaborations of K11/Pietro Riparbelli and Lee Baughn (Ghost Empire). It has been recorded at Orange Recordings Studio with Stefano ”Zven” Doretti, mixed and mastered at Locomotore Studio with Lorenzo Stecconi (Ufomammut, Lento, ZU, Dälek). The artwork has been done by the graphic/musician Mories (Gnaw Their Tougues, Aderlating, De Magia Veterum).”

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Weirding - Each Birth Is A New Disaster (2011)

Full Length, Secret Flood Records
August 20th, 2011

Genre: Sludge
Region: Canada

Newcomers Weirding unleash thick and thunderous sludge metal with Each Birth Is A New Disaster. Nothing but heavy, pounding grooves that are catchy as fuck on this record, some of which have a very middle eastern flare similar to Melechesh. If you enjoyed Seven Sisters of Sleep's self-titled you'll definitely like this. The whole album is up and streaming on their Bandcamp page.

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Sortilegia - Pestilent Black Sorcery (2011)

Demo, Vault of Dried Bones
July 24th, 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Region: Canada

Another band I was looking forward to seeing at Skull Fucking Metal Fest III and they did not disappoint. Candles, animal skulls, cloaks, and lots of reverb. It was kind of strange seeing an atmospheric black metal band open for more traditional death and black metal acts.

Sortilegia are two canadians (girl on vocals/guitar, guy on drums) creating atmospheric black metal in a similar groove as Skagos, Thantifaxath, Deafest and Wolves in the Throne Room and it's really good. On Pestilent Black Sorcery there are three tracks, two of which hit the 10 minute mark. The influences are pretty easy to identify but they have enough of their own direction to make them stand out — lots of reverb soaked guitar chords and tremolo riffs, tribal drumming and high pitched screeches creating a ritualistic, misty atmospheric. If you enjoy the genre you'll surely enjoy this so give it a spin, demo is available on  cassette at Vault of Dried Bones limited to 100.

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Auroch - Stranger Aeons (2010)

Full Length, Self-released/Independant
March 12th, 2010

Genre: Death Metal
Region: Canada

Death metal from the west coast of Canada with a Lovecraftian flare. This one will be a little contentious based on vocals alone. I saw Auroch last night along with Nuclearhammer, Adversarial, Sortilegia, and Into Oblivion at Skull Fucking Metal Fest III and I was impressed by their set.

Where some people may get turned off is the vocals. Half the time they're traditional raspy death growls and then occasionally they swing into clean vocals resembling early Pantera (high pitched screams) or maybe a little bit on the power metal side of things. If you can get past that aspect then you'll hear some pretty fast, catchy, technical guitar work with some serious early Kataklysm influence (always a plus), chaotic Slayer-esque solos, and wicked blast beats and kicks. Get a taste here.


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Omega Massif - Karpatia (2011)

Full Length, Denovali
September, 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal
Region: Germany

Been waiting for this: Omega Massif's new album Karpatia. I find Omega Massif to be the most captivating of the ever growing instrumental bands out there. Geisterstadt was a sludge monolith and continues to leave me speechless with it's massive crushing riffs soaked in reverb, creeping atmospheric clean moments, loads of feedback and pounding bass . Karpatia doesn't differ much in this regard and continues to showcase atmosphere through great writing. Big droning riffs that hypnotize will flood your ears until the closer.

If you want to hear either album Denovali has tracks up for both, order info, etc. Fans of post-metal that have not listened to these German sludge juggernauts should not hesitate here.

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The Flowers of St. Francis - Volume 1 (2011)

Full Length, Enemies List Home Recordings
August, 2011



Genre: Drone/Noise/Ambient/Folk
Region: USA

"The Flowers of Saint Francis are confessional, spontaneous, and moving compositions by Tim Macuga. They are collections of aphasic, four-track rabbit hole confessionals... home recordings of the home recordist debating the relationship between mysticism and madness.

They are the private scribblings of Tim Macuga."

Tim is the second half of Have a Nice Life, and what we have here is the first of a series of tapes released by ELHR. The excerpt above should tell you what you need to know, there's 2 big tracks here and if you need a genre then this is close to drone/ambient with folk elements as well as the ethereal sound that the boys from ELHR are known for; similar to Natural Snow Buildings if anything. More psychedelic and less depressive than the other projects Tim is involved with.

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Amenra - Mass II: Sermons (2005)

EP, Consoling Sounds/Independent
January, 2005



Genre: Atmospheric Sludge
Region: Belgium

Amenra are absolutely amazing and one of my favorite bands. Passion, agony and trudging darkness permeate everything they create. They signed to Neurot Recordings after touring with Neurosis not long ago which makes me smile, and soon their next album "Mass V" is going to be released. Amenra also recently repressed Mass IIII and Mass II: Sermons on vinyl and because of all this I thought I'd throw this up with the track list of the 2008/2011 reissue (with varying quality, unfortunately).

As with all their releases Amenra create a powerful and oppressive atmosphere on this EP. There are five tracks here: two of which that were not originally on the first pressing and one that appears on Mass III (track one, From Birth To Grave). Track two is from a four-way split and is on the short side with a spoken passage. Track five is Ritual II which is ten minutes long and resembles their Afterlives EP in that is largely quiet and acoustic with clean vocals for the first four minutes, and then explodes into extended versions of the final few heavy riffs heard on the original version of Ritual — slower, like they do in truly epic live shows such as this.

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Aethyrvorous - Aethyrvorous (2009)

Demo, Self-released/Independent
2009



Genre: Death Metal
Region: Australia

I've heard rumors of this bands demise but I don't know if they're accurate. It would be a shame if true because there's some excellent material to be heard here.

It's clear Aethyrvorous draws influence from the likes of old school monsters of death Incantation, fitting in well with the new wave of giants such as Witchrist, Impetuous Ritual, Ignivomous, Vasaeleth, Antediluvian, Mitochondrion, etc. Of course what this means is large amounts of churning, cavernous, dirty death metal with the stench of the occult permeating every dark riff. A very strong demo and maybe their only release.

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