There has been a ton of great metal in 2013, and much of that didn’t come way of a full-length record, like we highlighted yesterday in our best splits roundup. Today, we take a look at the best EPs and mini-releases that passed our way in 2013, all of which have remained in regular rotation and likely will for the foreseeable future. If you missed out on any of these releases, definitely correct that error as early as possible.

Last year, Ash Borer dropped their second full-length “Cold of Ages” on us, and was it ever destructive. This year, we got the “Bloodlands” EP (out on Gilead Media) that actually managed to up the ante from what they did last year and continued on their bizarre, black metal-laced trip into your psyche to totally destroy you. If I had to pick an absolute favorite EP of 2013, this would be the one, and it’s spent a ton of time on my turntable ever since it arrived. At two tracks and nearly 35 minutes, it’s actually as long as many punk and hardcore full-lengths, and each scorching minute of “Oblivion’s Spring” and “Dirge/Purgation” provides atmospheric depth, scathing decibolic torture, and sprawling black metal madness in a way only Ash Borer can provide. This will fuck you up, mind, body, and soul. It’s that diabolical.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ash-Borer/156748071045193

To buy the album, go here: http://psychicviolence.bigcartel.com/product/ash-borer-bloodlands-12

For more on the label, go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/

Is it ever great to have Andrew Curtis-Brignell back making music and scaring the unholy shit out of us with his Caïna project. We’ll give this release a more thorough look the first week of January, so I won’t to delve too deeply into why Caïna had gone dark for a while, but he just delivered an unbelievable 25-minute EP called “Earth Inferno,” culled from previously unreleased tracks and some new stuff. These five tracks are urgent, propulsive, wonderfully charred black metal that churns and burns, showing a more violent side to Caïna, and even reaching back to the second wave’s deadly days (“Conqueror Worm” is an early favorite of mine). If you like your black metal lo-fi, crushing, and seemingly raging off the rails with ill intent, this EP should do it for you. Can’t wait for the upcoming full-length album.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ca%C3%AFna/243004082514

To buy the album, go here: http://churchoffuck.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/churchoffck

I feel like everyone just fell asleep on the Liar in Wait EP “Translations of the Lost.” Is it because it’s not really a metal album and more of a dark rock, post-punk, and cold wave album? I don’t get why it hasn’t gotten more coverage, because it is a fucking great release that I listen to a ton, especially if I’m driving late at night and I want to see spirits in the road (I mean, come on, how cool is “Conversations in Violet”?). The songs are drab, hopelessly melodic, and a total downer emotionally, which I find irresistible about the thing. The band is made up of current and past members of bands such as Wolvhammer, Nachtmystium, Mourner, and Iron Thrones, and if you wanted a modern record to go alongside, say, your old Cure, Smiths, Swans, and Sisters of Mercy albums, this is it. It’s cold, isolating, and impossible to get out of your bloodstream. I’m looking forward to more from this band.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liar-In-Wait/190183801106266

To buy the album, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/products-page/

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

It’s tough to get to every release, every year around here, so sometimes things slip through the cracks review-wise. That’s why now is a good time to catch up, and we’re doing so with “His Best Deceit,” this filth, unholy slab of black and death metal by Belgium newcomers Possession. This sounds like it was hellspawned in the early 1980s, when Hellhammer still were cutting their teeth, then jettisoned through the ages, with all the piss, venom, and anger it could conjure as it traveled. The opening sounds like someone dying to the strains of a church choir, and from there it’s unadulterated speed, freaking violence, deathly intent, and pure metal that should make you want to light your car on fire and drive it down a hill into other cars, lighting those on fire in the process. This is all while you have this album running, fueling every ounce of hate in your body. This band is not to taken lightly, and is yet another indication that everything Iron Bonehead puts into the market is worth your time. Possession flat out destroys everything.

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

To buy the cassette, go here: http://ironbonehead.de/shop/

To buy the slim-case CD version, go here: http://www.invictusproductions.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30&products_id=3123

For more on the label, go here: http://www.ironbonehead.de/

We hadn’t heard from Grayceon since their powerful 2011 album “All We Destroy,” but there was a pretty damn good reason for that. Vocalist/cellist Jackie Perez Gratz became a mother for the first time, and you know, there are things that are a little more important than heavy metal sometimes. So while she concentrated on her family life, she obviously still had musical ideas rolling around in her head, and we got to hear those on the band’s “Pearl and the End of Days” EP that dropped in February. The two-track offering is a nice appetizer for anyone waiting for a full-length, and it also contains moments where the band let their hair down and had some fun. First, “Pearl,” named after her daughter, lets Gratz really branch out vocally, as her band rushes behind her for one of the band’s most inspired song ever. And that’s saying something. Yet, “End of Days” let them have some tongue-in-cheek fun about the power of rock and metal, and if you can’t crack a smile listening, you may need to loosen up. Word is a new album is in the works.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://store.theflenser.com/

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

Like with the split releases, there are just too damn many to give full treatment here because we’d be here all day, but some other great ones you might want to check out, if you haven’t already, include: The Body’s sludgy, terrifying “Master, We Perish,” that would pave the way for their latest full-length “Christs, Redeemers”; Immortal Bird’s debut “Akrasia,” that we just reviewed last week (just scroll down a little if you want to read our full thoughts) and praised for its excellent mix of death, prog, black metal, and inner rage; Nocturno Culto’s super fun new project Gift of Gods and the debut EP “Receive,” that carries over Darkthrone’s penchant for pure 1980s death and thrash metal, and even includes one of the more interesting cover songs of the year; as well as Wreck and Reference’s morbid two-track effort “No Content.”

Each year, we get a nice collection of split and collaborative efforts from bands, and generally they’re pretty fun. Oh, welcome to the kickoff our of 2013 year in review, that’ll take you from today all the way until New Year’s Eve when we reveal our No. 1 album of the year. But before we get there, we want to look at some of the year’s better split releases and give them one more dash of praise.

Whether we’re talking your traditional split where you get a song or two from one band, and the same from another, or it’s a work where two or more bands collaborate together, these types of recordings give listeners a little taste of what each act has to offer or a unique setting where their styles blend together. There were some really good ones this year, more than I can remember in some time, so here are the ones that got the most work damaging my hearing.

We’ll start with one we didn’t get a chance to review, that being the “Gathering” from Oak Pantheon and Amiensus, a two-track effort out on Tridoid Records. I’m a sucker for atmospheric, woodsy black metal, and both of these bands deliver that in major ways. But that’s not all these two bands can do, as each go beyond those borders to make for a sound more exciting and more inclusive of their tastes and influences. I haven’t had a chance to write about Amiensus ever before, and I’ll make a point to change that in the future, because their submission “Arise” is melodic, challenging, prog-influenced, and nuanced, with emotion and power to boot. There are folk moments, some classic metalcore moments (meaning not of this century) and just a lot to like from their track. As for Oak Pantheon, we already gushed about their 2012 effort “From a Whisper,” and their track “A Gathering” shows them growing even further melodically. Sure, the strains of classic, atmospheric black metal remain, but there are more prog, post-rock, and even classic rock influences (some of the fiery lead guitar playing boasts that) not only to get fired up for this song but for that they’ll offer up on album No. 2.

For more on Oak Pantheon, go here: https://www.facebook.com/OakPantheon

For more on Amiensus, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Amiensus

To buy the album, go here: http://tridroid.bandcamp.com/album/gathering

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/TridroidRecords

Way before Windhand delivered their devastating new album “Soma,” they made their Relapse debut on a crushing, doom-infested split with fellow Richmond, Va., maulers Cough called “Reflection of the Negative.” While both bands are in great form and deliver more than their share of good times, murky violence, and spooky sentiment, this is a real coming-out party for Windhand vocalist Dorthia Cottrell, who positively dominates and rules on her band’s two songs. She always was good, but this was her first real statement showing just how powerful a force she can be fronting Windhand and that she likely would something with whom to reckon going forward. As for Cough, they scar as always, create sounds set to maim, and hopefully were just warming up for their new long player. Really looking forward to that one.

For more on Windhand, go here: https://www.facebook.com/WindhandVA

For more on Cough, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Cough666

To buy the album, go here: http://www.relapse.com/store.html

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

Panopticon and Vestiges might not seem like the most likely alliance, but their split from this past spring was an excellent collision of both worlds that worked wonderfully. Panopticon’s atmospheric, rustic black metal always feels personal and emotional, and the band’s three tracks here certainly deliver that and more. The really fun surprise is a cover of Suicide Nation’s “Collapse & Die” that shows a different, gritter side of this project and works pretty well with the other band on this offering. Vestiges lean a little more hardcore and menacing with their sound, and their crushing contributions “VII” and “VIII” are continuation of stories they have been telling about the downfall of humankind over their own releases, beginning with “The Descent of Man.” Both bands are personal favorites of mine whose catalogs get plenty of play in my house, so bringing them both together was like a dream come true for this dork.

For more on Panopticon, go here: http://thetruepanopticon.bandcamp.com/

For more on Vestiges, go here: http://www.wearevestiges.com/

To buy the album, go here: http://store.theflenser.com/

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

Collaborative efforts can be just as satisfying, and Mamiffer’s project alongside Circle (though the two working here no longer identify as members) made for one of the year’s most imaginative, creative collections, which should not be surprising considering the two bands at work here. “Enharmonic Intervals (For Paschen Organ)” sounds the name of a classical music entry, but really it’s these two forces capable of anything making spacious sounds together as one. The two bands holed up in an old stone Finnish church in Circle’s hometown, and all of the musicians involved achieved something liturgical, weirdly spiritual, and at times completely devastating, usually when Aaron Turner barks viciously in his trademark voice. Faith Coloccia’s beauty musically and vocally add delicate textures, while Jussi Lehtisalo and Mika Ratto’s willingness to make any strange noise and travel into any sounds, no matter how baffling, add the special touches on this sprawling, powerful collection.

For more on Mamiffer, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mamiffer/110768695615501

For more on Circle, go here: http://www.circlefinland.com/

To buy the album, go here: http://www.ektrorecords.com/shop/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.ektrorecords.com/ektro.php

These are just a few of the great splits from this past year, and certainly this isn’t all. Other really great split efforts from 2013 include the grisly and doomy Coffins/Noothgrush alliance that came out on Southern Lord; one of the strangest, heaviest, and most horrific pairings that found The Botanist and his hammered dulcimer-led black and dark metal meeting up with the terrifying Palace of Worms on a release (The Flenser) that put together two of this era’s best one-man outfits; the spacy and wondrous “Sol,” a collection that offered a track each from Mare Cognitum and Spectral Lore, then put the two bands together to collaborate on the record’s final track, the instrumental “Red GIant.” I, Voidhanger released that one, and it’s a serious pathway to the stars that requires your undivided attention and rewards you for your efforts. All of these, like the ones detailed above, are worth your time and money and are some of the finest alliances of 2013.

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago that made me happy because it indicated something I worried was long gone and another victim of the cannibalist record industry had survived. There it was, an e-mail containing new promo albums from Moribund Records, a label long known for bringing the filthiest, deadliest in black metal. What a relief that was.

True, earlier in the year they did put out a new record by Chasma, and that was one heck of a fun album to absorb, but before that and after that, there was silence. It’s not a punchline to say that smaller labels have a hard time existing in today’s economy and the state of the music industry, and considering people would rather steal digital copies than pay for someone’s art, selling records isn’t as easy as it once was. But perhaps with a new slate of releases in our hands from the label, and with more to come, Moribund can bounce back and reclaim some of the dark underground that other labels such as Hells Headbangers have serviced recently.

We’re going to look at two of those new releases today, but they’re not all that Moribund has ready for your filthy mitts. You also can find new records from Satan’s Host, Vardan (in advance of yet another full-length set for January), and a split featuring Nocturnal Fear and Seges Findere, all of which are wretched, furious pieces. There also are January plans for new records from Pact and Apostolum. But let’s concentrate on two Australian bands that drape an even darker, morbid film over the increasingly mean land Down Under.

We’ll start off with Thrall, a band we haven’t heard from since 2011’s “Vermin of the Earth” and that represents a sound pretty close to the second wave of black metal, but with a punk rock, crust, and death metal edges. Their sound is furious, fast, and drubbing on their new record “Aokigahara Jukai,”, and there are times when they remind me a little bit of early Darkthrone. The four who make up this unit–vocalist/guitarist Tom Void, guitarist Ramez Bathish, bassist Okkvinkalfa (who just joined this year), and drummer Em Stoy–play with a purpose and can be just as fun and infectious as they are violent and unforgiving.

The band’s new album is eight tracks that blister you over 45 minutes, and it’s a pretty nice dose of viciousness and maniacal intent. From the opener “Longing for Death” that is drenched with noise, punishing thrashing, and aggravated mauling, over the rest of the running time, they swing and connect again and again on cuts such as the punk-flavored, trucking title track; the oddly melodic and razor-sharp “Of Hate”; doom-encrusted, dismantling “The Pact,” that is … uh .. packed with wild, deranged shrieks and throaty growls; and the epic closer “Slaves” that runs 7:42 and swaggers with power. Some of metal’s bluesy roots can be heard here, and they fill this track with attitude not often heard in black metal circles, piling on top of you with muddy guitar work, grisly growls, and an old-school sentiment that pokes at those Darkthrone comparisons.

Thrall’s been a killer band since they started, always responding with collections that sound dangerous and a heathen-like good time simultaneously. They’ve managed to stay under the radar so far, but maybe this record will help them open more eyes and bloody more faces.

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

As for Moon, this project is the bizarre brainchild of Miasmyr (the band’s Facebook site lists other members as bassist Dirge, drummer Bernd, and keyboardist Pandora), who pours every ounce of warped, mind-altering madness into this music and has even more strangeness for you on the new “The Nine Gates” album. This is a follow-up to Moon’s 2010 effort “Caduceus Chalice,” an album that seemed to slip in, make a quick mark, and disappear again, and it certainly isn’t for all listeners, especially black metal fans who need things bloody and brutal at all times. There is a lot of Xasthur, Leviathan, and Deathspell Omega sentiment here, where you often soak in the ether and remove layer after layer of sound, but there’s no doubt this record keeps you engaged and feeling just a little bit unsettled for good measure.

Moon’s songs take some engagement by the listener, as they won’t lift you up, carry you through noisy riots, and deposit you into a pit of madness. These are journeys you take, mental ones, and they can make you feel pretty messed up when you’re taking on these eight songs. They’re smeary, nightmarish dreamscapes, from “Inhale Darkness,” that unfurls poisonous murk, with eerie, hypnotic guitars, vicious growls that are buried a million miles under the surface, and drowning noise that’ll make your head spin. That blanket of strangeness remains on the subsequent tracks including “Poison From the Abyss,” that has watery undertones and dizzying melodies; “Sabbat,” that’s foggy and chilling, what with its funeral-dirge organs; the druggy, sleep-soaked “Lillu Drowning,” a song that spits evil intent but also remembers to rock you into a terror-induced coma; and near-10-minute closer “Gates of the Moon,” that melts and trickles over your brain, with spooky melodies, weird churning and burning, vocals that sound like they’re being whispered from beyond the grave, and Miasmyr’s final gasps of toxic punishment. This is just a bizarre record, but it’s one you can’t help but get lost inside of for hours at a time.

Moon’s return is a welcome one, and it’s nice to see Miasmyr is keeping things as mentally baffling as ever before. This record could work really well if you’re listening while watching a blinding snowstorm, imagining the chaos outside your window, or simply when in a substance-induced daze as you imagine rituals in your brain. It’s equally great to have Moribund Records back, who hopefully plan to terrify us well into the future.

For more on Moon, go here: https://www.facebook.com/moon.gateway

To buy either album, go here: http://www.moribundcult.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

For more on the label, go here: http://www.moribundcult.com/2013main.html

Fire, evil, and violence pretty much make up metal’s triptych, three elements that definitely let the music’s creators get out their nastiest vibe and unleash the worst possible feelings. It can be a healing thing, so that one does not go out into real life and do those things for real, or for venting said frustration to bring down one’s anger. We’ve all been there, right?

If you want unbridled destruction and hellish fury, Valdur pretty much have you covered on their third album “At War With,” a pulverizing late-year entry into the 2013 metal canon. You can’t hear this record and possibly think anything other than these guys have the darkest, most vile of intentions, and they bring that to the forefront on this new collection. This is a band that’s never minced words when it comes to their songs and always have found the most pulverizing ways to get their inner demons out and onto record or the stage, and their style of black and death metal is uncompromising, dirty, and unapologetically violent.

The three who comprise this band–guitarist/vocalist Samuel (who joined the fold in 2012), bassist William, and drummer Matthew–really have it in for you on “At War With,” their follow-up to 2010’s stellar “Raven God Amongst Us.” Their blackened death is infernal and sooty, kind of like early-era Incantation, and everything they do on this record is designed to destroy and maim you, physically and mentally. These 10 cuts are not for the weak of heart, and they completely demolish everything with these war anthems that celebrate death, blasphemy, and evil in ways that should keep you entertained–and a little terrified–for close to an hour. Can’t really ask for more than that, can you?

The album opens with intro cut “Enter,” a short burst of sound that sets the stage of fright and leads into the first mauler “Conjuring the Fire.” That cut rips right into raw black metal chaos, furious growls from Samael, and some searing melodies that lie underneath and hide within the murk. It’s mean and nasty, and it provides a healthy dose for what’s to come. “Death Winds Will Cleanse”  begins with sinister guitar work that leaves trails of blood, along with a crushing tempo that could batter you live or just through your headphones. There’s an eerie texture, some wild howls and growls, and a final sequence that speeds out of control before it drowns in a pool of noise. “Incantre” is a purely filthy blast of death, as ugly and guts-ridden as anything else out there, and it should make fans of old school sounds feel warm and gross inside. The track trudges through muck, dissonant melodies create a halo effect, and everything else is splattered with thrash. “Vast” begins with echoing chants that seem to key the beginning of a ritual, while the song fades in, stays weird and warped, and fades back out into a nightmarish fog.

“At War With the Old World” is a 7:55 blast of madness, first opening with guitars that remind of heyday Slayer before going for pure black metal strangulation. Strange melodies mix with destructive force, and hellish fury slips into muddy, crusty death metal. But just when you think noise is going to swallow this whole, the band breaks out for a galloping last few minutes that just rip. “The Calm Before War” has simmering guitars, a mashing disposition, hissing chaos, and even a helping of pure doom metal that mixes its black streaks in perfectly. “Hellish Dischord” is another wordless entry, other than the clips used from the classic film “Blade Runner,” and the band does its best to conjure ancient smoke and apocalyptic bells that truly feel like the world is folding in on itself. “Hammer Pit” ignites from the start and is one of the ugliest, nastiest cuts on the album, with drumming that feels like its being done to the sides of your head, some crazed blasts of death metal barnstorming, burly punishment, throaty vocals that are set to kill, and church bells and thunder that cement their desire for Armageddon. Closing instrumental “Outro (Creation Part II),” that bridges with the final track on “Raven God,” is just strange, with clock alarms jarring you awake, fiery guitars gasping their final breaths of annihilation, and melody and horns setting themselves on fire and bringing forth poisonous wafts of black smoke. Whether you inhale them or not, it doesn’t matter. You’re doomed.

Valdur’s re-emergence is a fantastic late-year treat that serves to fill that void of anger and disengagement with society that may be darkening your heart and probably peaking right about now. This is a massive band that has remained under the radar far too long and is ready to scorch everything in the underground so they can blaze their own hellish trail. “At War With” is the band’s best record yet, and it’ll leave you burnt inside but potentially a little less inclined to wander outside and create your own chaos.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/valdur/54163319709

To buy the album, or for more on the label, go here: http://bloodymountainrecords.bandcamp.com/

Debut recordings can be tricky for a number of reasons. First, they’re often comprised of songs bands have been playing for years that finally get to put on record, making the transition to album two a little different. Or, they can spoil listeners who get used to a particularly impactful virgin offering and decide the band must play the same way forever and ever. No changes!

Luckily it appears Chicago’s Immortal Bird will not fall into either of those categories. For one, the band had songs in the bag and were recording their debut EP “Akrasia” with Jeff Ziolo (the esteemed and indestructible Kurt Ballou handled mixing, while Brad Boatright mastered this filthy beast) before they really moved their craft to the stage. So it was sort of a work in progress. They also aren’t married to any one sound, so much so thats it’s really hard to push this band into a corner and affix them with a label. Why must you be so difficult, Immortal Bird? Their bio tags them as blackened death thrash (a sub-sub-genre?), and all of those descriptors work, but that only gives you a basic idea of what this trio is up to on this four-song offering.

Immortal Bird also marks the move of drummer extraordinaire Rae Amitay (Thrawsunblat, Mares of Thrace, and a live member of Castle for a tour) from behind the kit to in front as its lead howler/lyricist. She proves herself quite the force on the mic, using her authoritative, savage vocals to put as much impact as possible behind her words, and she has one hell of a future scaring the shit out of us in this manner. Oh, and she does handle the drum work here and even wrote some riffs for this sucker. Joining her are guitarist Evan Berry (Wilderun, Replacire), who also contributes backing vocals to the recording, as well as bassist John Pacillo. They work pretty damn well together, pulling out all kinds of influences and sounds and never etching in stone anything that isn’t inspired and mind warping. What they deliver here on this EP not only has me excited for these four, diverse songs, but intrigued as to where they go next.

Amitay says the title “Akrasia,” acting against one’s better judgment, not only is a great sounding name for the EP but one that embodies what these words and and compositions stand for, expressing those moments of rage, resentment, and anger that have played a part in her life. Listening to these songs, and the way they drill you and leave you dizzy and exhausted, really indicate the band hit the nail on the head and drove it full force. The schizophrenic tempo changes, the mauling damage, and the whirling emotion that is drizzled all over these songs might even make you feel a little uncomfortable inside as you relive similar moments from your own life. And if you insist you never had those, I call bullshit.

The EP kicks off with the scathing “Spitting Teeth,” a song rife with anger, revenge, and loathing that is treated with whirling guitars, spiraling and penetrating melodies, and Amitay’s words are pure rage, as she spits out lines such as, “Everything you dread clasps its fingers ’round your throat,” and, “I would watch you burn, but that takes too much time.” There are traces of atmospheric tones and some imaginative dreaming in the song’s mid-section, but the conclusion plays like a snarling, runaway truck coming to destroy you. “Ashen Scabland” keeps the punishment and creativity walking hand in hand, as guitars envelope you like a whipping wind, leaving you helpless to fight it, and destructive drumming that bloodies your face and knuckles. The middle of the track is really compelling, as the band slips into a prog-metal sequence that reminds me a lot of Voivod’s more playful moments, and just when you think perhaps Immortal Bird are going to let you down easy, the final minute of the track ignites again, with a metallic surge and Amitay unleashing some of her most passionate, scarred vocals on the entire record.

The second half begins with “Akratic Seminar,” a track with lyrics full of faulty decision making and loathing regret, that Amitay delivers perfectly. At one point, she unleashes her cleaner voice, though it only pops in for a few fragile moments, and then it’s back to blazing intensity. The song is dark and murky, with further prog adventures, airy passages, and cooler breezes emerging and adding some chills. But toward the end, everything blows up again and goes into a thrashing, mashing display of chaos, with Amitay howling, “Take this away, a mess of skin and agony/Chemical waste of space, perfume and nicotine.” Harsh, no? Closer The Pseudoscientist” blows open from the start, like a raging furnace looking for something to burn. All of the elements come together to scorch and destroy, with sprawling melodies, destructive thrash and death influences, and an overall sense of audio and mental punishment. Amitay’s words drip with hurt and anger, as she growls, “I was a person, not a sin/Your body bloats with swells and lies/As your excuses wear thin.” You can’t help but feel bruised along with her, as we’ve all had those moments where we look into the eyes of hypocrisy, and she conveys that disgust and anger with both violence and vulnerable humanity.

Immortal Bird succeed on so many levels, from making music that is fresh and cannot possibly pin listeners’ hopes on a specific path to where they’ll go next, to creating something that sounds organic, furious, adventurous, and wholly inspired. It might poke at some bruises on your heart if you follow along with Amitay’s words, but maybe it’ll help you develop some callouses that’ll benefit you in the long run. Or you can immerse yourself in the band’s total sound, that’ll surprise you over and over again, even on subsequent listens. Their full-length debut is most anticipated.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/immortalbirdband

To buy the album, go here: http://immortalbird.bandcamp.com/

It’s been nearly a year since people were expecting a great catastrophe or some other happening to end the world in accordance with the expiration of the Mayan calendar, yet, lo and behold, we’re still here. But that doesn’t mean people everywhere have stopped dreaming up Earth-altering events, and they probably won’t until a comet really does slam into the planet.

That leads us to “Hubardo” the latest opus from Kayo Dot, a band that is nearly impossible to describe in words because they do so many things, but they work with a variety of sounds including doom, death, and black metal, jazz, art rock, post-rock, and anything that helps them expand their dreamy canvas. This album, that’s been available digitally and soon will be out on vinyl, imagines a scenario when a meteor comes crashing to Earth, the aftermath of which inspires a poet, who was living a dark, loathing existence. This stacked double album, that clocks in at roughly 1 hour, 40 minutes, tells the tale from beginning of the eye of Leviathan falling to the end, when the poet seemingly expires in a boat, unable to make the best of his life and the opportunities that were in front of him. That’s my interpretation, anyway, though I could totally be misreading that conclusion. Either way, if you spend time with this expansive, imaginative, uncompromising collection along with the lyrics, you’re bound to go on a journey you won’t soon forget with an album you won’t be able to put down. This is Kayo Dot at their best.

Leading the way is visionary Toby Driver (also of Vaura and Asva, and formerly of Maudlin of the Well),who handles vocals, bass, synth, percussion, and organ, among other things, and with him are Ron Varod (guitars), Keith Abrams (drums), Daniel Means (alto sax, tenor sax, clarinet), Terran Olson (flute, alto sax piano, organ, synth), Tim Byrnes (trumpet, horn in F), Mia Matsuyima (violin, synth), Jason Byron (guest vocals on the opener), and Jessika Kenney and BC Campbell (guest backing vocalists). That’s quite a few players and a hell of a lot of instruments, but all play vital parts on this record and certainly help the flood of sounds.

Another aspect of the record that really stands out is the diversity of these 11 songs. No one song sounds even remotely like another one on here, yet it all pulls together so seamlessly that’s it’s a wonder just how well this was executed. Part of that is strong songwriting, and part of that is the inspired, enthralling playing by all members, sometimes going off on tangents that sound like they flowed organically from an extended jam session, keeping the track’s spirit at heart but stretching its boundaries to places maybe they never dreamt they would go. It’s a stunning listen, and you’ll want to set aside the proper amount of time to absorb this at once, for that is the best way to take in “Hubardo.” Don’t be afraid of that commitment.

The record opens with “The Black Stone,” where Byron’s gruff death growls are allowed to take over and give the track a grisly, terrifying tone. “It fell from the night like a wraith in a rage,” it is howled, as the band goes through a slithering, pummeling passage that is thick with doom, but also swirling noises, hypnotic strings, and even a finish with hissed growls that remind of Portal. That takes us to “Crown-in-the-Muck” that opens clean with a heavy jazz influence with horns emerging and eventually guitars boiling behind everything. Whispery vocals slip in, then crazed screams meet doomy riffs, sax goes off and causes a fury, and the final thrashing and mashing bring everything to a head. “Thief” has a traditional rock feel at first, with cleaner vocals, some spastic noise, and rumbling drums, but just when it seems calm will take over, the song bursts apart and madness reigns again. “Vision Adjustment to Another Wavelength” actually starts off the rails, with howls and chaos, loopy carnage musically, and a sense of panic permeating the track. Cool woodwinds shoot breezes into room, but that’s a temporary fix as the song closes in a pit of wild growls. It’s really strange but ultimately satisfying. “Zodelida Caosaji (To Earth the Water)” feels like an early 1980s Rush song at first, with slick progression and sci-fi fun, but that also ignites and is broken apart by crushing fury, synth waves, sweltering melodies, and crazed shouts. “The First Matter (Saturn in the Guise of Sadness)” is the end of the album’s first half, and it’ll get your blood pumping, with spacious space rock, cleaner, deeper vocals that remind of Pink Floyd, and eerie, psychologically warped passages that eventually go dissonant and return damaged and fiery. It’ll get you dreaming of just what lurks in the stars and what they have in mind for us if they get any closer.

“The Second Operation (Lunar Water)” runs 13:19, opening with chilly keyboards, strings rising and adding texture, and low-register singing from Driver mixing perfectly with the backing choral parts from Kenney and Campbell. The song has almost a pastoral or spiritual feel to it, and the tremendous singing from all parties makes this a truly gorgeous song. “Floodgate” destroys any serenity, with its heavy, noisy, wild opening, with shrieks and growls providing ample terror, and the sax cutting a path down the middle, making this feel like a Yakuza song. The drums blister, the keys blend back in, and everything drowns in a thick, relentless doom fury. “And He Built Him a Boat” has serious shoegaze heat, but also is doom-fed and emotionally driven, especially with the storytelling lyrics and vocals that hit pretty hard. The choral harmonies return again, and as the poet pushes his project forward into the water, the band lands on a jazzy pocket that leads to the next chapter. “Passing the River” runs 10:12, and it begins with drum knocks, guitars filling in the spaces, and clean vocals from Driver that reach for a higher register. It feels like the song is going to stay on a straight path, but out of nowhere, the bottom drops out, and a thick haze of drone doom sets in, like they commissioned Sunn 0))) to come in and burn things to the ground. It goes back and forth from there, from light to dark, but it eventually subsides in eerie clean vocals. Closer “The Wait of the World,” a 14:22 epic, feels happy and poppy at the start, almost like a lost Steely Dan song, as Driver’s clean vocals return and things take a nice turn toward art rock. Toward the song’s middle, the band breaks into an extended section that sounds like they just let go and organically put on tape what came to them during a brilliant portion of improv inspiration. Eventually, we return to where we are, as Driver delivers the final moments of our story, crooning, “The ideal outlasts the flesh that is weak/Yes, and the well outlasts the drought that is temporary,” putting what feels like a somber ending to this tale.

“Hubardo” is a stunning, creative show of force and one of the most thoughtful, meaningful albums from a band that has a back catalog full of those. Kayo Dot always will challenge your mind, body, and spirit, as well as what you know to be metal, and they deliver in spades here once again. By all means, before this year is over and you put your stamp on 2013, go and experience this album and give it the attention and concentration it deserves. See what it means to you and your journey through life’s multiple ups and downs. It’s a record very few bands could make at all, and one only Kayo Dot could make this inspiring.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.kayodot.net/

To buy the album, go here: http://kayodot.bandcamp.com/album/hubardo

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/icelevelmusic

Usually when I’m digging into the remaining late-year releases that need visited before it’s year-end blowout time, I don’t find a whole of things that really get my ears standing up straight. Not that is hasn’t happened before–Royal Thunder’s first EP and Chelsea Wolfe’s debut come to mind–but usually it’s a dry well. Luckily, this year is a different story.

I got an e-mail a few months ago about the band Kauan, a Russian/Ukrainian band that’s made its name on post-rock, ambient, European folk, and doomy collections and, until their latest album “Pirut,” has contained only two full-time members. Admittedly, I hadn’t heard a lot about the band before that initial press release announcing “Pirut,” so I worked backward and familiarized myself with their work so I’d have a better idea of how to absorb their new opus. I never figured it would take nearly until the end of the year to finally get my hands on “Pirut,” but now that I have, I’m adding this band to my regular winter rotation of music. By the way, the delay from announcement to music delivery largely had to do with a Feb. 15 meteor explosion in the atmosphere above Russia during the creative process and the having to deal with the aftermath. That explains this album’s picturesque cover art.

It probably sounds cliched to associate a Russian band with wintry settings, but it’s their music that makes me feel that band’s latest album belongs in my ears when the winds are chilled and snow is crunching beneath our boots. They have an airy, atmospheric approach to their music, and you can practically feel the frozen winds whipping into you, leaving you scrambling for the confines of your home and perhaps a crackling fire. This eight-movement document (it’s broken up by tracks “I” through VIII” but is an interwoven, single piece) isn’t purely a metal album, though it definitely has those traits, and might remind newcomers of the path a band like Ulver has taken lately. It’s imaginative and dreamy in spots, sometimes altogether delicate, and when it needs doses of brutality, those land right where they’re required. It’s also easy to get lost in the body of this thing since it flows so well and there are no track breaks.

Initially, Anton Belov (vocals, guitars, keyboards) only counted the departed Lubov Mushnikova (violin) as a constant member, with other people adding colors here and there. But with the creation of “Pirut,” Belov assembled a full band around him that includes bassist Alex Vynogradoff, drummer Anton Skrynnik, keyboard player Alina Roberts, and viola player Anatoly Gavrilov, as well as other players for the live experience. Naturally, the music is more full bodied and involved than previous work, including their most recent record “Ku..” in 2011, and their union has resulted in arguably their finest albums to date and one that could find favor outside of the metal world. For example, if you’re into a band like Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Explosions in the Sky (no joke intended), you might find you really like this.

The record opens with “I” and its strange noises, howls, and thick strings, before leading into a cleaner folk movement, where Belov’s vocals go clean, ripping through rolled R’s and letting his charisma show. Eventually the track gets uglier, with death-like growls and epic doom, before it bleeds into “II,” that also keeps the tempo high. Strings slither over metallic goop, and Belov’s hissed growls are mean and menacing, matching the music behind him. Sweeping doom melodies open up and drench the ground beneath it, and clean vocals croaked in Finnish lead to “III.” That piece has more strings marching over the land, with pianos trickling along with it, and a moody, elegant melody takes over and pulls the song forward. Some spacey synth work hovers over like a mysterious cloud, and lush, moving instrumentation, with vocals finally slipping in at the end, take us toward “IV.” That portion opens with a heavy helping of acoustic guitars, clean vocals, and an overall feeling of a roosty ballad. This is where the cold winds and snowy ambiance are at their heaviest, with the music swelling and soaring, staking its claim as the most emotionally boisterous section of the whole album.

“V” lets the tension subside, as pianos glide in, steady drumming carries the way, and proggy, cosmic keyboards give the piece an alien feel. Warm guitars parts droop in and melt over everything, while noises echo out and lead toward “VI,” that keeps their ship tilted toward a space rock feel and a trip into the stars. Synthesizers begin to whir heavily, with pianos following the path and the drumming offering both pacing and a sense of danger, and the song builds to a pounding climax with vicious growls and doom fury that reminds you this band can be as crushing as they are delicate. “VII” starts with more pulsating keys, a thick string section that delivers beauty and texture, and more brutality and heaving growls that eventually subside and give way to calm. Finally, the last segment “VIII” begins, tying in a familiar melody that rears its head on several sections of this album and that hints at a flood of light. But then the murk and darkness return, as does the doom hammering, emotional flourishes take over, and the song ends on a glorious high that fills your lungs with air, your mind you dreams, and your body with chilly winds that you can’t help but ride away on to some faraway land.

This new era for Kauan sounds like a promising one, and if “Pirut” is your starting point with this band, you’re in a pretty good spot. If you like what you hear, work your way back through their other four releases (find them on their Bandcamp) and get lost in their atmospheric world. This is a strong record that should go really well with the coming winter and provide a nice companion alongside a dark porter, the lights turned down, and a million warm blankets. How metal is that?.

For more on the band go here: https://www.facebook.com/kauanmusic

To buy the album, go here: http://www.blood-music.com/store/store.html

For more on the label, go here: http://www.blood-music.com/

The saying “a little something for everyone” isn’t always the most glowing way to describe a metal album, because it might indicate the music is all over the place. It also could hint that a band does a bunch of things decently but nothing exceptionally well.

That thinking can be shoved aside when discussing “Try Not to Destroy Everything You Love,” the new album from Dutch band An Autumn for Crippled Children that’s finally seeing the light of day this week. Sadly, we’re in a dead period of new music releases, and much of what is released in December gets written off as being unimportant, but don’t make that mistake with this band. This, their fourth album, continues along the path they’ve blazed since their 2010 debut “Lost” and combines equal elements of post-rock, shoegaze, doom, black metal, and goth just seamlessly. All of these dark elements mix so well, and this band has such a stronghold on what they do, that they truly add something special to all of the subgenres from which they grab influence.

On “Try Not to…” they keep steamrolling ahead into moody, sometimes dreary territory that might make for a good companion on a late night when sorrow is at your door. The three who comprise this band—MXM (vocals, guitars, keyboards), TXT (bass, keyboards), and CXC (drums)—keep things in the shadows for the most part and inject a sense of mystery into their misery. The music can be atmospheric, fully melodic, and brutal at the same time, and MXM’s harsh vocals always sound like he’s doing everything he can to destroy his throat, chest, and diaphragm as he emotes like few other manage to do these days. You feel every one of his words as they struggle and explode from his mouth.

The record begins with “Autumn Again,” a song we can enjoy for its full sentiment at least a few weeks longer. It’s full of synth-driven, New Wave-style glory, grisly vocals, and a black metal assault lurking underneath everything, making it that much more intoxicating. Then it’s on to “The Woods Are on Fire,” a thick, hazy track with vicious screams and chaos that eventually subside for weepy strings and trickling piano that feel like a bloodletting. “Never Complete” is solemn and dark at the start, with the song plodding along, and the thick emotion and murky grit actually feel quite epic at times. Yeah, the vocals are harsh and brutal, while the song continues to swell, and there’s an underlying trauma you can’t avoid. The title track opens feeling like a modern Katatonia song, only with bloodcurdling vocals, and the middle section of the cut bursts with life and bright, searing laser lights, before it returns to hiding again. “Hearts of Light” is wrenching with synth buzz and overflowing emotion, as you’ve surely come to expect from the first half of this record, and it just gushes with blood, passion, and burning.

“Sepia Mountain for Her Lament” is a shorter cut, and one of the strangest on here, with piano-like synth and foggy feelings, before it ignites into a powerful blaze, with MXM howling mightily once again. That leads into “Closer,” a faster song with boiling synth, plenty of melodic texture, and even some gasps of prog rock due to the sprawling basslines. There is a great deal of atmosphere swirling around here, but just when you think you’re going to leave awash in beauty, things turn grisly as the song winds down. “Avoiding Winter” has a poppier feel to it, and while it has its thunderous moments, it’s more reflective and pulsating. It’s quite the change of pace, and a really interesting song. “Starlit Spirits” lets the band put everything it has out there (it’s the closer, unless you get one of the limited copies with a bonus cut), with MXM pouring every ounce of himself into the song, the pace going from delicate to violent (think Japanese hardcore envy here), and glorious melodies rising up and sweeping you away with them. If you’re lucky and got the bonus track “Quiet Evenings,” then you have a dizzying, metallic gem that sets itself apart from the rest of the album and gives you one last shot to your heart as you’re left gasping.

Definitely don’t sleep on this late-year killer “Try Not to Destroy Everything You Love,” yet another powerful statement from An Autumn for Crippled Children, one of the most creatively prolific bands of this decade. They’re a great companion for when you need a fellow bleeding heart next to you and an outlet for your anguish. Plus, you know, they deliver a little piece of something for each listener both musically and emotionally, and that should be enough for any extreme listener to take the plunge into the dark.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Autumn-For-Crippled-Children/108017119243983

To buy the album, go here: http://eshop.atmf.net/index.php

For more on the label, go here: http://www.atmf.net/