EPs, splits, and mini releases should not be underrated. They’re worthy contributions to the metal world and each year, there are a good bit of them that excite not just me, but the metal world. This year is no different, and it’s time to celebrate the smaller releases that made a huge difference in our listening experiences. They also contributed to destroying our hearing.

ANICON/BELUS, split (Dead Section): We’ll start with one we stupidly didn’t cover on the site this year. Hey, it happens. You can’t get to everything, and sometimes really good stuff gets left behind. So we’re making good now by mentioning this awesome split effort that brings together spacey black metal NYC crushers Anicon and Brooklyn-based maulers Belus. This 32-minute, four-track offering gets you a nice taste of what each band does well, with Anicon dizzying you with their half of the record and Belus going for your throat with their two mashers, highlighted by the nearly 11-minute “Amidst Decay.” The other cool thing about this release is both bands really are at their starting point. Both of their resumes are short, so you have plenty of time to get to know each band and get in on the ground floor. Anicon is a well-noted killer live act (they just played my hometown last week, a show I sadly missed due to a cold kicking my ass), and Belus (who boast Mortals vocalist/bassist Lesley Wolf in their ranks) also will eat you alive when they play. These are two bands that are just starting to make waves, and this collection will show you why they are two of the most promising acts in underground metal. (Released June 4)

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

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

To buy the album, go here: http://deadsection.dk/store/

Or here: http://fragilebranch.com/?post_type=product

For more on the label, go here: http://deadsection.dk/

Or here: http://fragilebranch.com/

MYRKUR, self-titled (Relapse): Oh, the hand wringing over this one. When Ex Cops member Amalie Bruun had the audacity to begin her solo black metal project Myrkur, you would have thought the most blasphemous act ever to occur to the scene had taken place. Look, the PR campaign was murky. Sure. But what else would you have them do, considering metal fans can be a pretty closed-minded bunch? Anyway, the music is what really counts, and this seven-track EP is one that I’m not afraid to say I enjoyed. It took a little while–it’s not perfect, and there does need to be some creative growth on the debut full-length she’s recording with members of Ulver and Mayhem–but the beauty and imagination behind the thing eventually took root. It’s atmospheric, it wouldn’t sound out of place on Napalm’s roster, and it was a frozen breeze infused into black metal’s terrain. I eagerly await the full platter, as well as the silly internet meltdown that is sure to occur thereabouts. (Released Sept. 12)

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

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

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

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION, “Concrescence of the Sophia” (20 Buck Spin): Any submission from Aussie funeral doom beasts Mournful Congregation is a welcome one, and this two-track mammoth was plenty to tide us over from 2011’s “The Book of Kings” to whatever comes next. If you’re down with the band, you likely knew what to expect, and you weren’t disappointed. Newcomers got the band’s trademark slow-driving, sorrowful, crushing, emotional doom, including the fantastic 21-minute title track that probably sounded like nothing they’d ever heard before. Funny enough, the entire release is about a half hour long, which qualifies as a full-length in some metal sub-genres. But for Mournful Congregation, it merely was a quick, dark portrait of stormy emotion that makes it feel like depression’s waves are crashing down upon you. (Released June 24)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.facebook.com/20buckspin

For more on the label, go here: http://www.20buckspinshop.com/

GODFLESH, “Decline & Fall” (Avalanche Inc.): Before the legendary industrial metal band’s comeback LP “A World Lit Only By Fire” dropped like a planet out of the sky, there was the teaser EP “Decline & Fall.” These four cuts stood as the first fresh music from the band in more than a decade, and it certainly lit the burners under their fans to get ready to dig into that hotly anticipated full-length that arrived and destroyed in the fall. These four tracks and 20 minutes of fury snap you up from opener “Ringer” and keep throttling you all the way through the closing title track, and not a second of this thing is wasted. I hoped this was a sign of things that were yet to come, and we all know now that’s what we got when “A World” dropped. That full-length will be celebrated heavily, and rightfully so, but don’t forget their incredible 2014 story started right here. (Released June 2)

For more on the band, go here: http://godflesh1.bandcamp.com/

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

For more on the label, go here: http://avalancheinc.co.uk/

OF SPIRE AND THRONE, “Toll of the Wound” (Broken Limbs): Talk about a release that flew crazy low under the radar. This great Scottish doom band didn’t get a ton of traction in the States, and that’s too bad because “Toll of the Wound” is one hell of an intriguing listen. This thing is drubbing, devastating, draped with drone in spots, and full of evil intent. It feels like smoke is pouring out of this thing, choking and oppressing you, making you beg for clean air again. It’s a beast of an EP, and if you’re into grimy, mean doom, you’d be wise to go try this thing on for size. Of Spire and Throne have yet to offer up a full-length during their run, but when they do, it’s going to be one hell of a mighty statement. (Released May 13)

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

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

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

There were plenty of other smaller releases that came out this past year that are hammering our senses and making us drive a little faster. If you haven’t yet, make sure you check out: Drudkh/Winterfylleth “Thousands of Moons Ago/The Gates” (Season of Mist); Dead in the Manger “Transience” (20 Buck Spin); Blut Aus Nord/P.H.O.B.O.S. split (Debemur Morti); Bolzer “Soma” (Iron Bonehead)’ Cara Neir/Venowl split (Broken Limbs); Venowl/Highgate split (Tartarus).

I’m annoyed because today was supposed to begin our look back at the metal year 2014, one in which there were so many records I liked that putting a list together was extremely difficult. It’s also one where I had some of the most positive show experiences of my life, and that my local metal community has grown and become mightier.

Yet here we are, having to tackle an ugly issue that has plagued metal for a while and reared its puss-filled head over the weekend. By the way, I’m stream-of-consciousnessing this thing, so if it’s all over the map, that’s why. I’m not going to rehash the entire thing here for a number of reasons, the largest of which is I don’t want to further distribute the garbage that was disseminated via social media this weekend by Phil McSorley of Cobalt (who anyone who knows this site or me knows how much I love their music) and Mike Meachem of Loss. The talking points here are bashing people because of their sexual identification and wishing death on them; tearing down feminism and making women feel lesser for being in the scene; and being torn down publicly for having the audacity to be a person with feelings and compassion toward others. There are other statements that go even deeper that were not a part of this weekend’s idiocy, and they’re just as awful and despicable. By the way, a lot of this got sparked by an article based on an interview with Andy Curtis-Brignell of Caina and his disgust with women and other people being attacked by metal fans. Gee, how dare he try to act like a human? By the way, the band’s new record “Setter of Unseen Snares” is fucking awesome, and we’ll have an extensive review when it drops next year.

First thing I’ll say is the use of derogatory terms toward people of the LGBT community—or any, really—is not acceptable. It’s not metal. It’s not black metal. It’s not cult. It’s not cool. It’s not true. It’s not fun. It’s not funny. It’s not a joke. It’s garbage. It’s unacceptable. It’s childish. It’s evidence of a dense brain and a lack of intellectual thinking. It makes me laugh at you and also feel sorry for you. I don’t endorse it. I don’t want it near me. I don’t want to associate with music or musicians who freely use this kind of speech and honestly, meaningfully direct it at other people. It shows a black hole as far as humanity goes. You think it’s OK to jokingly say, “That band is gay”? It’s not. Stop fucking saying it. Challenge yourself and find a better word. Are you 11? The fact that prominent member of metal’s underground have publically used this type of speech, and that sheep followers have liked or endorsed or re-Tweeted, or reciprocated their words is so beyond stupid to me, I’m having a hard time grasping it. The fact that much of this was directed at a female writer who happens to be one of the hardest working, most respected members of the metal media infuriates me. And trust me, she doesn’t need my support or backing. She’s a bad ass, someone I am honored to call a friend, and someone who helps this site in a gigantic way. She also probably forgot more about metal than most people know. That pisses me off heavily to see her treated this way. It’s not fucking metal. It’s weak. I also understand one of the musicians above is raising a young girl. Oh boy. I don’t even know what to say there. Good luck, kid. I wish you well.

On this topic, I have a friend who is both a female and gay who told me that she often doesn’t like to even be around metal folk because of how she gets treated. The fact that anyone, much less this person whose metal knowledge likely trumps most people’s, has to feel this way in 2014 is a failure not only for metal but for society. It’s music. It’s a show. Are we not all laughing at Varg these days? Do we not our shake our heads in disgust over Faust’s heinous murder of a gay man in 1992? If not, you’re fucking doing it wrong. Metal can be a community. It can breed familial scenes and friendships. If not for this very thing, I don’t know how I would have gotten through high school. Maybe I was “lucky” to be a white heterosexual male, and perhaps that same thing is what makes me feel comfortable in my current circles. But I also know the company I keep are tremendous people who never, ever would stoop to the cowardice of the musicians mentioned above. I feel fortunate for that, and I hope my friend one day finds that for herself. And she always has a friend in me.

Now onto women in metal and their inclusion in the scene. Seriously, this is still a thing? We haven’t yet figured out women are just as worthy, just a worthwhile as men? I mean, this obviously is a problem not just inside metal’s walls. It’s still an issue in America. We’re still belittling and questioning and shaming rape victims. There still are people who openly mock the concept of equal pay for women. Sadly, there people in my Facebook feed who are a part of this shit, and it takes all of my strength not to respond. I don’t because it’s not worth throwing shit against a wall. I’m thankful I don’t feel the way these people do and I work hard to make sure people are included and treated justly. I don’t deserve a pat on the back for that.

Funny, the people trashing women’s plight for respect usually are white dudes who clearly feel threatened. Be confident in yourself, and if you are, it won’t matter to you that other people have the same rights and privileges as you. And look, the basic idea of feminism is striving for equality for women in all aspects of life. I’m a fucking feminist. A proud one. A boisterous one. I have a lot of amazing female friends who are listeners, fans, and musicians that I admire, respect, and look up to very day. It’s so stupid I even have to point this out. It should be a, “Duh, who doesn’t feel this way?” but that’s not the case. Funny, but these musicians above want to throw around the word “pussy” when describing bands, musicians, or fans who have the temerity to value women and want to celebrate their accomplishments in metal and the world. I chuckle when they use that word because their value as people drops as a result. Like, that’s the best insult you could muster? I’d also argue that people who take to social media and harass people and mock others aren’t exactly showing an admirable level of guts. It’s fucking weak.

Do you remember Iron Maiden ever trashing their female fans or fellow musicians? Harassing gay or trans members of their audience? Having to make some macho asshole statement just to prove what men they really are? How about Ronnie James Dio? Black Sabbath? Hell, Judas Priest? Those artists are legends. The cretin listed above might not even have a medium to pour their pure hatred if not for them. They don’t even deserve the honor of plugging in their guitars. You think those bands lose sleep at night that female or gay artists are afforded equal chances as them? No. Because they are/were awesome fucking players and don’t sit around worrying about what others do.

I see metal as a family. I feel fortunate to have a ton of friends—musicians, writers, label heads, metal fans—who I consider friends and who I interact with daily. This site is an homage to metal, a celebration of the sounds that fill my heart with joy and power every day. Yes, there is a place to express negativity and ugliness in metal, and we have covered and will continue to cover that music on a regular basis. But when that comes down to harassing people, to wishing real death upon others, to stripping people of their dignity and equality, it goes beyond dark music. It exposes a sick, dishonorable way of being that I refuse to celebrate. The artists listed above? You won’t find them here ever again. I’m sure they don’t give a shit. Fine with me. It’s how I feel about their careers now. I also commend Erik Wunder, the other half of Cobalt, for publicly distancing himself from McSorley’s bullshit commentary. Good for him. He’s a brilliant artist who does not deserve to be dragged into such sad territory. (UPDATE: Wunder has since removed McSorley from Cobalt and will continue on as a band without him.)

Although I did not do that here, I do hope people keep reposting the hateful messages these and other artists have the stupidity to put into public consumption. People need to see this. They need to know what artists are not worth supporting. Yes, it also spreads their message and gives them attention, and it’s the double-edged sword kind of thing. But awareness is key. I’ll trade these guys getting their names more attention and asshole followers endorsing them if more people realize what failures at life they are and stop supporting their art. In fact, if you disagree with what I’ve said in this piece, feel free to never come to this site again. I don’t need you. We’re not exactly a site with the highest traffic ever, but I don’t need to be if it means weeding out people who are just poisoned. I’m here because I love metal, and I don’t care if it makes me false or whatever asshole descriptor you want to add to it. Trust me, I’ve been called every insult in the book at one point or another in my life, and I have a pretty hard fucking shell because of it. I’d rather you trash me than the fantastic people who are facing such idiotic attacks.

In closing, I want to be proud of metal. I want to defend it to the death. I want to tell people they are wrong about their archaic misconceptions about metal and its artists. Then things like this happen, and it takes a lot of the piss out of my argument. Hatred, anti-women, anti-gay/trans, and racist undertones have been a part of metal for too long. It has to stop. It’s garbage. It’s a sign of a failure to evolve as people. It’s something I refuse to tolerate. It makes metal look like a meat-headed society. I know it largely is not that. The filth aspect in metal is a minority, in my experiences, but that ugliness clearly is still out there. I urge you, please, if you face this type of harassment, if you are under attack for your gender or your race or your sexual orientation, please know you have a friend here at Meat Mead Metal. Reach out to us. We want you to feel like family, like you are respected and wanted, because you are. You matter. If Phil McSorley thinks I’m a pussy because of that, I seriously could not care less. I think it’s clear what he’s about, and his views mean shit to me. Maybe part of his issue is the stress of being in the military or perhaps mental issues, and if that’s so, I hope he gets help. I hope anyone who feels this way gets help or gets a chance to have an eye-opening experience. Anyone can better themselves and change the way they are.

It’s going to be 2015. We can have a positive impact on the world and prove that metal’s not a cesspool of hatred. But we need to be active and vigilant and protective of one another. Real hatred should not be tolerated or accepted or celebrated. To do so makes you an archaic joke whose existence is just sad.

Brian Krasman

@bkrasmanmmmetal

Anyone out there who’s ever had a panic attack knows they are no fun at all. I mean, at all. Times I’ve had them, my body goes weak, my arms get heavy, breathing accelerates, certainty of imminent death is the only thing on my mind, and the idea of calming down and taking deep breaths is the last thing on my list of things I’m able to do capably.

Saying that Dimesland’s music always makes me feel like I’m in the midst of a panic attack might make it sound like a negative, but really, it isn’t. That’s because I’m not actually in one, and I feel just fine. Yet it makes my mind race and insanity take over, but usually instead of curling into the fetal position, I start whipping around and getting shit done. So it’s a positive panic attack you could say. That’s the best way I can think to describe the band’s manic, all-over-the-fucking-map debut LP “Psychogenic Atrophy.” Deciding where on the metal sub-genre scale the band falls is near impossible. Noise? Prog? Math metal? Death? Doom? Uh, try all of those, with no one element ever taking over another. It’s perplexing stuff, this great first full document (their 2012 EP “Creepmoon” only hinted as the craziness ahead), and there’s no way you’ll have the same experience with this music twice.

Dimesland are comprised primarily of members of the awesome Wild Hunt (their 2012 smasher “Beyond the Plane of Angles” is a revelation), that being guitarist Drew Cook, bassist Greg Brace, and drummer Harland Burkhart. Along with them is guitarist Nolan Cook, and together they pump out a musically dynamic, sonically perplexing, often manic, always sweltering collection of eight songs. Truth be told, these guys may annoy some people with their sound, because its harshness isn’t always easy to take. For me, I revel in it, rolling around like I’m trying to cover myself in mud and pine needles, hellbent on scaring the hell of the neighbors or any scared child on the block. It’s OK. I’m moving soon.

Bizarre noises and trickling sounds introduce you to opener “Are They Cannibals,” a question you might direct right back at the band once you get your first dose. Yowled vocals and tricky, sprawling playing highlight this thing, with cries of, “Unhinged violence!” practically standing as the song’s calling card. “Dying Foretold” combines deranged yelling, music that feels like it bubbled out of an unauthorized science lab, and dizzying thrashing into a blast that is thrashy and mangling. “Institutional Gears” blows open with a rumbling bassline, lead guitar work that burns the brows from your face (literally … I have no more eyebrows now), and metallic strikes over top that remind me of a crazed person trying to stab blindly over a wall. And hitting the target every time. The final moments have chunky crunching and what sounds like a freight train trying to navigate under water. “Xenolith” is the longest track of the group at 8:43, and guitars rip this thing apart before everything freezes over and puts you in a trance. Then things gets weirder. A roiling tempo rises up, as mechanical voices convey unintelligible information before the band blows up the scene again and ends the thing in a cloud of smoke.

“That Cold Moment” is furious and nasty from the start, with howled vocals, guitars cutting through everything like a sword, and eventually fluid melodies that serve to bring the temperature down. The guitars get exploratory and spacey, while the bass and drums meld together to reach out and spread something that would make Rush proud. “Malfunctioning Gears” charges and trudges, with blurry oddness eventually making its presence known and making everything feel kind of drunken. No complaints there. Growls blow in, the pace gets deadlier, and an eerie calm steps in and pulls the song to its finish. “Bound in Store” is a monster, splattering blood everywhere, letting the music barrel out of control and toward any poor bastard in its path, with the final seconds simmering and blowing steam into closer “Odd Feats Are Bid and Won.” This one has a proggy, intriguing start before the bottom drops out and devastation returns. It’s a strange little journey, with angry bursts striking here and there, guitars later warming up and spilling over the track, harsh shouts emerging to poke a few final fingers in your eyes, and the song naturally ending as strangely as possible.

You might want to wear a helmet, tape your fists, hide breakables, and warn loved ones if you plan to take an extended trip with Dimesland. “Psychogenic Atrophy” can be as dangerous as it is musically stimulating, a collection that might make you turn into a whirling dervish of energy, looking for any task to complete while on this artistic high. Or maybe there’s just something wrong with my brain that it makes me feel this way. Either way, be prepared. These guys are out to challenge, and even hurt, your puny little brain.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://dimesland.bandcamp.com/

If there’s one complaint I constantly hear from people who are not inclined to like doom, it’s that the songs tend to be long. This isn’t an inaccurate assessment of a lot of doom bands, and if you don’t have the patience for songs that take their time and stretch, you might want to go read something else. Today just might break you.

English doom band Eye of Solitude have one of the more demanding releases that recently landed, that being their new EP “Dear Insanity.” First, I take issue with this being labeled an EP, but that probably has more to do with what that kind of release entails. You know, a handful of songs that come and go. Yeah, OK, this is just one track, that being the title cut. But this son of a bitch is just a few ticks under 50 minutes long, a full-length document for any other band on the planet (and this is only 16 minutes shorter than the group’s last record “Canto III”). Sure, there is plenty of room to split hairs there, and I don’t care to do that. Instead, let’s focus on the major commitment you must make to this thing. You’re not pulling out a bit here and there. There are no multi-track movements to help you navigate. You get it all. In one large chunk. For consumption in one sitting. So yeah, if long doom tracks aren’t your thing, you’ll want to bow out.

I feel bad for anyone who decides to avoid this thing, because “Dear Insanity” is one hell of a compelling listen, and it doesn’t feel like it lasts as long as it does. Along the way, we get heavy drubbing, funeral doom-like weariness, gothic transmissions, drone, and outright fury, with so many peaks and valleys, it’s easy to lose count. The band—it consists of four Sidious members in vocalist Daniel Neagoe, guitarists Mark Antoniades and Steffan Gough, and bassist Chris Davies, with drummer Adriano Ferraro the only one not in the other group—weaves this huge piece together nicely, and giant helpings of drama and emotion packed into this song should be more than enough to keep you tuned in from front to back.

The track gets started with a serious pocket of synth fog, boiling and taking its time to get started because, let’s face it, they’re not in a hurry to get anywhere. There are wails in the background, sounding pained physically and emotionally, and the initial growls are buried under murk before the song breaks open eight minutes into the epic. There, the screams get nastier and meaner, with sorrowful melodies sprawling and dragging you into the darkness. At about the 15-minute mark, synth rises up and overrides the madness, with foggy, dreary passages, and minutes later the track heading into teary, goth-style melodies. The bottom drops again about a half hour into the song, driving slowly and letting the fires gain steam and choke your lungs, but that’s later displaced by another front of calm, with keys trickling and injecting some psychedelic notes into the track. With about 10 minutes remaining, all of the previous elements come together, with lead guitars churning over top, the track storming steadily and menacingly, and the last throes of punishment finally giving way to dark keys that evaporate into the night.

Even longtime fans of Eye of Solitude might be taken aback by what they hear on this release, but if you’re familiar with the band’s past and growing ambition, you won’t be surprised. It’s an interesting project they undertook here, and the fact they deliver it so well and devastatingly goes to show how good these guys are as creators. Get comfortable, take a deep breath, and get ready to take a trip that demands your undivided attention.

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

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

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

Sitting here with a sore throat, a headache that seems to come and go, and a body temperature that rises and drops 15 times per hour, everything feels like lunacy right now. I’m not bedridden by any means, and I am well enough to be somewhat productive on my couch with old NWA wrestling on my TV, so let’s get into a thunderous platter of horror that might help break my fever.

Ireland’s Zom haven’t been at it for a terribly long time, having logged three years together as a unit. But you wouldn’t know that from the hellish battery that flies at you on their debut full-length “Flesh Assimilation,” an eight-track assault that is raw and heinous as they come. There are a lot of bands that try to reach back to the black and death metal aesthetics of eras past and easily swing and miss. Not Zom. They could have crawled out of the gutters in early 1990s and been right at fiery home. They are devastating, mashing, and completely devoid of mercy for your feelings, and if that poke to the eye seems like something you might enjoy, you could get hours of infernal joy out of this record.

The three titans who comprise Zom are guitarist/vocalist Sodomaniac, bassist/vocalist Chthon, and drummer Sabbac. All three have serious impact on this thing, and each of their mammoth musical contributions go toward making this record feel like all-out war. Every second of this record is utterly brutal, with no let-up whatsoever. Even when they’re not tearing forward with great bursts of speed, they’re drubbing you with a thrashy, channeled attack that’s unquestionably heavy. Now that you’ve been duly warned, let’s get into this thing.

“Tombs of the Void” is the first offering, beginning with strange howls and eeriness before letting loose with a bloody assault, beastly growls, and a tempo that will trample you underfoot in no time. As with all of the songs on this record, the intensity remains thick and true right up until the end when it runs into “Hordes of the Cursed Realms.” The riffs are fantastic and sinewy, with the growling coming back as echoes and a strange alien feel to some of the playing. The track stomps and flattens everything in front of it, paying no mind to the bodies left behind. “Gates to Beyond” has cosmic wooshes that float in the air that are blown apart with a heavy, calculated display that takes its time distributing punishment. Of course, the song later is blown to bits as the band reaches a state of gravelly violence that only subsides once spacey noises slip in, take over, and bleed right into “Conquest.” Here, doomy pounding arrives and trudges before the guys unleash blazing speed and blurry noise that sits behind the carnage. There’s some back and forth to this one, and it ends with noises swirling in the air.

“Illbeings Unspeak” has a clubbing pace, harsh vocals that sound threatening and sometimes unintelligible, drums that detonate fully, and rampaging riffs that should make the blood surge and the body bruise more easily. “Dead Worlds” is introduced with shrieking sounds, more doomy sentiments, and guitars that start chugging forward with a purpose. This cut splatters fury everywhere, with great thrashiness that could strain your neck, feral growls that terrify, and a finish that mixes odd chants with electronic blips. Pretty weird stuff. “The Depths” finds the drums and bass working together like a well-oiled killing machine, more tremendous riffs causing smoke to rise, and a smothering display that seeks to maim and suffocate. The closing title track opens with a smeary pocket of sound that disorients before the band finds yet another violent gear and charges forward. The cut gets blistering as hell, with a true old school feel emanating from this thing, and the rawness and punishment taking a final stand, leading out with a pace that should leave you sore for hours afterward.

Zom’s commitment to outright violence and devastation is admirable and refreshing, and this debut “Flesh Assimilation” is the official first warning shot fired by the war-torn Irish heathens. It’s as heavy a record as you’re going to find in black and death metal circles this year, and it should make for a great wake-me-up blast if you need something to get your ass into gear. Zom are off to a tumultuous start on this debut, and they’re a band to keep your blackened eyes on as they progress down their path of terror.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ZOM/195971213790266

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

Or here: http://www.invictusproductions.net/shop/

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

Or here: http://invictusproductions.net/

My dream for the weekend is to be able to get outside, fill my lungs with some cold air, and remember that there is more to life than managing data, attending meetings, and sitting in a cubicle all day long. I don’t hold any ill will against those things, because they are part of what I do every day and I want to do them well, but taking a break to just live and be a speck in the world can be a welcoming thing.

If I get a chance to do that—it’s a big if at this point—I plan to take a couple of walking companions along with me, namely the two minds behind Swedish duo Bhleg. The band’s stunning debut record “Draumr Ast” (to fall in love with dreams) has arrived via two very reliable labels, that being Nordvis Produktions and Bindrune Recordings, who regular readers know we trust nearly with blinders on. In this late-year assault of very good records, this stands out as the most atmospheric, beholden to nature, and spiritually refreshing of them all. I feel like I technically do not even need that reconnection to the outdoors, that I can sense the great majesty of our surroundings simply through this music. But combining the two might make the whole experience that much more effective and rewarding.

Bhleg bring together two artists who used to play in the band Ljuset, namely Simon Johansson (guitars, vocals, synth, percussion, etc.) and Ludvig Andersson (bass, vocals, etc.). This project is studio-based only right now, which makes sense considering the great, full-bodied sound of this music and the effort and commitment that would take to recreate live. “Draumr Ast” is a record that combines primitive black metal, ambiance, and woodsy folk music to conjure dreams and connection with the earth and stars, and while that description might not sound like anything new conceptually, the way these two play the music and express their artistic workings will make you realize Bhleg is something special.

Opener “Solkronan” doesn’t waste any time getting started, kicking off with aggressive, chugging guitars, raw growls, and fiery instrumentation that fills the woods with smoke. Strong melodies serve as a base for this thing, with some stop-start playing and fiery imagination that takes you into the interesting, gazey next two cuts. “Kosmos pulsadra” has shimmery synth, damp and cold melodies, as well as a deathrock-like approach that makes the song feel dank. Sounds build and flood, a cosmic sense is injected into the track, and dreamy playing streams right into “Nyckeln till livskraftens ursprung.” It’s a shorter, cloudy track rich with acoustic guitars and a sense of traveling through the woods, drinking in every ounce of the scenery. “Alyr” destroys the calm, hammering violently from the start and pushing ahead with might. There is a mix of murky clean vocals and monstrous growls that take turns telling the tale, and the melodies hover like a swollen, gray cloud, saturating everything beneath it before it subsides and lets some sunlight poke through. The birds you hear chirp into the carry over to “Brunnens Hjarta” that is loaded with riffs and atmosphere. The vocals are grim, while the guitar work burns a path for them to follow, leading into pockets of great intensity and savage emotions that threaten with tumult.

“Skymningsdrommar” is led in by slow, deliberate drumming, keyboards that sound like a swarm, and compelling music that is unlike anything else on this record. There are haunting whispers that send drafts through the room before guitar emerge and slash open any sense of serenity. The vocals pour on the volcanic ash, and the track runs face-first into “Brunnakrar,” which keeps the intensity as a fever pitch with guitars that rage and a punishing tempo that seems like it could pulverize you. The band drives hard, with molten guitar work glowing and blinding and a full-on assault that returns after a brief moment of pullback. “Stjärnkartans väv” is a final, space soup instrumental, with weird keys that could soundtrack an old B sci-fi movie picked apart on “MST3,” which gives it a great sense of charm. It’s weird and tribal, setting the stage for the dramatic closing title cut, which begins with more glorious, smoldering riffs and vocals that sound like they are designed to permanently damage one’s throat. Each layer of this song come cascading down, leaving you little chance to catch your breath and pushing this journey with full force. But while it might seem the band is focused on breaking your will sonically, they relent, letting the song breathe and spilling folk acoustics and birds calling into the conclusion. That should remind you that while there was danger, you’re back in a safe place beneath the stars.

Obviously Bhleg encourage you to reach beyond this plane and into your imagination, both when asleep and awake. The music on “Draumr Ast” should help you accomplish that, and don’t go saying you’re too metal to get in touch with your darker aspirations and fantasies. Maybe you don’t have to do that, if you’re not inclined. Instead, go outside, crunch the leaves under your boots, and remember the world that suffocates you week in and week out and can be escaped for solace every now and again. Appreciate those times.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://eihwazrecordings.com/distro/

Or here: http://www.nordvis.com/store/

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

Or here: http://www.nordvis.com/

This has been a pretty busy year for welcoming back bands and artists who have been important to metal’s development over the decades, from Godflesh to At the Gates to former Trouble/current The Skull howler Eric Wagner. We have one more for whom we’ll open the iron doors, and they haven’t been gone for nearly as long as the aforementioned acts.

Greek black metal stalwarts Varathron last reported to us with a full-length in 2009 with “Stygian Forces of Scorn.” And before that, their release schedule was pretty erratic, only putting out two other records in the 16 years prior to that. They’re not a prolific band by any means, which probably is why it seems like them returning with “Untrodden Corridors of Hades” seems like such a monumental occasion. The seven-track, 50-minute platter of hatred and evil feels as purely dark as what the band churned out on their 1993 debut “His Majesty at the Swamp.” They also serve as a reminder that black metal doesn’t have to bludgeon and steamroll, as these guys always have been expert at letting songs breathe and the madness slowly bled out. That remains on this record, which is one of the things that makes it such a damn great listen.

The other part of that is that the band members–longtime vocalist Stefan Necroabyssious, guitarists Sotiris and Achilleas C., bassist Stratos Kountouras, and drummer Haris–are fully engaged and sell this stuff beautifully. Their playing is strong, inspired, and just so heavy, and although the record isn’t a perfect document, it’s still one of the more memorable black metal albums the last half of the year from a genre where homogenization is choking out creativity ever so slowly. The music here feels evil and doesn’t just try to be that way, and as the songs creep into one another, you can feel the danger building as you follow these guys into the fire.

Weird chants and ritualistic thrashing spill out of opener “Kabalistic Invocation of Solomon,” which then steers into raw vocals, strange melodies, and a mystical feel that makes it seem like you’re ensconced in a fog. There are sheets of synth that drop, strong lead guitar playing, and a calculated pace designed to stretch out the drama. “Realm of Obscure” marches heavily out of the gates, with strong riffs and a gallop that smothers you. The drums are absolutely assaulted, with complex guitar work unfurling and savage vocals feeling monstrous and growly. The guitars stab methodically, and the composition ends in fiery glory. “Arcane Conjuring” feels machine-like at the start, with Necroabyssious’ vocals sounding wonderfully deranged and murky, with odd melodies lurking behind. The pace settles a bit, with wild birds cawing and chant-like growls darkening the mood before it fades out in a mid-tempo drubbing.

“Leprocious Lord” has feral growls that sound raw and animalistic, guitar work that tricks and twists, and a sturdy bassline that buzzes through the middle. The vocals sound like they’re reaching into the spirit world, while the rest of the band builds an oppressive fever of chaos and unleashes some really intriguing progressions. “The Bright Trapezium” is the one sticking point on the record for me. It feels like four different songs smooshed together, and it never really gets off the ground, switching personalities just when things seem to be settling into place. There are some nice gothic flourishes and tasty guitar work here, but the whole thing falls a little flat. Luckily, we pick up on “Death Chant” that has an eerie, chilling first half, with guitars shredding flesh and Necroabyssious’ vocals sounding noxious and dangerous. Atmospheric synth later rises up, providing imposing shadows to the ominous storytelling, and the track ends with a crushing gasp. Closer “Delve Into the Past” rips open, throwing speedy guitars, fearsome vocals, and neck-snapping tempo shifts your way. The song is massively destructive, a great final salvo for the band to blacken your eyes and bloody your mouth, whipping everything into a tornadic bloodshed before dragging you to a tumultuous end.

I know I’ve said this a bunch of times about the other really quality late-year records that have come at us like a tidal wave, but I wonder how much more end-of-year enthusiasm would surround “Untrodden Corridors of Hades” if Varathron had released it, say, over the summer. Nonetheless, it’s a great record, a really volcanic ride, and one that takes its time setting the stage to let the horrors play out in front of you. It’s awesome to have Varathron back in our consciousness to make great noise again. We probably won’t hear from them again for a while, so make sure you relish this while it’s fresh.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.agoniarecords.com/index.php?pos=shop&lang=en

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

This time of the year is notorious for miserable days, where being completely down and dark is as natural as feeling rejuvenated in the summer. Like, right now it’s cold, damp, dark, and lousy outside, and it’s the middle of the afternoon. It might as well be time to go to sleep and forget you’re alive.

That’s makes the arrival of Mesmur’s debut album just perfect for this time. The North Carolina-based funeral doom band packs more than 53 minutes and five tracks of downtrodden punishment into this thing, and listening back today for the umpteenth time proved the best backdrop possible outside my window for this music. It’s slow, it hurts, it feels utterly hopeless, and it won’t turn your dark emotions into anything bright. Might it drive you further into hiding, where the sight of anyone or anything is the last thing you wish to encounter? Sure. But it’s also possible you need a record and band that feels as emotionally crumbling as you do, and for that, this band more than delivers songs that’ll equal, and even surpass, any blackness you suffer from the season.

If you’re a fan of bands such as Evoken, Mournful Congregation, Catacombs, and Thergothon, you’ll find yourself right at miserable home with this slow-driving debut record. The band is comprised of veterans of other bands, with mastermind Yixja, also of Dalla Nebbia, supplying the pace-setting guitar work; vocalist Chris G (Orphans of Dusk, Intorment Black) offering his guttural, stomach-clearing growls; Aslak Karlsen Hauglid on bass; and Alkurion (Dalla Nebbia, Funeral Age) behind the drum kit. Their sound is penetrating, vicious, full of salty, bitter tears, and a great way to wallow with your own bad tidings for an hour so that you come to realize you’re not the only lost soul stuck in the dark.

“Deprivation” opens the record with a slow chug, spilling the first helpings of doom into your lap and letting the dark, thick clouds set up. Once the song gets moving, it has a slight Opeth feel (think “Still Life” and “Blackwater Park” eras), toying with tempos before finally letting loose with lurching growls and furious heaviness. The pace switches back and forth, crumbling into crushing sequences but always letting that intensity subside as they allow more tranquil moments to trickle. The song ends in a deep fog, with you feeling your way through the mystery. “Lapse” is decidedly heavier and crunchier when it opens, showing the band’s more pulverizing side. The guitars pierce the skin, while the growls are menacing, and sorrowful melodies slip behind all of this smoke. At the halfway point, the track goes nearly silent, with only cosmic whirring audible at all, before the fires light up slowly again. The vocals go from whispers to growls, and all of the elements dissolve into the murk.

“Abnegate” is the second-longest track on the album at 12:14, and it’s an emotional mammoth. Keys open the book lid, giving off a gothy sense, and slowly delivered crushing continues from there. The growls sound like they were scraped from the ground, bleeding, as they are full of anguish, and pained guitar melodies and an overcast bottom end help hammer home the sense of dread and pain. Spacey winds blow in, with things holding in place as a chill freezes your heart. Soloing then arrives, giving the song a proggy bend, and from there growls return to offer final gasps of suffering, with everything ending up in a dismal crunch. “Descend” is awash in atmosphere at first, with the sounds buzzing and later striking out, entering a slow boil that gives off the proverbial steam. The vocals are more monstrous than elsewhere, as the band builds dreary layers on top of each other to make the pressure on your psyche even heavier. Closer “Osmosis” starts with quiet murmurs, strange noises, and slowly meted-out doom. The cut blows open, with the growls pushing ahead, guitar melodies drizzling like acid rain, and eerie voices calling out in distress. There’s a sense of panic evident, with wallowing cries exploding from G’s throat, melodies encircling and preparing to suffocate, and gusts of noise rising and disappearing into the night sky, with you left gazing.

As noted, Mesmur won’t help you rebound if you’re one of the many of us who struggle through these bleak months. The band’s debut is great company, however, like a tortured partner who is the only one who can identify with your pain because they’ve been down the same path. This is fearsome, desolate doom that will make you want to climb inside your closet, bury yourself in layers, and stay there until the faintest hint of sunlight and warmth return again.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.auralwebstore.com/shop/index.php

For more on the label, go here: http://www.code666.net/