Night Heir - A Maze Of Evenings (2013)

Full Length, Self-released /Independent
July 28th, 2013

Genre: Experimental/Avant-garde Black Metal
Region: USA

NOTE: These hard working fellows are looking for a label of some kind that would be interested in releasing this record in physical form, so I'm putting the word out. If you think you could help them out I suggest you contact them (chambermusick@gmail.com) because this is a record I'd very much like to see on wax or tape or something. A release very much deserving of a physical home.
 
I’m excited! The new Night Heir album has finally appeared. It’s funny because I was wondering a few months ago if this year we’d see something new from Night Heir. Their last album Wind In My Dream Mist In My House is a sleeper gem of 2010, it’s impression grew on me significantly since I first heard it — so I’ve been wondering what exactly this now growing collective would come up for a follow-up.

Well, it’s quite brilliant. Overall it’s stronger and more generous than the aforementioned record. This new effort quickly ensnares you with it’s charm, unique atmosphere and bold approach which has been refined and expanded since last we encountered Night Heir.


A Maze Of Evenings brings more members (or contributors) into the circle, and with them more sounds and textures along with extended life; it hits about an hour and twelve minutes. While it was largely a one and two person project last time this record brings a swath of different vocal contributions and styles which enhance their tradition of wide scope in that arena, smoothly buttressing the swooning progressions both in the traditional guitar/bass/drums threesome, but also in the synth/keys and noise. These last two elements come to play an even bigger role than last time overall.

All of this thickens the already eerie atmosphere, new and larger amounts of varied, layered vocals add new dimensions to this records sound. The production was handled by the band rather than Colin Marston resulting in a more coarse, lo-fi quality compared to a surprisingly finer one on the previous record. This leaves the distorted and loud moments sounding grittier and the quiet valleys are a little more crisp.

It has made the drumming (snare for sure) a little more distant and thin but this hasn’t dampened the impact of those gripping bass grooves which played a prominent part on their Wind In My Dream... and now do so here. Especially on a lot of the clean sections, but also for instance on the the opening ritual “Inamorata”, and later on “Inner Female”, "Daymare" and “Draw Me Down The Moon” where those licks stick out and play prominently.

The journey feels more contemplative in its pace and volume this time around — even when it is being loud. Night Heir has not lost anything by doing this as their strengths buoyed further in the longer treks on the album allowing them to explore both parts equally and more fruitfully it seems; where the builds can be big and slow with just as much pay-off.

I’m talking about tracks like “Giver & Receiver” and “Inner Female”. The former is a perfect example of tricking the listener into thinking the metal has taken a back seat, crafting an alluring chorus haunting sounds; somehow incorporating twinkling pianos and not sounding annoyingly out-of-place. Quite a beautiful track. The latter is the climax of the record, possibly my favorite and very enchanting. Quiet and ghostly and ramps up to overwhelming but never coming unhinged.

Rainfall and silence. Remember that bass? Damn do the riffs on “Inner Female” kill. By the time the female vocals split through the distortion those grooves have begun their spell in full force; a few choice harmonics punctuating the heavy rhythm satisfyingly. It definitely has a very ethereal atmosphere by the end, aided greatly by those synths.

Having said that, a lean towards the rapt has not loosened the grip of metal on this project. As is made clear in tracks like “Daymare”, the change in production can allow that more fundamental ‘black’ metal quality to return with full force, scratching and galloping into some stunning territory. It's a bright track and one of my favorites and rivals “No Sympathy For Demanding Idols” off the previous record. Excellent vocals, it’s a monster by the end that whirls and roars coldly with a melancholic tone thriving in the lo-fi environment.

Yes the opener “Inamorata” shows a different side of this, the anguished cries over a looping rhythm unceasing with a final spectral push into the wicked "Daymare". So too do “Draw Me Down The Moon”, “Solar Piexus” and “The Curator” (both nearly nine minutes) which all bring the aggressive chime-like tremolo progressions, chunky rhythms, and stormy percussion as they have evolved between records.

The assault of “The Curator” accompanied by creepy, slithery singing,  is only interrupted midway through for ambient/noise manipulation, and that leads into some really chunky riffing and modulated female screams to close. Some of the lead’s vocals after the gap stray into quirky Daughters territory and amongst the crushing, dragging cacophony it works to their advantage.

So by the time we’re stretching into the second half of A Maze Of Evenings after multiple listens things are becoming clearer. Night Heir have given themselves both the span of time between records and the overall length on this record to allow for growth and breathing room. The clean and quiet elements taking as strong a role as the louder metal infused ones, but far more concentrated and focused than in their previous effort.

The result is some contrasting and very stunning sounds on both ends of their unique spectrum. The two “Inviolate” intros, “Theme From Slowland”, “Inner Female”, and “The Wheel” all creep on you but are no less captivating and creative than the more blunt attack. Tracks like “The Wheel”, a gentle throb bursting with radiance that starts quiet and almost loses control, but never dropping the meditation while gaining in aggression. A wobbly and entrancing trip.

Even “Solar Piexus” which contains mounting craggy riffs for a time (almost in oldschool Melechesh fashion) dives deep into a dark and contemplative chasm for a time. The gulf of quiet after the shredding just over three minutes in is breath-taking, the gentle atmosphere is thick and cool with organ keys and the splashes of percussion lighting up the dark. When the return to distortion is made over mourning hymns it’s heavy as the ocean from which their bursting forth.

I think near the end of this record is where it gets more intriguing, the contrasts continuing.

First we have “The Snakewife” which I think is one of the more interesting or surprising songs here just in terms of the switch off in styles and tones from the beginning to middle, and then the slow change thereafter. At seven minutes it’s almost noise-scape-y at first with a slight creeping horror veneer: off kilter, severely slowed-down, almost twilight-circus styled tones melt through feedback which in turn builds into howling and screaming synth — really nice — and finally gives way to bleak, hypnotic riffs as the build behind gets louder.

Suddenly the style changes again into something that feels more oldschool death-thrash, and the vocals fall in line as well. It’s bizarre but enjoyable especially as the track progresses, the drumming becomes more complex and the vocals are spiked with clean howls.

Then you follow this up with “Theme From Slowland”, which is somewhat self-explanatory I suppose, and you have a decent span of music in just these two tracks that tries and succeeds at exploring new ways of combining influences. This track is simple, clean and smooth in the vein of True Widow but less groove oriented, employing some beautiful vocals from both genders as it slinks along. I’d even say it begins to develop a slight Neurosis flavor (Enemy of the Sun era perhaps) just after halfway but it recedes by the end.

A huge and memorable song for sure. Subtle effects behind the build at points really make the track powerful. There’s not confusion or haphazardness in their placement or structure either, it works quite well. Right into the more shrieking blackened gloom of “Draw Me Down The Moon” (Beherit pun?) which when combined with “Inner Female” make for a fuckin wicked climax on this record’s end.

Final verdict? Fucking home run all the way for this humble outfit and A Maze Of Evenings. Black metal? Maybe, how about yes just to bug people. Regardless of its label it’s a wonderful record that will probably be passed over and be relegated to lost gem status years from now much like their first. It will no doubt be on my year end list.

All things considered there’s not a lot wrong with A Maze Of Evenings (length is debatable, after a few listens it doesn't seem long at all) and a whole bunch right with it. The time and effort over the last few years have clearly paid off with a rewarding record that retains originality. Night Heir continue to be awesome and interesting, and hard to place.

Please go support this project by paying what you can for this record if you’re able to, of course over on bandcamp. It is up for free for now, no physical release yet but I assume (like the previous album) a cassette may be in the future so keep an eye on that. I’ll update this post once that shit’s a reality.



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Ævangelist - De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis (2012)

Full Length, Debemur Morti Productions
October 16th, 2012

Genre: Black/Death Metal/Industrial
Region: USA

From the minds responsible for Benighted In Sodom, the duo known as Ævangelist have created De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis a unique and sinister hallucinogenic death-cloud. I thought it would be in your interest in knowing, listening to the machinations recorded here.

Actually I’m pretty late on it myself and these guys have been busy, releasing Nightmare Flesh Offering a new 7” in the last few months, To the Dream Plateau of Hideous Revelation a new split with Esoterica soon (their side is already available), and their new LP Omen Ex Simulacra in the works already — evidence below:



Yes Cthulhu, yes H. P. Lovecraft, and you can bet that title and the lyrical themes revolve around the man’s work and influences to some degree. This is all a plus for those interested but it is used quite a bit, and doesn’t do a whole lot for me usually — however Ævangelist’s wear it very well and in an original way. There's more at work than just this thematic influence so let’s get to this record’s other aspects which are also fantastic.

The cover art depicts a tentacle-web of ancient horror, deformity, death, etc. and that’s pretty much what this duo have constructed here, specifically through emphasis on atmospherics: digital, symphonic, this all feeds into the foreboding quasi-angelic haze suffocating every square inch of this tomb. The production adds to the static, crunchy tone that permeates the record.

None of this is surprising to those enjoy the previous projects both members have been involved in, though this new formation is evidence that they have more intriguing insights into the void of death from these two.

Buried under the sheer weight of the terror and horror is a repugnant plume of death metal with certain black metal influences (cue the eye-rolling) that strangles the listener slowly. When those influences are strongest it more often sounds like Darkspace through Wormed (terrible analogy), and overall I would say this record leans a little more to the side of death metal than anything else even with the huge emphasis on atmosphere.

In fact their unique breed of pestilence is strewn liberally throughout this record but again never without being accompanied by negative illumination and sour flows of the dark symphonies you hear on the first track; which is the only one which indulges in stretching that atmosphere as long as it does.

Out of the box an eerie sample greets us on “Anno mortii : Gnostic Transcendental Heresy”, something I’d describe as an industrial terror-dimension themed soundscape that drifts from the rough and cybernetic, then to cathedral and ghoulishly angelic patches of undulating sound-craft. This is different than one may expect, far more tech/machine driven rather than fleshy or organic as the cover suggests. Supernatural for sure.

This purgatory extends becoming all the more cavernous and the atmosphere is certainly foreboding and rich, and it is interrupted by a death and black metal siege: malformed tremolo frenzies eventually give way to a swaying rhythm that dominates the track. A wall of distorted fear tearing through the atmosphere, a stream of psychotic and indecipherable roars, strangled and muffled growls no doubt relaying some kind of primordial curse.

Vocals are sick and varied if not very out of the ordinary and get a little muddled in the conjuring noises but that may just be the hypnosis working. They do contribute to the frightening haze though. This is a track, the longest, where all the ingredients Ævangelist deal in are at their most reactive and expansive. They opt for different combinations later as you’ll notice.

While the similarities with recent aberrations of the genre are easy to spot the structure overall are less complex in technical structure than say Mitochondrion in the guitar/drum arena, and not as amorphous as Portal’s. Ævangelist craft these and other influences into new forms unlike their peers, they have their own approach and it's effective. While there’s still there’s a strong tradition of crawling, often thicker-than-expected riffs the key is in repetition, swirling, and this builds alongside those aforementioned elements (usually slow to mid paced

This is definitely not to say this doesn’t get pretty complex and full at times, the opening track for example, but this more so to do with a convergence of well crafted industrial “noise” or symphonic atmosphere with these other aspects than more twisted riffs and fast drumming.

Look to “The Longevity of Second Death” for example of reliance on repetitive blows while simultaneously poisoning through atmosphere: we’re treated to a huge and spellbinding set of slow, swaying rhythms which saturated the majority of the track, over those fearsome snarls and floating symphonic ether that erode sanity from all angles.

Even at it’s most simple they resonate strongly, and the nightmare ethereality never parts from the earth-chewing death metal. Take the three shortest, most straightforward tracks “Pendulum”, “Funeral Monolith”, and "Blood & Darkness” where those influences are strongest.



“Pendulum” shows a better balance compared to the opener and an example of how well it works. As chunky and dissonant rhythms plow through the six minutes the droning cavalry wails like nuclear war sirens. These wails contaminate and adhere to everything despite the continuous and belligerent hammering from the other instruments, on a more traditional and deliberate path. There’s some pleasing moments here.

“Funeral Monolith” is similar in this respect, and more easily grasped. The passages are more well lit and decipherable, chunkier and death metal oriented — but it does not relent in its darkness, horror-drone atmospherics clouding the deluge of death beneath.

The occasional rise to the fore of eerie feedback between the both meaty rhythms and twangy sustained discord is perfect, like an orbiting entity affecting everything it comes close to. It morphs and modulated beneath as well as if it were being held under a liquid often alongside the vocals.

This track and the chaotic forerunner to it “Death Illumination”, which really flattens shit in it’s wake, are stand outs for me, though it’s a record where there’s very few weak points and all tracks stand like pillars.



So, what could sometimes seem like a concept that could easily get messy and confused, or even boring if not approached with skill or passion Matron Thorn and Ascaris show to be a worth while exploration in horror and metal. They’ve been thorough. De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis is organized thoughtfully and Ævangelist’s creative output on this record is impressive. Like some kind of inverted, crippled Lykathea Aflame.

There’s one instrumental, “Hierophant Disposal Facility”, and it is staggering with again a much more industrial-ethereal-horror, percussion and bass emphasis at first which entrances no less easily, and eventually bringing the guitars in for the later grooves — slowly twisting and bending over nine minutes in order to deconstructing you spiritually.

Even after being dimensionally raped over the course of this journey, the finale will still surprise you, especially on it’s immediate front with clean flanged-out progressions and bouts of instrumental reflection. “Crematorium Angelicum”fells like it was produced differently, thinner. Regardless it transforms quite a bit over these final nine minutes, going from some kind of bizarre Pantera - Planet Caravans cover to a very Darkspace-esque tone by the time we approach the middle, back again with heavier delay effects, and into a descent.

Chalk another up to the growing “awesome records that I missed last year” list. I wish I had been more attentive because De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis displays how ugly and ferocious new breeds of this genre are becoming. It’s a creaking monster of the trans-dimensional depths. If you’ve fucked up like me and didn’t get to it last year then seriously buckle down and dedicate an hour to this. Fans of Antediluvian, Portal, Mitochondrion, Darkspace — anything like that, you should give this a glance.

Pick up a copy of it if you can. Head over to Debemur Morti Productions' webshop to do just that and follow them elsewhere to keep up with their progress. I’m certainly eagerly awaiting their next record and really want to hear the split and EP once I get the chance.

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Antediluvian - Septentrional Theophany (2013)

EP, Nuclear War Now! Productions
May 14th, 2013

Genre: Black/Death Metal
Region: Canada

A booster EP recorded during the λόγος sessions, Septentrional Theophany is another rapturous astral upheaval from this now infamous Canadian group. It's been well established I'm a big fan of these guys and their related hordes so any new material will have me interested. I think the only one I haven't got to yet was their Cogitating Vacuous split with Temple Nightside. For shame I know.

Yes this is a 7" that was packaged with the 80 page, heavy duty Haruspex Zine #1 (written by Jason Campbell, art and layout of Tim Grieco, in association with the label) which appeared recently along with the vinyl press of their last LP. The magazine itself is pretty fuckin beautiful in packaging and art, not to mention the content/depth of interviews and artist discussions (Denis Forkas, Tim Grieco, Marko Marov, and Manuel Tinnemans). It includes a lot of words with the Nuclear War Now! Productions cult such as: 

Ares Kingdom
Sabbat
Conqueror
Martire
Rotting Christ (Interviews with Sakis Tolis, Jim Mutilator, and Magus Vampyr Daoloth)
Pseudogod
Anatomia
Bone Awl (Interview featuring HWCT and HWGT)
Bestial Raids
Faustcoven

 

The interviews with Conqueror and Bone Awl are particularly interesting however there's generally some nice insights drawn out from diehard members and contributors of the community, with wicked presentation. If you're into digging deep with the bands above then definitely jump on this one. The record is streaming on bandcamp.

(Bone Awl interview)

Two new tracks with lyrics also by Jason Campbell. Something noticeable is that the clarity of this EP is higher even compared to λόγος (at least the tape version, the vinyl/cd press is clearer). It's nowhere near as muddy as TTCOH or the material prior to that which I can see being a problem for a lot of people. Maybe taking a little away from the drumming and grit but Antediluvian are inherently ugly, scratched, and weathered. This EP does retain those characteristics, and the destruction sealed within each moment of the two tracks here is still of great creative quality, and primal with the strong current of mystic cosmology.

So the chaos is still rearing it's malignant head throughout what you'll hear here. Darkly empyrean and profanely exploring ancient (Greek/Christian) theism/deism much like λόγος did but focused on a specific location or region. "North" is referred to several times, Phosphoros (morning star) and awaiting the its appearance, being guided by the destoyer's vision (Abandon),  and the title references a boreal theistic awakening or worship if I'm not mistaken,

Also I don't know if there's much intended significance but stringing together the sequence of writing and tracks gets you "Being in the opus of sacrifice at the mount of the congregation... in the sides of the North". There's obviously more meaning there coupled with the lyrical content regarding astral rebirth and journey, ritual significance of the aurora borealis and morning star (perhaps), etc.

Getting to the tracks themselves more closely. "Mount of the Congregation..." begins in a strikingly ordinary (relative yes) or orthodox manner after a brief sample, maybe returning to their Serpents Malignancy days but chunkier. The drumming remains steady and integral, complex however. Slow rocking powerchords and then just the tom pounding, then the full force of their depravity is unleashed.

Later this opening riff snakes it's way in much faster, transforming several times and in the midst of one of these horrid screams can be heard, on a higher register than the abyssal gurgled hymns that poison the surroundings. The rapidity of their direction changes and pacing reminds me of their Revelations in Excrement EP: progressively more chaotic and complex, before cutting off at the height of intensity.

(Ares Kingdom)

Then there's "...In the Sides of the North", a jarring spiral of archaic violence right from the beginning, the sour tremolo riffs slowly wrapping around you, the hasty sledgehammering from the percussive end slowing inky for measured tom hits between riffs. It's from the one minute mark where things start to get disorienting as the pace is picked up, particularly awesome riffs one after another. This is a song where they pull some more experimentation beyond their usual barbarous lashing, tactfully approaching something a more bleak or horror driven once the chaos subsides slightly.

Amid the howling bent and sustained notes and the tortured screams a thick atmosphere wells up at this point, the drumming becomes more tribal, steady, supporting the descent of the scraping rhythm behind it. It's a cosmic drowning that lingers only for so long, the return to bestial warfare is explosive for the final minute, shriveling like a closing portal.

Get this if you so desire, and I would guess many people desire more Antediluvian material. I wouldn't say it's essential but all of Antediluvian's releases are a treat for any fan of the ancient and filthy ceremonies they indulge in. You know I'll recommend it.

Available at Nuclear War Now! Productions with the first issue of their Haruspex Zine.


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Haapoja - Haapoja (2013)

Full Length, Self-released / Indepenedent
March 27th, 2013

Genre: Black Metal/Hardcore
Region: Finland

Well this is an interesting transformation. Haapoja had a demo back in 20111 titled Hallitsematonta voimaa that I heard on The Living Doorway back when that dude JGD posted semi-frequently, the sounds emanating from it were stealthily riding the wave of blackened hardcore that was in full force. Except they weren't really "blackened hardcore" ala YAITW et al even on a first pass, instead like Dephosphorus the fluidity of the influences was such that it escaped complete pigeon holing. I liked it a lot and I like this even more.

So for those who don't remember Haapoja are a fairly young four piece from Finland that are play some kind of hardcore. This self-titled doesn't sound quite like the demo — the change is fairly noticable and entirely awesome. The direction is the same one they took in the EP largely, it's just the force behind it that's been supercharged.

Haapoja is just under a half hour so it seems they've sheared their best material in the interim between 2011 and 2013, coming out with nine diverse and equally engrossing, twisty songs. The grooves you heard in between the Rorschach chaos and blackened angularity is overclocked, in this record, speed and intensity is cranked the majority of the record as well. At points in tracks like "Kerosiini" it's the closest any band has come recently to touching what Dephosphorus exposed in their debut Axiom and this is very exciting.

At other points as in "Suurempi, Hallitsematon" or "Takauma" that same approach slows and the feeling the demo had returns but more enticing. The latter is a drifting labyrinthine series of rhythms that are oddly calming even when dissonant, and even with the sonic shredding of the vocalist cutting through the riffs. The drums are a bright pylon and here they toss and hurl between softer and more martial moments. It's a memorable track and one of the stand outs

The rest of their time they find something different to draw out through their style that sounds like Melechesh covered by a French black metal act playing '90's hardcore. Especially the first half of the record: it's not as obvious initially on the opener "Suuren Varjon Alla" until about the halfway marker where theirs a distinct Night Sky Transform vibe but once you hit "Ihmisyyden raja" their new tact reveals itself and it's pretty damn hyonotic. That track takes another turn later in the last quarter I wasn't expecting before circling back to the start.

The groovy and agitated riffs, enraged scratchy screams, crystal clear and fast percussion — all of it is very cohesive and easy to get hooked by. "Elämän Vaihtokauppa", which is definitely a standout for me, is another great example of this comfortable amalgamation of sounds that crushes and soothes all at once. The back end of this track has such a wicked riff, but from the beginning it's not that remarkable. Mid-paced, a little more traditionally thrashy with some proggy twang in there. A few moments where bouncy riffs and violent screams come through show where the song is heading, and once it hits about 2:15 in a truly gripping section ruptures forth and spreads to the end of the track.

They generally manage to stay away from driving something into the ground as well which can be a problem with groovy shit I suppose. For instance that last portion of that previously mentioned track doesn't stick around long despite it being hypnotic. And even in the less frantic, more slowly churning tracks like "Kolmetoista Askelta" or "Takauma" where there's less going on they don't damage them by lingering on one moment; even when particularly enjoyable.

In quicker tracks like "360 Astetta" (or again "Kerosiini", fuckin great shit) they blast through ascending discord over punk and pummeling blackened beats, then will rest momentarily to create excellent harmonious grooves with lots of string skipping. "Ikuistettu" is another example of this and closes the record nicely once showing their controlled harmonic chaos interact with the sounds of Dephosphorus, Converge and death metal.

Haapoja's potential has been given a proper exploration and outlet on this release, confidently approaching the level of excellence that Dephosphorus hold to both quickly and unexpectedly (minus the grind). Recommended. I think if you like Deathspell Omega, Rorschach, Ulcerate, Svart Crown, etc. you should at least give it a spin.

It's up for pay-what-you-want on bandcamp so there's no price other than your time. And lets be honest, if you're reading this you've probably already wasted more time doing something far less entertaining than listening to Haapoja.


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Svartidauði - Flesh Cathedral (2012)

Full Length, Daemon Worship Productions

December 3rd, 2012

Genre: Black Metal
Region: Iceland

With the imminent release of one highly anticipated Icelandic black metal record (Wormlust's 'The Feral Wisdom") now would be a good time to shine the light on another hidden scourge emanating from that isolated and beautiful land. Svartidauði slowly and quietly honed their sound over ten years of selective demos and EPs, all their work thus far culminating with their first full record Flesh Cathedral and it is undoubtedly impressive and harrowing.

I admittedly only just caught on to the enigmatic one-piece Wormlust (for shame, yes) and this is the same for Svartidauði. Both of these bands are dabbling in the more dissonant, eerie sides of black metal via Deathspell Omega, or much like Thantifaxath likes to deal in but theirs is a little more distinct and jarring. Svartidauði have found another avenue to explore and they do it well.

Flesh Cathedral commences with "Sterile Seeds", a song that makes it clear from the outset that Svartidaudi have something unique brewing, crafting a swirling riff that begins as a muffled, crunchy pulse, chimes and chasmic barks incanting around it. Once the transformation through cycling noise is made you get a clearer picture of the beast surrounding and it's humbling to be sure.

These guys have taken great care in their writing, each song progressively gets more complex and spidering outward, mixing atmosphere with unnerving cacophony. Another big transition occurs around six minutes in, a pillar like jagged riff surfaces and will surface again. Infact the selftitled track here also has a similar evil riff that infects the rest of that track. Svartidauði cast a spell of monolithic proportions from the start and I easily fell under their spell.

Very much like Necrite in tone I would argue but with a different focus, which is being sick and warped and dragging in acrid fog, the structures are corroded and fluid: the riffs sound tense and severely malformed, between the blasts of cold tremolo attacks, the vocals coarse and shrouded. The approach is much different. Also the record feels clean in that the instruments don't get muddled but retains that wonderful murk so it's still organic sounding, not sterile. In the wide open tracks they present there's a lot of room for the drummer to be creative and you see great examples of that in the particularly long final track.

Occasionally like in the opener they strategically place sampling or noisey moments, in this case almost sounding like a looped passing train, or the final fifteen seconds of "The Perpetual Nothing" where there's spine tingling metal scraping, like rusted gates swinging and steam valves being released.

By the time you're introduced to Svartidauði in this current incarnation on the first track they've shown that their dedication over all that time has amounted to something worthy of being put along side their peers. Certainly something of a milestone for them I would imagine.

"The Perpetual Nothing" leads with it's dissonant side but devolves momentarily into frantic classic blackened turmoil, blasting and occasional slower fills; showing their cabilties to thrash with the best between their experimentation. This cycle repeats to the point of a percussive cascade, directly into a mesmerizing modulating string skipping passage, bass pounding it's own path, peppered with wails and switch ups on the drum front. I enjoy these moments a shit ton and not only does Svartidaudi's technique employ a decent amount, they manage to further alter it in it's course several times in this song alone to make the groove unending and refreshing.



One of the best moments on the record and it ruptures into a very Deathspell Omega-esque chaotic brawl, in fact several very interesting tumultuous sections close out this song. The tight, technical yet atmospheric approach is hard not to love.

It's impressive at this point already but the Icelandic witchdoctors have another nearly thirty minutes of conjuring to perform, and the selftitled track continues their established path. "Flesh Cathedral" actually feels a little more bassist friendly as the growl is far more present here than previously, particularly at one moment a quarter in where it's rumbling strongly alongside the guitars discord and then in the final fade where its isolated before a tribal build.

At the halfway mark there is this mind rending build, it's completely intoxicating as it fades between background noise, upfront sharp gouging, and slow sustains where the bass is left to ponder over feedback. But the melody is still there, twisted and lingering for a time before going back to that ugly scraping over plunging bass lines one last time.

Out of a tribal drum build from the previous song, a squall erupts in the form of "Psychoactive Sacraments", the eighteen minute leviathan closer. It's longer as it indulges in more slower writhes at various points which remain creative and chilling, but the start is far more in step with DSO again. One of those slower sections comes pretty early though and you get a sense as to how oppressive they will continue to get, in one instance the bassist pulls some Forest-like fret work.

The decay, the suddenness with which it stops and morphs to a blackened blitz — this pattern sucks you under ocassionally breaking back upwards for one of those twangy, strained slow downs. Once or twice like in the first track the silence returns and the riff is muffled for instance in the middle here, though its far more brief, buttressed by aching screams that sometimes waver close to clean territory. A pretty big groove evolves from one of those dirges and leads to a solo on what sounds like a flute to me (probably melded some with a lead guitar, or an effect), soaring above the dissonant rhythm and contrasting well.

Oh and those last few minutes after the collapsing chords where the riff sounds isolated, stuck repeating and pitch shifting as it's wound and unwound, it almost sounds like a twisted reinterpretation of the last few seconds of Pantera's "Floods". Nice and eerie way to end the record.

If you didn't already know I really recommend fans of crawling black metal get on this one. Enormous, complex, maybe a little psychedelic, pretty damn vile and captivating. I myself am ashamed I had not heard of these guys before last year but I'll certainly be watching them eagerly now. In the top twenty of 2012 no doubt and in my top ten, I gotta recommend this for those in love with the twisted and heavy like Deathspell Omega, Necrite, and Nightbringer. Flesh Cathedral is a wicked black metal gem that should not go unnoticed.

So far this is pressed on cds from Daemon Worship Productions but every copy has been sold out for a while which sucks cause I would love to get a copy. Follow these guys on facebook for more info on future pressings and their plans.

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Svart Crown - Profane (2013)

Full Length, Listenable Records
Aprill 22nd, 2013

Genre: Black/Death Metal
Region: France

Since you're all probably pretty tired of the grind and -core I'm putting up, I'm gonna pump in some more black and death metal for a few posts. A warning though you can count on plenty more of that regardless so have fun. Speaking of: if you're waiting on the new Immolation, Ulcerate, or Inquisition then I think you're gonna want to give this a few spins as well. Might be a bit of a sleeper gem for 2013 or just something really solid. And yes I will be getting to those Abyssal albums sometime soon.

I posted Witnessing The Fall last year not long after I saw Svart Crown support Ulcerate on their first North American tour and was very impressed by both their tight performance and quick, dissonant sonic seige. This french horde has obviously been taking their writing even more seriously in the past three years, fleshing out their influences and strengthening their skills to invoke a distorted vision of dissonant blackened death metal entitled Profane that would make Immolation proud. It's a surprise and crept out of nowhere a few days back and may end up on my year end list.

Profane is a far more absorbing venture through vigorous, bendy American sounding dissonant black/death metal compared to their more tame (or less colorful maybe, while enjoyable) 2010 record. I say American because instead of feeling more creepy-chaotic like French/European acts Deathspell Omega, Hectic Patterns, Dodecahedron, etc. Svart Crown use Profane to channel the fiery, blasphemeous, and weighty sound of Immolation with a wild, open-stringed blackened discord and pacing of Inquisition. That's not to say the US doesn't have it's share of torrential death chaos (Ævangelist for instance, holy hell) but the other brand is far more recognizable obviously.

When I saw them I definitely experienced a few of the tracks on this record. After hearing Profane not only is it recognizable from that show there's a much more obvious connection to their pairing with Ulcerate outside of just general friendship. Their previous work contained elements of this yes but here it's far more developed and infused with the old Morbid Angel era influence — and it's not without their own semi-modern sour taint gracing the worship which makes it more their own.

Once again it's a pretty clean record, all the instruments breath comfortably while playing an integral and energetic part in the jagged sorcery on Profane. Loud too. Vile death roars spout cosmic heresies, standard fair but not lacking passion. Guitars are rich, dishing out merciless amounts of scratchy, blazing tremolos and gallops, spectral open dissonance, and bright bends. One channel working the artificial harmonics, chunky rhythms while the other ruptures with ghostly dissonance coupled with a never ending cannon barrage from the new drummer alongside it all, lending a heap of energy to the record. Overall the four of them definitely were working harder towards something on Profane. And from start to finish it doesn't dip in quality, the 40 or so minutes of twisted death hits just the right spot I think.

There are really only two tracks which slow things down: "Until The Last Breath" which has Inquisition inscribed in it, an intoxicated waltz for three-quarters of it's run that is pretty groovy, and "The Therapy of Flesh" which starts off like a burst dam, tearing into you with quick, technical blows before settling into a more relaxed, ominous groove. The intro being one of two instrumentals — they're not wasted on ambient samples though. The opener is a brief glimpse into the cosmic destruction you're about to walk in to, and "Venomous Ritual" is more of an interlude or prelude to the final chapter of Profane: ceremonial and adding more tribal atmosphere without reliance on woodwind instruments and the like. Everything else is a tight, molten assault quite a few leaps forward from Witnessing The Fall.

The various twists and changes in pacing while keeping with satisfying, off-kilter and jerky thoughtful writing and structuring with strong roots allows shit to continue to flow forcefully despite the ingedients being the same and not necessarily new. The arrangements and execution are gripping all over Profane and translate with exponential passion live. "In Utero: A Place of Hatred and Threat" shows off a more black metal focus for a long while, bursting into occasional frenzied gallops of death. The title track (which is streaming on bandcamp) definitely has a more old-school vibe in the opening seconds of jittery slides but the jump to nervous bends and eventually hanging chords brings it back to the bizarre. Especially that latter sustained high string section, very cold and leads to to nice bridge before the pace builds back up.


While the material is solid across the board here ("Genesis Architect" eases you in nicely) a few songs are particularly awesome. "Intern. Virus. Human" is definitely one of them and it comes early. A track that needs to be turned up without a doubt. The first few moments do not feel remarkable but once you hit like 20 seconds in wow does it become much more. By the time the song is in full swing it sounds like something taken directly off of Immolation's last record, that huge chunky, stomping hook and that breaks into an ugly thrash morphed from the opening; this whole time the erupting percussion is just burying you, just a vicious hammering from all angles. The pause a few moments later leads to some severely addicting crushing bends that make a return before the end; which is great all by itself.

Then coming up on the tail end we have "Ascetic Purification" (the shortest track) and it throws you for a loop a little on the outset. To me the first thirty seconds almost sound like it's on the brink of turning into a blackened hardcore tune what with it's semi-punk pacing but the remainder of it is more merciless distorted savagery, with some tasty pinched harmonics and frantic screams right at the end. I would even say in the final quarter is a moment of brutal death metal slam barbarity amongst the already awesome lashing.

"Revelation: Down Here Stillborn" is the other one that stands out, bleeding directly from "Ascetic Purification", and it seals the album well. It's a fucking monster with a lot of memorability. A very grand haze is draped over this song, building and building, dipping from Immolation howling solos and bends and back into more melancholic grooves found in the slower tracks before it. Within the first two minutes there's a ton of crippling grooves lathered in icy harmonized twangs and it only gets heavier from there. A good and final example of their skill and creativity coming together so well, jumping back and forth in it's style just enough to not be messy and feel complex without being wanky or boring.

Profane is a surging, polished, far more solidified and interesting effort from Svart Crown combining some of the greatest elements of Inquisition and Immolation (even the earliest Ulcerate) with pretty epic energy. It surprised me a great deal honestly. It'll hook you but it's not revolutionary, just very enjoyable for those who love that malshapen sound. And I happen to fall into that category so I'm loving this a ton.

You can stream this over here, and buy it from Listenable Records in Europe, Season of Mist if you're in North America (or iTunes apparently); and I would assume eventually direct from the bands store. I highly recommend you do so and follow their updates on tours and shit on facebook as usual.

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Antediluvian - Λόγος (2013)

Full Length / Demo, Nuclear War Now! Productions
2013

Genre: Black/Death Metal
Region: Canada

As some of you might be aware of, the Cassette rip of the limited demo (?) version of the upcoming Antediluvian record Λόγος has finally been circling the outer rungs of the web. I really wanted to hear this at the end of 2012 but only heard about it weeks after it was stealthily released. Anyway here we have it.

Pronounced "logos", a cursory Google search suggests it's ancient Greek for "I say" or "that which is said" (or possibly "reason" but I am both lazy and out of my element here), lending to the ancient biblical and cryptic tone the band has shouldered thus far even more so. The art is once again very eerie. I know that it's a little hard to believe but even in demo form (and depending on the future, even more so here) its blatantly obvious this material represents the greatest channeling of archaic global turmoil Antediluvian have achieved.

At first Λόγος seems like it is far more formless and fluid in structure than all their past recordings, and in reality their bizarre conjurations are definitely far more entangled than ever before. They once again manage to keep vigilant and cull only the best 34 minutes it seems. Riffs which are constantly mutating through copious dissonant bends and decrepit time signatures is what makes Antediluvian and their brethren so violating and captivating, and yes they continue to wallow in this filth here.

Something that also continues is the wrecking ball drumming, putting a lot of guys to shame as she coordinates with the frightening guitar work Haasiophis dredges up. "Beyond Diurnal Winds" for example, this chick is a fucking beast. The bass however is fairly lost underneath everything else, I can hear it but it needs either more growl or bounce; this was not a problem on the last few records.

The crooked paths of the songs and their unpredictability forces you to pay attention as there's so much buried in each track you have no choice, lest you get lost and write it off as poor writing (a hard sell no doubt). On the first listen as it progresses Λόγος grasps a firmer foundation, probably around "The Ash and the Stars" (which is huge and complex) you've begun to just get hold of this writhing serpent; a song which is the first time I would argue that the Portal comparisons are actually accurate. Everything before this was almost overwhelming in it's reveling in chaos, where you only get glimpses as you adjust once again to their craft.

However on successive listens, much like with earlier works, the material becomes clearer and you gain a great appreciation for the meticulous discord it's wrapped in. I almost forgot it was supposed to be a rough cut as it started sounding far crisper at this point "Homunculus Daimon-eon (Awakening)" shreds wildly in descending spirals and later opens up, stretching the 7/4 and never dropping it's pace. And if it weren't for the quick silence you'd mistake "Consumate Spellbound Synapses" for a continuation of the opener. It's ever more pungent with horror sustained wails behind this wall of hypnotizing, lopsided rhythm and hailing blasts,  both combine to level you and the weight just increases as you listen.

There's some debate over whether some of the intro vocals are pitch shifted, not that it matters much. The intros are already cavernous enough. The rest of the time Haasiophis gurgles and froths abhorrently the spells of antiquity as he obliterates his instrument in the darkest ceremonies they've crafted yet. Sometimes on tracks like "On the Tree of Life and Death" there's more hoarse screams at one or two points and I'm not sure if that's him as well (I believe they were a four piece at the time), same with the spoken passage ending the final song. That song opens with a particularly intoxicating intro before erupting into misshapen and uncontrolled masses, decaying midway through to a crawl.

Tracks like "Tower of Silence" and "Nuclear Crucifixion (Turning the Spear Inward)" are even more ugly and tumultuous, if you haven't been overwhelmed by the time you've hit the former then the latter will be all the more tasty. Definitely my picks right now along with "The Ash and the Stars". "Transept of Limbs" opens with a very angelic intro before the blasphemous avalanche breaks. Later an enthralling pinched harmonic lead is woven through the corrosive static and punishing percussion, it's unexpected and fits well.

They always know how to close with a boom and with "Death Meta" Antediluvian manage to do it again, slowing it down and returning to "Under Wing of Asael" briefly. It's another example of how twisted they make everything, the almost slow-down like whammy effect Haasiophis achieves alongside the monolithic kit work from Mars brings this one to a close and leaves a deep scar in all those who make it through.

I didn't have much time to get properly excited for this, and I was pretty surprised that they were already working on/had released a new record so soon after their last success. That made me unduly wary but even considering this I'm coming away extremely pleased with everything they're doing on this rough cut, so when the official version is out I can only imagine it'll be as good if not more relentless and savage. Certainly top ten material even as an unfinished monstrosity.

A must for fans of this genre. Antediluvian have definitely brought something more challenging in this current version of their style. Further corruption by the cassette quality along with a continued standard of great writing takes their sound to more obscure subterranean depths. The only band that competes with them on the "holy fuck" chaos level would be Impetuous Ritual in my humble opinion; I guess you could include Grave Upheaval too. You probably can't find this anywhere unless someones got it on ebay but I hear a more complete/official release is in the works over at Nuclear War Now! Productions so watch that closely. For now enjoy the cassette rip.



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Old Soul - Tidal Lock (2013)

Full Length, IFB / Dog Knights Productions / Dingleberry Records / Listen to Aylin
April, 2013

Genre: Blackened Hardcore/Post-Rock/Post-Hardcore
Region: USA

Coming off of that recent post about Old Soul's 2012 record, I've been given the pleasure of hearing and reviewing the new Old Soul record a few weeks prior to official release and all that. Took a little longer to write up due to other priorities getting in the way but here it is. There's no download link right now, however like their prior releases this will have a physical release and be made a free download to the public at some point soon. So hold on for now if you're eager.

Tidal Lock sees Old Soul further shaping their sound and progressing quite a bit from their previous record, while bringing back some elements that were stronger in their debut Natures Arms Encircle All; mainly the tranquil post-rock atmospherics which grasp this release firmly and made a bigger appearance in that record. Lots of reverb and delay among other effects in those long passages sometimes like near the close of the opener "Ghost/Incomplete" they're sustained and take on a shamanistic luster as notes are carefully placed around the whirring loops. Outside of these glimmering passages the scratchy swollen tone of the guitar is a big contrast once again carrying over from their sophomore, varied drumming keeping up with the wide swings in style, and a great bass presence especially when those quiet stretches start to ramp up ("Watermouth/Mirage").
 
All four tracks here (which flow as one long song in reality) reach between eight and ten minutes in length, a huge contrast to the four and six minute jaunts in Who Are Willing To Draw Close and further proof of a commitment to change at least in structure on first observation. The production is smooth, clear, warm; feeling much bulkier than Who Are Willing To Draw Close and lending a little juice to the all it's qualities. Only complaint here is for instance in the secong track around six minutes in, where there's a transition from quiet to loud the guitars feel a little dampened initially; this could just be me as I only notice it in that spot. Lyrically as one would expect this record does have a temporal focus, metaphoric, taking a reflective or introspective approach but largely up for individual interpretation; sometimes these are spoken ("Ethereal/Faultless") while usually in all other moments the blackened rasps dominate.

When listening the blackened post-hardcore/screamo characteristics still reside in their formula but are less bursts and more Krallice-esque in execution: long blazing passages blurring post-hardcore June Paik aggression with uneasy/anxious black metal melodies interspersed conservatively. Between these lies moments that resemble traditional screamo like Mahria but the twinkling nostalgia doesn't last long. You can hear this from the outset. These are enclosed in the vibrant ambient and post-rock drifting, both clean and acoustic, sometimes minimalistic but usually energetic builds. These moments have Tidal Lock coming very close to the eclectic style of Irepress even moreso than I thought, and yet every time they do rub up close they make a drastic shift, usually launching the song into an aggressive fit.

While they effortlessly float between each other each of the four tracks. "Ghost/Incomplete" and "Watermouth/Mirage", while separated, flow as one track linked by a gleaming clean section and provide a great example of the above. Broken up by flurries of proggy black metal mixed with screamo but far less densely packed than in their previous records. The former track is evenly broken up between their black skramz attack and meditative   while the latter dabbles more in Irepress-esque quietus with only brief, more laid back post-hardcore blinks; rhythms more restrained but still strong, leading the track out of the haze nicely.

"Paradigm/Pendulum" picks up and quickly descends into progressive black metal territory only to melt into a pretty clean section which gets increasingly proggy and loud and busy before diving into a tranquility. For the first four or so minutes I would swear this is a less complex Irepress track. The build on this track has both channels evolving sounds gradually. The return to distortion is very stealthy only occuring near the end and giving way to a wobbly ethereal section.

Interestingly enough this leads into the aptly titled final track "Ethereal/Faultless" — arguably the slowest on the record Old Soul close with a more depressive or reflective tone, even when they embrace the distortion it's very mournful. The screams come back in full force by around the eight minute mark and while still less chaotic the blackened brew here opening up to a spoken word passage with some nice bass work and percussion which fades, leaving only the words.

Old Soul's newest record is more grand and less dirty than previous material, a relatively refined and different experience from them. I think I like Who Are Willing To Draw Close a bit more at this point mainly due to the length and blend of sounds. I'm definitely finding on repeat listens I'm enjoying Tidal Lock more than I originally did, it's only the shift of emphasis away from more chaotic blackened aggression that I enjoy more on the former. For instance the closing riffs and rhythms on "Crater" (and it's atmosphere in the close) or the explosive climaxes after silence in "Forest" which ascend impressively. For whatever reason those moments trigger a more visceral nostalgia-tinged satisfaction within me.

Having said that I am enjoying what these guys have done with their sound since then and their continued willingness to break from comfort. It's something to commend. I recommend those of you who like their blackened post-whatever-core to be a little more exploratory, perhaps those of you who enjoy June Paik, Irepress, and Tesa should get into Tidal Lock.

This will soon be released by IFB, Dog Knights Productions, Dingleberry Records, or Listen to Aylin Records in the very near future and will most likely be available in distros and labels like Halo of Flies and Scream//Writhe. Follow their blog and facebook for more info on that. Eventually a link will be posted too but for now you may stream it on Dog Knights Productions' bandcamp:

Ahna - Empire (2012)

Full Length, Choking Hazard Records
September 18th, 2012

Genre: Experimental/Drone/Sludge/Doom Metal
Region: Canada

Here's a case where I missed something that a) should've made a few of my lists last year, and b) I should've been on top of because I've been aware of Ahna's presence since I saw them open for Mitochondrion a few years back. Once again I find I'm kicking myself for being more oblivious than I think I can be when it comes to great local bands hammering out interesting sounds.

And that is definitely what Ahna are doing. They're a two piece — a dude on bass and a chick on drums/vocals — from Vancouver who since at least 2008 have been crafting an intriguing blend of drone and doom lightly coated in black metal and crusty powerviolence; what they've dubbed "drone violence". Very bare bones, very simple in structure and concept, and very heavy, jarring and strange.

Despite this being only 20 minutes Ahna have made every second captivating, intimidating, loud, and harsh. Their sound is quite recognizable. Empire really shows that you can birth doom that crushes without going over six minutes per song (of which there are five here), and still make it a unique experience without being gimmicky or pretentious.

I've only heard some of their previous material (plan on catching up immediately) but the impression I get from the blend of styles and lyrical content there's a very oldschool punk 'lefty' ethos surrounding their records, which makes sense given the general vibe of B.C. So if you're into that it's definitely a bonus. The tone of Empire is serious for sure and that comes across in all aspects here, thankfully they do it well without hammering you over the head.

What strikes me most now, and indeed when I saw them live, is Anju's vocals. While both members contribute in this department, Anju's are immediately what you focus on and could be the deciding factor of your enjoyment level of their rituals. Not only is she handling the percussion (powerful and solid) but she does so while emitting some of the most ear-splitting, visceral, and loud vocals I've heard in a while. They're on the higher pitched side and resemble fulminating cries of a furious demon, enunciating very clearly as she recites raw hymns about history, war, injustice, imperialism, etc. often in a Canadian context.

Her vocals are balanced out by the low death rasps of Graham who handles the bass duties, pounding out some ugly riffs both slow and doomy and occasionally fast, blackened and crusty. The main ingredient of the songs on Empire are enormous wrecking-ball blows of doom but as you progress through it the blackened and punk influences seep in without being offensive. Arguably you can even hear the powerviolence (boardering on screamo) influence in Anju's vocals, in terms of pitch and tone.

The title track and "Mental Corrosion" shows the mixture I mentioned in action. On "Empire" the pace picks up as the bass spews rumbling, crusty lines after the first minute, while on "Mental Corrosion" the black metal attack bleeds into a few moments of punk galloping, and a full blown avalanche by the end. Her rasps have a definite blackened texture without a doubt, just listen to "Shouts In My Ear". In fact in that one the approach is quite angular and the quick blasts of grind between the doom make for a very dynamic song.

I gotta say "Colony", "Empire", and "Declaration" are my favorites here. The vocals are particularly overwhelming and passionate on "Declaration", piercing you physically as the bass feedback drones and throbs, the pace grinding to a hault over noise. A perfect song to cauterize this short but weighty slab. "Colony" is really just one riff that bulldozes onward at different levels of heavy but the cadence and rhythm builds so nicely it feels like there's more going on. "Empire" has some wicked blackened howls from Anju much different from her more clear invocations, providing a nice change.

In conclusion I want to apologize to my Canadian brethren in Ahna for not being more astute last year (or indeed the past few) and giving some props on my 2012 best of Canada list at the very least, because Empire is an absorbing, scornful record that should get more attention and support. Certainly from Canadians.

They're playing a few shows in the coming months so I want to catch one of them, but for now I'm playing catch up on their stuff and the west coast scene in general. I think one of the reasons I wasn't more aware of Ahna even after I saw them was just due to the nature of their sound and my own lack of expectations. Took some time to process while I was focused on seeing Mitochondrion close the show I guess. I remember circling their merch table contemplating buying something but decided not to, and this has come back to haunt me several times; I'm sure you're all familiar with that scenario.

Anyway you can buy copies of this from Choking Hazard Records or on the west coast from Scream // Writhe, and I highly recommend you do. You can download it (name-your-price) from bandcanp too which I've linked below.


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Velnias - RuneEater (2012)

Full Length, Pesanta Urfolk
September 8th, 2012

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal/Doom Metal
Region: USA

"From the mountains 

Where storms are born 

The wind blows Cold and ruthless 

Before that 

All tremble"

The above passage was written in Lithuanian, in a silver-wax sealed letter on a cardboard slip accompanied with a handmade key. It was a precursor to something slowly approaching.

 Over a year ago I chipped in to a kickstarter project for an ambitious album from a secluded and frostbitten musical entity. The promising album and the handmade wooden boxset packed with merchandise (Beyond Victory edition) was something I was highly anticipating. A lot of dedication and thought was put into this project, both the music and the packaging.

And finally a few weeks ago (nearly a month after the above mentioned letter arrived) the ancient box, secured with a heavy lock, arrived with something equally primeval laid down on vinyl residing within, emanating sounds hidden deep within forested, snow-capped mountains echoing times when the surrounding landscape was untouched by modernity.

This project was undertaken by Velnias, a five piece black metal group from Colorado who have slowly been building their catalog since 2007 — showcasing a fairly unique doomy atmospheric black metal with folk influences.

This is their second full length record entitled RuneEater and is definitely their most cohesive, thoughtful and tightly written material they've released thus far. Previous to this they've released two tour cds, a demo and a full length called Sovereign Nocturnal, which was heavier on the doom elements compared to this new piece of work. While I enjoyed it, the first record did not feel as impressive as I was hoping it would be, but you could feel Velnias working through their sound and forming a style that was different from the rest of the 'cascadian' circle of metal bands in existence.

And on RuneEater they have achieved this with great precision, a palpable undercurrent of disgust for the modern civilization in which we reside paralleled with an equal passion and reverence for nature, and unwavering archaic atmosphere found in the deepest, darkest undergrowth of the most untouched thickets.

All of this comes through in every aspects here: the darkly mystic earthen lyrics, the bemoaning tortured vocals, the meticulous analog production, the intermittent flurries of acoustic beauty between the blackened mass of scorched riffing — this guitar work which acts like a forest fire clearing deadwood to birth new life in each following track, leaving billowing smoke that will smother the listener in an acrid atmosphere. In the shuddering bass lines which rise high enough to be clear through the thunderous drum beats that crash down upon you like a magnificent rock slide.

The cd and vinyl version of the album have different masters; the vinyl version is meticulously dedicated to a pure analog vision, recorded on a two-inch tape with the lacquers being cut directly from the tape by a different team from the cd. The packaging is also different, but both sound and look brilliant regardless of which you choose to absorb.

"Proclaim your best intentions with all your heart from atop the highest hills, you are naught but the substance of the life you choose to lead."

The lyrics express a deep commitment to the earth, abhorrence for the ills man in their pursuing modern development against nature, the slow decline of our civilization, and the glorification of times passed. Throughout the record this is made clear but one passage in "Desolation Of Grandeur" these sentiments are laid bare:

"How long will you writhe amidst the ruin of another's folly? Where are we to sow our seeds amidst the endless decay? Mine will be the hand to cast the torch to this empire ripe in its falling!"

The words are put elegantly in each sentence and with passion through the hoarse howls rolling over the woeful guitar melodies.

And when it comes to the material on RuneEater it is incredibly strong throughout all five tracks. I would argue that it is their strongest, most resolute and well written to accompany the distinct theme it permeates. The first track includes a brief intro "Velnio Maldavimas", booming tribal drums, spoken words in Lithuanian and slow "auns" to break the album open, while the third track "Velnio Ugnis" is a short acoustic piece to announce the second half.

Both songs break up the impassioned assault that makes up the core of RuneEater: "Desolation Of Grandeur", "Reverend Flames Of Antiquity", "Reclamation Of Valour", and the closer "Iconoclast". Two extend past eleven minutes and two fall just short of ten, but all of them have been carefully written to make each minute important and meaningful. The tracks flow by in no time despite their length, a testament to the enveloping atmosphere, robust song craft,  and talented musicianship.

You can hear the growth of their style throughout each track since their first record. "Desolation Of Grandeur" displays some fantastic riffs and rhythms, and they lead off with one immediately here: powerful tremolo galloping ascending and dropping back down to repeat before the vocals tear through the atmosphere. This opening riff coupled with the concussive bass is a perfect way to open such a record.

We experience the gritty distorted guitar tone for the first time, jagged and raw as it churns in and out of harmonies and feedback. The journey they pave is memorable, leading to a slow breakdown three quarters of the way through where we feel the doom peak in briefly. The scratchy howls linger as the pained strings bleed into a calm and sad acoustic melody at the end.

In the track that follows titled "Reverend Flames Of Antiquity", Velnias find a satisfying balance between atmospheric black metal and elements of doom that circles around Lycus, Pallbearer, and some of the earlier incarnations of the style. If you were worried that with their move towards a more 'modern' black metal style in the first track they were boiling down their sound to a more essential level, Velnias show here they have not left old elements to rest with this song.

This is easily my favorite track on this record. The blend of genres, the peaks and valleys it snakes through, the changes in pace all without losing the sense of isolation and cold beauty, it's all so excellently crafted and powerful. It starts quietly and cleanly, meshing subtle additions of the acoustic alongside the electric guitar; the tone is dark and tragic as the cymbals begin to shimmer in and out before the doom bursts into full bloom. This slow build and the feedback makes the oncoming crushing melodies all the more cathartic.

Heavy notes hang and dip low, wandering about like a lone traveler in the forest. It's a track that slowly melts into black metal before you're aware of it, once the pace is quickened it becomes all the more intense. But then they return to the drudgery, punctuating the pained notes and shaking bass lines with pinched harmonics and scraping.

It gets all the more sorrowful with a beautiful clean/acoustic build at the halfway point, leading to a climax with a return to raw riffing. We're met with some excellent reverb drenched passages that break away from the rhythms before the song ends — soaring from the mountain tops, drawing ever closer to the ground which they left; landing in feedback and darkness.

"Reclamation Of Valour" is interesting in that I feel it has a slightly nautical rhythm to it. You don't get it as much in the clean/acoustic intro but once the distortion, drums, bass and vocals kick in I get the distinct feeling of swirling stormy seas battering a lone vessel as it approaches feral coasts. The lyrical themes do not indicate such intentions however — speaking of the valor of vengeful battle with steel against steel, and the readiness for conflict to right wrongs of the opposing forces which built a system degrading men and the land they walk:

"Upon what skull is crown beset to afford such travesty as writ, that in darkness we are left to stumble with our hands devoid of sword's hilt? 

Truly tis the folly of fools to tread any path unarmed for unbeknownst is one when time shall come for need to spear or sword.

Hark, brothers - let radiant infinity open sleeping eyes! 

Again let hands blades hold fast and thrust them to the face of man's facade. 

Beneath open sky again shall burn the flames of our revelry. 

Beneath our feet shall run the blood of those who had stood in our way. 

With the grimace of kings, as from gallows they swing, again shall true strength reign.

Through the Vacant stares of your beheaded sons this world shall see its rebirth.

Burn by our hands!

Burn by our hands!

Never shall you see remorse; for every wrong you have ever wrought yours shall suffer a thousand fold!"

Regardless the track is quick paced and sharp, swaying with excellent rhythm through tremolo chords, and actually picking the pace up a notch through an acoustic intermission and the following passage. The slow down again is soaked in a wicked sorrow, single notes ringing strongly before another acoustic intermission to change the attack; and with this the deep choral moaning underneath. This track again ends in a somber acoustic ballad with some backing from the drums at times.

We end with "Iconoclast", the shortest song and a tale of what it means to be legend, to revere the old ways of men and nature once intertwined. Opening strong on a loud note, this gives way to another acoustic flourish that slowly builds pace and we rush into the whirlwind fury of distortion again. This happens again shortly after, but the riffs and drumming preceeding and following these sections do not lose steam and are quite creative, those at the half way mark break through with a wonderful gallop.

It's strange but these a few rhythms here that I swear feel familiar but I can't place where I may have heard them; specifically the acoustic section at 6:12 in which is followed by a reworking in multiple forms after. Regardless this final section is addictive, leading to the final acoustic push to close the record down.

Overall this is a great record with some great writing that sets it apart from the rest of the bands in the genre, with great integration of folk and doom elements sprinkled throughout. Admittedly the doom elements are lessened here but when they appear its blended so well. The drums could be a little higher in the mix, I feel they're a little buried under all the other elements. Outside of that I don't have any complaints, it's very tightly written and arranged.

I highly recommend getting this album. While it's not necessarily breaking new ground it is full of raw expression and their best work to date, a huge step up from their past efforts. It is well worth your money and Velnias are a band that deserve your support.

If you would like to procure a copy of this excellent record you can it in digital form from bandcamp, or if you want it on cd or vinyl in various forms you can go to Pesanta Urfolk's webstore. The boxset is not available, it was only possible to get it through the kickstarter preorder project and limited to like 25.

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Circle of Ouroborus - Abrahadabra (2012)

Full Length, Kuunpalvelus
August 23rd, 2012

Genre: Black Metal/Experimental/Post-Punk
Region: Finland

Two big, highly anticipated albums hit the ground today and what am I doing? Why I'm posting another obscure record authored by the enigmatic group Circle of Ouroborus ,who I'm beginning to fall in love with. And I still haven't gotten through the majority of their discography.

It's increasingly difficult to keep up with the amount of material these guys put out there, and even more difficult to procure physical copies of it due to the high demand and limited releases. Since Eleven Fingers last year there have been 9 new records from this Finish duo (most cassette or vinyl only releases), and I only managed to get a hold of 3 of them including this one.

Abrahadabra was recorded around the same time as Eleven Fingers and The Lost Entrance of the Just so you can expect a similar murky production, clean mournful howling vocals, astral/existential/contemplative and somewhat depressing lyrics in their simple rhyme scheme, and dream-like guitar tones through listless riffs and structures. You have six tracks to get lost in here, the last one is nearly 10 minutes.

Overall this is a much slower record (especially on side two) with no hoarse black metal growls to balance out the clean style. The first side is generally more mid-paced, the cloudy blackened post-punk is still quirky yet catchy and ghostly, and a few rhythms with slightly awkward percussion.

You can hear a little of this on the opener "Conspiracy" during the hook where it speeds up, the escalating notes here giving of that ethereal vibe. "These Days And Years To Kill" has a couple moments resembling traditional black metal in the backing riffs but still not near their effort on "Armon Keitaalla".

The second side begins with a slow track "Six Hands" which reminds me of "Sigil of Suns": melancholic riffs whining like a synth with a slower rhythm behind it, the drumming picking up only briefly at points. And it continues like this with "Like Silent Meadows", swaying in a very fantasy-ish manner.

The closer as mentioned is a long one, slow with short episodes of martial drumming (much like in "Breathing Slowly") alongside the pinging cymbals. It has a a great section like 3 minutes in once the vocals drop out where both the lead and rhythms are quite beautiful (and repeats quite often). It might be my favorite track and is the most reminiscent of material on "Eleven Fingers".

While it's not as wonderful straight across the board as Eleven Fingers it is more engaging and memorable (for me at least) than The Lost Entrance of the Just. Though I've seen some people bagging the drumming on recent Circle of Ouroborus records I like it a lot. Sure it's simple and doesn't vary a whole lot (maybe a little more varied here) but it stands out making the songs more hypnotic.

I certainly recommend checking this one out if you've enjoyed their recent style. If you're interested in a copy you'll have to do some in-depth searching, but you can also head over to Fallen Empire Records and shoot them an email asking for a copy. I grabbed mine from them just before they ran out but they're trying to get more in stock for now.

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Thenn - Threshing the Golden Fields (2012)

EP, Self-released / Independent
August 1st, 2012

Genre: Blackened Crust/Black Metal
Region: USA

Here's a submission by an Indiana band called Thenn. I'm trying to get through the pile, and I think this is an excellent place to start.

What I think would best describe Thenn's style is the reverse of Young and In The Way. Where YAITW take a sprinkle of black metal and delicately lace their crusty hardcore with it, Thenn stand on a thick foundation of old school black metal ala Darkthrone and inject some crust into thrashy dark nest they've made.

With a sickly rasp the vocalist sprays cryptic cult messages, it's a very ugly and gnarled howl that perfectly fits the tangled instrumentals underneath. The guitar and drumming is very reminiscent of older iterations of black metal with fast, crunchy tremolo riffs and abrasive, foul percussion. The bass has a fair presence as well which is always nice to hear.

This group kind of takes Barghest's approach as they breath new life into the style. When the crust emerges it's subtle and more akin to YAITW's V. Eternal Depression style: occasional cold passages between the writhing, but they are few and leave the black metal unscathed the majority of the EP.

There's five short tracks to ingest here, and they're all quite chaotic and hazy. "Abscesses of Light" starts things off with straight up stormy black metal riffs, with very little indication of their crusty influences except for a more hardcore tempo chunk near the end. Following up is "Bathing in Cold Autumn" which continues with the same fervor but with a slight tainting of hardcore when a slower powerchord emerges amongst the tremolos.

"Vigils" has more indications of it's crust leanings with both the intro riff which has that familiar tempo, laced with a muddy film, as well as the final push of the song being more galloping, winding upward. It's a sorrowful build. With the next track "They Are Given to the Inviting Earth" we dive deep into the blackened abyss once again with only one tail section that brings the crust to the fore, slowly crushing the permafrost beneath their trampling hooves.

Threshing the Golden Fields, the closer, is the closest thing to YAITW's style on the record but still manages to carve it's own path. Feedback is briefly introduced before a full on onslaught of ripping black metal, only to end abruptly as a frostbitten passage rises, simple and slow. The croaking of the vocals chimes in as the drumming becomes more and more amorous. The right channel guitar is introduced, but not long after we return to black metal territory, slithering in the muck for the final riff.

I like what they've done here. It surprised me: instead of blindly following the newer crop of blackened hardcore groups Thenn have taken a more purified path, carefully adding elements of crust or hardcore to bolster the grim black metal they've conjured. It's tempting to do no doubt considering it's the next most attractive wave after the new old school death metal and atmospheric black metal waves.

I suggest you guys check it out, especially if you want something that doesn't "bastardize" the "sacred genre" by skirting most black metal ingredients and resting on hardcore foundations.  I myself don't care for one over the other, as long as it's done well. And Thenn have made a great effort to do so here. I'm pretty sure if you're a fan of YAITW, Black Monolith, Hexis, Torch Runner or Void Forger you'll enjoy this a lot.

Thenn have graciously put this up for free download on their bandcamp page below, so head over there and have a taste.


DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)