This has been a super-busy month for metal, and it’s not even over yet. The next two Tuesdays bring a ton of new stuff, and I’m still trying to get into my ears all the things that have come out the first two weeks of September.

There are a few albums to which I’ve devoted time that I haven’t gotten to write about yet, so this is as good a time as any to do a quick roundup on said albums. Two of them can be had right now by hitting up your local record joint (or you can get in your car and go to a far-away record shop … what do I care?), and one of them comes out this week. All three sound completely different from each other and are likely to draw different audiences, unless your tastes are like mine and you end up into all three of them. Let’s get started by taking a deep walk into the woods.

Pacific Northwest atmospheric black metal band Wolves in the Throne Room are down to just two permanent members, the brothers Weaver, vocalist/guitarist Nathan and drummer/synth player Aaron. On their new album “Celestial Lineage,” they complete a trilogy they started with their masterful 2007 album “Two Hunters,” my favorite album of that year, and continued on 2009’s “Black Cascade,” a more stripped-down album that wasn’t bad but also wasn’t up to par with the band’s capabilities. Their new opus is far more in the vein of “Two Hunters” and even their debut album “Diadem of 12 Stars” in that the epic songs are more dramatic, built with soundscapes, and are absolutely riveting in nature. In fact, after my first listen, I knew this is exactly the type of album I’d hoped the band would deliver. Subsequent visits confirmed that.

Frequent collaborator Jessika Kinney is back, and she makes her presence known right away by delivering the gorgeous vocal introduction to opener “Thuja Magus Imperium,” bellowing out, “Redness in the east beyond the mountain, the wheel begins to turn anew.” She just grabs you and pulls you in, and by the time you’re enraptured, the rest of the band blasts in with a tidal wave of woodsy black metal, Nathan’s shrieking storytelling and gargantuan guitar work by guest Milky Burgess (Master Musicians of Bukkake, Asva, Earth). “Subterranean Intuition” rips open with a furious melody, a rush of keys and almost demonic vocals, and it’s one of most effective songs on here. It’s almost like prog black metal. Almost. “Woodland Cathedral,” also featuring Kinney, simmers in a dream state, and you might find yourself reaching out for the fog if you day-gaze away. It’s that mesmerizing. The track also features Aaron Turner (ex-ISIS) and Faith Coloccia (Mamiffer) on chants and other mind-altering sounds. Both “Astral Blood” and “Prayer of Transformation” are your typical Wolves epics, and I mean that in the best way possible. Really effective use of the time, as both tracks are blood-surging and even magical in the way they unfurl, with “Prayer” the slower, more contemplative of the two.

I still have to give the edge to “Two Hunters” as my favorite Wolves album, but “Celestial Lineage” is a damn-close second. This album lived up to and surpassed all of my expectations, and it made good for what I thought was a bit of a mundane, though not bad, album in “Black Cascade.” This band, by the way, is incredible and powerful live, and if you get a chance to catch them, definitely do so.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.wittr.com/

To buy “Celestial Lineage,” go here: http://southernlord.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.southernlord.com/store.php

As ashamed as I am to admit this, I really didn’t get into a lot of hardcore until early last decade. I’m not sure why, but that’s just the way it happened. When I did, it wasn’t really pure hardcore that got me going (I admit that bands such as, say, Judge and Terror just aren’t my thing), but more post-hardcore and stuff that used that style as a base and went elsewhere with it were the ones that swayed me. We’re talking Cave In, Thursday, Boysetsfire, Knut, and Botch. And while NYC newcomers Tiger Flowers don’t exactly sound like those bands, and in many ways they are much heavier and much more metal, there’s something about their self-titled debut EP that takes me back to those days. Maybe it’s the in-your-face thrashing, maybe it’s the shout-out-loud airing of grievances, maybe it’s the passion of their music, but it reminds me of what made me love this stuff in the first place.

Their debut is but four songs long, but it’s damn good, and it’s really, really heavy. I listened to it last week when I was running on the treadmill, and I noticed immediately that my adrenaline kicked into high gear just minutes into nine-minute opener “Drag,” a song that owes a nice debt of gratitude to sludge. It’s a calculated pounder that squeezes the living daylights out of you, and once it goes for pretty about halfway through the song, you’re too bruised to feel comforted. “Last Horse” has more of the hardcore feel, and it even mixes in some Dillinger Escape Plan-style trickery to its assault. When the dudes shout, “These scars that we wear are scars that we’ve earned,” you believe the sentiment blindly because they’re that convincing. “The Weight” is super-charged and will get your fists pumping by way of its unbridled energy, and moody, yet pulverizing closer “Cuts” also goes for shifty guitar work and zig-zagging, and when it’s over, you’ll probably be sorry there’s no more left.

Tiger Flowers are a band on which I’ll keep close tabs in the future. I am enthralled by this four-track effort so much that I actually can’t wait to hear what they can do with a full-length record.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/TIGER-FLOWERS/149290739547

To buy their self-titled EP, go here:  http://tpltr.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.thepathlesstraveledrecords.com/

Speaking of trickery, New York tech-death metal band Pyrrhon do some wacky, brain-bashing stuff on their debut full-length “An Excellent Servant But a Terrible Master” (love the title, by the way), but luckily they remembered to write songs and not just crazy licks. I’m in the group that can’t quite get our heads around tech-death because so much of it feels like show-off time, and there’s not enough thought put into writing compelling pieces of music. Maybe it’s because I don’t play an instrument, and if I did, perhaps I’d be all into it as well. I certainly admit that’s possible. But as much as I like to hear dudes and ladies play the craziest stuff they can dream of, I want to walk away remembering something more than how wowed I am by technique. Pyrrhon made me think of their songs instead.

Another thing I like about “An Excellent Servant” (Selfmadegod is re-releasing this after the band out it out on their own) is the portion size. There are eight songs, and the whole thing runs 45 minutes. Yes, their songs are a little longer than most, but they’re not overbearing. They get in and get out in the right amount of time, not allowing themselves to bloat this thing. I hear a little bit of Meshuggah, Gorguts and Death in what they do, three other bands that have/had a lineup of excellent players who almost always remember/remembered to make strong songs. “This too shall pass!” the band shouts along in unison on opener “New Parasite,” a song that hooked me right into the band. “Glossolalian” has some off-kilter mashing, with frontman Doug Moore going for a deeper approach to his growling; “Correcting a Mistake” opens with a cool bass run that eventually runs headlong into a cacophony of violence; “Gamma Knife” manages to sneak a little sludge into the room, keeping things fresh and you guessing; and “Fresh Isolation Chamber” (with a nice quiet mid-section to bring you down and then back up) and “A Terrible Master” (with fierce, confrontational, reflective vocals from Moore), both more than eight minutes long, end the record on a note of total demolition.

I really like what I hear from Pyrrhon, and this album made me go back and seek out their debut EP “Fever Kingdoms,” itself an impressive piece of work. Like Tiger Flowers, I’m excited to hear what this band does next, and hopefully they keep intact the formula that makes their debut so special and damn exciting to visit.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pyrrhonband

To buy “An Excellent Servant But a Terrible Master” go here: http://selfmadegod.com/pl/shop

For more on the label, go here: http://selfmadegod.com/

One does not actually have to play metal for a living to be metal. Sure, maybe the music doesn’t sound like metal coming from some artists, but the uncompromising ethos, the passion, and the brutality, even if not by decibels, can be felt from these people, making them more genuine, more meaningful, more, well, metal than some of the people who claim to make contributions to the genre.

That’s the idea behind our Outer Edges feature, which we bring you from time to time, to give you a look at artists you won’t find in the metal bin at your local record store (here’s hoping you still have one) but that may still grab a hold of you and move you the way a thrash, death or black metal band could. Crossover appeal, they call it, and the two albums we will discuss today feature artists that have had some dabblings in metal, but their music is far from that sound.

First up is Chelsea Wolfe, one of the most arresting artists I’ve come across in a few years. When I first read about her, she was described as playing doom folk, and there’s something to that, and that her attitude and philosophy was closer to black metal as some of the young upstarts playing it today. It also helped that she tackled and totally mastered and reimagined the Burzum song “Black Spell of Destruction,” video of which you can find below. She also has a dark, dark image for such a pretty California girl. I’m sure she’d roll her eyes at that, but you get what I mean. Her darkness is key to her, and while many other musicians who tend to explore dark roads seem to want their photos in magazines as much as they want their songs heard, you can tell the music is priority No. 1 to Wolfe.

Her second full-length effort “Ἀποκάλυψις” (pronounced apokalypsis and Greek for both apocalypse and revelation) is the finest non-metal album I’ve heard this year. It is absolutely enrapturing, and every time I listen to the record, I find myself in something of a daydream. That makes sense since her music, while folk at heart, does have a lot of trance-like qualities to it, and she achieves noise-scapes that sound like they were culled from lucid dreams. But she’s not just here to freak you out, but also to move you, as her haunting, unforgettable melodies will do easily. Her gorgeous voice can sounds somber, frightened, frightening, and otherworldly, depending on her mood. She’s someone you can’t help but give all your attention. She gives you no other choice.  I can’t say enough about Wolfe, and if she’s not mentioned in the same breath with other super-hyped indie artists such as The National, St. Vincent, My Brightest Diamond and Dirty Projectors, it means your bloggers aren’t really paying attention and just have an agenda to serve. Well, ha, of course they do.

If you had the pleasure of hearing or owning Wolfe’s 2010 release “The Grime and the Glow,” then you’ll recognize a couple of cuts on here. “Moses” is reworked, this time with a gloomier melody as its spine and with extra damaged guitar, and “Demons” is a grainier, scarier version of “Bounce House Demons,” which is a song that may make you want to dance and lash out equally. Plus, good luck removing the chorus from your brain. Wolfe had benefit of an actual studio on this record, as opposed to doing her debut on her own, so she was able to breathe new life into these tracks. “Mer” is an awesome, abrasive folk song, packed with weird noises and echoey voices; “Tracks (Tall Bodies)” has a seductive, late-night-friendly melody that reminds me of Stevie Nick’s early work; “The Wasteland” is a pushy, electronic-style song that also spits warmth; “Pale on Pale” is bluesy, spooky and trippy, and it’s my favorite track on here; while ghoulish closer “Movie Screen” is a slow, noisy howl of a song, with Wolfe unleashing primal shrieks as it fades to black.

All of Wolfe’s music comes highly recommended, and trust me, you won’t hear anything else like her anywhere else. Also, put on the bloodiest, goriest black metal album you got this year and match it up with “Ἀποκάλυψις” and see who scares you more. My guess is Wolfe.

For more on Chelsea Wolfe, go here: http://chelseawolfe.net/

To buy “Ἀποκάλυψις,” go here: http://pendusound.com/releases/psr-0045/

For more on the label, go here: http://pendusound.com/

If you question whether Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter’s psychedelic-laced, moody, sometimes country-fed music can be seen as metal philosophically, ask yourself this: Would Southern Lord sell the vinyl version of her last record is they weren’t? Answer is no. And with the arrival of the band’s fourth full-length effort, first under the Station Grey Records/Thirty Tigers banner (her last was on rock-solid Polyvinyl), we hear a more muscle-bound, aggressive band than we’ve gotten before. And it’s pretty damn awesome to experience.

For those unaware, Sykes lent her mournful, sometimes gravely, always distinctive voice to the Sunn 0)))/Boris collaborative album “Altar” on the song “The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep),” the standout track on that effort (see below).

Furthermore, she’s played live with the bands, and her own music, while beautiful and delicate in spots, also has an unapologetic, scarred-heart-on-sleeve approach that make her one of the most willing, blood-shedding artists in the singer-songwriter genre. Her powerful band gives her even more strength, and do they ever make their presence known on “Marble Son,” a record that thematically has Sykes looking back at things she perhaps didn’t appreciate when she was younger but now embraces with a greater understanding. And vice versa.

The record rips open with the eight-minute “Hushed By Devotion,” a loud, swelling, guitar-rich psychedelic rocker that’s got both a hippie vibe and a sinister smirk. “Come to Mary” is quite a different song for the band, as Sykes lets her voice blend in with her bandmates’, as she only takes full control on the chorus; “Servant of Your Vision” is a tasty slice of Midwestern rock that reminds me a lot of Magnolia Electric Co. (one of my favorite bands, by the way); “Pleasuring the Divine” is an out-and-out smoky smasher, the pushiest song on the entire record; and “Your Own Kind” has a ’60s lovelorn-advice approach, but it’s dressed with buzzing guitar work and a total electric dust storm that makes you want to assault a potted plant. Yet the band has its contemplative moments, found on the lovely, gently plucked title cut, where Sykes admits, “I wish I’d found you beautiful before”; the dark reflection of “Be It Me or Be It None”; and the blended harmonies of “Birds of Passerine.”

Sykes’ voice, like Wolfe’s, is one that commands you to take heed. Her words are not to be missed, and her delivery, while sometimes laid back and seemingly sleepy, always bites hard.  Each of the band’s albums stands on its own, and “The Marble Son” arguably is their best one yet. It’s certainly the one that’ll challenge your speakers the most, and on nights when you just want to reflect and ice your troubles, Sykes and the Sweet hereafter will get you there every time.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.jessesykes.com/

To buy “Marble Son,” go here: http://www.theconnextion.com/jessesykesandthesweethereafter/jessesykes_cat.cfm?CatID=48

Sometimes something so obvious practically stares you right in the face, pokes you in the chest and screams at you, yet you don’t realize it. I’m guilty of that quite often. I try to find some deeper meaning or reason why a path broke off and headed in another direction that occasionally I can’t see the warning signs. I’d be a horrible first responder.

When I first heard the rumblings about Opeth’s 10^th record “Heritage” and the fact that it doesn’t include even a second of growling or death metal intensity, I was concerned. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person who felt that way. Yes, they did the “Damnation” record in 2003, but it was more of a compliment to “Deliverance,” which was recorded at the same time but released five months earlier. So you got the dose of Opeth’s prog-death first and then got the curveball. But after three years with no new music from the Swedish stalwarts – their last was 2008’s “Watershed” – it seemed daring for them to run away from the sound for which they were known in order to go for a warmer, more progressive rock sound. Would their fanbase accept a new record devoid of all signs of death metal?

Then I heard the record, went back and listened again, took a break, and revisited it multiple times this past week. Something then hit me: This was where Opeth were headed all along. I remember the first few times listening to “Watershed” that it surprised me how melodic it was, how much more singing frontman/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt was doing, how much bluesy groove was being injected into their music, and how it seemed to be pulling away from the death metal pattern. Åkerfeldt growled, sure, and the music did have some heavy, aggressive parts, but it seemed like the beginning of an evolution. “Heritage” seems to prove that. If only I had my eyes and ears truly open all along. I just hope they haven’t closed the door on death altogether.

Before I jump totally into the songs on the record, let me comment on the production. It’s crazy warm, very ’70s feeling, and it’s going to sound great on vinyl. In fact, I’m going to seek that out, because I really want to hear this emanating from my turntable. Åkerfeldt, who produced the album, has a huge affinity for vinyl and the ’70s folk and prog movement, and it’s clear from this record that his and the band’s approach was designed to capture that same sonic quality.

Now for the music. If you’re only into Opeth because they’re a death metal band or for that aspect of their music, you might not like this. In fact, you might consider this record an atrocity similar to what Metallica regurgitated in the mid-1990s. That would be a silly point to make, however, because there’s no comparison of quality (Opeth’s new one is better by miles), but maybe you’ll be offended in the same way. If you prefer Opeth’s deathier stuff but have an open mind about them, by all means sit down with this. If you are an Opeth disciple through and through, my guess is it’ll be dork-out time, and what the hell is wrong with that? These 10 tracks sound great, and their decision to scrap the death template and indulge their (or Åkerfeldt’s) prog-rock fetish isn’t a disaster at all. Simply put, Opeth are a really good band made up of excellent players, and to think anything else would be possible would be ignorant. I admit that I shared in some of that because I was more than a little worried.

After a quiet, piano-led, title cut intro, we jump right into “The Devil’s Orchard,” one of the album’s punchier songs, with a nice jazz-fusion sound pumped in and their trademark lush keys playing a role. The only songs that match the sonic style of “The Devil’s Orchard” are “Slither,” another blues-laden song with an outpouring or organ and strong, tasty soloing, and “The Lines in My Hand,” that has an outer space vibe and is probably the most aggressive thing on here. Yet, calling it a metal track would be pushing it. Doesn’t matter. It’s a damn good song. The rest of the material is heavy in folk passages, eerie ambiance, and razor-sharp musicianship, with Åkerfeldt clearly demonstrating he’s never been more comfortable as a singer. “Nepenthe” and “Famine” have similar skeletal structures, as both open quietly, yet emotionally, and both have a spastic prog jam section that bursts out in the middle, before they go back to their original tones. “Haxprocess” is the slowest track on here, rising barely above a hush at times, and standing as the moodiest track. “Folklore,” the second-to-last cut (only instrumental “Marrow of the Earth” follows), is my personal favorite track. It’s also the longest, at 8:19, which would be a normal running length for a typical Opeth song on any of their other records, but here it’s the epic. Here is where you can hear the acoustic squeaks the most, the changing of frets on a dime, the hissing. Also, there’s a flush of goth keyboard courtesy of Per Wiberg (who has since left the band) that rises up out of nowhere, and from there the guitar interplay of Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson come alive, and Martin Mendez’s bass gallops through the opening.

I still think the album art is a little silly, but having read more about the meaning of the piece, I get it. The roots going to hell signal their death metal past, Wiberg’s head falling from the tree indicates his departure, the skulls beneath the tree symbolize the band’s past members,  the people picking fruit means Opeth’s flesh tastes good. Uh, I made up that one. I can give credit where it’s due in that it’s different and eye-catching, so there you go. Job done. As for the music, it took me a while to get into it, but now I like it. It’s not my favorite Opeth record, and I do hope their death metal days aren’t entirely behind them. But it’s a well-intentioned project, and from what Åkerfeldt said in interviews, had they just gone and done another typical Opeth record it may not have come out sounding very good, and it could have killed his interest in the band. I kind of wonder if that’s entirely true or just how he felt at the time, but Åkerfeldt and Opeth made the record they feel that had to, and it works on a lot of levels. Now it’s up to listeners to decide how they feel. I expect the response will be mixed.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.opeth.com/home/

To buy “Heritage,” go here: http://store.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/Opeth_2

For more on the label, go here: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/

The last month or so has been good, personally, for beer consumption. Going on vacation to a place that houses the Dogfish Head restaurant surely helps that venture, as just about anything they offer (unless it’s out of season or they just don’t have any left) is at your disposal, so it was a nice time for sampling.

But once we got back, there was more to be had. I’m always interested in trying new beers, mainly if they’re of the craft variety or from a microbrewery, and I was able to try a few new things the last couple weeks that made me happy. Luckily, the revamped (and recently relocated) Carson Street Deli has a great supply of all kinds of beers, and both of what we’ll discuss today were purchased there. If you’re ever in Pittsburgh (or live here) and find yourself near the South Side, definitely check them out if you have a taste for something sudsy. They’re food’s pretty damn good too. (http://www.facebook.com/CarsonStreetDeli)

I love coffee a lot, and because I’m not insane, I love chocolate too. So Southern Tier’s Imperial Mokah seemed to be something I’d really enjoy, as the beer is described as a mix of their Javha and Choklat brews, both of which taste great alone but together form something otherworldly. I’ve heard and read some people complain of the sweetness of both beers, as well as their offspring Mokah, but that never really bothered me at all. This one, which has a delightfully high ABV of 11.2, does have a sweet taste, but I didn’t find it overwhelming at all. It’s a rich drink, and it comes off like you’d expect of a dark beer. The 22 oz. bottle took a little time to get through, but that seems by design. This is a sipping beer, not one you guzzle, smash the bottle, and go for another. You need to spend quality time with it and let it set up shop, and once it does, my guess is you’ll find it pleasing.

Of course, those who don’t like dark or bitter beers probably won’t be too psyched about Mokah, but whatever. It’s not for everyone, but it’s for me. And it goes great with cake and cookies. I know that from ample experience. Southern Tier also has, pretty much, a never-ending line of various concoctions, and next on my list to try is their Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale. I shall report back.

For more on Southern Tier, go here: http://www.southerntierbrewing.com/index2.html

For a closer look at their many brews, go here: http://www.southerntierbrewing.com/beers.html

 

Another interesting beer came my way when my friend Sam brought me a couple bottles of Coney Island Craft Lager for my birthday, of course from Carson Street. There were two bottles, one being the Albino White, the other being Human Blockhead, a nice bock I expected to be a little darker than it is, but once I got to drinking it, it was damn pleasing. It tastes like and feels like a darker beer, and at 10 percent ABV, it goes to your head fairly quickly. That also suggests a sipping beer so you don’t all of a sudden have no idea where you are, but its smoothness lends itself to gulping, I would imagine. I went slowly with it, but I could see someone trying to pound the thing because it tastes good and goes down quite well.

The Coney Island collection is a newer line from Schmaltz, a relatively new brewer that’s been making tasty beverages since 1996. You might know their other products – HE’BREW – better, dubbed an “American Jewish Celebration Beer.” Coney Island didn’t kick off until 2008, and it’s a venture that includes non-profit arts organization Coney Island USA. Their arty bottles, that look like old circus posters and kind of have a freak show vibe, really stand out on the shelves and have eye-catching names. I’m very new to their products, and I have yet to drink the bottle of Albino, but from what I got out of Human Blockhead, I’ll be back for more.

For more on Schmaltz Brewing, go here: http://www.shmaltzbrewing.com/

For more on Coney Island beers, go here: http://www.shmaltzbrewing.com/CONEY/hb.html

For more on Coney Island USA, go here: http://www.coneyisland.com/

Of course, we’re here for metal, too, and it’s usually playing when I’m in the lab testing these beers. This past weekend I got through the new Opeth album “Heritage,” which we’ll discuss very soon. After a few listens, I’m still formulating my opinion on the thing, and we should have something for you this week. Also, I finally got a stream of the new Mastodon album “The Hunter” from our friends at Warner Bros. That one’s taking some time to reveal itself. Not sure how I feel yet, and don’t take that as a good or bad comment. Along with that, I’ve been playing new ones from The Atlas Moth, Tiger Flowers, Rwake, Brutal Truth (the song “Butcher” will make you want to become one) and Landmine Marathon, whose last record I wasn’t that psyched about, but I feel way differently about the new one. Look for some of these to pop up on Meat Mead Metal soon.

It’s not going to be frosty and cold where I live for many months now, though it’s supposed to be in the mid-50s on Thursday and Friday, which will feel damn close to that since we’re so used to warmer weather this time of year. That might make for suitable weather for the debut full-length  “Bluostar” from Germany’s Fyrnask, a record that feels like an arctic chill on your neck that leaves your skin prickly with goosebumps and your ears and nose numb. That’s at least how I feel about it.

After a well-received demo “Fjorvar ok Benjar” in 2010, this one-man project led by Fyrnd (though some artwork and lyrical portions were contributed by someone named Blutaar) sounds well on its way to establishing itself as one of black metal’s most exciting new acts. What you hear on “Bluostar” isn’t terribly different from any other icy, atmospheric black metal bands, as there’s a nice mix of violent, yet melodic playing and eerie, nature-embracing ambient sections. Many others have done this sort of thing before, such as Negura Bunget, Agalloch, Fauna, Wolves in the Throne Room and Arckanum. But like those bands, Fyrnask manage to carve out a passionate, memorable album that, while using familiar elements, makes a strong statement and etches its way into your mind. It’s a record that, since receiving a download, I’ve sat down with many times. I can only imagine how much better it will sound when the ground is frozen and I have dark, powerful winter ales to enjoy.

The lyrics on “Bluostar” are written in German, so if you aren’t fluent, you might be scrambling to find meaning in all of this – admittedly I know practically zero German, so I can’t quite cull the proper translation, at least lyrically – but it’s impossible not to feel the album’s spirit. Fyrnd dug back into old Northern European tales and rituals and what was intended for passage from the continent’s ancestors to those living today. It sounds like this would be perfect emanating from the deep woods, late at night, while some of those old ghosts still may be wandering, trying to find willing eras to hear their tales. It appears they may have encountered and enraptured Fyrnd one night, and this is what resulted.

The record opens on a gentle conjuring with the ambient cut “At fornu fari,” which sets the stage for the savage and thundering “Evige stier,” proving there’s menace and danger amongst the trees and in the waters. The heavy chanting that opens “Ein eld i djupna” eventually allows the song to unfurl into a dark, creaky blast of metal that might even be appreciated by those who like very early Immortal recordings. It’s one of my favorite songs on the disc. “Bergar” has an oddly digital-style opening that hints at the storm ahead, and that makes its way over land in a calculating manner, making the most of its nearly 10 minutes, eventually opening sky and blasting the earth. It’s both steeped in folklore yet crackling with modern electricity. “Ins Fenn” has moments of a power metal-style gallop and a black-and-roll style, but it has many peaks and valleys over which to cross before your journey ends; and the title cut (translated means offering or sacrifice) begins majestically, and even when it gets heavy, it metes out the crushing in a mid-tempo, but no less heavy manner. It’s an incredibly cathartic song that feels like Fyrnd has torn open his chest and let out everything he stored inside of him.

Aside from the music, the packaging of the record is gorgeous. It’s an attractive digipak created by At the Ends of the Earth Designs (Kampfar, Drautran) that captures the heart of this record perfectly. It’s one of those designs that by looking at the cover, inside and through the booklet, you almost can imagine how this is going to sound before you play it. That’s good news for people who still buy records based on presentation. You won’t be led astray.

As someone who listens to a lot of, and sometime is inundated by, this type of black metal, I found this record incredibly rewarding and, despite the epic running time of many of these songs, nicely timed. The ambient stuff allows moments to take a breath and relax, and Fyrnd keeps the metallic parts interesting, changing on a dime, and always wholly inspired. I’m glad I have my hands on this thing now, because as daylight decreases and the cold air returns, I’ll have a record to complement that time. You can’t have enough of those. At least I can’t.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fyrnask/114847128596890

To buy “Bluostar,” go here: http://templeoftorturous.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=386&XTCsid=53ndjc7vdrhjm0ku2i9it9bcu1

For more on the label, go here: http://www.templeoftorturous.com/

Everyone who knows me well is aware of what kind of year I’m having. It’s been one for the books as far as terrible years are concerned, and it’s only September. But what are you to do? Some things are just out of your control, and you try to live around these matters, no matter how evasive they can be from time to time. We all go there now and again, don’t we?

Many people, when having bad years, weeks, days, whatever, often turn to things for solace or distraction or just to take their minds out of the tank. That could be a book, a walk, cooking up some elaborate dish, talking to a friend, or listening to music. I tend, when going through a particularly tumultuous time, not to lean toward music containing vocals. Let me explain that. See, I want the distraction, but I don’t want words associated with what I’m hearing sometimes because I don’t want that heavy of an emotional connection. I’m thinking enough as it is, and no matter how innocent a line may be, it can drive my mind crazy if it, through no fault of its own, gets associated with something in my head. It’s hard to explain, but a lot of times when I’ve gone through particularly bad moments, songs or albums have taken on a negative connotation because of what I was experiencing at the time. The words got connected to my experiences. Instrumental music, however, seems to flow with me fine, and while the melodies may trigger emotions, for the most part it soothes rather than hurts me.

So I’ve been listening a lot to the new album from Barn Owl, an instrumental duo we’ve discussed before who just offered up their new record “Lost in the Glare” for Thrill Jockey, which follows this year’s mini-release “Shadowland” and 2010’s “Ancestral Star,” which was their first for the label. There’s something reassuring and serene about the songs Evan Caminiti and Jon Porras created for this album, a sort of pathway for concentration and healing that’s created by what these guys do on guitar and keyboard. Typically, when listening to “Lost in the Glare,” I can breathe and sort out what’s in my mind. The chaos seems less disruptive, reality unravels itself a little more succinctly, and while the problems don’t go away, the record allows me that space to work through the fog. I’ve often felt the same way about their other recordings, but this one is on another level, another plane, and for the multi-pronged badness of this year, it’s been one of my go-to escape routes. It’s great for reading, by the way. I know that might sound like I’m calling it background music, but it’s anything but that. Because it stimulates my mind and generally sets me at ease, I find I can absorb what I’m reading better in its presence.

There’s another thing I really love about “Lost in the Glare,” and it strikes about halfway through the album. “Pale Star,” “Turiya” and “Devotion I” all have that beauty, calmness and psychedelic exploration I appreciate so much, without sounding hokey, but once “The Darkness Night Since 1863” strikes, the shit just hits the fan. It’s a smoky, droning, doom-laden cut that hulks and bubbles up like Sunn 0))) or Khanate (minus the manic shrieks), and, for me, it’s been that part of the journey that lets my anger and frustration erupt. It’s OK, when going through a rough stretch, to be furious. You can’t control everything, and why not? That’s amazingly frustrating. It makes me want to pound my hands against granite, but all that’ll cause are broken knuckles and more issues. So this burner is a release and is the most metal composition they’ve ever conjured. And once it’s over, things settle down again. It’s like a cooling-off period, but a richly rewarding one. “Temple of the Winds” has a touch of ’70s acoustic folk, cosmic blips and Western strumming, while “Light Echoes” sits in hypnotic noise drone and eerie melody and closer “Devotion II” opens at ease before turning up the volume and emotion for one hell of an outpouring. It’s the perfect curtain closer for this incredible piece, which is Barn Owl’s best yet.

The guys also used some special techniques to create the rich, organic, spacious sounds of this record, but as I’ve long said, I tend to concentrate less on that stuff and go more for how the music makes me feel. I did include a link below if you’re interested and reading more about their recording approach, as that piece will explain it far better than I ever could. For me, this has allowed me to lapse into daydream, figure out ways to get through the issues of the day with humility and calm, or simply open up my mind so I can see things for what they are. “Lost in the Glare” is a record that, funny enough, is helping me find my way through the darkness, if only a little bit at a time. If you’re having a better year than I and just want to dissolve into a great piece of instrumental art, you’ll find this the perfect setting for such a venture.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.electrictotem.com/

For more on how Barn Owl achieved the sound on this album, go here: http://www.thrilljockey.com/artists/index.html?id=12625

To buy “Lost in the Glare,” go here: http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/index.html?id=105353

For more on the label, go here: http://www.thrilljockey.com/

Boston’s Revocation seemed to be on the path to becoming one of modern metal’s most interesting and intricate bands going, and their powerful sophomore album “Existence Is Futile” seemed to be evidence to support that assumption.

That record had really strong guitar work, courtesy of David Davidson and Dan Gargiulo, which could even please prog metal fans, and vocally, it was aggressive enough to grab those in the melodic death and thrash camps. Plus, the band’s profile rose, and magazines that typically don’t do much on metal, such as Spin, even paid honor to the young, up-and-coming bands. Now that their third record “Chaos of Forms” has arrived, it would seem time to build on that reputation and prove they plan to grab extreme metal’s reins with utmost force.

But, at least as far as I’m concerned, that doesn’t happen. The record is one of the biggest disappointments of this year, and while I don’t generally listen to the type of music Revocation makes, I liked their last one enough to be excited to hear this one. There are exceptions with every genre, even ones you typically don’t visit, and I found Revocation to be one of those bands before. Instead of progressing positively, they followed the path of another young metal band that, at one time, seemed to have the potential to become a world beater and instead became a mundane, character-free metalcore group that isn’t challenging anyone. Revocation seem to be doing the same thing, and the fact they sound like that unnamed (at least here) band now makes me worry that instead of these guys being top challengers, they’ll be satisfied with just moving some records and that’s all. And I’m assuming that, so I could be wrong, but I’m not excited about this album, and I worry they’re going down a path on which they never should have tread.

My review is live now at Lambgoat, a link to which you can find below. There you can find, in greater detail, why I feel the way I do about Chaos of Forms,” and you can find out the afore-not-mentioned metalcore band with which I’m grouping Revocation. Also, I should point out this record has gotten a lot of favorable reviews elsewhere,  so go try to find some of those, too, before you make up your mind. This is just one view, after all.

To read my review, go here: http://www.lambgoat.com/albums/view.aspx?id=2940&band=Revocation&review=Chaos%20of%20Forms

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/Revocation

To buy “Chaos of Forms,” go here: http://www.relapse.com/label/artist/revocation.html

For more on the label, go here: http://www.relapse.com/

I can’t remember an album recently that I met with equal parts excitement and fear like I did Anthrax’s 10^th album “Worship Music.” To put it mildly, getting to this point was something of a circus, and at times over the past few years, it seemed as if the record was going to be an embarrassment or never would surface at all. There were many times I wished for the latter.

In high school, Anthrax was one of my favorite bands. I was supposed to see them open for Iron Maiden in early 1991 at the horrible A.J. Palumbo Center, and I had second-row seats for the show. I broke my ankle a week before the show, therefore could not attend because I couldn’t walk. That sucked. I had a number of Anthrax shirts, had all of their albums, and when I came down with a vicious case of strep throat in the summer of 1990, I pretty much listened to “Persistence of Time” on a constant loop while I recovered (it came out that same week). “Among the Living” was one of the soundtracks to my summer vacations when I was in middle school. Even today, when my wife and I have had a few beverages and we’re playing “Rock Band,” I’ll try to sing “Indians” and still cannot keep up with the bridge.

I kind of fell away from the band after 1993’s “Sound of White Noise,” an album that saw John Bush (Armored Saint) replace longtime frontman Joey Belladonna, and their sound started to change. They went through the same creative lull that plagued many of the other thrash bands of their era, most notably the three with whom they share the Big 4 festival stage – Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica (who never fully recovered). Then came the era that followed 2003’s “We’ve Come for You All,” the band’s last studio record. There was a reunion with Belladonna (and guitarist Dan Spitz) for two years of touring. Then Belladonna was gone. Then they hired some guy Dan Nelson, who was to handle vocals on in-the-works “Worship Music,” but live, he sounded wildly generic. Bush came back for a spell, then he was out. So it finally came back to Belladonna to take the mic, and one easily could understand if he was a little apprehensive to rejoin a machine – that also includes iconic guitarist Scott Ian, guitarist Rob Caggiano, bassist Frank Bello (one of the nicest people I ever interviewed, by the way) and drummer Charlie Benante — that didn’t seem remotely stable. I remember wondering if Belladonna would even make it to the studio or if another change would prevent that.

Luckily, it seems all the turmoil was worth it. Yes, people poked fun, and yeah, I imagine a lot of those folks won’t give “Worship Music” a chance or will dismiss it outright without hearing it. Their loss, because this album rips. It’s definitely their best record since “White Noise,” and if we pass over the Bush era, I might even go a step further and say it’s the best since “Among the Living.” These guys sound like they’re having fun again. While a good album, and one with nostalgic quality for me, “Persistence” was really dark and bleak, and while massively heavy, didn’t feel right for some reason (cover of Joe Jackson’s “Got the Time” aside). “Worship Music” takes me back to the feel of their earlier stuff with Belladonna (beginning with “Spreading the Disease”) and the material feels open and alive and, I’ll say it again, fun. I had fun listening to it, and the songs are catchy and should go down great live.

The music isn’t quite as thrashy and heavy as their earlier stuff, and there’s more of a classic metal vibe to a lot of the album, but it fits. Belladonna just takes control of these songs. His voice is a bit huskier than it was in his younger years, but it’s just as powerful and melodic as ever before, and I can’t imagine any other singer handling these songs. It’s almost like he never left. After a brief intro cut, “Earth on Hell” mangles the senses, with Benante’s drumming sounding vicious and earthquaking, with Belladonna taking full command of a band that always should be his to lead. Same goes for “The Devil You Know,” a song that might as well be about the band itself, as well as anthemic first single “Fight ’Em Til You Can’t,” a song with a fist-pumping chorus that promises revenge against an army of zombie. These three cuts are surprisingly strong and get the record off to a fantastic start.

“I’m Alive” is more of just a regular metal song, not particularly heavy or mashing, but Belladonna takes what otherwise would be a decent piece and breathes life into the thing. Ronnie James Dio/Dimebag Darrell tribute “In the End” and “Judas Priest” (guess who that’s about) are in the same vein, and live they should help give the audience a breather physically but still command undivided attention. “The Giant” has a verse structure that reminds me of early Anthrax, but the chorus loses a little bit of steam. “Crawl” is more of a mid-tempo rocker, with Belladonna dialing down the pitch of his voice, and it’s only OK, and same goes for “The Constant,” that doesn’t get interesting until the chorus hits. Not bad songs, just not the best cuts on here. Luckily sludgy thrasher “Revolution Screams” ends the set on a pulverizing note, proving they still have the venom and power to ramp up the tempo, though the chorus is still taking some getting used to before I fully embrace it.

So for all the barbs they endured and all of the pitfalls, some self-made, “Worship Music” finally is unleashed, and it’s a beast. Not a perfect album by any means, but it’s a hell of a lot better than I thought it might be. Belladonna sounds incredible, and the rest of the guys still have the chops. They may have matured, and in some areas slowed down, but when Anthrax needs to hammer you, then do. Anthrax has made the best later-career album of any of thrash’s primary ’80s titans, and they should be proud of this record. I hope this form of Anthrax is what remains, because it has drummed up a ton of goodwill with this great new record and sound like they have many good years ahead of them. Let’s hope “Worship Music” is merely step one.

For more on the band, go here: http://anthrax.com/NFWS/

To buy “Worship Music,” go here: http://www.megaforcerecords.com/store/product.php?productid=16516&cat=253&page=1

For more Anthrax merch, go here: http://shop.anthrax.com/shop.cfm/pk/category/ac/list/cid/400025

For more on the label, go here: http://megaforcerecords.com/

This isn’t exactly the kick-off to the week for which we were hoping, but, as has been reported elsewhere and was confirmed this morning by Prophecy Productions, Lifelover guitarist/lyricist/all-around brain trust B (real name Jonas Bergqvist) has been found dead. Below is the text from the release Prophecy sent to media outlets:

On the night of the 9th September, Jonas Bergqvist, a.k.a. ‘B,” founding member, main composer, and guitarist of Lifelover, died unexpectedly. The cause of his death is still unclear and has yet to be established.
The message of Jonas’s passing came as a surprise to the Prophecy team. Hence, we lack the appropriate words for this tragic event. To us, Jonas wasn’t just a very creative artist, but also a pleasant and enthusiastic person. It is for certain that we won’t be the only ones missing his character, his passion, and his unique musical language.
In the face of this tragic loss, we would very much like to extend our heartfelt condolence towards Jonas’s family, his friends, and the remaining musicians of Lifelover.

The band’s darkly melodic black metal rock was infectious and seemingly dripping with suicidal tendencies. In fact, their most recent album “Sjukdom” was sold in a box set form that included a syringe, razor blade and strip of barbed wire (see inset photo). So, you kind of get the aura they were going for with their music. That’s not to suggest B had anything to do with his demise, because I never knew him and have no business putting that idea out there. It’s just tragically odd how they packaged their last record with what happened a few days ago. It could all be a giant coincidence, but really, who cares? A gifted, talented musician is no longer with us, and no matter how it came to pass, it’s profoundly sad. So let’s not make any guesses until we know the facts.

Lifelover really seemed to be picking up steam with their new record, which followed the re-release of the band’s 2008 album “Konkurs,” their third effort overall. “Sjukdom” only compounded the group’s popularity, and they seemed ripe to break out to a larger audience, who would revel in their morose, yet often disturbingly humorous, music. Sadly, the band seems to be at its end, and with the loss of such an important player, it only makes sense Lifelover follow B into the night. All of our thoughts, prayers, well wishes, whatever’s appropriate to B, his band, and his family and friends.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.lifelover.se/

To buy their albums, go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/Search/lifelover

For more on the label, go here: http://www.prophecy.cd/

This has been an insane week, and certainly not in a good way. At all. Sometimes that anxiety and frustration you feel can be tempered some by music that sounds even more unbalanced than you are at the time.

There are different styles of music and various approaches that can make the madness and chaos in your head seem to make some sense. Or at least manageable. So I’m quite thankful this week for two new offerings from Flenser Records, who we’ve spoken to you about many times in the past and will do so well into the future. They have two new albums ready for you that, if you’re like me and just need to know someone is more fucked up than you at a particular time, should help you rest a little easier. Or maybe it’ll stop you from destroying a piece of furniture or valuable vase. I own no vases.

It is with that introduction that we start with the second full-length offering from San Francisco’s ultra-bizarre, completely-out-there, no-way-to-describe black metal unit Bosse-de-Nage. But, Brian, you just described them as black metal. OK, yes, that’s a description. But it’s like describing Cookie Crisp as cereal. What does that really tell you? And actually, they prefer the title grey metal. I have almost no information about the band to share with you other than they’re a four-piece who go by letters instead of names and produce some of the most psychotic, yet exciting black metal today. Their music truly is an emotional gut-check, and you can’t just put this on because you want background noise. You better be ready to pay attention and be as disturbed as you’ll be listening to any metal band of any sub-genre. In a day and age when devils and skulls and upside-down crosses come across as amusing and static, I require something that conveys true anguish and mental scarring, because it’s what feels real to me. “ii,” the new one from Bosse-de-Nage gets me there every time. I don’t know, if I had a chance, if I’d even want to meet these people. I like the mystery behind the band, and I don’t want the curtain raised. I relish in the cloaks and masks (figuratively, of course).

The one slight revelation we get from the band this time is a lyric sheet. And good luck with that. The lyrics sound like a mad man’s diary. These are straight-up stories that serve as what’s howled manically over these songs, and the words are chilling, seemingly nonsensical in spots, but weirdly aware. In fact, these songs sound quite observational. I’m not even sure on what level. Sometimes it sounds like seductive slave master such as “Marie in a Cage,” and it’s nice to have our Marie back after her turns in “Marie” and “Marie Pisses Upon the Count” from the band’s first record. I’m also going out on a limb that this is even the same Marie. Sometimes it’s as actual servant, which seems apparent on closer “Why Am I So Lovely? Because My Master Washes Me.” I mean, just take in that song title.

Musically, what’s on “ii” is more digestible than the band’s debut. Now, hold on. That doesn’t mean you can come into this record having no knowledge of this band’s nightmarish transmissions and expect to get this right away just because you’ve heard some black metal. You can’t. It won’t work. It’s only more approachable to those who spent hours with their debut, as I have. If you never heard their debut, by all means, do so before jumping into this just so you can appreciate the new ambiance. The songs, while dark and damaged, burst with melody, and the vocals, harsh and shrieky, fit with the music perfectly. There’s even some singing here, as thorny as it may be, even if it doesn’t like crooning. Opener “Volume II Chapter I” is riveting and punishing, leaving you a mangled mess, but “The Lampless Hours” actually begins with a calming post-metal opening that would make Slint or ISIS smile before letting loose into emotionally gushing black metal. It’s a song that makes your heart surge, even if the narrator seems to be struggling with his outward expression. Haven’t we all been there? “The Death Posture” is a bit more calculated, at times, in its tempo, and there’s even more post-metal influence on the track, giving it a nice variety that keeps it fresh over its lengthy running time. And, of course, “Why Am I So Lovely?” sends us off screaming into the night, likely naked with fear, about what we’ve experience and what’s ahead. It’s an amazing trip and an incredible second opus from a band that deserves a lot more attention from our magazine friends than they’ve gotten. This is, to me, what true black metal is these days, and I can think of only a few bands who do it as interestingly and a bloodily as Bosse-de-Nage.

For more on the band (and don’t expect much), go here: http://bdn.greymetal.com/

Now, the other record Flenser has ready for you is from Circle of Eyes, a band name that freaked my wife out so badly she asked I never repeat it. If you think about it, it is kind of an uncomfortable image. But maybe you’re supposed to feel that way when listening to their self-titled debut album that’s out now on cassette (in really limited quantity) and on vinyl by way of Anti-Matter (link below). Basically, if you like your doom drone metal forest-fire-smoke thick and suffocating, then this effort’s going to be for you.

I hear a lot of Sunn 0))) and Bloody Panda in what these guys do. And these guys, by the way, are Thrull from Necrite (a band not to shy about its affection for Anderson/O’Malley) and Kevin Gan Yuen of Sutekh Hexen on guitars, with Swamp Witch’s J acting as the guy who sounds like he’s being bludgeoned to death in the background. His vocals sound like they hurt to put to tape, and they’re painful to hear played back, but in a good way. The music, obviously, is fed to you quite slowly, but with incredible blasts of volume and thick rivers of sludge pouring down your throat mercilessly.  Just take on a little bit of Side A cut “Penumbra (Awoken)” for all the evidence you’ll need.

“Woe Betide the Worms (Dirge for Eternity),” your Side B opener, reminds me a bit of Khanate vocally, where J sounds like a man possessed with no else to have discussions than with his demons, while the music slinks along and actually sounds dissonantly pretty at times. Or is that dissonantly abused? Not sure. Maybe both work. Closer “To Wander (Sacred Time)” has a seemingly gentle way about it, as the moody guitars and feedback hum together, as the vocals still teeter on madness, as they should. It’s a punishing, anguished song that sounds like the end of one man’s sanity, and if that’s the case, perhaps the end of his existence. It’s not something you want to hear if you are on the brink. And if you are, please call somebody. Not Circle of Eyes, though.

So there, two spectacular records that come to you by way of Flesner. Each approach your fragile psyche from different directions, with separate ways to attack or soothe you. It really depends on what style of music you like when figuring out which to buy (if you’re torn), but remember you need an open mind to fully embrace these pieces of art. For the right consumer, these are bands you’ll treasure, even when your friends give you strange looks and call you weird. Of course, you’re weird. You should embrace that. You also just might be more enlightened than the rest, and I think Bosse-de-Nage and Circle of Eyes are more substantive than most other metal bands I hear every day.

For more on Circle of Eyes, go here: http://www.myspace.com/circleofeyes

To buy these albums, go here: http://store.theflenser.com/

To buy Circle of Eyes on vinyl, go here: http://www.anti-matterrecords.com/2011/07/amr-001-circle-of-eyes-self-titled_20.html

For more on the label, go here: http://theflenser.com/