Cower / Thou - War is the Force That Gives Us Meaning: A Two Part Analysis of Personal and Inter-Personal Conflict (2011)

Split, Vendetta Records
June 21st, 2011

Genre: Sludge/Hardcore/Doom Metal
Region: USA

I wish I was more attentive to Cower's side of this brilliant split record with Thou when I first heard it. I mean Thou's side is just more unquestionably awe-inspiring and malice-soaked doom metal so it's hard to tear one's attention away from their side of any split; even when paired with the likes of Hell and in this case Cower.

Between the two bands and their strong, proven approaches to the niches of sludgey hardcore and callous doom it goes without saying this split has excellent variety. This is not at the expense of spellbinding song weaving whether it be furious beauty or an unbearable darkness as Cower and Thou only cull their best for each release.

When matched with Thou one might assume the younger Cower may not be up to the task of balancing the monolithic tendencies of the Baton Rogue sludge beasts, but they easily hold their own. Their use of a varied of vocal styles, the strong bass foundation throughout each track, and the creative blend of genres ensures they can stand next to such towering doom pillars like Thou.

In fact I've grown to enjoy their contribution just a bit more than the second side.

Cower's side is titled "Act I: Burn The Banks" and starts with the track named after themselves, and the subject of giving up. It's heavy and between sludge and stoner rock at first, the speed is increased briefly to bring in the hardcore but after a silence the sludgy vibe returns as we barrel into "Clonorchis Sinensis. Rhythmic hardcore takes hold for a moment before the slow jog heaviness returns, it's compouded at various points through hoarse shouts and  splashing cymbals over a wicked breakdown.

"Cut Down" is only 27 seconds but not necessarily in the powerviolence mindset despite being fast — it's contrasted by the acoustic interlude direcly afterward which is melancholic and somber. It brings other elements into the collection sounds like a piano and digital modulation near the end. Later on "Vise Grip" takes a similar approach There's a concerted effort to return to devestaing sludgcore with "Sixty Years", a track that trudges at first but hits the boosters at the one minute mark and scorches shit with noisy, drum blasts and scraping riffs. The return to slugging with trilled bends and stomping riffs. Lots of big grooves in that last moment alone

This leads to "Torch" which is my second favorite on the split. It starts similar to "Sixty Years" blending stoner riffs and hardcore pacing but by the time we're into the middle of the track, delay and reverb effects engulf the sparkling tremolo riff left hanging. It becomes manipulated for about a minute creating very pretty textures befire

My favorite track by far is "Rainmaker", it sounds closest to their material on Mind Over Matter:  bouncy and terribly catchy, considerably moreso once the great bass solo hits (these guys can punch those things through at just the right moment it seems). Bursting from that to a upbeat climb and descent through multiple noise rock attitudes, they eventually setltle on something amazing. It's probably the most memorable moment on the record, simple too, coupled with the lyrics there's a longing for release pervading this song and it's heartfelt:

"So come my friends and let us share our last breath. Let me live under the sun and remember. It's only for fun. Just remember... The tides will go in. And the tides will go out, and the leaves will grow again. Every beginning has to end, and every ending brings new beginnings, don't forget to scream and shout. There is no end."

It ends on a slightly depressive series of fuzzed out notes, and bleeds into a bonus track I don't know much about; I suspect it's a cover. Cower have done well on this split and it was a great prelude to the full length last year.


Moving on to Thou's side titled "Act II: Big City" which was released as a single EP online and kicks in with a even more sluggish interpretation of a Cower song from their first record (Hatred Songs) — it's fuckin ugly. Nothing but feedback, vocals and singular tom strikes for the majority of the track.

Then we get to dig into newer material with "View of a Burning City", a clouded lament to the state and industry's siege on humanity (in classic Thou fashion) starting darkly melodic and discordant much like their Hell split — and then straight into what I recognize as the down-tuned beat in Eminem's "Guilty Conscience"... it's bizarre. The song progresses away from this into more recognizably torturous swaying through low guitars and black vocals and I immediately feel quite cozy here. No one does this better than Thou or at all like them.

"How Lonely the City Sits" continues the vitriolic assault found before it calling out bred mediocrity, urban stagnation and the alienation it brings. This one has a fucking gripping groove midway through that flows so smoothly as Brian shouts "THE DEAFENING, ENDLESS, COMPLETE ISOLATION!!!". Thou show again and again why they sit on the throne of doom. The last section of the track brings scratchy dissonance back briefly as it slowly fades in feedback.

Closing with "Milestone" the desperate struggle continues unabated. Sliding warbled downtuned slaughter for the first while, with a great use of pinched harmonics interspersed in the marching. It gets a little more claustrophobic for a few seconds for the change in pace, where Brian's vocals become increasingly haggard and deformed in his bleak recitations. Near the end the vocals turn to clean slow chants while a buried lead riff distorts and drowns, however it reverts to more slogging before the abrupt close.

An awesome split with two dedicated acts I love a lot. This is worth the cash if you can find a copy of the LP, even if you're just in it for Thou. The art is fantastic and high quality outside of the crumbling doom and sludge imprinted on the black record. I don't know of any big labels or distros who still have copies (some smaller ones like this maybe) but they might have a few while touring still (I got mine at the Gilead Media Festival)

You can grab Cower's side for free on their band camp and Thou make all of their material available on their official site.

DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)
DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)  <— Cower side only!
DOWNLOAD (Noladiy direct) <— Thou side only!

Crawl - Demo (2011)

Demo, Self-released / Unsigned
July 11th, 2011

Genre: Noise/Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: USA

The album cover is simple, the moniker evoking some kind of Nails copycat riding on the blackened sludge wave. Don't be fooled though. Crawl is very deserving of the title, a new Khanate-esque mutant that fans of patient, surgical heaviness will want to take note of. Crawl is one guy with a bass and drums making bone-scraping sludge in Texas unlike much out there right now. I don't remember how I came across this whether by random search or through email request but I found the link today and popped this demo on, resulting in me being surprised and subsequently squashed.

This demo is only 15 minute long over five tracks but these four minute chunks of cold sludge drag in the best way possible. Each untitled song is like a glacier collapsing on top of you, suffocating and biting with every lead-weighted strike of the bass strings, distorted and sterile almost taking on an industrial feel — the breaths of silence adding an abrupt ambiance and heightening the creepy atmosphere. All this makes four minutes feel like it's swollen to ten from the raw stomping Crawl dish out.

Very loud, machine-like rhythms through fuzz and feedback, the percussion blending with the slams of the bass into a blurry and menacing bombardment; in the slower moments its more martial. The most straight forward track is probably the first one, which breaks into a more normal gait in the middle but is book-ended by savage eruptions. 'II" and the following tracks make use of silence more before delving into the down-tuned churn that I'm very much loving. It gets really blown out sometimes which embellishes the heaviness sometimes.

Both that and "III" are songs that bend slow, plodding riffs and the rising static distortion while shaking bass lines are left to grow and rattle the soundscape apart. "IV" takes the approach of oldschool swans on "Coward" with gravel bass jerks to a halt with the drums, eventually becoming far noisier than those early influences.

Crawl have some unreal industrial heaviness on very simple terms and I suggest you give this demo a listen. They kind of give off a power-electronics/death industrial feeling but in a different context.

Crawl offers this frigid record for free on bandcamp so throw him a few dollars if you want and you can check their store for physical copies. A second record Mine Maille Shone Not The Light of Death (a live recording) is pressed on limited tapes over at Murder/Suicide Incidents, which I'm sure I'll be reviewing soon. Follow the blog. Big recommendation especially for lovers of harsh heaviness like Swans, Khanate, and Whitehorse and shit.


DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)

Merkaba - Bones Of The Sacred Forest (2011)

Full Length, Self-released / Pagan Flames Productions

May 6th, 2011

 

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Region: USA

I probably should be posting a record from my year end list, or at least something from 2012 since I slacked like mad the last quarter of it, or fuck it — one from this year! But nope, here I am presenting you with a tucked away and very powerful black metal record from the second quarter of 2011.

So Merkaba. Another relatively unknown black metal group this time from Kentucky, within the Panopticon/Lundr circle of Pagan Flames, who have a split with Wheels Within Wheels and a demo apart from this LP. I had heard of them through Panopticon but at the time I didn't know about the demo. I did hear a 15 minute track I got from Merkaba's site/facebookpage and enjoyed it but I guess I never followed up.

Then not long ago I was trying to catch up on records and pack shit up when through a random (but not uncommon) internet journey I discovered Merkaba had released two records since I had checked. Naturally I procured a copy of Bones Of The Sacred Forest and waited for when I was done catching up on shit I hadn't heard from 2012.

I listened to this ta few times last week and was pleasantly surprised, leading me to spin it more and more in the last few days. Merkaba do sound quite primal and lo-fi, and for a US atmospheric black metal record this album barely stretches past 35 minutes, and it's five tracks long with none of them being filler or spilling past 10 minutes; all of which is fairly unusual especially considering Merkaba don't necessarily sound remarkable. 

Actually what I really like about Bones of the Sacred Forest is that at various points in its multiple spells it's conjuring a sound quite close to what Wolves In The Throne Room's first record Diadem of 12 Stars did, but a little darker (ala Fell Voices) and with a slight Kentucky vibe threaded throughout. 

The perfect example is right of the bat on "Faultline" where the two big riffs for the first five minutes just feel like "Queen of the Borrowed Light". I said feel not "sound" because it's not just a style thing. The approach while obviously in the cascadian style is still different from WITTR's: more minimal, darker, more suffocating, less chunky, faster. What Merkaba do at various point on  "Bones..." is recreate a feeling that I get specifically when I hear that record . "We Seem To Pass Like Ships In The Night" is another song where I get that distinct almost nostalgia-like tingle, the two main riffs ripping through the darkened lament repeatedly. Both of these songs become very pained and urgent.

It's not that Diadem of 12 Stars is necessarily that spectacular of a record or vastly unique/superior to other records in the genre (it is my favorite of theirs though).  It's just that like with Weakling's Dead As Dreams, ever since WITTR dropped that record (or arguably the following album, ever indebted to that aforementioned record) a slew of other bands were inspired to recreate what it did, always producing aberrations of that sound; sometimes fucking awesome and unique in their own right and sometimes underwhelming. I think Merkaba may have on at least two or three tracks here recaptured whatever spirit WITTR had channeled in the forests of the west coast.

Having said that it's not like they don't have a sound all their own on Bones of the Sacred Forest. The three other tracks here have a more distinct sound apart from that influence. "Continuum" is a short semi-folk, tribal instrumental giving off a mid-east luster, while "Eyes Lose Focus" is a little more slow with sparkling clean melodies. This is what I would imagine it would sound like if Irepress were playing Braveyoung. It breaks into tremolo riff wonderfulness before the half point in hypnotizing fashion and by the final minutes very much escaping Diadem's orbit.

The final track "Glacial Fire" leans more towards what Skagos did on their debut LP. A slow start of clean droning chords and woodwind instruments, quick drumming for the first bit before diving into distortion and blowing up. At which point (5 minute mark) there's a huge climb with a barely audible flute (?) in the background that works surprisingly well (better then on Panopticon's last album), the change up in the drums part way through this is great too.

The production really helps the foggy and sorrowful atmosphere, Bones of the Sacred Forest feels really thick. Somethings strange with the reverb. When huge riffs are swelling like in the third track near the end the riffs feel like they're suspended droning, almost hallucinogen-induced tracers; it feels far more full and lingering than regular reverb.

Again I have not heard much material outside of this, so my perception is a little limited and I may just be crazy about the Diadem of 12 Stars comparison here, but even so I don't think it is (and am not commenting on it like it is) a negative aspect. Maybe for some it is. I like it and think they're usuing it well to mold their sound into something fantastic.

I'm really enjoying this, and I'm gonna say this is better than what WITTR last released by fuckin miles. Innovative? Nope but fuck it, I'm pleased by what this Kentucky triad have expressed on this record. Another instance where I wish I was on a record sooner. Just recently Pagan Flames Productions announced this was getting the vinyl treatment real soon so those of you who want a copy watch the label/band page for updates. And I suggest you support them. Or you can contact Concentric Drone Cult and see if they have any of the cd copies.

DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Northless - Clandestine Abuse (2011)

Full Length, Gilead Media
March 8th, 2011

Genre: Sludge
Region: USA

Yet another record I should've gotten to far too long ago. I'm not fucking around when I say it definitely should've been on my 2011 year end list (easily in the top 10), and I have only myself to blame for not getting to it before the year was out. After fully absorbing it I'm here to tell you this is a beastly album and you should not pass on it as I so foolishly did.

Clandestine Abuse is another brilliant record from Gilead Media, and the first full record Northless have released after a string of EPs and splits. I've read a few reviews comparing this to early Mastodon, one where it was said the song-writing wasn't as strong nor the riffs as interesting; I completely disagree. It is actually the complete opposite. What Northless have achieved on this album is nothing short of amazing. Clandestine Abuse is loaded with passion and great song composition. Comparisons to Mastodon are unwarranted in my opinion, but then again I'm not a fan of theirs. It is a truly daunting hunk of groove-filled, oddly dissonant atmospheric sludge unlike others in the genre.

In fact there aren't much sludge acts I can think of that manage to place dissonant metallic chords expertly amongst bludgeoning slabs of sludge and make it work so well, while managing to keep the dirges unfathomably heavy and keeping a strong direction all at once. It's complex in a deceiving way as the album seems simple on first listen but as you progress through it you notice the shifts in tempo, subtly atmospheric arrangements in riffs. The droning angularity is what I must stress once again. It came as a major surprise to me as I thought I was in for straight sludge but there's much more here.

It is undeniable that the members of Northless are very creative. The guitars have a warm, crunchy tone, the drumming is thick doing well to prop up both the fast and slow aspects of each track, while the bass will crack concrete; a truly menacing growl. The production pumps it all up nicely making the record sound all the more behemoth.

There's a bit of hardcore sprinkled in there too, not only in the vocal style which is a pissed off yell that would fit very well among any choice of crusty hardcore act. It;s aggressive and harsh, not deep but just clear enough to hear the lyrics with a little bit of certainty. His style suits the tone of this record perfectly, and contrasts with the down-tuned rumble found throughout the songs. The only time the vocals move from this style is in the final track "Storm" (where he's far more clean) which is also the only semi-melodic area on this dark and angry trek — at least in the beginning, in the end the relentless hammering sludge riffs takeover and close the record in a very satisfying manner.

The pacing also shows off this hardcore influence. It's occasionally leans on the fast end of things, breaking at just the right moments to wallow in a dark set of doomy riffs before running headlong again. This is shown off well in tracks like the aforementioned "Storm" or "Dead Ends" (the shortest track) which starts slow and quickly morphs into something that wouldn't be out of place on a blackened hardcore record, but with far more doom draped over it.

Regardless of the pace all tracks maintain a crushing and slow gait with spikes of discordance such as "Not Made for Existence", which features some powerful guitar work compelling headbanging as if it were a spell set upon you. It's desperate tangled whines are beautiful, and the desperate build of sludge grooves in the middle before the pick slides are so tasty.

The opener "Flesh & Ghosts", akin to a battering of sledge hammers on your chest from beginning to end, is something monumental. Starting slow and progressing further into that twisted hardcore flair, it envelops you in a crusted, ugly cloak by the middle of the track. Dipping and bending as the low end carves deep fissures in the earth, the swaying crawl that some of the later riffs present to you is overpowering. This record has far too many excellent riffs to speak of and still swallows you with a huge atmosphere.

It's rare when you'll hit a clean spot, but when you do like in "Damnation" or near the end of the bass-heavy "Sundowner" it's so brief, still loud and furious. This track is another thunderous onslaught that contains piles of addictive sections. Or midway through "Empty Home" where the twang of the cleans builds a devastating groove which is followed up on by the heavy bass plucks, soon to plunge into a set of titanic distorted riffs. A rusted and mangled beauty is created. The title track has one of these short cleans, a track which starts with a rumble and then an immediate dose of angularity before tumbling into massive slams; and suddenly a quicker clean section before returning to the rough rolling riffs.

I don't think there's a weak spot on this record. It's addicting, wicked and different from the usual styles in the doom and sludge arena while retaining a smothering atmosphere all it's own. Clandestine Abuse is 55 minutes long but due to the fantastic writing ability showcased here it's never boring, never taxing, always enjoyable and will keep your attention. They switch things up just enough but the style is retained in its purest form.

Get this record guys. Support Northless because whatever they come up with next will surely be impressive. I saw them at the Gilead Media fest and their set really opened my eyes. I have much regret for not spinning this more but I'll be making up for it without a doubt.

Clandestine Abuse is also up for streaming on Glead Media's bandcamp page and can be purchased in reddish-orange vinyl form at the webshop as well. I highly recommend shoving more money at Gilead Media.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)

Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin' On (2011)

Full Length, Arts & Crafts Productions
April 5th, 2011

Genre: Folk/Alt-Country/Gothic Americana
Region: Canada

A huge thanks to JGD, or I guess his girl, over at The Living Doorway for both staying on top of death metal for me (along with Haxan at Forever Cursed, since Equivoke is sorely lacking growls and brutalness), and for bringing this odd ball album to my attention. These guys apparently evaded my radar last year and I find myself once again disappointed that I wasn't aware of such an interesting band, especially considering they're Canadian.

Unlike JGD who's honest with himself and his readers, I'm going to pretend I know what I'm talking about when reviewing this quirky amalgamation of genres and sounds like I'm a seasoned folk enthusiast, even though it's something I'm not familiar with — and this is a record far from the norm in general.

This is Timber Timbre's third full album. I have not heard the self-titled or Medicinals yet so I cannot compare it to those in terms of growth in sound and whatnot, but boy is Creep On Creepin' On a strange animal. Challenging and dark is also how it could be described. It is largely calm bluesy folk but very very warped. There's a lot of instruments involved in the 10 compositions on display here: piano, harpsichord, violin, organ, various saxophones, clarinet, accordian, lap steel, several different guitars, and various percussive instruments. You'd think this would turn into a clusterfuck or become pretentious and tiring but it all comes together very organically. Every instrument playing an integral part in the different sounds and the general atmosphere each song brings forward; often used subtly.

Outside of the clinking piano keys and deep bass plucks it's the vocals by Taylor Kirk that are an immediate focal point — once again warped, very slightly distorted, and laced in echos with an old-timey glaze smothered over them. Almost like they're just slightly underwater. They are impossible to ignore and may be the tipping point when deciding whether or not one likes this record for many as they waver and croon over the slow, drowsy sounds beneath them. Certainly not accessible but I find them to pretty damn hypnotic. The lyrics that are attached to his singing (as well as Mika's) are subtly macabre and obsessive, gloomy.

With many of the tracks such as "Lonesome Hunter", 'Creep On Creepin' On", 'Woman", "Black Water", and "Bad Ritual" I feel like I'm listening to something one might hear at a depressing and creepy 1950's or '60's prom or wedding waltz, or something coming from the radio of a run-down and haunted 1956 Chevy Bel Air. That's actually a pretty accurate description of the general atmosphere of this record. "Black Water" and "Lonesome Hunter" are my favorites for sure. They're so spellbinding, depressive, dark and dreary.

Others such as "Too Old To Die Young" and "Do I Have Power" are a little more upbeat (for the most part), bouncy in their tone and pacing. The instrumentals "Obelisk", "Swamp Magic "and "Souvenir"s vary in their style while still being gloomy: "Obelisk" with its jarring violins and abruptness reminds me of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, while "Swamp Magic" has a southern edge to it, a little more ambient and creepy, and "Souvenirs" closes the album with more of a droning violin/horn quality.

I would definitely recommend this one for the adventurous. I'm slowly falling in love with it. It's a very unique and strange journey no question. Grab this odd piece of brilliance from their label's store (available in various formats) or check out your local record shop, since that's where I found my copy.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)

Brainoil - Death of This Dry Season (2011)

Full Length, Life Is Abuse / 20 Buck Spin
August 2nd, 2011

Genre: Sludge
Region: USA

One I missed last year. Shame on me.

Yes I am late to the party when it comes to these legends of sludge. They had an enormous gap between their self-titled album and Death of This Dry Season but like true professionals that has not diminished the quality of the music one iota once they returned. What you get here is pure, unadulterated sludge metal: no bullshit and no fancy experimentation. Death of This Dry Season is a short but slamming venture into crusty, raw and harsh sludge with a southern-stoner tinge all the way through.

The bass and guitar riffs alternate between heavy and chunky, fuzzed out and crushing sections that are so damn catchy, using some hammer-ons and bends on a few tracks to great effect. These moments stick with you and will break windows when cranking the volume no problem. Then they slide towards fast-paced, aggressive hardcore blasts while remaining entirely rusted and rough, coupled with a ugly hoarse vocal effort belting out tales of ruin and decay. This is totally appropriate for the sound they conjure, as is the thick production which keeps the murky swells feeling warm and cozy. Drum duties are carried out flawlessly, bouncing and crashing while fitting both the quick licks and the sluggish, bendy chords without dominating them.

You couldn't ask for more from Brainoil here.Their sound and style remain untouched by the waves of newer acts that experiment with the traditional sludge and doom sound, making their material work effortlessly and remain fresh without bending to recent trends. As mentioned it's a quick record hitting just under 25 minutes but it's all top notch, and I would much prefer a solid and heavy short release then a long and tedious one; especially if it's in the more orthodox vein of the genre.

I would certainly recommend grabbing this record, it's worth your time and cash. Take a listen over here. I snatched it up not too long ago. You can buy it on vinyl over at 20 Buck Spin or from their very own merch store.




DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)

Aseethe - Reverent Burden (2011)

Full Length, Gilead Media / Floating Cave
August, 2011

Genre: Doom Metal
Region: USA

Saw these dudes at the Gilead Media fest and they were pretty damn good. I believe they played this album in full and it was fuckin' brutal so why not share it right?

Aseethe are a fairly new three piece act fashioning some droning doom metal on various splits since 2008, and Reverent Burden is their first full length record. Its a modest outing of 2 songs between ten and fifteen minutes each. These guys have got a great sound that burns slowly. Both tracks incorporate pieces of drone and ambience with the doom dirges which makes for some menacing atmosphere.

"Reverent" is the first side of the album and it begins with a very deliberate crawl, creaking strings and fading symbols roll onward and swell for a good four minutes before we get to the meat of the track. The riffs and chords here have a dissonant quality.  It's heavy no doubt, the yawning guitars build at a snails pace as the dissonance is traded for mountainous powerchords with drowned out and hoarse vocals bellowing under them. Aseethe use a very simple structure here to pound you into the mud. A cycling howl of noise begins to slowly envelop the instruments by the end of this first track, and this continues as riffs shift to loud feedback in the final 3 minutes.

"Burden" follows on the next side, slightly shorter. It does not lead with a noisy intro but instead crushes you immediately with titanic riffs until you begin to hear that drone build up again behind just as the vocals come in. That ominous noise is always there and becomes more noticeable when the riff grinds much lower, straining and bending like a beast pulling at its chains — "Burden" is an appropriate title. It continues like this for a little while before some shift occurs but the pace stays the same: a leaden gait that sears into your mind. It returns the previous riff but sped up only slightly as if that beast has suddenly began to break its restraints, and the moaning drone gets louder right to the finish.

Do check these guys out if you like the heavy stuff like Hell. They pull off droning doom of serious quality. You can get this over at Gilead Media, Halo of Flies, Howling Mine, Robotic Empire and a few others. This is a vinyl rip just so you know.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)

Hexis - XI (2011)

Full Length, Enjoyment Records
December 12th, 2011

Genre: Blackened Hardcore/Black Metal/Hardcore
Region: Denmark

Here's one I should've posted last year. These guys know how to create chaotic and dark vortexes of sound.

What Hexis bring with XI is a dirty blend of black metal and hardcore that comes out sounding like Celeste (if they were more liberal with their editing) mixed with a little bit of Portal's warbled twists in the structure. In the majority of the record they attack you with mounds of down-tuned, distorted, scraping tremolo sections, a thick hazy bass tone, steady drum blasts and a harsh, vile rasp spewed over the bleak twisting madness.

They offer 7 tracks of this disturbing brand of cyclonic atmosphere. As XI opens you immediately get a dose of feedback and then are slammed with a dirty spiraled riff. From there on it's a dissonant journey into a lightless abyss. You only surface once in the course of this dive: a clearing is found during Sepulus where clean notes and chords emerge — this is soon shattered with a return of the tumultuous blackened discord which continues mounting to the very end. Slower moments in Crux bring an almost sludge heaviness into the mix that helps to vary XI well.

It's a powerful record, in part due to the excellent pacing and length of the album (it barely crawls past 20 minutes) so the tracks manage to have staying power and blend almost seamlessly together, while the album itself does not overstay it's welcome. Outside of that it's well composed too. While you could definitely count them in the recent onslaught of dark hardcore like Chromes, Young And In The Way, Black Monolith, Unsacred, etc. Hexis do manage to set themselves apart quite well in a genre which many are starting to become weary with.

Definitely check this record out. These fine gentlemen from Denmark have made this available as a pay-what-you-want download on bandcamp, so please check their page out and give them support if you can by going to their store. Follow them on facebook for all other information

DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)

KEN mode - Venerable (2011)

Full Length, Profound Lore Records / Init Records
March 15th, 2011

Genre: Sludge/Hardcore
Region: Canada

Not that it matters to music fans that congregate on blogs such as this one but KEN mode recently won a Juno award, the equivalent of a Grammy in Canada. Now while I would've definitely picked at least 10 other bands to be nominated along side them if I really gave a shit about award shows — which I don't — (Devin Townsend and Fuck the Facts are fine, Cauldron is eh but Anvil?) and of course it's arguable whether Devin Townsend deserved it more, I have to say that it is surprising and nice to see an actually good, talented metal/hardcore act getting recognized in a mainstream music ceremony — even if it is in a ceremony akin to the watered down afterbirth of the stale abortion that is the Grammys.

Having said all that: KEN mode do fucking rule. I wouldn't be posting them here if they didn't. Quite deserving of some respect from the industry. They have a fairly distinct sound melding Converge-ish hardcore with more traditional southern sludge elements. For whatever reason their newest record, Venerable, escaped my list last year despite having heard it and thoroughly enjoyed it on multiple occasions. Each of their records makes slight adjustments to their style and this is one that in my opinion has basically perfected it, a very cohesive and strong effort indeed. Their early stuff is often compared to Mastodon, I don't like Mastodon much to be honest — to me they don't sound similar at all. Especially on Venerable.

What you get on this record is a tightly packed, dense and aggressive conjuration of angry metallic hardcore with brief glimpses of sludge in the slower moments. At times it's balls-out vicious, filled with twangy dissonance and catchy hooks (eg. Obeying The Iron Will..., Book of Muscle, The Ugliest Happy You've Ever Seen) while in others it can crawl with huge slams and creeping atmospherics (eg. Never Was, The Irate Jumbuck) but it's always intense, noisy, loud and heavy. It has a great amount of variance throughout the 40 minute march as well, letting the styles encountered breath nicely. Vocals are often yelled and punkish, only occasionally hitting a growl or a spoken clean, while the guitar and bass are thick and well defined; playing well together without smothering one another. Drumming duties are carried out with controlled and dedicated fury.

Better late then never right? This is a very pleasing record from a hard working band. Go listen to it right now. I highly suggest supporting them by grabbing a record from their online store or getting a digital copy on bandcamp (where you can hear most of their albums), and checking them out on facebook.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Crooked Necks - Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't (2011)

Full Length, Handmade Birds Records
October 1st, 2011

Genre: Shoegaze/Post-Punk
Region: USA

Someone a month back requested that if I could get my hands on this record to post it up, so here it is.

I've seen Crooked Necks labeled black metal. To be honest I've had no exposure to this act previous to Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't, but if my ears are still working I'd say they're far more on the shoegaze (or even post-rock) side of things than black metal. The vocals (when not clean and drenched in reverb) are definitely ugly and strangled so in that respect the comparison is accurate but in every other respect they're definitely shoegaze or some variation of post-punk. Perhaps when they were known as Frail the black metal influence was far more prevalent. They have released a much lauded split with the enigmatic experimenters Circle of Ouroborus so there's obviously a connection to the genre. I'm just ignorant I suppose.

Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't is this three piece's first full length album in any of their incarnations and it is certainly a bright, glistening and delicate example of heartfelt longing in aural form. All of the songs here are soft, frail and shine brilliantly as they peak and dip, only contrasted with the strained and ghostly creaking voices. Throughout the album the solid bass lines flow and groove beneath the siren-like vocals and riffs — it creates both a tragic and euphoric feeling.

While each song has a similar feel they approach it differently. This Place Is Violent leads with clean vocals that creep up on you while melodic tones ebb softly when everything gets louder and the shrieks emerge; this pattern repeats to great effect. Streets With Teeth has a similar vibe including more strong tremolo sections but they don't last long. Some tracks definitely give off a My Bloody Valentine feel for a moment before settling into something more their own, as can be heard in Hearts and Colors.

Every Step Seems Backwards begins with an almost southern/western feel when it suddenly turns dreamy with echoing murmurs, quiet bright notes, and barely-there drums. The blackened vocals emerge for a time here and there, and in the final third of the track noise swirls in the background as the fragile notes build; it becomes strangely nostalgic and eerie. Songs like this, Taste The Sounds and Lead Clouds conjure up fond memories the long lost summers of youth for me.

A purists nightmare one might say. Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't is another beautiful record that I missed in 2011, as I'm sure many others did as well. It's a shame they're not more well known. There's only 250 copies of this album in print and the 100 purple copies are long gone so get on top of this release — go to Handmade Birds.

DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare) (correct track list 23/03/2012)

Temple Nightside - Prophecies of Malevolence (2011)

EP, Adverse Order Music
June 11th, 2011

Genre: Black Metal
Region: Australia

I was going to post more hardcore but I bet you're tired of it by now, so how about some murky black metal. It seems the aussies just know how to lay down good shit these days.

Prophecies of Malevolence feels like one long hazy ceremonial performance, and is surprising considering it's Temple Nightside's first release. In fact Cvlt Nation streamed this record in one long track and it really feels seamless, each of the nine tracks flow so well that as one it almost sounds like it was mean to be that way.

All the tracks here have an evil, wretched atmosphere about them with constant tremolo picked ferocity, occasionally dissonant and haunting with a few breaks in the form of quick palm mutes, gallops or chilling, echoing chords. The production makes these spellbinding instrumentals incredibly muddy, giving the record a obscure vibe especially when droning, swirling interludes are present. A violent gale of drumming whips underneath the vocals which are vile, ghostly rasps (low and high) only interrupted for brief disturbing chanting and humming monk groans. The EP ends with mesmerizing drone ambiance emitting an ancient and disturbing feeling, very cold and ominous.

A great release. It may come off as a little samey at times but this is another case of the Australians pumping out well written, ghastly metal that needs to be heard. Head over to Adverse Music and pick up a copy.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Weregoat - Unholy Exaltation of Fullmoon Perversity (2011)

EP, Parasitic Records
November 30th, 2011

Genre: Black/Death Metal
Region: USA

Ready for some filthy bestial blackened death metal? Weregoat's EP is exactly what you want from the genre.

Themed around lycanthropy and satanic rituals Unholy Exaltation of Fullmoon Perversity is fantastically ugly, sullen and feral. Right from the opening of cathedral organs and the piercing wail of the lead guitar you know it's going to be a disturbing whirlwind of ancient chaos, unending in it's brutal assault. The riffs are simple but well crafted, slogging into you with uninterrupted malice while occasional penetrating screeches and solos rear their heads amongst the frantic pinging drums and animalistic vocals; a hideous growl laced in reverb.

The attack is straight forward and unrelenting, almost always a frenetic pace with a few slower, cataclysmic grooves to break up the chaotic battery (Invoke the Black Oblivion for example) with most tracks opening or ending in some frightening noises and samples.

It's unfortunate I missed this one last year but in case you guys did as well here it is. Torturous and rotten, a well executed piece of blackened death metal. Pick this rotten release up in vinyl form at Parasitic Records or on cd over at Dark Descent Records.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Sutekh Hexen - Luciform (2011)

Full Length, Wands
August 2nd, 2011

Genre: Black Metal/Noise/Ambient
Region: USA

I only just got around to listening to this and kind of regret waiting as long as I did. They have a new record coming out in the next month called "Larvae" so I figured I better get on this.

Luciform is a harsh and noisy animal. It seems though young, Sutekh Hexen have a masterful ability to mix orthodox styles of raw black metal with absolutely bleak noise and frightening ambiance to conjure up something unique and challenging. Sharp screeching and wailing mixes with the fuzzy, quick riffs and drumming with a few short but haunting ambient breaks to relieve you from the relentless onslaught of terrifying furor.

It may require a few listens to grasp the wicked riffs and subtle melodic touches beneath the dark, jarring static and noise that this album revels in but once you do you uncover a ferocious storm of chaotic black metal. It's short but concentrated, blasts that are unnerving but manage to retain an identifiable structure despite the initially overwhelming waves of chaos.

This record is already in its second pressing over at the Wands shop and you can get it at Nuclear War Now! as well so I suggest grabbing a copy when you can. Highly recommended for fans of strange and harsh sounds.

DOWNLOAD (Medaifire)

Bad Life - The Day You Die (2011)

Full Length, Music Ruins Lives
October 11th, 2011

Genre: Experimental/Post-Punk/Shoegaze
Region: USA

More weird and gloomy DIY hipster experimental shit that I was made aware of recently. From Music Ruins Lives:

"Every day blurs the same. The lines under your eyes are a map of your mistakes. The day you die, nothing changes. Bad Life is a procession of every half-heard sound that ever seeped through heat-cracked walls distorted. The Day You Die is eleven death rattles as rallying cries, grinding against the walls of this world."

Less bizarre and experimental than Wreck And Reference but still falling within that sound for the most part, Bad Life bring elements of doom, post-punk, shoegaze and pop together to create some strange but accessible experimental tunes. The vocals at times remind me of The Cure or The Killers with a clean, shaky, gloomy droning tone and this is put alongside the mix of sparkling synths, midi elements, sometimes shoegaze/sometimes doomy riffs bringing the depressive feeling even further into focus.

It's a distinctive sound and can be a little jarring at first but as is the case with this genre-splitting style as you continue listening it becomes less grating and more hypnotizing, with most songs not sounding to similar to each other. It's dark, warped and quirky but at the same time deceptively easy to grasp. A weird mix that works surprisingly well without becoming tired.

Definitely a sleeper of 2011. Highly recommended for fans of Wreck And Reference, Have A Nice Life, Swans, Hateful Abandon, etc. The final track of the album is not available online so you should pick up the cd from Music Ruins Lives. You can however hear the rest of the album on the label's bandcamp, and the rest of their material on Bad Life's bandcamp. Follow them over here.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Amenra / Oathbreaker - Bretheren Bound By Blood Split (2011)

Split, Self-released / Church of Ra
May 15th, 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge / Hardcore/Metalcore
Region: Belgium

A big thanks to the guys over at The Elementary Revolt for putting this up. I didn't get a chance to rip this and before I got it I was scouring the internet for a link even before that. Two excellent bands with one offering each.

This is the third split in the Bretheren Bound By Blood series and what a perfect pairing. Amenra's side is the first half of the first track from the spellbinding 23.10 Live DVD they released not long ago, and the rendition of Shapeless Pain here is possibly more destructive and heavy than the album version.

Amenra are unparalleled in their creation of soul crushing darkness and pain. It may only be the first 5 minutes of the song but it's simply incredible and if you don't believe me just fucking watch the full version:

Buy that DVD guys. It's impressive without a doubt.

The second side is a track from Oathbreaker who last year unleashed their first full length Maelstrom. This was not on their demo or full length but is well worth hearing as it's a wicked storm of pissed hardcore with that Converge-ish tone with a few slower moments. Great riffs and Caro's vocals are absolutely terrific, she kills it both when clean and screaming.

Get this now. It's a perfect split.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

Black Monolith - Demo EP (2011)

Demo, Self-released / Independent
May 7th, 2011

Genre: Crust/Blackened Hardcore/Hardcore
Region: USA

A short demo from Black Monolith, but a fierce and beastly one at that.

Powerful and dark. Bristling with copious amounts of thrashy blackened hardcore throughout the 3 tracks, twangy riffs and frantic drumming, and a dude with a wicked rasp spitting over them. The last track begins a lot more slowly and with a darker tone, an angry chick laughing mockingly before the more substantial dissonant and crushing leads kick in. This gives way to more of what you heard in the first two tracks: addictive crusty powerchords, fast paced drums and hoarse yells.

This is a solid effort that leaves you wanting more, and I do hope they're working on full length. Highly recommended especially for those who love Young and In The Way. Up for free on bandcamp and follow their blog over here.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)

Alda - : Tahoma : (2011)

Full Length, Eternal Warfare
January 9th, 2011

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Region: USA

This is one that I sadly missed last year. I had heard Alda's previous 2009 self-titled album and while it was a decent effort I felt that there was certainly some room for improvement. With Tahoma I can say that they have clearly grown and stepped up their game tremendously.

Falling into the "cascadian" atmospheric black metal scene with a slightly folky twist one might compare to the Canadian Skagos, however Alda manage to set themselves apart by crafting Tahoma: a soulful and majestic record from beginning to end. Offering 5 tracks which have moments of tranquil acoustic guitar, soft and clean singing (as well as other stringed instruments and an accordion at one point I believe)  between the howling vocals, tribal drumming, and frigid yet beautiful tremolo waves that wash over you all throughout this journey.

Overall Tahoma is paced and arranged superbly, the calm or clean moments strike you just as hard as the harsher elements do creating a wonderful balance. It opens with a beautiful acoustic passage and closes with a dark and chilling ambiance, and spread throughout is the occasional sample of the ocean or of native chants and crackling fire which do much to thicken the already very dense cascadian atmosphere.

A killer record that will place you directly into the vast wilderness. Many have probably overlooked this one but it is an excellent release worthy of attention and highly recommended. Tahoma will be especially interesting for those of you who are into Ash Borer, Skagos, early Panopitcon, and Wolves in the Throne Room.

You can listen to and download this record on bandcamp, or pick up the cassette over at Eternal Warfare once they have restocked it, or you may still be able to get one over at Singularity Publishing. It's being pressed on vinyl soon as well by Replenish Records.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)

Numb - Numb (2011)

EP, Unsigned
March 1st, 2011

Genre: Hardcore/Grindcore
Region: USA

Pretty savage release with a dark and sludgey edge. It's a self-titled EP with 14 slamming tracks composed of some serious grooves and conservative use of evil, heavy and ugly breakdowns laced with some cold dissonance when they're not hitting blast territory. I think these guys use crushing breakdowns and slams perfectly — placing them in a calculated manner amongst the blistering riffs, making them shift smoothly into dissonance and creating a huge and devastating sound for the brief moments they rear their head. A great example would be in Bloody Fingers about 1:17 minutes in, afterwards picking up the pace briefly before it trudges to the finish line. Man is that some heavy stuff.

A very nice tone on the guitar, and satisfyingly low especially with the occasional bouts of clean intermissions in songs, which can bring it all down to a creepy almost doom or sludge level (as Psalm shows), or be more bouncy (like in Fading Lights) before ratcheting up the intensity again. Vicious vocals that hit both terrifying low growls and angry rasps over-top of the explosive percussion and sometimes crawling/sometimes ripping leads makes for a slamming good time.

Quite a powerful and draining record from this little-known three piece. You can download the whole thing for free on bandcamp.

DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)

TotorRo - All Glory to John Baltor (2011)

Artist: Totoro
Album: All Glory to John Baltor

Genre: Post-Rock / Post-Metal

This is some of the best-sounding post-rock I have heard in ages. Unbelievable drum, bass, and guitar tone. The production is incredibly wet and downright pleasing to the ears. The riffs are excellent - this is like combining the best of Year of No Light, Russian Circles, and Light Bearer. Absolutely gorgeous.

Listen to it on bandcamp, support them at Tokyo Jupiter Records.

Download (Mediafire)

ZOM - Demo (2011)

Demo, Invictus Productions
December 29th, 2011

Genre: Black/Death Metal
Region: Ireland

Coming from the depths of Ireland is a new death metal act by the name of ZOM, and what a great demo they've unleashed. It treads the oldschool ground that Beherit, Archgoat, Morbid Angel, early Death, and Possessed once tread but with a few twists to keep it fresh and gripping.

ZOM's demo contains echoing rasps over thrashy blackened riffs moving at a frantic pace which flip to powerfully groovy, dark hooks that break up the former expertly. Each track ends with a spiraling, foreboding sample that heightens the grim atmosphere and prepares you for another volley of delicious orthodox death metal

Fans of the oldschool and stuff like Katharsis, Ritual Necromancy, Grave Ritual, etc. will be interested in this. The tape released by Invictus Productions is completely sold out but can be heard over here.

DOWNLOAD (Zippyshare)